I totally asked for opinions! A silver flake over a dark color is always a classic, it just twinkles in the light.
This is why I’m really leaning toward the Diamond Splinter over black, it happens at 25 seconds…
1 Like
As seen in the fails thread.
1 Like
Despite recent…happenings, I feel this is a good design and the last version only failed because of the rod end. I’m still gonna make this one a bit beefier and I think I figured a way to do it without any pie cut bending nonsense. It’s gonna be short, straight, thick stays. Should be plenty strong.
Check the left hand drive 28 tooth Cult sprocket (integrated bash guard not pictured) and little 160mm cranks. BMX parts FTW!
2 Likes
Butt stuff.
Everything’s 5/8" .058" because I can get it at the local racecar store and strong. 420mm chainstays in the short settting and there’s plenty of room for a 2.5. Anyhoo…
4 Likes
This thing is starting to make me feel funny. Not funny “ha-ha”, but kinda “like when we used to climb the ropes in gym class” I was gonna try and work some sort of dick joke in here but decided I’m way to classy for that 
The rocker link looks like it should be holding a bridge together and the whole thing kinda answers the question “what if a bike had sex with a painters’ scaffold?” but I really like the shit out of the look. I think it looks mean. I think it looks like it wants to hurt you. I’m excited.
I also got apint material ordered. I’m really excited.
3 Likes
Getting my reaming done. Head tube took a bit but it’s the nicest one I’ve done yet, think I’m finally getting a technique down for this. And it still saved a couple hundred dollars an hour over buying the right thing. Hack shack FTW. Also notice the silly bronze head tube gussets. Good times.
Paint material is here. I’m pretty sure I’m gonna paint this front triangle next week. The butt parts will just get rattle canned, so I can finish the welding on that as I prep the front. Hopefully be back at the park for shakedown by the end of the month 
1 Like
Honestly, I only made this episode so I could use that title.
2 Likes
Great video.
1 Like
Got a couple things did.
The paint is black onyx flake over a black base, it looks black or grey or blue depending on the light and its got a bunch of .008" prismatic flake mixed in so in some light it does this…
or this…
It’s bonkers.
I think I need to figure out a tensioner for the “non-drive side” chain, I did go around the block and it’s as awful as a downhill bike should be on pavement, so that’s promising. It’s quiet so far. Heavy as, but that’s what chairlifts are for. Body position feels promising, easy to get over the rear axle. I think I’m in love.
7 Likes
looks gnarly!
1 Like
I have! It’s insanely pretty. Jack shaft might be a decent idea?
With a little jiggling and a lot of swearing I managed to get my 28t sprocket back on the left side and got the chain over the 18t with no idler. It’s tight. Tighter than I’d like, but here we are. I’d rather put bearings in it every season than deal with an idler if I don’t have to.
I like the 28t sprocket because of the integrated bash guard, it’s replaceable and $10. Seemed to make more sense than welding an iscg05 tab to the BB.
Got it out on the dirt today. Got a baseline tune in the fork and shock. It’s a buttery boy, real supple on the rear and the fork is ridiculious. One of the adjustments (i forget) has 15 clicks per revolution and a total of 15 revolutions, I got a lot of stuff to figure out.
It sucks to climb, obviously. Holy shit does it descend. I put 4 laps in on a steep rocky section i like and it’s fast, comfortable. Body position feels good, feels like I can move it around a little (that fork is stupid heavy) the short stays and 26" rear are gonna be fun. Feels like it wants to lay over into the corners and the back seems easy to move around. So far, it seems really promising. And quiet! it’s quiet, which is good, I can’t stand rattly junk.
Sparkly paint close up
So far, so good. I’m thinking about going to the park next week, get some laps in and see how it does.
6 Likes
wow, this bike looks so sick! Really wild stuff going on, I love it!
1 Like
Brooklyn machine works resurrection 
Lovin’ it!
1 Like
I appreciate it! Fingers crossed it all works.
That’s a hell of a compliment. Thank you!
2 Likes
Can you still swear on the internet? This deserves a little bit of swearing (the good kind) so cover your ears while you read the next part if you don’t wanna hear swearing.
This bike is really fucking good.
Really. Fucking. Good. Just…goddamn. It’s good.
I talk too much and half of you have probably already stopped reading, so I’ll try (probably fail) to keep this short. I spent thursday lapping some blue trails, turning knobs on the suspension, checking bolts and looking for cracks. Getting used to the bike. Rolled all the jumps for the first couple laps, 6/10, just cruising, checked everything and went a little harder each time.
For being as long as it is, it changes direction really quick, probably due to the really short rear (2:1 front to rear center ) and gets in the air easily. By the end of day one I was comfortably clearing stuff that I struggled with on the purple bike. Sending bigger stuff into rougher landings with more confidence and having to brake check a few jumps after sending them to flat. It’s good.
After more checking and tightening, day 2 saw some rougher tech and bigger everything. Getting more comfortable everywhere. Step ups have been my kryptonite for a minute now, something about scorpioning down a landing put me off of them. This bike seems to have fixed that and I found myself hunting them down and actively boosting off the lips, clearing shit easily. Insane. I’m even feeling like I can move the rear end around in the air pretty easily, small wheels FTW. I always thought I sucked at jumps, I may have just been using the wrong tool.
Since there has got to be a down side, it does not reward you being on the brakes in the rough. The numbers said it was gonna brake jack like a bastard, and it does. However, I can learn to drive around that and I was practicing just taking quick stabs at the brakes before features (like you’re supposed to) and it’s surprising how composed it is through anything.
The 26" never felt like it got caught up, I didn’t ever feel the front lose grip for a second and I never felt like I was gonna get thrown out the front door. It leans over so much harder than the 29" bike and didn’t feel like it was trying to stand me up in the corners, I didn’t feel like I had to fight it to keep it leaned over like I do sometimes with the bigger wheeled guy.
So much for short. Sorry.
I was having too much fun screwing around to take more pictures, except of these little wild roses growing all over the place, I got about a hundred pictures of those. Priorities.
8 Likes
So sick to ride a bike you made. Really awesome
2 Likes
He said goddamn! 
nice man. Its a great feeling when you kick lofty goals.
1 Like
It is really good. And until someone shows up to prove otherwise, I was the fastest guy down that mountain on a homemade bike. Setting records every damn day!
Appreciate it!
1 Like
Even though you can’t polish a turd, you can cover it in glitter.
3 Likes