doug1e's bikes + a Flying Fish

I think the Ammaco is finished for now. Took it for a pootle around Beckenham park, dropped in some muddy banks and got filthy. Basically a big BMX = FUN. Needs a new BB but one of the crank arms is stuck on the spindle and still got it in my head that I'd like to try a riser stem and bar set up but they can wait. The main this is that it's up and running again.

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Perfect

Thanks dude

Not sure how i missed this update! Looks great fun, the paint works great with the silver components and the tan walls

Second outing - seatpost clamp is really shit/keeps slipping but bike feels surprisingly capable

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First outing on the Coppi this year, and first commute on the Ammaco

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Busy day preparing the Kona for new wheels, tyres, discs and pads and summer mode. Local hunt for disc lockrings, deep clean on the drive chain and callipers.

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Love the fork on this!

This thread's great. Coppi build's awesome, absolutely love the Ammaco though - must be great having that sorted after so long! Looks like heaps of fun and, as another late-dad-rig custodian, the connection when you ride them is super nice.

Thanks man, it's the best feeling. I even got up early on Friday to ride the long way to work on it along the Thames path, pretty sure I was smiling the whole way, big up the late-dad-rig custodians!

Hah thanks, it's one of the only bits I wasn't sure about but they are different and I guess its growing on me

great collection of bikes, coppi is beautiful

In prep for Grinduro and some future bike packing I've Been busy gravelify my Kona as much as its 'all-road' status will allow. I bought it with the intention of being my mudguarded commuter but its turning out to be a capable allrounder despite the 35mm tyre limit. Any how I have my Genesis 29er for anything really rough which I'm still considering trying out some rigid forks on for longer stuff and a dropper post is much needed but thats another project. So far added a 36-11 cassette, long cage derailleur, flared bars, out front mount and some place holder secondhand 33mm cx tyres (lucky its actually been pretty muddy). New saddle and tyres en-route. Have done a quite a few 40 miler gravel routes with some seriously steep stuff including a 1.3 mile climb, feels pretty novel riding it on what is essentially a road/cx bike.

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Saddle, tyres and bags turned up in time and I just about managed to get myself sorted. Tent, roll matt and sleeping bag all fit in the bar bag. Thankfully the 35mm tyres fit and worked out great despite have the skinniest tyres there by some margin. The Grinduro course was soo good even with a lot of comments about it being an MTB course. My days of hardtailing and BMXing paid off and none of my chinese carbon exploded. It was my first organised bike event as well as any kind of bike packing and it was an all round success despite Avanti west coasts cock up with bike reservations. The first of many more. Some seriously potato photos as I havent got my film developed as of yet and thats my main go to for snaps.

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More pictures from Grinduro

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I've had my Genesis for coming up to 10 years now and it has been by far my lowest maintanence bike, having said that it was long overdue some. I managed to get some parts for an overhaul and squeeze in a few idyllic rides including parts of King Alfreds Way before the end of the nicer weather. LBS said brakes would be more cost effective going in the bin but it felt so wasteful, so I bought new seals and a bleed kit and did it myself. I considered upgrading the drivechain but hurt my brain with reasearch on whether 1x is better, outdated quickrelease wheels, new hub body and spline standards aswell as chain line considerations. New Chain and thorough clean it was. Sourced a long 27.2 externally routed dropper post with 2 by lever (also dated) 10 years overdue and slightly bigger tyres (unknowingly got the lightweight casing and they've already got a knick in the side wall).

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Hmm do you have the details of this? I'm lining up for a refresh of an even older Inbred, considering a dropper or whether to just keep on using the (already there, and therefore free) quick release seatpost clamp.

Your High Latitude looks great, dependable and fun, nice work keeping it going!

Are you having to lower your seatpost regularly? I mainly ride MTB in the south downs area so even if I'm riding more XC stuff still find I'm having to put down my massive seatpost a lot on steep decents, the dropper is a lot of money for a seatpost on an old bike, but well worth it in my opinion especially if the people you ride with have droppers! This one of the more affordable ones - XLC SP-T08 105mm travel (400mm) overall. Brand X do a similar 27.2 one, I'd go for the maximum travel versions. The cable tagged onto my already externally routed rear brake hose so looks pretty neat and the lever fits next to my front derailleur shifter neatly.

Thanks, it seems to have stood the test of time for me, it was one of the earlier 29ers but it has good combo in the geometry of chuckability down trails but capable of a good riding position for long distance uphill.

That 4th picture is one of my fave sections at Dyfi. I assume the line of people are looking at the drop.

Soo good descending down into the valley from there, yeah there was a drop there and a drop on the previous crest. There looked to be quite a few roadies who were just expecting the fire roads!

Ha I can imagine. You get people on the Enduro looking at it even though it's nothing really. I assume you go over there down and left on that route. The Enduro goes left normally but we went right the one year.

Yeah its pretty tame if you're on a MTB but very idylic and fun regardless! Have to permanently hang your arse over your backwheel on a gravel bike, I was on 35mm tyres haha. It goes down here

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In the process of replacing/upgrading some parts on the ammaco to make it more rideable but it has become painfully slow progress. The non driveside crank arm was seized on the axle, so I managed to get that all out but the new square taper BB wouldnt wind in. Initially thought it might have been a swiss BB or needed a threadless but after borrowing a tap and chasing out the threads its wound in easily. Now the chainline on the replacement XT crankset is way way out, I bought the same width axle as the original and the old crank looks to have right chainline on the new BB. So is this because new XT is a triple or do I need a narrower BB??! Any help would be much appreciated.

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Another Covid christmas meant I got around to fitting all the slowly amassed new/old parts on the ammaco. I massively improved chainline with a narrower BB - 107 this time the narrower of the recommended width for this crankset, it still doesnt look perfect and ideally I would move it in further but I think theres only a milimeter or two narrower before the crank arm starts to foul on the BB. The Non-drive side cup was wider on this BB and wouldnt go in all the way even though the shell was freshly chased ahhh the fun.

1x9 XTR working great with the stridsland bling and a 6 speed chain. Mavic/XT wheels and XT cranks.A new 21.1mm quill to allow me to run the 25.4mm Azonic risers. It was supposed to be silver but turned up black, I am thinking of stripping the paint and sealing but would inevitably go rusty. Excuse the saddle angle, will take some nicer photos one day.

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this is very nice