Genesis cycletruck/Tricross/Solaris MAX - KingTwin tandem

Nah, it shouldn't be like that, see pic further up the page. The trailer pivots around the rear axle so when it bounced off the kerb it went up and hit the light, bending the guard. Should have thought about it for half a second and realised the clearance was way too tight before riding it in hindsight..

Fortunately it's aluminum and didn't crack/kink so 20 mins of gentle bending has nearly got it back to where it should be. Still not as tight a fit as it was though, lesson learned, trailer on the cycletruck only from now on.

Nice combination, yellow bag would be 10/10

Got to the bottom of the issue with the Merida, it's the freehub not the BB that's creaking. Googling suggested the titanium axle and freehub of the m950 hub can be a bit fragile but I pulled it all apart and it all looks in good condition, just a bit dry. A good clean and plenty of grease and it's now sounding like it should. Should the freehub fail if looks like a Deore one will fit, which is about £15 rather than £150+ for a NOS XTR one.
Really nice to be able to take it out for the kind of rides it's intended for now it's sorted, exploring forest fire roads and tracks along with my wife and her Univega Alpina. After seeing how Stridsland has fitted his Curana guards I've got some adjusting to do to remove the rattling at the rear, bolting it directly to the seatstay bridge rather than using the clip on plastic bit. Moving the stays to the outside of the guard has stopped it catching as much mud too.

I've spent far too long trying to sort the rear Superstar V6 hub on the Solaris too, I'm on my 3rd freehub in 1200km and the ratchet ring has just stripped out of the hub shell, hoping they'll replace it..

1 Attachment

In a surprising turn of events Superstar sent out a new hub f.o.c despite it being well out of warranty. On my desk in less than 4 days after breaking the old one. A bit of shame they don't do gunmetal ones anymore though. New hub now built back up with the old rim/spokes.

Pulled the GB out of the spare room ready for summer and had a bit of a tidy.

1. New inline post to replace the set back.
   
2. Removed the orange rim stickers.
   
3. Polished the visible bits of the black bars to match the rest of the finishing kit. A very satisfying job, especially because you can't get Piegas in silver.
   
   

Just needs a good clean (mainly cassette and chain!), then some better photos and plenty of riding. It's ratty and tatty but one of my all time favourite bikes, a lifelong keeper.

5 Attachments

Swapped the tan wall Maxxis tyres on the cycletruck for black Schwalbe ones. Should have done it ages ago, much prefer the colour. The Crazy Bob will have to go though, it weighs something stupid like 1.1kg, will probably replace with a 2.0 Kojak. Other jobs:

1. Trim brake hoses
   
2. New brake pads
   
3. Black/grey box to replace red one
   
4. Pre winter: powder coat as the spray job is knocked up now and dyno hub + lights
   

1 Attachment

Lights and guards off the Tricross for the summer. Switching back to cantis for better guard clearance when I refit, the cheap Tektro mini-v's are a bit rubbish too. Found a pair of black m565 LX in the parts box and sorted the front so far as well as trimming the steerer another 10mm and a bit of bdhu action. A clean, the rear canti fitting, and a matching black cage and it'll be good to go.

Also found a spare m565 rear mech which I'm tempted to use on it too, really like the way they look.

3 Attachments

Defo one of my favourite mechs too. Such a balanced mix of silver and black.
Shifts at least a 36T casette ime as well.

For sure, ones of my favourites! These and m950.
I've got one on the cycletruck too which has a 36t cassette, pretty sure the Tricross is 32t so will fit nicely.

Rear canti fitted as well as some better pads at both ends, braking is just about adequate now. LX rear mech on to match. Still waiting on another black cage.

3 Attachments

More Tricross spam and my photo taking has only got worse. Just about squeezed a pair of 42c knobblies in for some off road fun and sorted some new bottle cages. It really is such a versatile frame for something 10yrs old and pre-gravel popularity.

1 Attachment

How's the clearance with those tyres? I've got a tricross of the same year (though disc) that I've converted to 650b and I'm wondering whether it's actually necessary with the clearances.

Agree re it's versatility; yours looks great in pink

Clearance in the front is ample, from memory I tried a 29x2.2 to see how it would fit a while back and it was fine. The 42c knobbly in the back doesn't leave a huge amount of room for mud, I'll get a pic of clearance (chainstay is tightest) when I'm home tomorrow.

Thanks! I prefer the pink to the drab navy blue.

@philphillyphilip clearance is tightest at the chainstays, there's 3-4mm either side to the knobs on the tyres (42c Resolutes on 19mm internal rims, measuring up at 43mm wide). See terrible pic. Rides really well with the bigger, grippier tyres though.

