The bass boat paint jobs are here to stay!
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I’d rather eat this one a piece at a time than drive a restored model a ever again 
I’ve got a plan, if I can pull it off it might be something really cool. I’ll probably start another youtube that nobody watches when I get to it, I think it might be interesting, but I’ve thought that before so… 
Story of my life. There’s moving pictures on instagram @murderfabandpaint if you want to be blinded by moving images.
I even bought a new flake gun, just for it 
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And for the '31 right?
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It lives! It’s all painted and put together. Had a couple shakedown runs, got it on some actual mountain.
So far, it’s really good. It’s bunch shorter than the purple guy, little less progressive so it feels like it sits higher in the travel and is less mushy, It’s quiet and waay stiffer than the last one. Way stiffer.
I put the 2.6" Eliminator that was on the front on the rear and added a 2.6" t9 Butcher to the front so it’s got all the traction now, about half way down I realized I wasn’t slipping around at all, that’s rare since the surface is all decomposed granite over hard pack. I beleive that’s down to the 2.6’s and the shorter reach, I don’t have to pick where I put my weight, I just ride the bike.
It’s got a bit less anti squat in the big gear. Around 110% I think. It feels really neutral climbing, doesn’t feel like it’s pulling itself together really hard, it doesn’t bob but the rear still moves on terrain, like it’s supposed to. I’m also very surprised the 10 speed chain is getting along with that 3/32" bmx sprocket idler. I could hear the old, steel one clicking away, this one is dead silent and I didn’t lose the chain once despide having no guide on that upper pulley.
Did I mention It’s just stupid pretty? All the business just tucked away all neat and tidy. Chef’s kiss.
I’ll get more better pictures soon, I just wanted to get something out here.
Nearly forgot about the fine print
135/140
65hta
505 reach
630 stack
460st
77 effective sta @800mm
435 cs
20mm bb drop
It’s got a 550 lb spring on it and is about 15% progressive with a curve that looks like an air spring
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So. I’m waiting on a new derailleur and cassette because of reasons. I did want to point of some of the clearances, everything fits and clears really well. There’s no extra room anywhere, except for around the 2.6" rear, then there’s days, if you don’t count that rod end. I feel like that means I’m getting better at using the space I have available. Or something.
So far it rides nice. I’m digging the hell out of the neutral climbing rear. I can’t get it to bob even when I’m stabbing at pedals trying to force it but it just reacts to the terrain. It’s cool. That whole “climbs like a hard tail” shit might be a bit over rated. I like this a lot more than a whole bunch of anti-squat. Feels more supportive in the midstroke and stiffer, I can make it “skrrt” with just body motion, the other one would never do that, just sucked everything up.
I think I mentioned I like a tall front end. I added these 80mm rise 760’s from deity and they’re awesome. The gold bars were cool on the dark color bike but there were a bit much with the pink, I like these so much better. That also let me remove a big stem spacer, which I think looks awesome. I’m liking the 760 bars, I’m tall as shit so I figured I “need 800s bro” or whatever but the narrower bars are much nicer, they stand me up a little too, which I like.
Anyhoo…
I also “borrowed” the vinyl cutter at work for some stickers. 13 crow silhouettes and what you would call that
I’m pretty sure this is the nicest bike I’ve ever made. Neat.
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I love this mucho. How do you have your idler pulley secured? Is that a hollow shaft pressed in? Sorry if you pointed out above.
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Thank you! The idler is a profile sprocket drilled out to 1 3/8" and pressed onto a 3/4 id wheelbarrow bearing. The pivot axle is just some 3/4" .120 wall aluminum tube that I tapped (or died?) to 3/4-16 on both sides and it’s secured with -8AN bulkhead nuts
because they happen to be the right thread, they’re aluminum and come in a few fun colors, you can see 'em in the first and second picture, they’re black on the idler and silver on the link.
tl;dr is just bolted
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I love the solution!
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Park season again! Time to swap the dropper for a pivotal seat and go do park stuff on my trail bike.
I’ve been looking forward to testing the new suspension layout and it’s hard to get more testing that at the park. I got six laps in before I realized my lower headset cup working on becoming the deluxe, 2 piece model
Glad I caught that before it finalized that divorce, that could have been really bad. I was pretty bummed but, oddly, the chairlift broke that same morning so I didn’t actually miss any laps.
It’s promising as shit so far, it’s super cliche but I keep thinking things like, “punches above it’s weight” and “bottomless feeling” It doesn’t feel like a short travel bike. It’s stupid fast and feels so much more responsive than the last one. It’s soft off the top but doesn’t feel like it’s just blowing through the travel like the last one either, feels much more supportive in the mid-stroke.
The leverage ratio looks like this
I like that it’s only about 15% progressive, with a 550lb spring in it (if my maths are right) we’re at about 467lb static, so it’s nice off the top but piles the spring rate back in nice and smooth and I can feel the little ramp at the end. It’s nice.
I like that it’s got less reach and more stack, I rode all day and my lower back didn’t hurt at all. Some of that is probably do to the time on the bmx but a lot of it is just better fit. I’m not bent at the waist so much.
You guys, this fork. I just can’t even. Marzochi bomber z1 140mm, I don’t even remember how much air is in it but holy butts is this little thing amazing. I shit you not, it sags a millimeter or 2 just under the bike’s weight but I don’t think I bottomed it out once in those 6 passes, and it is so comfortable to ride. It is absolutely bananas. I honestly think it’s better than the emerald on the park rig. I am in fucking wonderment.
Sorry for the encyclopedia, it’s just good. I got anew headset cup, gonna see if I can get some more park time in next week.
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