Specialized Rockhopper Kid Carrier" v2, now with a Clydesdale fork is dead!

Yeah, because the knobs on the side of the tyre, it rubs, so I can't get it closer to the tyre. Once I adjust the front it'll look better. Hopefully I'll be running bigger, smoother tyres in the near future as well.

I run schwalbe big apple in a 26x2.0 on my kid carrier and can't fault them.

Thinking going with Maxxis DTH or Tioga Powerblock. Both are cheap and easily available in Australia.

Looking great anyway.

This is rad. Did you have to do anything to the existing paint to 'prep' it before splattering?

Nothing. Just cleaned the frame with warm soapy water and gave it a wipe over with methylated spirits / ethanol to remove any grease or grime.

Finally made some more progress this week, albeit not much. Installed one water bottle cage. The seat tube one might interfere with the front derailleur, so I didn't bother. It's not a real issue anyway. Rear derailleur and chain went on. The chain should be long enough. Also installed the brakes. I haven't been able to connect the shifters and brakes yet as I'm waiting for the stem to come in the post. Hopefully it's delivered today (EDIT: It's waiting for me at home). Ended up getting a secondhand 85mm long Nitto UI-5EX stem. Once I have that, I'll be able to put the bars on and cable it up. The stem looks like this:

And it also looks like it says "UI SEX", which is kinda funny.

Spotted you in the boucle pix (but not on the day) ... bike and little man looking great!

T00 c00l!

Here it is in its latest form.

Wald 139 basket, swapped the saddle out for an old Flite and changed the grips. I want to get some Esi grips for it soon. The kids seat is a Dolittle NZ seat. Need to raise the bars though because my sons helmet occasionally knocks my chin.

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awesome!

super

The child seat is really smart. I might make one like that. Can you chuck is around offroad with the kiddo still being safe?

Oh yah and nice bike as well. Which bars? Humpert Lady Town?

Thanks.

There’s a couple of versions of that seat around, another brand is “Kids Ride Shotgun”. I haven’t taken it off road, but looking at the instagrams of both seat makers a lot of people put them on MTB’s and take them off road. Very simple design though, and my son loves it.

The bars are Sim Works Get Around bars.

Thanks

Well, I probably don’t really need it (and maybe because Instagram points?), and I’ve wanted one for a while, so I ordered a Crust Clydesdale fork this morning for this bike.

I’ll need to buy a threadless headset and a 20” front wheel as well, but I’ll wait until it arrives. I’m also sticking with rim brakes for now.

Will also probably be upgrading / adding a rear seat for longer rides. Looking at a Hamax or maybe a Yepp, but leaning towards the Hamax. Undecided whether to get the frame mounted or rear rack mounted one. I don’t have a rear rack, so the cost of the seat and rack started adding up, compared to the price of the frame mounted one.

Sounds good! Love the paint. will get my dibs in early for the crust fork just in case.

Well, unless you’re in Australia postage might be a bit crazy (if I ever decide to sell).

Now that the Clydesdale fork is ordered, few other parts need to bought or changed.

• Tyres: Thinking of going all black Maxxis DTH 2.2 front and 2.3 rear. Wasn’t going to bother with matching tyres, but I know it would end up annoying me.

• Headset: Whatever my friends shop has in stock that is half decent and black. I don’t want to buy everything online and then ask him to install the fork and headset.

• Brakes: I’ll either keep the silver Tektro v-brakes I have on there which are only okay, or swap them out for black Tektro 930AL mini-v’s. It depends on the tyre clearance. I also considered putting a Tektro CR720 canti on the back. I might also swap the levers out for something better.

• Grips: I have shitty Soma track grips on there right now. Might go black ergo grips or ESI. Not sure yet.

• Basket / box: At this stage I’ll keep the Wald 139. Might look at a crate, but the Wald does what it needs to do well.

• Mudguards: This will be difficult to a) get clearance and b) buy two sets. I like the idea of the SKS Bluemels though.

• Frame: So I strip the acrylic splatter paint off and leave it grey? Do I do more splatter in more colours on top of the existing four colours? Do I get the frame and fork blasted and powdercoated a matching colour? Leaning towards more splatter because stripping it might be a PITA. Also, I think might some would love helping me splatter more paint on it. I can always go down the powdercoat route later.

• Rear seat: Will also be buying a rear kids seat for longer rides. Not sure if I will go rack mounted or frame mounted. The cost of the rear rack and rack mounted seat is ~ $200 more than a frame mounted seat.

The stem, bars, shifters, cranks, pedals (until I get those awesome Blue Lug panda ones), seatpost (if I don’t clean this one up, I’ll buy a new cheap one), saddle, derailleurs, cassette and rear wheel will all stay the same.

@letog ‘s splatter Kuwahara has made me want to make this even more splatter now. Maybe rainbow splatter.

Go on.

Do it!! < / arnievoice>

Really like this, by the way. Looks like a riot to ride.

Front wheel ordered because I got impatient and I’m assuming I wouldn’t be able to get what I want in a BMX shop here. Ended up going with an 36h Alex DA22 rim laced to a sealed hub.

It’ll match the profile of the rear wheel and both are black rims with silver spokes.

Also ordered a Maxxis DTH 20 x 2.2” front tyre and some tubes and rim tape. I’ve heard good things about the DTH tyres. Still need to find a good price / free shipping on the matching rear tyre.

Spoke to my friend at his bike shop and he’s super keen to install the fork. There’s only one other Clydesdale fork in Adelaide that I know of, so it’s a bit of a novelty. Hopefully it’ll arrive next week and I can get it built up the weekend after that. Plan is to strip it down next week while I’m WFH, paint it with my son, then it has a few days to dry before being built up.