LCF's Steel Stable: Aende, Surly, Voodoo and more

Might have a crisis on the horizon though, as I've just noticed a small crack spreading below the seat clamp :/.

Pretty confident it wasn't there/ this big when I bought it, so must have grown from the few rides its been through.

Gonna take it to a local framebuilder here in Sheffield for an opinion, but I'd be interested to see what people here think - my mechanic friends thought it was fixable from pictures, but I'm fearing the worst.

For context, the seatpost I've used extends a good 10cm below here, so it's not down to simple over-extension/ under-insertion

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Also, pretty sure I should've started this thread in the current projects area - anyone know how to move it over to there?

Gutted :-(

I'm going to assume there was as stuck seatpost in there at one point and someone spread the clamp open too much. 653 is very thin afaik and minor over tightening and loosening over the years could maybe cause that too?

Yeah I reckon that's it - also had a pretty short DA post in there when i got it, which i suspect might've stressed it a bit as it didn't reach far in.

Had a reply from Vernon Barker Cycles - gonna try a quick fix by filling the crack with braze, which could be a lasting repair, but might need a full seat tube replacement if it doesn't work :/

Any update on this? Hoping the repairs worked!

The two sides of the clamp shouldn't meet like that. You have the wrong size seatpost fitted

Forgot about this thread - anyone fancy a 3 year update?

Frame was fixed up by the brilliant Dave at Vernon Barker Cycles in Sheffield, who also switched out the old bottom bracket, allowing me to complete the groupset swap. I've kept the original DA/ Ambrosio wheelset on since, which work with one specific 11 speed Cassette.

The bike is lovely to ride, the only notable changes being a Shorter stem, Thomson seatpost (which messes up the fit with its setback but mmm Thomson) and the Gravelking slicks it's currently running - Marked as 26 but measure up under 25 on these rims, just clearing the frame.

Since moving back from Sheffield, its actually had more use, mainly because I picked up a sweet offroad rig (more on this later) and fell out of love with tarmac.

Had some nice adventures on this, including its first 'race' (Do Duathlons really count?) and a century+ ride to Southwold over the summer.
Currently on occasional Roadie duties and fast commutes on sunny days.

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Damn pictures are in reverse order there

I've also since corrected bar/ hood angles in true BDHU fashion...

Thought I'd add my other bikes here - Starting with my longest serving and overall most used Steamroller.

Picked this up on here over Lockdown - previous owner had it set up more Road-Fixed with Drops and deep section rims, but I went with a Tracklocross build, deciding for some reason to base the build around this local Ice Cream Van - complete with Mustard tyres and grips

I used to work in a local bike shop, so used my staff discount to pick up some new parts, built up a set of wheels and scoured the forums for some used bits to get this set up.

The first owner had Canti studs added on the back, which =proved really useful when I moved up to Sheffield, giving more confidence in Peak District fixie skidding with a backup rear brake. Will probably have some studs added to the fork at some point to give more tyre (Mud) clearance.

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Again, moving back home after uni unlocked new uses of this bike, which has become my commuter since starting work last year. A front rack and mudguards made it more sensible, but chunky tyres and fixed gear keep the fun alive in better weather.

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Throughout all its iterations, including many tyre swaps, a few stems before I found a thomson, I've kept a pretty consistent hill-based ratio on 49:18/19, and kept both brakes on for flexibility and downhill ease. Made the switch to freewheel for the first time last month after some knee pains, but definitely miss the feeling and of fixed, and am wary of wearing down the brake track on these rims if I carried on without the 'extra' brake fixed provides.

@Velocio Would you be able to move this thread to Current projects please?

Need to post all the bikes before the forum dies thread:

VOODOO WANGA

The name appeared while endlessly scrolling Sheffield Facebook listings for a cheap Arkose. In my head, Voodoo was a Halfords brand, ridden by wheelie kids and synonymous with Carrera or Viking. Why did this bike look so damn good though, with its franken build and tan wall tyres. It was probably just the tanwalls.

