Thinking of treating myself to a XPLR dropper when they finally land as would like a dropper post on the bike for steeper stuff but don’t want to ruin the clean lines with an unsightly external cable.

You gonna drill the frame?

Don’t strip everything down and replace the bearings, only to find it’s the dropout bolts. Just saying.

That is very much the kind of thing I’d do @oldnpastit, but on this occasion I checked the dropout bolts, skewers etc. I tried my spare wheel in the frame and it was play free. Its the hub bearings I’m sure.

Its easier to detect play with the wheel on the bike as its held in position and you’re wobbling it from the rim. A bit like cup and cone. All feels fine with no play till you fit it then the extra leverage you have you can feel slight play. It will be much like that

Exactly this.

Thanks for that intel Nick, an exploded diagram is just what I was after :-)

f anyone missed out on the Pikes, CRC have the 2020 Fox 34 Performance in 29×120 at £399.99…

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/fox-suspension-34-float-performance-boost-fork-2020/rp-prod208329?utm_source=Salesforce&utm_medium=email&sfmc_id=89616728&utm_campaign=1135&utm_content=UK

Wonder what CBN means?

Need to bin the crazy short stem for a 35mm one

Blimey, modern bikes make me feel so old.

Surely anything less than 50mm is just a weld :-)

Blimey, wish Id seen these before splurging on the ESIs!

They’re a great price, but not a patch on the comfort offered with the spendier ESI’s.

They don’t look like theyd last long so, I put an extra layer of bar tape over them and theyre great now.

although given how immaculate the frame and forks were when I got it, it looks like you must have carried it out to take photos and carried it back rather than riding it!

You sussed me :-)

Actually I’ve never pampered a bike as much as I did the Stooge. True story.

I really like the Ti custom Beast

yours, before it was erm… yours

While the Pikes look to have sold out, they are doing boost 34s at £499.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/fox-suspension-34-float-performance-elite-boost-fork-2019/rp-prod208361

extra tenner off with CLEAR2021

ELH ;-)

:-)

Sweet. Wish I had one of them ;-)

£1500 or £1799.99 for the Sram HRD.

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/YBPXLRTIRIV1/planet-x-london-road-titanium-sram-rival-1-bike

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXLRTIRIV1/planet-x-london-road-titanium-sram-hrd-rival-1-bike

I use these grips on my Jones Loops (along with another layer of tape)

Grips

Not really an answer to your question, but thought I’d throw it in there :-)

You’re really contemplating this? Have a word.

Nothing to contribute apart from – ace thread!

It does look good, and then I discover Liam Neeson appears in it.

I hardly ever have the rear seats in, so pop the front wheel off the bike and slide it in on its side. Road bike goes in without wheel removal.

They’re pretty spacious, but not as much as my previous Berlingo(s).

I’ve sat exclusively on the SDG Belair RL Ti rail for years and moved over to the mk 3 a couple of years ago.

I found the ‘3’ a tad firmer, but sportier looking, but a little different. I have the mk 3 on my singlespeed where I don’t sit down so much and have a newish original on my 2 other bikes.

Cant comment on the spesh, sorry.

I have a 19″ Gen2 Sherpa with 120mm fork and 35mm stem. I’m 6’1″ with pretty normal proportions.

Seriously? Wow, that would be seriously short for me (@1” shorter). I run a 35mm on my large SolarisMAX, but I think that is about 40mm longer (ETT).

Yep, I’m with @metalheart ,not ganging up on you @cb200 but I’m the same dimms as you and tried a 35mm stem on a 19″ gen2 Sherpa and found it waaaaay too short (like I was almost bolt upright).

Different styles, different smiles I guess.

/\ oops sorry, I just realized this was nearly a year ago

sorry bit late, its gone up in price now https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000739201605.html

@wzzzz I’ve never bought from Aliexpress before.

Is this perhaps the ‘same’ as the Selcof fork that O-O are supplying (minus the branding)?

