The New Bike< and Good News

First off, let me send out a big "thank you" to everyone who called, emailed or left a message with good wishes for my mom. Daddy called, today, and told me that all the tests for heart damage came up negative, and that Momma will probably go home, tomorrow.

The diagnosis is that she was suffering symptoms of congestive heart disease, and it sounds like they will treat that with medication.

While I was waiting for news from home, I built up the new all-rounder.

I really like the look of the bike. The proportions are very similar to that of the 650b StumpJumper that I built up, last year.

I ended up using the old BOA stem (I think this makes 7 bikes that this stem has been on). I thought I was going to use the shorter stem which had been on the Raleigh XXIX, but it made the cockpit too short, so I went with this one, instead. Now, the fit is spot-on.

Nothing like snowy roads for the first test-ride on a new bike.


Here, you can see the rack mounts, and the telescoping chainstays.

The adjustable stays are graduated in 2mm increments, so that you can make sure to adjust both sides to the same length. I may never use them, but having them there gives the option to run multi-speed with a derailleur, single or fixed, or an internally geared hub without a chain tensioner.

I love the truss frame look. (Nice welds, too.)




Breezer-style dropouts from Paragon Machine Works.

I have a front rack which mounts to the cantilever posts, in case I decide to use the bike for a bit of Adventure Touring. Can't use the brake mounts for brakes: This is a suspension-corrected fork for a 26" wheel, which has the correct axle to crown length for a rigid 29er.

I got the Paul's Thumbies for road bike diameter bars, and the clamps are too large for the Soma mustache bars (and two other mustache-style bars I tested them on, as well). I just wrapped some tape around the bar to shim them, and they work, just fine.

Where the magic happens. (My kerosene heater is one of the best investments I've ever made.)

My poor Motobecane 29er, after being cannibalized to build the new bike. I have parts to put it back together. I just need to dig out some shifters for it.

Here's the bike with 650b wheels on it. I couldn't test-ride it with them, because the non-disc front wheel's spokes hit the brake caliper, and can't roll. However, once I relace the rims onto some disc hubs, the bike should be rideable with either size wheel.

I rode the bike around the neighborhood, a bit, with the 29er wheels and it's as nice a ride as I could have ever hoped for. There is some mild toe-clip overlap, but not as much as my last cyclocross bike had. Other than that, I can't come up with anything negative to say about it. I'm pretty happy to have a ground-up design come out this nice on ther firts try! I suspect that, if this gets in the FUNK catalog, it will sell pretty well.

I can't wait to get it offroad and into some technical terrain. I suspect it is going to feel as good on the trail as it does on the road, and I am anxious to prove that theory!

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