Education We Like to Ride Bicycles

Trust me, when you treated bikes like I did nothing could hold up to it then. When we started riding again in 93 all of the bikes were flimsy crap 80s junk which continually broke.

That was why the "mid school" happened and why companies like G sport came about. We also switched from 10 mm axles which continually bent or snapped with pegs on for 14mm and so on.

Quill stems aren't made for that. I've seen them snap clean in half.

I rode a Standard Byke Co Shorty down a two storey high fire escape and couldn't pull up at the bottom which was on the grass. There was a depression in the mud and because the steps shook the crap out of me I couldn't get the front wheel up. In it went, producing an almighty crack which sprained both of my wrists. I thought the head tube had snapped but it turns out the bearing cup shattered, peeing broken bearings and pieces of steel out. The frame and fork were unharmed.

Like I say, I'm talking abuse. Like serious serious abuse.

 

Yeah I remember snapping a few Saracens at the steerer, an alledged good brand an we had a graveyard of them up the jump park till we started getting Kona's. We were doing 15ft drop ins to runs, it was the last jump which you needed a lot of speed to clear the long ramps on, lots of broken wheels, smashed shocks an snapped frames. Most of us had bars with a distinct bow haha.
Routes still there an still kills bikes

 

I had a Saracen once. It was one of three MTBs I've owned. It didn't even last the ride home from Halfords. I rode it down a foot bridge, did an endo and the derallier (sic) jammed in the back wheel. When I rode away it lodged itself in the back wheel and ripped the frame off where it bolted to.

I see these days those mounts are removable. This is a good idea. I sold the replacement and got another BMX.

I know MTB are a lot stronger now but in the early days they too were crap. Sam Pilgrim is an animal, and has bikes to match it seems.

 

Pro-style abuse needs pro-style eqpt... if what you ride ain't built for what yer gonna do with it, expect pain, suffering & damage.

 

Anyone here gone tubeless? I'm sick and tired of punctures, and I'm also in the market for a wheel upgrade, so I'm giving thought to going for tubeless-compatible rims and tyres. I've heard they can be a bit of a faff, so I'd be interested to hear of anyone's experience with tubeless before I make a decision

 

Yeah set my G-ones tubeless, pretty easy two layers of stans tape, some Muc-Off fluid an valves and an airshot track pump. Trick is you want the tyres to be tight when you put them on hence the two layers of tape. Up an sealed first time but I've done loads now for others so got the hang of it.

Fluid will depend what tyres you get some need a latex fluid which goes off others don't, the non latex stuff lasts ages but still wont hurt emptying it now and again to refresh it.

For punctures that don't seal you want some plugs an also carry a tube in case you get a bad one. I managed to get home with a tube and an energy gel wrapper in the past when I picked up a big big puncture.

 

Cheers @legoman , very helpful. How do you find the G-Ones?

 

I'll tell you at the weekend hopefully, had a nightmare getting the brakes so it should be built for the weekend. Bike currently has no brakes or chain.

 

About 12 years ago Saracen was bought out by the people who import Shimano parts into the UK. They've had something of a re-invention since then, plus a couple of MTB downhill world titles, Danny Hart won the last DH world cup on a Saracen this year.

But prior to that they were pretty much a rolling meme.

 

Is Shimano still imported by Madison...?

 

Yeah, pretty sure they are.

 

Shimano - Madison
SRAM - ZyroFisher
Campagnolo - ChickenCycleKit

I have dealer accounts with them but cant use them till I register a business

 

Ill get some photos in the woods when I'm better, Stems annoying me it has a fat white stripe up it so a cheap Ritchley one will do. had a very quick roll round the street, feels nice brakes need bedding in I think, that or the rears are contaminated with oil.



Funky bars, don't think I did a bad job wrapping, used the wide angle lens because I can.

[/url]

 

Nice looking bike, that.

 

Open a bike shop but, don't tell them it's just your shed.

Old cycling friend always wanted to open a shop called... Menstrual Cycles.

 

Love it

 

If your bored Look up what Kona actually means in Spanish slang, then the original frame names. Oh, and basically the whole Cove bikes range

 

Cove G-Spot...

 

They had the Hummer, Hustler, Hand Job, Stiffee, Shocker, STD and Playmate.

Safe to say everyone can give up on the silly names, Cove bikes got there first.

 

When were those released?

S&M have been making naughty sounding bikes and parts since the 80s. Their whole moniker is naughty really.

Edit. The funniest is Bone Deth's "motor bone"