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ATOT MTB riders. Post pics of your ride

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Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

Nice Ti bikes you got there. How's the Serotta on the trail?
:beer:😀
Click to expand...


Thanks! The Serotta is my pride and joy - I can't imagine a nicer hardtail trail bike. I actually kinda like having a very light frame with a tanky fork (it is a first-gen Marzocchi Bomber), and the bike handles and climbs like a dream. I got it for a KILLER price years ago (the frame was secondhand but had never been built - I paid $1,000 when the MSRP was $2,850). I'd have to say it is my overall nicest bike (though I have not ridden much on my MTB in recent years).
 
RM Fusion

Wish I could afford a better, newer, full-suspension, disc brake-equipped bike, but this is good for now. 😀

PS: it's a quick webcam pic, hence the quality. =P
 
Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
Originally posted by: brtspears2
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Originally posted by: SuperTool
Mine is the hardrock II.
Same color, a different fork, and cheaper components.
I use it for my daily commute, but on saturday I went on singletrack. Pretty good, even with the more road oriented Michelin tires I put on it.
Click to expand...

Those forks are '02 Marzzochi MXC Comp and they do not come standard on the '03. The 04's have some Marzzochi forks but I dunno what they are.

I love 'em. They make the Rock Shox Judy TT's look stupid.
Click to expand...

What does it take to upgrade from the Judy TT's? It appears that this fork only got one spring and theres 2 sides...
Click to expand...

That is normal. Usually high end forks have the spring in one leg and the damping in the other. You probably only got springs in one side and the other is empty.
Click to expand...


To upgrade:

- remove bar and headset
- remove forks
- insert steerer of new forks, sort out headset
- attach bars, job done!

So easy it's not even funny!
 
Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
Originally posted by: brtspears2
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Originally posted by: SuperTool
Mine is the hardrock II.
Same color, a different fork, and cheaper components.
I use it for my daily commute, but on saturday I went on singletrack. Pretty good, even with the more road oriented Michelin tires I put on it.
Click to expand...

Those forks are '02 Marzzochi MXC Comp and they do not come standard on the '03. The 04's have some Marzzochi forks but I dunno what they are.

I love 'em. They make the Rock Shox Judy TT's look stupid.
Click to expand...

What does it take to upgrade from the Judy TT's? It appears that this fork only got one spring and theres 2 sides...
Click to expand...

That is normal. Usually high end forks have the spring in one leg and the damping in the other. You probably only got springs in one side and the other is empty.
Click to expand...

Or like my forks you have an Air spring and oil damping in both legs.
 
Originally posted by: bR
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Been doing 20 odd miles a week of tough singletrack over the last two months. Loving every minute of it 🙂

My ride
Click to expand...

How much did you get it for? Supergo had a yellow hardrock sport a week ago for $275 with no tax... damn tempting for a beater bike... i went back there yesterday and it was gone. 🙁
Click to expand...

Bought mine in the UK as a complete bike. It was just under £500. DON'T use current exchange rates to compare though, it's like 2 to 1 $-£.

This works for me though. I'm over in Houston in a month. I'm going to feel like a king!
 
I'm a bike nub. But good weather + me looking for a daily cardio workout = thinking about getting a bike to commute to work. Suggestions for $200-$300? Would prefer something for roads and trails.
 
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero


To upgrade:

- remove bar and headset
- remove forks
- insert steerer of new forks, sort out headset
- attach bars, job done!

So easy it's not even funny!
Click to expand...


In all fairness, the "sort out headset" step is beyond the ken of most home mechanics. It requires a tool to set the crown race, a tool to set the star-fangled nut, and, unless you are tall like me, a hacksaw and guide, not to mention the mechanical know-how to use these tools. Though Aheadsets are generally easier to adjust than threaded headsets, there is still a significant risk of overtightening the HS or leaving it too loose, and either is potentially somewhat dangerous to the rider. This is not a tough job with the right tools, but that all assumes you know what you're doing. I was never a professional wrench, but I worked in shop for a while, and built all my own bikes, which are as follows:

My mountain bike

My pimpin' road bike

My backup road bike
 
Originally posted by: Don_Vito
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero


To upgrade:

- remove bar and headset
- remove forks
- insert steerer of new forks, sort out headset
- attach bars, job done!

So easy it's not even funny!
Click to expand...


