Stooge Cycles – who's interested? (slack 29er content)

Loving the orange colour

Shame you couldn’t have routed your rear brake line down the underneath of the DT?

Yes, the brake routing is because the brakes were off an different bike and wouldn’t reach. It’s a short term solution until I can be bothered to make it longer. Any idea the best kit for Deore brakes? I’m not great with hydro brakes so if it works I might leave it.

For the price just get the proper shimano brake/hose kit with all the bits you need. Easy enough to do and its a great skill to have. I’ve also found uberbike kits good but that’s because formula hoses are mentally expensive 🙂

Took the Stooge out for it’s maiden voyage today. I thought I’d make a little film of the event for a change. If you watch it, you can probably tell I’m not an experienced video editor, but iMovie does most of it for you. You can also tell I’m not the greatest rider, but I hope you appreciate my rad skills – both wheel were off the ground at one point – as near to flying as you get…

I was dubious before riding as it was heavier than expected, but by the end of the 28 miles I was loving it. I did feel the weight a bit on the hills, especially running it single speed, but downhill and on the twisty stuff it came alive. I was going faster on trails I was hesitant on before, even on the fat bike, and it just lapped it up. It is so stable, but also flickable and I was just getting more confident as the ride went on. It really is great.

Here’s the video – go easy on me!

Watched it muted (my kids are asleep now) – makes me want to ride Stooge again! Really nicely done!

Anyone having “an aesthetically proper” build with suspension fork, please?

Just in time to come to SSUK17 Stooge owner will be there with lots of other Stooges
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/singlespeed-uk17-tickets-30202471405
Rich

The time has come to sell my Stooge, I thought I’d share it with you lovely folk before I put it up in the ad section.
for those that want pics, best to email me for now, and i’ll try and get some pics up here tonight.

I started building this lovely stooge in august last year, and she has done less than 100 miles total. The condition is superb.
Here is the spec sheet, most of it was new to this bike, only the cranks and brakes off its predecessor.
Mk2 madgenta frameset.
Hope headset
Hope head doctor
Hope seatclamp
Hope skewers
Brooks cambium c17 saddle.
Thomson layback post.
Stooge moto bars. ( trimmed to about 760mm)
70mm zoom stem.
Shimano XT chainset
Hope 32t retainer chain ring.
Surly 20t cog
X-lite alloy bar end plugs.
Superstar switch ultra hubs built on Dt Swiss fr570 rims, with schwalbe Nobby Nic 27.5x 3.0 evo tyres, setup tubeless.
Shimano SLX brakes with 180mm floating rotors. ( the rear hose was too short to route under the bb, so you can see it’s under the top tube. )
I have spare finned pads that will come with the bike, and a surly 19t cog, and the mech hanger for those who want to run it geared.
You wouldn’t need to change anything on this, just add pedals and ride.
I’m happy to post to uk mainland, and split postage with the buyer.
Alternatively, I’m based near afan argoed in South Wales. Buy the bike and ride it around some fab trails.
I will only split the bike, if there isn’t any interest in the full bike.
This is a dream build bike.
I’m after £750 for this beauty.

The SS event sounds good but it’s my wife’s (not) 40th birthday party that day, so my absence might be noted.

Dude. Can you send me pics. Oli.burkeatgmail.com

Cheers

Oli

Dude. Can you send me pics. Oli.burkeatgmail.com

Cheers

Oli

Hey guys. Which bars do you recommend for the stooge. Stooge moto or jones h bar?

Evilsoverign ,did you manage to sell your stooge?

Any stooge owners running a suspension fork?
Yes, i know it’s designed around the rigid fork and i’m happy with that for most of my regular riding – just thinking about if i was going anywhere a bit more lively/rocky.
What works without upsetting the geometry too much – i have a 120mm Reba 29er fork in the garage and could just try it out i know, but just interested in other’s experiences.
cheers

Saw a post on the stooge FB page of lawmaker (of this parish?) sending a sus forked one of a frankly massive (to me anyway) drop.

No idea what travel it was, maybe ping them an email?

works a treat with a suspension fork, had a mk1 with a 120 reba (51mm offset) and it was bloomin ace. the Mk3 with a 120 is reportedly sodding mental and a proper trail shedding hooligan with gnar to max with the test bike being ragged around DH courses and the like and keeping up with some very handy folk indeed.

images from stoogey facebooky thing. The big purple barney the angry dinosaur thing is the new Large 20″ frame

I’ll be popping a 120-140mm boost fork with 650B+ in my Mk3

I tried to post the pichers but failed, miserably.

Looks weird stationary, but who cares.

Thanks all, well…no doubt it works with a sus-fork if you’re flying!
What about with a Sus fork if you’re just pootling about? I know that defeats the purpose, but just curious!

Maybe I’m being thick but where are the geometry charts, hub spacing, etc. for an 18″ 29er stooge?

And while I’m pondering, what does “optimised for b+” actually mean in practice?

I want a 29er,how will I be compromising?

You can find basic data on http://stoogecycles.co.uk/framesets

I’m also seriously considering suspension forks. Anybody tried 140mm with B+?

Yep, a bit too basic though!

I’d like to have at least a vague idea of what size and shape the bike is and what components would fit it!

