Brettoll

A bit of a retro-modern build Orange Patriot.. Managed to get hold of a 2003 Orange Patriot frame off a friend who had it knocking about in his garage and wanted some space for other projects. He had the vee brake bosses removed and the frame stripped of paint so it was in need of a new colour and a build! After some deliberation green seemed the most fun choice with some custom decals in a darker shade to set them off. Paired up a set of Superstar Switch wheelset, stem and bars in red it was coming together nicely. Dropped in a brand new DNM 165mm air shock for the rear (budget but actually really good) and a set of DT Swiss forks 170mm, Saint cranks and gearing and Avid XX World Cup carbon brakes (which are horrible, so being swapped to XT) it is ended up being a lightweight all mountain set up for sub £600.. had a number of blasts and I might get a dropper for it as an investment. Currently just off the run whilst I swap the brakes, but so far it's been a great XC rig - going to take it for some more aggressive stuff once it is sorted. Brett

Orange Zero!

I tell you what though.. that new Jitsie Varial Hybrid is remarkably like the Marino Vader....

I am trying that first

Cheers will check out Ted James. Pinged an email to the Curtis team a while back and it worked out about £700ish to have one of their older trials frame redone as a one off.. it's tempting

I could probably produce a small run somewhere for that! Jeez...

Well that is a little bit much.. in that I can get a Curtis for sub £1000 as a one off!

Well this is on their Insta

Let's see what they come back with..! Dropped them a note, cheers!

Yeah I dropped them a mail, seemed to remember them being about £600 - let's see if they still do. As their blog is full of Russian Mail Order bride posts... Cheers!

Morning all! In the hunt for the dream set up, I am weighing up having a frame custom built with the geo that I felt most comfortable on (a mid wheelbase all rounder). I previously used Marino as a builder and had an OK experience, however reviewing the forum it seems the service has dropped off a considerable amount. Are there any other reasonably priced frame builders people have used? Cheers, Brett

3rding Mark's comments, you can start on a bike and learn the basics etc. The above helped me a lot when I first started out on a MTB in the 90's. Go and enjoy

Slight shift, half the party can't make Wednesday. So a couple of us are riding in Slough which is probably a little bit far out? How long are you in Basingstoke / Alton for though as a Reading ride will be on in the coming weeks

Currently ironing out the details with a few other riders, looking like 4 of us.. will be an evening affair - 7pm onwards most likely. Will post in this thread once it's all sorted! There are still a lot of spots in Reading, they seem to knock some of the classic stuff down then somewhere else build something amazing.. the new station has some concrete block benches and this stair set for example:

A few of us going out in Reading next Wednesday evening - which is 30 mins from Basingstoke

I think it was a number of things all coming into play for me: Mainstream MTB Media Coverage // Peer Group // Attainable on your own bike (not specialist) Coverage 1997 I had stopped riding BMX a few years ago and was into XC a bit more, a mate just purchased a street style bike and had a copy of Chainspotting and an MBUK subscription. Aged 14 I had never seen any riding like it before and I wanted to find out how it could be done on a bike that looked a bit like mine. Watching how the Marts and Tongues controlled their bikes it just looked cool and was different, it flicked a switch. It was so well covered in MBUK with top riders, riding in spots that were either where I lived or looked like it. Spurring me on to just go try things out. Also in the magazine ambassadors having monthly sections to showcase parts, people, trends etc. was pretty cool. I believe the fun side of trials has always been a bit underground - it was a word of mouth, smaller but devoted set of riders which gives it a bit of a rep to the rest of the bike world (they don't get it). Peer Group Growing up in Reading I was surrounded by some epic trials spots and it wasn't long before we bumped into other trials and DJ/Street riders from around the area. In the early 2000's there was a collective of riders across all sorts of backgrounds (street, BMX, trials, DH) riding a 5 days out of 7, going on road trips and generally having fun. It was fun meeting other riders in other places, pushing each other to progress and just having fun. Then sticking the bikes in the back of the car and getting a pint. Attainable I was a teenager when I found trials, so skint basically. The ability to get into trials by just changing some bits on my bike from the money I earned / was gifted helped me feel a part of it not only appreciate the sports diverse (comp / street on the same bike) appeal, but also help me become obsessed with all kinds bikes, how to build and adapt them and ride different disciplines better. As I got older and started working, the bits were getting more specialist and the bikes were changing from less adapted bikes to focused products. Comp was driving seatless big move set ups and control, street was custom frames akin to bigger looking BMX's with a smidge of the old school converted MTB about them. Keeping Riding Hands up! I have not been riding that much, life has been wonderful (with family) but also hard and expensive resulting of selling every bike I owned. After a change in jobs and some hard work I decided purchase a trials bike again late last year (and split it and built a Hex, TGS = not for me). Why? I missed the ability to ride it anywhere, push my skills and scare myself again. I can be 10 seconds away from a kerb or 20 mins from a town with urban furniture to just test myself when I have a spare 15 mins or out around the local estate with the family.. Cheers, Brett

