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^ aha have been 'chatting' to Charliethebikemonger about those Salsa bars- he really recommends them so are a definite possibility for the future as are the Cowbells

I've got the 46cm Cowbells on my road bike and have been very happy with them

James - ta, bit small I'm afraid
SF - man you are a mine of information, keep it coming
BareNecessities - yep I did mention that Shand was a bit pricey, they have done a 29er for a very tall guy, details and pics are on their site somewhere.

The problem is I'd hate to vouch for any builder going well outside the normal range and their comfort zone. On paper they should all be able to do it but I wouldn't want to swear on it. If it's any use I've had three frames from Burls with the second being sold to pay for the third. For that one I bought and supplied a set of Paragon Rockers dropouts myself. So that added about £250 to the price once I'd paid shipping and import. But it still comes in a great deal less than the Shand. Burls build in straight gauge Ti only which I reckon is probably a good thing for the larger amongst us.

For steel and a very fair price you could look at TaylorMadeBikes(http://www.taylormadebikes.co.uk/mtb.html), Angus is currently building me a steel hardtail 29er frame and is again using Paragon Rocker dropouts that I supplied....cheaper this time as steel and not Ti. There is a very large and very lovely orange road frame on his site as well.

Might be a bit pricey but Shand Cycles have their 'Stoater' Allroad frameset that can come with Rocker dropouts:-

http://www.shandcycles.com/frames/allroad/stoater-overview/

James, have you got some details on the Soma please, or a link to some?

[INDENT]£430 collected or for £450 I'll deliver within 30 miles of Farnborough, Hampshire, and will include London Waterloo station as well. I can arrange delivery further afield but kind of hoping not to. I could also pootle across London but I'm not a regular London rider and would rather avoid that if poss.

Payment by cash, paypal gift or bank tranx please....contact via the PM system on here.

So what we have here is a new frameset with some new and some used parts, when I say new I mean zero miles. Reason for sale is that I had thought I had to abandon another build and bought this frame as a stop gap replacement. Circumstances changed again so other build back on and, as I hadn't yet ridden this, thought I'd complete the bike and sell whole...I enjoy building bikes up..:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37729119@N08/7741624180/in/photostream

Frame and forks are new, the steerer tube has been shortened to 265mm, still plenty of adjustment above and below stem
Headset is new, DiaCompe CB2 cartridge in black
Ergo grips and tape over foam padding is all new
Brake cable inner and outer are new
Chain is new, SRAM PC830 I think with powerlink
Chainset and BB are new - Truvativ Firex 1.1 with a new 36t middle and 48t outer ring taken from an Alivio chainset and the SRAM GXP style BB, I added two new Hope BB spacers, 2.5mm each side as it came from a 73mm BB shell bike...as per the Truvativ instructions
The cheap plastic pedals are new if they are wanted
Headset spacers are new
Brand X 120mmx15deg 25.4mm clamp stemp is new
Superstar SS kit with 14t cog is new
Falcon 130mm road saddle is new, note the later pictures show this, the picture linked above was when it was setup with a Brooks saddle which isn't part of the sale

Mudguards - SKS are used but in full working order and you can see from the pics I've left them at max distance to allow for full tyre clearance Xcheck is capable of. Points of note though, having previously been on a disc brake bike there is only one stay on the front mudguard non driveside. The rear mudguard also has a hole drilled in it for a previous vertical fitting, this is covered by electrical tape.

v-brake levers - are ok but have been fairly well used

handlebars - are from an old MTB and are the steel ones that curve into bullhornish style at the front...25.4mm clamp

v-brakes - Deore BR M530, used but in excellent condition, they have new Tri compound cartridges as well

seatpost - a bikehut inline 27.2x350 or 400 - has done less than 50 miles on another bike

wheels - are from an EBC courier Race and have less than 1k miles, they are Ritchey 622-18 rims so well able to take tyres up to the Xcheck clearances. The rear did have an 8 speed cassette(which is included if wanted) so bike can be run geared or SS with same wheelset.

skewers - plain silver Shimano ones and pretty tough, I haven't done the rear up supertight and can stand on the pedals without the rear wheel moving...all 18 stone of me. I have had the 32h wheels trued and also the front has new bearings. Mechanic did say the front races were a bit worn and so the new bearings may not last as long as I might like.

tyres and tubes - standard Marathons in 700x32 and Specialised presta inner tubes in 700x28-38 - none of which have done more than 20 miles...you should be able to see the newness of the tyres from the pictures.

Sorry should have added it's 36x14 SS giving approx 69.4 gear inches and the bits that came with the Xcheck frame, dropout bolts and rear canti hanger are included unused and unopened.
[/INDENT]

thats where you have to be honest with yourself from the begining and decide how much your maximum is. a little bit of research, estimate what it should go for, decide how much you honestly want to pay for it and end of. if it goes for ten pounds more then it wasnt supposed to be.

