All thanks to Ben @ Kinetics-Glasgow, from this tragedy what happened back in 2007 at the SS Worlds at Aviemore…

Shameless advert for charlie – you still owe me…….. 😀

Ain’t no way to polish that out…

To

Fillet Brazed Columbus tubed loveliness

I kept the original 71 degree head tube angle (unfashionable but **** fashion) and designed for a 80mm max fork so it’s gonna be a pimpy rigid carbon fork going back on but i dunno bout running single speed anymore so it’s going to get an XTR 1×10 drivetrain wi middleburn cranks.

I got this frame custom built for me in late 2004 by Sean @ Soulcraft and i’m so so happy to have it back in one piece, Cheers Ben – I’m very happy indeed! 😀

LIKE

I’d have that bent tube mounted in the wall.
Wasn’t there a somewhat gruesome pic of a bloodstained pavement to go with it… 🙂

damn that was a failure and a half…

Looks great now though, love how smoothed out it all is

Oh and your need to the turn the bent bit into a lamp

Yeah but i got told off for posting the pic of the bloodstained paving so that’s staying in my flickr account, i should’ve lifted the paving slab at the time and kept it as that paving slab cost me £3500 in dental work, not to mention the two nhs nose jobs 😀

I’m keeping the bent down tube, that’s gonna be my club to batter shite out’a any would be thieves that dare cross my door, and it’s going to get it’s own picture frame to hang on the wall…obviously 😉

It’s strange how we form bonds with a collection of metal tubing but that frame above did me proud for 3 years and 20,000+ miles of riding……..it’s going to be a nervous first ride when i finally get it built up, i’ll be avoiding all benches and obstacles for sure.

Looks lovely! Some very tidy work there. Would like to see it built up.

Watched the repair pics on Kinetics fb page. Quality job that. I’d be just as pleased 😀

Need to get a decal kit from Sean and it won’t be built up till around easter time (finances) but i figure that’s an apt time to ride a resurrected frame.

I’ll post back up here when it’s done, this is how it used to look 9yrs ago

EDIT : I didn’t realise Ben posted the repair on his facebook page, i don’t have a facebook acc so can i still view it? – i’m away to see……..

Aye, I texted you the picture too 😉

Wow, happy ending – looks fantastic! I remember the original post well. Hope your dental work/nose job is looking as good 😉

Cheers mama, I should’ve got Ben to do my nose n’ teeth, the dental work would’ve been better quality n’ cheaper and i could’ve specced a hollywood nose rather than settle for an nhs hammer n’ chisel job. 🙂

Ur bik is crap and u now got chops like a paving slab.

It’s looking good. I can only imagine the excitement to finally finish off building it and gagging to get back on it. Money well spent. I mean, even spending £9k on a super enduro bike from the comics wouldn’t put a grin on your face like this just did!

Yep…………say it like it is martin, wouldn’t expect owt’ else 🙂 , I guess i did freak you out by walking into your bike shop 10hrs after face planting the ground and ask if i could borrow a bike/your rigid pace rc100 for a ride that morning…….that prob wasn’t one of my brightest ideas as the drugs soon wore off and your pace sure was rigid!, it shook me up pretty bad over the roots but i took it easy as my helmet wouldn’t fit on my swollen head, i could only see out of one eye, i was still spitting blood as it ran from my bust nose down the back of my throat meanwhile whistling through my missing front teeth………. yep – single speeding hardcore massive coming through….make way….clear the path folks………..i did get some “gasps” and “oh my god” responses from peeps but no more than usual, i was annoyed wi the whisky though as that stung like buggery when i tried to drink it but perseverance won through – nothing ever comes easy eh?.

I’ll be in touch later on when we get our Wickerman DJ line-up sorted, if you fancy a ticket and can make a trip down for the weekend.

Looks good.
You can see a big spot of blood on top of the fork leg.

And the bent tube looks like a handy shillelaghs.

£3.5k of dental work.

Diamond grill?

Careful – could become the new Triggers broom.

Summary of what happened?

God time flies! That was an ace weekend. Remember you doing that mate, bloody mess! Can’t believe it was 7 years ago!

Frame looks great, will be superb!

What the hell did you do to cause that? As much as I get attached to my bikes I’d probably have To hang it on the wall rather than resurrect it…won’t you be worried it,ll snap again?

I can say for certain when I snapped a steerer on the skyline descent I wouldn’t be bolting those forks back together so I could ride them again!

Anyways bloody good resto job. Enjoy

Ace looking bike. I remember seeing a lovely sparkly orange Soulcraft, and still think it is one of the nicest bikes I have ever seen.

