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I might even ride this one...


Luke Rainbird

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As some of you may have seen, I picked up a dirty cheap Arcade back in September. What you probably didn't see was the rest of the story...

September: Left the Royal Navy, had a little bit of time on my hands, fancied picking up a trials bike again. Primarily for the social side of things that is.
As those of you who know me will be aware, I'd always been a bit of an indecisive bugger and was constantly chopping and changing between 24" and 26" wheels. With that in mind, I was pretty open to getting hold of either this time around, so started hunting on here, FB, PB etc to see what was about.

I ended up tracking down a stock via @hill_393 on PB, and sent some funds across to him shortly after. It was posted the next day and job's a good'un.

However before the 26" was delivered that Arcade popped up here on TF at a price which couldn't be turned down so I bought it on the spot. 9 months later, I've ridden the 24" half a dozen times and the big bike hasn't even been unboxed.

Wedding soon, car needing a few bits and so on, I sold the Arcade on to @The Foamoi Refresher who'll no doubt give it a much better life than myself. Hope you're enjoying it, Luis!

T'was a hot day today, so the cats and I have been enjoying the sun. Seemed as good a time as any to dig out that 26".

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So, one dusty, still sealed box:

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One slightly less dusty slightly less sealed box:

IMG_20170617_190952_HDR.thumb.jpg.0cfd204b3968eae7393bc03bb4bd7946.jpg

What have we here then? Looks like a set of (2.2"/2.4") Mountain Kings

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Well these are a little bigger than the Arcade wheels. Hope QR skewer needs to go.

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Not a common rimset these days

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Classic...

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Should I be concerned that a handful of spokes were loose in the bottom of the box? Fortunately, nothing to worry about

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Pulled out the rest of the box's contents. Not too sure on the stickers but that's an easy fix. These guys have done a thorough job of the coating, though it's taken a bit of abuse so if I end up hanging on to it perhaps I'll give it a fresh coat

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TT crankset, 16t, plastic Nukeproof pedals. Gratuitous downtube dent.

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Rear end's a Pro II, Rohloff and (narrow) 14/(wider) 16t sprockets. Will rectify that at some point.

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Rear brake is an '05 HS33 on (real) Cousts, old school booster and Tensile offset mounts. Harshest grind I've ever owned, though still significantly less abrasive than most folk seem to run.

IMG_20170617_192816_HDR.thumb.jpg.5855dc94abb58172c35e572f33f94254.jpg

Front brake is an SLX. 203mm is nice to see, but this might get swapped out for something a little more suitable.

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And for anyone who's not quite pieced it together yet

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Had a very quick roll about on the decking at home. Brakes need to bed back in and need to sort out the gearing, but the bike feels far more capable than I do so that's good.

Edited by Luke Rainbird
Fixed dead image links
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  • 6 months later...

So excluding riding this around the decking a couple of times I've barely touched the Hex. Keen to get out on it a bit this year, so sorting out a few bits I'm not so keen on to try and motivate me to use the thing.

New rear rim and front spokes inbound at present, so I've stripped down the existing wheels and cleaned up the hubs ready to rebuild.

Frontwheelstripped.jpg.4079b0e9839efb74f7e2ce1ef51743df.jpg

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Nips were a little different to any I've seen before. Had the same square profile above the flange of the nipple as below. Not that you can get a spoke key in there on a double walled rim anyway.

Whoever had built these wheels up had used a lot of nasty red (permanent) threadlock. Can't say I'm a fan of that idea, and certainly won't be doing the same this week when building up the new rims.

Also, turns out the previous owner had actually been running 16:16/16:14, but with a narrow 14t sprocket so I'll throw on a chainring and an extra spacer to put that right. 20:16 should do the trick, or maybe 19:16 for hoppier stuff - minor difference. Probably just go with whatever I can find cheap so if anyone's got a spare screw on 19 or 20t sprocket let me know!

weirdnipples.png

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As a result of incorrect spokes, I only currently have half a wheel's worth I can lace up so I now have half a front wheel stuck together.

halflaced.jpg.c04f81837398927c32975836d373bd14.jpg

Also gave the freehub body a quick buzz with a file as the previous owner had been running a narrow sprocket which had dug in. There were actually a number of marks as you can see here, so either the cog had been moved about a bit or, perhaps more likely given the regular spacing, there'd been a narrow cassette on here at some point.

freehubmarks.jpg.a1090ed6f57adb9ec791c09d3e21a409.jpg

Rear rim arrived. It's a 36mm wide, undrilled TryAll. I don't really remember these from yesteryear and can't find much mention of them online either, which is a tad strange but should suit the Hex pretty well. Was in two minds as to drilling these rims but can't be fecked.

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Unsurprisingly, I am introducing it to this:

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Perhaps less surprising still is the fact that "New and improved", "faster", "super strength" new formula Nitromors is just as shit as I remember and doesn't appear to be touching the sides... :P

Edit: I roughed everything up with coarse sandpaper prior to applying Nitro. Have now wiped off and given it a buzz with a flap wheel, see if that helps.

