# Sticky  I Beg You, More MONSTERCROSS



## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

I have dug through all the old monstercross threads and am lusting for more info. I want anything you've got monstercross (less than 2.0 tires and drop bars) related. 

Favorite monstercross gear would be great. Photos and ride reports would be even better. Show me your rigs, tell me your tales, give me something to read while I should be working. 

I'll seriously take whatever you've got on the subject, and if you own one of these beasts and live near Nashville, I'd love to hit you up for a test ride. :thumbsup:


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

It'll never be enough monstercross. I'll post some photos from my collection when I'm feeling less lazy. I have an *embarrassingly* large number of saved photos of drop barred 29er/cross bikes.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Did you run across my old pics? Here are some in case you didn't:


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

More:


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

Nat, you are my HERO!!!!!! 

Is that at dt swiss 240 single speed hub with some gears on it. I posted about a week ago about wanting to run that on a Surly Cross Check. You have just about the exact bike I want. 

Let's see, I want the same:
Frame
Fork
Bars
Brake Levers
Hubs

But I do want some bonty 1.8s for some more cush (coming from front suspension). And about that rear hub, I wanted to run a disc brake version so I could affix a fixie cog for a rear wheel that could serve fixie, single speed, and geared versions. What do you think, as I see you've done at least two of the three combos. 

Oh, and do you live close enough for me to test ride that rig? Wishful thinking I guess.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Sleeveless said:


> Nat, you are my HERO!!!!!!
> 
> Is that at dt swiss 240 single speed hub with some gears on it. I posted about a week ago about wanting to run that on a Surly Cross Check. You have just about the exact bike I want.
> 
> ...


Rock out with your c0ck out! I heart this bike. That is a DT ss hub with a 5 cog cluster. I ran it SS a bit this summer but eventually switched it back to the 10 speed setup. Mostly I like using the old school down tube shifters on friction mode. It's geared 32-36 up front and 12-14-16-18-20 in the back.

I also have a set of fatter tires (Mythos CX I think) that were nice but the problem there was the front cantis couldn't open wide enough to remove the front wheel. I had to deflate/inflate the tire every time I wanted to take the wheel off, and that got to be too much of a nuisance.

I don't ride fixed , so I can't comment on that configuration.

We live a long way from one another but if you were here I'd let you ride it. I bet you won't be disappointed when you build yours up similarly.

Edit: The Mythos CX tires are what's shown in the above pics. Note the front tire width and how the cantis won't open widely enough. I now have skinnier-yet-cushioney WTB All Terrainosaurus tires on it. 700c x 35 maybe?


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

Is 5 cogs the limit you think?


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Sleeveless said:


> Is 5 cogs the limit you think?


If I remember right, 5 cogs took up the entire freehub width. I combined a triplet of cogs from a 9-speed cassette and a doublet from an 8-speed cassette (or was it vice-versa?).

Sorry my answers are so vague. I built this bike up last winter and I've forgotten the details since I don't really dwell on equipment once I get a bike set up. I can go look at any specific detail you'd like but not now...it's night time...and the garage is dark and cold...and I'm getting sleepy.

I had a mountain rack with pannier for a bit. I forgot why I took the rack off, but it was pretty great.

I know I really like riding it. My wife also likes riding it too. She probably uses it more than I do in commuting to her work.


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

number one: your description above the avatar seems to be a little misleading considering this past post

number two: thanks for the quick answers so far and i look forward to talking to you more about it. i have some questions about sizing and the fact that you aren't running a "super riser" stem.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Sleeveless said:


> number one: your description above the avatar seems to be a little misleading considering this past post
> 
> number two: thanks for the quick answers so far and i look forward to talking to you more about it. i have some questions about sizing and the fact that you aren't running a "super riser" stem.


What, "29 and single?" I just use that because every once in awhile I catch someone who actually thinks I'm 29 years old and am looking for a date. I ride other bikes including 26ers, road bikes, and gearies (oh the horror!). I know. I know.

Right now I can't even recall which size frame it is. I found that stem at JensonUSA (or was it Cambriabike?). Could I be more useless? Jeez!


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## AllRounder (Feb 26, 2004)

Sleeveless said:


> Is 5 cogs the limit you think?


I recently asked the helpful guys at Speedgoat this question. This was the response:

The hub has a 15mm wide freehub body on it. DT Swiss said that dependent upon 
what cogs and spacers are used you can fit between 4 and 5 cogs.

Thanks!
Speedgoat Tech


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## Go Kart Motzart (Jan 2, 2004)

Nat, that's a really cool bike.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Go Kart Motzart said:


> Nat, that's a really cool bike.


Hey thanks. Did you guys note the tennis racquet grip?


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

Nat - what size is that? Lots of headset spacers, but perhaps that is a fact of life with the Surly Crosscheck sizing options.


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## Swami Scott (Jan 25, 2004)

Nat said:


> Hey thanks. Did you guys note the tennis racquet grip?


I did ! I was just getting ready to ask. Do you have to buy 2 grips worth? Any harder to wrap or finish?


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## ncj01 (Jan 13, 2004)

Sleeveless said:


> I ...... am lusting for more info. I want anything you've got monstercross (less than 2.0 tires and drop bars) related.
> 
> I'll seriously take whatever you've got on the subject,


Well, this is 2.0 size tire, not <2.0, but it's as good an opportunity as any to _fly Old Glory_.

Giddy up.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

MMcG said:


> Nat - what size is that? Lots of headset spacers, but perhaps that is a fact of life with the Surly Crosscheck sizing options.


I can't recall. I'll try to look it up later today. I seem to like my bars higher than most so I needed more spacers. The final version has a higher rise stem and fewer spacers than what you see in these pics.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Swami Scott said:


> I did ! I was just getting ready to ask. Do you have to buy 2 grips worth? Any harder to wrap or finish?


Two grips worth just barely fits if I stretch it. I ended up using four grips worth and transitioned beneath the hoods.

I found it about the same as bike tape to put on.


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## Nater (Jan 6, 2004)

Check out the Lalonde brother's blogs...they both just got their custom monstercross bikes from Bob Brown Bicycles.

www.creepyfriendly.typepad.com
killthedarkness.typepad.com


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## tamjam (Jan 23, 2004)

Nat said:


> Hey thanks. Did you guys note the tennis racquet grip?


Seriously? I like that.

That is a nice looking CC Nat.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

tamjam said:


> Seriously? I like that.
> 
> That is a nice looking CC Nat.


Thanks. Tennis grip feels _way_ better than bike tape, and it's designed for people with sweaty hands. Mine aren't so sweaty but the tape gets tackier when damp.


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## tamjam (Jan 23, 2004)

Nat said:


> Thanks. Tennis grip feels _way_ better than bike tape, and it's designed for people with sweaty hands. Mine aren't so sweaty but the tape gets tackier when damp.


Not to dwell too long on the subject of your grips, but what brand is that? I am looking for similar in red for my commuter build.


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## Padre (Jan 6, 2004)

So has there ever been a monster cross built without a 45 degree stem and 40mm of spacers? Meaning...who's built a custom monstercross eliminating the need for the spacer/stem to gain all the reach?


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## Nater (Jan 6, 2004)

Padre said:


> So has there ever been a monster cross built without a 45 degree stem and 40mm of spacers? Meaning...who's built a custom monstercross eliminating the need for the spacer/stem to gain all the reach?


See the links that I posted above...you have to scroll down through the blog postings, but there are pictures of the bikes. The Lalondes are fairly normal height though so they don't need the bars very high (compared to you at least Padre).


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## cartographer (Jun 20, 2006)

Here's my Monster-X coming from the other direction. It's a stock Trek 520 touring bike with the fattest tires I could stuff into the fork.




























I've posted the images before, so I'll take a moment to review the tires. These are Ritchey SpeedMax (iirc) 700x40c tires on the fat touring rims the bike came with.

They are incredibly quiet and smooth on pavement. I notice the extra weight a bit vs. road tires, and the top speed is somewhat slower. The edge knobs don't inspire the same confidence in turns that my road tires do, so I tend to turn more deliberately when leaning the bike.

These have been very tough on the trails so far. The first time out I tried airing them down too much and, after snakebiting a couple tubes, road 3 miles back w/o any air in the rear. The tire didn't look worn at all and has held up since. I've had them on some quite rocky and occasionally sharp trails, and they don't show any significant wear yet.

Some rocks (but smooth ones here):









There are limits to the dirt traction, but they are surprisingly high, even with 65lbs of pressure. I've only been in hardpack, some loose over hardpack, gravel and some rocky bits; I can't comment on the wet/mud aspects of the tire, though.

All in all, I've been surprised with their capability on both trail and road.


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## unotache (Oct 29, 2004)

*bastardcross*



Sleeveless said:


> I want anything you've got monstercross (less than 2.0 tires and drop bars) related.


Sorry for the crummy garage pic's. Mine fits 700x44 Mutano's...


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

Go here:
http://lacemine29.blogspot.com/

Scroll down a bit to "Sparkly and Shiny". More updates comin' soon.

MC


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## AteMrYeats (Oct 26, 2004)

My Retrotec, built for Nanos. Maybe I'll try a narrower tire with more aggressive tread in the winter.


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## ~martini~ (Dec 20, 2003)

Yet another CX bike with as big a tire as I can cram in there experiment. Clearly, the fork has more than enough clearance for a Conti Vapor 1.9. The rear will barely, and I mean barely, fit a Ritchey Zed 42c. Still rolls though. A 40c Speedmax would fit for sure. I'll have to get one of them for the rear. Admitedly, the bike rarely sees this set up though. I've got a route planned where bigger tires like this would certainly help. Something Guitar Ted would be interested in(you listening??) participating in. I think Donkey has or had a Kelly set up exactly like this too, but his was that cooool Toothpaste color.


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

So we've got this Trek 700 Multitrack in the garage hooked up to a trainer right now. It is my girlfriend's bike. It features 700c wheels and a entry level SRAM Drivetrain, one of those adjustable stems and some "cruiser" like bars. There is plenty o room for wider tires with more aggressive tread. I was thinking of a stem replacement and some Midge or Space Bars or maybe Inverted Mary's to breathe a little life into it. Worth it or not?


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## NEPMTBA (Apr 7, 2007)

Nat said:


> Rock out with your c0ck out! I heart this bike. That is a DT ss hub with a 5 cog cluster. I ran it SS a bit this summer but eventually switched it back to the 10 speed setup. Mostly I like using the old school down tube shifters on friction mode. It's geared 32-36 up front and 12-14-16-18-20 in the back.
> 
> I also have a set of fatter tires (Mythos CX I think) that were nice but the problem there was the front cantis couldn't open wide enough to remove the front wheel. I had to deflate/inflate the tire every time I wanted to take the wheel off, and that got to be too much of a nuisance.
> 
> ...


 Nat:

That first line has me crack'in up That has to go on a T Shirt somewhere...LOL!


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

here's a few from the archive, these don't belong to me, sorry if posting these here offends the owners.


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

a few more. the gray one is mine.


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## jtill (Aug 6, 2007)

*trek 520 offroadies unite!*



cartographer said:


> Here's my Monster-X coming from the other direction. It's a stock Trek 520 touring bike with the fattest tires I could stuff into the fork.
> 
> I've posted the images before, so I'll take a moment to review the tires. These are Ritchey SpeedMax (iirc) 700x40c tires on the fat touring rims the bike came with.
> 
> ...


(fairly new poster)

Rock on! my current steed (for just about everything) is also a trek 520 (maybe even the same year- 2002?), but I stripped out all the gears and run it fixed/single with an ENO eccentric. Also, midge bars with a crazy riser/stem set up. When i'm feeling offroady i shove 700x40 WTB Allterrainasauraus's in there, but i've also been surprised with the amount of stuff you can do with 700x28 slicks.

picture one is me trackstanding with the fat tires, from denali np in alaska. I rode the gravel road into our campsite instead of paying the outrageous fare for the bus:

picture two is with slicks, but it gives you an idea of the setup (also from alaska):

sometime soon i'll buy a casseroll to take over the fixed/ss duties and return the trek to its geared state. If i stick with midge-type drop bars i'll get a hunter custom stem hold them properly.


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

one last image, Rudi Nadler at one with his bike.


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## tamjam (Jan 23, 2004)

Man, you guys are making me wish I had never sold my old Voodoo, which ironically, is the bike that got me into 29ers. I loved the speed with which it allowed me to climb, but it was too harsh when the trail got rough. I stuffed the fattest tire I could in (44c) and still wanted more. Sold it to fund my first 29er frame. Would love to have it back. It would definitely have a steeper stem and Midge bars on it by now.


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

*A few*

Three of Ye Olde Willits...

Gone for a few years and only recently replaced.

MC


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## cartographer (Jun 20, 2006)

jtill said:


> (fairly new poster)
> 
> Rock on! my current steed (for just about everything) is also a trek 520 (maybe even the same year- 2002?), but I stripped out all the gears and run it fixed/single with an ENO eccentric. Also, midge bars with a crazy riser/stem set up. When i'm feeling offroady i shove 700x40 WTB Allterrainasauraus's in there, but i've also been surprised with the amount of stuff you can do with 700x28 slicks.
> --snip--
> ...


Mine is actually a 2000, but it's not like they changed anything in the past couple decades  Some year, I might actually take it touring, but up till now it's been a road/dirt/kid-trailer-towing machine. I think it would be great for the Denali road; the fork does a great job handling that kind of surface.

I'm seriously considering changing out the bars, as it can get rough hanging on with vertical drops. Something like the new WTB dirt drops might give me just enough flare for comfort without killing my road-riding.

Happy riding in the frozen north!


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## mtnfiend (Feb 26, 2004)

This thread ROCKS!!!!!! Keep 'um comin'...

Question for you monstercorss folks, how is it trying to bunny hot stuff with drops? I bunny hot stuff all the time on my road bike (because that's how MTBers do it on the road) but always from the hoods. Riding drops with a MTB one rides in the drops and not the hoods.


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## hokeypokey3 (Sep 27, 2004)

I thought I would join too! Niner MCR w/ midges. Only have about 10 rides on this with minor fit tinkering with stem and stack height every couple of rides. I believe the fit is right on for my intended use and terrain. Very fun to ride!
After the sb8's wear out I plan on going to a smaller tire. CX or smaller XC with some cornering tread. Something in the 42-48mm range. I will keep lurking on the forums to help choose.
Tim


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

hokeypokey3 said:


> I thought I would join too! Niner MCR w/ midges. Only have about 10 rides on this with minor fit tinkering with stem and stack height every couple of rides. I believe the fit is right on for my intended use and terrain. Very fun to ride!
> After the sb8's wear out I plan on going to a smaller tire. CX or smaller XC with some cornering tread. Something in the 42-48mm range. I will keep lurking on the forums to help choose.
> Tim


Hokeypokey, I am planning on running the Bonty 1.8's (already bought though I don't even have the frame yet) on my Cross Check. They are a sweet tire and apparently the limit of what the CC will take. Right in the middle of your range (45c) so you might want to check them out. I've heard a lot of good things.


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## Gambler (Jul 21, 2005)

Here's my old piss off that's no longer with me and a really sweet Hunter that I came across on mtbr.


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## Pottser (Jan 30, 2004)

This my geared WIllits I got last summer.


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## jh_on_the_cape (Jan 12, 2004)

Nat said:


> Rock out with your c0ck out! I heart this bike.


:thumbsup:


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## ~martini~ (Dec 20, 2003)

ohhh, that Hunter IS to die for! I've got a sweet spot in my heart for Hunters. Just love the way Rick puts a bike together. I'll have to get me another one here sometime.


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## logbiter (Dec 30, 2003)

my rattlecan sprayed '91 750 multitrack... I need to get pics with the offroad worthy wheelset and mythos cx's still... this pic is her in commuter guise. MMcG, you should be able to fit 45's no problem, I'm not sure if there's more room in the tig'd versions of these, but depending on the size of the meat... Shiggy says 45 firecross's fit in his.
spec: nitto stem, midges w/ ultegra shifters & old xt rear der, avid & diacomp canti's.


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## tamjam (Jan 23, 2004)

~martini~ said:


> ohhh, that Hunter IS to die for! I've got a sweet spot in my heart for Hunters. Just love the way Rick puts a bike together. I'll have to get me another one here sometime.


You and me both Marty. I have actually been talking to Rick about a very similar type of bike the past couple weeks. I called it a Monster Cross/Touring/Commuter road bike when I first started the discussion. Compact geometry frame...matching Hunter straight blade unicrown fork & stem...clearance for 44c tires...disc brakes...rack mounts and fender eyelets...132.5mm rear spacing...semi-horizontal Campy drops so it can be SS or geared. Unfortunately I think I need to hold off until the Spring to order, or at least until I find out what the year-end bonus will look like...


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

*You Piss Off*



Gambler said:


> Here's my old piss off that's no longer with me and a really sweet Hunter that I came across on mtbr.


Can't believe you sold the Piss Off, I was gonna vote for that as the nicest bike in the thread.  What's your stable look like now?


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## mvi (Jan 15, 2004)

Even though I love all the bikes, and an in the process of turning my Ti cruiser frame into a M'cross type bike, I have my doubts about 35-44 mm wide tires in real world use.
A cross tire is not faster on the road than a smooth- high quality 50 mm tire , and off road inferior to the larger tires.
Kind of no mans land. I haven't found a light, tubular like -high quality tire with a small diameter, anybody did?


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## lanpope (Jan 6, 2004)

Mine:










It now has Bonty 1.8's on it.

I live in Chattanooga. If you are down this way somtime, I'd be happy to let you ride it. It is a big bike.

LP


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

tamjam said:


> Not to dwell too long on the subject of your grips, but what brand is that? I am looking for similar in red for my commuter build.


It's Gamma tape.

http://www.atssports.com/tennis-equipment.cfm?secondary=24


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

mvi said:


> Even though I love all the bikes, and an in the process of turning my Ti cruiser frame into a M'cross type bike, I have my doubts about 35-44 mm wide tires in real world use.
> A cross tire is not faster on the road than a smooth- high quality 50 mm tire , and off road inferior to the larger tires.
> Kind of no mans land. I haven't found a light, tubular like -high quality tire with a small diameter, anybody did?


Where this bike excels is on long, rambling, road and dirt road treks. There are miles of old stagecoach roads and logging roads out in the country here, and you can link them together with paved roads.


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## fiddlr40 (Aug 2, 2007)

Here's mine, fresh among the fall oaks of Mt. Diablo


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## el-cid (May 21, 2004)

ncj01 said:


> Well, this is 2.0 size tire, not <2.0, but it's as good an opportunity as any to _fly Old Glory_.
> 
> Giddy up.


That's still one of my favorite bikes of all time. It's the one that really got my 29er fire lit, I'll never tire of seeing pics of it.


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## Higbee (Jan 13, 2004)

OK, I'll play. Here is my Vulture Monster crosser or drop bar 29er depending on how you look at it. Built last year purpsoley for flared drops by the man who coined the "monster cross" phrase. Fixed sometimes but shown is freewheel mode. This is the best handling and most vesitile bike I have owned. If I could only have one bike this would be it. AteMrYeats I like your style. How are the ENO cranks holding up to fixie use? I am looking at getting some soon.


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

ink1373 said:


> a few more. the gray one is mine.


That Vanilla is too pretty. Too bad I'd have to wait a couple of years to get one even if I could afford it. Apparently leather saddles and singlespeeds are the way to go with Monstercross.


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## Singular (Sep 21, 2005)

OK, so here are a few of mine...

This is my current regular mtb ride - a prototype Gryphon - this shown with bigger tyres but no-one else seems to be sticking to that stipulation...










This is a prototype Peregrine, now riding this with Midges and a 1x9 setup - going nicely. This is probably the frame most accurately described 'monster cross' , the Gryphon is really a drop bar MTB...










This is my original Swift build with drops.

[









And for a few customer pics with crossish builds...

Frank in the Netherlands










Eric in France










Mick in Yorkshire










Lots of lovely bikes on this thread, will be saving a few pics...

Sam


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

This is my mostest funnest bike at the moment. It's nice and dirty right now. Little something I created.


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

*Singular*

Singular, I update my vote for the most beautiful bikes of the thread. The classic panel paint schemes are my favorite. Nice photographer.

Do you do custom builds, and if so will I be able to afford it with the current exchange rate? I'm thinking about something similar to a Cross Check but with some more clearance, S&S couplers, and paragon dropouts.

Thanks again for posting.


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

Bump, anyone else got anything?


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## skidmark (Mar 9, 2004)

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1QbM27Nm2YubA

Here's some photos from a two day ride I did this spring on the fixed gear Spot monster crosser. 210 miles in two days, no coasting!


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## Chequama Mama (Jan 15, 2004)

Nat said:


> I also have a set of fatter tires (Mythos CX I think) that were nice but the problem there was the front cantis couldn't open wide enough to remove the front wheel. I had to deflate/inflate the tire every time I wanted to take the wheel off, and that got to be too much of a nuisance.


Nat, a really simple solution for this problem is to get a cable hanger with a slot in it, or whip out your hacksaw, dremel, whatever floats your boat and cut a slot in your existing one. I'm running bonty XR 1.8s (45c) on a cross check with no problems with this set up.
YO MAMA


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## mtnfiend (Feb 26, 2004)

skidmark said:


> http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1QbM27Nm2YubA
> 
> Here's some photos from a two day ride I did this spring on the fixed gear Spot monster crosser. 210 miles in two days, no coasting!


Dude you are my hero. That is a rad lightweight touring set up. Were you camping or staying in hotels? I don't see a sleeping pad or poles for a tent. Did you bivy? Who makes that little rack connected to your braze ons?


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

Has anyone tried out Schwalbe Marathon XRs for long, mixed surface rides? It looks like they should handle gravel well, and dirt as long as its dry and hardish.










700x42 and 29x2.0 shown. Rivendell shows actual widths at 37.6mm and 47.9mm. Not sure what rim.


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## skidmark (Mar 9, 2004)

mtnfiend said:


> Dude you are my hero. That is a rad lightweight touring set up. Were you camping or staying in hotels? I don't see a sleeping pad or poles for a tent. Did you bivy? Who makes that little rack connected to your braze ons?


Well, I had a sleeping pad at the start of the ride, but it decided to part ways with me, so I just scraped some leaves together for a makeshift mattress under the bivy sack. No rear rack, just a couple of supports from an old rack meant to keep the missing pad from moving around too much. The rear under seat bag is made by Carousel Designs. Good stuff, used by some of the folks doing the GDR this year.


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## lil hillbilly (May 18, 2005)

*mini monster*

mostley a commuter but she wears 38s during cyclecross season. using a ENO hub that lets the rear tire fit. New wheel set is still commin. :thumbsup: oh and she is fixed ( Boone 18t disc mount cog).

Kona Paddy Wagon w/ Project II fork


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## Singular (Sep 21, 2005)

Sleeveless, thanks for your kind comments. 

Our frames are production models (the Peregrine, the red one, would be closest to what you are after will be out early in the new year) and as such I can't offer the sort of customisation you are after. Post-fitting S&S couplers is possible from many builders of course, and I could provide decals if that's what you were after. Being able to get you a frame depends on where you are based though, unfortunately at present I can't sell to North America for insurance reasons....

Regards,

Sam


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## D_Man (Jan 7, 2004)

Blacksheep Monstercrosser. It's built to fit up to a 29x2.1, but I have yet to ride it with anything bigger than the 700x40s in this pic.


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## Singular (Sep 21, 2005)

D_Man said:


> Blacksheep Monstercrosser. It's built to fit up to a 29x2.1, but I have yet to ride it with anything bigger than the 700x40s in this pic.


Very nice. I've just got hold of a rohloff myself and had resigned myself to using a flat-ish bar with them. How do you find the practicality of shifting from the drops with your setup, and the remaining space on the drops - does it affect hand position?

Sam


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## D_Man (Jan 7, 2004)

Singular said:


> Very nice. I've just got hold of a rohloff myself and had resigned myself to using a flat-ish bar with them. How do you find the practicality of shifting from the drops with your setup, and the remaining space on the drops - does it affect hand position?
> 
> Sam


Since that pic was taken, I've turned the shifter around on the Hubub adapter so you could ride with the heel of your hand on the shifter if you wanted and shift that much quicker (if you really wanted to make it easy, you could cut down the bar on one side so that with the hubub adapter inserted it would be no longer than the other side). But overall, I don't find it affects usable hand positions at all. In fact, I'd say it causes less interference than barcons because you don't have a cable running under the bar tape. Now, I can imagine more elegant solutions to shifting a Rohloff with drops (something along these lines, for example), but so far nothing exists on the market. Thorn in the UK also makes a drop bar that splits apart and is sized to allow placement of a twist shifter on the tops, but I've never tried one or seen it in person.


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## tamjam (Jan 23, 2004)

fiddlr40 said:


> Here's mine, fresh among the fall oaks of Mt. Diablo


Hmmmm...orange Quickbeam...very nice. Looks much nicer than the green, IMO.


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## artymus (Jun 30, 2005)

thats my hunter up there, here are a few more pictures
http://flickr.com/photos/obitarbit/sets/72157602359586604/


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## 2xPneu (Jan 26, 2004)

D_Man said:


> Now, I can imagine more elegant solutions to shifting a Rohloff with drops (something along these lines, for example), but so far nothing exists on the market.


D-man, try this.

https://www.mittelmeyer.de/html/rennlenker.htm

Great piece of gear which works well, but not as quick to shift as the setup you've got now as you've got to reach up to use it. Like you, I'm running that reversed Rohloff shifter on a cut-down Midge with a HubBub adapter on my BS fat tire rig, but I like the Mittelmeyer on the monstercross Chester a lot.

I've since ditched the duct tape and wrapped it with Rivendell-inspired shellacked hemp twine for a better grip.

BTW, the photo's my entry for the monstercross thread. Also BTW, ink1373, I'm using Schwalbe Marathon Cross, 38mm, they grip pretty well and roll really fast. I used them on Quantico singletrack when I was up there last week and they gripped OK, but wouldn't be my first choice for the woods. Too skinny and too hard, even at 40psi. The Fire Cross 45s are way better. But on the dirt and gravel roads I ride most of the time nere in NC, the Schwalbes are da bomb. Very fast, very tough, very puncture resistant, and very heavy. Like 670g. I don't care about the weight anymore, I just like stuff that lasts.


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## merk (Jan 12, 2004)

*My homebuilt M Cross*



Padre said:


> So has there ever been a monster cross built without a 45 degree stem and 40mm of spacers? Meaning...who's built a custom monstercross eliminating the need for the spacer/stem to gain all the reach?


Yep

No spacers needed

Stem is angled at 17°

Fork w:thumbsup: ill be comming soon


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

*Hmmm*



Chequama Mama said:


> Nat, a really simple solution for this problem is to get a cable hanger with a slot in it, or whip out your hacksaw, dremel, whatever floats your boat and cut a slot in your existing one. I'm running bonty XR 1.8s (45c) on a cross check with no problems with this set up.
> YO MAMA


Could you explain this setup a bit more. Maybe some pics?


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Chequama Mama said:


> Nat, a really simple solution for this problem is to get a cable hanger with a slot in it, or whip out your hacksaw, dremel, whatever floats your boat and cut a slot in your existing one. I'm running bonty XR 1.8s (45c) on a cross check with no problems with this set up.
> YO MAMA


Thanks for your suggestion. I can't quite picture what you are describing, but I wouldn't mind seeing it like Sleeveless asked.

On my bike the issue was that the brake pads ran into the fork legs, and the thickness of the pads prevented the tire from squeezing through. The cable was not involved. I eventually bought narrow pads to give more room, but I also had skinnier tires by then so I don't know if the bigger tires will now squeeze through.


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## 2melow (Jan 5, 2004)

I get a lot of customers bike builds emailed to me, but this one is pretty unique. Here is what a Monstercrosser belonging to pro tour rider Dave Zabriskie looks like. Dave is a 2005 TDF yellow jersey wearer and holds the fastest prologue time trial time in the history of Tour de France. It's got a Dura Ace triple crankset and drop bars.


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## ~martini~ (Dec 20, 2003)

How's that for a feather in the cap for Niner? A Yellow jersey wearer riding one of thier rigs. Sweet!


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## Hjalti (Jan 22, 2004)

tamjam said:


> Hmmmm...orange Quickbeam...very nice. Looks much nicer than the green, IMO.


Punk, who asked ya?  I miss my green baby.









I like her replacement though.


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## dRjOn (Feb 18, 2004)

how precisely did a dura ace crank fit a aluminium frame? nice!


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

2melow said:


> I get a lot of customers bike builds emailed to me, but this one is pretty unique. Here is what a Monstercrosser belonging to pro tour rider Dave Zabriskie looks like. Dave is a 2005 TDF yellow jersey wearer and holds the fastest prologue time trial time in the history of Tour de France. It's got a Dura Ace triple crankset and drop bars.


Though definitely a unique bike with some sweet components, that's not a monstercrosser in my book. The only thing that fits is the drop bars, and the suspension fork definitely disqualifies it.

I guess for someone who spends 6 hours a day on drops, they work on what would otherwise be a full fledged mountain bike.

The DA crankset is definitely interesting, that man's got some legs.


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## jh_on_the_cape (Jan 12, 2004)

2melow said:


> I get a lot of customers bike builds emailed to me, but this one is pretty unique. Here is what a Monstercrosser belonging to pro tour rider Dave Zabriskie looks like. Dave is a 2005 TDF yellow jersey wearer and holds the fastest prologue time trial time in the history of Tour de France. It's got a Dura Ace triple crankset and drop bars.


meh, they sell those yellow jerseys at the LBS... just kidding!

i bet he hauls a$$ on that thing. send him a niner rigid fork.


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## [email protected] (Feb 24, 2007)

Yeah - I like the bigger tires on my personal cross bikes. I'm able to mount fat tires on my BLUE XC6.5 - the frame and fork have tons of tire clearance. I've got 42c tires on it at the moment with room to spare. Here's a link to a pic that's on our site...

http://www.webcyclery.com/product.php?productid=18136&cat=0&page=1


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## dtheo (Sep 18, 2005)

*my monster*

I have a multi purpose Monster Monkey Crosser (MPMMC or just MM for short). You can see a picture of it in your imagination. My fav gear is the Midges, a lot of HS spacers, a right STI lever and now a recently added Bonty 1.8. I was quite happy how it went on the rough trails. I think it will be even more at home on less technical trails which are becoming more of the norm around here. Tried some 35-37c cross tires but the ride and handling is just too harsh for me.
I used to live in Nashville - great town. How's the trail riding down there?

DT



Sleeveless said:


> I have dug through all the old monstercross threads and am lusting for more info. I want anything you've got monstercross (less than 2.0 tires and drop bars) related.
> 
> Favorite monstercross gear would be great. Photos and ride reports would be even better. Show me your rigs, tell me your tales, give me something to read while I should be working.
> 
> I'll seriously take whatever you've got on the subject, and if you own one of these beasts and live near Nashville, I'd love to hit you up for a test ride. :thumbsup:


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## bikeny (Feb 26, 2004)

*Airborne Carpe Diem Monstercross*

Here is a crappy picture of my Airborne monster crosser from a ride last winter. Very fun bike for exploring trails and dirt roads around Vermont. XR 1.8 in front and a Ritchey ZED 700x42 in the back. I had to do a little 'cold working' to get the rear tire to fit the chainstays, and it still rubs a little, but I reall like the Ritchey tire! Steelman fork in front fits the Bonty no problem.


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## TwistedCrank (Aug 6, 2004)

Holy carp. After scanning this thread I'm going to have to go take a cold shower.


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## mvi (Jan 15, 2004)

If Zabriskie would put a thudbustr on that bike it would give the ultimate long ride comfort. That is a Monster bike in my book.
I bet that is a 26" Fox with a 700 wheel.
I have seen pro road training bikes with front shocks in Europe for motor pacing on cobbled streets. Cool!


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## AllRounder (Feb 26, 2004)

Okay, this is not a true Monster, but I ride it like one!

This is my 1x9 Hampsten SBti, still wearing the summer tires (32mm Paselas). This winter it will get an ENO fixed gear hub in the rear and a Willits WOW fork up front, with disc brake so I can run some bigger CX tires. Now the biggest I can run are the Michelin Jets. I'll post an update after the conversion.

- AR


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## undead (Nov 9, 2004)

*allrounder-*

interesting bike - 
what RD are you running and what's the largest cog on the cassette? Also, friction shifter? Are you running the shifter cable from the left side of the cockpit and crossing it under the BB shell to the RD? If so, why? If not, how?


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## Boe (May 6, 2005)

Peugeot Montercross

















Surly Cross Check


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## undead (Nov 9, 2004)

*!*

Who is riding that Peugeot without brakes? I'm thick in the head but I don't think I'd go off road (or anywhere really) without brakes...


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## Schmucker (Aug 23, 2007)

undead said:


> Who is riding that Peugeot without brakes? I'm thick in the head but I don't think I'd go off road (or anywhere really) without brakes...


He's got two brakes on it. His left leg and his right.


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## AllRounder (Feb 26, 2004)

undead said:


> interesting bike -
> what RD are you running and what's the largest cog on the cassette? Also, friction shifter? Are you running the shifter cable from the left side of the cockpit and crossing it under the BB shell to the RD? If so, why? If not, how?


Good eye on that cable routing! Yes, I run a single barcon on the right, crossing over to the left braze on, and then crossing once again under the down tube to the BB shell. I do this because the tension of the cable housing keeps it from rubbing the head tube. Here is another photo. And I am running a Dura Ace rear mech and a 12-27 cassette. I have run as big as 12-32 with this rear derailleur.

- AR


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## tamjam (Jan 23, 2004)

Hjalti said:


> I like her replacement though.


That thing is enormous! Any idea when the Riv guys will be making more of them?


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

mvi said:


> If Zabriskie would put a thudbustr on that bike it would give the ultimate long ride comfort. That is a Monster bike in my book.
> I bet that is a 26" Fox with a 700 wheel.
> I have seen pro road training bikes with front shocks in Europe for motor pacing on cobbled streets. Cool!


Oh, it's definitely a monster, just not a monstercross. :thumbsup: I'm curious as to the weight of such a setup.


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## ShivaSteve (Jan 15, 2004)

Schmucker said:


> He's got two brakes on it. His left leg and his right.


Until he throws the chain (speaking from experience)


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## empty_set (Nov 1, 2006)

Boe said:


> Peugeot Montercross
> 
> Surly Cross Check


What size tire are you running on that Cross Check?


----------



## Boe (May 6, 2005)

ShivaSteve said:


> Until he throws the chain (speaking from experience)


Then you have to go balls out, or flintstone a brake.

Im running 44 WTB Mutanos on the monsters.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

*Hmmm*



Boe said:


> Then you have to go balls out, or flintstone a brake.
> 
> Im running 44 WTB Mutanos on the monsters.


Brakes or no brakes... I'm curious as to what model of old Puegeot that is. Where I live they're everywhere. I love that bike!


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## jace (Sep 5, 2004)

1 Speed said:


> Brakes or no brakes... I'm curious as to what model of old Puegeot that is. Where I live they're everywhere. I love that bike!


Ditto. Bike looks great and I'd love to build up a beater with that sort of clearance.


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

Boe said:


> Surly Cross Check


Don't take this the wrong way man, but you look beautiful riding that bike.


----------



## mtnfiend (Feb 26, 2004)

Sleeveless said:


> Don't take this the wrong way man, but you look beautiful riding that bike.


That is so sweet.


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

I don't think that you realize just how jealous of you guys I really am. Grrrr! Thanks for sharing though. Loving the bike porn.


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## Boe (May 6, 2005)

I dont know what model the Peugeot is. It's one of their -70s low end touring bikes I think. Carbolite 103 tubing which is very basic but seems to hold up well riding it offroad after meny years of rusting...

The frame has gone through some serious changes:


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## Boe (May 6, 2005)

jace said:


> Ditto. Bike looks great and I'd love to build up a beater with that sort of clearance.


I had to modify the chainstays with a pipe and a hammer to get enough clearance. The seatstays and fork cleared a 44 Mutanoraptor just fine.


----------



## dirtdrop (Dec 29, 2003)




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## Hjalti (Jan 22, 2004)

*Call 'em*



tamjam said:


> That thing is enormous! Any idea when the Riv guys will be making more of them?


It's a 64. There are/were available up to 68. I'm not sure what production status is. My broken one was replaced with "a super duper reinforced version." which seems to have been in a shipment of them in October, so they may have some around.


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## jace (Sep 5, 2004)

Boe said:


> I had to modify the chainstays with a pipe and a hammer to get enough clearance. The seatstays and fork cleared a 44 Mutanoraptor just fine.


Huh, might have to look at trying to track one down. What are you running for a BB in the most recent setup (using french threads I assume?) Are you running the original fork/headset? It looks like you're running a non-french quill in most of the pics, did you manage to shove a standard quill in there? Any idea on the axle/crown on the stock fork?

This could be a fun winter project..


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## Boe (May 6, 2005)

jace said:


> Huh, might have to look at trying to track one down. What are you running for a BB in the most recent setup (using french threads I assume?) Are you running the original fork/headset? It looks like you're running a non-french quill in most of the pics, did you manage to shove a standard quill in there? Any idea on the axle/crown on the stock fork?
> 
> This could be a fun winter project..


Actually it has an english threaded BB, which was good for me! 
I am running the original fork and headset wich had french threads. It was not hard to get a standard quill stem into the headset. The AC is about 410mm.


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

Boe said:


> I dont know what model the Peugeot is. It's one of their -70s low end touring bikes I think. Carbolite 103 tubing which is very basic but seems to hold up well riding it offroad after meny years of rusting...
> 
> The frame has gone through some serious changes:


Amazing what a difference a paint job and some love can make. I really appreciate someone taking the time to give an old bike a new life. Something about cycling and conservation like this that seem to go hand in hand.


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## BluesDawg (Apr 8, 2007)

I had never heard of Monstercross, but I guess that's what Uncle Duke is. 1980ish Fuji S-12S


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## calzonical (Aug 30, 2005)

*Monster Qball*

Here is my attempt at Monster X. A Medium Qball with On-One midges. I've replaced the wtb saddle with a Koobi PRS. Also dumped the ultegra rear der for XTR.


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## Miker J (Nov 4, 2003)

*Hey Dia Compe 287 V users....*



calzonical said:


> Here is my attempt at Monster X. A Medium Qball with On-One midges. I've replaced the wtb saddle with a Koobi PRS. Also dumped the ultegra rear der for XTR.
> 
> View attachment 311940


Sorry for the slight derailment but I've got a question for you Dia Compe 287 V users.

