Yipee-skippee! *pics are up* My Kona Proj II fork just came to my desk. Triple-butted, sub 2lb, total bad-assedness. The Boss is ordering up some White Eno cranks, hubs and freewheels (one of our sponsors so....yay!) He also found me a Ti BB in his garage (hope it's right width!) Just gotta finalise my BB dims etc and it is ON. Bike build in the bedroom! Either I've had waaaaay too much coffee (yes) or I am super-duper stoked about this build (yes-yes!). Sorry- just had to share! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! :beer:
lol..... I way hyper-excited about this one... '99 Curtlo Moutaineer (retired in '02) King h/s. Above fork. White crank, frt / rr hubs. '99 Thomson post. '99 SDG Ti/kevlar saddle. '00 SUP 517 rims, 15/16 w/ alloy nips '99 9.0 composite levers. '99 Avid mag brake arm. Easton stem, EC70 bar. etc. Sub 19lb? I'm twitching.
I wish. He was simply the best frame sponsor anyone could ask for, and was ours for eon's. I love his product. Ain't the only steelio bike, but his has a special place in my, and others, heart for a few reasons. SteelsReal
From NYCbikesnob: Materials Bicycles can be made from any number of materials, but the most common are steel, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber. If you’re looking for your first real bike you should know a little bit about each of them before hitting the classifieds. Here are the pros and cons of each material: Steel Pros: Cyclists and builders have long sung the praises of steel, citing its strength, reparability, and magical ride quality akin to being carried across a land of mattresses while on ecstasy by a phalanx of fairies wearing running shoes. Common sayings include, “Steel is Real,” “If it’s ferrous, others will be jerrous,” and “Aluminum sucks, but chromium and vanadium will get you laidium.” Cons: Rusts, goes soft, is noodly and heavy, can give you tetanus, and eventually will turn on you and try to kill you in your sleep. Aluminum Pros: Lightweight, inexpensive, stiff, and strong. Larger-diameter tube size allows larger manufacturer logos and more places to display clever stickers celebrating your political beliefs, sense of humor, and favorite equipment companies. Cons: Rides harsh. Will fail catastrophically and without warning. Seven out of ten aluminum-bike owners do not live to regret their choice of material, let alone long enough to own another bicycle. Titanium Pros: Incredibly strong and lightweight. Riding ti is like being carried across a land of down duvets while on opium by herd of Jell-o horses all riding lugged steel bikes with Clement tubulars. Cons: The vast majority of titanium bikes are built of tubing purchased from breakaway republics that were once part of the former Soviet Union. These republics subsidize themselves by dismantling their nuclear weapons facilities and selling the space-aged materials of which they are comprised to the West. The result is that most titanium bikes emit unacceptable levels of radiation. Owners of titanium bikes are transforming their DNA on every ride and are unwittingly spawning an army of mutants even as you read this. In an already uncertain time, this is, quite frankly, horrifying. Carbon Fiber Pros: Incredibly strong and lightweight. Used in space. Space! Riding carbon fiber is like a Caribbean vacation without hurricanes, getting sand in your bathing suit, or having to look at or interact with the locals. And for chrissakes, they use this stuff in space. I cannot stress that enough. Cons: Carbon fiber delaminates in the sun, fails catastrophically, contracts and cracks in sub-zero temperatures, is water soluble and emits a sulfur-like odor if ridden in the rain, and because of the infinite shapes into which it can be molded allows bicycle manufacturers to build and market the ugliest bicycles the world has ever seen.
Bump-ola.....it's Done! Gotta call from my LBS last night, wheels are done, parts are in, comon down. I got it all together by 9:00 p/m and took off in the dark around the hood for like 45 mins....I couldn't stop riding it and that White ratchet sounds bitchen. There were some slight deviations from the orrig build spec mentioned here but here's what it ended up as.... '99 Curtlo Advanced Mountaineer- safety orange, blue logos. (sponsor stickers still on it, so is 3rd-eye chain watcher) '07 Kona Project II chro-mo, triple butted fork (sub 2lb). '00 King headset. '06 Easton EA70 stem, 6*, 110mm. '06 SG Carbon lo-riser, 165 grm. '00 Serfas diamond bump grips. '00 Avid Rapid-Fire Mag brakes- complete set in Copper. '07 White Industries: Eno crank, 22th freewheel and Rear Hub, M15 front hub (all silver/poished) '07 Mavic XC717 wheels, 14ga, alloy nips- all silver. '99 Tompson post. '99 SDG Ti7000 saddle. (king of pain:lol '07 Eggo pedals. Blue Wall Panaracer XC Firepro 2.1 tires. Pics and weights are coming in soon, bumming a camera tonight from a co-worker, yeh I know- buy one dork.....will post em in the next 24-48. Guessing 19lb'ish with the big tires and heavy tubes. Still got the 80mm l/o Mars fork it raced on, just in case. This thing turned out sick. Gettin' it dirty tonight. Can't wait to share some pics with you guys. Thanks to our Team Sponsors that kicked in with pro-deals and love: Joey D. - Team Manager, thanks for over 10 years of love and support. You treat me like a King and a perform like a Pauper. Curtlo Panaracer Easton White Industries Avid Crank Bros. SDG :beer:
Yeh.........I know. Did I mention the nickel plated Sram .125 snap-link chain that matches the polished drivetrain? :lol: I don't have access to e-stuff at home, and have very limited web time here at work....so. Thought I'd spew the techy stuff now and add pic's later. As you may come to find, nothing about me is 'conventional'. -k.
And....we did a quickie weigh in: 19 lbs, all steel. * W/ a Ti BB, freewheel, pedals and hardware kit, as well as a lighter bar, tires and tubes, it could be 17 real world pounds. * As is, it performs very well. Met my expectations and the Backbone climb 2/3 of the way down and back up (was trying for Will Rodgers but ran out of tubes and time as others kept flatting) was doable w/o dabbing or walking. Nice to have this frame out of moth-balls and on the trail again. I missed it. Every part on this bike has significant value. I could not be more stoked. Sorry it took so long to get the pics up.
That thing is super fly man! And nice weight too for steel. I dig the old school Avid mag levers, and Vees. Hmm, perhaps get that Kona ProJ 2 fork powdercoated Orange down the road? Again, very nice. Glad you decided to bring back your old racing rig. Carl
