Yeah, £900 from stif (with a float shock), which is an utter bargain… though I’d spend the extra on the RP23 which definitely feels worth it on mine.

Great frame, well worth the cash and judging by the lack of them second hand and the price the odd one goes for on ebay, should keep it’s value well too.

Was an serious shimano user for years and years… recently (about 8 months ago) switched to time ROC pedals. Superb, really impressed with the level of float, easy of entry/exit and the stability and support.

Times = Great.

oh… would most likely be free for guiding a big route on the Sunday (10th) if you fancied ?

I live in Inners and am fairly knowledgeable on good local trails… including a nice loop from Innerleithen that takes in the good bits from the merida/CRC route (SUW, Yair, Elliebank etc).

I’m actually off that week, though we’re going away on the Wednesday or Thursday. Not sure of family plans on the Monday/Tuesday, but may be up for guiding a descent route.

I should add that for me, if I had the option of either now, and they were the same money, I’d still go for the simplicity of the Superlight.

I’ve got a superlight and love it… climbs and handles like a hardtail with some cushioning out back. Imagine the nikel will feel plusher and burlier for only a touch more travel.

For my money… if I were set on keeping a hardtail as the extra lightweight bike, I’d get the nikel. If it’s a bike to replace the hardtail, I reckon you’d get on well with the SL.

I’ve got some ROCs – switched from shimano SPDs after years of using them… had the ROCs about 10 months and they’ve been fantastic. Taken a beating from rocks etc, lasted through plenty of riding last winter and bearings still lovely and tight and smooth.

The extra support over things like CB egg beaters or std SPDs is brilliant, it’s like having a platform SPD.

I believer the Cobolt headset mentioned above is actually a cranks brothers headset… which is indeed pretty much the lowest stack conventional headset available.

Assuming, you’re issue is you have a new frame with long head tube and a set of forks with a short steerer… it’s also worth looking at stems with low stack. I’ve had a similar issue with a new frame and forks off old frame.

The Sunline AM and XC stems are lovely, and only 35mm stack height… I’ve got both on other bikes, but also worth checking out on-one’s Ultralight stem, which is on offer just now for £35… I just got a 60mm one and it looks pretty much identical to my sunline XC.

Important bit is a wide block at the back – up to a 28 I’d say.

If you go compact, I’d say even a MTB block (11-32) and MTB mech at the back.

But otherwise, a closer block (up to 28) at the back and a tripple up front… as said, there’s no real disadvantage at the front.

Not quite, but I’m using the matchmaker clamp for my Race X2 and SRAM X0 Shifters… works a treat. Feels nicer made then the old Avid Juicy matchmaker combo, but not quite as slick as the XX setup.

Where you planning on riding ?

Those cosmics are nice. As you say, performance without too much faff (changing brake blocks etc)

They are horrible… Sure they’re great to ride, or at least fast, but Lightweights are considerably sexier and similar price and performance.

Hey MODs, close this thread quick… it’s at 26 posts!

Oh Sh1t, I’ve made it 27.

Still not found a good reason to try 29er, though they look interesting. Must make perfect sense for tall folk.

If it’s any help at all… I’ve just got a std Santa Cruz Superlight (so basically a big Juliana) and love it. Great fun ride. Very predictable handling and seems to want to be pedalled fast. Great up hill too. Got mine built with light components and 120mm bolt through forks.

The back end is pretty stiff so I’d highly recommend nice stiff forks with a bolt through axle of some sort – 15mm or 20mm to keep the front end tracking as well as the back.

685 low risers and an 80mm stem seems pretty nice on it, handling wise.

Hmm – was working earlier… Have uploaded it to flickr – so hopefully this works 🙂

[/url]
Santa Cruz Superlight[/url] by StoooPotter[/url], on Flickr


Oh – and colour is RAL 6019 powder coat with metallic flek through it. Done by Pentland Precision Engineering in Edinburgh. I call it Mint-Sparkle.

Not sure the red cranks work on it, so may change those.

Here she is folks – all built up and freshly washed after first ride yesterday

Build:
Reba XX 120mm forks and RP23 shock
Deus cranks and X0 gearing/shifting
Hope X2 Race brakes
Burgtech hubs on 517 citrus rims
Sunline stem, Joplin post, EC90 monkeylite bars
Nobby nics.

Fantastic ride… simple, predictable, great handling on flowy singletrack. Climbs really well… it’s not super active at the back, and it really stiffens up when you jump out the saddle and put the power down – but I like that. Very laterally stiff at the back which goes nice with the 20mm axle up front.

Seems to jump well and enough cush in the back to handle drops if you take them smoothly – not very forgiving if you’re clumsy with line choice. having said that, it’s XC race weight and travel but has real classic trail bike handling.

Initial test ride was innerleithen red with some steep techy off piste stuff thrown in. Bit sketchy on the really steep stuff, but then that’s expected. Awesome fun on everything else. Love it.

Loads of littering up on the top fire road at Innerleithen this weekend after the uplift. I know Tally has requested more bins etc from the forestry to try and help – but really… why can’t riders take the crap down the hill with them.

Especially DH riders? They’ve not even got to pedal the crap up and around a trail!

That said – XC riders can be just as bad, always see energy gel wrappers scattering the trails

Disgusting.

+1 for santa cruz superlight.

Ridden mine for first time today, around some pretty techy stuff in Innerleithen… previous bikes include Trek Fuel EX (which the SL is replacing), MSC Zion, Intense 5.5. and 6.6… and others. Also currently have a SC Bullit.