I'm just about to set up a pair on my bars and while their appears to be no rocket science involved what does that little bolt (3mm hex I think) do besides hold the internal cable holder in place. The little bolt that goes through the front of the brake lever with the little plastic black cover attatched. I mean does it "adjust" anything or do you just tighten it and leave it be?

Thanks,

Mike


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## creepyfriendly (Jun 30, 2004)

*Bbmc.*

Here's my custom Bob Brown Monster cross. I've been enjoying this steel steed for a couple months on and off the cross course. The overall set up started out as a full on cross race machine and ended up as a superb mtb.

More info.


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## jace (Sep 5, 2004)

gorgeous ride. jitensha flat bar?


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

I think that the Bob Brown just made me wet myself!


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

creepyfriendly said:


> More .




Why not drops?


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## creepyfriendly (Jun 30, 2004)

Yup, Jitensha bars. 

I drove the drops for a bit. Gave them a good four races but the mtber inside of me begged for something else. I found a happy medium with the sweep. More than anything, it's preference.


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## SlowerThenSnot (Jul 16, 2004)

*Awesome*



creepyfriendly said:


> Here's my custom Bob Brown Monster cross. I've been enjoying this steel steed for a couple months on and off the cross course. The overall set up started out as a full on cross race machine and ended up as a superb mtb.
> 
> More info.


Me likely!


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

*Nice*



creepyfriendly said:


> Yup, Jitensha bars.
> 
> I drove the drops for a bit. Gave them a good four races but the mtber inside of me begged for something else. I found a happy medium with the sweep. More than anything, it's preference.


Cool, how did you get those bars instead of something similar but more popular like the Mary from On One?

I'm pretty set on Midges for my Cross Check build, but haven't really tried any other "funky bars" before so I might try something like these.


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## lil hillbilly (May 18, 2005)

creepyfriendly said:


> Here's my custom Bob Brown Monster cross. I've been enjoying this steel steed for a couple months on and off the cross course. The overall set up started out as a full on cross race machine and ended up as a superb mtb.
> 
> More info.


nice job on the barriers creepyfriendly!
just a pump and a few other pics of some Bob Brown sweetness


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## darkness (Feb 2, 2007)

*Another Bob Brown*

Here's another Bob to supplement Creepyfriendly's. Same geometry but this one is Reynolds 953. Clearance to fit 2.2 tyres.


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## midtnSS (Apr 26, 2004)

*Newly built and ready*

Before I take it out and get it dirty, here's my Jake the Snake. Singled out, Midges, Racelight stem, Old school Ritchey cranks and seatpost, road BB7/987 brakes, Delgado cross on ultregra/hayes hubs, eggbeaters, some rasta here and there. I can fit a 29x2.1 on front, shown with a Fire Cross, and a Mythos slick or the shown lightly trimmed XR 1.8 fit out back.


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## Singlespeedpunk (Jan 6, 2004)

What forks are they? Its rare to find CX forks that a) have a disc mount and b) take a fat tyre / tire :thumbsup:

SSP



midtnSS said:


> Before I take it out and get it dirty, here's my Jake the Snake. Singled out, Midges, Racelight stem, Old school Ritchey cranks and seatpost, road BB7/987 brakes, Delgado cross on ultregra/hayes hubs, eggbeaters, some rasta here and there. I can fit a 29x2.1 on front, shown with a Fire Cross, and a Mythos slick or the shown lightly trimmed XR 1.8 fit out back.


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## midtnSS (Apr 26, 2004)

*Custom*

Sorry, how could I leave Tony out. Custom Pereira fork, a little longer, a little extra offset to keep handling sharp, and clears a 29x2.1 if its dry outside.


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## Retrocowboy (May 16, 2006)

*monstercross*

Not a true monster cross, but it sure is fun! :thumbsup:


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## mwills (Feb 8, 2005)

*also not really...*

also not really a monstercross, it's a drop bar 29er, but it pegs the fun meter.


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## mtnfiend (Feb 26, 2004)

mwills said:


> also not really a monstercross, it's a drop bar 29er, but it pegs the fun meter.


More of a monstercross than many in this thread IMO. Lots of really nice bikes but not as many monstercross bikes. Looks nice!


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

Seems like the drop bar 29ers are becoming more and more popular as well.


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## GlowBoy (Jan 3, 2004)

A little late, but here's my rather -- um, utilitarian -- Karate Monkey in its current Monstercross form. Drop bars, barcon, 700x45 Hakkapeliitta studder in front, 700x42 Kenda K847 in back, reporting for duty sir. Also note the running lights and 1200 lumen (approx car headlight brighness) headlight. She ain't pretty, but she gets me there at a pretty good pace and she gets me noticed even on the darkest, rainiest nights.

She wears faster 700x32s in summer, along with a 1x5 drivetrain. Just made the winter switchover to the 3-speed hub, geared 38x18 (x0.70, x1.0, x1.35)overall for commuting and 34x22 overall for the occasional offroad. The droopy chain you see here is due to the tendency of internally geared hubs to work their way forward in the dropouts (using low or high gear puts strong twisting forces on the axle), but since this photo was taken I've finally solved that problem with a chain tug.

The phallic looking device protruding from the bottom bracket is the mount point for my son's Chariot Sidecarrier trailer.


----------



## lil hillbilly (May 18, 2005)

now i know why ya call yourself GlowBoy!


----------



## Hjalti (Jan 22, 2004)

Nice set up. I'm really close to getting a karate monkey for the same purpose, and as a geared alternative to my Quickbeam. All the road frames I get seem to break.


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## GlowBoy (Jan 3, 2004)

Hjalti, I'm betting a KM won't break on you. Mine's closing in on 7000 miles so far, still going strong.


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## jh_on_the_cape (Jan 12, 2004)

creepyfriendly said:


> Here's my custom Bob Brown Monster cross. I've been enjoying this steel steed for a couple months on and off the cross course. The overall set up started out as a full on cross race machine and ended up as a superb mtb.
> 
> .


tis the shiz!


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## abbeytrails (Jan 12, 2006)

Not a GREAT picture but here is my contribution...


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## Hippienflipflops (Oct 18, 2006)

that is by far the ugliest KM i have ever seen. congratulations, you must be very proud


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## GlowBoy (Jan 3, 2004)

Hippienflipflops said:


> that is by far the ugliest KM i have ever seen. congratulations, you must be very proud


Very proud. Of the function this bike provides, that is. Neither proud nor embarrassed about the ugliness. 99.9% of the people who see this bike (motorists) wouldn't know the difference between this and a perfectly clean Vanilla. All I care about is that they see me. And that they do.

Kinda like telling a guy his dirt-spattered pickup is ugly.


----------



## PanFry (Nov 9, 2007)

*Midge or WTB?*

Trying to decide which bars to get for the Commuter/Cyclo/Urban Assault bike (Surly Cross Check 62cm. Grey).
Let me know what you all think.

Many Thanks, PanFry


----------



## GlowBoy (Jan 3, 2004)

I looked at the WTB when it came out, but concluded it wouldn't be anywhere near as comfortable or usable as the Midge. I thought the same looking at the Gary bar. Sorry I can't remember the exact differences anymore, but the Midge seemed better than both (at least for me) in terms of drop, reach, flare angle and the amount of usable space on top. 

Honestly the only thing I'd change about it would be (and this is a common complaint) I wish the end of the drops were about 1/2" longer.


----------



## pahearn (Feb 17, 2006)

PanFry said:


> Trying to decide which bars to get for the Commuter/Cyclo/Urban Assault bike (Surly Cross Check 62cm. Grey).
> Let me know what you all think.


I had a chance over the weekend to sit on two bikes, one with the WTB and the other the Midge. The WTB had more drop and flared-out less, and had longer drops as well. The WTB felt closer to a more standard drop and the owner claimed the longer drops aided him in out of the saddle climbs. I would probably be happy with either one, though I did choose to order the Midge as I like the minimal drop and the substantial flare. If I were you I'd look at a bunch of pictures of bikes with both and make your decision on what you think is best for you, they're both really nice IMO.


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## mwills (Feb 8, 2005)

*i chose the wtb*

the bend thru the front of the drop position is nicer, more ergo, not as pinch-y. i've seen midges modified to create a nice happy spot in the front of the drop, but the wtb is good w/o any mods. the drop position is longer too. at times i wish it was flatter with regard to flare. i think the standing climbing position is great in the drops. i haven't been too motivated to try any other bars overall.


----------



## patineto (Oct 28, 2005)

A little side question..

I have a Empella crossfire cyclocross bike with a incredible amount of tire clearance and just for the hell of it I will like to see what happen if you mount really wide tires (well more than 35mm) with a good amount of volume for heavy trail riding dutty.









I'm running and will be running hand lace Mavic open-pro rims so tire/rim compatibility is the main issue.









As you can see is plenty of space left, well if you are not riding in thick mud at least.


















So the question is, how big of a tire can i run with out suffering "Roll overs" and making the bike ito a "Silly" useless monster (no offense)..!?!?

And Yes I know this is a porpuse build cross bike and not a 29er but I still want to try.

Ps: I love this compilation of awesome machines.


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## el-cid (May 21, 2004)

Patineto-you should be able to run as large a tire as you can cram in the chainstays and not worry about rolling a tire or it getting too squirmy. I run WTB Weirwolf LT 2.55 tires on my rigid single speed on wheels built around Mavic MA2 rims that are the same width as your Open Pros and they work great, never had a problem with the tire/rim combo. I like your chainstay guard, by the way .


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## pimp-daddy (Jan 28, 2004)

*Posted many times before...*

Still riding, probably gets the most mileage in the stable.

Commuting, a little cross racing, gravel roads, singletrack, etc...

Typically has 38c Serfas touring tires, this pic is with the Mutanos, also run Hutchinson Pro Cross tires for the races.










...and yes, that is circa ~89 8-speed Dura Ace. Still works great!

A great bike. I'm pretty stoked that Surly is going to make one with S&S couplers in it. IT'll be the perfect 'do-all' travel bike.

Scheming to buy another cross check...:thumbsup:


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## GlowBoy (Jan 3, 2004)

Patineto -- ditto, whatever will fit without buzzing the fork legs or stays while under power. You'll want to leave a couple of mm to allow for frame and wheel flex. But it looks to me like you should be able to stuff a 700x45 in the fork. I was able to do that on my Bianchi Volpe, though I could only get a 700x35 to fit between the chainstays.


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## patineto (Oct 28, 2005)

el-cid said:


> Patineto-you should be able to run as large a tire as you can cram in the chainstays and not worry about rolling a tire or it getting too squirmy. I run WTB Weirwolf LT 2.55 tires on my rigid single speed on wheels built around Mavic MA2 rims that are the same width as your Open Pros and they work great, never had a problem with the tire/rim combo.


Great news.

I'm being around mountain bikes since forever, but I confess I know very little about 700c wheels and much less 29ers


> I like your chainstay guard, by the way .












Thanks senor, by now I have done it a few times.















































GlowBoy said:


> Patineto -- ditto, whatever will fit without buzzing the fork legs or stays while under power. You'll want to leave a couple of mm to allow for frame and wheel flex. But it looks to me like you should be able to stuff a 700x45 in the fork. I was able to do that on my Bianchi Volpe, though I could only get a 700x35 to fit between the chainstays.


Awesome..

I have about 74mm of total lateral space at the fork and 70mm vertical (from the rim) in the front and almost 64mm x 64mm in the back.

now is just need to check for profiles, sizes and see what fits.

thanks for the great advice & hope.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

I'm working on a bastardized Monstercross thing right now. I'll post some pics ASAP. Probably when I finish it tomorrow or Friday. Only so much time. At that point, I'll explain what it is. An odd story. Let's just say that I can hardly wait to ride this thing.

I like the chainstay cover too. Is that tape or what? How'd you do the combo colors?


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

Patineto - hello again! I recognize that one rear chainstay - Balfa 2Step DH!! 

Cheers,

Mark


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## miketually (Oct 2, 2005)

*Mostercross/drop bar 29er*



Here's my drop bar 29er. As it's got 42c tyres at the moment, it's more of a monstercross. It's got the obligatory Midge bars, Brooks saddle and ss/fixie drivetrain.

The bars are high (it's a Matt Chester-inspired build), but not as high as they look in this picture!

(Yet another) big thanks to Solitude Alex (singlespeedpunk) for offering this custom build as a prize at the 2006 UK SS championships. This build suits me and the riding I do perfectly, but I'd probably never have gone this route if I was paying for a frame myself.


----------



## patineto (Oct 28, 2005)

MMcG said:


> Patineto - hello again! I recognize that one rear chainstay - Balfa 2Step DH!!
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Mark


Hello Mark always a Pleasure..

Hey great idea on your website, maybe I need to start something similar so I don't end up buying every good deal I find..:madman:

So how many 29ers do you have now...!?!?


----------



## patineto (Oct 28, 2005)

1 Speed said:


> I like the chainstay cover too. Is that tape or what? How'd you do the combo colors?


Nope mister Single speeder, is Not tape..

Recycle "Mt Tuffys" since they suck to protect flats (sometimes even promote flats), but they rule to wrap things around..

I did not know it was so much interest, so I start a *How to Report on the "Tooltime"* forum.

So far I'm being using the same trick for about 7 years and none a scratch on any of my chain stays, even suffering from "chainsuck" farder more the material is so thick, strong and flexible does not even get damage.


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

patineto said:


> Hello Mark always a Pleasure..
> 
> Hey great idea on your website, maybe I need to start something similar so I don't end up buying every good deal I find..:madman:
> 
> So how many 29ers do you have now...!?!?


I have Zero 29ers right now Ricardo.

Check your PMs.

Great to see you back posting. We need to catch up.

Cheers,

Mark


----------



## 2melow (Jan 5, 2004)

Here is a better pic of Dave Z's bike I just got. I am tempted to build one myself!


----------



## nwmtb (Jan 3, 2004)

creepyfriendly said:


> Here's my custom Bob Brown Monster cross. I've been enjoying this steel steed for a couple months on and off the cross course. The overall set up started out as a full on cross race machine and ended up as a superb mtb.
> 
> More info.


MERCY...your Bob Brown is gorgeous. Nice job !


----------



## midtnSS (Apr 26, 2004)

*More Monster Goodness*

Hey Patineto, Try Bonty XR 1.8s, they shold clear both ends fine but I doubt bigger will fit in back, a Fire cross may fit the front too.

Got the wheels turning on a custom being planned now, 29 x 2.1 clearance in fillet brazed Zona, Midges, 1 x 9 or SS with Horizontal road dropouts, Mullet bb7 front - Canti rear brakes.

Those Bob Browns are incredible, but sadly too much coin right now


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## chunkypaul (May 2, 2005)

Retrocowboy said:


> Not a true monster cross, but it sure is fun! :thumbsup:


holy cow! that inbred is ace! what size frame is that and how tall are you?

i'm thinking of a similar build for a project but not sure what size 29er frame would be right when using midge bars


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## evil plug (Aug 3, 2007)

How is the Dura Ace triple fitted to that AIR9? Is it custom?


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## Clink (Oct 29, 2006)

Here's mine - not quite finished yet - bars still in wrong position.


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

Those tires and those wheels are quite monsterous - in a very cool way!


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## Critking (Dec 24, 2005)

Does this qualify as monster cross?


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## helgi (May 9, 2006)

2melow said:


> Here is a better pic of Dave Z's bike I just got. I am tempted to build one myself!


Think anyone other than a pro tour roadie could handle that sort of drop/stretch? Or maybe it's not that much.

Looks seriously good though, I'd love to see one of these in Paris-Roubaix


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## mwills (Feb 8, 2005)

helgi said:


> Think anyone other than a pro tour roadie could handle that sort of drop/stretch? Or maybe it's not that much.
> 
> Looks seriously good though, I'd love to see one of these in Paris-Roubaix


my stupid bars are 12mm or so higher (vert) from the top of bar down to the saddle, to get the 'right' position in the hook and on the ends. mmm drop bars.


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## mtnfiend (Feb 26, 2004)

miketually said:


> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_mc/839412243/" title="2007_07_17_Solitude_pics 002 by Mike Mc, on Flickr">


The cows seem quite intrigued. Are your bars wrapped with leather?


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## mtnfiend (Feb 26, 2004)

The cows seem quite intrigued. Are your bars wrapped with leather?


miketually said:


>


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## miketually (Oct 2, 2005)

mtnfiend said:


> The cows seem quite intrigued. Are your bars wrapped with leather?


It's a Brooks saddle 

One of them did have a good lick of it - there was cow slobber all over the saddle. They followed me from the gate at the other end of the field; I was scared.


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

a few more from the collection to keep the fire burning:

sorry if there's some repeats.


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## Singlespeedpunk (Jan 6, 2004)

Late entry, shown here with 29er tyres but now rocking the Conti Twister 42c :thumbsup:

Zona frame, On-One forks. Phil / DT wheels. Avid BB7R and XTR canti for full mullet effect  Sugino / Surly / PC58 / Phil Wood fixie drive chain. Midge bars, Salsa stem and Brooks Swift finish it off.

SSP

MTB mode









Audax mode


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## sportcult (Sep 17, 2007)

Just built this up last week and have put some miles on it. Super fun! I think I hit the setup spot on first try, it feels just right on streets, dirt road, and single track. 38/19 gear. I may switch over to an extra set of Dura-ace cranks I've got and maybe a carbon fork, but so far it's great.


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## notrelatedtoted (Mar 3, 2005)

sportcult said:


> Just built this up last week and have put some miles on it. Super fun! I think I hit the setup spot on first try, it feels just right on streets, dirt road, and single track. 38/19 gear. I may switch over to an extra set of Dura-ace cranks I've got and maybe a carbon fork, but so far it's great.


Is that a Mary bar you're running with tape? Out of curiosity, why did you put the grips on the end, instead of tape all the way down?


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

[email protected] said:


> Yeah - I like the bigger tires on my personal cross bikes. I'm able to mount fat tires on my BLUE XC6.5 - the frame and fork have tons of tire clearance. I've got 42c tires on it at the moment with room to spare. Here's a link to a pic that's on our site...
> 
> http://www.webcyclery.com/product.php?productid=18136&cat=0&page=1


Can you get a WTB NanoRaptor in the front and rear? If so, I'll buy that frame and fork! Sweet, just what I have been searching to find.


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

notrelatedtoted said:


> Is that a Mary bar you're running with tape? Out of curiosity, why did you put the grips on the end, instead of tape all the way down?


My guess is they are inverted Mary Bars.

sportcult - The Dillinger looks good in your latest incarnation of it. :thumbsup:


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

In an old thread, someone used the term MoFo Crosser, I like that term better than Monster Cross, and that is what I call my Cross Check.  Here is my dirty, nasty MoFoCxC, I love, love, love this bike and the places it takes me. :thumbsup:


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## erol/frost (Jan 3, 2004)

A bunch of cool bikes in this thread... That Moots looks fantastic.


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## sportcult (Sep 17, 2007)

notrelatedtoted said:


> Is that a Mary bar you're running with tape? Out of curiosity, why did you put the grips on the end, instead of tape all the way down?


Upside down Mary bar. Tape in the middle for smooth cruising, comfy cheap foam grips on the ends for the rough stuff. I've been using that foam on my rigid bikes lately and it works really well. It is way cushier than even an Oury grip and it doesn't get slick when it's wet like rubber grips. They're the long ones that used to be on cheap 10 speeds...

Even on a regular bar it gives you more positions for your hands:


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## 1BADMAN (Sep 23, 2004)

sportcult said:


> Upside down Mary bar. Tape in the middle for smooth cruising, comfy cheap foam grips on the ends for the rough stuff. I've been using that foam on my rigid bikes lately and it works really well. It is way cushier than even an Oury grip and it doesn't get slick when it's wet like rubber grips. They're the long ones that used to be on cheap 10 speeds...
> 
> Even on a regular bar it gives you more positions for your hands:


WOW! That Monstercross Origin8 looks just like a mt bike!


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## Spookykinkajou (Jan 9, 2004)

*CrossCheck in commuter form*

This bike goes from commuter to mountain bike with a quick change of the rear cog/chain and bonty 1.8 xr 29" tires.

48/18 and 48/24 - guaranteed to suffer on both road and mountain.


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## Miker J (Nov 4, 2003)

*Shameless Surly SPAM*

56" frame/fork, black

http://classifieds.mtbr.com/showproduct.php?product=14777&cat=38


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Miker J said:


> *56" frame/fork*, black
> 
> http://classifieds.mtbr.com/showproduct.php?product=14777&cat=38


All you 8 to 9 feet tall bike geek (freaks) gather round...... :eekster:

I've seen Bill Walton's and Karim Abdul Jabar's bikes, and they are not that big. Probably too much for Yao Ming.


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## Miker J (Nov 4, 2003)

*Oops.*

Uhh, yeah, centimeters.

Thanks.


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## Critking (Dec 24, 2005)

Monstercross next to the railroad tracks. They plow next to the tracks around here and it makes for some superb riding. Just a little sketchy when the trains go by.


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## bstrick (Nov 12, 2005)

Needs more cowbell....er...I mean monstercross!


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## bstrick (Nov 12, 2005)

Ok, I guess I'll post something to keep it alive. Shesh people, Give us the said cross' and keep i coming. Easily the best post going.


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## Critking (Dec 24, 2005)

bstrick said:


> Ok, I guess I'll post something to keep it alive. Shesh people, Give us the said cross' and keep i coming. Easily the best post going.


New Paddywagon?


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

bstrick said:


> Ok, I guess I'll post something to keep it alive. Shesh people, Give us the said cross' and keep i coming. Easily the best post going.


Glad to see it's still alive and others are enjoying it as much as I have.


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## madnessmoose (Aug 22, 2007)

*Not as cool as Nat's but it is suffice!*


__
https://flic.kr/p/2211656068


__
https://flic.kr/p/2211658228


__
https://flic.kr/p/2210865007


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## Solo with others (Jan 6, 2004)

https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2084/2181086631_809285754f_b.jpg


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## Solo with others (Jan 6, 2004)

Cross Check with 38c All Terrainasaurus


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## bstrick (Nov 12, 2005)

*Infected I tell you....*

.... and today's project is?


----------



## GnatBikes (Dec 4, 2007)

*My New Salsa La Cruz*

Here my latest. Disclaimer. I work for Salsa Cycles.

Crossmax 29's and Mutanoraptor 44's.


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## evil plug (Aug 3, 2007)

Sick La cruz! Thats on my short list of bikes when my trusty Tricross is retired.
MORE PICS OF IT PLZ!!!!


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## dRjOn (Feb 18, 2004)

is that peace gt fixed? nice!


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## poppy (Jan 24, 2006)

bstrick said:


> .... and today's project is?


Sweet :thumbsup:


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## grandma'sboy (Dec 4, 2007)

bstrick said:


> .... and today's project is?


Nice mtn. fixie...brakes are for suckers. Seriously, when will we see some sweet skids.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

grandma'sboy said:


> Nice mtn. fixie...brakes are for suckers. Seriously, when will we see some sweet skids.


Come ride this with me, it goes on for about 2.5 miles and 1100 feet down, and tell me that at the bottom.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

Gnat... incredibly beautiful ride there. What size tire can you fit in there comfortably?

I'm off to read your blog now. Ciao!



GnatBikes said:


> Here my latest. Disclaimer. I work for Salsa Cycles.
> 
> Crossmax 29's and Mutanoraptor 44's.


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## GnatBikes (Dec 4, 2007)

*depends*



1 Speed said:


> Gnat... incredibly beautiful ride there. What size tire can you fit in there comfortably?
> 
> I'm off to read your blog now. Ciao!


I've seen both the mutano 44's and the IRC 42's in there with good success.

I know the crossblasters don't fit. I've tried.

Jason


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## grandma'sboy (Dec 4, 2007)

slocaus said:


> Come ride this with me, it goes on for about 2.5 miles and 1100 feet down, and tell me that at the bottom.


Just wait till I get my fixed monster trike built and I will. You will worship me and my mtn. skids.:nono:

Sarcasm is a way of life...check this link.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mash+trike&search=Search


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## trail717 (Feb 9, 2006)

*Danger Danger, new bike obsession stirring&#8230;.*

Help, Help, I think this thread has pushed me over the edge&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;:eekster:

Been thinking about a monstercross or drop bar 29er for a while&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;..

Can't stop myself&#8230;&#8230;.

Copied about 30+ pictures for ideas (thanks for all the bar, gearing, frame,etc ideas)

Off to my LBS (support your favorite LBS!!) to discuss mostercross bikes&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;

Surely they will talk me out of plunging into new bike mania&#8230;..:devil:


----------



## Solo with others (Jan 6, 2004)

I have an XL Raleigh XXIX on order that's going to have WTB Dirt Drops and Road Avids applied this weekend with any luck.

Then I will flirt with the idea of riding the Ouachita Challnge on it in April.


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## ionsmuse (Jul 14, 2005)

Let me know if I can help.


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## trail717 (Feb 9, 2006)

*Help, You Bet*



ionsmuse said:


> Let me know if I can help.


Dave

Thanks, If you wouldn't mind, I will put some ideas down on paper and run them by you...
So as not to side track this thread I could contact you through your blog?

Marshal


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Solo said:


> I have an XL Raleigh XXIX on order that's going to have WTB Dirt Drops and Road Avids applied this weekend with any luck.
> 
> Then I will flirt with the idea of riding the Ouachita Challnge on it in April.


Not to be picky, I have an Inbred 29er that I run with Midge bars and RL-520 levers and BB-7 discs, but it is not a monster cross. My CrossCheck with 42c Mythos is a Monster Cross, my RMB Sherpa10 with Conti Vapour 52c is a monster cross (techically a touring bike with tons of tire clearance, but frame geo falls in the cross bike measurements). I like the term MoFo Cross coined here about a year ago. 

Using a cross, touring, or road frame with bigger than 38c tires (UCI max allowed) in the dirt is a monster cross. :thumbsup: Otherwise it is a drop bar mountain bike.  They are both tons of fun, but different bikes, MFC or MTB.


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## midtnSS (Apr 26, 2004)

*Ask anyone and you get a different answer*

Using a cross, touring, or road frame with bigger than 38c tires (UCI max allowed) in the dirt is a monster cross. :thumbsup: Otherwise it is a drop bar mountain bike.  They are both tons of fun, but different bikes, MFC or MTB. [/QUOTE]

I didn't know there was an exact definition, good to know. I think in between a Cross racing bike and Drop bar MTB with over 35c tires, thats the UCI max by the way


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

midtnSS said:


> I didn't know there was an exact definition, good to know. I think in between a Cross racing bike and Drop bar MTB with over 35c tires, thats the UCI max by the way


That definition was ageed upon some time ago in this tread about monster cross world domination.

Maybe the definition was a tire larger than 36c on a cross / tour / road frame as opposed to mtb frame, I dunno.  That seems to be the jump in tires is 32c, 35c, 37/38c from most places. I'm not sure I have seen a 33 or 34 or 36c tire. I'm sure they exist.

I just know I love mine, especially when the rains come and the trails are mucky, I have access to miles of low traffic dirt roads that are rideable. :thumbsup:


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## NEPMTBA (Apr 7, 2007)

*Widest/Brand "Baldy" 29er Tire for Monstercross*

To all Monsters:

What is the widest Tire for monstercross? Frame width is not a concern, lot's of room!

Thanks:thumbsup:


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

NEPMTBA said:


> What is the widest Tire for monstercross? Frame width is not a concern, lot's of room!


Look here. especially post #4. Not entirely up to date, but a search in the 29er forum will get you there.


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## trail_junkie (Jul 12, 2007)

slocaus said:


> Not to be picky, I have an Inbred 29er that I run with Midge bars and RL-520 levers and BB-7 discs, but it is not a monster cross. My CrossCheck with 42c Mythos is a Monster Cross, my RMB Sherpa10 with Conti Vapour 52c is a monster cross (techically a touring bike with tons of tire clearance, but frame geo falls in the cross bike measurements). I like the term MoFo Cross coined here about a year ago.
> 
> Using a cross, touring, or road frame with bigger than 38c tires (UCI max allowed) in the dirt is a monster cross. :thumbsup: Otherwise it is a drop bar mountain bike.  They are both tons of fun, but different bikes, MFC or MTB.


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## grandma'sboy (Dec 4, 2007)

Yeah, what he said!


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## NEPMTBA (Apr 7, 2007)

Sleeveless said:


> Bump, anyone else got anything?


 Man this "BUMP" guy is very popular! I see him on every forum!
HUM?


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## ionsmuse (Jul 14, 2005)

trail717 said:


> Dave
> 
> Thanks, If you wouldn't mind, I will put some ideas down on paper and run them by you...
> So as not to side track this thread I could contact you through your blog?
> ...


You betcha.


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## Carmichael (May 16, 2007)

700 x 38 WTB Interwolfs...


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

looking real sharp!


----------



## bstrick (Nov 12, 2005)

Felt like a steal when you got that thing home did'nt it? It did for me.


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## prphoto (Mar 17, 2006)

Hi Merk
Just saw your bike on a repost
Can you give me any info on it?
Especially the stem
Is that a nitto lugged or variation there of?


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## AteMrYeats (Oct 26, 2004)

Take a look at what I stumbled upon:








Another bike that blurs the line between 29er mountain bike and touring bike; it's also beautifully done.
image taken from dyn45's flickr account


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

I like that - I like that Hunter a lot!


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

MMcG said:


> I like that - I like that Hunter a lot!


Yeah. Um...me too.


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## D_Man (Jan 7, 2004)

I've posted this before, but with skinnier tires. I just brought back some new shoes to west africa, and the monster cross has gotten a lot more monstrous. It's really come into its own with these babies. Both have an actual measurement of around 700x47:


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

I'm guessing that mikesee won't mind me posting his ride:










from his blog:

https://lacemine29.blogspot.com/


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## AllRounder (Feb 26, 2004)

AteMrYeats said:


> Take a look at what I stumbled upon:
> 
> [photo snipped]
> 
> ...


That is awesome. How do you think he shifts that front derailleur? Wait a minuto, where is the front mech? Hmm.

- AR


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## andlund (Feb 14, 2006)

Here's my freshly build Crosscheck commuter:









Currently set up with IRC Mythos CX slicks in 42mm awaiting Jones XR 1.8 next month.


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## evil plug (Aug 3, 2007)

WOW! That crosscheck above has got to be the coolest looking one yet.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

AteMrYeats said:


> Take a look at what I stumbled upon:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Add an EBB and that's almost exactly what I'd love to have. Beautiful ride!


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## pseudo intellectual (Apr 16, 2004)

Andlund: looks like you're using planet bike fenders. Are those the 29" fenders? Did you have any trouble fitting them to the xcheck? Have to mod them? Looks good!

thnx


----------



## andlund (Feb 14, 2006)

pseudo intellectual said:


> Andlund: looks like you're using planet bike fenders. Are those the 29" fenders? Did you have any trouble fitting them to the xcheck? Have to mod them? Looks good!
> 
> thnx


Thanks!
Yes, its Planet Bike Cascadia 29er fenders. They are a tight squeeze in the forks, but fit without any problems or modifications. I have trimmed down the length of the supports though.

.Anders


----------



## jrm (Jan 12, 2004)

*Question..*

Is it better to use a CX frame or a 29er frame. Was thinking of frankenizing a soma juice frame for thrashing on the road and dirt..


----------



## CHUM (Aug 30, 2004)

purty sure this qualifies as a monstercross......wtb 44 mutanoraptors on an 07 S-Works tricross module....and a bunch of ultegra stuff......waaaaaay fun bike :thumbsup:

photo by skyline35


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

jrm said:


> Is it better to use a CX frame or a 29er frame. Was thinking of frankenizing a soma juice frame for thrashing on the road and dirt..


Whatever works. The more or less agreed upon definition of "monster cross" on MTBR is a cross / tour / road frame with tires larger than 35c. Then there are drop bar 29ers, not "monster crossers" in the truest sense. I have a CrossCheck SS with 42c tires and an Inbred 29er that does duty as a drop bar 29er SS. These are different animals, in my opinion, both fun, but in different ways, even on the same terrain.


----------



## Big29 (Feb 8, 2004)

Wow! That thing looks awesome Jason! Now I'm wondering if I should get that instead of the Chile con Crosso? Very Nice!


----------



## singlestoph (Jan 7, 2005)




----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

There's Stoph, killing us with photos of yet another of his beautiful bikes that we can only dream of.


----------



## mvi (Jan 15, 2004)

*V -brake STI levers.*

Third incarnation of my Airborne T cruiser will see it with a new-beautifull- Steve Potts steel fork, and road drop bars.
The fork is rim brake only. The frame too. 
I would like to use Mini V's with my Dura Ace STI levers (8 speed). Will probably only run it 2x6.
I have mini V brakes. But they cable doesn't clear the 2.2 Bontrager  front tire. No good option for canti brakes since I don't have room for the cable hanger on the fork.
Question: Can I run regular V brakes without rollamajig (or what you call them), with STI levers?
Can I run inline levers to get more cable pull, and at least always have brakes available?
The bike will see a lot off braking on extended descents.
In the rear I can probably get away with a mini V.


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## mhk (Dec 31, 2006)

*A Monstrosity*

of a front tire made for a really great ride. I've kind of disqualified myself, since that is a 2.3 up front, but this thread got the creaky cogs turning in my melon and I just had to mount an Exiwolf to my Ksyrium SL and see what would happen. I had to razorblade off a few nubbins, but it fit (kind of) and I had a blast riding some fairly gnarled fire roads.

Sorry for the bad pics, but I'm camera-illiterate. The first batch looked great, but I guess they were too great because the site rejected them for being too pixellated. These not so aesthetically pleasing. I snapped a pic or two, and then realized the whole family should be together. I thought maybe with the lower quality you wouldn't be able to see as much dirt. No such luck.


----------



## Iamwarthog (May 30, 2006)

*Here's a super nice one*

http://www.blackcatbicycles.com/2008/02/monster-cross-is-much-scarier-when-its.html


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## seabass_II (Apr 5, 2007)

Stoph, don't suppose that hill is the Gempen in Basel-land?


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Iamwarthog said:


> http://www.blackcatbicycles.com/2008/02/monster-cross-is-much-scarier-when-its.html


Is it yours? More pictures from more angles.


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## Iamwarthog (May 30, 2006)

> Is it yours? More pictures from more angles.


No, not mine. I should have been more clear, sorry. I just know the guy who built it. His frames are super nice. There are a few Black Cats here in SLO, I have a 26" one. I like it, but it's not quite right, my fault. He built exactly what I asked him to, I just should have speced a little slacker head tube (I wound up running an 80mm fork instead of the 100mm I planned on) and a little beefier top tube (i'm kinda fat). I plan to rectify that on the next one I have him build me.


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Iamwarthog said:


> There are a few Black Cats here in SLO


I've seen Pancho's. :thumbsup:


----------



## Chris_T (Feb 21, 2005)

*well, it's cross if not monstrous*

Here is my 2003 Fuji Cross with Freddy fenders, Crosstop levers, and 700x38 Trek hybrid tires. I call it my "commutasaurus" but it does pretty well on single track too.

Carbon fork and seatpost smooth out the bumps.


----------



## Helibee (Jun 10, 2004)

Bumping this thread because I'm building up a mostercross and there are some awesome pics for motivation. :thumbsup:


----------



## karatemonkey (Mar 9, 2007)

*Monster Monkey*

O.G. Monster Monkey

She will be sporting a full C.D.W. bikepacking setup with 27 gears this summer for my meandering off road tour of the rocky mountain / desert west - GDMBR - CDT - Paradox trail - Kokopelli trail - and wherever else I feel like going. The Monster setup is the only way to experience riding through the land in my opinion, touring, racing, or just bringing the heat on saturday.


----------



## Fat Bob (Mar 5, 2004)

*Tyler Durden?*



karatemonkey said:


> O.G. Monster Monkey
> 
> She will be sporting a full C.D.W. bikepacking setup with 27 gears this summer for my meandering off road tour of the rocky mountain / desert west - GDMBR - CDT - Paradox trail - Kokopelli trail - and wherever else I feel like going. The Monster setup is the only way to experience riding through the land in my opinion, touring, racing, or just bringing the heat on saturday, mountain drops all the way!


The first rule about Monster CX is we don't talk about monster cx


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

.....


----------



## bstrick (Nov 12, 2005)

Anybody want to comment on this kooks dos and don'ts of riding a bike?


----------



## 1BADMAN (Sep 23, 2004)

bstrick said:


> Anybody want to comment on this kooks dos and don'ts of riding a bike?


Ya gotta be more sp'fic - which kook?


----------



## bstrick (Nov 12, 2005)

The what's a monster X and what's not a monster X guy above my last post. I mean come on, quit with the rules and enjoy the shared interest in what we're all riding. Then go ride!


----------



## trail_junkie (Jul 12, 2007)

slocaus said:


> Nice bike, but a drop bar MTB not a Monster *Cross* bike. Picky, I know, and it may only be me that sticks to that definition.  :crazy:


Good catch! It had been posted for almost two hours I was afraid you were going to let this one slip through the cracks. Hopefully more people will follow your example! If we don't set standards they'll let anyone on these boards. What amazes me even more is that someone would still post an unofficial mx photo after you made the definition clear several times. They are obviously not respecting your authority. You should convene the MCWD (Monster Cross World Domination) board and get this straightened out right away. Seriously, I mean SERIOUSLY! Oh and make sure they're putting cover pages on their TPS reports while your at it.

_Disclaimer: All sarcasm in this message was intended for the pure enjoyment of the author, and in no way to bring rhyme or reason to an internet forum as this would be futile._


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

.....


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## karatemonkey (Mar 9, 2007)

she isn't a cross bike. Just a Monster of a bike that is so much fun it should be outlawed. Got nothin against skinny tires but You can keep em', i personally like droppin the hotness with some big rubber.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

karatemonkey said:


> she isn't a cross bike. Just a Monster of a bike that is so much fun it should be outlawed. Got nothin against skinny tires but You can keep em', i personally like droppin the hotness with some big rubber.


Sweet bike and a sweet adventure you are undertaking. I'm envious. Good luck, ride long.


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## trail_junkie (Jul 12, 2007)

slocaus said:


> Don't be so serious.
> 
> You missed this part:
> 
> ...


It's not my panties that are in a wad honey, there's a great scene in Zoolander that can help you get those straightened out btw, and I didn't miss anything I read all your post in this thread.

