View Full Version : Lugged steel mountain bike
nick0137
10-14-2005, 03:56 AM
OK, I've been thinking about getting a mountain bike. Haven't had one for years and years. Nowadays they most seem to have bigger shocks built into them than my '67 Lotus Elan. Can't stand them. So, I've been thinking about a hard tail, non-suspension adjusted frame, maybe in ti (De Salvo, Carl Strong, Steve Potts even). But then those pics of the v cool Mud Pig got me thinking. Who is there out there who will build a lugged steel mountain bike? Vanilla almost certainly but I'm getting old and I'm not sure I can wait that long. Would Dave Kirk play around with his MRB design? Ideas anyone?
chrisroph
10-14-2005, 09:06 AM
Sacha makes some beauties. This may not be what you want to hear but as your only mtn bike for true rough trail riding, the fs is ubiquitous and lovely to ride. I still occasionally take out my hard nose hard tail mb1 for fun but I usually ride the fs specialized.
CNote
10-14-2005, 09:09 AM
I don't know if he'd be interested in that type of project, but you could ask the guy who built that MudPig.
Or find an old one. I used to have a hardtail and then graduated to a good full suspension bike. Then I started riding most of the terrain I was riding on my FS bike on a cross bike and realized all that suspension sure made riding easier, but it didn't make it any more fun. In fact, it was making me pretty sloppy since I could roll over so much stuff without using any technique. And the FS bike was a major PIA to adjust and maintain. So I found an old lugged MB-2 (with the awesomely cool bi-plane fork crown) and stuck 2.4 inch tires in it. Running this fully rigid setup with about 20-25 psi in the fatties allows me to ride everything I've ridden with full suspension, and most of it just as aggressively. I can maintain everything myself and don't have to figit over shock pressure, rebound damping, and assorted other BS when I want to go out for a ride. Just get the tire pressure right and go.
I *might* think about a suspension fork, but the original fork with that amazing crown just looks way too cool to take off of this bike.
-Ray
Tailwinds
10-14-2005, 09:49 AM
There is a picture of a guy racing a Kirk 'cross bike on Dave's website. Better hurry, though, his wait time is getting longer -- but it's worth it!!!
coylifut
10-14-2005, 10:11 AM
I secretly covet a DeSalvo, but all your choices sound tasty
Rivendell upon a time (about 1998 or so) made a bike called the "mountain expedition), essentially a lugged steel mountain bike with rigid fork and tons of eyelets. There were fewer than twenty made, I think. I have one and shared it with my friend Dr. Cotcamp for several years, we'd just trade it back and forth (as we did with other rides too). Anyway, it is a fantastic trail rider and our back yard provides a find course, also for 'cross. Grant Petersen was a key figure in what are now considered standard mtn bike geometries and Rivendell may yet make another lugged steel mtn bike, albeit one with a very affordable price point so that folks will ride it hard. I'd look for an old Bstone before I shelved out the big bucks.
I saw the DeSalvo bikes recently too and, gosh, they look cool. Sacha is such an inventive and loves-a-challenge sort that he'd likely help out with one too. Carl Strong doesn't often build with lugs but he might if you ask!
Not that many options for new and lugged steel mtn bikes, eh? Not like road bikes though these are the best and worst of times in some vaguely ****ensonian sense.
dbrk
nick0137
10-14-2005, 10:32 AM
Strange you should mention the MB2 and its twin plate fork. That's just the sort of picture (OK maybe with a sloping top tube) I had in my head of what I'd go for in a lugged mountain bike. Ebay again! Or maybe I can start a campaign to get Rivendell (or Tournesol?) to build some lugged mountain bikes. Hey, if 650B can get popular again then a return of lugged mountain bikes can't be impossible.
