Friday wonderings – what to do with my old hardtail?

Ideas of what I can do with this?

I’ve got a lovely titanium Brodie mountain bike frame hanging in the shed from when I decided to go all 650b gnarduro specific. It makes me sad to see it just hanging there being unused. Realistically what could I use it for?
Rigid? Its designed for 140 travel, I know nothing about rigid forks is this possible?
I’ve tried a SS road bike, it was pointless, are SS mtb’s any more use (I aint the fittest!)

I think the only things im missing are wheels (rear QR), forks (1 1/8”) and drivetrain, so probably looking at ~£300 (?) so may be better buying a donor bike to swap stuff from?

And justification I can use for my wife after I’ve just spunked £2k on a bouncy bike! 😳

Can I be the first to say…..give it to me? 😀

I got some rigid forks off the eabay that are equivalent to my old bomber 130’s I think they are 29’r charge cooker ones. My old inbred is now all rigid with big squashy tyres and great to ride

Wombat, oddly enough i’d promised it to a mate back in February cos his tyre had eaten a v groove into his chainstay and he didnt have the cash to buy anything…its still in my shed 🙁

I really dont want to sell it as i suspect it’ll be peanuts.

maybe i should lightweight it?

LS – i quite like that idea, maybe i should look at that as my son loves the wee ride…what do i need to know? Is it just fork A-C length?

What point in going rigid?

I like SS but you need to be up for it. a tensioner (old rr mech) and wide base sprocket are all you need.

Shame to see something that lovely unused!

Shame to see something that lovely unused!

Which is why i want to find a use for it…

My shed;
Rose UJ 160mm Gnarrduro (Mine & new!)
Giant Anthem (Mrs 26er which i use for xc jaunts and local events – in reality the quickest of the 2 bikes on anything other than gnarr!)

The Brodie rides superb, but with the UJ i have no need for it…do i just have to bite the bullet and flog it? There’s potential of having it as a riding with the kids bike, you look a bit daft on a gnarpoon and a weeride on it around FOD. 😳

Edit better pic

I also have a 26″ hardtail hanging in my shed. It’s not moved since I got my latest full sus.
It was a custom build I put together a few years ago.

I have decided to keep mine as a spare bike. Bits break on the main man as well as friends bikes, I also have friends who don’t own bikes (I know, weird right?) but enjoy coming up the woods occasionally.

Just keep it as a spare. The forks and shock on your main bike will need a service at some point, having this to grab in the mean time would be great.

That’s lovely….

Change the forks for rigid exotic carbon ones, same with the seat post. Swap for a non dropper carbon
Tidy the cables / hoses and

<trying to simplify> so To keep the 140mm designed for fork travel id probably need the 29er version im guessing, it seems ‘most’ rigids are aimed at the equivalent 100mm forks? Or would that just ride horrible?

Axle to Crown: 26″ = 450mm / 29″ = 490mm
http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FOMK35CF/mkm-35-rigid-carbon-mtb-fork

I’ve looked at the equiv carbon cycles fork but at £263 its a little rich for a 2nd bike 😯
http://www.carboncycles.cc/index.php?p=1252&#038;

Trail centre bike? The 160mm full susser will be pretty boring round alot of them. I fitted rigid forks and singlespeeded a Soul, it’s horrible, don’t go down that avenue.

Trail centre bike

I’ve discovered natural riding,

my last TC ride was when they opened verderers at FOD ~ 3 years ago.
SS isnt really an option had a fixie. it was hateful.
Maybe a tamer option is the answer, the anthem is brilliant as its effiecint and rolls quick, the enduro is fun for those days out in the hills…i think i have too much overlap to warrant it 😥

Erm…. if its just sat there in the shed, you could always sell it. How much would you want for the frame?

Slight hijack, – what’s wrong with verderers out of interest?
I’m guessing you prefer natural trails than TCs like me then?

Oh and the bike is to good to hang around doing nothing or selling, trust me, it should be on your keeper list.

In regards to rigid forks, yeah 490mm would do it fine but would probably ruin any real off road capability.

