My new toy, custom built
Discussion
Well, I’m a die hard 26” mtb fan, I love my 26”, it does everything really well and its quick and capable in all conditions from xc to trail centre work. However, I have over the last 12 months jumped on a few 29” bikes and realised there was a whole world of benefits to be had from bigger wheels- I’m man enough I could live with the “29 ers are Gay” comments. The issue for me was there was always something that didn’t quite work for me on each bike I tried. Too long and cumbersome, too racy geometry, too long to pull a manual at speed (I don’t like the idea of smashing my way though trails), not quite enough travel etc etc. It was always a compromise on something. Also money was an issue, I didn’t have an endless pot that some people have.
I`d worked out that I wanted a 29” that was good on the flat, but could also handle a bit of fun going downhill, i`d decided I was going back to hard tail with this bike; the bigger wheels for me soaked up quite a lot at the rear and I was liking the direct power feeling from a hard tail again. I had looked at my riding last year and about 5% of my riding time was racing, the rest was having fun. On the back of that I moved pedalling efficiency and xc geometry down the priority list. The Whyte/Mondraker slack geometry trail machines were looking like what I wanted, but no 29”. I had resigned myself that what I wanted just wasn’t out there. I basically wanted the rolling of 29” wheel housed in something that felt like the handling of 26” where I could ride it like i`ve stolen it.
This is where I got the nudge from my local bike shop, Mark at overspokebikes http://www.overspoke.com .( I`ve known Mark for a few years and used him for high spec hand built wheels at really competitive prices and frame bearing replacements). He carefully listed to what I’ve tried, my bmx racing past, what I want the bike to do and what I was considering doing- he then prodded me towards a little known frame built by some brothers in the states- A Canfield Yelli Screamy. One of his personal bikes from his stable and listening to how passionate he was about this particular bike from all his others; how it makes you feel when riding it etc, I knew it was worth a careful look.
I’d got geeky with geometry in CAD for the bikes i`d tried, I overdrew the canfield in my size and it got my attention. Short, slack and wagon wheels! Reading the reviews in the states, it got me excited. Mark made some calls on frame availability and we went from there. A Black Anodised was coming over from the states, and Mark was taking some others as demo’s for the shop (blue/ Black chrome).
Mark was on hand for the specification, I had some ideas and we worked through them with marks current product knowledge. This meant I got a lot more for my money and well, I think its got some nice details such as the clutch rear mech and the xt I spec shifters on the brakes. We hit one snag in that the wheels I wanted were on a backlog from the factory (Hope evo hubs on stans arch ex). So Mark built the wheels up himself in super quick fashion and even made me sign off the run out. His attention to detail for me sets him aside from others I have used. An example is that the hope hubs that turned up were not the new 40t engagement, something I’d never notice but he called me up and worked that though (he sent them back).
Anyway the end result is below, which I think is stunning; but I have to try and put into words how good this bike is. Is climbs so well, it doesn’t feel like that front end is going to pop up, the power is instant, it rolls on the flat undulating rough stuff like any other 29”, but what sets it aside is how it descends and handles. I popped a lovely manual off a high speed bump within 5 mins, and guessed it may have been beginners luck as it felt very easy and controlled, so I repeated it again, and then again- wow this thing literally feels like a 26”. I hit a slow switchback climb, I hate these and I was thinking this is where it would show an ugly side, no such issues at all, the short wheel base made it dead easy. Then the coming down bits, I know why it got its name, I was just beaming and griming from ear to ear. It rails everything so fast and is so easy to switch direction. I loved it, it ticked all the boxes and hit my own priority list.
I can’t thank Mark enough for his help with this. If you want a real friendly passionate service, then give this man an email/call.
mark@overspoke.com
Blue demo
Black Chrome
Pictures courtesy of Mark ( http://www.overspoke.com ) and his photographer, (www.rawphoto.co.uk)
I`d worked out that I wanted a 29” that was good on the flat, but could also handle a bit of fun going downhill, i`d decided I was going back to hard tail with this bike; the bigger wheels for me soaked up quite a lot at the rear and I was liking the direct power feeling from a hard tail again. I had looked at my riding last year and about 5% of my riding time was racing, the rest was having fun. On the back of that I moved pedalling efficiency and xc geometry down the priority list. The Whyte/Mondraker slack geometry trail machines were looking like what I wanted, but no 29”. I had resigned myself that what I wanted just wasn’t out there. I basically wanted the rolling of 29” wheel housed in something that felt like the handling of 26” where I could ride it like i`ve stolen it.
