Incoming... small boys bike, Specialized enduro S-Works.

[weeksy]

Well in a strange twist of fate it seems to Gods have smiled upon my lad and his jumping and attitude has paid off.

Someone on another forum saw some of our discussions on future frame/bike stuff and came up with a deal that's quite simply impossible to refuse. So we didn't and this morning i've paid for it and we'll be driving to the frozen wastelands of the north to collect it as soon as viable.

Specialized S-works Enduro 27.5
Ohlins rear, Pikes rct3 forks, 11 speed xx1 drive train with S Works carbon cranks, XT brakes, Specialized Command dropper. THe only thing it doesn't come with is wheels, but i've arranged a loan/purchase of some of them with a friendly member
I'm slightly traumatised by the 'value' of the bike i have to say for a 12 year old... but we're getting it at crazy price, so it's almost OK to deal with.

I can't wait to see his reaction when we turn up to get it without him knowing.

2020-10-16_07-43-44 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

https://www.specializedconceptstore.co. ... duro-650b/

[Beancounter]

Nice, he’ll be over the moon when he sees it.

What’s the plan now for the Bird build?

[weeksy]

Nice, he’ll be over the moon when he sees it.

What’s the plan now for the Bird build?

Bird frame fell though, so that's out of the equation.

[lostboy]

That's a great spec. He'll be nearly as chuffed as you!

[Taff]

That is simply out fucking standing.

[formula400]

Going to have a happy jumpy lad.

[weeksy]

I hope so because I sold his other bike last night. He still has no idea any of this is happening yet. With luck it'll be a complete surprise for him when we turn up there tomorrow to collect some tyres.

[weeksy]

Collected. Super shiny, light and awesome.

My lad didn't quite know what to say. He thought we were just collecting tyres. He thought that as brilliant. Then Kevin and Tracey allowed him to try the bike and he was blown away.

"We better take it home then" I said and he laughed lots.

Then worked out I was serious

[weeksy]

Sadly we didn't get wheels with the bike, we knew that in advance as the wheels on it were many thousands of pounds, but I had a rear at home and Crust has a front. But none of the plans could get him out today to play.

But then....

He's out now....I thought i'd see if the 29er front wheel from the PArkwood would work. Sadly the 29er front wheel didn't fit and that was the only 100*15 i had in the house. He was looking a little sad, so i came up with plan B and fitted the forks from my G160 along with it's front wheel. It was only 15 mins work so wasn't too bad. Chucked 50psi less into the forks for him and sent him out to show off to the boys. They're now in the woods playing

Sadly i can't go and join them as i don't have any forks hahahahahaaha

[weeksy]

2020-10-18_05-09-47 by Steve Weeks - Flickr2BBcode LITE

[Mr Moofo]

2020-10-18_05-09-47 by Steve Weeks - Flickr2BBcode LITE

Have also acquired a dog?

[weeksy]

2020-10-18_05-09-47 by Steve Weeks - Flickr2BBcode LITE

Have also acquired a dog?

No, mates dog. But they are buddies

[weeksy]

Spent a bit of time on the bike last night as i was taking the forks out and putting them back into my bike.

It's really nice, but people don't look after things as well as me. Things like the headset, that was still functional, but is one of them where any day now it's destined to sieze and more through just not adding a little bit of grease every month or two than anything. So i've ordered a new headset. Brake mount bolts just neglected a bit etc... Nothing major, nothing complex, but just needs that little bit of attention to detail to make it from a nice machine, to a wonderful one.
The handlebars were offset 8mm from center, something not many would actually even notice.... but i'm one of the not many.

Front wheel today, get that tyred up and tubeless, then can start dialling in the settings to get it just right.

Next job for later is to get some more 3M clear tape installed on various parts that's not been done. I was really pleased to find some Invisiframe type tape on various parts, but i do like a bit more in places like the chainstays etc.

The boy tells me it rides "SO FAST, it just flies !" and informs me it jumps really nicely... So i'm hoping for good things once we get it sorted. We added some tortoise on the ohlins as the rebound was too fast on it for him, we'll check the pressures on that at the weekend, hopefully with Shockwiz as a mate has borrowed it. But i think we can get it pretty close on our own.

[weeksy]

Jeez this rear shock could be complex

Description
Where light weight of a cross country shocks meet the maximum control of a downhill bike. The search is over, STX 22 Air (Specialized) offers unheard of traction and support in light weight durable unit. No compromise needed.

Specialized and Öhlins working together to offer a new level of performance not seen in air sprung shocks before specifically tailored to the ride character of each model.

Analyzing the demands on an air sprung Enduro & Trail shock Öhlins STX concept was the answer. Thanks to the lower damping levels compared to a coil sprung Downhill shock, a less complex product has been developed that still maintains high-performance functionality and offer ride efficacy without tampering with downhill control.

The STX 22 Air (Specialized) features a large piston diameter balanced by a large compression valve that ensures internal pressures are kept under control. This results in low hysteresis and excellent damping response, offering ride efficiency without tampering with downhill control.

Low and high speed compression and rebound damping are externally adjustable with an additional climb mode setting, a stability mode facilitating long climbs with maintained traction.

The air spring features a seal system optimized for low friction but also to give a smooth balancing of pressure between the air chambers. The result is initial suppleness supported by mid-stroke control and that extra bottom out resistance coming from air spring characteristics. It is also possible to tune the spring curve by adding or removing volume spacers or additional oil in the positive air chamber for a more progressive or a linear feel

[weeksy]

[weeksy]

wheel1 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

wheel2 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Went to Crusts and stole a wheel from him. But with the mis-matched rear and the fact i've got a spare XX1 rear cassette for the full setup, i went crazy and ordered a new (used) pair of wheels.
Not only do they match his paintjob, but they're XD drive so i can use the XX1 cassette too. He'll then get some XC/fast rubber on his current wheels and these new ones will get the more hardy and beefy rubber. Tyres these days he's using in jump area are super grippy compounds and on CX rides you can really notice the difference.

I funded it by flogging his dropper, which more than covered the cost

We both test rode the bike yesterday and noticed the brakes were on the wrong side of rubbish, both in terms of lever, bite and actual response, being M8000 Shimano XT they should be awesome. So 20 mins with a Shimano bleed kit and a test this morning, the bike is 1000 times better on the brakes now, perfect. Pads look good, they're Uberbike race matrix with heat sink fins and 203mm rotors, so should work a treat.

[Dodgy69]

Bloody ell....didn't realise pushbikes were so complicated.

[weeksy]

Bloody ell....didn't realise pushbikes were so complicated.

Weirdly I know more about setting one up than I do a motorbike. I have more feel for what's right and wrong and what's going on underneath me. I seem to get bikes pretty close to correct.

Just been tweaking the lads a bit more after he's been out since school, just adjusting the free play in brake lever to the correct position, you can adjust both the span and the free play.

[weeksy]

Wheels fitted and tubeless. Have to say they VERY much look the part, for not a lot of money at all. They may not be super light, but he won't care in the slightest.

2020-10-21_12-03-28 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[Beancounter]

Thought you'd flogged his dropper post? Have you gone soft and given him yours?