Newbie here with unknown bike :)

[Napa]

Total newbie here. Picked up used trials bike. There are not much options here in US. Has anybody seen this frame before? Any recommendation on what to check and improve?

My plan to change:

• Bottom Bracket.
• Tubes and tires. 
• Bleed brakes.

Thank you!

 

[CC12345678910]

Christ that's a bit of a heinz 57 int'it? 

God knows what the brand was, but the tubeset is fairly generic taiwan/china from 15 to 10 years ago ie. much used and well proven. For example the majority of the overall silhouette is onza T-rex/ onza limey 1/less so the limey 2, but BB is too high to be a t-rex (got one in a box in the attic) & the T-rex does not have a disc mount or V-brake mount but dedicated 4 bolt mounts and most, if not damn near all onza's use an internal/semi integrated/zero stack/ZS44 headset.

A M.A.D. phase does have those dropouts with that disc mount and the lowest in the range, the phase 1.3, had those style v-brake mounts just like that, and all were external/ec34 headset but despite the geometry looking pretty similar, the BB appears too high & the silhouette in nothing like what you've got there. I've owned a 1.3 & 1.2 in my time. The 1.2 snapped the BB yoke and I still have it as a trophy or a someday TIG welding practice project.

The Forks look Onza Tuf Guy or spyrogyra, but again these tubesets were available to resticker and rebrand from a far east bike factory catalog.

It happens all the time.

My Mod is a zona zip which was well known to be a 05 zoo! python with bashplate mounts and cheaper fit and finish (holes in the brake mounts were drilled off & tapped wonky as frig, in a brand new NOS frame) The M.A.D. phase's were "based" on the 04 Koxx levelboss, my T-rex resembles a 05 zoo! pitbull in shape and geometry but weighs 400g more due to the cost savings in tubing and design used. My '09 Commencial Normal was another generic and resembled a giant STP front triangle with a Marin back end and so and so forth.
IMO with generics what stickers are on the tubes becomes immaterial, to a point. I know in your situation it'd be nice to know but honestly mate, get it put together, set it up well (you want a double wheel sprung tensioner or modified short cage rear mech and some run of the mill riser bars in ~740mm width & 35mm+ rise for starters, then maintenance jobs like you said) and then go ride the crap out it.

EDIT: Changing the chain to something trials capable should be considered obligatory. Trials + chain you have no prior knowledge with and therefore should not trust because it could be hammered dogshit = smells of hospital. 

Personally wouldn't bother spending on tires for a while yet - Tensioner mods, chain, bars, a good surgical clean n service, 20-25psi in the tyres (2psi per stone you way is a good starter rule of thumb) and crack on with riding it.

Edited June 16, 2020 by CC12345678910

[Ali C]

I think it's a Norco, they did a design like that for a short while plus they supplied that shape of steel fork on other trials models they did.

EDIT: Yep, Norco Evolve

[Napa]

1 hour ago, CC12345678910 said:

Personally wouldn't bother spending on tires for a while yet - Tensioner mods, chain, bars, a good surgical clean n service, 20-25psi in the tyres (2psi per stone you way is a good starter rule of thumb) and crack on with riding it.

Thank you for the information. It's very helpful. I will start working on it.

[Napa]

34 minutes ago, Ali C said:

I think it's a Norco, they did a design like that for a short while plus they supplied that shape of steel fork on other trials models they did.

EDIT: Yep, Norco Evolve

Good catch! Thank you! Now I know what I have

[CC12345678910]

On 6/16/2020 at 6:10 PM, Napa said:

Thank you for the information. It's very helpful. I will start working on it.

[Forgive me If end up 'teaching' you stuff you already know]

For clarification, those DMR simple tension seeker's and there type copies IME are only good for commuting, where they'll do a fine job: Put one on a trials bike and they slip constantly though. You need a double wheel tensioner for sprockets 16tooth and below for safe amounts of chain wrap. I highly recommend you get one regardless of sprocket size.

On that note a the style of sprocket commonly included in single speed kits are not up to it in a trials context as it is too narrow and will dig in like lower end cassettes w/o the aluminum spider do on a alu freehub/driver body, but much much worse and come maintenance time the struggle will be real... Not worth it. Needs to be 4.5mm or wider IIRC. The wider base the better. 

If you feel the tires are a bit old & dead/hard & ungrippy I'd suggest cutting ~ 2mm vertical sipes across (riders left/right axis) the middle of each side knobble with a hacksaw blade. Takes ~ 30mins a tire or about 3 cold ones per set. Revives dead old tires no end.

http://www.offroaders.com/technical/what-are-sipes-in-a-tire/

Finally it is imperative that the brakes work as best as can be - sharp biting with vice like hold and no slip when torque is applied from a dead stop/static position. A 180mm or 203mm rotor with proper caliper alignment at a minimum w/ some new pads (my preference @ the moment are EBC greens and reds depending on application) would be a smart move. The beefiest post mount to IS adapter you can get your hands on and 4x 12.9 grade Hi tensile M6 bolts would be on my list. High braking force + Flex = bad caliper alignment = NFG.

Whether doing training exercises on flat ground or progressing to going up a bus curb, for instance, good brakes (read; pretty fckin epic by XC/road/bmx standards) are never a problem and shit brakes are a constant barrier and make the learning process needlessly difficult.

At least half the battle with trials is won in the workshop.

Edited June 19, 2020 by CC12345678910

[CC12345678910]

3 minutes ago, CC12345678910 said:

Edit: it double posted. Never done that before...

 

Edited June 19, 2020 by CC12345678910