My IP-057 project

[timwa]

Hi everyone.

Just wanted to say thanks for the help in answering my small queries that enabled me to build my bike.  It is really appreciated.

And just to show off the finished project, let me present:



So far I am very happy with how it has turned out.  I am loving nearly every part on it and of it.

It is a fairly basic build with mostly Shimano XT running gear, but it turned out OK.  Weight is around 10.2 kg.

A couple more pics follow.





I was originally going to add some paint or colour, but right now I am diggin' the stealthy black look.  Time will tell.  Only thing that is a little annoying is the internal cable routing (which was much easier to do than I expected) is setup backwards for us aussie builders.  The runs are to suit left hand drive countries where the brake levers are on the wrong sides. But it does work out ok.

[Carbon_Dude]

Nice build!  Yes, paint will make your build stand out over the many basic black builds.  Later you may add some paint or graphics for a more custom look.  Your build looks like it will be very low maintenance.  My trails would not do well with a rigid fork but that sure makes a nice lightweight setup.

As for the brake lever setup, it is funny that in the US, all motorcycles have the front brake lever on the right side but bicycles have the rear brake lever on the right.  It doesn't bother me the they are not the same and I get on and ride either one without thinking about it.

The Conti RaceKing tires look good, do you have them setup tubeless?

[Izzy]

Nice. One of the sharpest builds I've seen thus far. Simple and understated but I really like it a lot. Good job, man! Hope you enjoy it. Only thing it needs (imo) is some thinner flat pedals with some bling on it to match the seat.

[carbonazza]

Nice. One of the sharpest builds I've seen thus far.

I had the same impression when seeing the pictures.
I guess the wheels/spokes contribute a lot to a light design.

For the internal cable routing, you can always cross them, at the top.
Accessing them from the headset holes.
On a 256 frame it is easy. However it looks on a 057, some drilling may be necessary.

[Carbon_Dude]

I agree, the Crank Bros wheels always is a cool look.

[timwa]

Thanks for the replies everyone, appreciated.

The tyres are not tubeless at this point as was quicker/easier to just put tubes in.  Having said that, I will prolly convert over to tubeless.

Izzy, what pedals do you recommend?  Because I am a bigger heavier guy (thus the 21" frame) I find some pedals a bit lightweight and not robust enough. Always welcome others ideas tho.

For the colour scheme, was even thinking of just adding some simple detail in red/white to the forks to go with the seat. Just for a bit of balance.  Would like to keep it subtle tho.

[byrt]

Hi
As a matter of interest. What BB set did you choose with the frame?? Im looking into getting the same cranks. Im pretty new to building
thanks

[Izzy]

Yeah, definitely keep it subtle. That's why I thought the pedals would be a good place to add some bling. Plus, those Shimano Saint flats are pretty bulky and heavy. That sad, if you like them and fell comfortable on them then by all means ride em.

These come in red (although in the pink the red looks a little pinkish but maybe that's just the pic) are decently light weight and have plenty of foot surface area:

http://www.amazon.com/VP-Components-VP-Vice-Pedals-16-Inch/dp/B006ZH1H7M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428925766&sr=8-1&keywords=vp+components+pedals

[timwa]

Hi Byrt,

the BB was the set that came with the cranks.  Some Shimano ones:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/au/en/shimano-zee-chainset-10sp-m640/rp-prod82416

HTH.

Izzy - those pedals do look cool indeed

[jwilds1]

Nice ride...  What are your thoughts on the Crank Brothers wheels?  I gave them some serious consideration when I was building up my 057, but caved and went with a XMIplay carbon rim setup.  Reviews online tend to be polarizing - either everyone loves the Crank Bros setup or hates them.

[timwa]

Well I must admit I mostly ride in the urban jungle so I was building this bike to have some bling factor, along with the 29er tuff stance I like.  Hence the Crank Bros wheels, which I think look awesome.  The rear hub is a bit noisy in it's ratchet system compared to my previous ride, but overall I am very happy. I also like them because they look different to most other wheelsets you see.

[drfragnasty]

Love the geometry.

I like a noisy rear hub in the city; it's a noise that pedestrians associate with a bike and they run for cover when they hear it.
I bought a 140dB "cricket piezo" bike bell and despite being as loud as a 747 the noise was so far removed from anything related to
what a bike normally sounds like that people didn't respond to it.

[timwa]

Hi everyone.  So I have a bit of an update.

The bike has been going generally quite well, and it sure is a blast to ride.  I really enjoy the light weight of my build.  Anyways, was all good until tonight.

 





I was only riding about 20 kmh when I had to do a very quick stop so I just jumped on the front brake.  And you can see the result above. A complete catastrophic failure of the front fork.  Luckily for me I did not fall off, but I did go close to going over the handlebars.

Anyways, this fork came from XMI Play.  Are they still around? I am wondering if it is worth contacting them about this. The fork is only 8 months old and has never been jumped or even used that much.

Else can anyone recommend a good robust replacement?

Thanks

Tim

[Rocklobster]

there is no way that all came from just slamming on the front brakes, that looks like you hit something from the deflection on the right fork leg near the crown.

[Patrick C.]

That sucks!  Could you tell what order the things fractured, or was it all at once?  My guess is the brake side broke, then the right side collapsed.  Hard to be sure from the picture, but it looks like the right leg just buckled from the unbalanced load.  XMIplay is still around, but if you bought from Peter he has a different company now.