STA upgrades.

[Midschoolfool]

Quick update.



Fork is now painted black. I used the satin, because it's the best. Will clear coat them when I get back as I have been crippled by a very big project. Top nut needs some attention then satin, but compared to what I have been doing it all just seems so much easier :/

[Midschoolfool]

Here we go again !

So the Super Fork ended up on the Pork. So I still wanted/needed a period correct fork for the STA. I bought a Kink one, but then a NOS Ditch fork came up on the bay.



Really wanted to keep the front end chrome. Bought the parts needed to convert the fork to 1-1/8. Well, the headset at least.



Went up earlier and started work. First job press the cups in and get the fork on.



Thankfully the bolts that were missing from the fork (and partly why it was so cheap) are just regular UNF 3/8 bolts like female axles, Profile GDH cranks and so on so I have a stock of them.

The only thing left to do was to take the 14mm axle out of the wheel to send it to my friend. Who was then going to machine the ends off at the lock nuts, and drill and tap it to the 3/8.



Because I sure as fook was not cutting that fork. Axle removed and I sawed marks into it where it needed cutting off.



Then I had an idea. See, before I could start work I had to put a load of stuff away. I had stowed some crap right at the loft opening last year and pretty much forgotten about it. One of those things was this wheel I got for 30 quid.



Then I had an idea. Let's smack the guts out and see what we get. First thing I noticed was the bearing OD was smaller on the RANT wheel. Hmm.



OK so what about the bearings out of the Alex heffa wheel? how about the ID?



LMFAO. No.Way. 



Like a doggy with two dicks !



All I need now is the steerer shim.

[Midschoolfool]

BTW I found something super interesting out about the fork yesterday.

I always wondered why they were called Stupid Forks. I figured maybe just because they were pretty crazy. Nah.  Chris was taking the piss out of Hoffman Super Forks (The original 1" clamp ones).

[Midschoolfool]

Right, more done.

I didn't like the lay back. Never have tbh. Either get a longer TT, or get a bigger bike. Problem is the seat post I had for it was really long and looked stupid after I did the Pitbull direct feed mod (hole in the seat tube tapped for a barrel adjuster). It makes living with the PB much more pleasant, and it looks better too. So yeah, the seat post I had in mind was a DMR. It's literally exactly the same as a Primo Rod, yet it cost me a tenner new.

So I chopped it down.



And filed a chamfer into the end as it was before. No point painting it as I just smothered it in grease.

I then had a good look at the bike and I will be honest, don't like the Profiles. TBH I don't like Profiles. They just never did much for me, even BITD. They are a dick ache to remove, due to the stupid design, and they never changed it. All they needed to do was thread the sodding ends, you could pull them off a piece of piss.

After having a dig around I realised I had a set of NOS gen 1 Powerbites. Both the arms and spindle and bolts were all bought new old stock, and fitted to the 2hip Root Down. Problem is both arms are R. I then realised I had a set of Demolition pedals (exactly the same, but very well used and restored) and that meant I had a second R side axle. And I didn't feel bad, because I put a crap ton of work into them, only for several of the pins being stuck and pissing me off immensely. So, I had to remove the US to Euro BB, press in the cups from the 2hip (I stripped it and the FIT after getting the Pork last year) and after several hours of pissing around.......



I don't regret it at all. Looks miles better, and makes the sprocket pop much harder.

I've also brought the bars back a bit too, and brought the levers in. Literally all I am waiting on now is the bloody shim for the stem.

[Midschoolfool]

Well that was a faff. Seems the shim I bought is so you can clamp on a 1-1/8 stem to a threaded steerer. So it was a bit loose. Thankfully I found a left over seat post shim that went inside it, and she's good. Finished the brakes, fully dialled and dangerous.



And have ordered this for it.



Because it deserved something better. It now needs a serious clean, as it's rotten. Covered in grease and hand prints etc. The powder needs buffing and polishing etc. Then if the decals I ordered actually arrive ('cause after chastising me for refusing to pay for their error I have no idea if they actually sent them or not) I can fit those too. If not I will get some of my own made and take a refund, because they already cost me more than I can get a set made for.

[Midschoolfool]

Right, had an idea. I've been swapping parts around on my collection for a bit. The tyres on this are fine, they just look a bit modern. Great width, but the tread is a Total Killabee knockoff. They did ride really nice though when I rode it in 2018.

Any way, after searching for multiple hours for something decent I came up empty. Wish Primo would reproduce the Vs in anything but clown size but ho hum.

Then I remembered I have a set of Plyte paths in 1.85. They are folding kevlar though, so come up more like a 1.95. Perfect.



I also got all of the white shit off them too. For the Kink I have a new front wheel (that oval rant one, needs an axle) and I will put my F-IT traction advantage on there. They are 2.3s, so much more in keeping with a modern ride.


Salted.

[Midschoolfool]

OK so after a bit of a run in with Standard (twunts) I apparently got the decals I bought today.



Now the astute among you will have noticed they are not the correct decals for the year. Well spotted. This is because for an actual STA set for my year model (a 2001) they want FIFTY DOLLARS. For some stickers. And not just fifty dollars, oh no, they want an additional FORTY DOLLARS to send them.

This is why this STA has had no friggin decals on it for three years. Because I ain't paying no ninety dollars for some feggin stickers. They can naff off. Now recently I thought they may have relented, because those above were sold to me with $7.50 to ship them. So, I finally ordered those for $35 IIRC, plus the shipping. Which is still too much but there you go. They are the slightly earlier ones, which I am fine with, because they tie into the year I had (a 97, IIRC, may have been a 96).

So I was pretty stoked. Got up the next day and I got an email from someone at Standard (I won't name names) telling me I needed to pay another $10. I won't lie, on that specific day I had $0 to my name. I paid all I had into a donation for the hospice that cared for my uncle, and I live week to week. Plus TBH? that was the reason why I hadn't bought them before. I just said look, if you haven't sent them don't, just give me a refund and I will get some made. This person then started laying on the threats about how I don't have permission.

And so I replied, saying that in the 90s I bought every possible Standard part there was to buy for my STA. And thus, without people like me they wouldn't still be here. At which point I blocked emails from them, as I wasn't very happy.

So yeah, they arrived apparently. But I didn't get any shipping info or tracking /roll eyes. I guess I didn't pay enough huh? I think the worst thing "they" said to me was "It costs us at least $20 for the shipping". ORLY? so then why the fook do you charge $40? oh, that is because you are screwing over the people who bought your shit X2, and making bank out of that too. I dunno man, yanks. So friggin greedy.

The seat has also dispatched, as well as the bolts for the pegs. And so, with a lot of cleaning and buffing I think the next time I see the bike it could actually be finished. After six years. Crazy.

[Midschoolfool]

Orsum. Tomorrow we wrench.

[Midschoolfool]

Well it's been too cold. I did get up there about an hour back, but I didn't last long. No way am I spraying cleaner around and getting my hands wet, nor risking the decals in the cold. I just don't think they will stick properly.





She's close though.

[Midschoolfool]

Finished.



Will be a video as soon as it effing warms up enough to go back up there. Christ it's cold !

[Mikku]

Love the changes you've made to this but man, what a ball-ache over those stickers!! Thanks for representing our brand! Yeah, right!!

[Midschoolfool]

They're just greedy dicks dude. Like nearly all BMX companies. It was never about the riders, well, apart from milking them.

I am hoping to put a set behind the bikes in the loft soon so I can do the new format on filming. If so, this one will be next.