Some further research revealed Voodoo as a fallen-from-grace golden age mtb brand, frames still designed by Joe Murry of Kona, Huffy and Marin fame. The Wanga has fancy sliding dropouts for SSMTB hooligans and was designed to be used with front suspension, but this didn't stop fans all over retrobike, reddit and Sheffield from slapping on rigid forks, Drop bars, racks and more.

I didn't really care what it was, I just wanted a new bike, specifically something with fat tyres, disc brakes and FUN. Steel is nice too. And the Surly fork is worth almost as much as the frame.

A few messages exchanged and I was riding up one of Sheffield's steepest hills to meet a Doctor and look at his red bike. I took my red bike along and left it in his garage while I whizzed up the road on his, instantly feeling what I'd wanted to feel in a new bike - fun. And Squishy tyres.
It only took about 300m to decide I was buying this bike, and I had only to figure out the logistics of taking one bike home while riding another - down the previously mentioned steep hill.

In the end, I met the seller a few days later in town and swapped cash for the bike - not sure what I paid in the end but it was probably less than he listed it for and also more than it's really worth. Taking the long route back to uni, I arrived to a lecture with blood splattered up my back, grinning and panting.

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This is definitely the bike I've done the least to but the most with. Unlocking new experiences of the peak district, away from fast road rides on the Aende or silly "tracklocross" on the Surly, the spirit of gravel was here.

With its mountain bike geometry and 27.5 wheels, the voodoo rips on bumpy peak trails and I love sloshing around in gritty mud and dodging pointy rocks on hills.
Climbing off road is great on this - something about sitting quite far back over the rear wheel and the higher front end just feels good for a rough steep burst.

Desperate for more of this sort of riding, I tagged along with the Peak Gravel Gang, a loosely organised monthly ride in the peaks with staring points that alternate around different peak-adjacent towns. Finding new routes and ways of riding was great, but I think I only managed 2 rides, due partly to many of them starting in places I couldn't easily get to without a car, and partly to my own hectic routines.

Having always wanted to go bikepacking, I started to strap things to the bike, and buy more things to strap on to the bike - bags, tents, racks all begun to adorn the slender steel tubes as spare clothes and snacks weighed me down on rides around town and out to campsites.

I guess this gave me the bug for something more, and I set off on a mini tour around the Netherlands last September, riding from london to Harwich to catch the overnight ferry and continue through the Hague and Leiden towards Amsterdam and back via Rotterdam.
Though my tent was tiny, the wind too windy and the rain too cold, I loved my little trip, and have spent the past year scheming for more...

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Nice! I'd love a Voodoo

I've said it before, but that Wanga bangs

Thanks! Was actually trying to find your previous comment to tag you here

More updates coming...

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love the wanga. i've had one of those for about 13 years now ( picked it up here on the forum ) and set it up single speed for london canal path cruising and flatter gravel rides. it's been a great bike, the steel frame with some exotic carbon forks make it a really nice comfy ride. doesn't leave you bashed up after a long day in the saddle.
planning on upgrading mine to a 2x10 this year. have the xt and xtr bits to go on it. it's a bit more hilly where i am now so looking to use it for longer hillier more off roady type rides where you need a mountain bike but not with great fat knobbly tyres.

@dicki This is lovely - have defo seen yours around the internet before. What ratio do you run it SS? This will probably serve as commuter at some point so would be keen to try it on one gear.

I really love the paint on this - a sort of metallic red that's almost like those nice coloured lacquer jobs you see on Bromptons and others

Also reassuring seeing your saddle height - I thought for a while that my frame was too small and my seat post was outrageous, but maybe that's just the bike

the colour is lovely isn't it. a proper popping cherry red almost chromovelato in finish.

i honestly can't remember the gear ratio, it's been in my lock up for about 2 years now and haven't used it in quite a while. 2025 it gets back on the road / forest trails. i'll get back to you on that.

i think the sloping top tube means there's a lot of seatpost showing for the taller rider. i thought for a good while i had bought too long a fork because in side on photos the top tube slope looks ridiculous like the camera was wonky or the bike was parked on a slope. the front end does feel quite high but it rides just right.