I have one.

It’s a nice ride, The colour is a little strange but the frame is nicely finished & the fork is very good – and suprisingly low weight.

I ended up replacing all the parts on mine & it made a very nice SS.

Also got it repainted by armourtec

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/650b-custom-single-speed-mtb

650B is a very good ride.. I like to ride pretty techy trails and never liked 29ers for that job. 650B feels like riding 26″ because there’s no geometry changes but there’s more speed and momentum on offer IMO

I’ve seen a fair few dekerfs around, always nice to behold though.

I can think of a few frames I’ve had from nichey euro builders (i.e FRM) that I’ve never seen another of.

I saw a nice Fat Chance yo Eddy recently but the rarest I’ve seen in the flesh would have to be the Cannondale Fulcrum DH bike from 1998!

Check out those chain/links!

The one I saw was Missy Giove’s IIRC !

I also fondled Lance armstrongs old mandone, but that’s not rare (except that it featured a down tube shifter!!)

I recall Jungle had a break in a while back – not far away..

Looks nice for the cash … I was looking at the newer version (the fm016)

http://hongfu8088.en.made-in-china.com/product/XotQfbOxgGHC/China-Monocoque-Full-Carbon-Mountain-Frame-HF-FM016-WHITE-.html

Did you get stung for import costs??

I used to have a 69er but found it a bit chopperish

If you want a better rolling bike without the 29er handling quirks then I would say – consider 650B as a wheel size. It is derided in these quarters for being a bit ‘niche’ but it’s a really enjoyable size to ride – feels like 26″ in general bike handling but noticably better roll-over and speed/climbing ability.

Horses for courses innit!

psychle, bitchin mojo ! – Is that a vicious fork?

But shame on you for not using the ‘handjob’ ! 😉

I’ve commuted into central london every working day for over 3 years, so here’s my 2c …

Despite what people say, London is a very cycle-orientated city – there are many many cyclists on the roads and the drivers are largely used to the lycra hordes whizzing about.. so tend to be looking out for you.

It seems like 70% of cyclists in london will jump lights given the opportunity – this is due to the ‘courier culture’ and many new cyclists assuming this is “OK”. I jump the odd light, but only if there’s no cars/peds about .. there are a lot of junctions!

Plenty of people use a proper roadie bike – the roads in zone 1 are good, but outside of central they can vary.. a rigid mtb is a popular choice.

Don’t bother with 2 locks – just get one good one to secure frame & rear wheel and get a PITLOCK locking skewer for the front wheel (pretty much impossible to open without the key) locking hex skewers are hardly a deterrent.

Riding style – I try to act like a motorist, ride with the flow of traffic (speed wise) and show drivers respect. ALWAYS assume the worse when approaching a junction – YES that car will pull out, YES that truck will turn left without indicating and consider it a bonus when it turns out OK.

I have never come into contact with another vehicle in 3 years – (Although I have fallen off of my own drunken accord and knocked over pedestrians aplenty – they will dart out when they see a bike coming – many dont realise how fast a fit cyclist goes)

No pain, just looks like I have leprosy of the bollocks! Impact site was behind the nut sack (perineum?) But looks like a load of blood took a wrong turn 😆

650B isn’t going away

It’s a great idea but the ‘concept’ is pretty hard to market… not to consumers but to retailers

Retailers who are still trying to ease people onto 29ers don’t want the hassle of explaining the virtues of a smaller wheel while trying to espouse the virtues of a larger wheel !

You are only seeing so many 29ers on the UK market now because the powers that be (big corps) in the US are simply making more of them and less 26″ models .. retailers have little choice in the matter.

Haro ‘tested the water’ by bringing out the beasley – but retailers (and thusly consumers) didn’t know what to make of it.

IMO .. It’ll be another couple of years before the honeymoon period with 29ers ends and people actually start addressing their flaws and looking at better platforms for FS designs.

Uluru, my 95% figure was just based on an article I read about London cycle deaths over a period last year… I didn't mean nationally. I'm not trying to win any arguments here – just relating how little 'road sense' many women commuters seem to have on bikes (in my experience).

Everyday I see more men making taking stupid risks, squeezing between buses / jumping lights than women, but they generally know they're risking it (they are 'aware') and make a mad dash – whereas women are generally seem to be in a world of their own and pay very little attention to street signs and the often erratic behaviour of other motorists

I personally think, if the government is serious about putting more bikes on the road, it needs to introduce some sort of 'official' adult proficiency test.

Just my observations

What hubs are you guys using?

I have only encounted chainsuck with really cack hubs that don't spin back to take up the slack – Maybe upgrade the rear wheel to something better (or) service current freehub body

I cycle through Central London every day wearing headphones and have never felt any less safe. If you obey the traffic signs and stay aware of the traffic around you then there ain't a problem. The noise of the city drowns out any ability to hear individual cars.

HOWEVER … If I was cycling around the north york moors or say Devon – with those crazy high hedges and twisty blind bends – I would probably think twice – simply because drivers tend to be less careful and more reckless driving about quiet country roads (and at higher speeds!) Then it would be worth hearing them coming!

I hate to sound sexist, but the degree of sheer carelessness that I see women display cycling round london appalls me – they make up something like 95% of fatalies … Just breezing across junctions without a care!!