Syncroncity (sp?) or what? (By the way, wasn;t that one of the worst albums by The Police?). I'm tapping away a post mentioning Tournesol whilst a leading Tournesol light is tapping away his own post. This interweb thingy is a wierd and wonderful thing.
zeroking17
10-14-2005, 10:38 AM
Zank's lugged MTB looks damn nice:
http://tinyurl.com/7o7z6
...
nick0137
10-14-2005, 11:08 AM
Oh yeah. Just like that. Especially the rear brake bridge. Except maybe a 29er, and with a steel fork (can anyone do a modern twin plate fork crown for a 29er?)and maybe with Paragon Machine Works sliding drop outs (or an eccentric BB) so I can run a Rohloff hub and singlespeed. And.....
dirtdigger88
10-14-2005, 11:14 AM
Zank's bikes look very nice-
Im diggin the luged MTB-
Now how do I break it to mrs dirt-
Honey- my full suspension bike just dumbs down the ride- I want to go back to my "pure" days of riding rigid-
Yes dear I realize I have now told you that a least 5 bikes will be my last- but this time I mean it- no my fingers arent crossed- (my toes are ;) )
Anyone got a couch I can sleep on. . .
Jason
zeroking17
10-14-2005, 11:22 AM
Oh yeah. Just like that. ....
I've been eyeing a Zanconato lugged mtb for months. I know that Zank occasionally posts here on the forum. Maybe he can fill us in on some of the details.
...
Big Dan
10-14-2005, 11:24 AM
Zank's bikes look very nice-
Im diggin the luged MTB-
Now how do I break it to mrs dirt-
Honey- my full suspension bike just dumbs down the ride- I want to go back to my "pure" days of riding rigid-
Yes dear I realize I have now told you that a least 5 bikes will be my last- but this time I mean it- no my fingers arent crossed- (my toes are ;) )
Anyone got a couch I can sleep on. . .
Jason
DD, surprise the wife with "his and hers" lugged steel MTB's for Xmas.......
:D
dirtdigger88
10-14-2005, 12:30 PM
DD, surprise the wife with "his and hers" lugged steel MTB's for Xmas.......
:D
yeah ok- I (she) still has a 4 year old Marin MTB that I got her for christmas- guess how many miles are on it- 2
Its all good though- I think my time in the saddle is MY time not our time- she has her yoga
So hey I just saved money by only buying one bike- and I have a full XTR kit on my FSR. . . hmmmm. . . .
Jason
sevencyclist
10-14-2005, 01:02 PM
I had researched a little bit about lugged steel MTB about one year ago and contacted David Kirk. He was intersted in producing such a bike and I think he would be great at it.
Sacha White at Vanilla certainly can do an amazing job.
Zanconato does a beautiful job with the lugs as you can see from the link above.
You can't go wrong with any of these great frame artists.
coylifut
10-14-2005, 01:08 PM
Strange you should mention the MB2 and its twin plate fork. That's just the sort of picture (OK maybe with a sloping top tube) I had in my head of what I'd go for in a lugged mountain bike. Ebay again! Or maybe I can start a campaign to get Rivendell (or Tournesol?) to build some lugged mountain bikes. Hey, if 650B can get popular again then a return of lugged mountain bikes can't be impossible.
Syncroncity (sp?) or what? (By the way, wasn;t that one of the worst albums by The Police?). I'm tapping away a post mentioning Tournesol whilst a leading Tournesol light is tapping away his own post. This interweb thingy is a wierd and wonderful thing.
I know where there's an MB1 collecting dust right now
chrisroph
10-14-2005, 08:13 PM
It was just tuned too although its a bit dusty at the moment from being ridden on the trails in bend.
Fixed
10-14-2005, 08:40 PM
It was just tuned too although its a bit dusty at the moment from being ridden on the trails in bend. bro any single speeders out there when I was in park city they had a 100 mile mount. bike race and it had a s.s. division that sounds pretty cool . oh yeah have you ever ran into steve larson? I hear he lives in bend now .cheers :beer:
I also know of an MB-1 that's not getting much/any use. 49cm w/ logic fork.
slowgoing
10-15-2005, 10:55 AM
Does frame material make a difference on mountain bikes, especially full suspension bikes? Isn't most of the handling/comfort/feel governed by the geometry, cushy tires and shocks?
I think so. my fs klein is cushy with the 2.4 tires and suspension travel. my bridgestone was comfortable too. just different.
Marburg
10-15-2005, 11:20 AM
Does frame material make a difference on mountain bikes, especially full suspension bikes? Isn't most of the handling/comfort/feel governed by the geometry, cushy tires and shocks?
That's the conventional wisdom, which explains some of the near-domination of over-sized Al for FS frames. It doesn't matter how stiff and jarring the front end is if you've got 5-in of air-sprung travel in the back. For hardtails, all of the conventional steel v Al v Ti v carbon arguments come back, though the desired qualities vary somewhat.
