Bike Ideas for a Newbie! (Race Rig Build + Ongoing Updates & Upgrades)

[Mikku]

So I finally pulled the trigger on a new stem and went for the Funnduro mtb stem!! With a 45mm reach and zero degree rise, it certainly changes the look and feel of the bike. It's also a lot smaller and lighter than the Promax Impact, weighing in at 110g with Ti bolts! Riding around my local rice fields the front end feels a lot livelier than before, so I'm keen to see how that translates on the track. Stem comparison and bike pics below!

[Mikku]

After a few races with the new stem, I'm much happier with the way the bike feels and am glad I made the change.

With the Crupi now dialled-in, for the moment at least, the latest “upgrade” is purely for aesthetic value, as I don’t think it offers much in the way of performance or protection! Saw a Knucklebone crossbar pad for sale in a pad lot and the seller agreed to sell me it separately. I reckon it balances out the red grips just perfectly.

[Drawn]

Gotta love a padset on the race bike.
Something you don't get to see anymore. (although, I do run them for fun).


I remember you asking about making it easier. Inadvertantly I stumbled on another way and then had a mate confirm it.
Higher Bottom Bracket height. I have 2 bikes set up near on identical, except one is the OS and the other is the 22 (which weighs about 1kg more).
Exact same Geo, except the 22 has a higher BB as it was set up to also run as an OS. So would match that BB with those wheels on it.

The mate was saying, when S&M went from the 38 special to the speedwagon, the BB height changed by going lower and to compensate for manuals they shortened the rear end on the speedwagon.
Just some info for you.

[Mikku]

That makes sense. A higher centre of gravity would make it easier to lift and keep up the front end with your weight over the back. The Crupi has a BB height of 11.63" which I think is a little higher than more modern frames.

I know you like your pads!

[Mikku]

I love my Speedline brakes but they just stick out a bit too much for my liking, especially on the drive side. I've tried adjusting them but can't seem to fix it, so was going to leave them be as they work just fine but... then I picked up a box of spare parts which included a white TRP aka Tektro Donny Robinson signature series caliper! Pics of both are below. Sadly the carbon fibre lever was not included but the caliper was free, so no complaints! Since I’m going to whip the Speedline off for an end-of-season clean anyway, I may as well give the DR caliper a whirl and see how it looks.

[VOIVOD]

 I ran the Gusset Boom brake  a few years back which is a generic brake identical to the Supercross and thought it was complete rubbish-the arm centering bolts are too short and the springs are wafer thin.The D R brake is better but the slots for pad adjustment are short and the arm centering bolts are made of real soft metal so go  easy with the allen keys:)

[Mikku]

Thanks James! Appreciate the heads-up on the bolts too.

[Drawn]

They are a pretty decent brake though.
Tektro seem to make some pretty solid set ups that are easy to adjust and have a good feel to them.
Had them as a set with the carbon lever, which I managed to snap over the course of a few crashes.

Ended up going with DXR brakes and lever purely because they have a great feel and the lever had a lot of leverage so it wasn't an on/off situation.
Put the old DR arms onto the boss ladies bike and they are super smooth.

Definitely do rate them, just put them with a good lever and you're all set.

[Mikku]

Thanks mate! I'm running a gold Promax lever at the moment, so will see how that looks/works with the DR caliper and take it from there.

[Mikku]

Out with the old, in with the "new"! Swapped over the brakes this afternoon. The DRs definitely have a slimmer look than the Speedlines, and of course the colour change makes a bit of difference too. Took them for a quick spin around the block to make sure they worked and they felt good, but the real test will be in tomorrow's first race of the season. Not that I get to use the brakes much anyway!

[Mikku]

Saw these pads for sale and couldn't resist them. I usually race at 2 tracks, so can run a UGP set-up at one track and the Knucklebone set-up at the other!