|   steelman update - a man and his hacksaw. | francis
Feb 15, 2002 1:20 PM | | Y'all remember my steelman? I know, it was hard to notice since the color was so low key... well it's time for an update!!
Gone with the old, in with the NEW!
The changes are:
1) The Fork - Marzocchi Marathon 100. Gone is the old Manitou Mars. So do I still need my yellow stickers? The Mars did the job but it would seize up during winter mud and washing. Thank god it has a greaseguard port. Pump it up with grease and it moves again. Now the Marzocchi is just a pimp daddy fork. It's stiffer, more travel and hopefully more active as soon as I figure out this negative air spring. The two lockout modes are beautiful. One slooow rebound and one fully locked in compressed position. Now here's the hacksaw job. Kinda scary but it looks ok, I think. The 100mm fork is 3.2 lbs with my hacksaw job and short steer tube. The two bonus features are it raises my front end which was a tad low. And... I get to use a normal size rotor (6 in.). Manitou and Hope brakes only hook up with an 8 inch rotor.
2) The dent - I've crashed this thing once and it happened to be on a rock! The bike jumped up to protect me and took the hit... all of it. It took 6 months to build this frame so it'll probably take months to fix this dent. Maybe later, maybe never.
3) The cables - The Hope mini cables were 10 inches too long. I didn't touch them since brake fluid scares me. Well, after gaining confidence with the hacksaw job, I did it and it only took 10 minutes... no bleeding (talking about me). If anyone gets Hope Minis, you'll have to cut your cables since they're made for a 12" travel fork and a 25 inch bike. The brakes are awesome. They used to squeal like a pig but Hope sent me new 'quiet' pads. shhhhhh.
What else have I learned? Well the SRAM $10 SS chain rules!! The Mutanoraptor 2.4s are the best. The 2.24s are heavier but are great for the front. I've put 3 other sets/brands of tires here to go lighter and faster but nothing can beat these. Yes brad... 30 psi(up from 27). Bike weight, 22.2 lbs. Let's put some eggbeater pedals on and we'll be ready for the Sea Otter singlespeed race!!!
O yeah in the process of my experimentation, I have some forks for sale... mars elite, black elite, mars, shiver sc. Email me if that's what you need. I have to tell y'all about the unreal Fox Forx on the next post.
It's time for my UCSC bike ride... goodbye!
francis
fcebedo@mtbreview.com |
| Nice ride!-pity about the dent-NM | Brewboy
Feb 15, 2002 1:37 PM | | |
| paging francis! are you coming over now? | usedtobfast
Feb 15, 2002 1:48 PM | | Yo Francis, if you are heading over the hill right now (and get this before you leave) I'm goin for a spin shortly. Call me.
Rich
(831) 464-9662 |
| Are you going to come to... | shiggy©®
Feb 15, 2002 2:04 PM | | ...the Pre Otter SS Mini gathering on Friday afternoon, March 22?
We will be riding somewhere around Santa Cruz. DAS is in charge. |
| Nice upgrades / SC Sat. morning anyone? | DAS
Feb 15, 2002 2:12 PM | | Yeah, that bike is feelin' the love.
How dare you go for a SC ride while my bike is in pieces and I'm whacking it with a mallet?
Can anyone ride SC Sat. morning? I can't guarantee that I'll have a working bike, but I plan to park at the bottom of Magic Carpet on 9 at 9AM. |
| I can be there at 11am... | francis
Feb 15, 2002 8:37 PM | | I have baby duty! I can be there at 11am. Maybe you can do an early loop and meet me at 11.
francis |
| sweet Francis! | bones
Feb 15, 2002 2:20 PM | | Looks awesome! Sorry to see that dent, a burly one but at least she's a steel bike. I loooooove that fork, I actually was out on a run today and the whole time I thought about a 100mm Marathon. I'm also a firm believer in the 10.00 pc-1 chain. Looks like you're ready to roll for sea-otter!!