For those that know it – I was at the junction outside tufnell park tube yesterday – the one with 6 exits.. a woman completely mis-timed her red-jumping and wobbled straight into oncoming traffic – She was lucky not to have been hit

IIRC Specialized came about when soon goon decided to Rip-Off Tom Ritchey's MTB design, set up mass production in the far east and called it a 'stump-jumper' – for that 'original sin' specialized are forever uncool for me 😉

I think for a brand to be cool you need:

-Innovative "quality" products
-A pedigree
-Passion / a message
-A smaller more focussed product range helps – otherwise you'll be seen as a jack of all trades-master of none

Cool companies to my mind – Spooky, Dialled, Yeti, Cannondale, Indy Fab (FAT), Nicolai, Turner

UNCOOL companies – Specialized, Marin, Cube, Dawes, Saracen, Boardman ..
I would have said Trek was bordering on uncool until I saw this …

http://trekmountain.typepad.com/king/2010/08/trek-prototype-meet-the-broadsider.html

Kudos!

It seems that anyone offering any kind of bike service in london makes a mint – elsewhere I'm not so sure

I'd buy a 650B singular (even if it was pink)

Nice, good choice on the ESI grips !

But I reckon you'll lose that chain quick enough unless you go for something like the Paul chain-keeper.. I have run 1x on many bikes with the ngear, but without a bash on t'other side you are risking it

Those look like standard sq. taper rs7s to me .. hence the 'royce' BB

EDIT – wonderfully subtle use of white on the forks/saddle/grips too. Even the King and thomson & ragley logos add to the effect. One of the best looking bikes I've seen

one of deez!

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Ritchey_Comp_Oversized_30_Degree_Stem/5360047521/?referid=frogoog&source=googleps

I have a mint one, 90mm if you want it for a tenner

Salsa do a 40 deg one but i believe its 25.4 only .. ?

You only need to pick up an American MTB mag (MBA?) and see the prolifieration of 29ers already. I honestly don't see much of a future for 26" – although companies like Orange will probably sstill be selling single-pivot 26" bikes in 30 years timwe 😉

29ers are here to stay .. it's 26" bikes that will soon be extinct.

Look at the US – the market over there is huge and the industry has basically switched to 29ers – 26" is considered 'old news' there – we in the UK are going to "get what we are given" really as it's the big American companies that drive trends and designs in off-the-peg bikes.

IMO – within 5 years 26" designs will be consigned to 'slope-style' and DH bikes… 29ers will be the dominant XC archetype but I expect to see more 650B Full-sus designs developed to offer longer travel AND a larger wheel.

Was that taken at a 'bad shirts' convention?

it's a maillard is it .. good luck finding the freewheel remover

I'm running a 2.1 on a 35mm rim 😀 no probs

The only watch I'd pay over 30 quid for would be the breitling emergency watch .. If you get marooned on a desert island – pull the cord and International Rescue comes and gets ya!

this is good

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lny-uIAzJk4&feature=related

I reckon the wealthiest nob with the most questionable sense of value has the "best watch".

Mine's a Casio

Any half-way fit chap on a road-bike could leave even the fittest MTB rider in the dust if he wanted

Seem to be nicely finished, far-eastern made.

The bike company is really a hobby on the side for the chief designer who runs Aberlink and has earned doubtless all the cash he'll ever want in his principal role

Pronounced 'chorus'

I'm always practicing bad-french on her so she'll understand my limits 😆

She speaks OK-English btw, and if she replies 'oui' or 'non' .. well my french extends that far

darcy .. this is face to face .. but it's fine .. i'll ham it up a bit 😛

Plenty of suggestions here, all a bit different – care to offer a crude Fr-En translation?

ta!

rockin N6, always looking for riding buds

I am friendly with her, oui. Does that mean 'tu terms'?

Good times.

Weather was hit and miss, but the sun shone for the race at least!

I'm still a bit gutted to have 'lost' the mini-bike final and a sexy ti frame (as no one said owt to me about a second lap!) 🙄

C'est la vie! 😉

Well I'm still down an order that I needed for today, been charged twice for, paid extra delivery for, and now no contact.

I've been on the phone all day to local shops to get the parts I need TODAY – So now I'm paying full RRP shop prices (i.e twice as much cash) and getting a bunch of last minute parts that aren't actually the ones I wanted.

As it stands I've paid for the 'same' kit 3 times this week.

Ride of my life.

No longer on iplayer IIRC

From my observations he had a Rouke 953 frame!
CK headset
Record bits
Dt rims on Royce hubs
Tacky carbon bar/stem

.I have been running 40:16 for blasts around flattish areas with a few sharp shortish hills, I was surprised how do-able it was.

Back to 32:16 now for SSUK.. slightly higher inches cos I'm on 650B wheels though.

I'm a skinny fecker though, so the hills aren't a major bother as long as momentum is maintained (alas not always possible in techy climbs)

Riding SS you really have to 'attack' hills (I know that aint a well loved phrase here but it's the best explanation…) If you don't hammer it right away from the bottom of the hill it's only gonna get harder! 😮

nixon_fiend – Member
Having a crap order from CRC.

Ordered sunday, still 'processing' today. Called up and was told 'we have no record of this order' – oh really? Well the money is gone outta my paypal!

Told to re-order to speed things up (?) First (identical) order would be cancelled. That was all well and good except that I NEED these parts for Thursday so I select 24hr postage at a cost of 9.99 (grr)

And guess what – as of 8pm tonight the first order has NOT been refunded and the second order that I paid a tenner to get here before 1pm.. Has not even been dispatched .

cheers guys

So I pay a 9.99 to get SUPER QUCIK last minute postage before 1pm today.. and guess what – still processing FFS!

SSUK is gonna be fun without rotors or brake cables

Oh and the phone lines are shut – so I can't evern cancel, and I've been billed twice, with no refund.

not 'kin happy

whoops you accidentally caught your type-R in the photo.

Put yer willy away.