xbox (to buy or not to buy...)

[The Dong]

On 20/08/2011 12:12, Jay Vaughan wrote:
>> http://www.hetchins.org/review-01.htm
> What a truly beautiful book.  I'm off to buy it ..

It is that, but some reviews mark it down online for not being quite 
what the title says. But still, great craftmanship you'd have to pay 
through the nose for today (or DIY)

I picked it up just after I started making bike bits out of steel and 
aluminium, nothing remarkable, things like dérailleur hangers, an 
aluminium suspension pivot bolt (required imperial dies and rod), 
aluminium adapters and spacers for IS disc brakes, rear seat stays, 
basically bodging instead of buying.

Been working on a 1997 Santa Cruz Heckler frame, which is now built up 
with scrounged parts. Unfortunately, the seller said it was an anodised 
frame, so I thought "great, durable finish", but instead it was a sad 
oxidised bare aluminium frame that was probably sold as polished when 
new. So I replaced the pivot bearings and assembly (well worn out and 
rusted bearings) and polished it up again, removing the DIY decals. 
Looks almost like chrome. New genuine badge and decals and Pierre is 
your uncle ;) I'm really pissed off because I dropped the first decal on 
the floor of my very dirty shed, left side down tube, and it covered in 
sheeit that I could not get off, but never mind ;)

Almost every mod I've made to this full sus bike has not gone smoothly, 
requiring further mods here and there to iron out unforeseen aggh 
moments, but that's half the battle. Saved some weight here and there 
too, but not much (it's about 13-14 kilo altogether)

I do like the 'old' Heckler frame.

It still needs one last polish, and some DIY neoprene protection and 
other bits not so much required as wanted, like an air rear shock (would 
save almost half a kilo in weight), might need a new cassette soon, and 
a larger, matching granny ring (26 probably instead of 22) but here's 
the pics:

"My Silver Machine, never mean, except on random groupset cost"

http://www.sphinx.f2s.com/Heckler/Bike01.JPG
http://www.sphinx.f2s.com/Heckler/Bike02.JPG
http://www.sphinx.f2s.com/Heckler/Bike03.JPG
http://www.sphinx.f2s.com/Heckler/Bike04.JPG
http://www.sphinx.f2s.com/Heckler/Bike05.JPG
http://www.sphinx.f2s.com/Heckler/Bike06.JPG
http://www.sphinx.f2s.com/Heckler/Chainset.JPG	(Double for now)
http://www.sphinx.f2s.com/Heckler/Disc01.JPG	(Shows custom adaptor)
http://www.sphinx.f2s.com/Heckler/Stay01.JPG	(Custom Stay)
http://www.sphinx.f2s.com/Heckler/Stay02.JPG	
http://www.sphinx.f2s.com/Heckler/Stay02.JPG	
http://www.sphinx.f2s.com/Heckler/Stay-New-Top.JPG

I made the Seat Stay for more tyre clearance, for fatter tyres.
Without it, even fat 2.2's or 2.35's would rub.
The disc brake adaptor is made from a slab of 8mm 7075 and the seat stay 
from 6mm, cheaper alu. I saved 3 grams with the bored stay, lol.
Even the pedals are not mtb, but BMX ones that I swapped Wellgo 9/16 
axles into for that more silvery look.

Hope you like.