As for the original poster, I'm sure he can find someone to make a lugged bike for him -- maybe something based on Pacenti's Slant Six lugset. I would suggest, however, designing the frame around, say, an 80mm fork and getting a matching suspension-corrected fork (which are easy to find, even an inexpensive Kona Project Two fork). It will make the frame more ... versatile in case you change your mind in the future.
Fixed
10-15-2005, 12:11 PM
Does frame material make a difference on mountain bikes, especially full suspension bikes? Isn't most of the handling/comfort/feel governed by the geometry, cushy tires and shocks? bro s.s. mt bikers with ridgid forks use arms and legs as shocks. cheers :beer:
coylifut
10-15-2005, 12:21 PM
oh yeah have you ever ran into steve larson? I hear he lives in bend now .cheers :beer:
he's around and seen often
Does frame material make a difference on mountain bikes, especially full suspension bikes? Isn't most of the handling/comfort/feel governed by the geometry, cushy tires and shocks?
On full suspension bikes, you want the frame parts to be as stiff as possible, since you're already gonna get some play from the suspension bits and the pivots. So oversized aluminum or carbon seem like good choices there. You sure aren't looking for any "compliance" out of the frame in that situation. With hardtails and to an even greater extent with full rigid bikes, steel and ti seem to have a reputation for a smoother ride than alu, although with fat tires at 40psi or less, I have trouble believing you could really feel much difference.
-Ray
take a look at kp"s bikelugs.com in the gallery under bob brown cycles
there is a 29er ss looks sharp. I have liked the look since it was posted
I've been eyeing a Zanconato lugged mtb for months. I know that Zank occasionally posts here on the forum. Maybe he can fill us in on some of the details.
...
Sorry for the slow response here. Thank you to all for the compliments. The lugged mtbs are a blast to ride. I use Pacenti's Slant Six lug set. I am working on a SS Disk frame for the San Jose Handmade Bicycle Show in March. It will have polished stainless lugs and seat stay caps, my new stainless disk dropouts (polished of course), and a Phil Wood EBB (fillet brazed shell). Deda Zero and Columbus Life tubes build up into great riding hardtails.
If you anyone has any specific questions, please feel free to PM me.
dirtdigger88
10-27-2005, 01:04 PM
NICE!!!!
Jason
dirtdigger88
10-27-2005, 02:19 PM
slant 6-
Im digging your work
Jason
davids
10-27-2005, 02:59 PM
These are nice, but I'll take innovation over tradition. Here are two that strike my fancy, the Specialized FSR and Santa Cruz Blur XC:
dirtdigger88
10-27-2005, 03:11 PM
I have an older FSR circa 1999- it is still a bad @ss ride- with some sensible wheels on it - it weighs right at 25 lbs- it doesnt have all the smart valves of today- but honestly if you know how to ride you dont need them
Jason
davids
10-27-2005, 03:20 PM
I have an older FSR circa 1999- it is still a bad @ss ride- with some sensible wheels on it - it weighs right at 25 lbs- it doesnt have all the smart valves of today- but honestly if you know how to ride you dont need them
Jason
I ride a 2001 Klein Adept (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=4945) all winter (and every once in a while when it's warm!) I'd like a little more travel, and better shifting in my next mt. bike. Other than that, it's a blast!
dirtdigger88
10-27-2005, 03:27 PM
on the travel dept. I added a Rock Shox Sid 100 (so 20mm more than stock) and I also installed the Mountain Speed Linkage in the rear- that gave me another 30 mm of rear travel AND needle bearings rather than the crappy bushings that come stock-
Jason
Kirk Pacenti
10-27-2005, 07:14 PM
Hey, if 650B can get popular again then a return of lugged mountain bikes can't be impossible.
This has been my top secret project for the past year; 650B mountain bikes!(can you say 27.5"?) I have been talking to several tire makers all seem open to it....if I can cover the minimums. If I can get Grant/Quality on board to distribute, the tires will happen. The frames are easy and would follow soon after.
That's right, I said 650B MTB's! You heard it here first..... :banana:
vBulletin® v3.8.7, Copyright ©2000-2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.