In all fairness, the "sort out headset" step is beyond the ken of most home mechanics. It requires a tool to set the crown race, a tool to set the star-fangled nut, and, unless you are tall like me, a hacksaw and guide, not to mention the mechanical know-how to use these tools. Though Aheadsets are generally easier to adjust than threaded headsets, there is still a significant risk of overtightening the HS or leaving it too loose, and either is potentially somewhat dangerous to the rider. This is not a tough job with the right tools, but that all assumes you know what you're doing (I was never a professional wrench, but I worked in shop for a while, and built all my own bikes.
Click to expand...

you actually don?t need any special tools, any idiot can do it with a little reading, when you take the fork out the headset stays in place, you "May" have to remove part of it from the fork, that is pretty easy, to press it down all you need is a length of PVC that will fit over the steer tube that hits the crown race you need to press, give it a few wacks with a mallet and its done, place it back into the headset and your done, pressing in a star nut is a pain in the ass yes, but you can buy a skewer that goes through the steer tube negating the need for a star nut, called a head lock and if you don?t want that most bike shops will pres it in for you for free, they also will cut them to size for free, mine does anyway

to press in a head set all you need is a long bolt and some washers and a nut, stick it through the steer tube and just crank away till its in, ive done all of this before myself its pretty easy, getting a headset out is also easy, just use a PVC pipe and wack from the inside

 
Originally posted by: Don_Vito
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero


To upgrade:

- remove bar and headset
- remove forks
- insert steerer of new forks, sort out headset
- attach bars, job done!

So easy it's not even funny!
Click to expand...


In all fairness, the "sort out headset" step is beyond the ken of most home mechanics. It requires a tool to set the crown race, a tool to set the star-fangled nut, and, unless you are tall like me, a hacksaw and guide, not to mention the mechanical know-how to use these tools. Though Aheadsets are generally easier to adjust than threaded headsets, there is still a significant risk of overtightening the HS or leaving it too loose, and either is potentially somewhat dangerous to the rider. This is not a tough job with the right tools, but that all assumes you know what you're doing. I was never a professional wrench, but I worked in shop for a while, and built all my own bikes, which are as follows:

My mountain bike

My pimpin' road bike

My backup road bike
Click to expand...

I just like to say that the list he presents is wrong. You do not have to remove the headset, just the bearings on the top.
As DonVito says, mistakes can be made but I really do not se a problem doing this yourself.
Tighten the headset so that the wheel can move from side to side by its own weight without problem. Check for play by applying the front brakes and try to move the bike, if you hear or feel some play then just tighten a little bit more.

 
Originally posted by: Don_Vito
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero


To upgrade:

- remove bar and headset
- remove forks
- insert steerer of new forks, sort out headset
- attach bars, job done!

So easy it's not even funny!
Click to expand...


In all fairness, the "sort out headset" step is beyond the ken of most home mechanics. It requires a tool to set the crown race, a tool to set the star-fangled nut, and, unless you are tall like me, a hacksaw and guide, not to mention the mechanical know-how to use these tools. Though Aheadsets are generally easier to adjust than threaded headsets, there is still a significant risk of overtightening the HS or leaving it too loose, and either is potentially somewhat dangerous to the rider. This is not a tough job with the right tools, but that all assumes you know what you're doing. I was never a professional wrench, but I worked in shop for a while, and built all my own bikes, which are as follows:

My mountain bike

My pimpin' road bike

My backup road bike
Click to expand...

Ecactly!

That's why I make the BIG BUCKS!

Oh wait... 🙁
 
Originally posted by: Anubis

you actually don?t need any special tools, any idiot can do it with a little reading, when you take the fork out the headset stays in place, you "May" have to remove part of it from the fork, that is pretty easy, to press it down all you need is a length of PVC that will fit over the steer tube that hits the crown race you need to press, give it a few wacks with a mallet and its done, place it back into the headset and your done, pressing in a star nut is a pain in the ass yes, but you can buy a skewer that goes through the steer tube negating the need for a star nut, called a head lock and if you don?t want that most bike shops will pres it in for you for free, they also will cut them to size for free, mine does anyway

to press in a head set all you need is a long bolt and some washers and a nut, stick it through the steer tube and just crank away till its in, ive done all of this before myself its pretty easy, getting a headset out is also easy, just use a PVC pipe and wack from the inside
Click to expand...


I may be an "idiot," but I still know that if you are swapping a fork, there is no "may" involved in the decision as to whether to remove and reset the crown race - the bike is a little tougher to steer with no lower bearing surface contact! I would rather pay a few bucks to have a star nut set than pay $30 and endure the extra weight to use one of those Headlocks, which seem wildly excessive and heavy to no good end, unless you are racing BMX or DH.

