NotSoBigBen

Took a moment out of the rat race to go try out the 'RAT' bike ... just remember even if you win you're still a rat 🐀

The rat/mullet bike all done and dusted, test ride this morning .... that fork has about 45mm of usable travel. Enough to make for a comfortable ride on the general gravel routes I ride, not sure how much of that is the 'phat' tyres and how much the fork or a combination. Crap on tar though

I do get his point and I know I'm going to get flack for this but I would consider it normal decency to help someone out whatever the circumstance but hey that's probably just me

Since my life (and its been a fair long time) it's the first time I've ever heard that kind of sentiment .... maybe the riders of all kinds are just a different breed here in the souf On the 2 occasions that I've had serious falls in the last year stranger's (in one case it was trail runners) that came along called the contact on my ICE bracelet and in one instance the ambulance I know the risks and as mentioned I have decided for myself that it is acceptable, whatever will be will be. At the same time I do whatever I can to be safe and get home to my family

Ja nee kyk maak my mal 😲 .... Gravel bike is like single speed, you either get it or you don't ... Many confused Paduwans here 😎

Anyone who passes me definitely hasn't been as far as I have even if it's in the first 5k's of my ride and the audacity to pass me ..... pass someone what's that? To a certain extent some sentiments displayed here is why I'm not a group rider 😜

Got sorted 😎

That's as good as the 'stance' will get with that Frankenfork .... even then I'm not happy with it, the travel it has is only about half of what you see there then it gets to the bump stop Next up I have a similar Fox option to test ... 26" stantions etc and 29" lowers Man I love tinkering 😎

As I said mine works most of the time ... I have found it does depend on the firmware on the phone and device being up to date as well as the Connect App This might seem a bit 'nuts' but I always carried my phone in my middle cycling jersey pocket, the device is on my stem, I find it more reliable since I've moved it to the side pocket go figure I do wear an ICE bracelet, 2 of my falls quite some time ago it was damn helpful!

So I'm not alone 😎 I do use Garmin Livetrack which goes to my wife, my son and daughter in law ... As mentioned it works most of the time but occasionally 'drops out', loadshedding I'm sure doesn't help! We also have a white board in our kitchen and I always write a short ride plan and what time I expect to be home since she's mostly still in bed when I leave.

If I had a dollar (no not a ZA rondt) for everytime I've heard 'you must be mad the amount of riding you do alone, it's not safe' .... My wife says I don't play well with others and that's why I prefer it 😝 I'm well aware of the risks and I do try to be as safe as possible knowing that's no guarantee. I know I'm not the only one since here and there I do see other riders out on their own. My question is are there other hubbers that ride alone most of the time despite the danger?

Why do you cycle? Because running is for felons or to get out of burning buildings!

Getting there .... loads still to do and I'm missing some mechanical brake calipers. Fitted the rear 27.5x2.80 no problem, got a 29x2.35 in the front Will focus on reducing the fork travel next ....

@Barry @Alouette3 Grumpy from my LBS The Workshop gave me 2 options luckily! Thank you so much for the offers gents

Coincidently got 2 from my son's mate, a 'vaper', just this week. Need to just get finished with 2 other projects I'm busy with then that's the next thing 😎

Ka Dezemba 😎

Thanks Grumps, see you in the morning!

Looking for a Rockshox fork thru axle (non boost)any condition as long as it screws in if that makes sense ... doesn't matter if the Allen key thingy is stripped or that 'quick release' tighten lever gadget is broken or doesn't work Fanks Ben

I been down that road recently, granted I'm also just printing with my home stuff ... I printed spacers with PETG, fitted them and went for a ride or 2 .... uhhmmm no not for me can't have more teeth fixed after my other falls! When you ride on the bars and 'pull up' as you inevitably do I could hear funny noise from the spacers 👀 Got some off road motorbike handlebar spacers from the Grumpy one, not many know that he was a pretty accomplished dirt bike racer in his day! I did have to file them a bit to fit and print a 'filler' but they work a treat 😎 I also don't have experience with the newer fancier materials so can't comment on those

Out of interest .... when I swopped those lowers, pretty easy to do, the travel increased by about 20mm 🤔 Busy 3D printing the travel spacers .... Will see what happens when they are in place.

A lesson to learn from cows ... don't be in a hurry, unless there's food involved. Always be first in line for food!

Do not mention the 'head angle' 🥷 😜

According to my wife and grandsons that colour is too 'cool' to have any 'writing' on .... and then the style guru my 4yr old granddaughter 'hang it on the wall grandad' Off to Grumpy @GrahamW ASAP cause I need lots of stuff Frame - those goodies they put in the frame with bottle cage bolts - derailleur hanger - brake calipers Fork Decide on the way forward to reduce the travel, apparently I'm told by that other tech guru @Pikey that 60mm of travel is still too much and that I should aim for 40 'just to take the edge off'

Interesting ... I'll measure and report back! My 'eye' however doesn't seem to see that ... Difficult for me to explain but on the 26" fork the bottom bolts are visible whereas it would appear the bolts would be quite recessed on that 29" SID lower If that makes sense? Just makes this whole exercise more interesting, hoping to do a bit of work on it Monday

So ..... Got some bits and have an idea knocking around A 'short travel' monstercross, the only thing that's holding me from my usual built in a day or 2 bike is reducing the travel in a RS Recon fork .... Some thoughts would just be interesting - is there an 'easy' hack? - is there only the air spacer option meaning strip down as I understand it? - can I just run very little air i.e. lots of sag 😎 Will certainly visit my go-to guy, Grumpy, Monday for this and other questions but would be interesting if anyone has perhaps done it already