Picked up some silver 105 10spd mechs to go with incoming Ultegra 9spd side exit brifters. The plan is to remove all the black 11spd 105 from the Geoffrey Butler and replace with an older, full silver groupset, 105 will then go on the Tricross to replace the 9spd Sora/LX. Could do with some matching silver Ultegra calipers to go on the GB too.

3 Attachments

The Geoff is still one of my fav bikes on the forum. It's just so aesthetically pleasing.

Thank you! It's a keeper, can't see myself ever getting rid of it. Looking forward to seeing what it looks like with more silver on it.

A few changes to the cycletruck and a service ready for winter. I'd like to get it powdercoated, the rattlecan job isn't that durable and I've really gone off the colour, thinking an earthy green/mustard yellow, rusty red sort of colour. Aiming to remove most of the purple ano bits too, seatclamp has been swapped for a black Hope one so far. Cranks swapped for a pair square taper LX and an extra flap added to the rear guard. A grey/black box to replace the red one would be good too along with a dyno hub and lights.

The Dolan needed some 1" spacers for the steerer and I couldn't find any in the parts tub. I did have a length of the right diameter steel tubing though, so cut a 20mm length then hot blued it using a camp stove and a jar of veg oil. Going to call it a success. I'd like to make some matching steel stems over the winter so will start collecting bits for a stem jig.

4 Attachments

The GB is coming together nicely with the new/old silver 105 mechs, Ultegra brifters, and the original 1055 series calipers that it came with from new. Too much browsing through the bdhu thread has lead to the bar angle and hood position being tweaked, feeling more comfortable now! 11spd 105 will go on the Tricross shortly.

2 Attachments

Sorted. Ideally needs a band-on silver front mech to get rid of the nasty black adapter.
Tricross now set up with the 11spd 105. Waiting on a pair of drop bars to be delivered, then the Dolan will be set up with drops too.

1 Attachment

So, so damn good.

@vpCogworks Thank you, really love this bike.

Bars arrived for the Dolan, which is going to be used as a ratty winter road bike now the Tricross has lost its guards, lights and slick tyres. It's built up with a hodge podge of bits from the spares box. Off to the local cycle charity tomorrow to hunt for some better wheels to replace the heavy, stock ones that came off the Tricross and some matching 28c tyres. Then it'll be guards and planning a diy stem.

1 Attachment

Picked up two pairs of wheels for the Dolan. Some nearly new Aksium Races for winter work and some fairly worn but bargain priced Kysrium SLs. The Aksiums are 400g lighter than the stock Tricross wheels so should feel much nice, especially with new tyres. The Kysriums are pretty neat, carbon hub barrels and under 1500g, they'll go in the shed until next summer.

Thinking of getting the narrower verison of the metal Kinesis Fend-off guards, anyone used them before? Should fit with new matching 28c tyres in the frame/fork.

2 Attachments

The Dolan is ready for winter. De-stickered the rims and picked up some new tyres and guards. Just managed to fit 28c GP5000s under the narrow version of the PDW Poncho guards, clearance is wafer thin though so I'll see how they go when riding, might need to size down to 25c. The guards feel really nice, particularly the hardware they come with, certainly better than SKS ones I've had.

I've finally committed to making some stems, bought some aluminum bar and hunted out some extrusion from the shed to make a jig. Luckily managed to find a small machine shop in town that will bore out the bar for me, I'd been struggling previously to find a place that would undertake such a small job.

The jig will be able to take tubes for 1" and 1 1/8" steerers and 22.2, 25.4 and 31.8mm bars. Also picked up a few more tools and have a powerfile on my Christmas list to speed up filing fillets. I just need some actual tubing and binders from Ceeway now. First on the list will be a 1" steerer/31.8mm removable faceplate ahead stem to tidy up the Dolan. Looking forward to getting back to making things again after losing enthusiasm over the last year.

2 Attachments

Beautiful

Plans are marching on for the stems, the alu bar is ready to collect from the machine shop and I've got a selection of seamless 4130 tubing on order from LAS Aero. Just waiting on Peter at Ceeway to get back to me about some binders, then I can make a start on a jig and the first stem.

I've got vague plans to consolidate my collection, I've not really used the Merida at all as it's use case is so similar to the cycletruck so thinking of selling that. And then moving on the Tricross and Frontier and replacing them with a disc gravel frame with large clearances for bikepacking. I scored some bargain 700c carbon disc wheels from the local cycle charity which would be used on this in road/gravel mode, perhaps in combo with some alu 27.5 wheels with wider mtb tyres for bikepacking trips. We'll see.
Top of the list is either a Carbonda CFR696 or the new On One Rujo, when it inevitably goes on sale, at the moment.

I used the cycletruck for a local event (Salop Sludger, fantastic day out) in that big freeze before Christmas. Had great fun but it was a bit of a pig to pedal for 60km, box gave plenty of space for mince pies and a flask though!

2 Attachments

Were are you based if the Salop Sludger is local to you?