Dolan FXE commutenger

Progress.

Rolling ready and been for a quick blast around.
Nothing fell off :)

First impressions.
I reckon i could easily have gone a size up, easy to say now, compared to my old bike i am now 3cm shorter from saddle to bars, but a stem swap will sort that.
The next size frame up would be a larger head tube so smaller spacer stack.
I need a 25.4-31.8 bar shim so i can run one of the smaller diameter risers bars in the 100mm road stem i have.
This might be perfection for me, or maybe a 80-90mm stem.
Either way i am happy to ride the bike around.

Bike is quiet. I expected more booming from big tubes, this is nice, not getting the urge to squirt expanding foam in the frame to quieten it down.

Steering. Fuckmeisitagile. I expected sharp handling and this is the toned down FXE, i can see this being immense fun and a proper hooligan in heavy traffic. Glad i didn't get full track Geo, but i can see the appeal if you ride aggressive through traffic.
Didn't catch toes, but i am running SS and 170 or 172 cranks.

drive side pic

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Brakes.
This is all new to me, never had dual pivots before.
Edscoble reccomended Tektro R539 these completely piss all over my old bike. Brakes aren't even bedded in or fully set up and single finger locking up the back was a doddle.
New rear tyre soon i think.
Brakes are very very good, and i have more performance to come as i dial them in, very happy indeed.

Rear rack fitting was a ballache. I can only (so far) run a brace on one side as the brake caliper fouls the other side. As i only have a fairly light bag i can try this out and work out something else.

Considering i have a short stem and braced handlebars, the overall ride wasn't as brutal as i expected from a Alu frame.

Plan is to ride as is.
Order bar shims.
Try longer stem.
Dial in brakes.
Play between layback alpina post and inline posts, got some fitting to do.

Non driveside photo and sheeps :)

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Looking really promising! Great to see an actual build/progress thread with useufl info on the product.

Couple of thoughts:

• Instead of getting a shim, why not buy a 25.4mm stem if you need a different length one anyway? I love the look of thin stem/thin bars, shims are a compromise even before you look at aesthetics..
  
• Aerocoach were the cheapest provisdors of stainless single ring bolts last I checked.
  

Yep your right about compromise Ptown.

Halo shims are cheap enough. I have 4 riser bars and 2 steel flat bars to play with in 25.4 centers.
I have a single road stem in 31.8 and some drop bars to fit, i won't use the drops and need brake levers to fit them.
I have a single set of 31.8 risers and don't want to chop them down.
I have a couple of 31.8 short MTB stems knocking around too.

I can play with the layback post a bit for adjustment, but from looking at my own photos, going back to an inline post and longer stem may be better.

If i get a large pipe cutter i can trim the steerer tube down in situ, so going to add the front mudguard and grease up the headset fittings as everything was dry fitted for the test ride.

Some Black themed muzak

Rolling stones in Black and White painting it Black :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6d8eKvegLI

Well.

It turns out the fork mudguard mounts are M5 size but choked with paint so need clearing out, just as well i have a tap set.

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Impulse buy in a Lidal or Aldi was only about £8 and ideal for bike stuff. Bought it a few years ago, more than paid for itself for clearing things or going a size up if you strip things......

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Got the bastarding thing to fit and function without rubbing :)

front mudguard on and bike ready to commute in.

Best take a multi tool and spanner, you know, just in case.

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Just use the 31.8 risers and don't cut them down? Wide bars are on trend dontcha know

Got loads of fine tuning to come.

Cut down cables, dial in brakes, adjust rack, trim back mudguard fittings etc etc etc.

But right now, guards not rubbing, basic lights on, and carry pack on rack.
10am start time tomorrow and late finish so no peak time rushing about.

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@TomvanHalen :) The 31.8 wide bars are on Monk. Monk won't be happy if i rob bits off his steel ass for a coke can bike, and i want narrow as i have doors to get through and stuff on the Dolan :)

(Monk is my Karate Monkey and it's most happy with wide 31.8's )

probably the handling will also vastly approve with a longer stem? not to mention looks. looks are important too.

Ah, gotcha. Fuckin' doors

better smacking a door frame just trying to walk through, than wedging the bike at race speed between 2 trees with your fingers in the way :)

(seen that a few times, feckin wide bar trend on tight tech DH tracks :) )

What is going on with this chain tensioner?

DIY?

@tallsam, i had a 22t and 16t freewheels on as i would venture offroad with 35mm cx tyres on board.
Swapping from 16 to 22 needs some slack chain taking care of. The device is a plastic P-clip from a car engine bay and has proved most durable, the bike has been through a couple of Klunker Classic events and a SSEC.

Ok an update.

Quite happy, maybe i could have gone up a size for a longer headtube, but i can work round that as it's unlikely i will run drops.
Overall ride is rather nice, you feel the directness of the Alu frame on potholes, but some tweeking with tyres and saddle/post might help there.
Might also drop the braced handlebars for similar reasons.

Looks like the Dolan will get "Evented" next week so best do some fine tuning.

Dragged myself outof bed today (got siberian swineflu) as i seem to have stopped producing green contact adhesive from my face, and staggered around a Halfords then the B&Q next door for a pipe cutter.
Dizzy heights of £7.98 and the online review for the item is from someone chopping down a suspension fork.
So trim down mudguard stays (dremel time)
Fine tune front brake.

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Just going to lop the steerer off at top of stem.
Loads of room to play around with, and i expect i will cut down again.

Ordered some shims & tings from SJS cycles on Thursday night. Had a dispatch text on Friday night, expected arrival on Monday. Got some posher folding tyres coming as well.

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As quick as that.

The pipe cutter does flare the tube out at the cut so expect some gentle filing.
About 2" of tube gone.

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Stem back on.

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Shedding weight, one for the Hillclimb bikes thread :)

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Bike is running super silent.

Rack attachment is a bit Brunellian but solid.
The caliper arm fouls my attempts to double brace the rack, some thin stainless attachments should bend round to fit, but as the single sider is sooo solid, i have got a caliper bolt brace arm coming as it was only 99p.

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Other side.
Don't think i need a second brace as i am only carrying a few kilos on the rack, it does need tidying up though.

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Stuff arrived.
Ordered Thursday night, arrived Monday morning from SJS cycles.

:)

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Shims and Tings

Just happen to have a 25.4 Thomson post, i now just happen to have a 25.4 > 27.2 shim, which is handy as the Thomson stem i have is the longest of my MTB stems, matchy matchy.

Handlebar shims, 25.4 > 31.8 cheaper to get this and play around, means i can try the 110mm road stem i have (which i think will be too long anyway)

Rack bracket, will either double up with the home made one or try this on it's own first, lighter and neater than my twisted bit of steel.

Pump repair kit. Bit random, i have a Peakini II, then i found another one in the street with bits missing, turns out SJS sell kits, so for £2.99 i now have 2 Peakini II's in full working order, and some spare bits.

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