It was most certainly not a JRA (just-riding-along) failure, i hit an unfinished bench nr the train station in Aviemore all full sprinting speed and snapped the front end off, surprisingly the Pace TI carbon forks were fine as was the front wheel – both are still in use.

And the repair including powder coating was only £200, near enough 10% of the price of a new frame by the time i factor in shipping and import duty etc so it was certainly worth repairing, i should have got it repaired sooner.

Yep, 7 years ago – what’s happened in the intervening years eh?………that trip and SS Champs was a week long whisky fuelled party – well done to Dr Jon, Dark Marquis, Marty, Bothy Bikes etc…etc for making it all happen.

I’ve still got the scars of that trip so to speak….. 😀

Looks lovely – a Soulcraft is on my ‘to own’ list of frames…

Brilliant. Good work Ben.

Understated and efficient. Those are the frames that always appeal to my eyes. Storming repair job there.

I remember hearing the story of the crash, I didn’t know it was you. Good to see you back to fighting fitness.

Yep…………say it like it is martin, wouldn’t expect owt’ else

Heh,I jest. I can’t even remember what you look like after healing up but *$&%^ me, it would have made the headlines on liveleEk at the time!

Thanks again for the kind offer! So who did the work/paintjob?

Great story. Some bikes/frames are keepers no matter what it takes…

Hi Kenny

Great to see the old thing back together – bike not you 🙂

I remember the crash was a bad end to a very fine few days.

Will it be a 96er again?

Did Ben keep the original top tube or did that get replaced as well?

I still wince about that incident, great to see the bike back 🙂

Did Ben keep the original top tube or did that get replaced as well?

The break was very clean at the head tube end, so I just tidied it up a little and filleted the head tube on. This was it part way through:

Lovely bike and a great story – top job. 🙂

What’s the tubing?
Did you use the same specs?

Columbus Zona oversized DT – 0.7/0.5/0.7 – kept the same geometry.

Just seen this, that looks mint.

I must admit I am glad you went down the repair route rather than the SS couplings you were thinking about.

Glad to see it back up and running Kenny and that you are back in the saddle. Drop me a line when you get the chance.

Oh, and I won’t post the gory pics from after the ‘incident’, but this one from earlier in the night might give you some idea of the cause 🙂

Glad to hear it’s up and running again, Kenny! I’m hoping to see Sean just after Easter, so let me know if you don’t have decals sorted by then and I can mule some back over for you. I’m going to have to get my Soulcraft out for a ride soon in solidarity.

Damn you Sam…….. I was just inspecting the sills on the volvo…pre mot check – honest 😀 Strangely enough i don’t consider alcohol to be a contributory factor in the slightest – although others may beg to differ but seeing as pedestrians walked into the unfinished street furniture in broad daylight and injured themselves just makes me glad that i was under the influence when i face planted as the pain was dulled by the best part of a bottle of Ardbeg?…or was it Jura?…perhaps it was the Balvennie?…or the Highland park?…….Ah-hah… it could’ve been the Laphroig that pushed me over the edge…so many bottles…in so few days 😉

Yeah i’m glad i didn’t go the S&S coupling route, they are a fantastic bit of kit to hold and fondle, so well machined that you instantly feel the “need” for them but they would have spoiled the lines of the soulcraft tubing and to be honest i’m never gonna ride abroad so what’s the point in having a bike that comes apart to fit in a suitcase? – if i want a folding bike i’ll just close my eyes, fill up on whisky and hit something at speed……anyway, after riding Galloway for 25yrs+ i’m still finding new trails n’ paths to amuse myself on.

Cheers Chips, i may take you up on that offer, i’ve messaged Sean but i realise he’s always tucked up in his workshop so if i don’t hear back i’ll be in touch before easter, So you’ve still got your Soulcraft?…….your frame/bike back in issue 4(?) was the deciding factor for me – soon as i saw it i was sold on one……”yep, that looks right – i’m having one” – best frame/complete bike i’ve ever owned, and to think i almost bought an Airborne instead 😯 . Despite having my Cove Hummer, Kinesis Tripster ATR, Salsa Juan Solo etc i am so looking forward to getting my old Soulcraft back up n’ running again…..my old faithful friend has been ill and out’ve action for 7 long years – gaw’d i missed it 😀

Can’t be that many Soulcraft’s in the UK?, perhaps a weirdy beardy whisky fuelled meet n’ greet sometime.

Another Uk Soulcraft here – not built up yet though…

anymore Soulies out there then……

🙂

Ahh cool, i didn’t realise anyone had replied….so thats 3 so far.

Nice colour, is it 26″ or did you go 650b.

26″ I’m a bit old skool plus I’ve got short legs!