Do it! Cheers, yeah it's a neat build - feels nice on the roll about I have had so far. Short enough on the rear but comfy in the cockpit, way different to the streety builds of old with mile long stays!

After trying out super long pogo stick I realised that a shorter, all rounder is a bit more up my street. After no luck finding an Ashton Justice, decided to embark on a build around a HEX. Spent a bit of time acquiring parts (shout out to @Ben Davies for the heart of this build), spending some cash with Trials Addict and seeing what I could transpose from the TGS (basically the Ti BB and the cranks / FFW) and finished building up this morning. I have a set of brakes for it - a rear HS33 and a front older SLX with uprated parts - just need to get some tensile mounts to cope with the wide rear end, bleed etc. etc.. Spec: Hex Mark 1 Frame, Cane Creek 40 Headset Inspired Flow Alloy Forks Trialtech Sportlite Cranks, BB and 108 FFW, Magnesium Copy pedals, TI BB Front Mavic F219 w/ Brand New Superstar Switch Ultra-Lite Hub, Black Spokes, Gold Nipples (built by Trials Addict) Brand New Rear Jitsie Rim, Jitsie 135HS Hub, Black Butted Spokes, Gold Nipples, 15th ring (built by Trials Addict) Jitsie 90mm stem Inspired Arcade bars w/ DMR Brendog Grips Brand New Holy Rollers (2.4 and 2.2) Inspired Pivotal with BSD Flight Seat Slim Need to actually go ride the damn thing now! Cheers for looking. Brett

Starting my trials in the 90's I have always loved the look of bikes with a seat. Expect nothing too modern here... 1st: Matt Berridge's - Curtis T 24 - Always wanted one in the Howies Blue! (I think they still have the jig but i'm not willing to part ways with several hundred for a frame yet) 2nd: Rowan Johns Justice in all Black, loved my black and red one - frame I most regret selling.. 3rd: The white and Union Jack 26 MHZ - I owned a blue one that had been mainly de-stickered (why?!) it just wasn't this frame / build (image shamelessly ripped from trials_bikes_with_saddles Instagram)

I used to run Tar on the D521 Sup back in the day. I'm leaning towards a trials rim ground to be honest.

Hola, In the process of acquiring parts for the Hex and I am wondering what kind of rear rim and pad set up. The rim must be 26" and black, which is fine - looks like Inspired and Spank are the go to, any others of note? Also - are there decent pads around now that I don't have to grind? Or is it worth going for trials specific rim and grinding it still? Send your answers on a self addressed envelope.

All in all, I have decided against it. Thanks all!

I mean it's horses for courses if I am looking back around then haha... I get your point

Yeah agreed, I remember speccing out my old Marino frame with longer CS (385) and it wasn't half bad.. @Ross - pretty sure that has 425 chainstays haha! So not dissimilar? EDIT: Jack Flash Geo: Top Tube 569mm Head Angle 72o Seat Angle 73.5o BB Drop 10mm Chain Stay 425mm Seat Tube 320mm

I'm not getting streety flicky fun vibes = weird middle build that is neither fun nor hoppy