…and I take it a through axle would need to be purchased seperately?

Cheers @damascus

10% off everything at the moment

Hmm. That must be a ‘sign up for’ thing then. I’m seeing £1,299.99 and no mention of a 10% off everything.

Did anyone buy one? Currently 10% off at £1169.99

Where did you see the 10% off?

* not in the market for this bike, just interested :-)

I’m 185cm (a sniff under 6’1″)

I had a gen 2 sherpa in 19″ and tried a few cockpit settings before eventually settling on a 60mm stem and with Salsa Sweep bars rather than a straight (a personal thing). Had Fox 34’s up front and tried it in both 100mm & 110mm travel.

In truth I liked it but didn’t love it. For me, I struggled climbing on it. The front was trying to wheelie and so pointing up, I constantly had my chin on the stem. (t’was awsome going down though)

The new gen 3 have been tweeked a little to climb better according to the Stanton pitch.

I wouldn’t want it any smaller and so I’d maybe be looking towards a 21″ XL as you’re a bit taller.

Well, as my stupidity has rendered me Stoogeless and I fancy a day off from my single speed, I’m gonna go for a good long afternoon blast on this after I’ve yammed my cheese & onion sarnies.

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Used the front wheel from my (ex) Stooge :-( and so now on a Minion DHF.

It steam rollers along pretty well but I’m not so sure it has any place in a thread with a ‘proper’ trail bikes title.

Ah man this thread really doesn help! I was very close to outting my name down for a MK5! As could swap my parts all over, A MK5 still be ok with 29×3″ front thought wouldnt it?

Yes, according to the Stooge bumf…

But the official wheel/tyre sizes for this are 29×3 front/29×2.5-2.6 rear (its that old BMX thing rearing its head again), or 27.5 x 3.00 front n rear. In reality it’ll descend and rip just as well as the MK4 but the front will feel a little poppier.

/\ Cheers @wzzzz

I’ll give that a try, cheap enough if they don’t work out.

I am surprised that Hope do a dedicated kit for the rear, but haven’t bothered with the front. Odd.

The Mk5 is very similar geo to Mk4, just shorter offset forks for b+ rather than 29+. Suspect it will be a bit more lively and less confident on steeps because of it, but maybe better for most?

Yeah, I think this will be a bit more where I want to be.

I’ve got a set of boost 29er wheels (on Stan’s flow MK4 rims), currently on 2.2 Mezcals, but can fit something more burly on there if needed, and of course I can ‘boostify’ the rear from the mk4. How do I boost the front wheel? Can’t see a Hope kit for that.

Haven’t got anything lined up for 27.5, but may want to go there as a + option.

Andy should look at doing them in raw. Stunning!

@Bonzodog, looking forward to seeing the MK5 when it turns up – what colour did you get?

Ochre mate :-)

Though I’m not listening to as much music these days I still buy CD’s (less so vinyl), but enjoy them through my Audiolab 6000 series amp & cd.

Thanks again @bonzodog for the frame and forks!

You’re very welcome Drew and glad it’s working out for you.

As discussed, it was while I was stripping the frame down that it hit me that I’d been a daft cock for responding to your wanted ad. I still can’t fathom my psychology behind that decision, cos it was only the best bike I’ve ever had :-(

Anyhooow, it seems planets have once again aligned as I have my name down for a ‘soon to be’ mk5.

I dont think I want to ever not have a Stooge in my life :-)

I wonder if it is possible to create a titanium version of this bike using this geometry from the Chinese eBay company?

https://www.geometrygeeks.bike/bike/on-one-inbred-29er-vertical-dropout-2017/

Love how you can compare bike geometry.

Try that @nuke

Thanks Bazz & jonba,

You’re right. They didn’t change much at all!

‘adopt an inbred today’ Hahah – I’d forgot about that :-)

Cheers for the link @twonks

Lets see if this works …

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