Really very impressed with the SL. Got 120mm bolt through forks on the front so it’s pretty tough but still around 25lb. Superb fun on singletrack. Rockets up hill and really inspiringly fast on the way down. Loved it.

Hey Bumbly1

How's things? You got one of the new SLs now ? Always remember you riding the old shape. Thanks for the offer of a test ride, but after loads of good reports, I decided to go ahead on a second hand one I'd seen… cracking price so if I don't like it, I can get rid. Reckon it'll be good though… it's in the paint shop just now and should be built and ridden by the weekend.

Where do you go riding form Newtongrange ? I work in Dalkeith … would be easy to pop over that way after work. I'm also living in Innerleithen now, so gimmi a shout if you fancy riding over my way.

Hey Drac… is Sara back yet ? Can I send you a stamped addressed jiffy bag to make it easy to send my specs back ?

Ahh – they ride really well, I got a couple of those….

[/url]
ghost bikes[/url] by StoooPotter[/url], on Flickr


Lots of nice looking SLs here…

Dave Vanderspek – where's that singletrack? Looks special!

My SL frame went to the paint shop today… was gonna go white, but in the end decided on Mint green with a metallic sparkle… too many white bikes about just now, though they do look nice.

Zerolight, glad you're liking it. Be good to hear reports once you've ridden it in anger.

Messiah…. Brilliant…. my daughter loves that book.

🙂

Man – forgot to mention the straightline – I have a vertical wedge stem in 50mm that I use on the Bullit sometimes….

the wedge system is quite clever, but it has 3 issues for me…
1: once it's done up, you need to remove the two tightening bolts and then put on back in a whole and screw it in to "Pull" the wedge back out to enable you to make adjustments or remove the stem… so, you best know what height you want it, and be good at getting your bars straight else it's a bit annoying.
2: it doesn't really work with spacers above the stem if using the included funny shaped top cap.
3: the afore mentioned top cap covers the top of your steerer nicely, but leaves a gap under it at the front as the wedge is a good few mm lower than the top cap once tight… so water and crap gets in there.

not the lightest, but lovely looking stem all the same.

RaceFace Deus… *should read… (finish didn't last long, but light)

Over the years I've used…
Thomson (superb quality, found that there was a little flex though)
RaceFace Deus (fish didn't last long but light)
RaceFace Atlas (lovely, but didn't feel as well finished as the thomson for same £s)
Sunline AM (bit chunky, but super stiff and strong, seems V well made… currently on the 7" bike)
Sunline XC (absolutely beautiful – I'd rate it higher than a thomson, which is most peoples standard…. currently on the 4.5" trail/xc bike)

There'e been other cheaper ones… DMR seem really good value and worth a mention. Got a Ritchey WCS on the road bike, but bolts round quite easy).

Seen the Nukeproofs and look like Thomson quality, nice… wouldn't complain if I got a bike with one on.

Reckon Sunline would be my best recommendation these days though.

*pulls up chair, holding aluminium santacruz frame, freshly stripped of parts ready for new colour…

Looks lovely… as do the others in this thread.

Like the look of the new decals.
Wouldn't worry about the gusset changes… SC are known for making tough frames, doubt they'd do it if it was gonna be weakened significantly. Plus, the new frame regulations that they have to pass, the reason why most frames are going all swoopy hydroformy, means it's gotta withstand a significant frontal impact.

In short – i'll be fine.

I just picked up a second hand 2007 frame (new shape). It's in the shop for a pearl white respray just now, should be built up for end of next week 🙂

Let us know how she rides!

Red has my vote too.

Carbon finish – nice, but common,

Blue = nasty… clashes with green… plenty of green in the woods to clash with. Blue mountain bikes, bad.

I'll be on a medium with an 80mm stem. 23" Top tube on the medium, should be pretty close to the Trek I'm on now.

I'm 5'8 with longish legs and short torso… I'll also be running 120mm forks and prefer a shorter stem with wider bars for better control on steep stuff.

Have to agree with KT1973… would love a carbon one, with integrated headset.

I've just picked up a 2007 SL – first of the new shape… I'm coming off a trek fuel EX.

The trek is a great bike, but I do love the simplicity of a single pivot/single swingarm bike (I have a bullit too)… both for the ease of maintenance and the ride characteristics… very predictable.

Not built mine up yet – prob getting a respray first.
100mm with 120mm up front and a good light and strong/stiff build (maxle front axle) should make this a great all day bike and a real hooligan around more techy trails… you'll just need to be a bit more careful on line choice compared to a 5" bike.

link to piccie… of my midge bitten legs.

All in the mind…

check out what they did to my legs! Pretty sure I'm not imagining that.

WOW – super quick response… that's awesome ! Thanks.

No mad rush, so long as I don't have to go buy a new pair – would make it an expensive weekend !

HELP!!

Anyone fine a set of prescription Oakleys at Kielder ? Either near the event tent at the castle, or down in the Tom's Field camp site ?

In my exhausted Bonked state, I seem to have lost mine.

Orange frame, yellow lense… clearly for a blind man if you try them on.

Mail address in profile.
Cheers
Stu

I'll be there with my pal Mike.

We'll be kipping in my minty green VW t4 camper

I'll be riding a white Trek Fuel EX with minty green wheels: this one

Wearing whatever lycra happens to be clean and dry.

And Mike will be on a Black/green Cannondale Flash hardtail… possibly dressed in a dazzling array of assos lycra

I was just bout to start a similar thread…. I'm happy with change so long as it's for the better, but have to agree that this site is much harder to browse around. I'll give it some time though.