Now take a deep breath and realize that if your going to criticize you're opening yourself up to criticism. Also you're entitled to your definition, we're all aware of what it is. I could care less about that, but posting it after every picture you disagree with is just redundant, and annoying, which was my point. I chose to use humor and sarcasm to make that point, you chose pantie wadding.:skep:

Also, you should have read my disclaimer. It pretty much sums up how SERIOUS I think this is. It's an internet forum not a summit on world peace.

If you still feel the need to correct everyone correct away. I doubt your mindless dribble is going to use up all the free space on the intertube, although your overuse of emoticons might.

May you fight the good fight against ignorance everywhere!


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## theMotoMan (Feb 21, 2008)

*'07 Schwinn Fastback CX*

I picked up this Schwinn Fastback CX at my local Performance bike shop over the Christmas holiday and got a killer deal. This bike has a split personality, so I'm showing pictures of both. 

I'm running a 34/50 compact crank with an 11/32 XT cassette on the road wheels and an 11/32 PG-950 on the cross wheels. The result is a very wide range of ratios, which works out great here in Boulder.

In road trim it weighs in at 19.2 lbs and in Monster Cross trim 21.2 lbs. I recently bought a Bontrager carbon fork that I am going to install that will bring my weight down a bit more, hopefully under 19 in road trim.

Fork will allow super monster tires. These 700x42's rub the brake shoes slightly when slipping the wheel into place, but once installed, it still has plenty of clearance for wider tires. The back is a different story. These 700x35's (actual width 33mm) require me to let a little air out of the tire to get it to clear the brake shoes.

I really enjoy this bike a lot. I can take off at work during my lunch break and ride the road to the trail head and then ride a short loop off road and then back to work again. Gotta love working in Boulder...

Here's a list of the goodies:
TruVativ Compact Crank 50/34 (stock was 50/36)
XT Cassette 11/32 (stock was 12/27)
Wipperman 10 speed chain
WTB Rocket V SLT
Thomson Elite post (stock was Ritchey)
On-One Midge bars (stock was Ritchey BioMax)
Forte' 120mm stem (stock was Ritchey 110 / 6 degree)
Rear tire 700x35 Ritchey SpeedMax Pro (stock was Schwalbe 700x30)
Front tire 700x42 Ritchey ZED Pro (stock was Schwalbe 700x30)
Crank Brothers Candy pedals


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

Nice ride... Wish that I could find a deal like that here.


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## lil hillbilly (May 18, 2005)

*bumb*

lovin the HumaHuma. she aint very fast but the smiles make up for the pace


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## bstrick (Nov 12, 2005)

That Kona is Sicko! If I find one of those I plan on doing exactly what you have with it. Scorch love with leather finish. Nice.:thumbsup:


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## SeanBonham (Mar 1, 2007)

some of my old fixed cross check
I miss it


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

Sweet to see my thread is still going strong. Saw a black XCheck in the flesh yesterday. Though it wasn't quite MonsterX, it renewed my interest in getting one. I've still got the Excel file with the build planned out, so I might build this thing up yet. Yep, I'm a bike nerd.


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## mr.vance (Oct 19, 2007)

This thread inspired me to get my old Gunnar street dog off the street for a change.
















Thanks for the good ideas.

alan


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## bstrick (Nov 12, 2005)

I think we can all agree that your Gunnar is scorchnin' hottness at it's best. Thanks for sharing.


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## dankilling (Feb 24, 2004)

Cool- never saw a street dog with canti posts- nice ride!


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## AteMrYeats (Oct 26, 2004)

bstrick said:


> I think we can all agree that your Gunnar is scorchnin' hottness at it's best. Thanks for sharing.


I second.


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## fotu (Jan 20, 2005)

Please explain the point of these flared out drop bars on otherwise full-on mountain bikes. And on all these road bikes, too. I ask because they look bad, they feel bad, and they are bad.

Not opinion...fact.


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## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

fotu said:


> Please explain the point of these flared out drop bars on otherwise full-on mountain bikes. And on all these road bikes, too. I ask because they look bad, they feel bad, and they are bad.
> 
> Not opinion...fact.


Aww. A troll. You little guys are so cute.


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

fotu said:


> Please explain the point of these flared out drop bars on otherwise full-on mountain bikes. And on all these road bikes, too. I ask because they look bad, they feel bad, and they are bad.
> 
> Not opinion...fact.


What a troll. Go piss in someone else's thread. :nono:

Yeah, some of these are mountain bikes with drop bars. I have yet to see a road bike, but maybe I missed something. Fact is a majority of these bikes are exactly what I asked for, MONSTERCROSS. You don't like them, fine. A lot of people obviously disagree with you judging by the popularity (and longevity) of this thread. STFU


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

fotu said:


> Please explain the point of these flared out drop bars on otherwise full-on mountain bikes. And on all these road bikes, too. I ask because they look bad, they feel bad, and they are bad.
> 
> Not opinion...fact.


Getting pissy with the long winter in Vermont, huh? Pissed in your own Wheaties this morning, Bucky? Figured you would go troll the Internet for some action, huh?


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## p lo (Aug 2, 2004)

*early monster cross mtb world cup....*

tomac


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

p lo said:


> tomac


All hail JT! Anyone know what he's up to these days?

There's a neat Tomac thread over on the vintage board, in case you haven't seen it.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=7246&highlight=tomac


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## karatemonkey (Mar 9, 2007)

Those Tomac pictures are probably the coolest thing I have ever seen. Thank You.

Here is the latest rendition of my Monster Monkey.










Approx. 400 miles in March. Everything from aggressive commuting to a White Rim epic and lots of technical single track.

She performs well in all categories but she excels in fun factor and capability. Short of Whistler/Keystone style riding, I don't think there isn't anything this bike can't do.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

karatemonkey said:


> Those Tomac pictures are probably the coolest thing I have ever seen. Thank You.
> 
> Here is the latest rendition of my Monster Monkey.
> 
> ...


Check out your bar tape!


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## karatemonkey (Mar 9, 2007)

Nat said:


> Check out your bar tape!


All the credit for that one goes to you big guy. I love the grips, except now I'm receiving a catalog from that tennis supply company.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

karatemonkey said:


> All the credit for that one goes to you big guy. I love the grips, except now I'm receiving a catalog from that tennis supply company.


Ha! Yeah, I can't get them to stop sending it to me either.


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

*Stop begging.*

here`s more.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

A Vanilla.... Nice. Have you got any with mtb tires mounted? That'll be like lingerie (sic) for the beauty.


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## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

Is that suspension corrected? Looks like it with the fork. How wide a tire can you fit? Can I have it?


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## chumbox (Jan 9, 2008)

It's really not vital that I comment but I just wanted to say I when I first looked at this thread I was like... what the heck is that all about... and now 11 pages in, I'm fulling loving it and have been off searching for similar setups. Monstercross has my vote for sure! Thanks for posting ya setups.


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## 1speed1der (Apr 19, 2005)

since my punk friend hasn't post his bike here yet, i will do it for him!!!

monster cross from ground up cycles with a hunter fork ( I think). i think he is running 45c f and r right now. VERY sweet bike!!!

<img src=https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2384/2418031956_163e027019_b.jpg>
<img src=https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2254/2417218015_f0efaf42f8_b.jpg>


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## momentum... (Dec 14, 2007)

That's beautiful. Hopefully your friend has better luck with the Storika than I had with mine. I never really understood the term ass hachet until I'd ridden that on my cross check on singletrack!

By the way, the bike looks suspiciously bling, white and clean for your friend to be truly "punk"! I'd expect mishmashed, dumpstered components on a tatty, flat black frame with some spoke cards...


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

That's the best looking Ground Up that I've seen yet. I love the new logo. Far better than the old one. The seat stays are quite sweet as well.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

momentum... said:


> Hopefully your friend has better luck with the Storika than I had with mine. I never really understood the term ass hachet until I'd ridden that on my cross check on singletrack!


I've got a Storika and actually really like it other than it's longevity. I wore through the leather on the end of the saddle in notime. For me, it's an incredibly comfortable saddle though.


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## 1speed1der (Apr 19, 2005)

i think he has the storika on a coupla bikes, including his new titus exo 29.

i have ridin this ground up monster x, it is SWEET. i was over at his place this morning to pick up my bike and he is running a panaracer 45c fire up front and a 1.75" (44c?) bont. dry x in the rear. 

the saddle wasn't too bad. i love my wtb saddles though.

he has a wily fixed roadie that the ground up guy built to, that thing is insane!!!


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## The_Boy (Sep 15, 2005)

Oops, double post.


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## The_Boy (Sep 15, 2005)

I have been watching this thread since the beginning. Great bikes in here, thought I would finally post my own. I built this Nashbar frame up as a commuter last year that morphed into a monstercross then to a SS monstercross. I did the Iron Cross (62 mile CX race) in PA last year on it when it was geared.










Then I got the idea to build my own frame, this allowed me to design a monstercross the way I wanted one (see below). Even though I can fit a 2.2x29 tire in there, I don't consider it a drop bar 29er. Its got the shorter top tube and standover of a CX frame. The bar is also probably a little lower than most people like for a dirt drop, I like it because I use the hoods as well. I also didn't want a susp. corrected fork, so I designed it around On-One's 440 A-C fork and raised the brake bosses. I finished it up last week and have taken it out several times on the local trails. Its great, everything I wanted. I have decided to change the cantis to vbrakes for the extra stopping power. It has no finish yet in the picture below, I haven't decided if I want to just clear coat it or paint it.


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## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

sweet!

I say powdercoat, something about a white CX bike that just looks right (when it's dirty and all).


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## SelfPropelledDevo (Oct 2, 2005)

*hunter 29er*

so this is my newest bike...

and check out who i got to meet today...

pretty cool


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

I'm jealous of both the self-built bike by The Boy and the new Hunter. Both are really sweet.

So, hanging with the likes of Herbold and Fisher. Not too bad of company. I think it's funny that almost every pic you ever see of Herbold after his racing days he's got a beer in his hand.


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## sfsean (Feb 25, 2008)

*I saw that guy*

the hunter that is, propped up against a wtb booth on sunday. very pretty  
you see gary more often when you live in Fairfax


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## SelfPropelledDevo (Oct 2, 2005)

ya, i was hanging out with Pete at WTB, talkin tyres...


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

sfsean said:


> you see gary more often when you live in Fairfax


That's a LOOOONG commute to Madison, WI daily.


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## Evil Chocula (Jan 31, 2007)

Bump... I likey this thread.


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## ckranak (Oct 13, 2007)

*my traffic*

i have a traffic cycles fixed cross bike. i am running 42c ritchey zed tires. i ride this bike 99% of the time. i love it. my picture is too large to upload, but there is a picture of me doing a wheelie off a drop on the homepage of my website:
www.muddyfixedgear.com. there is also a better picture of the bike in the gallery section.


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## GrumpyOne (Jan 7, 2004)

Linked photo from your site....

Looks like a fun bike.

jw



ckranak said:


> i have a traffic cycles fixed cross bike. i am running 42c ritchey zed tires. i ride this bike 99% of the time. i love it. my picture is too large to upload, but there is a picture of me doing a wheelie off a drop on the homepage of my website:
> www.muddyfixedgear.com. there is also a better picture of the bike in the gallery section.


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## theMotoMan (Feb 21, 2008)

ckranak,

That trail in the photo looks familiar. Is it Marshal Mesa, near Marshal, CO? If so, that is one of my favorite lunch time rides.


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## ckranak (Oct 13, 2007)

Thanks for linking my photo. Yes it is Marshal Mesa. It is a nice little trail.


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## that guy again (Oct 6, 2006)

I can't believe no one's posted the Tomac DB10 replica.










More pics of the original here.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

that guy again said:


> I can't believe no one's posted the Tomac DB10 replica.


Cool bike. I don't think it qualifies as a monstercross though. It's just an awesome drop-bar hardtail 26er.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

that guy again said:


> I can't believe no one's posted the Tomac DB10 replica


Nice mountain bike, when did you get it? I thought they were all custom and just announced at Sea Otter? It seems like a very quick build time, you must have plunked your money down at the event; what did it cost you?


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

Nat said:


> Cool bike. I don't think it qualifies as a monstercross though. It's just an awesome drop-bar hardtail 26er.


True. Front suspension and 26" wheels definitely disqualify it, but the full drop bars, not just Midges, make that thing look wicked. If it's supposed to be a replica, where are the carbon tubes?


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

I'm most appreciating the neo-vintage Manitou fork. It's awesome!


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

*Moots*

Moots calls it a Mooto-X. Hipsters call it a monster cross. Dorks call it a twennyniner. Grouches call it a drop-bar mountain bike.

I call it my road bike.


It'd be accurate to call this a clean cockpit. It'd also be accurate to say that I'm a fan of that.

29 x 42t up front with an 11/28 out back. Great for riding any road in this county and any other. But also darn good for hitting certain fun trails too.

As pictured it has some new shoes: brand spankin' tubeless Bontrager 1.75's. I've been riding it for ~two months with detubed 2.1's and loving _them_ in/on the snow/slop/ice. I guess I installed the 1.75's because they lean a lot closer to the true nature of the bike. 2.1's swayed it awfully far to the mtb side.


Moots stem, Midge bars, and ESI roadie grips.


The roadie grouppo was procured in an I'd-be-a-fool-to-say-no-to-this-deal sorta deal, and it works pretty well. There's a Willits Type II fork under that filth that's as smooth as any fork has a right to be. This is my second Willits Type II in this lifetime and if I ever need another rigid fork there's no doubt about the shape it'll take or the hands it'll be made by. Not enough "O's" in the word smooooooove to describe it.


I used to have a ricky-racer crotch rocket road bike when I was racing and training bunches. Very light, very fast, sorta comfy. I bonded with it immediately and really enjoyed riding it, *except* when I'd pass by a dirt road leading to a dirt trail that happened to be very fun. And even then sometimes I'd go for a fun cruise on the singletrack on my 100psi 23's. But as novel and gee-whiz inducing as riding a road bike on singletrack can be, it wasn't as fun as it could have been and it was definitely not a good long term plan.

So I punted that bike and went roadie-less for over a year while I thunk hard about what the replacement needed to be.

And this is it. Smoove, versatile, practical. Fun.

That about sums it up.

Cheers,

MC


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## jgsatl (Sep 16, 2006)

well, that just made me pointy.


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## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

mikesee said:


> Smoove, versatile, practical. Fun.


Well done. :thumbsup: Do the smaller DryX tires have the same AR casing of their big brother?


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

GreenLightGo said:


> Well done. :thumbsup: Do the smaller DryX tires have the same AR casing of their big brother?


Si.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

Mike... I love the Moots... whatever it may be. I'm sure there's a reason that you put the King lower race in that way but you obviously don't need to tell us why. I've never seen "grip tape" like that. I've never heard of ESL so I don't know where you'd get it either. 

Anyway.... beautiful ride. One of the nicer Moots bikes that I've ever seen.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

1 Speed said:


> Mike... I love the Moots... whatever it may be. I'm sure there's a reason that you put the King lower race in that way but you obviously don't need to tell us why. I've never seen "grip tape" like that. I've never heard of ESL so I don't know where you'd get it either.
> 
> Anyway.... beautiful ride. One of the nicer Moots bikes that I've ever seen.


Both King races are reversed. It is just a funky thang riders do..... or a secret society, who knows. 

ESI Grips (link) are available from most shops and Internet/Mail Order companies.


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## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

mikesee said:


> Si.


Gracias Senor


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## dfcas (Jan 12, 2004)

I think I can fit 29 Mutano Raptors on my monster cross project,but they seem to be discontinued. LBS said QBP no longer lists them.

Are they still available anywhere?


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## LFASS (Sep 23, 2007)

winter CX racing mode... same as everyone else's surly...


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## SSBonty (Jan 30, 2004)

Mikesee - beautiful looking bike, nice to see it with mud and roadsalt on! I have a stem question - how does that work then?! Looks like the topcap is inside the stem so can't be used to tighten it all down. Also looks like a good solution to the high rise stem thing, but I'm guessing they aren't going into production. Guess I just have to get friendly enough with an out of this world ti builder that they'll do me one off stems, snow bikes, trailers, racks etc! (Only ever so slightly envious...)


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## SSBonty (Jan 30, 2004)

So, is monstercross defined by a tyre size or a state of mind. I don't know either, but for me THIS is monstercross:

http://www.sandsmachine.com/a_swa_r1.htm

SnS coupled drop barred on and off road all round machine. That got hit head on by a Harley and was wrecked. And was then brought back to life. Even if the tyres say it ain't quite monstercross, you can't get much more rock n roll than that!

ps - I have no way of knowing, but James Annan may well be the James Annan who has gotten most sussy fork manufacturers to go to forward dropouts or through axles in the last coupla years.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

SSBonty said:


> So, is monstercross defined by a tyre size or a state of mind.


My understanding of the concept was from this thread.

I understand it to be a road or cross designed frame with drop bars, that runs bigger tires than the UCI allows in cyclocross races. I think it is a slight to extreme frankenbike that takes a rider into rougher terrain than what the original manufacturer intended the bike to be used.

That said, a bike is a bike, and I love them all. Just ride. :thumbsup:


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

slocaus said:


> My understanding of the concept was from this thread.
> 
> I understand it to be a road or cross designed frame with drop bars, that runs bigger tires than the UCI allows in cyclocross races. I think it is a slight to extreme frankenbike that takes a rider into rougher terrain than what the original manufacturer intended the bike to be used.
> 
> That said, a bike is a bike, and I love them all. Just ride. :thumbsup:


Wasn't Vulture-Wade the guy who first coined the term? Someone should ask him. He's still in town here (I think) but I haven't seen him in 3 years or so.


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## SSBonty (Jan 30, 2004)

Yeah sorry, I was just stirring a little with that! Glad no-one was offended, and you offered a good explanation (I read the whole thread through last night and pretty much the same concept is in there somewhere too). Just been measuring my generic ally cross frame with generic carbon forks, and whadda you know, there seems to be room for at least 1.8"ers, maybe even 2.0"ers... things is lookin interestin!

Just FYI, as I'm coming from the MTB tyre sizes in inches perspective, I thought I'd look at what the common mm tyre sizes are in inches:

35mm (UCI max?) = 1.379" (so near enough 1.4")
40mm = 1.57599999999999" (so near enough 1.6")
45mm = 1.773" (so near enough 1.8")
and 50mm = 1.97" (so near enough 2")

You probably all know that already, but it helped get my head around what people were talking about. Ain't internet converters brilliant?!


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## Crotaline (Apr 12, 2004)

So if I want to convert my KM into a monstercross-ish ride... 

Im looking at the Midge bars from On One, but the shifter/brake situation is killing me. I can't justify dropping 300 bucks on something that I know will get beat on. Most of the bikes shown are Single-speed, and I am not that fit. Never will be either. I like the beer too much.

No way in hell I can afford the SRAM Double-tap either. Nice as it may be.

If I run say the Cane Creek Drop V levers, what do I do about the gears? (I am running a 1x9 right now, and am exceedingly happy with it. Coming back from a jaunt with singlespeeding which was just too much effort for the lack of fun i was having. I'll keep my fixie for that.) Imnot confortable with the idea of bar-end shifters on something Ill be using off-road, so other options anyone?

I guess I could keep my XTR shifter on the top, but then it kinds ruins the whole thing, IMHO.

Thx for any feedback.


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## dankilling (Feb 24, 2004)

Crotaline said:


> So if I want to convert my KM into a monstercross-ish ride...
> 
> Im looking at the Midge bars from On One, but the shifter/brake situation is killing me. I can't justify dropping 300 bucks on something that I know will get beat on. Most of the bikes shown are Single-speed, and I am not that fit. Never will be either. I like the beer too much.
> 
> ...


You're not really leaving yourself many options here  - The only other thing you could do is see about getting a paul thumbie adapter and a bar-end shifter- that might be your best bet.


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## midtnSS (Apr 26, 2004)

*Thumbies for me for my 1 x 9*

I prefer thumbies but bar end shifters are cheap too. Kelly take offs can be found on ebay sometimes. All work well.


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## Crotaline (Apr 12, 2004)

I guess my next question would be, does the Midge bar have cable-runs for that sort of shifter? I know my Syntace TT bar does for my bar-end brake (that i no longer use...) 

Thanks. I know I'm limiting myself with my options, but thanks again. I might go with the Cane Creek Drop levers and bar-end shifters. I can always store them or sell them i guess.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Crotaline said:


> I guess my next question would be, does the Midge bar have cable-runs for that sort of shifter? I know my Syntace TT bar does for my bar-end brake (that i no longer use...)
> 
> Thanks. I know I'm limiting myself with my options, but thanks again. I might go with the Cane Creek Drop levers and bar-end shifters. I can always store them or sell them i guess.


Are you going to run disc or canti? I've seen posts of others using the Cane Creek for discs, but they did not work for me, and I did not want to have to swap to road BB-7 calipers. The Tektro RL-520 is a linear pull and works great with my BB-7 mountain discs, plus I like the feel of the hoods better.


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## justinb (Apr 1, 2006)

Crotaline said:


> I guess my next question would be, does the Midge bar have cable-runs for that sort of shifter? I know my Syntace TT bar does for my bar-end brake (that i no longer use...)
> 
> Thanks. I know I'm limiting myself with my options, but thanks again. I might go with the Cane Creek Drop levers and bar-end shifters. I can always store them or sell them i guess.


Bar-end shifters are fairly inexpensive, even more so if you go with used. I wouldn't be too nervous about used compared to a used STI lever, since there is much less to go wrong on a bar-end. Since you have a TT bar, you may already have these. They also have decent resale with the Tri-Geek crowd. They also work well with the short drop on the Midge, adding just a little extra length to the bar. I downshift using the heel of my palm on the pinkie side of my hand, and upshift with my ring finger. It works well, and becomes second nature.

The Midge has no grooves, but having a little cable under your tape really isn't a big deal. Have the housing exit the tape just before the first major bend,

The Tektro RL-520 and the Cane Creek Drop-V should be the same lever, since Tektro makes the Cane Creek levers. Up to you whether you like skinks on your hoods or not.


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## climbbikesurf (Mar 6, 2007)

Crotaline said:


> So if I want to convert my KM into a monstercross-ish ride...
> 
> Im looking at the Midge bars from On One, but the shifter/brake situation is killing me. I can't justify dropping 300 bucks on something that I know will get beat on. Most of the bikes shown are Single-speed, and I am not that fit. Never will be either. I like the beer too much.
> 
> ...


I just built up my Cross Check and was coming up with the same problems. I didn't want integrated brifters in case (okay, when) I crash and be out a couple hundred bucks. So I was debating between bar end, downtube or thumb shifters.

For the thumb shifters, you can use Paul Thumbies or go cheap and use the Sun Race thumb shifters for $13 from Rivendell (http://www.rivbike.com/products/list/shifters_and_derailers#product=none). It was designed for mtn bikes, so get a longer bolt and bend the clamp to fit the Midge bars.

I didn't consider the downtube shifters too long since I didn't want to take my hands off the bars to shift while offroading.

I ended up going with the bar end shifters since the Midge bar drops have a short straight section below the bend. The bar end shifters adds that extra little 1/2 to 1 inch which is a bit more comfortable. Also nice be able to shift with my hands on the bars.

For the levers, I was using Shimano Tiagra but ordered the Tektro R200 since I like having the lever release for my canti brakes.


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## Singular (Sep 21, 2005)

Bar end shifters are the way to go I reckon. I normally ride SS but for a recent trip to Switzerland I thought it might be wise to fit some gears.










Sam


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## momentum... (Dec 14, 2007)

I'd definitely recommend a bar-end shifter having recently converted by cross check from ss to 1x9 and using midge bars. You are in the drops on midges for most of the time and so the bar end shifter is really convenient and easy to use.


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## thomasali (Nov 13, 2004)

I am going to build a monster' using a new 2006 Kona Major Jake frame I have found online, its going to be used mainly for commuting, so will run big slicks most of the time, but I have loads of 29er tyres knocking about........ it going to have avid cable discs f+r and a carbon fork that has loads of clearance and is disc compatible. (maybe Pace?)


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## M_S (Nov 18, 2007)

Get the Nashbar Carbon Cross fork. It's a re badged Winwood for like half the price.

My cross bike will be getting more monsterish this fall, I think. It's currently very road like 
with a saddle to bar drop, road drop bars, and 2x9 gearing. Were it not my road bike as well as my cross bike I would run this:

-Shallow drop bars, maybe with flare. Salsa perhaps?
-1x9. Simple. Light. Don't need a double for cross racing, since my sprint is weak.
-Bar-end shifter. Brifters are great for the road, but in a really muddy cross race friction would be nice...and it's cross. I'd rather be able to dump a bunch of gears than to be constantly clicking back and forth to find the right cadence.
-MTB rear derailleur

I would use a mountain cassette for tooling around and the really gnarly races and a road cassette for the other races. The more standard road drivetrain would probably be kept ina bin in case I still want to use the beast as my road bike.

I only wish the bike had clearance for bigger than ~700x40 in the rear. At least I can run a Panaracer Fire Cross in the front


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## bw286 (Oct 14, 2007)

here's my attempt-
CL touring frame


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## Sick Sticks (Jan 18, 2008)

*Salsa La Cruz Monster Cyclocross*

By the size of the tire one could fit in this frame I declare this qualifies as a Monster Crosser. See my ad below.
http://classifieds.mtbr.com/showproduct.php?product=22433&cat=


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## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

Man, you better keep that wheel *true*. Looks rad. I dig it.


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## tg (Feb 1, 2006)

*Can I be in the club?*

Can't remember if I posted cross pics before but here ya go. 10 YEARS OLD but it still rips. Tires are IRC 42s


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

I've always lamented not buying one of those old Salsa Cyclocross frames when I could've gotten it at EP cost. 

That's a beautiful ride!


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## ATXSS (Mar 15, 2004)

*Thats dope*



tg said:


> Can't remember if I posted cross pics before but here ya go. 10 YEARS OLD but it still rips. Tires are IRC 42s


I especially like the look of the fork with that classic frame geometry.

Time to go search for an all salsa bike thread in the Retro forum...


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## CanOnlyRide (Oct 27, 2005)

this is a sick thread! Thanks!


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## freakforti (Mar 4, 2004)

*XCross = 28 = 29 ...*

... or what ever

heres my old faithful Rewel Titanium - jsu updated with some newer parts taking me trough a lot of stuff for years now ....

even was able to convince my girlfriend to give it a try - building up a VanNicholas Ti shure helped aswell :thumbsup:

regards

Martin


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## unoveloce (Sep 7, 2004)

*Here's Mine*

Mike made this for me last fall. I usually keep WTB Interwolf tires on it, since most of my "monstercross" rides involve about half pavement. This bike allows me to take my 50 minute commute and turn it into a sweet 2.5 hour adventure ride. I love this bike, maybe most of all of my bikes. I have four others of Mike's bikes that I absolutely love, so that's saying alot.


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

unoveloce said:


> I have four others of Mike's bikes


How about pictures of the others?


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## abubaka (Oct 31, 2004)

Genuine Coconino Monster Cross Goodness! Built by the man himself--the Honorable Steve Garro---proudly owned and ridden wayyyyy down south in Wellington, NZ. Adorned with bits from the geniuses of the wonderful world of bicycles--King, Paul, Thomson, Nitto, Alpha Q et al. I love this bike. Have ridden her on 150 mile fixed gear epics, geared over the passes of the S. Island, and as you see her on the great bush tracks of Wellington.


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## Gambler (Jul 21, 2005)

*Blacksheep Monster*

I''ve been riding this one a lot recently - really enjoy it. Set up as an 8 speed.


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## Clink (Oct 29, 2006)

Thats fab! Do you know if any other BS drop-specifics have been built?


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## hokeypokey3 (Sep 27, 2004)

Now that is an amazing bike! Love the simplistic, yet elegant lines! Especially the curved seatstays and fork.

When daydreaming of the next bike (funny how there is always a next bike in my dreams)
I see a curved seatstay or softtail design instead of my Niner MCR monstercross. Until now it has always been a Curtlo 24 hour or Epic, Moots or when really dreaming a Castellano Silk Ti to match my current XC/AM equipped Silk Ti 29. Absolutely love that bike!
Happy trails,
Tim


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## buddhak (Jan 26, 2006)

*Oh snap*

Coconino MonsterX...so fine. How is that brake set-up working for you?



abubaka said:


> Genuine Coconino Monster Cross Goodness! Built by the man himself--the Honorable Steve Garro---proudly owned and ridden wayyyyy down south in Wellington, NZ. Adorned with bits from the geniuses of the wonderful world of bicycles--King, Paul, Thomson, Nitto, Alpha Q et al. I love this bike. Have ridden her on 150 mile fixed gear epics, geared over the passes of the S. Island, and as you see her on the great bush tracks of Wellington.


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## abubaka (Oct 31, 2004)

The brakes work well. They're designed for use with road levers. The tt levers use the same leverage, plus they free up a bit more space on the moustache bar for my hands. I also used Nokon cables for a nice positive feel, and plenty of power. It's a very light set up.


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## D_Man (Jan 7, 2004)

Clink said:


> Thats fab! Do you know if any other BS drop-specifics have been built?


Yep, mine is just such a beast. It's been posted at least twice in this thread, so I hesitate to post it again.


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

I've uploaded as much of my photo collection as flickr allows here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157606306503239/

Hope they inspire some more neat builds.


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## Gambler (Jul 21, 2005)

Nice work - thanks. The hillarious part is that I have nearly all of those in my drop bar photo folder!


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

Glad to hear it, maybe I'm not a psychopath after all.

The folder has around 400 images total, though. I had to remove all of the repeats of a given bike, as well as a bunch of the vintage rides. It was tough deciding what had to go.


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## mrkillerwhale (Jan 10, 2008)

*make that 3 Psychopaths*



Gambler said:


> Nice work - thanks. The hillarious part is that I have nearly all of those in my drop bar photo folder!


heehee, me too! 
great flickr page, was shocked to see that mine (cries tree sap) made it lots of inspiration has been gleamed from some of the other piccies


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## duotone (Dec 31, 2006)

Just built it... I'll be testing it out, probably get a new fork and canti's on...


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## M_S (Nov 18, 2007)

K2 Enemy with 700x40 Speedmaxes


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## Pottser (Jan 30, 2004)

ink1373 said:


> I've uploaded as much of my photo collection as flickr allows here:
> 
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157606306503239/
> 
> Hope they inspire some more neat builds.


This is a great collection. I love dropbar-bikes. Anybody seeking any inspiration should definitely visit your site. I don't think there is more variation of dropbarbikes around. I feel honored to find two of my bikes in your collection. One even shows twice (with different paint).


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## GrumpyOne (Jan 7, 2004)

Funny, I have two bikes in there as well and my Chester shows up twice with slightly different builds. Here's another shot of my Chester, this time with Pace fork and a Dos ENO setup. :thumbsup:

jw



Pottser said:


> This is a great collection. I love dropbar-bikes. Anybody seeking any inspiration should definitely visit your site. I don't think there is more variation of dropbarbikes around. I feel honored to find two of my bikes in your collection. One even shows twice (with different paint).


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

Chesters definitely got preferential treatment during the photo selection process. I consider Matt/Rudi to be the godfathers of this style of bike.

Really nice setups, all three.


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## Kam (Jan 12, 2004)

more pics of my monstercross with fatter rubber. 1.9 karma up front (sucks as a front tire,need to find a 1.9/2.0 tire that corners better)) and a 1.75 bonty dry x rear set up ghetto tubeless on a aerohead rim.

frame by eric baar at ground up. steel, stainless steel ss droupouts.internal rear brake routing in the toptube. fork by rick hunter. they both pair for an amazing ride.

<img src=https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3125/2710512159_3270389c01_b.jpg>

<img src=https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3057/2710520463_624bbb2e12_b.jpg>

<img src=https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/2710515817_c90a3786f6_b.jpg>


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Here's my monstercross conversion of my Waltworks. Off came the Titec H bar, on went the Midges and that darn stem riser thingy:



















The stem riser is dorktastic, but it's what I needed to get my bars up where I wanted them. I haven't taken this for anything more than a test ride up the block, but I'm looking forward to getting it out soon.

Eric


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## Schmucker (Aug 23, 2007)

If you were getting a custom frame, why not just have a longer head tube?


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

I wasn't thinking monstercross when I ordered it, and this is just an experiment anyway. My bigger custom mistake was getting track ends instead of an EBB or sliders. Stupid no good track ends :madman:



Schmucker said:


> If you were getting a custom frame, why not just have a longer head tube?


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## Clink (Oct 29, 2006)

Whats wrong with the track ends? (are they the Surly ones?)


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Most of my frustration comes when I try to use my flip flop hub: Open the QR, disassemble the Surly chain tug, slacken the chain, remove the wheel, remove the QR, reassemble the Surly chain tug on the other side, etc. Plus it seems my wheel is never quite centered.

These are the Surly KM track ends. My original intention was to use Cross Check like forward facing dropouts, which would have been much more usable than the rear opening kind, but there were some builder/client issues there.



Clink said:


> Whats wrong with the track ends? (are they the Surly ones?)


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## Schmucker (Aug 23, 2007)

Get the Sinz or Redline axle tensioners for $10 so you have one for both sides, or another Tuggnut. Convert to a bolt on axle if you swap to the Sinz/Redline variety. This allows you to exactly position the wheel as centered. When removing the wheel, no dissassembly or adjustment of the tensioners is required. Just loosen the nuts/QR, slide the tensioners out of the way, move the wheel forward, flip the chain off, remove the wheel. When reinstalling, the tensioners have already been set to achieve proper tension, so you can just pop them back on without dinking with it. Very quick and easy really. What is disappointing to me is that Walt doesn't do disc compatible track ends, only sliders. I love track ends.


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## dtheo (Sep 18, 2005)

*Karmas*

Agree that the Karma is rather unenlightening up front in soft corners. Its ok on the rear but my bike looks too dorky with it and a Dry X 1.8 on the front - its just too small in comparison. 
Any recommendations on a good replacement? I could just put on a 2.0 but that's a bit more than I need. Maybe I should just run a set of Bonty 1.8s
Nice bike, btw

DT



Kam said:


> more pics of my monstercross with fatter rubber. 1.9 karma up front (sucks as a front tire,need to find a 1.9/2.0 tire that corners better)) and a 1.75 bonty dry x rear set up ghetto tubeless on a aerohead rim.


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## midtnSS (Apr 26, 2004)

*Fire Cross ?*

I ran the Fire Cross front and Bonty 1.8 on the rear and it was OK. Cushy, grips great, rolls slow


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## skogorbet (Sep 2, 2005)

*karate monkey project*

Here is my attempt at a monstercross. Bought it from a friend a month ago and it is slowly morphing into something different. I use it mostly for dirt road commuting, but have done some steep singletrack as well. It has Mary knockoff bars by Origin 8 flipped over. Kenda 700x42 tires, I also have another set of wheels running 29x2.3. On the way are some Midge bars and bar end shifters, I'll give the drop bars a try.


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## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

ok MX fans, quick query...
wanted to know how wide some of those drop bars are.
I've got my soma major taylors, LOVE them... but no hydro lever would fit on them (they're too large in diameter) and besides that they're only 39's.
great for inner city lane splitting, but in the bush I'm thinking a bit more width might be a good idea.

I was thinking as a franken-fix for the brakes; I could jam a plug into the ends of the bars that's a smaller diameter, run the hydro levers backwards tri-bike style, and then run banjo fittings on my lines so they angled inwards instead of shooting straight back.

Bit excessive to engineer, might not be anywhere close to pretty, and I'm unsure about running the lever body on a push-in plug, maybe epoxy it in? 

Suggestions/comments?

My avid cable discs are being run with my sti's on my commuter-cross thingie, this 29er bike's looking to be a single speeder and I don't want to buy new cable drawn disc brakes when I've got great hydros in the house.
So don't suggest that, option's been considered and rejected already. :nono:


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## Schmucker (Aug 23, 2007)

You won't be able to achieve proper leverage with the levers reversed. The ergonomics will be all screwed up. It will work, just not well.


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## midtnSS (Apr 26, 2004)

*If your commited*

Machine out the clamp of your brake levers but you can't go back without shims later. There will still be no hoods to ride and reach to lever may be jacked up. Someday there will be a lever like this made.


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## duotone (Dec 31, 2006)

The origin 8 gary bar is the same diameter as a MTB bar and you can go to their website to get the width.... I love'm


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## ATXSS (Mar 15, 2004)

seat_boy said:


> Most of my frustration comes when I try to use my flip flop hub: Open the QR, disassemble the Surly chain tug, slacken the chain, remove the wheel, remove the QR, reassemble the Surly chain tug on the other side, etc. Plus it seems my wheel is never quite centered.
> 
> These are the Surly KM track ends. My original intention was to use Cross Check like forward facing dropouts, which would have been much more usable than the rear opening kind, but there were some builder/client issues there.


For whatever it's worth the track fork ends/V-brake specific design is my favorite part of your bike. I've gone from that to disc single speeds and now I long to revert back to the simple original. My reasons are cosmetic preference and simplistic/minimalist technologies. I've gotten to the point personally where I think this is what a single speed should be. I miss my old 1x1.


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## justinb (Apr 1, 2006)

Has anyone MX'd a Raleigh XXIX? I'm thinking it might be awesome since the fork isn't suspension corrected (on '07 and '08 versions), but then again, maybe the front end is just too low to get a dirt drop high enough. Thoughts?


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

I want a bike just like that- only SS. Nice work.


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## rockhound (Dec 19, 2005)

unoveloce said:


> Mike made this for me last fall. I usually keep WTB Interwolf tires on it, since most of my "monstercross" rides involve about half pavement. This bike allows me to take my 50 minute commute and turn it into a sweet 2.5 hour adventure ride. I love this bike, maybe most of all of my bikes. I have four others of Mike's bikes that I absolutely love, so that's saying alot.


unoveloce,

How do you like those brakes compared to canti's?


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## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

Here are a couple of budget monster-x-ers that I completed this spring and summer for my GF and I. Last year we moved out of the city and even further from the XC trails. However, we've got instant access to miles upon miles of clay and gravel roads. Monstercrossers were the obvious choice for the terrain.










I converted an old Peugeot that was made in Canada first. If anyone is familiar with the UO14 designation, please enlighten me. Most other UO models were tourers, but this bike lacks most of the braze-ons and eyelets that are common on tourers. The only other UO14 I've come across was a mixte. Go figure.










