All comments welcome..

SLX cranks are just what I had … planning to get them completely polished..

Chrome rims I got for 10 euros for the pair … I was planning on all black parts but couldn’t pass up the opportunty.

Will go chrome bars when I find some second hand luxy bars :)

Unfortunately didn’t weigh frame .. bike weight is reasonable but not light .. bordering heavy :)

It came from here…

http://blog.beardedman.co.uk/?p=512

I have been looking at belt drives … just wanted to get it up and running first.

It looks really long but doesn’t ride like that and tons of standover … rode some tight singletrack last night and had no issue with overlap..

Some great build suggestions were offered up to me on MTBR thread..

http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/wtf-uk-729310.html

Are woodchippers a dirt drop or a cx bar ???

First ride report…

… can confirm its alot of fun .. dirt drops definately promote a differing style of riding.. not great for everything.. noticed the lack of pull on some steep inclines but on the whole they realy worked through singletrack.

.. wish I had bought Luxy bars and not midges as midges seem very short in the drop … may change them.

Even better :)

Ooh Free Brooks .. sounds good to me … mail me as I have something for you :)

I apologise for the weeds ( no one noticed the present my dog had left in the background ) ..

.. bar tape was just the cheapest they had in the shop unfortunately .. I may double wrap so will go over the top of itin plain black..

Only thing I am really regretting is not getting a Brooks saddle but they were just too much money

Finally finished but run out of weekend to try it …

Rik, I will use this bike for mainly long bike packing trips… Off road c2c in a couple of weeks, Bearbones 200 event in October, longer multi day trips next year … fireroad, tarmac, technical singletrack I aim to ride it all.

I guess its just down to what you prefer to ride.. for a number of years now I have always ridden fully rigid singlespeed bikes for all forms of racing or riding .. not to be different or ‘niche’ just because it works all the time with the least amount of money being needed leaving more in the pot for travelling to new places to ride …. times I have added suspension or gone back to gears I just didn’t like it or it broke.

Cynic-al, I don’t see compromises with this bike for me just possible options… like I said in the original post its a love or hate machine.. not everyone gets it.

Rik, I see where you are coming from but to compare the Swift to the WTF isn’t quite right .. the WTF is designed for drop bars primarily hence the long head tube so better to put it side by side with the Singular Gryphon and Salsa Fargo…

Versatility could be viewed simply as the bike can run gears, ss or belt drive … neither the Gryphon or the Fargo can do this… I agree belt drive is such a tiny portion of the bike set up world but nice to see it being offered on a non custom build frame.

Is it a 29er ?? In reality no … no reason why you can’t stick a non suspension corrected 26″ rigid fork on there lift the front end and slacken the already pretty steep head angle and give yourself a 29er .. seen a few guys in the US doing this with really good results but I think it is better viewed as either a monstercross set up with road drops or a dirt drop set up..

I am going to use it for bike packing … asides from the crazy look it really is a practical bike for this application with a bombproof ebb set up and extra down tube bottle mounts plus extra long headtube allowing a dirt drop set up which I really wanted to trial for long distances.

The rims I got a great deal on.. kind of like the chrome on black .. chainring I will change to black when it wears and needs changing :)

If only they made skin wall 29er tyres :)

This is proving the longest bike build ever .. partly as I was undecided what direction to take the build then after decision was made I had to wait for parts to come along… spec is still not 100% decided but wanna get it finished a few miles done then refine…

I will preempt a few comments .. I have turned the front tyre the right way round .. the spacers are to set up the dirt drops high enough to work as they should :)

My thinking as a rule of thumb was that the top of the bars had to be level with the top of the saddle … well thats the theory I am using for current bike i’m building.. luckily I am working with an uncut steerer so can just stack spacers under the stem.

Forecasst for the Aurora was poor… even at the height of its extent it bearly touches the northern parts of Scotland.

Awesome if you did though .. don’t suppose anyone took pics ??

Jay .. my best friend ..

I have a whippet x greyhound and have to echo all the above comments … they are built for speed not endurance.. although a friend has a whippet that from a puppy was a bike dog so is brilliant..