Congrats,
b. |
| I AM not jealous.... | TimL
Feb 15, 2002 7:46 PM | | ....coveting thy neighbors bike is bad, right up there with gluttony, holding false idols, and such. But damn if you didn't take a fine ride and make it more better. I even like the custom denting; folks pay extra for worn out clothes and stuff to turn new furniture old, yet don't have a good story like yours on mailbox, stay right.
Sweet ride... if only I could trade some Pampers for a Marathon fork, a Jericho frame, some cranks, tires, disc brakes...etc, I could have one tooooo.
See you on the trails
Tim |
| UCSC bike ride photos | francis
Feb 15, 2002 9:21 PM | | I'm back from my ride so I'd like to share some pics of the Holey Trail. Solo 1 hour 45 minute ride. It was drizzling in San Jose but Santa Cruz was just fine. The trails are perfect and the bike was workin'.
The photos will all be inline so this post will be huuuge.
It was raining but the skies are opening up. 
With the Passat Turbo on Highway 17, getting there is half the fun.
<
The descent on the Pogonip climb. The trails are so packed and the berms so nice you can ride this thing with slick tires.
If you have to live in a dorm, might as well be here.
The log at the entrance of Lock 'em Up trail. Dang I cleared this and no one was there to see it... honest.
When you see the drums, you're at the Dead Campers trailhead. Look up and you'll see the crusty cruiser sitting on top of the tree.
This is the double jump at the top of Mailbox. There's about a dozen of these jumps, some single some double, all perfectly built. There's also a log crossing that's 2 1/2 feet high.
Mailbox starts descending... and descending...
Then the trail forks. Take the right line and you might live. Take the left line and the rocks will eat you. The last big rock left it's signature on the Steelman.
Look back up and you can see the 90% grade.
Cross the stream. Sorry about the ugly view.
Pop out into the Grey Whale meadows.
And now, Magic Carpet...
The trail is there but it's always coated with Redwood leaves
The scary trail exit to Highway 9
Singlespeeding 2 miles on Highway 9 is a drag.
Who would lock their doggie in the car while going on a great trail. Probably someone who usedtobefast.
30 minutes later, Back home with Mini-me. He's enjoying my Valentine's present to him... his goldfish named Wasabi!
francis |
| funny, just missed you there! | kyezle
Feb 16, 2002 8:19 PM | | my wife and i showed up there a little after 11am. i saw your car, and figured i might spot you on the new trail. don't know if i would have recognized you though, with your newly pimped out bike! i ran into DAS and kevin in the parking lot, they had just finished the ride. the trials were in pristine condition! we rode through to wilder, and it was cold over there! my wife hammered and did a great job keeping up, despite a hard bail and a new bruise. what a trooper she is. truly dedicated. that's love. we hung out in santa cruz for a few hours and then the sky fell. a new batch of mud on the way.
see you at sea otter!
kyle |
| niiice | francis
Feb 18, 2002 1:42 PM | | Glad you had a good ride Kyle.
I went out with Kenny-G and we had an awesome time!! We mad it all the way to Wilder before closing out at Magic Carpet and the railroad tracks. The pics are from the day before and it was just as good.
francis |
| heard anything about enforcement out there? | Mossy
Dec 10, 2002 11:22 AM | | Guys out at Biketrip were talking about crackdown a few weeks ago.. |
| UCSC bike ride photos | francis
Feb 15, 2002 11:32 PM | | I'm back from my ride so I'd like to share some pics of the Holey Trail. Solo 1 hour 45 minute ride. It was drizzling in San Jose but Santa Cruz was just fine. The trails are perfect and the bike was workin'.
The photos will all be inline so this post will be huuuge.
It was raining but the skies are opening up.
With the Passat Turbo on Highway 17, getting there is half the fun.
<
The descent on the Pogonip climb. The trails are so packed and the berms so nice you can ride this thing with slick tires.
If you have to live in a dorm, might as well be here.
The log at the entrance of Lock 'em Up trail. Dang I cleared this and no one was there to see it... honest.
When you see the drums, you're at the Dead Campers trailhead. Look up and you'll see the crusty cruiser sitting on top of the tree.
This is the double jump at the top of Mailbox. There's about a dozen of these jumps, some single some double, all perfectly built. There's also a log crossing that's 2 1/2 feet high.