This bike was made by Procycle (owners of both CCM [Canadian dept. store quality] and Rocky Mountain bikes who have also licensed the Miele, and Velo-Sport names in the past) in Quebec. It features a low-end Reynolds seat-tube and the rest of the tubing is unspecified.

Sarah's bike was made by Peugeot France with Carbolite tubes. She has lots of clearance on the fork, but the rear stays are tight, and I could only fit a Maxxis Raze 35c. Strangely, I have the opposite problem. Clearance is tight on my unicrown Peugeot fork. A Crosscheck fork might be in my future.










There's nothing too crazy going on here. Both bikes were originally specced with 27" wheels and happened to fit 700c's with fatties. I scrounged the wheels from the local bike shops' back rooms. Interwolf 38c's front and rear on the red bike, and front only on the black bike. Neither bike has canti mounts, but I haven't encountered any clearance problems with the brakes. My brakes were updated with Tektro 556 _loooong _ reach brakes. Big improvement, but they've got even more adjustment than I need.

Sarah's running Gary bars, I'm on WTB's due to my xxl gloves. I think we're both happy.I finished both bars with hemp whipping and I shellacked my tan tape for the faux-leather look. My Brooks saddle was a fantastic find. It's weathered and comfortable and was black in a former life. Shortly after these pictures were taken, it actually fell in the brook.:eekster: How _apropos_.

Thanks to the folks that have contributed to this thread and to the Rivendell folks for their help and inspiration.

C.

PS- Both bikes now feature cork bar ends for safety and class. :thumbsup: Thanks for looking.


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## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

Wow. Those both look amazing. Super nice job. That red Peugeot looks really dialed. Very nice.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

CLONG said:


> Here are a couple of budget monster-x-ers that I completed this spring and summer for my GF and I. Last year we moved out of the city and even further from the XC trails. However, we've got instant access to miles upon miles of clay and gravel roads. Monstercrossers were the obvious choice for the terrain.


Cool, sweet bikes, built in the true spirit of monster cross. Very well done! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

I'm really wishing I could find an old bike like one of those Peugeots to make a Monster-X bike out of too. They're everywhere here... well, everywhere but where I need them anyway.


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## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

Hey, thanks for the props, guys, I really appreciate it. These bikes were a labour of love. My GF and I rode them on a 30-day ride challenge (_a la_ the Old Coot, a ride every day for 30 days) which we finished a couple of weeks ago. It was a great way to get to spend some extra time every day with my girl besides time spent in front of the TV. We had lots of fun and recommend it to others

Slocaus, I don't want to sound stuck up but I really did feel that this project was somewhat in the 'spirit' of MX. I like to think I took 'road' bikes and made 'dirt-road' bikes out of them. I love the converted frames on this thread (esp. the Salsa and other Peugeots) much more than the ground up builds (pardon the pun) and I was thinking of those while I worked.

1Speed, just keep you eye out on local used-goods websites, that's where I found my GF's ride. I passed on a few that I didn't think were quite right, and it still only took a few weeks to find the right bike. I wanted something that would not be a nightmare of clashing 'standards' and was mostly functional already so that I wouldn't need to spend a fortune upgrading. Luckily the frames we needed were at either end of the size bell-curve, and were not being bought up by local hipsters for urban fixxies.

SSSasky, thanks for the compliment, and let me say I love the look of the Tweed that was reviewed in DirtRag. If I ever wear out this old frame I'll probably replace it with a Tweed. What's the tire clearance like on those frame/forks?

I was considering some custom paint for a home project, but I don't think I can bear to cover the classic colours of these old bikes. They bear scars from their former owners, and I'm sure there are some good stories to go along with them, even though I'll never hear them. They look 'previously loved,' know what I mean?

Thanks again, guys.

C.


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## ~gomez~ (Sep 26, 2006)

the black bike


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## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

CLONG: the clearance on the Tweed for 2008 was about 45mm. The rear triangle is being redone for 2009, so I'll get some measurements as soon as we have the bikes in hand. I doubt it will change much. Big tire clearance was a priority with these frames.


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## axcxnj (Jun 23, 2008)

got new WTB mountain drop bars, i cant wait to give them a go this weekend

next step is some fatter tires once i wear through these puny 30c guys


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## Crank'nStein (Jan 23, 2006)

*Nice job!*

Very clean job. Is that frame steel? Where did you get it?

I have been looking for a steel single speed 'cross bike..


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## axcxnj (Jun 23, 2008)

yep its steel, rides pretty nice. i got it from bikes direct, $400...cant beat it...although i have a bit more into it now with the wheels and handlebars


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

axcxnj said:


> got new WTB mountain drop bars, i cant wait to give them a go this weekend
> 
> next step is some fatter tires once i wear through these puny 30c guys


Is Motobecane making CX bikes again? I love this one! Where'd it come from? My old CX bike (insert regret here) was a real pro race bike from back in the original heyday of CX. I sold it to a buddy because I could only fit a 32 max on the rear. Man, I miss that bike though.


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## axcxnj (Jun 23, 2008)

bikesdirect


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## Ze_Zaskar (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi
I'm about to buy a new framset. My brain tells me Singular Swift, but my heart totally felt in love with the Peregrine. However, Sam, from Singular, warned me that the Peregrine is designed for "light offroad", so I obviously have to be carefull with jumps and that kind of stuff. That leaves me curious about how hard do you ride your monstercross bikes. Do you use it as a normal XC bike? Or more like a CX on steroids?
Thanks in advance for the answers


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## c_m_shooter (Mar 8, 2007)

Ride it like an XC bike. I have Cross Check and the frame can handle any thing that I can. (remeber no suspension or cushy tires to soak anything up) The tires and your skills are the limit when it gets rough. If you run a lot of pressure, you can get away with more, but you get beat up in the process, so you have to figure out what works for you.


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## Ze_Zaskar (Jan 3, 2008)

My ideia with the peregrine was to run normal 29er tyres, something like 2.0's, and my current bike is a rigid 26'', so confort is'nt my main concern. I'm much more worried with the resistance of the frame


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## jmw (Feb 25, 2005)

Crosscheck won't fit 2.0" tires though....



c_m_shooter said:


> Ride it like an XC bike. I have Cross Check and the frame can handle any thing that I can. (remeber no suspension or cushy tires to soak anything up) The tires and your skills are the limit when it gets rough. If you run a lot of pressure, you can get away with more, but you get beat up in the process, so you have to figure out what works for you.


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## jace (Sep 5, 2004)

C_m_shooter's point was that the inherent limitations of most monster-x bikes (thinner tires, drop bars, rim brakes, reduced standover, often fixed gear) which make them unfit for high-speed / highly technical terrain, also help prevent you from getting in over your head.

If you find yourself inclined toward hitting sweet jumps, or pointing at gardens of baby-carriage-sized rocks, leaning back, and hoping for the best, the Peregrine probably isn't a good choice.

MX bikes really excel at mixed-terrain (15 miles of pavement, 10 miles of gravel / fire road, 5 miles of buffed singletrack, rinse, repeat) and breathing new life into less challenging loops.

Everyone has a slightly different notion of "normal xc" conditions but I am _capable_ of riding 80-90% of my typical east coast terrain on a monster-xer, although in a much different manner than if I were on a legit mtb.

Less speed, no manualing, no foot+ air, no serious drop-ins. Which is fine. Lil' tires, drop bar cockpits, and mandatory pedaling has its own set of challenges and rushes.


----------



## moodster (Jan 22, 2005)

*My IF*

29er that I just took off my Jones bars and put on the Ball Laps, and I do like the setup!


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

Hot!


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## beewee (Mar 17, 2008)

*Raliegh Monster*

Here is my latest config;

08 xxix frame
igleheart fork
xtr 180 cranks/ 32t surly c-ring
paul hubs/ white 20t freewheel
thomson post/ pro condor carbon saddle
canecreek levers/ bb7 road mechanicals
king hs and bb
wtb bars/ ritchey adj stem
new belgium headbadge!

LOVE IT!


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## scottryana (Sep 7, 2008)

Can we get some more info? Is that a true custom? or one of IF's 29'r mountain bikes with drop bars? This is about perfect for my next bike.

Ryan.



moodster said:


> 29er that I just took off my Jones bars and put on the Ball Laps, and I do like the setup!


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## moodster (Jan 22, 2005)

*Yes*



scottryana said:


> Can we get some more info? Is that a true custom? or one of IF's 29'r mountain bikes with drop bars? This is about perfect for my next bike.
> 
> Ryan.


True custom 29er for me with drop bars and at the time they would not make suspension corrected fork to match for their own reasons so Vicious sent one over to them. It has Boone ti chainring phil wood bash gaurd, I have a number of Boone cogs. As someone noticed powdercoated cranks with CK BB, CK SS hubs. That is about it but it is a great bike and I like it better now w/the drop bars as compared to the Jones. It might have been time for a change?


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## JMKM (Jun 29, 2004)

*I've been meaning to post this for awhile.*

Fargo: Inspired by dirt drop riders from the 90's to Right Now. Inspires Wanderlust

Throughout the project of developing the Fargo it was the whole idea of defining what Monstercross was, seeing what the riders of GDR, TransIowa, and other adventure type riders were doing, The trend in custom built 29ers for Dirt Drops, and this thread that helped frame and inspire. I'm in love with this bike and I know there are others out there as well.

Thank You for contributing and keeping this thread going. Here's on of my favorite photos that I've taken so far, more can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmeiser/


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## croscoe (May 23, 2007)

I don't know what monstercross is, but here's my fixed gear road bike with 38s:


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## Crank'nStein (Jan 23, 2006)

*Niccceee!*

Very clean looking surly. What kind of saddle is that? Love the colors and look.


----------



## croscoe (May 23, 2007)

Thanks man, I'm really enjoying this bike. The saddle is a Charge Spoon.

http://www.chargebikes.com/products/parts/spoon.php


----------



## mtnfiend (Feb 26, 2004)

JMKM said:


> http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmeiser/


What front rack is that? It looks like something from Velo Orange. You might be interested in the Nitto M12 Randonneur style front rack, http://www.velo-orange.com/nimfrra.html. It's a great place to strap a larger silnylon bag with dense heavy items which are better suited to be placed up front and lower down.


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## ciber68 (Nov 19, 2008)

This is mine.

It's not a really monster cross because the wheels are 26", but it's funny :thumbsup:


----------



## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Here's the (drumroll please) first Singular Peregrine in the US. I updated my pictures to show it in true monstercross fashion: 2.1 knobbies, disc brakes, dinglespeed setup, and posed off road.



















34x20 off road gear, and 38x16 on road:









Lugs!









In MC form, this is the greatest looking bike I own. Problem is, there aren't really a lot of opportunities for the mixed terrain riding around here (Central Ohio motto: "we've paved it!") where a bike like this would shine. So it was a fun build, but it may quickly get turned into my child seat/town/touring bike. That'll still be good.

Eric


----------



## fux (Oct 21, 2006)

Do I qualify?



















I`m running 42mm schwalbe marathon winters, coverd by Planet Bikes, Cascadia`s.


----------



## burner (Mar 7, 2005)

my take on things... for urban LA riding w/ some fireroads.

Cross Check
Alfine 1x8 w/ 42T chainring

Rear tire is a Specialized Borough XC (700x45)
Front tire is a WTB Vulpine (2.1)

flipped mary's (double) wrapped to the stem for the extra hand positions. 
(love that Salsa leather bar tape)


----------



## helgi (May 9, 2006)

That's an interesting build


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

burner said:


> my take on things... for urban LA riding w/ some fireroads.
> 
> Cross Check
> Alfine 1x8 w/ 42T chainring
> ...


I have to ask...why not use the Cross-Check fork? Nice ride anyway but I'm curious.


----------



## burner (Mar 7, 2005)

1 Speed said:


> I have to ask...why not use the Cross-Check fork? Nice ride anyway but I'm curious.


didn't have a CC fork, kinda liked the idea of running a disc up front and having room for a full size 29er tire. Wasn't looking to build a traditional cross bike, just something fun... which it definitely is.


----------



## calzonical (Aug 30, 2005)

*Qball Version 2.0*

Here is version 1.0 of my attempt at a MonsterX.

Below you will find version 2.0 - Same frame but powder coated Yeti blue.


----------



## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

Looks good in Yeti colors


----------



## Marburg (Jan 31, 2007)

I'm about halfway towards drop-barring my Q. What sort of stem dimensions did you settle on?

Current plan is Midge + Tektro + Avid Road 185/165. Stem? I'm currently on a Thomson 100 x -5, which I'll flip up. Probably still too low, but it'll get me started.


----------



## Dirty Tiger (Nov 2, 2008)

ciber68 said:


> This is mine.
> 
> It's not a really monster cross because the wheels are 26", but it's funny :thumbsup:


I think 26ers can be MX.

I really like this bike, I love rigid Cannondales. It reminds me of my old 1995 M600.

I switchted to some funky Scott aero bars, added Nimbus slicks and replacef the pedals with BMX bear traps. I miss her.


----------



## Dirty Tiger (Nov 2, 2008)

Great thread! 

It has inspired me to MX my Monocog.


----------



## ciber68 (Nov 19, 2008)

Dirty Tiger said:


> I think 26ers can be MX.
> 
> I really like this bike, I love rigid Cannondales. It reminds me of my old 1995 M600.
> 
> I switchted to some funky Scott aero bars, added Nimbus slicks and replacef the pedals with BMX bear traps. I miss her.


Thank you, I also think that 26 or 29 can't make the difference between a MonsterCross or not.

The bar tape and the use of it are the distinctive elements.


----------



## marty_hd (Oct 26, 2005)

*Gary Fisher Ferrous*

My new (to me) Ferrous.










Cheers,
Marty


----------



## mtnfiend (Feb 26, 2004)

Sorry but not a monstercross. Nice bike though.


----------



## Schmucker (Aug 23, 2007)

mtnfiend said:


> Sorry but not a monstercross. Nice bike though.


I suppose it's a drop bar 29er, but it is on Stan's Crows which are a small 2.0, almost Monster Cross territory.


----------



## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

mtnfiend said:


> Sorry but not a monstercross. Nice bike though.


I'm mildly entertained by the confusion/debate over what monstercross is. :lol:

I have a cross bike, but I won't post it here, because it is not monster.


----------



## Dirty Tiger (Nov 2, 2008)

rkj__ said:


> I'm mildly entertained by the confusion/debate over what monstercross is. :lol:
> 
> I have a cross bike, but I won't post it here, because it is not monster.


What are the "rules"? To me, It seems like MX is a ATB cycling philosophy.


----------



## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

there are NO rules, ignore EVERYONE who says otherwise.

ultimately the point of the "cross" is the drop bars, and the point of the "monster" is larger than cyclocross sized tires.

since monstercross isn't a race category, there are no "rules", just self-indulgent "experts".

If some numbnutz wants to argue that 10mm larger, but not 15mm larger is the defining characteristic then let them (and ignore them)

For the record I feel that unless you're running frogleg brakes a la cyclo, then it couldn't POOOSSSIBLY be a monstercross so nothing with disc brakes counts.
BUT several years ago EVERYONE who was anyone ran suspension forks at the paris roubaix ROADRACE, so for me to consider a bike a road bike it must have front suspension!!

there, how ya like dem rulez!


----------



## jmoote (Aug 31, 2007)

Since the "rules" seem open to interpretation, here is mine:

Must have:
- 700c wheels
- drop bars
- clearance for at least 45c tires
- rim brakes

Advisable, but not required:
- singlespeed capable
- trendy (possibly custom) steel frame

What really draws the line between a MX and drop bar 29er for me is top tube length. I feel that MX should have 'cross bike geometry, just with large tires. You could say the Surly Cross Check is the prototypical production MX bike.


----------



## PanFry (Nov 9, 2007)

*Yes!*



jmoote said:


> Since the "rules" seem open to interpretation, here is mine:
> 
> Must have:
> - 700c wheels
> ...


Exactly.
:thumbsup:

PF


----------



## tg (Feb 1, 2006)

*Salsa Update*

Took the wheels off my road bike and put em on the old La Cruz. They ride sweet and the big tires make for a fun ride on our back yard trails ( All snowed out as of last night ) :madman: Anyway just thought I would share some new wheel / tire stoke.


----------



## fux (Oct 21, 2006)

Why the no disk "rule" ?

Are you a UCI official?


----------



## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

Can we gives the 'rules' a rest. Please. We all ride these bikes and very few of us race them. Why construct boundaries and rules around bikes that most of us turn to as an escape from conformity and pressure?

I don't fit the above since I can only fit 38c max in the front, but I don't think it's up to anyone to tell me I shouldn't share my bike and ride stoke. Of course there are some implicit guidelines, otherwise our bikes wouldn't all look so similar, but as others have said: there's no governing body. That's a good thing. It would be nice if people didn't try to claim that role for themselves. Lets keep the 'rules' rough.

None of us here bought an MX bike stock from a store. We all had our visions of the type of bike we wanted for the types of rides we had in mind and made it happen. Obviously we all have similar bikes in this thread, and each of us gains a singular joy from riding their bike the way they see fit, but don't dampen the collective joy by telling certain people that they do/don't belong to the 'club.'

Sorry for the rant, but this thread has given me lots of stoke. There are a lot of passionate people here who obviously ride for the joy of it. I don't think it's cool try try and dampen that passion with half-arsed bureaucracy.










Thanks for the stoke,

C.


----------



## Dirty Tiger (Nov 2, 2008)

I agree with Clong.

For me, cycling is a libertarian pursuit.


----------



## Dirty Tiger (Nov 2, 2008)

Quick, somebody build a 69er monster Cross!


----------



## banzai (Sep 22, 2005)

*Pugger*

GT Peace 9er


----------



## Dirty Tiger (Nov 2, 2008)

banzai said:


> GT Peace 9er


Awesome!


----------



## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

OMG. Some nice bikes the last few days. I love that Salsa and it looks rad with the new wheels.

The Peace9er looks so sweet. I've recently fallen for the fat-front look. Hard.

BTW, if anyone's not feelin' the love when they post their fat-tire bikes, here's my drop-bar 29er pic thread.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=462507


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

Dirty Tiger said:


> Quick, somebody build a 69er monster Cross!


That would then go in the 69'er forum under Monster 69'er which might then get blocked by Porn SPAM protection.


----------



## stevereeneo (Jul 16, 2007)

I agree with keeping the rules lax... it helps keep things interesting and encourages folks to be more creative which is why I love checking out the posts here!

I may look at a post and think - "It's just a 'cross bike..." But I still appreciate someone sharing their ride and thoughts.

S


----------



## mtnfiend (Feb 26, 2004)

Sorry for stirring the pot. I will stay quite.


----------



## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

mtnfiend said:


> Sorry for stirring the pot. I will stay quite.


No need to apologise or stay quiet. Stirring the pot can help people, myself included, clarify their positions in their own minds. How boring would this place be without a bit of real discussion? *yawn*

C.


----------



## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

jmoote said:


> Since the "rules" seem open to interpretation, here is mine:
> 
> Must have:
> - 700c wheels
> ...


By God, I think I nailed all the criteria!

Except...I'm not sure my self-made frame qualifies as trendy, except in form.


----------



## stevereeneo (Jul 16, 2007)

*It's ALIVE!!!!!*

I've taken to calling this my "franken-cross"... Frank for short.

I've been debating changing this over for a while and finally did it.

Monocog Flight, 1x9 (34 x 11-32), w/ old Ultegra levers...

I found the BB7 road calipers at Colorado Cyclist for $39! They only had "front" calipers - but I found out that the front and rear caliper is the same - it's just the adapter that differs between front and back. So I got 2 fronts and just used the rear adapter from my mtb calipers.

Just built it and took it for a spin in the snow... what a blast! Still some adjustments with position to play with... but this'll be fun for winter riding on dirt roads and commuting.

S


----------



## PanFry (Nov 9, 2007)

Congrats! I am itching to build up another (long story) but the last thing I need right now is more bike related debt... Dammit.

Enjoy, 

PF


----------



## HAGAY1974 (Oct 6, 2006)

*my monokog*

Dia comp and some bar found in the stable


----------



## khenry44 (May 2, 2004)

Just finished this up recently..


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

khenry44 said:


> Just finished this up recently..


Freakin' SEXY!!! What is it?


----------



## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

1 Speed said:


> Freakin' SEXY!!! What is it?


I guess - Kona based on the HT but that's just a guess.


----------



## GrumpyOne (Jan 7, 2004)

If you read the link at the bottom of his post, it looks like it's a frame he built. (?)

jw

Edit: Looks like he has a website as well: http://www.44bikes.com/



1 Speed said:


> Freakin' SEXY!!! What is it?


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

GreenLightGo said:


> I guess - Kona based on the HT but that's just a guess.


That's handbuilt goodness right there folks!!!

Rock on Kris!!!


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

He doesn't seem to want to toot his own horn so I'll toot if for him. http://44bikeco.blogspot.com/


----------



## mtnfiend (Feb 26, 2004)

Wow impressive...


----------



## ATXSS (Mar 15, 2004)

Banzai - which fork is that? Did you use the 110mm Pugsly fork?


----------



## helgi (May 9, 2006)

Another *gasp* for the Snake Driver.

Looks amazing!


----------



## dtheo (Sep 18, 2005)

*That thing deserves it's own genre*

Like Sasquatch Cross or something. Very cool. What fork do you use?



banzai said:


> GT Peace 9er


----------



## 251 (May 13, 2008)

This is my cross bike, an '01 Gunnar Crosshairs. Not exactly monster with 30mm rear and 32mm front tires, but I may try something fatter after seeing some of these.

Right after I bought it:









More recent photos:


















I think I have some room for larger tires:


----------



## banzai (Sep 22, 2005)

135 pugsley fork for the win


----------



## NAHTNOJ (Jan 12, 2004)

mikesee said:


> The roadie grouppo was procured in an I'd-be-a-fool-to-say-no-to-this-deal sorta deal, and it works pretty well.
> 
> MC


Amazingly, this is not your nicest bike. I love it, but that honor goes to the Snoots!

Care to talk about your brake set-up? They don't look like road BB7's?


----------



## fire horse (Mar 9, 2004)

*Me doin the Peak Season Cx Race Sunday*

Yet another drop bar KM, enjoy!


----------



## WTB-rider (Jul 25, 2004)

I'll throw my hat in the ring, nothing too special but I like it.


----------



## croscoe (May 23, 2007)

Very cool Moto. How are you liking the stainless bottle?


----------



## dustintendo (Jan 13, 2009)

i have a black 56cm fantom cross uno. mine is still stock and its my favorite bike.


----------



## WTB-rider (Jul 25, 2004)

croscoe said:


> Very cool Moto. How are you liking the stainless bottle?


Thanks. The bottle is okay, looks cool but I haven't given up plastic yet.


----------



## The_Boy (Sep 15, 2005)

Just keeping this thread fresh with an updated pic of my creation after the first snow ride of the season.

No changes really since the last pic, just new rubber (Captains) and new saddle (Brown Phenom). Just ordered my Pacenti sliding disc tab for the rear, so I will be adding disc brakes soon. Road BB7s so I can go back to the non long pull levers. I will also be installing a Fargo fork once they are available.


----------



## axcxnj (Jun 23, 2008)

WTB-rider said:


> I'll throw my hat in the ring, nothing too special but I like it.


love it!!

what size tires were you able to squeeze in there?


----------



## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

fire horse said:


> Yet another drop bar KM, enjoy!


Nice, looks like you're having fun!


----------



## WTB-rider (Jul 25, 2004)

axcxnj said:


> love it!!
> 
> what size tires were you able to squeeze in there?


Thanks.

That's a 42 Ritchey ZED in front and a 35 Speedmax in the rear. I'm pretty sure I can get a 42 back there as well, definately a 38.


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

I've got one that I've just built up thanks to JustinB. It's an old Centurion that he had canti., bottle and rack mounts put on. It 'just' fits 45 meats and it rides quite nicely. I'm planning to take it out for a ride tomorrow and I'll try to get some photos of it.

Currently, it's got a Titec Ti Hellbent low riser bar on it mated to a Salsa quill stem, my oldest set of bolt-on Surly/WTB fixie wheels and a bit more. Like I said, hopefully some pics tomorrow.


----------



## justinb (Apr 1, 2006)

1 Speed said:


> I've got one that I've just built up thanks to JustinB. It's an old Centurion that he had canti., bottle and rack mounts put on. It 'just' fits 45 meats and it rides quite nicely. I'm planning to take it out for a ride tomorrow and I'll try to get some photos of it.
> 
> Currently, it's got a Titec Ti Hellbent low riser bar on it mated to a Salsa quill stem, my oldest set of bolt-on Surly/WTB fixie wheels and a bit more. Like I said, hopefully some pics tomorrow.


Glad to hear that it's working so well for you. I've missed it at least 4 or 5 times since I put it in the mail.

Smooth ride, que no?

Can't wait to see the pics.


----------



## dankilling (Feb 24, 2004)

The_Boy said:


> Just keeping this thread fresh with an updated pic of my creation after the first snow ride of the season.
> 
> No changes really since the last pic, just new rubber (Captains) and new saddle (Brown Phenom). Just ordered my Pacenti sliding disc tab for the rear, so I will be adding disc brakes soon. Road BB7s so I can go back to the non long pull levers. I will also be installing a Fargo fork once they are available.


This has to be one of the best executed monster-crossers I have seen. I checked back to see that you built this frame yourself....well done- I love it!


----------



## crassh (Aug 31, 2004)

Recently posted this in the SS forum. Thanks to all for the inspiration. It's my 98 voodoo wazoo. Was able to fit a 2.1 in the front and 1.8 in the back.


----------



## Rontele (Apr 1, 2006)

this space is reserved for my 1 x 9 Cross Check with Kenda Karma 1.9s that I am picking up this afternoon. :thumbsup:


----------



## dankilling (Feb 24, 2004)

Rontele said:


> this space is reserved for my 1 x 9 Cross Check with Kenda Karma 1.9s that I am picking up this afternoon. :thumbsup:


Karmas fit a cross check front and rear? Cant wait to see this one and try it out!


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

crassh said:


> Recently posted this in the SS forum. Thanks to all for the inspiration. It's my 98 voodoo wazoo. Was able to fit a 2.1 in the front and 1.8 in the back.


That Voodoo is wicked cool!:thumbsup:


----------



## justinb (Apr 1, 2006)

MMcG said:


> That Voodoo is wicked cool!:thumbsup:


I concur. I was able to fit an Ignitor in the front and a Mutanoraptor in the back of my 2005 Wazoo, but the toe overlap was just ridiculous. Are you experiencing anything similar, crassh?


----------



## Rontele (Apr 1, 2006)

dankilling said:


> Karmas fit a cross check front and rear? Cant wait to see this one and try it out!


The rear required some slight modifications...


----------



## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

so did pris hilton's... doesn't mean you couldn't ride it, just remember it may not be as structurally sound as it should be....



i'll get my coat.


----------



## crassh (Aug 31, 2004)

justinb said:


> I concur. I was able to fit an Ignitor in the front and a Mutanoraptor in the back of my 2005 Wazoo, but the toe overlap was just ridiculous. Are you experiencing anything similar, crassh?


I've got very little toe overlap with the 2.2 nanoraptor with my size 10 feet and current cleat setup. I've actually never experienced overlap during riding - even on tight and twisty NC singletrack.

That being said, several friends who have ridden the bike have commented on experiencing the toe overlap.

It funny how EVERYONE wants to try out this bike. If anyone out there is thinking of going monstercross, do it! I'm becoming a big fan of drop bar off road riding with the more aggressive geometry of the cross bike compared to my moutain bike. I'm also now a firm believer in the 29er wheel offroad. I'm in the process of 69ing my singlespeed mtb.


----------



## justinb (Apr 1, 2006)

crassh said:


> I've got very little toe overlap with the 2.2 nanoraptor with my size 10 feet and current cleat setup. I've actually never experienced overlap during riding - even on tight and twisty NC singletrack.
> 
> That being said, several friends who have ridden the bike have commented on experiencing the toe overlap.
> 
> It funny how EVERYONE wants to try out this bike. If anyone out there is thinking of going monstercross, do it! I'm becoming a big fan of drop bar off road riding with the more aggressive geometry of the cross bike compared to my moutain bike. I'm also now a firm believer in the 29er wheel offroad. I'm in the process of 69ing my singlespeed mtb.


Good to hear.

I fixed my problem by going with the Mutano in the front and a 42mm Mythos CX in the back. I've thought about going with some shorter cranks as well.


----------



## Rontele (Apr 1, 2006)

*MonsterCrossCheck*


----------



## crashedupderby (Nov 21, 2005)

what size tyres are those? very nice btw.


----------



## Rontele (Apr 1, 2006)

crashedupderby said:


> what size tyres are those? very nice btw.


Kenda Karma 1.9s. They rear outside knobs had to be a bit modified to make it fit.

Thanks to Marshal and Jeff at Green Mtn. Sports in Lakewood.

Those two know more about bikes and frankenbiking than anyone on the front range. Plus, they are good guys, taboot. Give them a shout if you want to build up a Monstercross!!


----------



## WTB-rider (Jul 25, 2004)

Rontele said:


>


HOTROD!!!


----------



## crashedupderby (Nov 21, 2005)

*we need our own*

got my steamroller on another thread but figured I would go ahead and put her in the MX thread...anyone think we should petition for our own board? A monstercross board all to our selves??? anyone? bueler?


----------



## b_rogowski (Nov 2, 2005)

My 2008 Conquest Pro after repaint running Bontrager XR 1.8s


----------



## crashedupderby (Nov 21, 2005)

b_rogowski said:


> My 2008 Conquest Pro after repaint running Bontrager XR 1.8s


where did you get that invisible chain? I bet it is really light!!! I gotsta have me one!


----------



## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

b_rogowski said:


> My 2008 Conquest Pro after repaint running Bontrager XR 1.8s


Wow, that repaint is gorgeous. Very tasteful.


----------



## David K in Indy (Feb 4, 2006)

*Handlebar?*



b_rogowski said:


> My 2008 Conquest Pro after repaint running Bontrager XR 1.8s


What bar are you using? I have a Conquest as well but mine, with original blue paint, pales in comparison to yours. David K


----------



## b_rogowski (Nov 2, 2005)

David K in Indy said:


> What bar are you using? I have a Conquest as well but mine, with original blue paint, pales in comparison to yours. David K


The bike is basically stock, except for the paint and the Thomson cockpit. The bar is an FSA Omega 44cm that came stock as well. Turns out I really like the shallow drop though


----------



## SeenYour Crash (Feb 7, 2004)

*New Vulture*

Just got my new Vulture the other day. Built by the man that coined the term. Ordered to be my winter SS and my summer geared touring/adventure rig. Easily handles up to 29x2.1's. Drop bar specific w/ LD-style stem.

Build: 
Prestige main triangle.
Paragon dropouts w/ chainstay mounted disc, allows for racks/fenders. These are sweet!
Custom non-suspension corrected rigid fork, extra braze-ons for racks/fenders/cages.
73mm Eccentric BB for singlespeeding.
Angles: 72 degrees parallel

Bars: WTB Dirt Drops
Shifters: Shimano 105's 9-speed
Brakes: Avid Road BB-7's
Wheels: XTR hubs laced to WTB SpeedDiscs w/ XTR centerlock rotors
Tires: Front Kenda SB6 2.1 Rear WTB Mutano 44's
Gearing: 34 x 16
Crank: RF Next LP (ISIS)
Seatpost: Thudbuster

Two rides so far, yesterday dirt roads and today winter desert singletrack. The bike just rips! Its stable, comfortable and efficient. Perfect for its future adventures.

Tweakin': Need to trim a bit of the bottom of the stem to lower the bars and need to dial in the positioning of the brake/shifter levers on the Dirt Drops. This is my first experience with drop bars, which is obvious if you look at my bar wrapping job.

:thumbsup: Checkout what else the Vulture is up to: http://vulturecycles.blogspot.com/


----------



## ionsmuse (Jul 14, 2005)

That's a nice Vulture!


----------



## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

SeenYour Crash said:


> Just got my new Vulture the other day. Built by the man that coined the term. Ordered to be my winter SS and my summer geared touring/adventure rig. Easily handles up to 29x2.1's. Drop bar specific w/ LD-style stem.
> 
> Build:
> Prestige main triangle.
> ...


I would definitely not trim the stem until you ride a bit more. You're bars already look low if anything for the typical position of flared drops for offroading. Remember: you should theoretically be riding down in the drops 90%+ of the time. I guess if you trim it you could always add spacers later, but it would be a pity to needlessly cut that beautiful stem.

Gorgeous bike. Nicely done. I thought Vulture was no longer building, so it's nice to see them still around.


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

So Vulture is back in business? Cool, but bizarre! I thought that he'd quickly tired of the whole bike business and permanently closed up shop. Guess I was wrong. Nice ride, the seat stay's look a bit strange and uneven in the close-up photo, but I love the limp d*ck stem that he built for you. I'd ride the bike some more before cutting down the stem. It's like salt, once you cut it, you can never go back.

Also cool that you've got rack mounts in case you ever want to go that route or want to add fenders for wet weather. Nice job.


----------



## gganio (Apr 22, 2007)

*Full Suspended Monstercross*

My bro is a Monstercross pioneer. He has been building his own monstercross for years. This is his latest.

https://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=4701019&postcount=456

(Me too I am thinking about my own full suspended geared Monstercross)


----------



## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

That's awesome!


----------



## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

gganio said:


> My bro is a Monstercross pioneer. He has been building his own monstercross for years. This is his latest.
> 
> That thing looks great.
> 
> ...


----------



## jeffw-13 (Apr 30, 2008)

AnthonyS posted this up on the Yeti forum


----------



## johnnypecans (Jan 5, 2009)

Haven't settled on a lever location yet, once I do I'll be wrapping the bar. Any tips on lever placement?


----------



## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

johnnypecans said:


> Haven't settled on a lever location yet, once I do I'll be wrapping the bar. Any tips on lever placement?


look here at Guitar Ted's 5 part series.


----------



## mmeiser01 (Mar 13, 2008)

*Looking for a fast, tough, high pressure 38mm*

Technically running 32mm Specialized Borough CX here so forgive me if I'm not quite into the monstercross touring category. Couldn't find a good pic running Schwalbe Studed 38mm Snow tires. They're pretty bad *ss on the backroads in the snow.





Am looking for a nice fast tire for a little 340mile ride on the backroads of Iowa in May. Something like the Bourghough CX with it's fast tread, high pressures and tough as nails. However I need more "insurance" since I'll be riding through the night and likely unable to avoid every pothole. Am thinking a 38mm should suffice. Maybe open to as little as a 35 if they're tough or as much as a 40 if they're able to take a relatively high pressure with a fast rolling tread.

I have some Ritchey Speedmax 35mm and I love them, but they're to soft and slow for my purposes on this trip.

So far the only thing I've found is the Continental Travel Contact 37mm. It's a great option, but I am looking for other options. I do wish the Conti Twister Pro came in a 700, or better the Schwalbe Furious Fred. That looks like the perfect tread. Dreamy but only 26". 

The Schwalbe CX Comp looks promising, but I'm not sure it's high pressure enough or tough enough yet.

I've been looking through pics on this group and I see a lot of 38-42mm, but it's hard to tell from the pics what people are running. If anyone has any recommendations please do tell.

I can't imagine that treads aren't heavily debated here, so perhaps I have overlooked a monstercross or cyclocross tread discusion group?


----------



## TheSingleGuy (Mar 11, 2004)

mmeiser01 said:


> Am looking for a nice fast tire for a little 340mile ride on the backroads of Iowa in May. Something like the Bourghough CX with it's fast tread, high pressures and tough as nails. However I need more "insurance" since I'll be riding through the night and likely unable to avoid every pothole. Am thinking a 38mm should suffice. Maybe open to as little as a 35 if they're tough or as much as a 40 if they're able to take a relatively high pressure with a fast rolling tread.
> 
> I've been looking through pics on this group and I see a lot of 38-42mm, but it's hard to tell from the pics what people are running. If anyone has any recommendations please do tell.
> 
> I can't imagine that treads aren't heavily debated here, so perhaps I have overlooked a monstercross or cyclocross tread discusion group?


WTB All-terainasaurus 700x38. Sounds like the right tyre for you.


----------



## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

mmeiser01 said:


> I can't imagine that treads aren't heavily debated here, so perhaps I have overlooked a monstercross or cyclocross tread discusion group?


Here's a great tire thread.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=432707&page=2

While I'm here, I'll recommend the WTB Interwolf 38c. It's pretty fast and has good shoulder tread. It's great for hard packed dirt roads and even a bit of slick mud. I'm a heavy dude and like to run them around 55PSI without any flats so far. My only complaint is that they trimmed the side knobs a bit on newer tires (presumably to save weight) and so it's more of an all-rounder than knobby MX tire. Still, a great tire for what you describe.

Nice setup you have there. Good luck.

C.


----------



## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

*A little flat bar CX love.*

A true Crosser gone MTB.


----------



## Nonracerrichie (Dec 20, 2005)

That Redline repaint is great with beautiful nod to the late 70's logos.
The Yeti really fits 45's wow that thing is awesome.
And the Bonty right here is cool as hec too.


----------



## tamjam (Jan 23, 2004)

jeff said:


> A true Crosser gone MTB.


I came *this* close to buying one of those recently. Exact same paint job. Nice.


----------



## Moustache rider (Jun 1, 2007)

My new LaCruz. It only has 35mm tires on it now so not technically Monstercross. 
I will correct that soon.


From La Cruz


----------



## CDtofer (Nov 4, 2004)

Would love to see more pics of this bike. I looked at your website but didnt see this frame are you thinking to build any?



khenry44 said:


> Just finished this up recently..


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## bighit (Feb 13, 2004)

*not drop bar but*

dont tempt me


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

unotache said:


> Sorry for the crummy garage pic's. Mine fits 700x44 Mutano's...


Maybe a little late to the party but what kind of crank is that? Having just discovered the whole monster cross thing, I've got a bike in the garage that is beggin for the treatment.


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## unsub1 (Oct 17, 2005)

Whoo-hoo! Travelers Check goodness.


----------



## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

unsub1 said:


> Whoo-hoo! Travelers Check goodness.


:arf: :arf: Nice setup. Rival gruppo, awesome color and transportable. Send my way


----------



## Zaskar24 (Jun 7, 2008)

Hi everyone. I am looking to join this group with the Cross Check I just picked up Saturday. I was wondering what the rim of choice for monstercross bikes is. The bike came with Alex DC19 rims which will eventually become my road/trainer wheelset and I was wondering if in the interim they would work. I am looking to mount a pair of 44s on the bike eventually.

