MF builds his dream bike(s): a Starling and a Jones.

Feel like a dropper is a luxury I should totally be able to live without but now that I've gone there, it's hard to go back.

I could definitly live without 200mm of drop though.

Just won a Forekaster/Rekon combo in 29x2.6 off eBay for a pretty reasonable price. They should have no issues going up tubeless and should be a decent balance of grip vs speed for the winter XC season on the Jones.

Also, now it's paid for, I can give a bit more context on the fork. While I was hunting around, looking primarily at Fox 32/34 options, I was also checking out an Intend Samurai as a left field option, which suited the ethos of the build. I had written them off due to the cost, the potential import fee, and the add-your-own damper logic, but before pushing the button on a set of 32 SC in Orange through Biketart, I thought I'd call TF Tuned (the UK importers of Intend) as although they don't list them as stock items on their website it seemed daft not to at least call and see what was what.

As it turns out, one of the TF Team did indeed currently have a Samurai they were borrowing from 'stock' on the front of their personal bike, and it would be available to purchase as an ex-demo if I wanted it, and it already had one of Intends own design dampers in there. After a couple of phone conversations and emails a deal was done and the fork has been removed, serviced, and (after a quick chat with Joe at Starling RE setup) dropped to 120mm travel.

That fork has now been paid for and will shortly be on the way ready to join the growing pile of tasty parts for the BLE when it arrives at some point in the New Year.

Little update:

Jones - Raced it at the Brass Monkeys Rd1 at the weekend and had a thoroughly fab time. Was running 2nd in Open Singlespeed class but a front brake issue (i.e. locked on!) took me out at 2hrs 30mins into a 4hr race, which was a shame.

On the bright side, the training has been paying off and I felt in great form, and confident I could have held that pace to the end. Ended up running an Aspen on the back as the Rekon wouldn't seal but that ended up being a great combination with the Forekaster up front and worked really well for that course. Currently have fresh pads going in the front which has sorted the brake issue, and a new BB bearing as the mud completely shagged the NDS bearing.

Starling: Dexter (who I believe is on the forum somewhere) has been very patient with me while going back and forth on finishes. Was thinking bright red or raw, and we've ended up signing off on a finish called 'IPA' which is as close to raw as I could get (pictures below). Hopefully that'll look super cool with the gold accents from the brakes, shock, and fork stanchions. Have also settled on 27.5 for the frame, as honestly that's what I like to ride. No point buying a bike like this and compromising right from the off!

The remaining balance has been settled and I'm now waiting patiently along with all the other to-be Beady owners. The fork has arrived and is bloody lovely, can't wait to get that in the bike. The current debate is whether to go for an Enve seatpost or something like a Thomson Masterpiece. I have an Enve currently (wrong size for the Beady) and while it's been faultless, the clamp is REALLY annoying, whereas a Thomson is just that bit easier to work on. Answer is probably the Masterpiece but we'll see...

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and some of muggins here racing around Deepcut in Farnborough on the Jones.

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Jones looks fun!

Love the look of that bike!

i love this thread

ipa looks the biz

I like that (for me) that finish harks back to the early BLE prototype referenced further up the thread too. Looking forward to seeing it, as each time 'IPA' is done it turns out differently so will be completely unique to this bike. Also have the swingarm done too, rather than the black in the pictures.

Nice pictures!

jones looks great! more pics pls

I didn't know you were allowed to ride in there! Reasonably near my parents so maybe my MTB should come next time I'm on a visit.

Not sure you are I'm afraid - from what I understand the organisers (Gorrick) get specific permission for each race. Same is true of Minley Manor which is also on the Brass Monkeys series calendar.

Happy to be proved wrong though, there were some fantastic XC trails in there!

Yeah, I've ridden the other side of the canal before through Ash and Henley Park ranges and up into Swinley, that was fine if the red flags weren't up. But I'd always thought the Deepcut side was off limits.

I know Minley Manor is definitely not allowed. I briefly lived with an ex in Yateley in my twenties and tried to ride a CX bike through there and got chased out hahaa.

But back on topic, the Jones is sick!

So it also looks like Starling are going to do a little video of the build when the time comes, so have knuckled down and got ordering some of the remaining peripherals required.

1. CK/Peaty's valves in Granite to match the headset
   
2. ESI Chunky grips (black)
   
3. Thomson seatclamp (34.9/black)
   
4. Thomson Masterpiece inline (31.6/black)
   
5. Intend Grace XC stem (77mm/black)
   
   

Just tyres, shock mounting hardware, and a chain left to sort! In other news, the only dissapointment of the process so far has been that despite best endeavours, the team can't make a 30mm BB work as previously hoped, so dreams of eeWings on a BLE are out of the window. With that a set of Middleburns have also been ordered and paid for instead. Shame no eeWings, but first world problems!

So is it a 30mm specific shell that won't work? You can't use a standard BB shell and then external cups to take the 30mm spindle?

I guess a pair of raw cybercranks would be a nice alternative? 🤔

Can’t wait for the comments on the build video about the lack of dropper.

That would be the same kind of person who comments on the Jones not having mudguards then?

Unfortunately not as the bearings are pressed directly into the frame on these.

Those cybercranks are rad, don't happen to have a pair of them kicking around too?! I've ordered Middleburns with the frame as that's what Joe/Starling recommended.

I would have had a set ages ago, but they wouldn't do a spider that fit my Gates ring. 🙄

The replacement BB bearing was a bit delayed in arriving to I chucked the old CK BB and XT crankset on for last night's ride. The bearing did arrive today though, so spent lunch pulling replacing the shagged one with the new one, and refitting the 30mm BB. I also changed everything over from my 175mm eeWings to the 170mm pair I bought off Scott and fitted them. Got to clean up the 175mm ones this week and then will list them for sale.

Still looking for a set of racey XC tyres in 27.5 ready for the Starling, and need to remember to buy a boost adapter for the front too.

Hey mf

Long time lurker and current BLE owner. I’ve been following your thread with interest. Is the frame going to be a mullet or full 27.5? Curious about the fork and whether you plan to run it 27.5?

I’ve got a V3 27.5 which I’ve had a few months now. They’re great bikes.

Awesome! Not the one at SSUK was it? Pics more than welcome...

Mine will be mullet, but will have a 27.5 front in the 29er fork so essentially full 27.5 with options in the future.

No, I had a calendar clash and couldn’t make SSUK this year, which was a shame as it was just down the road for me. Planing to take it to SSUK 25 though.

Makes sense with the frame choice. It will look great with the intend fork!

My build is a bit more on the trail side than what you’re aiming for. They’re such versatile frames.

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Hijacking but how is the chain tensioned? I guess it is a ebb but which type?

Same question for your Jones @mf

It’s the dropout that is eccentric. Works in the same way as an ebb but it’s the thru axle that rotates as opposed to the bb spindle.