New Bike Day: Vassago Verhauen 29+ Singlespeed

Last spring I got the itch to build up a monster cross, which is a mountain bike with dirt drop bars. It took me about 6 months to scrounge everything that I wanted for this bike. My other goal was to try and use as many parts that I have laying around as possible but before anything could happen I needed to find a frame. A friend of mine knew I was looking for a frame and he knew someone selling a beat up, distressed (intentional) steel Vassago Verhauen frame. 

I always wanted a Jabberwocky but this would do. There are couple design elements on this frame that I found frustrating. The head tube has a 44mm diameter requiring a larger headset. I had one from an old Cannondale mountain bike #roadscore that I took for parts but it turned out to be a piece of crap. So I went out and got one from FSA.

The same friend who told me about the frame for sale contacted me later and wanted to if I wanted to try a 29+ wheel that had QR adapters. Since I would be riding rigid I thought it would be fun and make the ride a little softer.  

Gearing right now is 34x21. I bought a replacement 34t chainring for one of my other bikes that didn't workout so rather than send it back I kept in hopes of another application. I used it here but it makes it tough for climbing so I am going to have to get a bigger rear cog.

   

With the exception of climbing really steep stuff the bike handles really well and is really maneuverable, something that I have found to be always the case with a 3 inch tire. After the first ride, though I felt like I had been through the ringer.  

 

Building my Raleigh XXIX

 

The other night I pulled out some inspirational music on vinyl and commenced building up the Raleigh.  I basically tore it back down to the frame and fork and the took all my parts from the Kona and put them on the Raleigh.  I replaced the brake pads on the BB7s, add new cables and switched seat posts with the Spot. 

 

I took off the orange KMC chain because it's too wide for the Race Face Evolve Crankset and replaced it with an older SRAM PC-1 chain.  The crazy thing is that I could not get  it to tension with 32:20 gearing, no matter what I tried.  Changing the gearing to 32:21 got me perfect tension so if I want to ride with a 20t I will probably have to consider removing the bash guard to my other chain.  For now, 21t will be perfect for getting to know the bike and climbing with it.  As I get stronger and more custom to the bike maybe I will just go to an 19t and for Singlespeed Apalooza next year, I want to try and race at 32:17t.   . 

 

I have to disagree with Raleigh's statement "In Case of Boredom, Add Mud" in fact I take offense by it.  It should say, In Case of Boredom, just add dirt!"  Just say no to mud!  If trails are muddy then the trails are in bad shape and need boocoup work.

 

 

 

 

Raleigh XXIX: Just need a headset!

I got half the bike assembled Tuesday night!

Since I had this orange singlespeed chain laying around the accents 

for the bike will be orange of course but minimally.

Headset should be here Thursday and hopefully, 

I will have the bike assembled for a Friday Fix post!

Raleigh XXIX: Fixed Gear Mountain Bike Build

Started my Raleigh XXIX Fixed Gear Mountain Bike build Tuesday evening.

My second Eccentric Bottom Bracket and I am using my Shimano XT crankset from the Kona

4130 steel tubing

I am finally going to have a chance to use the TomiCog

My next project: Raleigh XXIX

I got a helluva deal on this frame:  $50!
Granted, it's an XL so it will be interesting to see how it fits.
I have just enough stuff laying around to build it up.

Day Two: Getting the Kona Unit ready

I enlisted my youngest son Thursday evening to help me clean my bikes because they were dirty.  I think I have been ignoring them because I can't ride and working on them earlier in my recovery probably would have had an upsetting effect upon me.  

The task was to liberate the Fox F29 form from the Kona in preparation for the Spot Longboard.  The Spot is at the LBS getting the headset installed, which is the one thing I won't do myself because I don't have the tools.  I prefer to have things like that and derailleurs done by the experts at the Bicycle Center in Brookfield, CT.

The Carver Carbon Fiber Fork looks hawt and there is a tremendous weight difference, too.  The Kona is ready to roll now.

So many bikes to choose from and not enough time to ride.  The stable currently stands at 6 bikes now.

1. The Kona Unit, SSer
2. Misfit diSSent, 1x9
3. Qball Monstercross, SSer
4. Bianchi, 1x6
5. Ross Riviera Fixed Gear Conversion
6. Burley Rock and Roll Tandem

Going to have to get serious about selling the Ross but first I think I need to change the bars again.  It either needs real mustache, bullhorn, or flats.

Monstercross

It's time to start riding again!

First ride on the Qball

Headed out to the Gussy on Qball this morning around 11 AM.    First time out on the Qball as a geared 29er hard tail and what a ride it was!  I started riding this bike as a rigid single speed back in 2006.  In 2007 I put a Marzocchi fork on the front and rode it as a hard tail until 2009 when I went Monster Cross on it and been riding that way up until now, with 5 different cockpit changes that included Gary Bars (flared drops) reversed three speed bars, road drops, Salsa Woodchippers and Misfit Fme bars.

Not ready for the colder temps so I waited for it to warm up.  Beautiful day to be on a bike today.  Ran into three guys riding down the Poly Brody and two hikers on the Gussy Trail.  One thing I noticed was how excellent the Fox Fork is.  Solid and reponsive and better than the Manitou Minute.  I would like to put it on the Spot but it doesn't have enough steering tube for that application.  Steel is real and riding today was buttah!  

The one thing that I didn't like was these flat bars that I put on.  They are a whole 2 inches shorter than the flats on the diSSent and felt really weird.  It reminded me of the steering wheel of Cheech's care in "Up and Smoke."

Up in Smoke (1978) Paramount Pictures

Ever since I started riding the Kona I have to say that I really like bar ends again, especially when they are angled flat.  Something about that position feels so different but so right, especially when I am climbing that I think I am going to have to try some Ergons on this rig.

On the ride home, the rear wheel felt wobbly so I took it to one of my LBSs that I frequent and it needed some work.  Might ride it again Sunday after the trail work but it depends on how I feel.  

See Spot Run

While I haven't had the opportunity to feel real geared steel between my legs yet I picked up this Spot Longboard 9 frame from a buddy that I am going to go weight weenie on it as a 1x9.

The quandary I face now is that I don't need two hard tails, or three for that matter when you include the Qball so I might stick to my original plan with a slight deviation, sell the Qball and instead of getting a Van Dessel WTF for Monster Crosser fetish use the cash to build the Spot up.  Of course, I could just say eF it and transfer everything off the diSSent to Longboard.  That would be cheaper and I could always keep the diSSent around for another build later down the road.  

Decisions, decisions.

Fox Lady

I put the Fox F29 RLC on the Qball

I wanna take you home

I won't do you no harm, no 

You've got to be all mine, all mine 

Ooh, foxy lady

Comparing it to the diSSent, the fork is a lot taller