fartymarty profile

That's strange WAO didn't check the bike prior to sending it over.  I would have expected them to have the shock rebuilt and set up for your weight.

I completely understand how you missed it given the lower amount of sag and high leverage ratio.  A few psi either way could make a massive difference.  Add in volume spacers and it would be very easy to get it set up badly.

Are you still running the recommended sag with the coil?  Also what coil shock are you running?

Dave - great review and a real looker of a bike. You mentioned a blown rear shock. Was the bike reviewed prior to you getting it? If so you would think WAO would make sure everything was working fine before sending it off for review.

Out of interest how tall are you? Also what is the fork travel? - Edit : I've just read elsewhere that it's 160mm.

Thanks, m

Let's bring back choice.

Ace did feature but Choice was the word of choice.  

I do need to try and push it onto my kids (which could work as we live in Surrey, UK - therefore it would be new).

I wish I was in Wellington sometimes as well....

I'm gonna start saying it more now.

Rad and Choice were the 2 word I remember from my childhood growing up in Auckland.  You could always slip bro (implied in a gender neutral way) on the end.

lkubica - Or just buy a hardtail.... There are a ton of good ones around that wont cost you the world and wont break.

I read they're fine some Al frames

I think that WAO bike could cure my carboniphobia.

Posted by: Endurimil

Run what you can and go ride your Thrillcraft through the woods.

Endurimil - Wise words.

In a similar vein (and linked in with a great piece I keep going back to https://nsmb.com/articles/ride-rigid-fork/) i've recently resurrected my rigid Krampus... (apologies for the spudcam photo)for off road use. It's been serving as my commuter with road tyres, road cassette and fenders (now removed for summer). I've been rebuilding my sagwagon (Murmur) so have changed out the wheels (including cassette and chain) and set it up rigid - in theory it's an easy swap back to a "road" bike when I need to commute. It's running 10 speed (11-42), Zee mech and 2.3 Tough Vigis.

I rode the other night with mates on their sagwagons and had a blast. Sure it was bumpy as hell but I still rode all the same trails and still at a reasonable speed. There was a gap that I didn't jump but mainly because it was a little wet. It reminded me that you can still have fun and ride proper trails on a very simple (and cheap to maintain) bike. I do love riding my sagwagon but if I had to chose one bike I would have to take the Krampus.

I don't overly like the term "overbiked" but it does make me think that we (as a collective group of mtbers) are going this way.  How long will it be before we are all riding 200/200 trail bikes?  Maybe the way forward is less / no travel to keeps things challenging.  In my mind rigid is similar to FS although it's slower and bumpier.  Suspension just lets you ride the same trail much faster - increasing the severity of a crash.  Rigid makes you focus on the trail rather than speed.

Maybe one day we will have rigid DH / Enduro classes at races (including WC level).

Does this qualify even though it's a Double Hardtail 

Sorry about  the crappy piccy.  I've been told the Yew Tree behind is a few thousand years old.

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Posted by: fartymarty

Frankenclectic??? Thus is definitely Ravavist territory.

For me it's form follows function and it's nice if there is a story (or solid reason) behind a part.

An aside, but I've had a few folks comment lately that I'm in 'Radavist Territory' with some of the stuff I've been doing and as a generalization it doesn't make any sense to me. I read and enjoy the Radavist and there are lots of interesting machines that they showcase but they're all perfectly coordinated with matching anodizing, tire patches, rims, spokes - everything. Hell, if there are two water bottles on a frame they will both be identical and colour coordinated. They're the kind of bikes that need to be (and are) photographed with the tire valves oriented exactly the same way (never mind mismatched rims or tires).

They're eccentric but I wouldn't call them eclectic. At their best they're beautifully thought out modern takes on classic bicycle experiences/aesthetics and at their worst they are like buying new jeans with the holes already in them - but they're rarely well-used jeans that have been patched with an assortment of fabrics that were on hand.

This is cool, but I don't think it's a frankenbike:

Andrew - 

I'm sure I've mentioned "Ravadist" once or twice in this thread.  Don't take it as a bad thing it's more to do with the type of bikes featured - generally rigid, generally steel and sometimes singlespeed as opposed to the latest greatest multi-multi geared carbon electronic wunderbike that are on most other mtb sites.

In my mind this https://theradavist.com/cry-of-the-duralcan-ronnie-romances-duralcan-s-works-stumpjumper-m2/ is the type of bike that typifies The Radavist - a bit beaten up and eclentric (eclectic + eccentric).  Sure there are bikes like the piccy above which are matchy matchy and eclectic but they aren't Frankenbikes. I think Frankenbikes need patina (or at least some of the parts), which comes with time and just the right amount of abuse.

Out of interest do you know of any good Frankenbike sites?

Posted by: AndrewMajor

HAHAHA. I just imagined the collective reaction of NSMB readers if a bike showed up on the main page with one skinwall and one black wall tire. Especially if the image was a super crisp full-art shot by The Dentizt. The site might crash?!

Going to add that to my to-do list for sure.

and if it was on Pinkbike then Internet would crash!!!

Posted by: AndrewMajor

It occurs to me there should be a single word that should mean a combination of eclectic and eccentric (and maybe erratic too) but I can’t come up with a ‘real’ one.

Eclecticcentric?

Frankenclectic??? This is definitely Ravavist territory.

For me it's form follows function and it's nice if there is a story (or solid reason) behind a part.

I peel all my rims (and stickers generally including my forks) therefore am happy to run a Blunt with a Flow EX or 511 (I've got all 3).

Tyres I've generally stuck to brands but only have WTB and Maxxis atm.

Frankenbikes.... I would like think my Murmur qualifies. Lots of oddities but in my mind it all makes sense.

I quite like the term and the idea altho I don't think it's for everyone. I couldn't see myself ever walking into a shop and buying something off the shelf and think most following the thread will be  the same.

Frankenbikers unite.

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Would also like to see WolfTooth do a version of the CAMO Bash with a smaller bash.

While we are on wishes I wish there were more stainless narrow wide chainrings.  I'm running Wolftooths on both bikes and they look brand new 1200 miles in.

Posted by: mrbrett

I tend to go all clipless or all flats (across all my bikes, gravel included). Yeah it's a bit odd showing up for a long road or gravel ride in Freeriders but it feels right to keep the pedals all aligned across my bikes. And, I'm almost certainly not the one wiping out in the coffee shop!

My brain seems to be slow to rewire to "what pedals are on my bike today?"

I tend to stick with clips on the commuter and switch on the mtb.  My brain seems to figure out somehow.

Posted by: thaaad

I ride clipless when I want to.

I ride flats when I want to.

There are some things I'm better at on clipless.

There are some things I'm better at on flats.

It's as simple as that for me.

I'm the same.  I like riding both and switch between quite regularly (sometimes weeks between changes). 

I think it's good for your riding to ride both regularly and do different types of rides on each.