This is where I got the nudge from my local bike shop, Mark at overspokebikes http://www.overspoke.com .( I`ve known Mark for a few years and used him for high spec hand built wheels at really competitive prices and frame bearing replacements). He carefully listed to what I’ve tried, my bmx racing past, what I want the bike to do and what I was considering doing- he then prodded me towards a little known frame built by some brothers in the states- A Canfield Yelli Screamy. One of his personal bikes from his stable and listening to how passionate he was about this particular bike from all his others; how it makes you feel when riding it etc, I knew it was worth a careful look.
I’d got geeky with geometry in CAD for the bikes i`d tried, I overdrew the canfield in my size and it got my attention. Short, slack and wagon wheels! Reading the reviews in the states, it got me excited. Mark made some calls on frame availability and we went from there. A Black Anodised was coming over from the states, and Mark was taking some others as demo’s for the shop (blue/ Black chrome).
Mark was on hand for the specification, I had some ideas and we worked through them with marks current product knowledge. This meant I got a lot more for my money and well, I think its got some nice details such as the clutch rear mech and the xt I spec shifters on the brakes. We hit one snag in that the wheels I wanted were on a backlog from the factory (Hope evo hubs on stans arch ex). So Mark built the wheels up himself in super quick fashion and even made me sign off the run out. His attention to detail for me sets him aside from others I have used. An example is that the hope hubs that turned up were not the new 40t engagement, something I’d never notice but he called me up and worked that though (he sent them back).
Anyway the end result is below, which I think is stunning; but I have to try and put into words how good this bike is. Is climbs so well, it doesn’t feel like that front end is going to pop up, the power is instant, it rolls on the flat undulating rough stuff like any other 29”, but what sets it aside is how it descends and handles. I popped a lovely manual off a high speed bump within 5 mins, and guessed it may have been beginners luck as it felt very easy and controlled, so I repeated it again, and then again- wow this thing literally feels like a 26”. I hit a slow switchback climb, I hate these and I was thinking this is where it would show an ugly side, no such issues at all, the short wheel base made it dead easy. Then the coming down bits, I know why it got its name, I was just beaming and griming from ear to ear. It rails everything so fast and is so easy to switch direction. I loved it, it ticked all the boxes and hit my own priority list.
I can’t thank Mark enough for his help with this. If you want a real friendly passionate service, then give this man an email/call.
mark@overspoke.com
Blue demo
Black Chrome
Pictures courtesy of Mark ( http://www.overspoke.com ) and his photographer, (www.rawphoto.co.uk)
Sorry, I think it looks awful but if you like it that's the main thing I guess.
Fair enough letting others know about good service etc but putting up pics of other colours of the same bike and numerous contact details does come across a bit " do me a deal and I'll put the word out on forums"
Fair enough letting others know about good service etc but putting up pics of other colours of the same bike and numerous contact details does come across a bit " do me a deal and I'll put the word out on forums"
duff said:
Sorry, I think it looks awful but if you like it that's the main thing I guess.
Fair enough letting others know about good service etc but putting up pics of other colours of the same bike and numerous contact details does come across a bit " do me a deal and I'll put the word out on forums"
Yes, reads more like an advert to me...Fair enough letting others know about good service etc but putting up pics of other colours of the same bike and numerous contact details does come across a bit " do me a deal and I'll put the word out on forums"
I have no link, vested interest, relationship family or otherwise with Mark. It's not an advert it's just how I feel. I took a gamble on this and it worked out.
I have had ship shoddy service from lots of other bike places and the guy is an old school gent, along with the fact I trust him to do a job better than myself. This doesnt happen to often
I think it's come out ok, girls frame like etc but I care about how it rides and it's flipping fast.
Anyway, mark's service will speak for itself. Maybe I should have toned it down a touch, but it's how I felt.
I have had ship shoddy service from lots of other bike places and the guy is an old school gent, along with the fact I trust him to do a job better than myself. This doesnt happen to often
I think it's come out ok, girls frame like etc but I care about how it rides and it's flipping fast.
Anyway, mark's service will speak for itself. Maybe I should have toned it down a touch, but it's how I felt.
I may be missing something here but it's not really a custom bike if you've just paid a bloke to buy all the bits off various shelves and bolt it together.... Custom to me is bespoke geometry. It looks ok, but I'm not sure 150mm forks on a 29er HT make sense but then we are all after different things from our bikes.
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