Scott


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## Nonracerrichie (Dec 20, 2005)

My favorite rim is the Salsa Delgado X. It is inexpensive, builds up easily, looks good, durable, wide and reasonably light. I have 3 sets, and have built at least a dozen.


----------



## unsub1 (Oct 17, 2005)

I actually built up my wheels for my Travelers Check to also be back-up wheels for my 29ers. I went ahead and got disc-compatible XT hubs for if I ever want to swap them over. I also like Salsa rims but steered clear of them for this project as they are not recommended for Stans tubeless and I'd just like to keep that option open, especially with some of the cool tubeless tire choices popping up. I went with DT TK7.1 rims but wish there were a somewhat wide rim-brake-compatible TLR rim, like a Mustang or something.


----------



## mmeiser01 (Mar 13, 2008)

Nonracerrichie said:


> My favorite rim is the Salsa Delgado X. It is inexpensive, builds up easily, looks good, durable, wide and reasonably light. I have 3 sets, and have built at least a dozen.


I'll second that. I'm a big guy 6'5" and 250 lbs.. I've not ridden alot, but I keep coming back to the Salsa Delgado X. It's absolutely bomb proof. I have two wheelsets built up for my cross check with them so I can quickly switch between various tires depending on the terrain I'm riding.

Most of the time though I seem to ride 32mm Specialized Bourough CX... and on more and more gravel roads. If this isn't a testament to how tough the Delgado is I don't know what is. I love them.


----------



## 251 (May 13, 2008)

I also like the Salsa Delgado Cross rims. I haven't been nice to them and they have held up very well. I even took out half of the non-drive-side spokes in a bike trailer incident and the rear wheel stayed fairly true. I had mine built with XT hubs and DT Swiss spokes and brass nipples:


----------



## Zaskar24 (Jun 7, 2008)

Thank you for the answers. The Delgado's were one of the rims I was looking at for this. Once I get the scratch together I will get them built up I am just not sure which hubs I will be going with since I am running 10 speed out back. In the meantime do you think that the Alex DC19 rims that came with the bike will do until then?

251,
Do you still have the Eriksen hardtail? If so, how is it riding and are you still running the Paul Motolites on it?

Scott


----------



## metrotuned (Dec 29, 2006)

_Jeff_, that bonty is sick! I love the traditional classical horiziontal top tube and the color scheme with orange panels. The Yeti ARC-X is a modern classic in the making, too! Someone's Traveler's Check or Cross Check or Rawland Sogn needs to get a wheelset like this mounted up! _Nonracerrichie _loves the Salsa Cross rims, here's the heads up with a bit of rub-a-dub Phil love. Found these on ebay seller's post, thought the build was plenty nice! Black spokes on silver hub/rim - ACE!:


----------



## 251 (May 13, 2008)

Zaskar24 said:


> 251,
> Do you still have the Eriksen hardtail? If so, how is it riding and are you still running the Paul Motolites on it?
> 
> Scott


Yep, I've had it on the trails several times this week and couldn't be happier:









(sorry, not a monster or a cross)

The Motolites are working great. I took them apart for cleaning/lube and they still look new. The Neo Retro/Touring brakes on the Gunnar are also holding up well. Do you have any new photos of the YBB?

Since I don't have a lot of monster cross content I'll post this public service warning: *Don't let this happen to you; use fat tires!*


----------



## Zaskar24 (Jun 7, 2008)

251 said:


> Yep, I've had it on the trails several times this week and couldn't be happier:
> 
> The Motolites are working great. I took them apart for cleaning/lube and they still look new. The Neo Retro/Touring brakes on the Gunnar are also holding up well. Do you have any new photos of the YBB?


Glad to hear it. The YBB has been on the trail a couple of times this past week as well. I ended up swapping the SID Team out for a Reba Team and am still running the Motolites myself. Unfortunately no pics as currently set up but once I get a new camera I intend to rectify that. Look for pics in the Moots section.

I picked up a Neo Retro myself for my Cross Check and am on the lookout for a good price on a Touring and I will get this bike setup with Pauls as well. :thumbsup:

Now for my own Monstercross content. Once I get bigger tubes I will see how the Mutanoraptors fit and get out and see how I like the ride over the 30s. I know it will slow me down on pavement but should feel better off of it.


----------



## rockhound (Dec 19, 2005)

Zaskar24 said:


> I picked up a Neo Retro myself for my Cross Check and am on the lookout for a good price on a Touring and I will get this bike setup with Pauls as well.


Do you do this to simply have more heel/leg clearance in the rear?


----------



## axcxnj (Jun 23, 2008)

got some 38c cross tires in yesterday, and i set her up fixed....i have lots of fun coming my way :thumbsup:


----------



## Zaskar24 (Jun 7, 2008)

rockhound said:


> Do you do this to simply have more heel/leg clearance in the rear?


In a nutshell, yes. Also because of the fact that the rear brake does not need to be as strong as the front.

On a side note I got the Mutano Raptors mounted today with only one glitch. I have a cadence counter on my bike and the computer set up is all on the rear chainstay. My computer is not registering now, it was getting dark out so I will have to take alook at it tomorrow. I hope it is something simple like cutting the cable or something. I will post pictures as soon as I can.

Scott


----------



## 350plus (Dec 17, 2007)

Here is a 2009 Kona Jake the Snake.

It's got a Panaracer Firecross 45 in the front and a Racing Ralph 32 in the rear. Would like to have the Firecross mounted in both ends, but the frame is quite tight. So it's about 1/2 monstercross. 










Handles quite well in the trail, and goes really fast in smooth surfaces.


----------



## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

350plus said:


> Here is a 2009 Kona Jake the Snake.
> 
> It's got a Panaracer Firecross 45 in the front and a Racing Ralph 32 in the rear. Would like to have the Firecross mounted in both ends, but the frame is quite tight. So it's about 1/2 monstercross.
> 
> ...


Looks great. How do you like the fork? Does it still have some clearance left over? I've seen a picture with a Bonty 1.8 in it, which I thought was pretty impressive.


----------



## 350plus (Dec 17, 2007)

The fork has excelent clearance. Just for fun, i've mounted a 26x2.25 Schwalbe Nobby Nick in the front and it actually fits with a few mm of clearance. 

In the trail, the fork is definitively a litlle flexier that other rigid forks i've used, but it filters vibrations quite well.


----------



## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

350plus said:


> The fork has excelent clearance. Just for fun, i've mounted a 26x2.25 Schwalbe Nobby Nick in the front and it actually fits with a few mm of clearance.
> 
> In the trail, the fork is definitively a litlle flexier that other rigid forks i've used, but it filters vibrations quite well.


Great. It sure is a lightweight fork, and flex is just the price you pay. I wouldn't mind, as long as it didn't chatter with the canti brakes. Especially for the racy setup you have, I think it suits the bike nicely.


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## 350plus (Dec 17, 2007)

Yeah, there is actually a very slight chatter at low speed (just before stopping) but I'm not really concerned with it. As you say, it's the price to pay for the lightness.

Chattering during high speed braking would be scary, though!


----------



## johnnypecans (Jan 5, 2009)

I borrowed the OEM Schwalbe 700x30c tires from my friend's schwinn cx bike, and test-fitted them on my comedy-option Windsor Hour 'training' bike. They fit, but the rear tire contacts the seatstay bridge just baaarely. If I take it offroad I'll gear it down (48x15 at the moment, a little steep for windy days, much less offroading) and toss a halflink in to get the rear wheel a half inch further back in the trackends so it'll clear the bridge. Probably I'll end up crushing the cheap frame like a beer can on a frat boy's forehead, but it'll be fun doing it.


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## T-mu (Aug 22, 2008)

*Greetings from Finland*

Here's my Singular Peregrine with Panaracer Firecross tyres. I'll try to get a better photo when I have the chance to take it in to the woods. Thanks for the inspiration!

Teemu


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

T-mu said:


> Here's my Singular Peregrine with Panaracer Firecross tyres. I'll try to get a better photo when I have the chance to take it in to the woods. Thanks for the inspiration!
> 
> Teemu


Every Singular I see continues to impress me. They have both the form and function down to a "T". Let's see some action shots if you have any.


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## jgsatl (Sep 16, 2006)

that is nice, t-mu.

what size frame is that and how tall are you? thanks!!


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## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

Sleeveless said:


> Every Singular I see continues to impress me. They have both the form and function down to a "T". Let's see some action shots if you have any.


Couldn't agree more :thumbsup:


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## T-mu (Aug 22, 2008)

jgsatl said:


> that is nice, t-mu.
> 
> what size frame is that and how tall are you? thanks!!


I'm 178cm tall and the bike is a size M.


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## jgsatl (Sep 16, 2006)

thanks! stunning ride...


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## tamjam (Jan 23, 2004)

T-mu said:


> I'm 178cm tall and the bike is a size M.


(Gets out calculator to convert to inches)...sweet! We're exactly the same height and I have an M on order...still a little concerned the standover could be an issue for me with 2.1" tires on it, but better than buying a S and losing an inch in the HT.


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## T-mu (Aug 22, 2008)

tamjam said:


> (Gets out calculator to convert to inches)...sweet! We're exactly the same height and I have an M on order...still a little concerned the standover could be an issue for me with 2.1" tires on it, but better than buying a S and losing an inch in the HT.


I was wondering about the standover height too, my inseam is 31,5" and the top tube just touches my crotch (the tires are firecross 45).


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## jgsatl (Sep 16, 2006)

cross bike geometry kinda seems to lend itself to the top bars being all friendly-like with your naughty bits if you purchase by top tube length.

i ordered a large sized rawland that should be in tomorrow and i'm *really* worried about standover. especially since i'll be running a 650b frame with 29er wheels. we shall see....hopefully i won't have to sell it. if i do, i'll probably put a singular on order.


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## bikapelli (Oct 15, 2004)

*Kish MonsterCross*

Just got my custom Kish MonsterCross. He put it in the San Diego Bike show and I received it last Friday. Really pumped how it all turned out and can't wait to get some miles on it.


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## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

bikapelli said:


> Just got my custom Kish MonsterCross. He put it in the San Diego Bike show and I received it last Friday. Really pumped how it all turned out and can't wait to get some miles on it.


:arf: :arf: :ihih: Very nice!


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

bikapelli said:


> Just got my custom Kish MonsterCross. He put it in the San Diego Bike show and I received it last Friday. Really pumped how it all turned out and can't wait to get some miles on it.


Beautiful. Looks to be more on the mountain bike side of monstercross. Do you plan on using it mainly offroad? What kind of clearance does it have?


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## M_S (Nov 18, 2007)

That thing is gorgeous.


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## Gambler (Jul 21, 2005)

Amazing...love the matching stem.


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## pcollett (Apr 20, 2009)

Here's my contribution . . . photos after a brief hour long stint in the woods/muck

Just a Specialized Singlecross with a set of bonty 1.8s . . . the rear tyre required a little modding to get it to fit. It was the only mountain worthy bike i had all last season. 
But now, after dipping my toe into this discipline of cycling, I really want to get a "nicer" monster X bike. Preferably something that'll accommodate 29x2" tyres . . but maintain cross geometry (if you have any suggestions, please send them my way).


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

Nice crotch.



pcollett said:


>


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## Crank'nStein (Jan 23, 2006)

*wow baby!!!*

too many beeeutiful bikes.... that Kish is real art:aureola: ... almost too nice to ride.

Just put in my deposit on a custom frame... monster cross with discs. 
now I need to figure out the paint job and make sure it will fit some nice fat tires...


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## buddhak (Jan 26, 2006)

bikapelli said:


> Just got my custom Kish MonsterCross. He put it in the San Diego Bike show and I received it last Friday. Really pumped how it all turned out and can't wait to get some miles on it.


Two nights ago I was dreaming of the perfect custom, and my thoughts settled on a Kish built titanium, sloped tube monster crosser...and there it is.

Totally awesome


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## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

pcollett said:


> Here's my contribution . . . photos after a brief hour long stint in the woods/muck
> 
> Just a Specialized Singlecross with a set of bonty 1.8s . . . the rear tyre required a little modding to get it to fit. It was the only mountain worthy bike i had all last season.
> But now, after dipping my toe into this discipline of cycling, I really want to get a "nicer" monster X bike. Preferably something that'll accommodate 29x2" tyres . . but maintain cross geometry (if you have any suggestions, please send them my way).


Singular Peregrine - see above. Will fit a Hutchinson Python out back and a slightly larger tire up front.


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## pcollett (Apr 20, 2009)

umarth said:


> Nice crotch.


back in your pants tiger . . . this is about the bikes with big wheels, not the chamois with the split orange going on . . .


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## akdeluxe (May 16, 2004)

bikapelli said:


> Just got my custom Kish MonsterCross. He put it in the San Diego Bike show and I received it last Friday. Really pumped how it all turned out and can't wait to get some miles on it.


Sweeeet!


----------



## akdeluxe (May 16, 2004)

*mine*

New Soulcraft. Good bike.
It has dropbars,you just can't see them.

akdeluxe


----------



## poppy (Jan 24, 2006)

T-mu said:


> Here's my Singular Peregrine with Panaracer Firecross tyres. I'll try to get a better photo when I have the chance to take it in to the woods. Thanks for the inspiration!
> 
> Teemu


Beautiful Peregrine. 
If you don't mind I'll keep on my desktop for a while.
Or until I get mine...

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:


----------



## SlowerThenSnot (Jul 16, 2004)

*my monster*

I'm sure digging it so far!


----------



## Carmichael (May 16, 2007)

My KONA Jake the Snake with WTB 700x38...


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

Carmichael said:


> My KONA Jake the Snake with WTB 700x38...


Beautifully simple. I like it.


----------



## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

Mine. I know, no drops in the pic, but it gets some at a times. Not much clearance for mud, so it stays inside when its sloppy. 700cx32. 46/18 fixed. Tires do rub on larger bumps, but for the most part they clear. Not that big of an issue. Sorry for crappy cell pics, my camera is broken.


































I don't post much here, more in the SS forum, but figured I would contribute.


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## helgi (May 9, 2006)

bikapelli said:


> Just got my custom Kish MonsterCross. He put it in the San Diego Bike show and I received it last Friday. Really pumped how it all turned out and can't wait to get some miles on it.


That looks _*amazing*._


----------



## sfuller (Jan 14, 2007)

Love that Kish. Great looking bike, enhanced even more by great photography. I guess I've technically done 3 monstercross bikes now without really thinking about it a lot.



Surly LHT with 45mm Panaracer Firecross tires. Wish that the 2.1 Nanoraptors from my Karate Monkey would have worked. The back was just a bit too large to work. The front cleared w/o any issue



Karate Monkey in it's TransIowa v5 garb. Nanoraptors again. Really worked out well. Too bad the rider didn't.



Salsa La Cruz. 40mm Schwalbe Marathon Extremes. Really liked these during the Almanzo 100 a couple of weeks ago. This will be my Dirty Kanza ride this year.


----------



## kiwisimon (Oct 31, 2006)

Got pulled across from RBR heres my effort with a road orientation chainwheel


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

kiwisimon said:


> Got pulled across from RBR heres my effort with a road orientation chainwheel


I've never been a huge fan of Strongs work (not for any particular reason) but this is a beautiful bike! I love the curved seat stays. How does it ride?


----------



## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

this thread is the hotness


----------



## kiwisimon (Oct 31, 2006)

1 Speed said:


> I've never been a huge fan of Strongs work (not for any particular reason) but this is a beautiful bike! I love the curved seat stays. How does it ride?


Supple and precise, which is great for taking a lot of the jarring away and good for confidence in hitting a line, it helps to know that it will go where pointed.


----------



## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

kiwisimon said:


> Got pulled across from RBR heres my effort with a road orientation chainwheel


Holy long stem, Batman. Is that a Vicious fork?


----------



## kiwisimon (Oct 31, 2006)

Near as I can tell. I never asked CS about the manufacturer but the price and all other details match the Vicious.


----------



## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

kiwisimon said:


> Near as I can tell. I never asked CS about the manufacturer but the price and all other details match the Vicious.


What's the biggest tire you've gotten in there? Did you ever think about a ti fork?


----------



## kiwisimon (Oct 31, 2006)

Asked about the Ti fork and Carl said he didn't see much merit in them, he suggested sticking to steel and that was good enough for me. With the big rubber and disks the steels are a good match. I have some 700c 42s Mythos which have a ton of room left. have never really measured it up though.


----------



## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

kiwisimon said:


> Asked about the Ti fork and Carl said he didn't see much merit in them, he suggested sticking to steel and that was good enough for me. With the big rubber and disks the steels are a good match. I have some 700c 42s Mythos which have a ton of room left. have never really measured it up though.


Steel seems like a good option as far as price and durability, I just wish it could match the beautiful frame.


----------



## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

Not mine, heck, it doesn't even have 700c wheels, but this bike is so monstercross.

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2009/may/7/AdamN.Delu.htm


----------



## bigeazzy93 (Dec 13, 2005)

Carmichael said:


> My KONA Jake the Snake with WTB 700x38...


What are you running for gearing on the Snake? I have one and have been considering a singlespeed Monstercross setup for some smooth singletrack riding.


----------



## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

bobbotron said:


> Not mine, heck, it doesn't even have 700c wheels, but this bike is so monstercross.
> 
> http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2009/may/7/AdamN.Delu.htm


Not monstercross to me, just a drop bar mountain bike, but who cares? That's a cool bike regardless.


----------



## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

*oh lord*

Didn't go back and check the posting for a while. That was a disturbing mental image.



pcollett said:


> back in your pants tiger . . . this is about the bikes with big wheels, not the chamois with the split orange going on . . .


----------



## 3 Pin (Dec 25, 2005)

Anyone have one of these?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=200339555659

I emailed the guy and he says it will take a 42mm tire in the back. Some aircraft stripper and no one would ever have to know it was a Moto bacon.

Robb


----------



## justinb (Apr 1, 2006)

3 Pin said:


> Anyone have one of these?
> 
> https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=200339555659
> 
> ...


I raced one, and used it as a monstercross for a while. It will indeed take a 42mm Mythos CX in the rear. It's close though. The fork will accept a Mutanoraptor 44.

It is a nice ride for the price, surprisingly "un-harsh", even with 23mm skinnies.


From williams reservoir 10jul08


----------



## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

I emailed bikeisland.com a while back about the clearance on the unbranded cross frame with fork and they told me that it'll fit 45mm.


----------



## solarbri (Jan 27, 2009)

*Cross Irie*

Well, I finally got my dream bike fully dressed up and ready for action.:thumbsup: 
It is a fully custom Moots Mooto-X YBB, now formally known as "CrossIrie". This bike was built specifically to attack the thousands of miles of dirt roads/ light single track we have in our beautiful area (Teton Valley, Idaho).
I am still hoping to find a Rasta Flavored Saddle, and any other Rasta colored farkles that I don't already have on her. Any Tips?
I can't seem to upload my images directly here so click on the link and check her out!!!

https://img208.imageshack.us/img208/9901/dsc0030ubo.jpg 
https://img526.imageshack.us/img526/3355/dsc0029g.jpg 
https://img526.imageshack.us/img526/2733/dsc0027u.jpg 
https://img441.imageshack.us/img441/7448/dsc0026s.jpg 
https://img80.imageshack.us/img80/7812/dsc0025awa.jpg 
https://img80.imageshack.us/img80/17/dsc0024m.jpg 
https://img81.imageshack.us/img81/1540/dsc0023b.jpg 
https://img81.imageshack.us/img81/9240/dsc0022.jpg


----------



## John Jencks (Jan 8, 2007)

Cross Irie, is simply spectacular. 
No ideas for what else you could add to the rasta.


----------



## jgsatl (Sep 16, 2006)

hey, those inline brake levers actually work with discs?? cool! **edit** you probably have road bb7s....


----------



## midtnSS (Apr 26, 2004)

*I think there's a little bit more*

Waterbottle bolts and seat post clamp and thats about it. Beautiful bike, my geared Mtn bike is Ti with Rasta but your wheels outdo me. SRP, Racebolts, and some really bling options for the seatpost clamp, Woodman, Hope, KCNC, SRP, etc.


----------



## AaNort123 (Jan 7, 2009)

Solarbi, whats your impression of that WCS fork. I just got one and haven't ridden on yet but felt a little flexy


----------



## ~martini~ (Dec 20, 2003)

HOly sh!t dude. Nice Moots. How's the SRAM levers work for you on the drops? I'd imagine they work pretty well.


----------



## solarbri (Jan 27, 2009)

So far I like the fork a lot.
VERY Light, VERY Tight, and seems to fit the purpose perfectly!


----------



## gganio (Apr 22, 2007)

*Buddy's Monstercross*

This is the monstercross of a buddy:










The frame is an MDEbikes Slider, geared with a 36T in front and 11-32 in the back.


----------



## solarbri (Jan 27, 2009)

~martini~ said:


> HOly sh!t dude. Nice Moots. How's the SRAM levers work for you on the drops? I'd imagine they work pretty well.


Thanks Martini,
The shifters work great! Can't wait for the 10 speed mtn. cassette (11-36) to come out but at $300+, plus the required long cage rear derailleur needed, its gonna put another hit in my already hurting wallet!


----------



## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

gganio said:


> This is the monstercross of a buddy:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That sure looks like a 32T chain ring to me...


----------



## eoglander (Jul 5, 2007)

solarbri said:


> Thanks Martini,
> The shifters work great! Can't wait for the 10 speed mtn. cassette (11-36) to come out but at $300+, plus the required long cage rear derailleur needed, its gonna put another hit in my already hurting wallet!


I am also waiting for this. I wish the price wasn't so damn expensive. I'm leaning towards picking up the derailleur (used if possible!) and getting an IRD cassette. We'll see. I'll post pictures of my Rival, Salsa La Cruz build very soon.


----------



## artnshel (Jul 10, 2004)

I need some help monstercrossers. What production cx frames fit bigger tires?

I was able to fit a Bontrager Jones XR 1.8 tire on the front of my Ridley CX race bike with room to spare and liked riding it on some moderate trails. Unfortunately the rear clearance won't allow for much more than a 35c and that wasn't quite enough tire for me on rocks.

I think a monstercross bike will make a perfect commuter, mellow trail bike and occasional short track race bike but I don't know what cyclocross frames would work. 

I'm looking for an inexpensive ebay frameset that with fit 29" 1.8's front and rear. I need a 57-58cm top tube with as long a head tube as possible, 180mm minimum with headset so a cross check won't work for me. Steel is my first choice but beggers can't be... so I'll be flexible. I'd love to hear that Poprad's have good clearance even if their headtubes aren't very long. 

I already have some old campy 9 speed parts that I'd like to put to good use so I'm just a frameset away.


----------



## midtnSS (Apr 26, 2004)

*Not Many*

Not many choices there, Cross Check or Soma Double Cross are the only 2 that pop to mind. Look at the Bony 1.75 Dry X tire for the rear, its a 42 casing/44 tread instead of the 46/46 of the 1.8 Bonty. I squeezed it in a Jake, so that will fit some production frames and if not there are several 700x42 tires to try. Poprads are known to be narrow in the stays, like some 35s won't fit.


----------



## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

You could look at the Kogswell P/R. Geometry is sort of between the Cross check and the LHT, but it has a super long head tube. Tire clearance looks to be about the same as the Cross Check.

http://kogswell.com/

Oh course, if you are planning on running gears full time, the Long Haul Trucker isn't a bad option either. BB might be a little low, but it's got bigger tire clearance and a longer head tube than the Cross check. I think people manage to shoehorn up to 2.1" tires in there...


----------



## justinb (Apr 1, 2006)

artnshel said:


> I need some help monstercrossers. What production cx frames fit bigger tires?
> 
> I was able to fit a Bontrager Jones XR 1.8 tire on the front of my Ridley CX race bike with room to spare and liked riding it on some moderate trails. Unfortunately the rear clearance won't allow for much more than a 35c and that wasn't quite enough tire for me on rocks.
> 
> ...


If you're ok with a Poprad re: headtube height, you'll be ok with this too. Clearance for 44 Mutanoraptors in the rear.


----------



## artnshel (Jul 10, 2004)

Midtnss, the 1.75 DryX is a good rear tire suggestion. The cross check and double cross have short headtubes. I bummed to hear the Poprads are tight in back.

Justinb, I'll keep an eye out for Voodoo's

Sssasky, I am running gears and I didn't think of the Long haul but I think it would be fine, and I'd never heard of the kogswell but those are some crazy long headtubes. I like it.


----------



## unibomber (Oct 17, 2004)

CHUM said:


> purty sure this qualifies as a monstercross......wtb 44 mutanoraptors on an 07 S-Works tricross module....and a bunch of ultegra stuff......waaaaaay fun bike :thumbsup:
> 
> photo by skyline35


Hey CHUM where's the trail? It looks very familiar. Love that set-up, have any more detailed pics?


----------



## madcap (May 26, 2007)

I've seen so called "rules" posted in this thread about what is/what isn't monstercross

To me, MX is any bike with 38-45mm tires, no suspension, that is similar to a road bike in frame style. We (Tim @ Shamrock Cycles and my brain) are building a lugged disc specific frame with Paragon sliders set up for singelspeed, curved fork with clearance for 45c tires, taller head tube, and a longer top tube since I won't be running true drop bars, only a Titanium Groovy Luv Handle that I plan on trying out upside down. I may ride it offroad some but it will mainly be used as a fat tire commuter/city/road bike.

Would it not be considered MX? I don't really care, I think it would be monstercross...and I'm going to think it's cool no matter what definition the majority thinks it falls under...


----------



## WTB-rider (Jul 25, 2004)

madcap said:


> I've seen so called "rules" posted in this thread about what is/what isn't monstercross
> 
> To me, MX is any bike with 38-45mm tires, no suspension, that is similar to a road bike in frame style. We (Tim @ Shamrock Cycles and my brain) are building a lugged disc specific frame with Paragon sliders set up for singelspeed, curved fork with clearance for 45c tires, taller head tube, and a longer top tube since I won't be running true drop bars, only a Titanium Groovy Luv Handle that I plan on trying out upside down. I may ride it offroad some but it will mainly be used as a fat tire commuter/city/road bike.
> 
> Would it not be considered MX? I don't really care, I think it would be monstercross...and I'm going to think it's cool no matter what definition the majority thinks it falls under...


Nice stuff. I'd like to see a better pic of that 2-wheeled machine in the background please.


----------



## unibomber (Oct 17, 2004)

*I don't care what anyone says...*

...this is one of my favorite pics. Where is this bike now? I'll bet it has drops! Sorry if I'm mistaken but I think Bruce Brown may have the answer.


----------



## Loretta (Sep 28, 2004)

Well Jeremy's (madcap) frame, fork, and handlebar are complete and ready to ship. Given that it is his bike and not mine, I will leave it to him to post pictures of it. I will just give you a little peek.










In the meantime, here is another pic of the Norton (as requested) as well as my CX race bike (mid-build photos) for the Ohio Valley Cyclocross Series. Only one of these leaks oil.


----------



## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

Loretta said:


> Well Jeremy's (madcap) frame, fork, and handlebar...


Mother of god!! What a post!


----------



## burner (Mar 7, 2005)

Loretta said:


> Well Jeremy's (madcap) frame, fork, and handlebar are complete and ready to ship. Given that it is his bike and not mine, I will leave it to him to post pictures of it. I will just give you a little peek.


what bar is that? flipped luv?


----------



## madcap (May 26, 2007)

burner said:


> what bar is that? flipped luv?


Yup, a Ti Luv Handle flipped over. I can't wait to try it out.


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

madcap said:


> Yup, a Ti Luv Handle flipped over. I can't wait to try it out.


I run my Luv Handles flipped too. It helps make me Love my Luv! Beautiful bikes. All three of 'em.


----------



## madcap (May 26, 2007)

a few more pictures...



























the paint seems like it switches to brown...


----------



## jgsatl (Sep 16, 2006)

looks nice!!

gotta paint that stem to match....!


----------



## madcap (May 26, 2007)

jgsatl said:


> looks nice!!
> 
> gotta paint that stem to match....!


I think I'll be using a silver Thomson Elite stem if I can find one in 100mm length. I've already ordered the silver Thomson seat post. I could have had a custom stem made but I'm already using more of my savings account than I'd like to. Time to start saving big again after this bike.


----------



## jgsatl (Sep 16, 2006)

oh yeah....that'll look awesome.


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

A lot of tape to cover up what looks like it should say Salsa.  Still a beauty!


----------



## Loretta (Sep 28, 2004)

Let me chime in here for a second. The stem is a beater shop stem that has been laying around for years. Actually, I think it is a Nashbar stem! Nothing but the best. The tape is on there from a previous mock up to hold a cable in position.

Jeremy has given me a little bit of insight on how he is going to build it up and it will be a real head turner.

Tim O'Donnell
Shamrock Cycles


----------



## metrotuned (Dec 29, 2006)

@madcap: Great! Super bass boat color selection and fork crown and lugged setup. But the twist in it all is the paragon sliders... time will tell if the sliders versus the classic horizontal track ends would've been better fit.


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## madcap (May 26, 2007)

illnacord said:


> @madcap: Great! Super bass boat color selection and fork crown and lugged setup. But the twist in it all is the paragon sliders... time will tell if the sliders versus the classic horizontal track ends would've been better fit.


I wanted the sliders for the gearing option. It's going to be a singlespeed but maybe a couple of years from now I might change my mind. The sliders simply allow more versatility for me.


----------



## mrkdone (Dec 30, 2008)

sorry... editing problems... not sure what happened


----------



## yak (Jul 3, 2006)

I dont think this qualifies at the moment - its in commuter mode at the moment. But once the weather gets better mudguards will come off and 38c tyres of some kind & probbaly SS will be the go.
current setup:
Cotic Roadrat, alfine 8spd, thomson bits and one of my favourite new purchases soma noah arc bars.


----------



## madcap (May 26, 2007)

I dig that Roadrat


----------



## chumbox (Jan 9, 2008)

madcap said:


> I dig that Roadrat


+1...


----------



## ®andyA (Dec 23, 2003)

*Fisher Presidio Monstercross*

I like what Fisher has done to their Presidio. If I had the money, I would definitely consider getting one. Max tire size as stated in the VN article is 29x1.8, but I would think that's plenty considering that it's primarily a CXer.

http://www.velonews.com/photo/96147


----------



## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

yak said:


> I dont think this qualifies at the moment - its in commuter mode at the moment. But once the weather gets better mudguards will come off and 38c tyres of some kind & probbaly SS will be the go.
> current setup:
> Cotic Roadrat, alfine 8spd, thomson bits and one of my favourite new purchases soma noah arc bars.


Is your fork supposed to be backwards?

Beautiful bike - despite *MY* faux pas


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

GreenLightGo said:


> Is your fork supposed to be backwards?
> 
> Beautiful bike - despite your faux pas


Nope, you are thinking backwards. 

They reverse the disc for fender strut clearance and braking forces.
*
Disc mount positioned on front right ; brake forces always go into the dropout and there's no interference with mudguards. Max rotor size : 160mm.*

You got tricked by that thinking outside the box thing that British bike designers tend to do so often. :thumbsup: 
http://www.cotic.co.uk/product/roadrat


----------



## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

I think it's more of a faux pas to tell someone they're wrong when they're not...

https://www.cotic.co.uk/product/roadrat












GreenLightGo said:


> Is your fork supposed to be backwards?
> 
> Beautiful bike - despite your faux pas


----------



## yak (Jul 3, 2006)

Yep, backwards fork was one of the reasons I wanted this bike - so I could run discs and full guards with no hassles. And with the amount of rain we have had here lately, it was a very very good decision.
The other interesting thing about the fork is that it doesnt have lawyer tabs - not something I've seen for a while.


----------



## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

GreenLightGo said:


> Is your fork supposed to be backwards?
> 
> Beautiful bike - despite *MY* faux pas


Doh - my faux pas. :blush:


----------



## AaNort123 (Jan 7, 2009)

*New Ride*

Had this bike for about a month built up and have been meaning to post a picture. Not huge tires on it but looks like a monster next to my lady's bike. It has plenty of clearance for a 36 though.


----------



## Soupboy (Jan 13, 2004)

*1x9'ed the Casseroll today...*

Big ups to:

1. Ben Witt at Milltown Cycles for the new Ultegra/Maverick 36h hoops and gently used XT long-cage rear mech;
2. Chuck Cowan at Behind Bars for the 'Roll and Nitto 'stache bar;
3. eBay for the DA barcon and pimp gold KMC chain; and
4. Me for being such a superlative semi-pro wrench,

So, 48t front by 11/34t rear SRAM 9spd cassette. No chain guide or jumpstop yet...hoping the chain wrap of the big ring keeps things in order...tis a roadie after all. There will be no pro ride report today due to the ball-gravy inducing climes here in MN.

As you were...


----------



## freakforti (Mar 4, 2004)

*Travis Brown's Top Fuel at Leadville 100*

just ....ing great

http://www.velonews.com/photo/96646

:thumbsup:

Martin

also see

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=547064&highlight=monstercross


----------



## KeylessChuck (Apr 15, 2006)

Loretta said:


> In the meantime, here is another pic of the Norton (as requested) as well as my CX race bike (mid-build photos) for the Ohio Valley Cyclocross Series. Only one of these leaks oil.


I'd like to see more pics of your 'cross bike if possible. Looks beautiful!


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

SeenYour Crash said:


> Checkout what else the Vulture is up to: http://vulturecycles.blogspot.com/


Did he make that great looking stem? You have an email or phone? None found on his Blog.


----------



## veloreality (May 10, 2009)

new bike day!


----------



## poppy (Jan 24, 2006)

*Another Singular,*

I have it for about a month now, I had to butcher the tires a little in order to fit in the frame and fork (from the old tire bin). 
2.0" or 1.9" will easily fit but these have some life left in them.

Love this bike :thumbsup:


----------



## eric_syd (Nov 10, 2005)

*bars - top tube contact*



poppy said:


> I have it for about a month now, I had to butcher the tires a little in order to fit in the frame and fork (from the old tire bin).
> 2.0" or 1.9" will easily fit but these have some life left in them.
> 
> Love this bike :thumbsup:
> ...


I'm building a drop-bars 29er / monstercross with bar-end shifters. With the current stem, the shifters hit the top-tube right in the middle. It seems to be the same on your set-up. Do you have any kinds of problems like that ?


----------



## dbo43867 (Aug 27, 2007)

I got a black Cross Check frame. It fits the 1.75 Bontrager Dry X tire fine. It's a tire for more serious trails  More coming soon. It should be built up within a week.


----------



## poppy (Jan 24, 2006)

eric_syd said:


> I'm building a drop-bars 29er / monstercross with bar-end shifters. With the current stem, the shifters hit the top-tube right in the middle. It seems to be the same on your set-up. Do you have any kinds of problems like that ?


No it will not, my bars is not set up as high as many of the bikes on this thread, the bars will hit the top tube at the upper inside of the drop but that will happen only if I'm in deep sh$$t...


----------



## mrkdone (Dec 30, 2008)

*Surly Cross Check Monstercross*

Surly Cross Check
(added before)
Commuter and trail use... hoping to do some cyclocross
I have a set of Reelights Im going to throw on it.
I guess it sees more street than trail these days... everything is on fire, and Sullivan Canyon is being destroyed by the Gas Co.

Mainly some minor changes from the 2002 stock... typical Midge bars for this thread... Just added the Salsa Black Stem... havent ridden the trails with the higher rise... but it made siting in the drops more commuter friendly. I did a 30 mile ride with a lower rise stem (see pic) through sullivan and around the Santa Monica Mts, down Will Rogers... by the time I hit Will Rogers, I could only deal with gripping the hoods (too rocky at times)... i think the riser stem will help, thus help the braking... Will Rogers is a little over rated... that can be a rocky trip... (any suggestions on the setup???)

I want to run it single, but as I attempt to ditch the car more and more in life... gears help add to the able to haul list (some steep hills in my area of LA). I have a SS mtb, so this is my everything rig...


----------



## pinepig (Dec 17, 2004)

mrkdone- What kind of stem is your silver one? I need a nice silver 26mm clamp stem for a cross build I'm working on.


----------



## mrkdone (Dec 30, 2008)

Origin 8 Pro Fit Series (i actually still have it)

nothing expensive, i think like $30

its a 26.0 clamp, but the midge bars are 25.4, however the bars fit since the stem is an open face.


----------



## pinepig (Dec 17, 2004)

Excellent - thanks.


----------



## CanOnlyRide (Oct 27, 2005)

I have Juicy 7 disc brakes on my 29r right now, would I be able to use any road brake levers w/ those?


----------



## solarbri (Jan 27, 2009)

CanOnlyRide said:


> I have Juicy 7 disc brakes on my 29r right now, would I be able to use any road brake levers w/ those?


Negative. You'll have to get some Avid Cable actuated disc brakes, which work VERY well!!!


----------



## bricke (Jul 23, 2008)

Soupboy said:


> Big ups to:
> 
> 1. Ben Witt at Milltown Cycles for the new Ultegra/Maverick 36h hoops and gently used XT long-cage rear mech;
> 2. Chuck Cowan at Behind Bars for the 'Roll and Nitto 'stache bar;
> ...


Is this a road frame with CX pneus?
I've a similar frame, which pneus are you using? And which brakes?


----------



## UBUgoat (Sep 12, 2009)

a two week breather, i know, but i am sure the life of this thread can't be dead! one of the most interesting, eye-candy friendly threads i've enjoyed for some time. i can relate but i don't have a 'classic' or marginal 'monstercross' yet...

monstercross, as bombastic as it seems, is still all about function. and fun. and as much of a child of road and cross and mtb it seems, it seems it is ITSELF the parent of something else extending (beyond?) "mx"...mutantcross? bikes that actually defy most categorization and are probably/always UCI-illegal. but are more fun. and able. working on mine now


----------



## benwitt11 (May 1, 2005)

New Rawland Drakkar MCX.

Clearance for 29ers, pictured with Stan's Raven 2.0. 22.6lbs with Brooks and tubes.

