Monster, Monsteur, Monstour , 26/29+ and Expedition and Adventure bikes

Readers wives .. Just finished an original Specialised MTB frame and fork that was in the junker pile.

Orangutan geometry?

Got my Rohloff 14.
Should be riding the surly by easter.

Get some rad decals for it!

Some decals are in the to do list .. Probably just some Specialised ones though!

@Netakure .. Typical 80's MTB geometry. Eg. Slack angles .. They were basically one step away from the cruiser geometry during that period.

nice pic of the new VO frameset

it somehow look very 26" is it that?

How many eyelets/bottle bosses on the seat stays?

specific to anything cages, perhaps.

^makes sense

That's what I figured but there's still another 2 above and one below for racks and fenders! Seems a bit over the top but if it works and people end up using it then why not...!

Winter mode engaged.

Slightly tight clearances but no rubbing :)

931 Genesis Croix de Fer with 27.5 x 2.0 tyres by Michael M Rennie, on Flickr

I know but makes me wonder if you are comfortable in those drops, wouldn't be better a MTB stem?

yeah. I know it's kinda against the grain to use a riser and drops but this kind of bike demands it.

Sorry, I see where you was going now. You could be right. As an 'off road' rig it's more than likely that I do need less reach and more stack for better control. At the moment though I haven't ridden it yet! After rescuing the frame I built it up as a quick project using bits in the spares box hence the raw finish and mixed bag of components. It has little invested in it other then V brakes and levers so a change of stem won't break the bank so to speak.

I know I plaster it anywhere I can but the 1x1 is a beast. 2.4 knobblies on both ends now and the Nitto/Surly 1x1 Torsion bar and it tore up the canal path and Tak Ma Doon road and then with nowt but a change of tyre pressure ripped round 2 laps of Carron Valley.

Love it.

2.4 is nuts

Bit heavy going on Tarmac but grip on the icy canal path was awesome and then with the pressure dropped a bit the ride at the trails was so nice, like having a short travel fork!

jelly. i cant get anything over 2.2 under the v's on my cannondale..

2.2 is the biggest I can fit in my Kona which is annoying. It would rock with these 2.4s on it.

I've just come across this. What do you think?

http://podhlato.gr/image/data/ΦΩΤΑ/marathon1.png

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/urban/product/review-rossin-marathon-11-44724/

For half of that you can pimp an old Kona and save yourself some beer money.

I know, i'm pimpin an old GT for way less than half :) - here

However, the rossin frame does look ok.

Not keen on bankbreaking OTP's in this category. I think part of the charm of these bikes is they're such mogrels