Besides that they are the best dog you could ever hope to own … loving and friendly … a constant source of amusement… I have had Jay for near 2 years now and am currently looking to rehome another lurcher .. If I had my way I would fill the house with whippets, greyhounds and lurchers :)

Have to add to the 105 fans … good price, good performance and not that expensive when you tear a mech off :(

Selling a set of last years 105 shifters and mech as buying a complete cross bike for this season.

I run the vittoria tyres and before I went to tubs found them great in most conditions.

Would also consider Challenge ..

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/Grifo-32-Pro-Tyre/CHALTYRF320?utm_campaign=Googlebase&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=Googlebase

They are another good alround tyre.

Agree about conti cross tyres.. wear so quick, puncture easily and not great grip.

I wouldn’t put a bottle on the bike for anything less than an hour crit or cross .. just be well hydrated when you start.. it’ll be over before you could realise you are thirsty and need a drink.

Definately run them at Darley Moor, Croft and Mallory off the top of my head…

Make pretty good crit circuits… racing is fast … surface is good .. alot of room to move around so generally alot less incidents

… thought of another one ..

Home

http://infinity-cycles.co.uk/

that any good ??

This…

http://blog.beardedman.co.uk/?p=493

But I am horrendously biased as have a WTF and one of those on order :)

There is a WRT feature in the latest XXC mag. (xxcmag.com)

I did it … was a refreshing change to organised events :)

Already signed up for BB200 event in October.

Frame can be built as a 29er, cross or monster cross..

No adjustable top tube but figure leaving some stack height on fork steerer will allow options when switching from carnegies and drop bars.

Only briefly rode on dirt drops but I could see a use for them on a long distance bike packing set up

£450 frame and fork at the moment …

.. email info@beardedman.co.uk for information about the Van Dessel brand in the UK.

I know there are more frames in stock in UK.

I did look at the weight as per stated weights on Van Dessel site .. most of the weight is in the forks though so going with a carbon front fork with a zero stack headset to keep the geometry good as standard fork is non suspension corrected.

Not weighed frame alone but not too concerned over weight :)

It will definitely be monster cross inspired when build starts

Hopefully gonna be dirt drops so mechanical brakes for me :)

Gold on green is way too bold a statement for me but I see where you are coming from.

Frame came from UK Import.. Bearded Man .. apparently he has a few in stock.

It has a gear hanger too just not fitted in pic and there is a split in seat stay just before dropout to allow belt drive .. its a real swiss army knife bike :)

Just waiting on wheels etc … gonna go all black with everything else to tone it down a little.

… a very versatile 29er frame.. geared, singlespeed, belt drive, dropped bar, flat bar …. :)

More like 1×6 geared bike packer :)

Great looking bike :)

.. and tubs every time as the difference between them and clinchers is night and day .

Really looking forward to cross racing.

I’m in :)

.. although currently with a cracked knee cap I need to heal fast and get quick again :)

Well there is at least one Sandman steel frame in Australia as my friend took one home from Europe last year…

Ah okay..

Depends what you plan to use the bike for … for snow/sand doubt you would notice the ride difference between the materials ..

whats intended use ?? all round trail bike ??

where you based??

Why Steel ?? .. just curious

Used to be Wildfire fat bikes but don’t know if they are about anymore.

I think the 9 zero 7 alu frames are hard to beat

The route is as ahsat has shown, little frustrating as the route to the south and east of that map is just road ..

When I rode it I did it as an out and back parking up at Dunans and starting from there .. climbing out to end of off road then turning round and descending.. wasn’t that keen on doing road sections.

There is a decent size gully I remember on the route .. It was hammering with rain and I was on my own so I think that was the point I turned round and rode back to car..

Its an amazing place and excellent riding.

http://shoestring-racing.blogspot.com/2009/03/road-trip-isle-of-skye.html

Can I tempt you ??

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/hope-29er-wheels-ss-cross-chainset-105-shifters

I raced cross on them until I had some tub wheels built