That's the route I follow but I have had a couple of instances of being 'sort of' forced to my max. Outbid at the death then get a message saying winning bidder has pulled out and it's now mine at my max bid in second place. It's been a while since this has happened, so maybe e-bay tightened up on it, but my response was always get stuffed.

Yes, tried that.

Not hugely impressed with them especially given their price. The back works ok, but the front won't really sit properly given the "classic" shape of the forks.

Have you checked if the mudguard itself is straight, I've had to sort a couple of mine, from new. Hold the offending part over a steaming kettle and then move to shape and hold while it cools.

If the bike has clearances then I find the cheapo hybrid clip on guards to actually be the best. They slot on to a metal bracket, which remains on the bike, don't rattle and don't move around. I think mine were Raleigh branded but there are loads of them around.

I've just declined the cancel, and havn't paid anything. Also reported the seller to ebay. awaiting what they say.

Waste of time, the guys tried to avoid extra listing fees for a reserve or higher starting price. If you push it he'll agree to send, then not do so. Claim it's lost in post and refund you the money. He keeps the lock to sell again and you get your money back plus hassle.

Macb I was not offering any fashion advice. I am a bike mechanic. Fashion is not my business. Bicycle mechanics are my business. A saddle angle that promotes penile dis-function is antiporn. A brake block scratching into a Campag Omega rim in anti porn. Using a bright silver cable lock (the £15 kind) wrapped around the headtube is antiporn. I was sad as it is such a special frame, one that should be coveted and could easily be porn.

I also do not see why me being a bike mechanic means I am not allowed to have an opinion as to whether a bike is porn or not. if anything my greater understanding of the machine places me in a marginally better position then most in judging a bike, its components and the general build.

Don't be a pillock.

So, my question remains, just how sad did it make you? I have no interest in what you consider porn or anti porn. I'm now imagining you've been inconsolable since seeing it, it must have been difficult, through your grief, to have managed to take a picture. How you were able to then upload the picture, even apologising as you did so, can only mark you out as heroic in your grief.

Or maybe people spouting lines like 'really, really, sad', or 'it just made me puke in my mouth a bit', gets on my tits.

No. If your having trouble understanding perhaps just enquire nicely.

And stop shouting.

:)

Wasn't aware of any shouting, anyway, if the answer is no then are you saying that you stand by your first comment? If I'm having trouble understanding perhaps you could explain this sequence?:-

miro_o - Putting flat pedals on a bike like that shows it's not being ridden for anything but a run-around

macb - arrant nonsense

miro_o - Show me road race bike that's ridden for it's intended purpose with flat pedals then MacB

Show me road race bike that's ridden for it's intended purpose with flat pedals then MacB.

Or are you just practising being verbose for Christmas Scrabble scores?

that's a rather different way of putting it than:-

Putting flat pedals on a bike like that shows it's not being ridden for anything but a run-around

Does the change of wording construe a tacit admission of the ludicrous nature of the claim made in your earlier post?

Putting flat pedals on a bike like that shows it's not being ridden for anything but a run-around. I think mentioning the pedals was just an observation of that.

arrant nonsense

What I mean is that if the owner is commuting/riding long distance it might be better for them to have foot retention, be it clips or clipless. Depends on what is practical for the owner

fair comment

again, where are the fashion comments?

he has expressed the bike deserves to be better looked after, possibly a better groupset and foot retention

nothing about colour of components

you seem to have taken umbrage at his post but without any cogent reason

well that's the bit I'm taking as fashion advice, your view obviously differs, or you're being deliberately pedantic because you have taken umbrage at my taking umbrage, either way it is what it is, to either of us.

I think they are referring to the comment re having a low end mishmash of gears on a frame like that.

Which is a shame regardless of all the "his biek, etc," comments

Why is it a shame? maybe you could track down the owner and offer to pay for the bike to be upgraded so that it's no longer a shame?

Pedal choice is function not fashion.

sometimes

where were the fashion comments?

??? unless you're trying to tell me that the 'really, really sad' bit only related to the rear brake and the possibility of the drivetrain not working correctly?

no, but pointing out the rim damage caused by the lack of brake block, and that pedaling could be improved with clips and straps all sound like genuinely helpful suggestions

also is the cassette compatible with the rest of the drive train?

yep, I acknowledged the brake block rim bit and would expect to be told if the drivetrain wasn't working together...that's what you pay a mechanic for...doing the mechanics, not his fault if some idiot wants to risk a rim by being a cheapskate.