SS is great if like mentioned you are game for and prepared to pump the bike more on trails and keep momentum going by maintaining a good speed as much as possible depending on your chosen gear ratio.

mmmmmm choices choices.

Plus perhaps lose the dropper for cleaner look as often found with hard tails myself that you chose between post up or down at suitable for bit of everything does the job.

oh and carry on to enjoy 😀

Most 29er rigid forks will also work in a long travel hardtail. Rigid bikes are great fun imo, but yo may not be the same as my mo. I love the difficulty multiplier thing and the huge difference in ride experience, it can make old trails feel new

you could always sell it.

I know, i just think id regret it if i did, shouldnt have split it <idiot>

what’s wrong with verderers out of interest

Hi Hopey, utterly nothing, i rode it for months and just ended up bored of it. I know they’ve added other bits to it but much preferred the enduro trail and off piste stuff (dowies/shutcastle/alien etc) + too many people for me on it

Rigid bikes are great fun imo, but yo may not be the same as my mo

demo’d a fatty, not my bag so you may well be right and i may end up buying a load of gear and not like the end result

hmm b#gger
(at least its a nice problem to have)

I’ve always loved these….hint hint…

69er rigid? Sacrilege on such a lovely frame but could work.

Most 29er rigid forks will also work in a long travel hardtail. Rigid bikes are great fun imo, but yo may not be the same as my mo. I love the difficulty multiplier thing and the huge difference in ride experience, it can make old trails feel new

Ah f##k it, lets try it!

Does anyone have some rigid forks and qr wheels they’d like to sell! This could turn into the most bling weeride bike 😀

69er rigid

Andy, your making me blush, though im not sure what your offering me 😳

Had teh same dilemma recently. Old Mk1 tinbred frame hanging in the garage for a couple of years. 26″ so not worth selling.

I put it together with spare bits for £zero, took it for a ride, and revelled in the lightness and zingyness compared to my current rides – fatbike or full susser. Definitely going to keep it, already planning a few upgrades! Variety is the spice and all that!

IMG_20150607_172924890 by Allan[/url], on Flickr

Frames like that should not have rigid forks on, I’ve been there and it’s fun to do because it’s n+1 but really – go ride your full sus for a while and enjoy it. Then stick some 150mm forks on the Brodie, go and ride the same tracks and you’ll find you can almost go the same speed. Swap back to full sus, go faster and repeat.

Ride it in the winter when it’s mucky out or every now and then for a bit of variation?

Andy, your making me blush, though im not sure what your offering me

Fortunately I was not drinking anything when I read that!

26″ carbon fork with a nice fat 29″ wheel and tyre.

Or to save money you could use a 27.5″ wheel and fat tyre off another bike in a 29″ carbon fork. Would just need a 26″ rear wheel then.

26″ carbon fork with a nice fat 29″ wheel and tyre.

Or to save money you could use a 27.5″ wheel and fat tyre off another bike in a 29″ carbon fork. Would just need a 26″ rear wheel then.

If you do any of the above to that frame I will have to break in and shoot it to put it out of it’s misery.

If you do any of the above to that frame I will have to break in and shoot it to put it out of it’s misery.

😆

Then stick some 150mm forks on the Brodie, go and ride the same tracks and you’ll find you can almost go the same speed.

Strava tells me i am barely faster on the FS than the Brodie, or BFe before that 😳

I’ll keep an eye in the for sale section, if anything decent comes up first that may sway me. My Mrs will kill me, you lot are to blame!

Lightweight it, carbon rigid forks, 1x drive chain, light wheelset, it’d be cracking fun and s little different too.

Turn it into a monster franken-cross bike. Fit 700C forks, singlespeed or gears, skinny tyres (you’ll struggle for choice by CX Pros are OK), longer stem and some funky drop bars (Soma sparrow on mine). Then, come autumn, take it racing!

Buy an Xtracycle longtail kit and turn it into a cool cargo bike

well thats that sorted, my mates finally picked it up it’s soon to be hooning around dorset with massive forks and tyres on and he’s happy as he’s got a bike to ride!

stevet you can be happy now its not going rigid fracken69er+B