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If it hadn't been sat on the shelf already I wouldn't have considered it. We also found some old Wilko own-brand stuff in the garage when we moved in 3 years ago, consistency of water, which I tried. It was more effective...

If I need to buy anything I'll get Starchem, or take up TB's generous offer of sharing his fluids (Y)

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Didn't grab many photos, but I was an impatient f**k and just stripped the paint from the rim with a grinder :lol:

Have since smoothed it out, filler primed it, and given it an acceptable coat of matte black which matches the DV fairly well which is cool. Interior left pink for laziness reasons. Both wheels now fully built - need to give them a quick tweak in the bike to ensure they're running straight (they're close by eye, but I've not used a stand or anything so they'll need a minor touch to be rear-brake-suitable I'm sure.

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Brakes I bought arrived - managed to pick up a set of MT7s for less than a single new MT5. Only minor issues being they don't have hoses, and being an older frame I can't run one in the rear which would have been nice. May chuck a vee on the rear, not sure. Current plan is to hang on to the spare MT7 and perhaps run them on the MTB down the line, but we'll see. may end up selling one once I've got them both sorted. Oh, and a set of 203mm rotors too. Nice.

MT7s.jpg.9f9c979335549abef099902d7fe878be.jpg

Oh yeah, chainring turned up too. Going to give 20:16 a whirl, see how it feels then if it's a touch too high throw on either a 19t front or 17t rear to fine tune (Y)

chainring.jpg.0ba77ad4af2edfd034fc2f183d80c5a4.jpg

Need to get a set of 4 bolt clamps to replace the current Tensile Offset ones - anyone got a set spare/cheap? Ideally 2 pairs of lowers so I can run them washerless.

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On 19/01/2018 at 9:42 PM, Luke Rainbird said:

Didn't grab many photos, but I was an impatient f**k and just stripped the paint from the rim with a grinder :lol:

Have since smoothed it out, filler primed it, and given it an acceptable coat of matte black which matches the DV fairly well which is cool. Interior left pink for laziness reasons. Both wheels now fully built - need to give them a quick tweak in the bike to ensure they're running straight (they're close by eye, but I've not used a stand or anything so they'll need a minor touch to be rear-brake-suitable I'm sure.

rimsprayed.jpg.e036d059703fda411752b506ec71a08f.jpg

Brakes I bought arrived - managed to pick up a set of MT7s for less than a single new MT5. Only minor issues being they don't have hoses, and being an older frame I can't run one in the rear which would have been nice. May chuck a vee on the rear, not sure. Current plan is to hang on to the spare MT7 and perhaps run them on the MTB down the line, but we'll see. may end up selling one once I've got them both sorted. Oh, and a set of 203mm rotors too. Nice.

MT7s.jpg.9f9c979335549abef099902d7fe878be.jpg

Oh yeah, chainring turned up too. Going to give 20:16 a whirl, see how it feels then if it's a touch too high throw on either a 19t front or 17t rear to fine tune (Y)

chainring.jpg.0ba77ad4af2edfd034fc2f183d80c5a4.jpg

Need to get a set of 4 bolt clamps to replace the current Tensile Offset ones - anyone got a set spare/cheap? Ideally 2 pairs of lowers so I can run them washerless.

I would be all over that 18/14 gearing if you are thinking 20/17. I ran 18/14 simply because it was close to the set cs length of the hex but it feels about perfect for trials stuff. I don't tend to go very fast at things anyway so I can't say on speed really. 

 

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I like bigger chain ring and cog set ups as it means the chain doesn't have to bend round as much - Puts less stress on the chain and makes it last longer. Although. That rohloff arm is so short it just about works with a 16 but you cant run it parallel with the chain stay, which is what you do if you're cool.

Good job on the brakes. Have the cables just been snipped off?

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Yeah, I like slightly bigger gears for the same reason, though as you've spotted the tensioner won't sit flush with the 16t as I've had to put the pin in. Will see if the chain is long enough with the 20t, may not be, and figure out all out. Could always laser cut a longer arm for the Rohloff too.

Brake lines appear to be cut at the caliper but unscrewed at the lever, and I only have what's in the photo. New hoses inbound so easy to sort either way :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yeah, the MT7s won't be going anywhere, even if the Hex does. They'll be headed for my MTB instead :P

Still not sorted a set of Magura clamps, but that's about all that's stopping me rolling about on this now. Anyone got a set hanging about?

 

Edit; What are you doing on TF anyway; shouldn't you be off spamming Faceache groups with the copious amounts of spambot links you seem to be loving lately?

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Cheers John. Has he stuck a disc mount on a Hex for you? I'd love a DD Hex, but have always been put off by the expense of heat treating etc - as much as I've had hairline cracks welded without treating before I'm not sure whether a disc mount would be a little much.

Edit; They're 7005. I seem to recall that being a little less critical with heat treating, but may well be completely wrong on that. You've started naughty thoughts in my mind, Shrewsbury, and not just the usual ones...

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