Photo Cred to Bikeradar.com


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

I'm not sure that extended head tube is an aesthetic improvement over a big stack of spacers.



benwitt11 said:


> New Rawland Drakkar MCX.
> 
> Clearance for 29ers, pictured with Stan's Raven 2.0. 22.6lbs with Brooks and tubes.
> 
> Photo Cred to Bikeradar.com


----------



## UBUgoat (Sep 12, 2009)

in the cx/changing-terrain context, what are the main preferential *differences between classic drop bars, midge and moustache*? i plan to try one on my *mutantcross* for an upcoming cx race...

though i might go flatbar with the dropbar ends...right now got the insane reversed/upsidedown riser bar that actually feels good and aggressive...just looks really weird

midge looks good


----------



## fux (Oct 21, 2006)

A little experiment.. Will my 29`er wheels with furious fred 2.0 fit in my Salsa La-Cruz?

Jupp, with about a hair to spare.


----------



## eoglander (Jul 5, 2007)

We need a shot of the whole thing!


----------



## fux (Oct 21, 2006)

Arggh, sorry but I have fit racing ralph`s (2,4) tubeless to the rims now.

:madmax:


----------



## eoglander (Jul 5, 2007)

No worries. Thanks for the pictures.


----------



## fire horse (Mar 9, 2004)

*My theory is the tall head tube is best*

seems the stronger way to go.


----------



## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

benwitt11 said:


> New Rawland Drakkar MCX.
> 
> Clearance for 29ers, pictured with Stan's Raven 2.0. 22.6lbs with Brooks and tubes.
> 
> Photo Cred to Bikeradar.com


Ben - that thing is Smokin! Of course - now I have to decide between that or a Fargo...:madman:


----------



## WTB-rider (Jul 25, 2004)

fire horse said:


> seems the stronger way to go.


Agreed.


----------



## fire horse (Mar 9, 2004)

*More MONSTERCROSS eh? See if you can handle this!*

Up to 44c tires, Commuter/Cyclo-Cross, will add drop bars, CK, and full bling. South Western/Native American inspired (turquoise blue/coral red/sandy brown) color scheme. Made by Paul Sadoff (Rock Lobster), perfected by Spectrum Powderworks...behold...the Thunderbird! (que Van Halen music, "Oh yea, ugh hugh...ow..Ain't nothing like it, that shiny machine..;-)


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## UBUgoat (Sep 12, 2009)

that should look nice. even when it gets muddy...or dusty

so, what kind of handlebars are going on it?

* still wondering what is the monster/mutantcross bar of choice: midge, drop, moustache...or the inverted and reversed riser...*


----------



## Mr. Doom (Sep 23, 2005)

®andyA said:


> I like what Fisher has done to their Presidio. If I had the money, I would definitely consider getting one. Max tire size as stated in the VN article is 29x1.8, but I would think that's plenty considering that it's primarily a CXer.
> 
> http://www.velonews.com/photo/96147


I think the frame will take a 1.9" (48mm). "With room to spare according to bike radar".
The new carbon fork may only have 1.8"(46mm) of clearance but until I see one in the showroom I will not know for sure.


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

UBUgoat said:


> that should look nice. even when it gets muddy...or dusty
> 
> so, what kind of handlebars are going on it?
> 
> * still wondering what is the monster/mutantcross bar of choice: midge, drop, moustache...or the inverted and reversed riser...*


Midges, WTB Dirt Drop, the new Woodchipper, Bell Lap. You will not get a consensus here. Use what you want, what you have, or what works. Look at the pictures in all the monster cross threads.........


----------



## UBUgoat (Sep 12, 2009)

slocaus said:


> Midges, WTB Dirt Drop, the new Woodchipper, Bell Lap. You will not get a consensus here. Use what you want, what you have, or what works. Look at the pictures in all the monster cross threads.........


yeah, i figured. 

still, i'd like to see some more handlebar set ups....wish i didn't leave my camera at work...been playing with all kinds of experimental set ups with the risers...with bar ends...some interesting ergonomics going on. and really, simply, just oddball looking. oddly, some configurations are pretty comfortable. need to do some trail time and see if any of these remain comfortable and effective


----------



## Frank Z (Feb 24, 2008)

Sleeveless said:


> Every Singular I see continues to impress me. They have both the form and function down to a "T". Let's see some action shots if you have any.


Well, here's one: my Swift, size L, in a nice long downhill (Mont Ventoux, France):


----------



## Frank Z (Feb 24, 2008)

This has been a nice +2 hours read! I'm off now, dreamin' of a Rawland Drakkar...


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

UBUgoat said:


> yeah, i figured.
> 
> still, i'd like to see some more handlebar set ups....wish i didn't leave my camera at work...been playing with all kinds of experimental set ups with the risers...with bar ends...some interesting ergonomics going on. and really, simply, just oddball looking. oddly, some configurations are pretty comfortable. need to do some trail time and see if any of these remain comfortable and effective


I think you wil see more Midges, but they have their shortcomings, particularly, very short below the drops. Search "monstercross" using advanced search in this forum especially, but the Salsa forum will yield results too, like the Salsa Fargo thread. There have been many handlebar discussions there. Check for Soma, Ragley as well.

WTB Dirt Drops are nice, and I would run them, but they will not take bar end shifters. I currently have Bell Laps on my MoFo Cross, but will likely go back to the Midge, and eagerly await the Salsa Woodchipper announced at Interbike.


----------



## UBUgoat (Sep 12, 2009)

*i am wondering why i haven't seen any Origin 8 drop bar ends*...:skep:

before i go midge on my mtb or build a true CX bike, i figured i could try these on my flat bars so i can be somewhat 'legal' in an upcoming CX race...

if i do, i'll post the silly pix


----------



## jkaber (Nov 12, 2006)




----------



## ericb49 (Aug 11, 2006)

Salsa stem recall led me this way on my La Cruz monster - Ritchey stem to fit WTB dirt drops.


























The XDX 29 x 1.75 tires have been real nice but 650B (...2.0 tires...) is calling.


----------



## veloreality (May 10, 2009)

im looking for advice handlebar wise. im looking for either a wider drop bar(25.4 clamp)or a noodle/townie style handle bar. right now i have standard drop bar(raleigh one way 2008) and it very narrow and when off roading theres not alot of control. 
any input will be considered and appreciated.
thanks in advance


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

veloreality said:


> im looking for advice handlebar wise. im looking for either a wider drop bar(25.4 clamp)or a noodle/townie style handle bar. right now i have standard drop bar(raleigh one way 2008) and it very narrow and when off roading theres not alot of control.
> any input will be considered and appreciated.
> thanks in advance


Rather than hijacking this thread, here is what search shows about handlebars for your application. Some of these may not be perfect, but this is a search for "drop handlebar 29er"
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=546899
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=562100
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=375035
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=477047
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=459822
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=383879


----------



## eoglander (Jul 5, 2007)

Get the new Salsa Woodchipper! I can't wait to try it out.


----------



## Cycle Snack (Sep 26, 2008)

Here are mine:

SSer Demi Monster Crosser (69er - recently sold off)









SSer:









Flared drop substitution (cruiser bars turned upside down)









Road Drops:


----------



## buddhak (Jan 26, 2006)

*Wtf*



jkaber said:


>


I'm all for crossing lines and tangential thinking, but this little monster looks a little out of place here. Did he escape from a Fat Bike Forum thread? Cool rims, btw


----------



## UBUgoat (Sep 12, 2009)

Cycle Snack said:


> Flared drop substitution (cruiser bars turned upside down)


i really like this idea...did the same with my riser bars...upside down worked...so did upside down and reversed...


----------



## Cycle Snack (Sep 26, 2008)

UBUgoat said:


> i really like this idea...did the same with my riser bars...upside down worked...so did upside down and reversed...


Those bars are cruiser bars and they are steel, so they are bit to flexy. Upside risers could work. I have some FUBars (Mary-esque) that I might try, turned upside down could be good.


----------



## Solo with others (Jan 6, 2004)

"Dumbo"


----------



## mmeiser01 (Mar 13, 2008)

*how do those Borough CX 45mm fit?*



burner said:


> my take on things... for urban LA riding w/ some fireroads.
> 
> Cross Check
> Alfine 1x8 w/ 42T chainring
> ...


If you don't mind me asking how do those Borough CX fit on your Cross Check. I have the same bike and am trying to find a good tire. I love the Borough but it didn't love me. The sidewalls tore on me 4x's with the 32mm. Not sure if the 45mm will be any tougher.

Was wondering if I could fit even a larger tire. The rear chainstays are the choke point though.


----------



## burner (Mar 7, 2005)

mmeiser01 said:


> If you don't mind me asking how do those Borough CX fit on your Cross Check. I have the same bike and am trying to find a good tire. I love the Borough but it didn't love me. The sidewalls tore on me 4x's with the 32mm. Not sure if the 45mm will be any tougher.
> 
> Was wondering if I could fit even a larger tire. The rear chainstays are the choke point though.


I liked the Borough, fit fine, but had the same issue with its toughness... took a stick right through the casing and killed it. Switched to the Bonty DryX 1.75 which is about as big as will fit in there (bigger than the Borough) and is a more substantial offroad tire with a sturdier casing, not much room to spare though.


----------



## Orkje (May 3, 2006)

Hey Solo, with others, that Soulcraft looks brilliant! How tall are you? What is the standover on the bike and how tall is the headtube?


----------



## efuentes (Oct 13, 2009)

My wanna be MonsterCross on Expedition Mode, running 700x40 on an old raleigh hybrid frame.










Saludos from Mexico


----------



## fire horse (Mar 9, 2004)

*New Rock Lobster - What's the word?*

Thunderbird Bike - Love it, rides great, can't be more pleased. Stops traffic even among non-bike geeks.


----------



## el-cid (May 21, 2004)

That Rock Lobster is hot; I've gotta add a 'Lobster to the quiver before I die. I don't think I've posted any pictures of my Airborne Carpe Diem. It's probably on the edge of monstercross with "just" 40c tires on it now but it does have clearance for a bit more tire. This is a parting shot; it's for sale on ebay right now but if it sells it'll be replaced with something else in the monstercross vein.


----------



## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

ericb49 said:


>


Want.


----------



## buddhak (Jan 26, 2006)

Fire Horse,

That's a tasty crustacean you've got there. I have 3 requests: 1) tell me more about that fork...especially the braze-ons, 2) introduce me to those fine a$$ pedals, and 3) please tell me who makes those handlebars. I dig the paint scheme..


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

fire horse said:


> Thunderbird Bike - Love it, rides great, can't be more pleased. Stops traffic even among non-bike geeks.


May I have sex with your bike? I promise to have her back by curfue! She's freakin' beautiful!!!


----------



## Orkje (May 3, 2006)

Fire Horse,

your bike is a true example of how a well-conceived concept for a custom bike can turn into something wondrous. I'd love to see it in SS mode, but even geared it strikes a chord.


----------



## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

Critking said:


> Does this qualify as monster cross?


What tires are those?


----------



## dankilling (Feb 24, 2004)

From Bikes

Cross check with clown shoes. Boom.


----------



## senor_mikey (Apr 25, 2009)

*nice bikey!*



fire horse said:


> Thunderbird Bike - Love it, rides great, can't be more pleased. Stops traffic even among non-bike geeks.


What a beautiful job! Now for the question... Is that a WTB saddle? I'm looking for a brown saddle to go with my new custom "monster" I'm building...( Don't like Brooks) ... been looking at the SDG Bel-Air in brown.

Any other ideas out there for Brown saddles?


----------



## girona (Oct 12, 2005)

How I miss my old Cross Check!


----------



## maxus (Jun 29, 2008)

some kind of heavy-duty mostersross ))
fixie with 37 coni`s spike tires - for winter park-training ))

p.s. a summer setup, but on 28 clincher



the frame fits tire up to 42mm (maxxis wormdrive CX), maybe more (didn` tryed). the frame is ideal for different bike experiments (fixie, single, geared hub-setup, cx-bike, touring, bike for riding to markets and so on)


----------



## gottwood (Jun 2, 2009)

*Here is my all-around bike*


































My CX Decathlon, used at anything from short road trips (with 700x25 slicks), trekking (with touring 700x35c), CX (with 700x30c Michelin Cyclo-Cross Mud2), city commuting to mountain trails.
In this pic it comes equipped with 700x40c Schwalbe Hurricane on front and 28x1.75" Schwalbe Smart Sam rear tire. This is the winter, muddy trails, singletrack outfit.
Specs: 
Frame&Fork: Decathlon Al6061 Cyclo-Cross 
Shifters, Derraileurs: Shimano 105 FlightDeck
Casette: SRAM 11-34
Chainrings: Truvativ 32/44
Saddle: Fi'zi:k Pave
Rims: Decathlon Penta Racing
Stem: X-tasy rized stem

The bike's destination will move from trails and single-tracks to longer mixed an road touring (for this i'll buy some racks) as soon as I'll buy a cross-country/marathon bike for mountains.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

gottwood said:


> My CX Decathlon, used at anything from short road trips (with 700x25 slicks), trekking (with touring 700x35c), CX (with 700x30c Michelin Cyclo-Cross Mud2), city commuting to mountain trails.


That is a perfect monster cross, you have the true essence, great bike, and great pictures in the mud, rain, and well ridden. Huzzah! :thumbsup:


----------



## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

I agree, that Decathlon is sweet. How do you like the smart sam?



















34x19 SS, or 1x9 at 34f and 12-24 custom selection rear.


----------



## gottwood (Jun 2, 2009)

jmadams13 said:


> I agree, that Decathlon is sweet. How do you like the smart sam?


Well, it's very reliable and great on mud.
Also the transition from Michelin 700x30c to Schwalbe 700x47c made me fell more confident on the bike.
The frame supports up to 2" tire, but I think I'll stick to the Smart Sam tire, and for XC, marathon contests and speed descents on mountain trails I'll buy a Trek 8000 or something similar.


----------



## justinb (Apr 1, 2006)

6thElement said:


> Want.


There you go

(Not mine, just noticed it while looking for something else salsa).


----------



## ruppster (Apr 30, 2008)

Since everyone else is posting CrossChecks with knobbies:










Bontrager 1.8 front, Kenda 700x42 semislicks rear
Road crankset, Sora triple derailleur
MTB cassette (12-32), Deore derailleur
Salsa Bars, Sora shifters, dynamo hub & homemade LED headlight (about 200 lumens), Nashbar front rack, Topeak child seat rear rack, not impressive Tektro cantilever brakes. My daughter loves riding around town in the child seat.
I would like to change the fork for a disc model. 
The frame has lot of rough miles and it shows!


----------



## gottwood (Jun 2, 2009)

The child seat is in the front or the rear of your bike?
From the pic it seems you have a rack also in the front, but I can't manage if it's a child seat.


----------



## ruppster (Apr 30, 2008)

gottwood said:


> The child seat is in the front or the rear of your bike?
> From the pic it seems you have a rack also in the front, but I can't manage if it's a child seat.


It goes on the rear. It is this model. I purchased it from my LBS & paid nowhere near Nashbar's price. I only use it on roads/sidewalks/rail trails, it definitely isn't made for singletrack. Things can get a little sketchy with 40lbs up high on a bike.


----------



## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

justinb said:


> There you go
> 
> (Not mine, just noticed it while looking for something else salsa).


Just wandered back into this thread, hit that image again and thought, "want" again. That auction would probably fit great but I have no room for a 6th bike, those orange Salsa's are fantastic...


----------



## Holmes (Jun 23, 2008)

MonsterMidge'dMonkeyCross. Liking it a lot.


----------



## Joe Nation (May 16, 2007)

Just paid for my Singular Gryphon, it'll be in here soon enough. For now, here are two of Singular's test/demo/proto bikes, just cos I love 'em:


----------



## holy cromoly (Nov 5, 2009)

Adding my frankenstein Nashbike to this monstercross thread. Those are 29 x 1.9 tires that fit with just enough clearance for dry conditions.


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

As long as we're talking about nashbikes...


----------



## holy cromoly (Nov 5, 2009)

Props on the Nashbike! 

They are solid rides indeed.


----------



## holy cromoly (Nov 5, 2009)

Congrats on the Singular. I would like to have one of their Peregrine frames.


----------



## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

*Monster REBORN!!*

Earlier this summer I trashed my beautiful and functional Peugeot frame (shown earlier in this thread). I rolled into a small hidden stump, went OTB and bent the top- and down-tubes. I didn't even notice 'til I had remounted and continued on my way. At the next sharp turn, my tire rubbed my shoe...

I already had this Velo Sport Prestige, but I hadn't planned on using it due to the smaller geometry. The ST is a mere 1.5cm shorter than my old bike while the TT is _5cm_ shorter! I get toe overlap occasionally, but I don't feel that it's a deal breaker. I'd like to replace her with a CxC or LHT in the next couple of years, but money's tight and I'm working on another build at the moment, so here she is.


----------



## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

CLONG said:


> Earlier this summer I trashed my beautiful and functional Peugeot frame (shown earlier in this thread). I rolled into a small hidden stump, went OTB and bent the top- and down-tubes. I didn't even notice 'til I had remounted and continued on my way. At the next sharp turn, my tire rubbed my shoe...
> 
> I already had this Velo Sport Prestige, but I hadn't planned on using it due to the smaller geometry. The ST is a mere 1.5cm shorter than my old bike while the TT is _5cm_ shorter! I get toe overlap occasionally, but I don't feel that it's a deal breaker. I'd like to replace her with a CxC or LHT in the next couple of years, but money's tight and I'm working on another build at the moment, so here she is.


That Velo Sport looks fantastic.  Too bad to hear about the Peugeot.


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

CLONG said:


>


Perfect! You bikes are simple, elegant, classic!

I really liked the Peugeot, but this is nice and might be a better fit for monster cross riding. Spot on execution, to my eye, this defines the spirit, heart, and soul of monster cross bikes.


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

My Iro Rob Roy. I've had the bike for over a year and I love it. I've been running it with some Ritchey Speedmax 32s and/or Panaracer Cinder X 35s. Today was my first ride with the 1.8 in front. The frame only has clearance for a 35mm in back, so this is about as big as I can with this frame. I can't wait to take this back out on some singletrack.


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## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

Mines changed a bit. Bars (lifelites snapped) and some other bits


----------



## veloreality (May 10, 2009)

my classy monsterx

what ratio are you guys using for the dirt. i have a higher ratio for the street currently(39x1fixed and 39x16 freewheel) but it is gonna be too high for real offroad.

new stuff:
47 tire front
40 tire rear
origin8 tiki bar
power staps(never really liked them but they were free and i like the idea of having a clippless feel yet i can wear any of my shoes.) if i go offroading alot more with this ill put my eggbeaters back on.

what are your thoughts on going with a paul mtb crankset on this. that or a modified xtr m952 crankset? im kinda stuck with a 38^ chainring with a road or track crankset.


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## dustintendo (Jan 13, 2009)

great looking bike velo


----------



## Prem (Nov 1, 2006)

Hope that I can show some pictures of a real bike at the end of January


----------



## [email protected] (Dec 23, 2008)

Here is my new Gryphon:










more:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157622772600973/

Full Specs:
Frame/fork: Singular Gryphon Large
Headset: Chris King 1 1/8
Spacers: Hope
Handlebar: WTB Dirt Drop Mountain Bar (new)
Bartape: Brooks
Brakelevers: Cane Creek Drop V
Shifter: J-Tek
Stem: Thomson 90mm 10° with some Ti bolts
Seatpost: Thomson Elite
Saddle: Brooks Swift Ti
Seatpostclamp: Salsa
Bottom Bracket: Phil Wood excentric and XTR
Cranks: XTR FC-M950
Chainring: Onza Bucksaw 36t
Chainring bolts: some alu singlespeed ones
Pedals: Crankbros SL
Chain: 9sp KMC
Brakecable set: Avid Full Metal Jacket
Shiftcable: standard Alfine
Brakes: Avid Mtn BB7 2009 - 185mm

Front wheel: 
Ghetto-tubeless
Hub: Hope Pro II
Rim: Salsa Semi 29"
Spokes: DT Comp 2.0-1.8
Nipples: alu
Tire: 2.4 Schwalbe Racing Ralph
Ti: Hope discbolts

Rear wheel:
Ghetto-tubeless
Hub: Shimano Alfine 8-speed IGH
Rim: Salsa Semi 29"
Spokes: DT Comp 2.0-1.8
Nipples: alu
Tire: 2.4 Schwalbe Racing Ralph "very tricky"

Some tweaks:
- Drilled markers on J-tek for outlining the Alfine
- Ghetto tubeless
- Heated and bend Full Metal Jacket tubes.


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Prem said:


> Hope that I can show some pictures of a real bike at the end of January


Interesting. Is that builder in Poland too, I assume? What is the largest tire it will take? Discs or canti / V brakes?


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## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> Here is my new Gryphon:


Oh my, that's gorgeous. I love the build (Alfine is awesome) and the overall look of silver parts selection.

What gearing did you use? Where did you get your j-tek shifter?


----------



## [email protected] (Dec 23, 2008)

CLONG said:


> Oh my, that's gorgeous. I love the build (Alfine is awesome) and the overall look of silver parts selection.
> 
> What gearing did you use? Where did you get your j-tek shifter?


Thx! 
I used the 20t ring that came with the Alfine with a 36t Onza Bucksaw in front. Got the shifter from on-one here only 5 left so be quick


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## N10S (Sep 27, 2004)

Awesome bike, and thoughtful build as well. I have been really thinking about getting a Singular in the future, where is the best source for the frame-sets in the states?



[email protected] said:


> Here is my new Gryphon:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

N10S said:


> Awesome bike, and thoughtful build as well. I have been really thinking about getting a Singular in the future, where is the best source for the frame-sets in the states?


You mean only source? 

Marty posts here frequently, I'm surprised you missed him.

http://www.singularcycles.com/
Under Dealers
http://www.singularcycles.com/dealers.html


> *US*
> 
> The Prairie Peddler
> Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, USA
> ...


----------



## Prem (Nov 1, 2006)

> Interesting. Is that builder in Poland too, I assume? What is the largest tire it will take? Discs or canti / V brakes?


slocaus: Yes, it is Polish builder. It is going to be light duty bike. It is designed with low volume tires in mind. I don't think that it will fit bigger tires that real 2.0. I am planning to use tektro rx6 mini-v's

N10S: Great bike, I was also seriously considering that frame but it is slightly too mtb-ish for my liking.


----------



## N10S (Sep 27, 2004)

slocaus said:


> You mean only source?
> 
> Marty posts here frequently, I'm surprised you missed him.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reference info!  I have been checking different threads-out and looking at pics more than reading I guess! I really like my Vassago a lot, but the taller head tube drop-bar oriented set-up of the Gryphon has me thinking about making a change.

Jeff


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## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

I was seriously looking at a La Cruz until some of the Singular Peregrine photos appeared, let me know how you get on with that dealer N10S.


----------



## chuey (Dec 4, 2004)

[[My friend Rob told me what my bikes are called. They are Monstercross. How dandy. We just thought they were Mountain Bikes but nobody else did. They would tell me that they _weren't_Mountain Bikes all the time.

The Willits is from October 1999 and is my first 29er. The WTB is essentially a grown up Phoenix and also, essentially a Steve Potts and wifie's 29er; Christmas 1999. The bike is bigger than mine because she is taller than me. The Soulcraft is late 1999 or early 2000. I think it is the second 29er they made; the first one having been for Sean's original partner, Matt. It is the bike I ride the most. The Salsa is included because it is kind of Monstercross. It is 26" and has been retired from the dirt on Ross' orders. It has had two repairs due to being such an early bike and made with some pretty light tubing. It got this configuration in approximately 1987, I like orange.

People have told me that I should ride newer bikes. They tell me that when they learn I run a bike shop. I will ride newer bikes when better ones come along. These are exactly what I like to ride. I love these bikes and the people who made the frames, Wes, Sean, Steve and Ross all have so much good Karma that comes from having made my life better. Thank you gentlemen.

Chuey


----------



## javaracer (Mar 31, 2006)

I have to clean my rig, will get posted soon: Specialized Tricross, with Schwalbe Furious Fred 2.0's. it's my favorite bike and ride it for road, dirt, and gravel.


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

6thElement said:


> let me know how you get on with that dealer N10S.


It is ~martini~ (click for profile) and he posts here frequently, nice guy and helpful, and true bike passion. I'm sure you have seen his posts and just did not make the connection.


----------



## Helmsdini (Oct 23, 2008)

Can I play? This is more of a low-buck retro mod, but it has drop bars and the biggest tires I could fit in the frame (700x45C)

I picked this early 90's GT Arette up off my dad for free. It was way too big for him and basically served as a garage ornament for the past 15 years or so. The original bike was pretty grandpa looking. Very high flat bar, junk acera components and the micro-compact hyperdrive C front chainring setup.

I took it apart, cleaned and re-greased everything, put new brake cables and housings on, and removed all of the shifting componentry.

I scored the following parts from Ebay, mostly used and cheap:
Avid shorty 4 cantis/ coolstop pads
Cane Creek brake levers
old school trek/ ICON 25.5 ergo drop bar

Picked up the following at the LBS:
SS crank, chainring, etc.
700x45C panaracer smoke gumwall tires (10$ ea!)

and I had the rockwerks SS conversion and the Gussett bachelor in my parts box.

All told, I could not be more thrilled with it. I have raced a few 'cross events with it and it is as much at home in the dirt and mud as it is on the road. It weighs a ton, but it rides like a Cadillac and maintains momentum well.There is something to be said for the old US made steel frames and forks. These pics on my sub-par 5MP camera dont do it much justice.


----------



## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

Helmsdini said:


> Can I play? This is more of a low-buck retro mod...


Wrong. What you have there is more of a kickass monstercross bike. Nicely done.


----------



## duotone (Dec 31, 2006)

GT's are a bit heavy, but they roll real nice!

Nice work on your build, here's my Karakoram (grey) and my Timberline (black).

There's about 2" of fresh snow... think I'll go ride!


----------



## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

^^ both very nice. 

@Duotone: In the snow pic, are those Nitto bars? I've been using some on my mofocross and it rides nice. Liking them very very much. Can't wait for some snow here

@Helmsdini: Sweet. Retro styling with modern components. What wheels are they? Original?


----------



## duotone (Dec 31, 2006)

Thanks. The mustache bars are actually SOMA mustache bars, and I like'em.


----------



## ferday (Jan 15, 2004)

Helmsdini said:


> Can I play? This is more of a low-buck retro mod, but it has drop bars and the biggest tires I could fit in the frame (700x45C)
> 
> I picked this early 90's GT Arette up off my dad for free. It was way too big for him and basically served as a garage ornament for the past 15 years or so. The original bike was pretty grandpa looking. Very high flat bar, junk acera components and the micro-compact hyperdrive C front chainring setup.
> 
> I took it apart, cleaned and re-greased everything, put new brake cables and housings on, and removed all of the shifting componentry.


sick retro rig and the best use of an old frame i've seen in a long time. right on!


----------



## Helmsdini (Oct 23, 2008)

Thanks for the comments guys!

I need to switch out the saddle, add a bash guard and my egg beaters and experiment around a little with the stem and handlebar combo- thinking maybe dirt drops are in the future. 

Jmadams: The wheels are stock: 36 hole arayas rims on parallax hubs with some pretty heavy gauge spokes. I figure with that many spokes, they should stand to take a beating or two.

Just browsing around- there are quite a few very nice rigs in this thread! Wow.


----------



## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

I would have thought arayas at that time frame would be 27." Huh, guess I was wrong. 

@duotone: I was riding the soma bars for a while on my townie, but found the Nittos to be a bit stiffer. The bends and reach are almost exactly the same though. They are nice bars. Do you like the feel of them on singletrack? Some people don't like 'em, but I love them, and can't think about going back to drops or mtb bars on my CrossCheck.


----------



## jro75 (Aug 17, 2006)

*delete*

please delete


----------



## smoen81 (Aug 28, 2008)

Ventana El Comandante with Gary bars


----------



## kmac76 (May 30, 2007)

*van dessel*

from the booth at the mercer cup cross races -


----------



## jdg (Sep 18, 2007)

Finally built this up. This is Donkey's old frame and fork, now across the country in and around Richmond Va. Just a few short rides so far and fun fun fun, handles beautifully. I need to order up some larger tires though for it to attain official monster status.


----------



## crowdypooster (Jun 17, 2008)

Sweet Kelly. I have always loved those frames. I have Kelly Deluxe that is still my favorite bike...the ride, the handling, the finish.


----------



## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

just FYI:
I can now confirm that schwalbe marathon xr 40mm tires (on a kris holm 38mm rim) fit in a surly 1x1 with the axle slammed all the way forward, actually felt weird having to pull the axle back to tension the chain since I was expecting it to have to start all the way back.
oh, 36x17 gear needed a bit of pull.
36x18 might be the "full-slam" magic gear

short wheelbase, good gravel/pine trail tire.
tall bike, but felt fun in the snow last night!
had probs with the front brake, will get that sorted and final fit and post up a pic.

first impression; remember when you were a kid and you stole your uncle's bike and it felt really tall but kinda invincible cause you were perched so high up?
yeah! 


*EDIT* I can also now confirm, same wheel setup listed above fits in a 26" fox vanilla rlc (and probably all other fox forks) with about 4 or 5 mm of clearance to the arch.
I'm posting RE the early gen forks with the rounded arch, not the newer ones with the squared off tops, don't have one of those to try.
reason I mention: figured an 80mm fox float would make a nice monster-cross fork for anyone running 40's.


----------



## campredcloudbikes (Feb 22, 2008)

Just built up. 32mm tires and riser bars, but it will be sporting the biggest tires that fit come summer....
dinglespeed with a tomicog on the other side = tringlespeed
V brake on a disc only A317 rim


----------



## elgordo (Jan 13, 2005)

ink1373 said:


> a few more. the gray one is mine.


At the risk of sound like a thirteen year old girl ..... OMG  If only this build que wasn't closed ....


----------



## dankilling (Feb 24, 2004)

elgordo said:


> At the risk of sound like a thirteen year old girl ..... OMG  If only this build que wasn't closed ....


You might check with Doug Curtiss.... I think he does some sub-work for Sacha on the Vanilla bikes....


----------



## efuentes (Oct 13, 2009)

My Rawland DSogn on its first ride, 4 hours worth :thumbsup:

To sum it up, The idea works, gravel, road, singletrack, you name it.

700cX40s for now, should be sweet with 650bX2.3.



















Saludos.


----------



## campredcloudbikes (Feb 22, 2008)

Specialized 2.0 fast trac front - outer knobs rub a little on the fork. No go. I'll need to get a smaller tire or trim the knobs down

Kenda Karma 1.9 rear - Fits! Although the tire is worn down some...

Anybody put Furious Freds in a Fisticuff?

Anybody else have problems with toe overlap on the Fisticuff?


----------



## campredcloudbikes (Feb 22, 2008)

Specialized 2.0 fast trac front - outer knobs rub a little on the fork. No go. I'll need to get a smaller tire or trim the knobs down

Kenda Karma 1.9 rear - Fits! Although the tire is worn down some...

Anybody put Furious Freds in a Fisticuff?

Anybody else have problems with toe overlap on the Fisticuff?

Back to 32mm Kenda Kwicker tires for winter riding. They cut right through powder on the road real nice.


----------



## Prem (Nov 1, 2006)

Schwalbe furious fred (46mm wide) is much smaller than Kenda Karma so it should fit easily.


----------



## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

*wife's kahunacross*

king kahuna scandium frame, misfit fork, xtr front, sram 9.0 rear hubs on velocity deep v's, ultegra bar-cons running to nos xtr front and newer xtr rear d's, profile bars/stem, bb5roads with canecreek levers for now, nos xtr cranks 26/36/46, syncros bb, xt rear cogset, 11-30 8 speed, bontrager carbon s-post, some seat that's white with a blue butterfly on it, all-canadian bar tape. 35/38mm tires for now while she gets used to shifting again, then we'll go back through it bit by bit and get the tires she'd prefer.

no clue on weight, heavier than her lemond ss, but lighter than my surly 1x1 ss?


----------



## a528126 (Jul 19, 2009)

*dumb question - perhaps*

What are the advantages of having drop bars on these bikes? The only thing that I can think of is less wind resistance at road speeds.


----------



## UBUgoat (Sep 12, 2009)

down in (not ON) the bike...

and sure, an aggressive position. as mtbikng/offtrail should be


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

This thread is just too good to let die. Bump


----------



## I Drink Blatz (Aug 24, 2005)

campredcloudbikes said:


> Specialized 2.0 fast trac front - outer knobs rub a little on the fork. No go. I'll need to get a smaller tire or trim the knobs down
> 
> Kenda Karma 1.9 rear - Fits! Although the tire is worn down some...
> 
> ...


Like what you did.


----------



## artymus (Jun 30, 2005)

Shiggy says it best..

http://mtbtires.com/site2/features/37-bikes/85-why-i-ride-dropbars



a528126 said:


> What are the advantages of having drop bars on these bikes? The only thing that I can think of is less wind resistance at road speeds.


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Anyone ever do a monstercross bike with a Campy group? Exactly how big of a tire do you need to be in the club? Is a 700 X 37 or 38 too small?


----------



## aireguitar (Dec 25, 2007)

b_rogowski said:


> My 2008 Conquest Pro after repaint running Bontrager XR 1.8s


A rider after my own heart. I had a 70s redline BMX, white , with the same decals, Understated will remain timeless...


----------



## Rontele (Apr 1, 2006)

Paid for SPAM here


----------



## dankilling (Feb 24, 2004)

*Current iteration*

Snowshoes-


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Great looking bike. Wouldn't you consider it more a 29r than a Monstercross?


----------



## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

*My Monstercross bikes*

maybe more mutant than monster but I've got inspiration from this thread so thought I would post some photos


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

Those are all sweet looking!


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Nice Crossroads, how old is it?


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Saddle Up said:


> maybe more mutant than monster but I've got inspiration from this thread so thought I would post some photos


Nice. To me that is the essence of monster cross. I see monster cross and drop bar mountain bikes in this thread, in my view, those are different. I have been flamed in other threads for sticking to a strict definition of monster cross, but I must say, I like all bikes and appreciate each one for what it is. I have both monster cross and drop bar mtb.

Here is an old thread of nice monster cross bikes. A few drop bar mtb in there, but not many.


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## Bulldog (Jan 13, 2004)

Saddle Up said:


> maybe more mutant than monster but I've got inspiration from this thread so thought I would post some photos


VERY cool! :thumbsup: What bars are on the steel bike and roughly how wide are they at the tips?


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## NCtrailX (Feb 26, 2004)

Great looking bikes. I like both Crossroads - makes me want to stalk ebay to see what I can come up with!

Are you running both rings on the front of the aluminum Crossroads? I guess you could switch rings by hand - or maybe fit a front der and a friction barcon on the left. Cool to have 2 speed with a road gear and a trail gear.

What size tire is that on the front of the TriCross? Looks like it'll take some pretty big meats up front!


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

Thanks everyone.

The steel Crossroads is using a Soma Sparrow 52cm at the ends.

I believe the steel Crossroads is a 92?

Yep I use it as a 2 speed, trail gearing is 32/16, road is 40/16.

Tricross uses a 35c out back and a 2.1 29er up front. I love this combo, once the snow melts I'll swap for Small Block 8's in the same size.


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## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

CS2 said:


> Great looking bike. Wouldn't you consider it more a 29r than a Monstercross?


there're folk here with 2" tires, wife's running 35 or 38's
so no i don't consider it a drop bar 29er.


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## Bounty Hunter (Nov 22, 2006)

So how do I go monstercross? I'd really like to get some bigger tires on my CC.  What's the biggest I can put on my CC without modification?


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## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

CS2 said:


> Nice Crossroads, how old is it?


This is a beautiful bike, I love it! There's a crossroads in a local recycled bike shop, I am so tempted to copy what you've done there.


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## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

Bounty Hunter said:


> So how do I go monstercross? I'd really like to get some bigger tires on my CC.  What's the biggest I can put on my CC without modification?


hey boba, dunno about your carbon fork there but my steamroller (which i BELIEVE has slightly tighter stays than the crosscheck) handles 42's and 40's just fine.
so I'd expect you to be able to throw 42's in there for sure.

hoping to find a pair of firecross 45's to try someday


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## Bounty Hunter (Nov 22, 2006)

byknuts said:


> hey boba, dunno about your carbon fork there but my steamroller (which i BELIEVE has slightly tighter stays than the crosscheck) handles 42's and 40's just fine.
> so I'd expect you to be able to throw 42's in there for sure.
> 
> hoping to find a pair of firecross 45's to try someday


Thanks for the info! I still have the original fork if I ever decide to swap it out. I love the Easton CF fork right now. My only complaint is when I have the rear rack bag full it makes the front end very light...completely changing the handling of the bike.


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## dankilling (Feb 24, 2004)

Bounty Hunter said:


> Thanks for the info! I still have the original fork if I ever decide to swap it out. I love the Easton CF fork right now. My only complaint is when I have the rear rack bag full it makes the front end very light...completely changing the handling of the bike.


700x45 firecross tires fit fine unless you flex the rear hard when you pedal like I do, but I just nipped the side lugs off on the back tire and all is happy in monstercross land again.


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## eric_syd (Nov 10, 2005)

Saddle Up said:


> maybe more mutant than monster but I've got inspiration from this thread so thought I would post some photos


Nice bikes. What is the largest tyre the Tricross fork can take ?
Is it a carbon or alloy steerer ?


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

Bounty Hunter said:


> So how do I go monstercross? I'd really like to get some bigger tires on my CC.  What's the biggest I can put on my CC without modification?


Surlybikes.com states 45c tires with mud and fender clearance..."For real". Hopethishelps 
Nice looking CC,BTW :thumbsup:


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

*Any size you want*



eric_syd said:


> Nice bikes. What is the largest tyre the Tricross fork can take ?
> Is it a carbon or alloy steerer ?


Tire clearance is a non issue with the fork. That's a 2.1 Kenda Klaw Front in the photo









It uses an alloy crown and steerer.


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## duotone (Dec 31, 2006)

jmadams13 said:


> I would have thought arayas at that time frame would be 27." Huh, guess I was wrong.
> 
> @duotone: I was riding the soma bars for a while on my townie, but found the Nittos to be a bit stiffer. The bends and reach are almost exactly the same though. They are nice bars. Do you like the feel of them on singletrack? Some people don't like 'em, but I love them, and can't think about going back to drops or mtb bars on my CrossCheck.


Sorry, I like them on Single Track, handles really nice.