No offense but these solutions all sound like slightly half-assed ways to avoid using the proper tools, and I'm not going to mar or destroy one of my Campy or King headsets by being too cheap to use a proper cup press and crown race setter. I can't imagine a light PVC pipe being nearly as good as a heavy steel crown race setter, because if your crown race is not set completely square with the headset, your lower bearings will be cooked on your first ride. YMMV, but I would rather pay the nominal amount to swap forks, or borrow the proper tools from a shop, than use these McGuyver-esque techniques for headset installation.

If your LBS will do these jobs for free, good for them, but I sure wouldn't expect it - they are professionals, and had to buy the requisite tools. I have no discomfort paying a shop to do jobs I can't (e.g., I would rather pay them to prep a frame for HS and BB than spend $3K on a full Campy tool kit).
 
Originally posted by: Don_Vito
Originally posted by: Anubis

you actually don?t need any special tools, any idiot can do it with a little reading, when you take the fork out the headset stays in place, you "May" have to remove part of it from the fork, that is pretty easy, to press it down all you need is a length of PVC that will fit over the steer tube that hits the crown race you need to press, give it a few wacks with a mallet and its done, place it back into the headset and your done, pressing in a star nut is a pain in the ass yes, but you can buy a skewer that goes through the steer tube negating the need for a star nut, called a head lock and if you don?t want that most bike shops will pres it in for you for free, they also will cut them to size for free, mine does anyway

to press in a head set all you need is a long bolt and some washers and a nut, stick it through the steer tube and just crank away till its in, ive done all of this before myself its pretty easy, getting a headset out is also easy, just use a PVC pipe and wack from the inside
Click to expand...


I may be an "idiot," but I still know that if you are swapping a fork, there is no "may" involved in the decision as to whether to remove and reset the crown race - the bike is a little tougher to steer with no lower bearing surface contact! I would rather pay a few bucks to have a star nut set than pay $30 and endure the extra weight to use one of those Headlocks, which seem wildly excessive and heavy to no good end, unless you are racing BMX or DH.

No offense but these solutions all sound like slightly half-assed ways to avoid using the proper tools, and I'm not going to mar or destroy one of my Campy or King headsets by being too cheap to use a proper cup press and crown race setter. I can't imagine a light PVC pipe being nearly as good as a heavy steel crown race setter, because if your crown race is not set completely square with the headset, your lower bearings will be cooked on your first ride. YMMV, but I would rather pay the nominal amount to swap forks, or borrow the proper tools from a shop, than use these McGuyver-esque techniques for headset installation.

If your LBS will do these jobs for free, good for them, but I sure wouldn't expect it - they are professionals, and had to buy the requisite tools. I have no discomfort paying a shop to do jobs I can't (e.g., I would rather pay them to prep a frame for HS and BB than spend $3K on a full Campy tool kit).
Click to expand...

by may i ment that it may take some work to get off some i have take off czme orr relativley easy with just my hand, and i didnt end up runing my 100 headset and neither did my roomate who did it all before me and then showed me how
 
I still havent found a place for my Raleigh M30 at my place so its still at my parents' house, and therefore can not take pictures...

and yes, its a hardtail but its the only one i havent destroyed yet 😀
 
Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
Originally posted by: Don_Vito
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero


To upgrade:

- remove bar and headset
- remove forks
- insert steerer of new forks, sort out headset
- attach bars, job done!

So easy it's not even funny!
Click to expand...


In all fairness, the "sort out headset" step is beyond the ken of most home mechanics. It requires a tool to set the crown race, a tool to set the star-fangled nut, and, unless you are tall like me, a hacksaw and guide, not to mention the mechanical know-how to use these tools. Though Aheadsets are generally easier to adjust than threaded headsets, there is still a significant risk of overtightening the HS or leaving it too loose, and either is potentially somewhat dangerous to the rider. This is not a tough job with the right tools, but that all assumes you know what you're doing. I was never a professional wrench, but I worked in shop for a while, and built all my own bikes, which are as follows:

My mountain bike

My pimpin' road bike

My backup road bike
Click to expand...

I just like to say that the list he presents is wrong. You do not have to remove the headset, just the bearings on the top.
As DonVito says, mistakes can be made but I really do not se a problem doing this yourself.
Tighten the headset so that the wheel can move from side to side by its own weight without problem. Check for play by applying the front brakes and try to move the bike, if you hear or feel some play then just tighten a little bit more.
Click to expand...

Dudes, relax! This is just a nice little bike thread!

My list has missed out a lot of detail, it had to in 4 lines. In contrast to Anubis' ultra-orthadox method, myself and a mate replaced my front forks in about 20 minutes with the tools I have at home. The starnut was already set, as the forks were second user( my mate) and the crown race got a thumping with a hammer and hard object held against it. Ghetto? Yes. Works? YES!

I have done 180+ miles on the headset since and it is not fooked yet
 
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