What happened to Cove bikes in the UK?

Weird! Did you search out a year old thread just to slag someone off!!? 😉

BTW: Cove still operates as a shop…it’s local to me but I’ve not been in there recently so not sure what’s happening with theie own bikes..

Yeah, right, of course they were. Sez a knowitall who’s probably never ridden one,

Nope. Ridden a few and built a number more for customers.

Namely handjobs , Sanchez , hustler ,and a few ti hummers and one shocker.

The hummer was the only one I’d have had my self back in the day as at the time it was ahead of its peers /out on a limb. ….but it should stay back in the day as it’s been surpassed now.

The shocker truly was a shocker. Bare frame weighed a shitload.

His judgement is pretty accurate.

Yeah, what a weird bump. Though I totally agree with the sentiment 😂 Handjob was most definitely not a heavy frame for steel. Lovely ride it was. Not that anyone cares a year down the line.

I loved the brand and finally got a ti (pre-Lysnkey) Hummer from the classifieds on here. Despite a much fancier build I was slower on it than my old Sunn steel hardtail on my benchmark XC loop 🙁 . Didn’t keep it long.

This thread is not complete without a pic of the lovely Hooker outside the Fanny’s Rest 😉

Another Cove fangirl here having owned a Handjob, three Stiffees, three Sanchez, an STD and of course the lovely Hooker. Visited the Cove Bike Shop in North Van several times – lovely folks. Last visit, 5 years ago, they had a lovely green 650b Stiffee in the store . . .

Don’t think they ever made it to these shores though 🙁 IIRC their alu frames were made by Yess in Vancouver.

Weird! Did you search out a year old thread just to slag someone off!!?

I think the forum is playing funny buggers and throwing up random old threads.

The North Shore largely went legit.

There was much hoo-haa with landowners, its all on private land, the forests are not public like much of UK

All the really mad really dangerous stuff has gone.

Each trail is now crafted by volunteers in negotiation with the landowners.

There is still lots and lots of incredibly challenging stuff, its very steep and very tech, with lots of wooden skinnys, teeter totters etc if you like them. Just not 40ft in the air.

Its really an amazing place, well worth a visit and get guided round if you ever get the opportunity.

Cove Bikes the shop is there. Guess they stopped making their own brand bikes.

Yeah, right, of course they were. Sez a knowitall who’s probably never ridden one, and likely has only ever seen pics on the internet.

do you need to ride one to understand that they’re heavy, look awful and have embarrassing names? All of those attributes may be acceptable for some people if they ride well, but for a lot of folks they wouldn’t have even considered one because they’re heavy, look bad, and have a name that would be funny if you’re 18, so never tried to ride one.

I don’t need to have driven an F150 to know that owning one in the UK would be stupid, because they’re heavy, inefficient, too big for the roads, and make you look like someone with a weird obsession with the US

Has anyone got a geometry chart for a 2011 Hand job?

Try Geometry Geeks website.

Thanks but they’ve only got Hustler on there

I had a cove stiffee from 2001 to 2016. After writing 3 frames off in a year I wanted something that could be ridden down Edinbrugh old town steps and crashed without cracking or denting.

It was awesome. I rode it down the world cup track at fort William, and xc race in Baltimore, bike packed round central Sweden for a couple of weeks and rode from Edinburgh to Cork.

I was looking for a new hardtail frame and contacted cove bikes a year or so back. They were still doing ti hardtail frames, but it was 27.5 and I was after a 29″.

The bare xl frame was then same weight as a Santa Cruz blur including shock. Which is probably why it lasted me so long!

It’s not heavy if it’s your only bike and you have nothing to compare it to 😃

Got to say that the Cove Handjob I’ve had since 2005 has served me really well, although it is fair to say it doesn’t really cut it as a modern hardtail.

Having now built some 650b wheels for it, put skinny tyres and drop bars on, it seems ideal for this Gravel thing.

Having now built some 650b wheels for it, put skinny tyres and drop bars on, it seems ideal for this Gravel thing.

Pics or it didn’t happen.

My old HJ, just for the sake of it…

Here you go

2010 Handjob

It’s the 2010 but I’m not sure it changed

thanks

Very similar to how mine used to look. If I could only suss how to post pics.

Use postimg

Got a brand new old stock Litespeed Cove Hummer on Retrobike for £960 size 18” if anybody wants to relive the glory days.

That looks great Rivett.

Is it good to ride?

I’ve been thinking of selling my yellow HJ but the thought of seeking it in lockdown is a bit weird even if it’s worth twice what is was worth a year ago.

Chakaping I’ve been really pleased with the couple of rides I’ve got in. It was always quick as a hardtail and now with the bigger wheels it’s more capable on tarmac. The WTB tyres roll really well but are fairly grippy for such a skinny tyre on dirt. Managed to get the fork lockout running from the L/H shifter which is handy as you can quickly unlock the fork when you dive off on to a bridle way.
Got to say I probably wouldn’t choose to take it somewhere like the Golfie though.