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## Bounty Hunter (Nov 22, 2006)

longhaultrucker said:


> Surlybikes.com states 45c tires with mud and fender clearance..."For real". Hopethishelps
> Nice looking CC,BTW :thumbsup:


Thank you for the info everyone. :thumbsup:

I love my CC...it's been on the trainer lately since it's bitter cold here right now (-15 today). It all started when I bought a Yeti ARC-X on closeout at LBS. It was a Large and after riding it for while I felt a little stretched out...I really liked that bike. :madman:

I picked up a new CC frame and fork then swapped everything but the front derailleur from the Yeti to the CC then sold the Yeti frame. I really couldn't be happier with this setup. The CC frame is more relaxed compared to the Yeti, but that's completely fine with me. The CC works better as a "do everything" kind of bike. :thumbsup:


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## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

Made a few changes from last post. So I took some pics while rewraping the bars and installing new barcons (the old ones I was using SUCKED!!!) running 2x8. 34/44 up front, 12-27 out back. 34T ring is a Gamut SS ring, as I run this SS at times, at 34-19. I m really loving these bars. About 200 miles so far, most off road, but some gravel and little road. Tires get swapped a lot, just had fire cross on at the time of the pic.

Before wrap, taping cables









Tires, just for the heck of it









Don't mind the messy kitchen, need to do the dishes


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## lowestgear (Dec 27, 2009)

*Niner MCR9 with wide Ritchey BioMax drop bars. Those are genuine road bend bars with a gentle back sweep on the tops which is great for the application due to the sweep providing a comfy bend for use with top mount brake levers. I dig the hood position of real road bars after a lifetime in that position. Works for me. This bike has been on all sorts of real mountain bike rides in the front range of the Rocky Mountains. I like it for longer rides that incorporate road and not-too-rocky trails.

Frame was custom painted by Big Kahuna here in Denver. Fork is the matching Niner steel fork, which has proven to be very reliable and solid feeling including through rock gardens at high speed. Not the lightest, but solid.

The Maxxis Cross Mark tires are a good fit for the application. They are not buzzy on the road, corner better than most mountain bike tires on the road, and are surprisingly versatile off road; had them in snow and mud a few days ago and although not ideal, they were a lot better than you'd imagine by looking at them. Mounted on Stan's Arch tubeless wheels.

Garden variety XT triple, I like the range for this bike since it sees long Rocky Mountain climbs as well as fast road rides. But it might wind up as a 1x9 or 2x9... it's all good.

Cane Creek V levers mated to the Avid BB-7's that are not the road model- FYI these levers work correctly with the mountain bike BB-7's and definitely do NOT work with the road model brakes. With the mountain BB-7's the bike stops really well- always an issue with drop bar levers. These feel better than the road model brakes I had mated to Dura Ace 9 speed STI levers on a previous bike.

Reliable retro 9 speed Shimano bar con's, no more STI for me on these kind of bikes after blowing through several sets a year due to contamination. Bar cons are kind of Fred Flintstone but they just do their thing forever. Not as easy to fan through shifts but I don't really care, having grown up racing with down tube friction shifters which were also just fine once you learned how to use 'em.*



















*Another previous incarnation with flipped 16 degree downhill bars. Not all that comfortable at the grip end, but the inboard bar ends worked really well. Previously it was sporting a flipped Origin 8 Mary-clone bar which came off due to whispers of those bars shall we say, uh, failing spectacularly. This frame and fork combo seems really happy with a drop bar of some sort. The experiments continue...
*


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## xtomx (Jul 31, 2009)

my monster cross bike is done


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

lowestgear said:


> Niner MCR9 with wide Ritchey BioMax drop bars.


Nice drop bar mountain bike.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

xtomx said:


> my monster cross bike is done


Very cool Monster Cross! Done in the true spirit of what a monster cross bike is all about! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

My first one that I no longer have.


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## lowestgear (Dec 27, 2009)

As to the definition of Monstercross bikes, I have to question the seemingly arbitrary stipulation that suspension "does not qualify". having ridden drop bar bikes with and without suspension for several decades, to me that sounds like the equivalent saying it's only a monstercross bike if it uses cantilever brakes (to draw a cyclocross parallel). Which would, of course, be silly given that we have awesome disc brakes to use now.

It's a BIKE. And it does what I tell it to do. With drop bars, and especially real road style full drop bars, suspension can be VERY useful. With more weight on the bars and out over the front of the bike, front suspension can really help. 

For several years my strategy was a roadworthy mountain bike with skinny tires and I had a Santa Cruz Superlight with stiff platform suspension at both ends running a variety of fast tires with Salsa Bell lap full road drop bars. That was great until 29 inch wheels relegated all 26 bikes to the history slag pile for the purpose of drop bar bikes. 29 is so much better I don't have nearly as much use for suspension on these bikes, especially at the rear- but I can see a very valid use for it at the front on rough rides. 

Executive summary: it's a bike and if the bike works better with a softer riding fork, why deny it entry into the "Monstercross" club. To me, the whole concept of these things is to ignore perceived barriers that manufacturers don't "get" yet, and build a bike that does what you want it to do the way you want it to do it. 

And just to qualify- I did my first off road bicycle racing over 35 years ago, cyclocross in California on team issue road bikes which all broke but we didn't care because replacements were free ;-) followed by many years road racing and mountain biking full rigid, followed by the suspension revolution... I've been doing this for a while. 

29'ers are making it fresh yet again and I just freakin' love the monstercross theme, always have. It's great to see a cult developing around what is in the end just really your own personal take on the evolution of the go-anywhere bike.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

It can be anything you want it to be. You have your definition, I have mine. Don't try to convince me that you are right and I am wrong and I will not do that to you. Agreed?

I just happen to take the *"cyclocross"* connection quite literally (traditional diamond frame, _UCI legal_ with larger tires [monster connection] than they allow), and you do not. I am not in charge of this thread, but I know what I like, and I have no arguments with your likes being different.

They are bikes.

I have a friend who says, "I am bi".

*Bi Cycle*


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## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

I've already chimed in on this silly argument before, but the frame geometry should really make the definition. Um, if it's an MTB with drop bars, it IS a drop-bar MTB. The thing that makes MX so fun is attacking trails with all the speedy, unforgiving handling of a road/cross bike. That is a difference you will feel. How you make it monster is up to you (tires, brakes, whatever), but if you forget the 'cross, you missed the mark.

These bikes are NOT the same.









I started a Drop-bar 29er thread to let people show off the bikes that don't fit in this thread and because I ride both.

Find it here:
https://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=462507


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## lowestgear (Dec 27, 2009)

CLONG said:


> I've already chimed in on this silly argument before, but the frame geometry should really make the definition. Um, if it's an MTB with drop bars, it IS a drop-bar MTB. The thing that makes MX so fun is attacking trails with all the speedy, unforgiving handling of a road/cross bike. That is a difference you will feel. How you make it monster is up to you (tires, brakes, whatever), but if you forget the 'cross, you missed the mark.


I agree that it is a silly argument. If it's fun to define a special breed as a certain build that's cool, but really these are all just bikes that are individualized and that's what I see as cool- building it the way you want it to ride.

Having raced cyclocross since the 1970's and promoted cyclocross races including putting on the California state championships, I do have insight into and love for true cyclocross bikes. I've also ridden real cyclocross bikes places where they have no business going for just as long. Many pinch flats and broken frames later, I have developed a strong appreciation for the new breed of options.

Semantics of naming the design are secondary. I see it as somewhat limiting if people feel a need to build to certain parameters to be In The Club. This coming from someone who looks in parts bins wondering what would happen if this were grafted to that, without one iota of givashit about what people will think about my bike when I show up on it at a ride or race.

We're all building bikes to our own personal spec here so I think inclusiveness is the cool way to be. Creativity being the bottom line, and mixing and matching EVERYTHING to find what works best for you. If there's one thing I have learned as a musician as well as a bike builder, if you get all hung up on definitions it hamstrings creativity.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

lowestgear said:


> *I've also ridden real cyclocross bikes places where they have no business going for just as long. Many pinch flats* and broken frames later, I have developed a strong appreciation for the new breed of options.


See?!  That is why I like a narrower definition *for me* of what defines monster cross. I love all bikes, and really really like my mountain bikes, rigid and suspended, SS and geared, drop bar or flat.

Taking what is in essence a cross or road bike and taking on to trails where you quickly get over your head is what make it so seductive. I can handle the terrain on a MTB, but on a MCX the ride becomes an _oh-god-I-almost-died-whoa-that-was-fun_ category.

Check this Monster Cross thread. You will appreciate it with your background in cross.


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## rmb (Feb 9, 2004)

My Rawland Dsogn in monstercross mode:


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## lowestgear (Dec 27, 2009)

I had a really cool bike in the early 1990's, an original Salsa cyclocross frame built by Ross Shafer. Wish I still had it. What was cool about it was that it had vast tire clearance, so it could plow through mud no ordinary cross frame could deal with. The fork and stays were right out of his mountain bike build stash, so it was a mutant by cross standards of that time period. It also had a nice long top tube. This in an era when cyclocross bikes were generally very short and tight and built to use 28mm tubular tires. I owned rode and raced on a variety of European cross bikes in that era too, but the Salsa was the most fun to ride even though it was built like a tank out of gas pipe tubing. 

I dreamt of meaty tires that would take full advantage of that frame, tires we do have today. At the time it was tubulars or tragically crummy Specialized Tricross clinchers, or even more deadly Michelin's (anybody remember those things with the scalloped tread?).

Fast forward 20 years. Now there are all sorts of 700c/29 size wheels and tires. Disc brake options. Tubeless. Rigid and suspension designs of all sorts. If I still had that old Salsa it would be sporting wide tubeless clinchers today, because that would be the best ride that frame was capable of and they would best suit it's personality. 

So... Wouldn't it be great to have a frame that HANDLES like a cyclocross bike, but is built to be capable of taking advantage of today's tire selections? Is it some sort of goal to build from a frame that has inadequate clearance for wide tires? I love cyclocross bikes for what they are, fast and quick and agile; but what I see as REALLY fun is building from more versatile frames that take advantage of disc brakes and the potential to use suspension.

There are a few quick handling frames like that now, and more coming. Ones that ride more like a cyclocross bike when you put drop bars on them but still give you options for more burly builds. The manufacturers think they are mountain bikes but I think they are cool for building bikes that can use both narrow and wide tires with drop or alt bars. 

Some of these so called mountain bike frames are excellent platforms for building 21st century mutant bikes that go where you point 'em and they really lend themselves to experimentation even more than cyclocross style frames do. Swap wheels = a totally different ride on the same bike. I have not found a mass manufactured bike that's perfect for that yet, but look forward to the continued evolution. 

It's just the nature of these bikes that they are a set of compromises and they're all fun to ride... they are mutants. I think it's important for people to think past definitions and just build stuff to see what happens.


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## lowestgear (Dec 27, 2009)

Re: Taking what is in essence a cross or road bike and taking on to trails where you quickly get over your head is what make it so seductive. I can handle the terrain on a MTB, but on a MCX the ride becomes an oh-god-I-almost-died-whoa-that-was-fun category.

I get that- totally agree. It's' extra super fun to do mountain bike rides on cross bikes. One of my favorites was a bike I had Brent Steelman build for me about 10 years ago, a dedicated single speed cyclocross bike which had 120 spacing to use real track wheels. A pair of Phil Wood track hubs and burly Mavic 517 rims later, I had what was really an early Monstercross single speed. Which I took on rocky mountain bike rides with way too much pressure in the original Michelin Mud tires, and was about the most fun ever (except for the jackhammer thing descending on rocks)

Another fun ride comes to mind. Riding Mt Tam on my old aluminum 90's Alan cross bike. Those things were essentially like big leaf springs, soft skinny aluminum tubes. Totally scary descending on mud but that's what made it so much fun. 

Now that I am older my definition of fun tends to lean toward not breaking any parts off my body so I can go do it again, which is part of my motivation for building less crash prone rigs. But it's all good. My 1x9 real cross bike has been all over the front range of the Rockies this winter too. I'm just digging building the newer bikes into things that can go faster than the cross bike can go over rocks, while still being reasonably quick handling about it. I especially like the bigger tires for the snow and ice we have around these parts. The wife is calling me to ride right now, life is good!


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## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

CLONG said:


> These bikes are NOT the same.


I totally agree on the difference.

One is red, one is purple.


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## wantA29er (Nov 25, 2008)

*Newby here..a little help pls!*

So after looking at several pages of bike candy, I am sold on the whole monstercross idea. I have three bikes that I am am trying to decide on which to convert to a monster. I have a Redline CX pro, Soma Double cross disc, and a 09 jake the snake. I would rather leave the doublecross out as it is a little large (more of a road setup) but am open to experimenting with the jake or redline. I am leaning heavily towards the redline bcuz it is just a frameset and not built up as of yet.

What do you recc. for what frame will be the most fun in the MX world? What tires should I run, and which bars? it seems the majority use the On One midge and several others use the WTB bar. I also have the option of running 2X9, 1X9, 1X1..STI or barend shifters. I have tons of bike stuff, help me find the optimal combo! Any help you experts can give would be much appreciated! thanks!!!


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

wantA29er said:


> So after looking at several pages of bike candy, I am sold on the whole monstercross idea. I have three bikes that I am am trying to decide on which to convert to a monster. I have a Redline CX pro, Soma Double cross disc, and a 09 jake the snake. I would rather leave the doublecross out as it is a little large (more of a road setup) but am open to experimenting with the jake or redline. I am leaning heavily towards the redline bcuz it is just a frameset and not built up as of yet.
> 
> What do you recc. for what frame will be the most fun in the MX world? What tires should I run, and which bars? it seems the majority use the On One midge and several others use the WTB bar. I also have the option of running 2X9, 1X9, 1X1..STI or barend shifters. I have tons of bike stuff, help me find the optimal combo! Any help you experts can give would be much appreciated! thanks!!!


What do you have in the parts bin? Build _your_ bike, don't build what we want, build what you want. That is the beauty of monster cross. Experiment, try different bars, stems, shifters, gearing, saddle, wheels, tires, etc. There is no optimal combo. Have fun, post up what you learn. :thumbsup:


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## wantA29er (Nov 25, 2008)

*parts bin*

I have tons of stuff..I worked at a bike shop from 97-09..and for those of you who have worked at bike shops..its easy to accumulate stuff. I am just asking to find a good starting point, or if any of you have had experience with the three frames I mentioned to see if there is one better than the other for MX mods. Also, which handlebar do you recc? I am also wondering if it would be better to go with discs (doublecross or redline) or just canti brakes (all three). Throw the ideas out, im open to try anything. thanks


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

wantA29er said:


> I have tons of stuff..I worked at a bike shop from 97-09..and for those of you who have worked at bike shops..its easy to accumulate stuff. I am just asking to find a good starting point, or if any of you have had experience with the three frames I mentioned to see if there is one better than the other for MX mods. Also, which handlebar do you recc? I am also wondering if it would be better to go with discs (doublecross or redline) or just canti brakes (all three). Throw the ideas out, im open to try anything. thanks


Maybe you could start another "what bike" thread and not hijack this one that has so many nice bike photos?


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## wantA29er (Nov 25, 2008)

*hijack?*

I wasnt trying to hijack this perfect thread of yours at all. I was simply looking for ideas so I can join the monstercross world. I know what type of bike I want to build, a monstercross, just wanted to ideas as to how. sorry to bug you.


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## Bluebeat007 (Mar 17, 2004)

rmb said:


> My Rawland Dsogn in monstercross mode:


Friggin awesome!!!!
!


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## ~martini~ (Dec 20, 2003)

chuey said:


> [
> The WTB is essentially a grown up Phoenix and also, essentially a Steve Potts and wifie's 29er; Christmas 1999.
> 
> Chuey


I LOOOOVvvve that WTB. I had a 26" Pheonix that was fantastic. I now dream of getting a 29" version, and this bike is that dream. I'm sure it'd never fit my 6'5" stature though.


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## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

Quick, somebody post a picture! :band: That's better. I love this thread. Is it the longest one on MTBR yet?


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## lowestgear (Dec 27, 2009)

*Does this one qualify?*


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

wantA29er said:


> I wasnt trying to hijack this perfect thread of yours at all. I was simply looking for ideas so I can join the monstercross world. I know what type of bike I want to build, a monstercross, just wanted to ideas as to how. sorry to bug you.


Dude all you have to do is start on page one of this thread and read every post and look at the photos. All of the ideas for your build are right here already.


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## bikapelli (Oct 15, 2004)

*monstercross forum*

Maybe its time that Monstercross had its own forum. Way more interest here than in the 650b stuff. Just an idea.


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

xtomx said:


> my monster cross bike is done


is awesome


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

bikapelli said:


> Maybe its time that Monstercross had its own forum. Way more interest here than in the 650b stuff. Just an idea.


And a really good one at that.


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## efuentes (Oct 13, 2009)

rmb said:


> My Rawland Dsogn in monstercross mode:


What tires are those on the Dsogn? 29X2.0?

By the way I just made a group on Facebook for the Rawland tribe

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v...406#/group.php?v=wall&ref=nf&gid=287418731406

Saludos


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## jmw (Feb 25, 2005)

Salsa Vaya


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## HardyWeinberg (Aug 3, 2007)

Here's my MonsterCommuter:










The reflective sidewalls kind of drown out the bulk of the 40mm tires.


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## johnnypecans (Jan 5, 2009)

Is anybody else hoping for news of the new origin8 700cx frame?


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## rmb (Feb 9, 2004)

efuentes said:


> What tires are those on the Dsogn? 29X2.0?
> 
> By the way I just made a group on Facebook for the Rawland tribe
> 
> ...


I have a 2.2 Karma in the rear and a 2.25 Racing Ralph in the front. They are the only two tires I had around that are not on bikes, aside from my Crow and Raven that would not work in the current conditions in NY.

I'll check out the group, have a Drakkar on pre-order too.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Don't know if anyone saw this but: http://www.cxmagazine.com/interbike-2009-revisited-monster-cross-alive


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Don't know if anyone saw this but: http://www.cxmagazine.com/interbike-2009-revisited-monster-cross-alive


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## surfimp (Mar 27, 2008)

I've got a Cross-Check that's going on its third or forth incarnation now... this thread is obviously an inspiration...

Besides the Panaracer Fire Cross at 700x45, what other options are currently available in 700x40 to 700x44 range? Been doing lots of reading but seems many of the tires formerly used in that size are discontinued?


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Monstercross tire thread (found by typing "monstercross tires" into search bar and top of page.


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## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

CS2 said:


> Don't know if anyone saw this but: http://www.cxmagazine.com/interbike-2009-revisited-monster-cross-alive


Origin-8's 700CX looks promising, $200 for frame/fork, 4130 frame, horizontal dropouts (track ends), 132mm spacing, pretty normal spec elsewhere; this could be the poor-man's Cross-Check.


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## unsub1 (Oct 17, 2005)

GreenLightGo said:



> :arf: :arf: Nice setup. Rival gruppo, awesome color and transportable. Send my way


Update: Shorter WCS stem, XX rear derailleur, XX cassette, Bontrager XDX 20x1.75 tubeless setup.


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## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

Woooow, nice bike!!

You can run an XX derailleur with a 10 speed Sram shifter? I thought Sram mtb/road derailleurs/shifters had different pull ratios. I know Shimano mtb/road will work together (9 speed of course). Hmmmm.... (ponders possibilities)


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## unsub1 (Oct 17, 2005)

FKMTB07 said:


> Woooow, nice bike!!
> 
> You can run an XX derailleur with a 10 speed Sram shifter? I thought Sram mtb/road derailleurs/shifters had different pull ratios. I know Shimano mtb/road will work together (9 speed of course). Hmmmm.... (ponders possibilities)


Yep, same ratio, shifts better than the Rival derailleur did for sure. I did have to sell my child on the black-market to even be able to afford the cassette though. Ugh.


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## lil hillbilly (May 18, 2005)

*the wifes Chrismas present*

I love gettin the wife somethin she needs for Xmas. Its alwayss been bikes so Im not the dushbag that would get her a set of pots and pans, but If she is gonna be in this family she should probley have a monstercross bike.

I think this tread is one of the best on the forum and is responsable for bringin me back the majority of the time. Im still waitin on the Lance Canfield rides the Lunchbox tread!! The "Tall Boy" vid thead was close.........

pic commin

bike: Cross x Check w/ WTB MutanoRapto 700cc/44. Thats monstercross correct?

I think I love my wifes bike.


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## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

unsub1 said:


> Update: Shorter WCS stem, XX rear derailleur, XX cassette, Bontrager XDX 20x1.75 tubeless setup.


Some nice components there fo' sho' 

Is it compact 34/50 crankset?


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## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

surfimp said:


> I've got a Cross-Check that's going on its third or forth incarnation now... this thread is obviously an inspiration...
> 
> Besides the Panaracer Fire Cross at 700x45, what other options are currently available in 700x40 to 700x44 range? Been doing lots of reading but seems many of the tires formerly used in that size are discontinued?


I've put 1.8" Bontrager Jones XR's on my LHT. I really like 'em. They are a bit pricey, though.


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## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

I have a 40 deg power tools stem and some Geax Barros Race 29x2.00 tires for my Surly Cross Check. When they get here, I will post the pics.


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## ionsmuse (Jul 14, 2005)

*baby cross*


From Bedrock & Paradox

Old Takara frameset, junk bin headset, 42x18 fixed, 35c Speedmax tires.

My Transiowa rig.


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## surfimp (Mar 27, 2008)

slocaus said:


> Monstercross tire thread (found by typing "monstercross tires" into search bar and top of page.





bolandjd said:


> I've put 1.8" Bontrager Jones XR's on my LHT. I really like 'em. They are a bit pricey, though.


Thanks guys. I was pretty much down to either the Panaracer Fire Cross 700x45 or else the Bontrager Jones XR 1.8 (which are on sale for $23.99 on Bontrager's site). Ended up going with the Bontragers because on sale and because I was kinda put off by potentially needing to cut off the side knobs on the Fire Cross.

FWIW, I will be running this singlespeed so will be able to get the wheel all the way back in the drops (which should help with clearance)

This will mainly be for relatively dry dirt, ranging from packed to pretty loose on top (SoCal). And of course some pavement, too. Gotta get to the trails somehow and I'm damn sure not gonna drive!


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## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

surfimp said:


> Thanks guys. I was pretty much down to either the Panaracer Fire Cross 700x45 or else the Bontrager Jones XR 1.8 (which are on sale for $23.99 on Bontrager's site). Ended up going with the Bontragers because on sale and because I was kinda put off by potentially needing to cut off the side knobs on the Fire Cross.
> 
> FWIW, I will be running this singlespeed so will be able to get the wheel all the way back in the drops (which should help with clearance)
> 
> This will mainly be for relatively dry dirt, ranging from packed to pretty loose on top (SoCal). And of course some pavement, too. Gotta get to the trails somehow and I'm damn sure not gonna drive!


Damn! I paid like $50 a piece. Oh well. Good luck with the Bonty's. I rode them a lot in the mountains south of Tucsan,AZ which are fairly similar to the mountains in So Cal. I'm not a tire expert or experienced reviewer or whatever, but I thought they were fast rolling and still pretty grippy. They totally rocked on dirt roads. Hope you like em too.

BTW, I hope the fact that you found them on sale for so cheap isn't a sign that they are going away. But I could see why maybe they are not so popular. Too fat to fit in most cross frames, but most 29er riders are looking for more volume than the relatively skinny 1.8" provides. Maybe the rising popularity of "monster cross" rigs can convince manufacturers to keep these gems around.


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## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

*Surly MonsterCross Check*

I received my tires and stem today and put them on immediately. I need to get some Wtb mountain drops, On-One Midge bars, Origin8 gary bars, or Salsa Woodchipers to make the transformation complete.


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## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

^^^ looks good, a few questions:

What bar tape is that? Looks cool, a little thin, but nice. Reminds me of my old Schwin La Tour.

Any clearance with the 2.0 tires? I am running Fire XC now when on the messy trails, but has just a a little too much tread for me, those look great. Any pics of the tire at the fork and stays?

Why the power tools stem, because its yellow? No offense, but you have some nice bits on there, and the bargain stem just seems out of place. Don't get me wrong though, the yellow looks cool.


The green frame and cable yoke looks nice with the blue King.


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## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

These fatties fit fine. Well the powertools stem was the only 40 degree stem I could find on Ebay at the time. I just put it together tonight and haven't had a ride yet. What stem would you suggest?


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## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

The tape is some vintage celluous{sp} I picked up years ago.


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## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

Not recommending you change your stem, just wondering. I like how it looks. Hows that tape feel? Thinking of using it on your new bars?


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## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

I use this tape on all my drop bars. I wear gloves year round unless it's really hot. I would love to get some of those old vintage white and tan leather type fingerless gloves for the summer also.


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## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

Like the ones with the mesh backs? Giant makes them, and giant deal should have them or can get them, I use these on the road on really hot days. Actually used a pair at my old job while on the fork lift. Very comfy gloves.

LIKE THESE?


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## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

Them's the ones; thanks.


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## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

Picked mine up for like 20 or so. Adds a cool retro touch I think


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## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

jmadams13 said:


> Like the ones with the mesh backs? Giant makes them, and giant deal should have them or can get them, I use these on the road on really hot days. Actually used a pair at my old job while on the fork lift. Very comfy gloves.
> 
> LIKE THESE?


I have a set of those. I love 'em. I don't why this style ever fell out of favor. Very comfortable when its hot.


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## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

Back to the Pics!


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## eric_syd (Nov 10, 2005)

This bike has already been posted earlier in the 29er forum but I was inspired by Ilostmypassword's bar tape in the fargo thread to give a retro feel and the need to build new lighter wheels for a road/ gravel program. I was also frustrated by permanent ghost shifting on smaller cogs so I built a 11-12-14-16-18-22 cassette with single speed cogs, slightly heavier but no shifting issues and no more ghost shifting when pounding hard out of the saddle in small cogs.
Tyre is Michelin Transworld Sprint 40mm on the front for its big volume and Continental Double fighter 37mm for its low rolling resistance even on asphalt.
MTB drop bars purists will disapprove but I use both flats and drops on a Midge with a comfortable double layer bar tape and I love it.


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## esXso (Sep 23, 2008)

Question to anyone with a cross bike:

If I want to run drop bars on a Redline Monocog or Karate Monkey should I buy a frame one size smaller than I would ordinarily buy to compensate for the extra reach in the drop position?


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## eric_syd (Nov 10, 2005)

esXso said:


> Question to anyone with a cross bike:
> 
> If I want to run drop bars on a Redline Monocog or Karate Monkey should I buy a frame one size smaller than I would ordinarily buy to compensate for the extra reach in the drop position?


There has been a lot of threads on that subject, do a search.
This one is about specific bars but some of your questions are answered and there is even a photo of a Redline.
Please go to Shiggy's website quoted in his signature or find some of his old posts with photos explaining the process to determine your stemshape and size.
I would not use a smaller frame because they usually have shorter Headtubes which would lead to a lower position of the bars. Instead, you'll have to use a shorter and steeper stem.
Eric


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## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

I just finished my latest build, a monster-cross inspired Nashbar Touring frame built up with spare parts, 1x5 drivetrain, and fat tires. This one's going to be a blast on single track, fireroads, bar hopping, etc, etc, etc.

Nashbar double-butted touring frameset, Cane Creek S3 headset, Bontrager Select seatpost, Brooks B17 saddle, Soma Clarence bars flipped, Salsa Delgado rims laced to Ultegra hubs, Snafu flat pedals, old Sugino 110bcd crank, running 38: 14-16-18-21-24 (just for something different) PG-970 5-speed cassette, SLX shifter and mid-cage derailleur, Tektro brakes, Avid levers.

Tons of clearance with the 29x1.9 Kenda Karma up front (it'll fit a 2.0 Python without a problem).

The rear tire is a front Bontrager Jones XR 29x1.8. I actually prefer the front tread pattern (mounted backwards) on the rear on this tire. The Karma fit, but with less than 1mm of clearance to the chainstay bridge. I'm sure I could grind a bit of the fender braze-on there down (it's a 100 dollar frame) and get the Karma to fit better, but I'm already using the Jones, so I'll leave it for now.

I really dig the flipped Clarence bars. Very comfy and pretty retro looking too. Very heavy though, but what do we care, this is Monster-Cross?

Pics:


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## M_S (Nov 18, 2007)

That's looks like a ton of fun.

I'm building a Volpe Frame as a dinglespeed right now. I don't know what the tire clearance will be like, though. Hopefully I can at least get a 42mm IRC Mythos in there. Fork has decent clearance though. maybe it will fit a Fire cross.


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## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

Got my Origin 8 Gary bars in. I just need to put the tape on them.


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## Ash Andi (Jan 28, 2010)

X-post from SS. Almost complete. Just need brake cables/housing and to wrap the bars. Can't wait to lower the PSI's and hit some trails.


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## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

Nice. What frame is that?


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## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

I'm considering building up a new Salsa Vaya, trying to decide whether to go for something like their Woodchipper bars or more normal drop bars. Bike will be used for touring, gravel/dirt roads etc.

Thoughts on the Woodchipper type bars for long distance touring?


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## el-cid (May 21, 2004)

6thElement said:


> Thoughts on the Woodchipper type bars for long distance touring?


I have to say my Woodchippers are the most comfortable drop bars I've ever ridden. The biggest advantage (and the most unique feature of them) is the way the beginning of the drops are angled inward instead of out. Look at the Origin8 bars above; the Midge bars and (I believe) the WTB dirt drops angle out from the top flat part of the bar. This effectively makes that part of the bar if not useless, at least very awkward to hold as it forces your wrists outward. The Woodchipper lets your wrists turn in at a natural angle when you use that part of the bar or rest your hands on the hoods. Another thing this does is it gives you a lot of space on the top of the bar; i.e. hand positioning, room for a computer or light, etc.

I'd say there's no real downside to using them; they're pretty cheap so buy a set and if you didn't take a shine to them you could probably get nearly full retail back for them.


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## damnitjim (May 2, 2006)

Here's my contribution to the monstercross thread, a Vassago Fisticuff. Built up mostly from my parts bin. I'm running an inverted Origin8 Space bar (Mary clone).


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## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

cue monstercross police comments RE "those aren't drop bars!" in 3, 2, 1...


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## Ash Andi (Jan 28, 2010)

byknuts said:


> cue monstercross police comments RE "those aren't drop bars!" in 3, 2, 1...


I have a 29er with drops (obviously). And I sure wasn't gonna post it in a cyclo-cross SS sub-forum.


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## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

bikapelli said:


> Just got my custom Kish MonsterCross. He put it in the San Diego Bike show and I received it last Friday. Really pumped how it all turned out and can't wait to get some miles on it.


This is yummy...Makes me wanna lick my monitor...

However, the design, if I am not mistaken, is not meant for drop bars. The vertical distance between the drops and the seat is too long. A typical rider will find himself over reaching and leaning too much. The bikes seems designed for flats.


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## Ash Andi (Jan 28, 2010)

jmadams13 said:


> Nice. What frame is that?


19" Dawes Dead Eye.


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## damnitjim (May 2, 2006)

Uhh oh, don't round up a posse. I can start up a post your 'monstercross like bike with non-dropbars' thread if it keeps the peace in Monstercross Land.....


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## little.bee (Nov 20, 2009)

*2010 GF Presidio*









Poor picture of a 2010 Fisher Presidio Frame fitted with 1.9 XR1 tires, the frame still has tire clearance to spare.


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## M_S (Nov 18, 2007)

I really want one of those frames.


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## NoWay Ray (Mar 19, 2004)

One slightly crazy, or genius thought. Shimano flippy shifters, with some clamp mods, could it be possible to fit them to drop bars and get to use hydro disc calipers and shift gears? I realise you'd lose the hood position, but would it be missed that much though.


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## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

NoWay Ray said:


> One slightly crazy, or genius thought. Shimano flippy shifters, with some clamp mods, could it be possible to fit them to drop bars and get to use hydro disc calipers and shift gears? I realise you'd lose the hood position, but would it be missed that much though.


I don't know how it would work with hydro disc levers, but its not really a new idea. Actually, its a really old one. If you look at really old bicycles, like this one in Bicycle Quarterly https://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/images/vbq13coverMR.jpg, you'll notice that the brake levers don't have hoods. And in a lot of cases, they are the same brake levers that were used on "upright" bars. I'd say, if you have the means, give it a shot. It could be really cool in a "back tothe future" sort of way.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

NoWay Ray said:


> One slightly crazy, or genius thought. Shimano flippy shifters, with some clamp mods, could it be possible to fit them to drop bars and get to use hydro disc calipers and shift gears? I realise you'd lose the hood position, but would it be missed that much though.


Something like this?
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=283678
or this?
http://www.kellybike.com/2nd_xtra_takeoff.html
and this?
http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=5891925&postcount=77


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## Loretta (Sep 28, 2004)

*See you at NAHBS*


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## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

Beautiful!!! And a top notch component selection.

Could you share what tires you got there and tire clearance in general?

Ride on!


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## Loretta (Sep 28, 2004)

Climber999 said:


> Could you share what tires you got there and tire clearance in general?


Kenda Karma 2.0 tires in there right now. Plenty of clearance. Can run a 2.2 no problem.


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## ilike29ers (Sep 13, 2007)

unotache said:


> Sorry for the crummy garage pic's. Mine fits 700x44 Mutano's...


nice build.


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## ilike29ers (Sep 13, 2007)

NICE BUILD!
that looks like a well put together frame!


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

Loretta said:


>


Gorgeous bike!!

Tell me(us) more about those bars? Are those made by FSA? How wide are they?


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## ilike29ers (Sep 13, 2007)

*bmc cross machine*

I rode this BMC Cross Machine with 1.9 bontragers in a 5hr mtb race....
It was amazing. 
SO MUCH FUN!
oh, but that's not me in the picture.


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## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

I love the front brake routing on that Shamrock.


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## rockhound (Dec 19, 2005)

GreenLightGo said:


> I love the front brake routing on that Shamrock.


I dig it too, but I'd be afraid of the water that would accumulate in the leg.

Does it have a weep hole in the very bottom of the leg?


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## johnnypecans (Jan 5, 2009)

ilike29ers said:


> I rode this BMC Cross Machine with 1.9 bontragers in a 5hr mtb race....
> It was amazing.
> SO MUCH FUN!
> oh, but that's not me in the picture.


I love that manufacturers are building cyclocross bikes with huge tire clearance now. I'm thinking about selling my geared road bike to fund a Specialized Singlecross, asphalt-only rides are just too dull for me to do alone. If only Fisher sold a SS version of the steel cross bike, I might be all over it.


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## rockhound (Dec 19, 2005)

eric_syd said:


> This bike has already been posted earlier in the 29er forum but I was inspired by Ilostmypassword's bar tape in the fargo thread to give a retro feel and the need to build new lighter wheels for a road/ gravel program...
> 
> ...MTB drop bars purists will disapprove but I use both flats and drops on a Midge with a comfortable double layer bar tape and I love it.


I've considered doing something similar with my Zion using an upside down Bontrager Satellite handlebar.


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## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

I love it too, but even if there is weep hole, the fork is steel and soon or a later the water's corrosive effect will take its toll. I can't believe Frame Sever could battle the water for eternity.


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## rockhound (Dec 19, 2005)

johnnypecans said:


> I love that manufacturers are building cyclocross bikes with huge tire clearance now. I'm thinking about selling my geared road bike to fund a Specialized Singlecross, asphalt-only rides are just too dull for me to do alone. If only Fisher sold a SS version of the steel cross bike, I might be all over it.


The Fisher comes with sliding dropouts, so just buy the cheapie one (LANE), get a conversion kit for the cassette, and then sell the shifty bits.


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## Loretta (Sep 28, 2004)

rockhound said:


> I dig it too, but I'd be afraid of the water that would accumulate in the leg.
> 
> Does it have a weep hole in the very bottom of the leg?


It is internal cable routing for the front brake. There is a solid piece of brass that goes through the top of the fork crown and exits just above the brake caliper. It is completely sealed off from the inside of the fork leg.


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## Loretta (Sep 28, 2004)

Climber999 said:


> I love it too, but even if there is weep hole, the fork is steel and soon or a later the water's corrosive effect will take its toll. I can't believe Frame Sever could battle the water for eternity.


See my previous comment.


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## madcap (May 26, 2007)

Awesome bike, Tim

I guess I'm kinda partial though now since I own some of your handywork...nah, that rocks regardless. I've yet to post pictures of mine here but that's because I wanted to post it as mosntercross-ish as possible. She's currently wearing 29x2.0 Marathon Supreme slicks, switched over after running 700x40 Marathon Extremes, after the Michelin City 700x47. I missed out on taking pictures while she was sporting the 40c Marathon Extremes. I had ridden a couple of dirt park trails on the Extremes and they ride quite nice on both hardpack and pavement.

I'm thinking I'll drop it in this thread when I fit something with knobs on it like 2.1 Small Block 8s, maybe after a few laps of local singletrack.


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## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

madcap said:


> Awesome bike, Tim
> 
> I guess I'm kinda partial though now since I own some of your handywork. I've yet to post pictures of mine here but that's because I wanted to post it as mosntercross-ish as possible. She's currently wearing 29x2.0 Marathon Supreme slicks, switched over after running 700x40 Marathon Extremes, after the Michelin City 700x47. I missed out on taking pictures while she was sporting the 40c Marathon Extremes. I had ridden a couple of dirt park trails on the Extremes and they ride quite nice on both hardpack and pavement.
> 
> I'm thinking I'll drop it in this thread when I fit something wth knobs on it like 2.1 Small Block 8s, maybe after a few laps of local singletrack.


Why do you think 700x40 is not monsterish enough?

I'd say 32-35 is cross cycle category.
38-42 touring and gravel road eating.
45 is trail (i.e., fire cross and Bonti XDX 1.75)
47 and over belongs to the realm of MTBing...


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## madcap (May 26, 2007)

Climber999 said:


> Why do you think 700x40 is not monsterish enough?
> 
> I'd say 32-35 is cross cycle category.
> 38-42 touring and gravel road eating.
> ...


Oh, I think 40c is monsterish enough, I just failed to take some pictures with the Marathon Extremes when I had them on there for a few days. I generally think anything with knobs over 35c could be considered monster as long as the frame is more road style and not MTB style.

Here's the 2.0 Supreme, which is closer to a 1.9 than a true 2.0...










I'll take some full pictures with knobs eventually, until then here's this, pics with slicks...


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## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

Nice pedals...

What did you think of the Extreme? Do they roll well?


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## madcap (May 26, 2007)

Climber999 said:


> Nice pedals...
> 
> What did you think of the Extreme? Do they roll well?