Geometry is on the website, rear is a 135, mk3 headtube takes a ec44 and zs44 headset so any number of tapered boingy or carbon forks will fit, it’ll do 29er rear with up to 2.5 happily and a proper 3″ 27.5+ on wide rim, rather than some frames which say they are 650b+ compatible but you then have squeeze a 2.8 on a 35mm rim in with a fag paper clearance. 27.2 seat tube. Doesn’t come with a singlespeedy or bikepacker beard, you’ll have to grow one of those yourself 🙂

Macias, its got a tall front end (130mm headtube on the 18) as part of the design for making a rigid bike ride like a yob, so if you went 140 on the front you may need to use something like the syntace stem that has very low stack and negative rise to stop it being a chopper? May work well though. Whatever you do film it as if it goes tits up at least it’s 250quid on you’ve been framed

tazzy – in that second picture i assume the dropper seat post is right down…otherwise it really is a chopper!
Assume with the seat at riding height things all look a bit more ‘normal’ 🙂

Geometry is on the website

Please post a link! The most info I can find is a paragraph of text. It doesn’t say anything about hub width, reach/stack, seat tube diameter, etc.

I’m sure it must be on the site somewhere but I’m buggered if I can find it.

bottom of the framesets page headed Geometry with a paragraph of text and a table next to it with the details. Looks like they need to update a couple of bits as its still down as a 68mm BB and 1 1/8th headset of the Mk2 rather than the 73 BB and 44mm headset for the Mk3.

Scroll to the bottom of the framesets/geometry page for the info, ^^^ you’ll find that table and a nice drawing if the full bike.

Edit: beaten to it
Edit: the Stooge is a superb frame, my mk1 is 650+ and does everything I need it to. The Aeris mightn’t see trails until Easter…

one of the original Mk 1 ss only frames with 120 suspension, handled beautifully even for pottering about on as well as daft antics in the woods and jumpy stuff.

also worked really well in 100mm setting.

Hmm, now I’m at my computer I can find it but it wasn’t showing on my mobile.

Thanks all 😳

Just to second Taz’s comments there is oodles of room out the back.

I run a 3” tyre on a Hugo rim and they plump up to a point most 29ers won’t fit that combo.

I have the larger of the current framesets and found fitting a 120mm fork too tall for my liking 100mm, IMHO, would be bob on.

I would say the frame would swallow a decent sized 29er rim and tyre combo.

They are great fun. I wouldn’t say they are targeted at anything obvious but everything I’ve tried has been really enjoyable.

I’m racing it on the 5th so will report back how that goes!

Thanks tazzy…hopefully steerer on my reba is long enough to give it a go then. cheers

Hi Shackleton, re the ‘optimized for B+’ line, here’s a little bit about the Stooge geometry. The original frame geometry was designed around a 29+ front end and a 29×2.4 rear end, the chainstays were 435mm. When B+ came along i tried it and realised it did great things to the bike, so the MK3 is the same geometry as the MK1 but with slightly shorter chainstays, so it will still work super as a 29er. The optimized for B+ bit refers to the contours and clearance of the rear stays, a lot of supposed B+ bikes will only take a 2.8, the Stooge has plenty of clearance for the biggest 3″ tyres on the widest rims, so its a clearance thing rather than a geometry thing. Hope that helps.

Thanks for the info Jonestown, much appreciated.

Where do people find wheels for plus? My historic choices (Merlin, moonglu and JRA) don’t seem to offer the choice that they once did for custom builds.

I’m assuming that 40-50mm (35-50mm internal) wide rims are best for a rigid stooge with 3″ tyres and I’d like a 29+ front with 650b+ rear (assuming that this is a sensible set up?).

The only pre-built non-boost (100/135mmQR for Mk3?) option I can find for non-silly money is Halo Vapour 50s.

Any suggestions for either off the shelf or custom build? Or do I take the plunge and accept that I need to build my own?

I’d like a 29+ front with 650b+ rear (assuming that this is a sensible set up?).

That’s exactly how I have set my Stooge up for more than a year. I find it a sweet spot actually. It’s mk1 frame, so that this is only way to run wider tires at the back (mk1 had no so decent rear clearance). On top – wide tire at the rear is making the whole bike more stable on steep descents.

Geo is not much confused – steering is neutral in low speeds and just slightly more under-steered in high speeds (but you should lean it in the corners anyway…)

I’m assuming that 40-50mm (35-50mm internal) wide rims are best for a rigid stooge with 3″

There are different opinions (in general, not for Stooge in particular) for the perfect rim width. Some tires work better with wider, some with not so wide. And you will not avoid weight excess if you go wider… I am running 30 – 35 mm and it is fine.

Had mine for several years now. Used for all day epics, bikepacking, trail riding, xc – its does it all without fuss. Not that light, but reliable (mines a Mk 1). I use Chronicle on a Dually mostly, but in the mud currently running 2.6 NN on a Flow very successfully.

Giving up trying to include pics!!

Helping Clink 🙂
Untitled by clinkclunk[/url], on Flickr

Cheers mirannmtb 🙂 ^

Shackleton – I bought a set of Alpkit Love Mud rumpus 650+ plus wheels, had them 9 months and running well.

Edit: currently £150! linky

I remember somebody suggested 20″ size for people above 6′ tall. Any real world experiences with size 20″ and people being on the edge?

I’m just a hair below 6′ and currently running the mk1 Stooge (18′) – so debating on sizing up…

Any comments welcome!