Mailbox starts descending... and descending...
Then the trail forks. Take the right line and you might live. Take the left line and the rocks will eat you. The last big rock left it's signature on the Steelman.
Look back up and you can see the 90% grade.
Cross the stream. Sorry about the ugly view.
Pop out into the Grey Whale meadows.
And now, Magic Carpet...
The trail is there but it's always coated with Redwood leaves
The scary trail exit to Highway 9
Singlespeeding 2 miles on Highway 9 is a drag.
Who would lock their doggie in the car while going on a great trail. Probably someone who usedtobefast.
30 minutes later, Back home with Mini-me. He's enjoying my Valentine's present to him... his goldfish named Wasabi!
francis |
| UCSC bike ride photos | francis
Feb 15, 2002 11:33 PM | | I'm back from my ride so I'd like to share some pics of the Holey Trail. Solo 1 hour 45 minute ride. It was drizzling in San Jose but Santa Cruz was just fine. The trails are perfect and the bike was workin'.
The photos will all be inline so this post will be huuuge.
It was raining but the skies are opening up.
With the Passat Turbo on Highway 17, getting there is half the fun.
<
The descent on the Pogonip climb. The trails are so packed and the berms so nice you can ride this thing with slick tires.
If you have to live in a dorm, might as well be here.
The log at the entrance of Lock 'em Up trail. Dang I cleared this and no one was there to see it... honest.
When you see the drums, you're at the Dead Campers trailhead. Look up and you'll see the crusty cruiser sitting on top of the tree.
This is the double jump at the top of Mailbox. There's about a dozen of these jumps, some single some double, all perfectly built. There's also a log crossing that's 2 1/2 feet high.
Mailbox starts descending... and descending...
Then the trail forks. Take the right line and you might live. Take the left line and the rocks will eat you. The last big rock left it's signature on the Steelman.
Look back up and you can see the 90% grade.
Cross the stream. Sorry about the ugly view.
Pop out into the Grey Whale meadows.
And now, Magic Carpet...
The trail is there but it's always coated with Redwood leaves
The scary trail exit to Highway 9
Singlespeeding 2 miles on Highway 9 is a drag.
Who would lock their doggie in the car while going on a great trail. Probably someone who usedtobefast.
30 minutes later, Back home with Mini-me. He's enjoying my Valentine's present to him... his goldfish named Wasabi!
francis |
| UCSC bike ride photos | francis
Feb 16, 2002 12:18 AM | | I'm back from my ride so I'd like to share some pics of the Holey Trail. Solo 1 hour 45 minute ride. It was drizzling in San Jose but Santa Cruz was just fine. The trails are perfect and the bike was workin'.
The photos will all be inline so this post will be huuuge.
It was raining but the skies are opening up.
With the Passat Turbo on Highway 17, getting there is half the fun.
<
The descent on the Pogonip climb. The trails are so packed and the berms so nice you can ride this thing with slick tires.
If you have to live in a dorm, might as well be here.
The log at the entrance of Lock 'em Up trail. Dang I cleared this and no one was there to see it... honest.
When you see the drums, you're at the Dead Campers trailhead. Look up and you'll see the crusty cruiser sitting on top of the tree.
This is the double jump at the top of Mailbox. There's about a dozen of these jumps, some single some double, all perfectly built. There's also a log crossing that's 2 1/2 feet high.
Mailbox starts descending... and descending...
Then the trail forks. Take the right line and you might live. Take the left line and the rocks will eat you. The last big rock left it's signature on the Steelman.
Look back up and you can see the 90% grade.
Cross the stream. Sorry about the ugly view.
Pop out into the Grey Whale meadows.
And now, Magic Carpet...
The trail is there but it's always coated with Redwood leaves
The scary trail exit to Highway 9
Singlespeeding 2 miles on Highway 9 is a drag.
Who would lock their doggie in the car while going on a great trail. Probably someone who usedtobefast.
30 minutes later, Back home with Mini-me. He's enjoying my Valentine's present to him... his goldfish named Wasabi!
francis |
| |