But I don't pay a mechanic to give me Gok Wan style fashion advice, admittedly I wouldn't hire Gok Wan either, or to get all sad if I build my bikes in a style he doesn't like, including my choice of pedals.

I wouldn't normally post a customers bike but this made me really really sad. Tommasini Prestige with no foot retention, and a sora/tiagra mix. Oh and rear record hub with campy Omega rim. the rear pad was down to the metal but he wouldn't let me change it. I tried to explain about the rim and how it was really worth looking after... Nope.

Did this really make you sad, did you weep a bit, feel down for a few days, try to off yourself?

I understand the brake pad should be replaced but the rest of it? Does the bike work as the owner wants it to? Coz last time I checked if I pay a bike mechanic it's to work on my bike not to give me fashion tips.

A fan of that bike is not a fan of cycling.

I'm impressed I didn't realise it was possible to be this far up yourself without 24hr support from a surgical team.

I know it's the net and all that but you're starting to border on a god complex, you may find help here:-

http://www.davidicke.com/

I find this site very useful for comparing stems etc:-

http://alex.phred.org/stemchart/Default.aspx

whichever bike makes you feel good about yourself when you post pics of it newly built up on an internet forum.

Nah, you'd be far better off ditching all the bikes and devoting your time to critiquing the builds that others post up or discuss.

Considering the slavish devotion some apply to this past time it must have some monumental rewards.

you lost me right there.

29'ers are so 2010
650b with 10 speed is the off road zeitgeist.

nope, couldn't lose you, I never had you in the first place, but as a 29er hater you're definitely hanging out in the right thread.

if you want suspension then get a proper mtb, 700c fake mtb's have the same leverage as a long travel hardtail but you can only fit 100mm of travel in there, you also have to beef up the headtube/down tube to take into account this extra leverage so you end up with a heavier bike. the big manufacturers like trek are now doing lo-end 29'ers that weigh 3-4lb more than an equivalent mtb, don't forget those 2 large gyroscopes you have wizzing around either(with their extra rotating weight too)
my mtb LBS owner was talking to keith bontrager the other day and he hates the marketing driven 29'er especially as the mtb has now pretty much evolved with tubeless and good air suspension. seems mad to then offer a ponderous handling heavier bike as the next big thing.
proof that suckers will believe everything they are told.
i guess if you can't ride for shit and like towpaths a 29'er has a certain appeal.

That's interesting but doesn't really capture the full picture, though it's accurate as far as it goes. If you expand the description to include born again cyclist, middle aged, more money than sense, no fixie, I like gears, and no real riding skills of any sort, nor any particular desire to gain them. Then you'd be getting a lot closer to the mark.

An alternative view could be that I designed a bike that I wanted to be able to accomplish long mixed surface rides on, up to about 150 miles in a day. I could have gone with a variety of road/off road adventure type builds and I settled on a 29er. I didn't for a second think that made me a MTBer, just a guy with a big wheeled on/off road bike. I also insisted on it being able to take proper mudguards and a rack.

The only surprise was that I hadn't realised I was committing some cardinal sin by asking about suspension. Let alone the fact that I've built up a bike that doesn't meet with your approval. I'll bow to your superior wisdom and trust that you'll plough on keeping it 'real' on behalf of numpties like me. But if it's ok with you I'll plough on enjoying myself and picking up info on things that catch my interest.

By the way I actually find some canal towpaths quite tricky!!!

Most suspension corrected 29er frames untill recently, were designed for 80mm travel forks. The idea being to keep the front end from getting too high. Also with bigger tyres you need less travel. This has changed recently, with slacker head tubes, and more travel, seeping into the XC world. So a newer 29er frame is more likely to be 100m travel corrected. If you buy a 100/120mm travel 29er fork. You can usually limit them to 80mm anyway. Leaving the option for more travel and a slacker front end, if you want it (might handle poorly like that though, it difficult to predict).

You should be able to track down the hub-to-crown length, and rake, of you current fork, and compare it.

Thanks SF, yep I have all the specs on the existing so will do that, it's probably idle curiosity as I'm happy with the fully rigid. I think it's when all the offers flood the inbox I just get curious.

Wait, Justin build the frame to fit the 29ers on-one fork did he?

:) Nope, it means that I specified a build around a rigid fork with scope to switch to suspension in the future. As I knew bugger all about suspension I left the decision on that bit down to Justin. I know it will be in my massive amount of e-mails somewhere and I would guess it's up to 100mm. I just wondered if there was a way of working it out from knowing all the other dimensions.

I suppose the above, apart from showing me as a bit of a forgetful numpty at times, could seem excessively trusting. But it's my second frame from him and I was happy to trust him to do the right thing based on his experience. I couldn't exactly weigh in as I haven't ridden suspension.