The Extremes roll well on all surfaces it seems. I ran them through some semi-loose to hardpack and just a bit of mud and gravel and felt confident the entire time. It's really a good all terrain tread. I can notice a significant difference in speed on the road under the Supremes, but then the Supremes I would never ride offroad. The Extreme is a great all rounder, they even have the Snakeskin sidewalls for rocky terrain, although not too many rocks to be found in Louisiana. I wouldn't mind using them on a commute where dirt paths or light singletrack is involved. They weigh just about as much as the 40c Supreme, impressive when you factor in the knobs and Snakeskin sidewalls with similar puncture protection to the Supreme.

So the fastest of the two on the road is the Supreme, but if any dirt is involved rock the Extreme.


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## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

> The Extremes roll well on all surfaces it seems...


Thanks madcap, you come across very knowledgeable. 
Do you have any recommendation for a fast road tire that can handle a bit off-roading?


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## madcap (May 26, 2007)

Climber999 said:


> Thanks madcap, you come across very knowledgeable.
> Do you have any recommendation for a fast road tire that can handle a bit off-roading?


I think the Extreme could fit there, it does ride well on the road. I guess "significant" in my above post may have been the wrong word to use, how about "noticeable"?? It was definitely noticeable the different speed and feel of the Extreme on the road. It's not a slow tire on road by any means, the profile is very rounded, no knobs really stick out, and the center tread is pretty straight and constant to make rolling in a straight line a breeze. I just meant I noticed the knobs and the resistance they create.

I think it would be hard to find a comparable 700x38 or bigger tire around 500g that would be as good in all departments as the Extreme. All other knobby Monstercross tires I'm thinking of would likely roll a good bit slower on pavement.


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## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

Again thanks...All very useful.


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## rmb (Feb 9, 2004)

The Shamrock is stunning, feel like taking a trip to the show just to see it.


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## madcap (May 26, 2007)

rmb said:


> The Shamrock is stunning, feel like taking a trip to the show just to see it.


Yup, right now I'm actually pricing plane tickets for three vs. driving from Louisiana, so far driving is winning.


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## Joe Nation (May 16, 2007)

If it's less than 600 miles your statistically safer driving


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## Loretta (Sep 28, 2004)

madcap said:


> Yup, right now I'm actually pricing plane tickets for three vs. driving from Louisiana, so far driving is winning.


1st round is on me.


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## madcap (May 26, 2007)

Joe Nation said:


> If it's less than 600 miles your statistically safer driving


1,060 miles, 16 hours, 53 gallons of gas each way so roughly $300-400 in gas

or

$250 x 3 out of New Orleans/$280 x 3 out of Baton Rouge

plus hotel for 2 nights - $100-150

So we'll save $300-500 if we drive, flying is really a pain now too, but not as much as 32 hours of driving. Split that drive between 3 people and it's not as bad.


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## madcap (May 26, 2007)

Loretta said:


> 1st round is on me.


You got it!

I'm 75% sure about going at the moment, chances should improve over the next day or two. It was kind of a late thought process that popped up today.


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## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

MMcG said:


> Gorgeous bike!!
> 
> Tell me(us) more about those bars? Are those made by FSA? How wide are they?


hey MMcG, yeah those're fsa metropolis', i've got a set on my 1x1 9er right now, wen tot he store to grab another set of bontrager satellites and grabbed these instead, WAY stiffer.
620mm wide, nice enough bend, the weird hydroformed mid-sections are pretty comfy on the hands when you need to stretch out your back.
they've got a bit of rise, so if you flip 'em upside down you get a neat kinda-cafe-racer drop.
(mine're set the same)

when I was thinking of the gryphon, this was the setup I wanted.


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## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

What do the above have to do with this thread? I like the shamrock looks also, and I like how a NSX looks, too. Let's see some more Monstercross pics:


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## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

CutiePie19 said:


> I love monstercross!!
> 
> Check out a short video i made of me at:
> Let me know what you think!!
> ...


I think it's major ******** you send us to an insurance quote page. :nono: Go to hell!! And do us a favor, don't ever come back!


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Thanks.


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## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

slocaus said:


> Edit your post and eliminate the quote and no one else will deal with it. You are doing her a favor by saving the quote. The admins are quick to kill spam, but you can check on the red exclamation in the white triangle to the bottom left and report it as well.


Good point; addressed. Thanks...


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## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

I love this bike. It's a true monster.


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## coffeespecial (Feb 3, 2007)

*Vassago Fisticuff in monstercross mode!*

Thanks to all the inspiration from this thread, i threw some fatties on my fisty. Holy Cow whattaride!!! i dont want to take them off. but i gotta get to work. 35 slicks on weekdays and 45 fatties on weekends. I may need to get another wheelset so i dont have to keep swapping tires


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## intheways (Apr 19, 2004)

I love the thinner tubing of the fork and frame of the Shamrock. The lugs are beautiful. Definitely a class of it's own.

Not quite traditional Monstercross, but there is no thread in the 650B forum. Here a pic of my 650B MXer.


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## EMFC (Aug 22, 2004)

johnnypecans said:


> If only Fisher sold a SS version of the steel cross bike, I might be all over it.


Rumor has it you can order one directly from Fisher. I'm going to convert mine to SS after the Dirty Kanza 200.


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## Cptn. Sense Of Direction (Mar 10, 2008)

ok, not sure how i found this thread but i did, giving me so much inspiration. my masi cross currently has 40c allterainasaurus tires on it, might pick up some mutanoraptors on it. it's almost complete. so once done, pics will be up.


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## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

EMFC said:


> Rumor has it you can order one directly from Fisher. I'm going to convert mine to SS after the Dirty Kanza 200.


Looks interesting. I wonder how if fairs with those depressions where the bolts are. Looks like if you wanted to move it back only 1/4" or so, you would be putting pressure right on those indents.


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## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

bugly64 said:


> I love this bike. It's a true monster.


more pics!!
this thing rocks :band:


----------



## eoglander (Jul 5, 2007)

Went for a muddy ride out at Wilder Ranch in Santa Cruz. Just put the 42c Kenda Zeds on the bike. So much fun.


----------



## That Geo Guy (Apr 14, 2008)

Some Monstercross love from my XO2.





Had to shave down the rear XDX a little to clear the drive-side stay. I'm never riding skinny tyres again.


----------



## mmeiser01 (Mar 13, 2008)




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## Dgtlbliss (Aug 21, 2008)

Here she is. Crappy cell phone pic for now as my camera is MIA.


From Desktop

Kit worth mentioning:

salsa delgado cross rims / king iso ss hubs / dt comp spokes tied and soldered
bontrager xdx 1.75
cane creek s3 headset with 70mm of spacers incl. cable hanger
salsa woodchipper bars 46cm 31.8
tektro cr-720 cantis
thomson post
SDG bel-air saddle (though it looks from other builds that the bike needs a brooks)
eggbeater sl's
older campy chorus sq. taper cranks & shimano bb (theoretical mismatch, but works fine)
geared 40x18, good so far for a mix of road, gravel, and buff singletrack

Did my inaugural ride this afternoon on pavement and slush covered limestone trail. The bike is smooth! My only other steel bike is a dirt jumper, so I don't get the same effect. I love the tires, they seemed plenty fast on the road, nothing like riding mtb tires on the road. The bars allow me to ride in the tops or the drops, but no hoods. If I had bigger hands, maybe i could position the levers higher and make them usable.

One negative I noticed is that on tight turns, there is some major toe overlap. I buzzed em a few times.

Also, this tire does not fit if the wheel is forward in the dropouts. If I switch to disc brakes and gears at some point, then I'll be upset.

Doing my first commute on it tomorrow.


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

mmeiser01 said:


>


That is an incredible photo. Well played, sir.


----------



## Rontele (Apr 1, 2006)

anyone know the largest tire they have fit on a Yeti ARC-X?


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

That's a nice build dgtlbliss. Can't wait to see it in person.


----------



## Dgtlbliss (Aug 21, 2008)

Elisdad said:


> That's a nice build dgtlbliss. Can't wait to see it in person.


Haha you soon will Elisdad!


----------



## intheways (Apr 19, 2004)

Loretta said:


>


Killer cable routing! Damn, Shamrock Cycles is kicking out some stellar bikes!:thumbsup:


----------



## ianick (Jul 10, 2006)

Question for you mustache and dirt drop handlebar users. Have you ever used road shifter/brake levers with your bars? I'm currently running a standard road drop bar on my monstercrosser but have lately been thinking about using mustache bars or maybe woodchippers instead. Any experience or information would be much appreciated.


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

ianick said:


> Question for you mustache and dirt drop handlebar users. Have you ever used road shifter/brake levers with your bars? I'm currently running a standard road drop bar on my monstercrosser but have lately been thinking about using mustache bars or maybe woodchippers instead. Any experience or information would be much appreciated.


Already asked before in this thread, some suggestions.
Check the last few posts in this thread.
Search "drop bars road brakes" in the 29er forum for many more hits.


----------



## ianick (Jul 10, 2006)

To clarify I was hoping people who have used brifters and mustache bars would tell me about their experiences. I found some info but not much.


----------



## Cptn. Sense Of Direction (Mar 10, 2008)

From The Muddy Brown Masi Blog


From The Muddy Brown Masi Blog


From The Muddy Brown Masi Blog


From The Muddy Brown Masi Blog


From The Muddy Brown Masi Blog

the inner ring is a bailout gear for really steep hills on gravel roads


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

ianick said:


> To clarify I was hoping people who have used brifters and mustache bars would tell me about their experiences. I found some info but not much.


Ah. There was a recent discussion by Guitar Ted and someone else. I just did a search for posts by Guitar Ted about mustache bars in the 29er forum and got a bunch of hits. (Those searches just do not copy the urls correctly.)


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

slocaus said:


> Ah. There was a recent discussion by Guitar Ted and someone else. I just did a search for posts by Guitar Ted about mustache bars in the 29er forum and got a bunch of hits. (Those searches just do not copy the urls correctly.)


I thought he was a big fan of "Dirt Drop" style bars. You can use brifters on most of them no problem. I'm not sure how well they would work on a mustache bar.


----------



## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

I was running brifters on Nitto mustache bars for a while. Worked great. They were Sram, so they used the doubletap system. I think any would work above the sora level that doesn't use the little thumb tab for downshifting. That little thumb tab would be hard to reach. It took a little getting used to, but after a few rides I had no issues. One of the guys I ride with uses ultegra brifters on the same bars and had a little issue being able to push the brake lever down enough, and not get a clean shift, but a 3/4mm adjustment in the height of the lever fixed the problem, but he has small hands and finger extending issues due to too many brakes in the past, so I think that was his main issue, not the shifters. If I run mustache bars again, I will for sure be running the same setup.


----------



## GlowBoy (Jan 3, 2004)

I've used Tiagra brifters on On-One Mungo mustache bars. I thought they worked great in the "sideways" position. It was the mustache bars that I had a problem with (moved on to Midges).


----------



## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

This is going to make an incredible monstercross bike for someone. If it came in a 62-64, I'd pick one up. But alas, it's not meant to be.

I wonder if the $200 price range will hold true?

Highlights:

Clearance for 2.1" tires
Triple butted 4130
Pretty nice looking, for a 'generic' frame

https://www.origin-8.com/product_detail.php?short_code=Origin+8+CX700+Cross+frameset&cl1=FRAMES


----------



## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

SSSasky said:


> This is going to make an incredible monstercross bike for someone. If it came in a 62-64, I'd pick one up. But alas, it's not meant to be.


I've been waiting on that frame a bit. And have been for a while. Anyone have one yet?


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

I can comprehend removable canti bosses, but removable disc mounts?!?


----------



## go::ahead (Sep 12, 2009)

umarth said:


> I've been waiting on that frame a bit. And have been for a while. Anyone have one yet?


I actually asked my LBS about ordering one and he said he already has a 56cm on back order, apparently they're not shipping yet


----------



## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

*The Mutant Cross in Summer Mode*

One thing in which I do agree with Grant Peterson from Rivbike is that a rack doubles the usefullness of any bike. This is my Sport Ultility Bike. Now that the snow is gone I've swapped to less aggressive tires. I really enjoyed riding with a 29er tire upfront throughout the winter so I decided to do a similar setup for the summer. Without the mechanical advantage of gears I'm using a regular cross tire out back. Using a larger tire in the rear may give more traction but it does not increase the power from the engine. In this configuration this bike goes where most cross bikes fear to tread, the rear tire just seems to follow the front anywhere it's pointed, provides plenty of drive for the terrain I ride it on.


----------



## veloreality (May 10, 2009)

my new bike is almost done!
hints:
salsa, chris king, and big wheels...

pics next week


----------



## Prem (Nov 1, 2006)

Here is my new dirt road bike on it's virgin voyage. I've included a picture of xcx chain keeper because some might be interested. Works great. In my opinion it is better than paul which I had on my salsa. Bontrager xr1 are nice rolling tires even on semi-muddy trails, hope that the flat tire was just for good luck. Enjoy the pictures.


----------



## Rontele (Apr 1, 2006)

*My latest MonsterCross*

When I sold my other CrossCheck last fall to fund a new Knolly purchase, I regretted the decision immediately. Thus, after some handwringing all winter, I present another MonsterCrossCheck. Frankly, the only thing I would change is the tires as I do like the FireCross for primarily trail riding, etc., but for any extended pavement periods, its a bit much.


----------



## Rykoh (Mar 26, 2009)

go::ahead said:


> I actually asked my LBS about ordering one and he said he already has a 56cm on back order, apparently they're not shipping yet


I heard May 1st.


----------



## 120 (Nov 20, 2009)

I've seen this thread hanging around for awhile and I thought it was about dirt jumping or something...I've been away from bikes for a pretty long time...
So I check it out and I'm thinking "man this is cool, I need to get something like this...". I go out to the garage and take a look and...I guess I already had one. I had no idea.


----------



## ericb49 (Aug 11, 2006)

Got new wheels for the Superfly so I tried the stock wheels on the La Cruz...rear XR1 29 x 1.9 required removal of the side knobs (320 of them...), front 29 x 2.1 XDX fits like a glove in that Winwood fork.

RXL wheels running Trager tubeless dropped a couple pounds from the bike - 25.04 as pictured.


----------



## Cptn. Sense Of Direction (Mar 10, 2008)

can't figure out how to post pics off twitpic, so here's links of mah masi cross. tires are mutano raptors
http://twitpic.com/1ch94r
http://twitpic.com/1ch9b6
http://twitpic.com/1ch9gi
http://twitpic.com/1cha5x


----------



## Rys (Apr 2, 2010)

*1.9*



ilike29ers said:


> I rode this BMC Cross Machine with 1.9 bontragers in a 5hr mtb race....
> It was amazing.
> SO MUCH FUN!
> oh, but that's not me in the picture.


IM surprised they fit make me think I might need to look for one these frame sets.


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Well it doesn't roll, but it looks sick! man I wish I could clear these tires... 
These are 29x2.1 WTB Prowlers. Nashbar X frame, Nashbar carbon 'cross fork. 

1.75's would work... any tire suggestions in the 1.5-1.75 range?


----------



## ericb49 (Aug 11, 2006)

CommuterBoy said:


> Well it doesn't roll, but it looks sick! man I wish I could clear these tires... 1.75's would work... any tire suggestions in the 1.5-1.75 range?


rolling is overrated ;-) I likey the XDX 29 x 1.75.


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

CommuterBoy said:


> Well it doesn't roll, but it looks sick! man I wish I could clear these tires...
> These are 29x2.1 WTB Prowlers. Nashbar X frame, Nashbar carbon 'cross fork.
> 
> 1.75's would work... any tire suggestions in the 1.5-1.75 range?


This has not been updated recently, but this list will help.


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

^^ Beautiful, thanks guys


----------



## ~martini~ (Dec 20, 2003)

Singular Peregrine properly monstered up.


----------



## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

My three sons.


----------



## N10S (Sep 27, 2004)

Man...those all look great but I really I love that on-one!


----------



## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

Very cool Dion,

Question: what gear ration you got on your SS CXs? And what is the ring size on the geared one?

Cheers!


----------



## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

Climber999 said:


> Very cool Dion,
> 
> Question: what gear ration you got on your SS CXs? And what is the ring size on the geared one?
> 
> Cheers!


On my Fantom Cross Uno I'm running a 44X22, my Pake is 34 X 12-27 (1X10) and my Inbred is 33X22 (I think I'm going to go 32X20 when I get my new crankset).

On the single 'cross, you really can't compare the gear ratio to, say, a mountain bike. The geometry makes it a whole different animal. I've dusted MTB'ers on climbs with that bike and it accelerates very quickly out of turns (just like a cx bike should). The disadvantage are big rocks and roots - but I just stay away when I'm on one of my CX bikes.

My Pake was meant to be a do-it-all - something I could swap on road tires for social rides. I figured there was really no reason to put a big ring on there if I'm never going to be in it. Race bikes usually run a 36T up front (or even a 42T), but that is a whole different scenario.

If I were to set up my single 'cross in race trim, I'd definetely go 44X18; I am by no means a CX racer - I stand on the sidelines ringing a cowbell for my brother and friends.


----------



## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

Martini - are those the new SRAM brake levers?


----------



## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

Crossposted MTBR pics from the San Diego show........


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

*The old Curtlo Monster CX*

Here's my old school 29'er (now 8 years old) turned into a Monster CX bike.


----------



## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

Very lovely bike. The playing off the blue and white is tasteful, IMO.

However, with tire clearance for 2.1, flat bar, generously sloped top tube and disk brake, I cannot call it anything but an MTB...If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and taste like a duck, it must be a duck...No matter what the card next to it says...


----------



## metrotuned (Dec 29, 2006)

@Climber999, yeah, I was gonna say, that looks like an MTB in every sense, nothing monstercross about it, especially without drops which is the main point of classification (not that it matters, you can call your bike anything you like, it aint my money)


----------



## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

I think manufacturers are going to really start catering to this Monster 'Cross thing - like they did with urban fixed gear bikes and such. I wouldn't be suprised if we start seeing completes built as such - and I think the Salsa Fargo may be paving the way.

More options = more people on bikes = a good thing.

I rode my Inbred yesterday for a few hours and had a blast. Loved it because it was like my CX bikes (which I always ride) but had more options regarding technical trails. It was a awesome. Midge bars made a HUGE difference, so did the Geax Saguros (VERY impressed with these tires). I tossed out my opinions on the bars, tires and bar tape. Check it if you're interested in my blabbing.

http://dionrideseverything.blogspot.com/2010/04/monster-cross-update-to-on-one-inbred.html

http://dionrideseverything.blogspot.com/2010/04/monster-cross-ride-report.html


----------



## troublemaker (Mar 24, 2009)

croscoe said:


> I don't know what monstercross is, but here's my fixed gear road bike with 38s:


what saddle is that? im looking for a brown one for my la cruz


----------



## johnnypecans (Jan 5, 2009)

That's a Charge Spoon saddle


----------



## campredcloudbikes (Feb 22, 2008)

It ain't technically monstercross, but it sure is a monstrosity!








2x8 gearing (42-30, 11-32)
Salsa 11 deg bars with ergons, bar ends and bar middles
mismatch crankarms
S-works/DT rear hub DT 370 disc front hub, Maverick offset rims, DT spokes
Primo Stricker Magnesium pedals
Currently Kenda Kwicker 32mm tires but also have Bontrager 1.8 and Karma 1.9 tires for it. As my road bike, the CX tires are best most of the time.


----------



## xtomx (Jul 31, 2009)

cross-check in single speed mode... well 2x2


----------



## eric_syd (Nov 10, 2005)

xtomx said:


>


Aren't those Cane Creek Long pull levers ?


----------



## lil hillbilly (May 18, 2005)

*my girls ride!*

had a blast gettin this little rocket ship goin! Started out as a stock QBP build. Salsa hoops w/ Deore hubs, King headset, Mustash bars w/Ultegra barend shifters, WTB Mutano Raptor tires (44s), Paul touring canti on the rear and Neo-retro on the fr, CaneCreek levers and Salsa seatpost and clamp.

She loves it and I had a blast buildin it!


----------



## Sun Tzu (Jun 16, 2007)

My monster cross: Surly Cross Check (other more, yes!).
This is my favorite bycicle, is fast, hard and exigent. I love this bike!

Rasta bar tape, shifter Shimano Dura Ace 9 speed with thumbies Paul.



Brakes Tektro...there are not very strong in the braked.



Brake levers Cane Creek for cantilevers. The next change, brake levers for V's and cantis Avid SL.



Only one chainring 36T, pedals XT.



Shimano Tiagra rear derailleur and cassette Shimano XT 11-32 9s



Shimano 105 hubs and Mavic Open Pro rims.



And the complete bike:


----------



## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

^^ Looks nice. What crank is that? How is it shifting with the thumbie in that that location. Looks comfy


----------



## Sun Tzu (Jun 16, 2007)

jmadams13 said:


> What crank is that?


I dont know, the crank has no name, this is recicled of the old bycicle.



jmadams13 said:


> How is it shifting with the thumbie in that that location. Looks comfy


Is very comfy. You need only a littel time and ready :thumbsup:


----------



## johnnypecans (Jan 5, 2009)

I know the tires aren't knobby, but they work great for mixed rides. Kilo WT with 2" Big Apples. I love this bike, it's stiff and twitchy, great fun offroad and onroad.


----------



## bdstorer (May 4, 2007)

*GT Peace 9r - Dual single - Drop bar lever for disk brakes*

Hey, I'm looking at changing the set-up on my 2010 GT Peace 9r and need some help.

Want to try drop bars but not sure which levers to use with my Avid BB7 brakes, Cane Creek SCR-5 or Drop V?

Want to try dual single, two front chains rings, two rear cogs and NO derailleur or shifter involved, purely manual shifting. Not sure about chain lenght and gearing and need advice.

Currently I'm running 32x21 which works well on hills climbs.I also own a 36 tooth front chainring, so if I ran 36 with the 32x21 what sized second rear cog would I use to keep the chain lenght similar?

Anyone else run dual single? What ratios do you use?


----------



## xtomx (Jul 31, 2009)

bdstorer said:


> Hey, I'm looking at changing the set-up on my 2010 GT Peace 9r and need some help.
> 
> Want to try drop bars but not sure which levers to use with my Avid BB7 brakes, Cane Creek SCR-5 or Drop V?
> 
> ...


Re: gearing

32x21
36x17
will be your best bet I think.

I run dual single
38x21
42x17
4 tooth difference as well... both ratios have approximately the same chain length


----------



## bdstorer (May 4, 2007)

xtomx said:


> Re: gearing
> 
> 32x21
> 36x17
> will be your best bet I think.


Sweet, that's about spot on. A road gear and a off-road hill gear.

Ok, still fishing. Will my Avid BB7 brakes (not the road model) work with Cane Creek SCR-5 Levers or will I have to use the Drop V levers to get the cable pull right?


----------



## Bounty Hunter (Nov 22, 2006)

I did a 25 mile road ride this past weekend on my Cross Check on my 700x35c Maxxis Raze CX tires and had two rear flats.  I ordered some new tires yesterday and I hope they work out good for a "do anything" tire.

Specialized Crossroads Armadillo Elite 700x38c. I hope this size fits my Easton Vista wheels. I'd really like to go Monstercross with my CC sometime later. I need an FAQ on this. Do I need to custom build a wheelset with 700c wheels and MTB hubs?

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=42139&menuItemId=9304&eid=5098

A pic of the wanna-be Monstercross CC after the 25 mile ride.


----------



## girona (Oct 12, 2005)

xtomx said:


> cross-check in single speed mode... well 2x2


I like the overall look of this bike. It looks both nimble and stout at the same time.

Do you have any rear hub slippage using a QR skewer?


----------



## xtomx (Jul 31, 2009)

Thanks 

No slippage with the tug nut yet


----------



## Bounty Hunter (Nov 22, 2006)

Bounty Hunter said:


> I did a 25 mile road ride this past weekend on my Cross Check on my 700x35c Maxxis Raze CX tires and had two rear flats.  I ordered some new tires yesterday and I hope they work out good for a "do anything" tire.
> 
> Specialized Crossroads Armadillo Elite 700x38c. I hope this size fits my Easton Vista wheels. I'd really like to go Monstercross with my CC sometime later. I need an FAQ on this. Do I need to custom build a wheelset with 700c wheels and MTB hubs?
> 
> ...


As promised here are a few pics of the new Mini-Monstercross setup. So far I love it. I did a couple rides and I feel comfortable on just about anything (road, gravel, sidewalk hopping, stumpjumping, etc). I did experience toe overlap twice during my rides, but it's not that serious and I know it can be avoided in the future. My only concern is if I went bigger then I would run into more problems (ala _*actual*_ Monstercross).


----------



## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

Nice, Bounty Hunter. What tires are those? Size?


----------



## AndrewTO (Mar 30, 2005)

So is it still a MONSTERCROSS if it's a 29er frame with a flat bar and road wheels?!?!??!


----------



## dankilling (Feb 24, 2004)

AndrewTO said:


> So is it still a MONSTERCROSS if it's a 29er frame with a flat bar and road wheels?!?!??!


Sorry, thats still just a 29'er. Part of the genre is either drop or 'alt' bars. The rest is up for debate IMO.


----------



## davesauvageau (Jan 8, 2010)

bighit said:


> dont tempt me


WAT.

What is your gearing up front?


----------



## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

AndrewTO said:


> So is it still a MONSTERCROSS if it's a 29er frame with a flat bar and road wheels?!?!??!


Neither monster nor cross. Sorry.


----------



## Bounty Hunter (Nov 22, 2006)

FKMTB07 said:


> Nice, Bounty Hunter. What tires are those? Size?


Thanks! Specialized Crossroads Armadillo Elite 700x38c


----------



## johnny the boy (Dec 21, 2009)




----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

I got some new rubber for the old girl and took her out for a spin this afternoon.


----------



## mhk (Dec 31, 2006)

I'd really like to know which bars are on the following relatively recently posted rides:

martini's peregrine

xtomx's cross check

dion's on one

I assume midges or. . .the other name escapes me, or possibly woodchippers?

looking to outfit my ride appropriately, and these look to fit the bill. thanks in advance


----------



## highroller (Apr 26, 2004)

lots of nice bikes here. 

johnny the boy - sweet setup. Are those 2.0 Supremes? they look fatter than the 40c on mine.


----------



## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

johnnypecans said:


> I know the tires aren't knobby, but they work great for mixed rides. Kilo WT with 2" Big Apples. I love this bike, it's stiff and twitchy, great fun offroad and onroad.


What frame size is that? It looks good...


----------



## johnnypecans (Jan 5, 2009)

umarth said:


> What frame size is that? It looks good...


it's a 56cm


----------



## johnny the boy (Dec 21, 2009)

oooops


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

johnny the boy said:


> oooops


That sure is a pretty Surly. I like the color better than that Vomit Brown or Green they're pedaling now.


----------



## dankilling (Feb 24, 2004)

CS2 said:


> That sure is a pretty Surly. I like the color better than that Vomit Brown or Green they're pedaling now.


I always thought it was 'baby poo'


----------



## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

mhk said:


> I'd really like to know which bars are on the following relatively recently posted rides:
> 
> martini's peregrine
> 
> ...


Mine are Midge's.

I found this Kenesis Cruiser frame on Craigstlist for $100. I've seen these before, but for a higher asking price, so when the opportunity came knocking I had to grab it. Kind of a neat thing - aluminum frame, standard English BB, 27.2 seatpost tube and regular oldschool headtube that takes a 1" threaded fork.

It will be a Monster 'Cross SS build - coming back from paint this morning. Unfortunately, it will only accept side pull road brakes, so riding in heavy mud will not be happening. Otherwise, it's going to be PIAMP!


----------



## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

*monstercross FWIW info:*

2.1" nano on a wtb speeddisc fits in a steelwool touring fork, sidewalls might rub when leaned over? but not the tread.
going to try it with a narrower rim.
think steelwool's newer forks are a bit wider set than my old one.


----------



## bdstorer (May 4, 2007)

*2010 GT Peace 9r - Drop Bar*

Couple of shots of my GT Peace 9r. Run drop bars and love 'em. This set-up suits the dirt roads and camel-pad singletrack out here (Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia).


----------



## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

bdstorer said:


> Couple of shots of my GT Peace 9r. Run drop bars and love 'em. This set-up suits the dirt roads and camel-pad singletrack out here (Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia).


Rock on, that bike looks awesome. I did some biking on fire roads in Eastern Australia on a touring bike with 700x35c tires, I would have love a setup like that to help with the sand and wash boarding (I think that's what it's called?)


----------



## bdstorer (May 4, 2007)

bobbotron said:


> Rock on, that bike looks awesome. I would have love a setup like that to help with the sand and wash boarding (I think that's what it's called?)


Cheers mate. Currently running Hutchinson tubeless ready Toro and Piranha combo (2.1s).. works well in the sandy corregated conditions out here in Central Australia.

I've a Surly Crosscheck as well but the GT works better is the sand


----------



## Mr. Doom (Sep 23, 2005)

*Well?*



jgsatl said:


> cross bike geometry kinda seems to lend itself to the top bars being all friendly-like with your naughty bits if you purchase by top tube length.
> 
> i ordered a large sized rawland that should be in tomorrow and i'm *really* worried about standover. especially since i'll be running a 650b frame with 29er wheels. we shall see....hopefully i won't have to sell it. if i do, i'll probably put a singular on order.


These are "Cross Bikes", you are expected to dismount quickly and shoulder your ride on the steep stuff.

I like having good stand over on my MTB but my cross is not used for trials or dirt jumps so as long as the TT is low enough to not hit my knees when sprinting I am OK with the reduced standover.


----------



## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

Dion said:


> Mine are Midge's.
> 
> I found this Kenesis Cruiser frame on Craigstlist for $100. I've seen these before, but for a higher asking price, so when the opportunity came knocking I had to grab it. Kind of a neat thing - aluminum frame, standard English BB, 27.2 seatpost tube and regular oldschool headtube that takes a 1" threaded fork.
> 
> It will be a Monster 'Cross SS build - coming back from paint this morning. Unfortunately, it will only accept side pull road brakes, so riding in heavy mud will not be happening. Otherwise, it's going to be PIAMP!


Check the spacing and clearance on that frame -- it looks like the Kinesis/Nashbar Nexus cruiser that never came to be (check out the internal hub cable routing on the downtube). Nexus rear spacing (126mm?), 26" wheels, drum brake only. A friend of mine has one; it was a prototype that never made it to full production.

Might not work with some components you might be looking at.


----------



## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

FKMTB07 said:


> Check the spacing and clearance on that frame -- it looks like the Kinesis/Nashbar Nexus cruiser that never came to be (check out the internal hub cable routing on the downtube). Nexus rear spacing (126mm?), 26" wheels, drum brake only. A friend of mine has one; it was a prototype that never made it to full production.
> 
> Might not work with some components you might be looking at.


Before taking it to paint, I mocked it up with all my parts and everything checks out okay.


----------



## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

Dion said:


> Before taking it to paint, I mocked it up with all my parts and everything checks out okay.


Excellent. Should be a rad bike!


----------



## Cracked Headtube (Apr 16, 2006)

IRC Mythos 42c bearly fit my Kona P2 fork. Plenty of clearance on the frame. I put about 40miles on it yesterday after about a year of it being disassembled. I have another fork, and may add disc tabs to the frame, (or build another frame), to run larger, 29r, tires.


----------



## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

*Not quite a MonsterCrosser yet...*

...but getting closer 


















My ol '08 Redline d440 dual sport (nicer wheels and fat tires for trail,these here stock wheels and 37mm tires for road/gravel grinders :thumbsup: ).


----------



## xtomx (Jul 31, 2009)

Has anyone tried the Continental Cyclocross 700x42 tire? Can't find much talk of this tire anywhere haha










Looks like pretty decent for the times when I don't want something as knobby as the fire cross...


----------



## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

xtomx said:


> Has anyone tried the Continental Cyclocross 700x42 tire? Can't find much talk of this tire anywhere haha
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I've got a pair mounted on Velocity VXC rims laced to CK Iso disc hubs. Also sourced from biketiresdirect. Haven't ridden them yet as I'm waiting for the frame and fork to arrive. These are wire bead tires by the way.

Will post ride report and pics of the tires and the bike as soon as I can!


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## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

longhaultrucker said:


> ...but getting closer
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's great! I would totally call that monster cross. Kinda cyclocross, but twisted just that little bit. Looks like a fun ride.


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

bobbotron said:


> That's great! I would totally call that monster cross. Kinda cyclocross, but twisted just that little bit. Looks like a fun ride.


Thanks,my friend 

I haven't had the chance to get it out and ride it yet,got the parts today,put together this eve,and the wifey came home from work with a bloody knee,had fallen at work on her way out. It may be as late as Sunday/Monday before I getta ride it:madman: ,LOL!


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## Ash Andi (Jan 28, 2010)

lht, what drops you going with?


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

I won't be for a while...outta moolah  I like the WTB and Salsa drops though...


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

Here's my "monstercross" build:

VooDoo Wazoo frame + fork
Chris King ISO disc + Velocity VXC wheels
Continental Cyclocross 700x42c tires
FSA Energy Cranks and BB, 34T ring
Boone 17T cog
SRAM chain
Avid BB7 brakes
Tektro Levers
Midge Bars
Titec Ithys Gove Saddle
Salsa Shaft seatpost
Salsa Pro Scandium stem

baptism of dirt soon!


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## GreenLightGo (Oct 24, 2006)

Agu - nice build!


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## xtomx (Jul 31, 2009)

GreenLightGo said:


> Agu - nice build!


+1!

Keen to see how those tires go too. I've got some coming in the mail from chain reaction as we speak


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

That's a sweet looking bike Agu.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

agu said:


> Here's my "monstercross" build:
> 
> VooDoo Wazoo frame + fork
> Chris King ISO disc + Velocity VXC wheels
> ...


At last, a _REAL_ monster cross instead of a "converted" 29er. Great bike! :thumbsup:


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## slowlybutsurly (Nov 10, 2009)

@agu - Very nice monstercross! + points for being SS! :thumbsup:


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

thanks guys! been lurking too long in this thread and as luck would have it I manage to score the last Wazoo in my size (well, it's a 52, would've wanted a 53). Verrrrry slight toe buzz that's only happened twice while doing circles in the driveway. Took it to a trail nearby (2.8km loop) and man I missed the ride of a rigid bike haha! Trail conditions were a mix of loamy dirt, sand and rocks, some roots...and a fun whoop-de-do section. Line choice is critical but I love how this carves into the sweeping turns.


xtomx - I dropped tire pressure down to 40 (will try to go lower next time), and at that setting the amount of traction I had surprised me. I'm glad I got the 700x42 (was tempted to get the Panaracer Firecross 700x45), there's still enough mud clearance between the fork blades and chainstays. 

Kinda maxxed out with the spacers (sorry about that), but looking for a stem with just a bit of rise. Then again I may just need to get used to the attack position.

FWIW the frame's rear spacing is 130mm, but readily spread to 135mm to accommodate the CK hubs.

Thanks to Donkey for the Midge+Tektro+Tape setup!

I can't seem to remove the v-brake bosses on the fork though! (The ones on the frame seem permanently fixed)

Will try to ride again tomorrow, and get it real dirty!


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## bravellir (Nov 24, 2008)

xtomx said:


> Has anyone tried the Continental Cyclocross 700x42 tire? Can't find much talk of this tire anywhere haha
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm using them on my Peregrine and they are surprisingly grippier that I first though. The air volume is not that high so if you like/have to use higher pressures they can be a little harsh. I didn't use them that much yet so can't say more.


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

just did the same loop today, and the Conti's continue to impress me. Rained a bit last night so the ground was a bit softer but the tires held their line, mostly. hehe

lowered my seat a tad and the bike feels better.


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## redwarrior (Apr 12, 2007)

I need some help picking a tire for all duties. My Crosscheck is currently shod with Continental Top Contact 32's which are fine for commuting but not too fine for the dirt/rocky back roads I'm drawn too and they blow chunks on singletrack.

I'm leaning toward Schwalbe Marathon Extreme HS402 40's. I read a favorable review of them in Bicycle Times which tipped the scales in their direction even more.

Anyone have any experience with them or suggestions on another larger volume (more than 32) do it all tire?

This is what they'll be going on which is set up as more of a "commuter cross" in this pic (for the monster cross version just imagine it without the fenders, rack and bag then sub in some fatter tires)


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

changed saddle, and put ESI Chunky grips underneath some bar tape...helped smoothen things a bit...then...

got the Waz dirty


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## jmadams13 (Sep 28, 2008)

redwarrior said:


> I need some help picking a tire for all duties. My Crosscheck is currently shod with Continental Top Contact 32's which are fine for commuting but not too fine for the dirt/rocky back roads I'm drawn too and they blow chunks on singletrack.
> 
> I'm leaning toward Schwalbe Marathon Extreme HS402 40's. I read a favorable review of them in Bicycle Times which tipped the scales in their direction even more.
> 
> ...


I run Ritchey Speedmax 40c's on my CxC. Great for the back country roads around here. I did a 40+ mile gravel grinder yesterday on some roads that are only called roads due to the stray logging truck that uses them. These tires did fine. I have had nothing but good rides on them from everything from smooth roads, potholed alleys, back roads, farm roads, logging/fire and gravel. They have good rolling resistance on smooth, but rides great in all conditions. I have taken then on drier singletrack, and they did fine. Also were great in the snow and slush this winter. I run them at 50psi, or at 65 if I know its gonna be all smooth road (not that common.) As my commute changes daily I normally leave them at 50psi, as its about 50/50 smooth and gravel or farm road. Same tires and tubes since last august, and only one flat, but that was due to hitting a patch of beer bottle glass, something any tire would have issues with. the pro version is 34c I think, but the 40c versions run great. Enough volume to take the harshness out of a fully loaded bike, or when pulling a BOB back form the hardware store loaded with lumber. I have well over 5k on them, and they are still wearing strong.


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## nativeson (Apr 4, 2005)

*custom hunter*

....worth the wait, built w/a little stouter tubing than a full on race cx bike, monster super crown custom fork, braze-ons for everything, needs a new back tire, but can still rail trails. pretty fun on the local santa cruz singletrack. parts mix of old and new, old lx square taper crank from a 90's mtb, red rims were super cheap (laugh if you want), xt hubs pulled from a 26" wheelset, xtr pedals, salsa bell lap bar, various other junk. hunter's still gonna fab me a stem.

here's some pics from a recent bike camping trip from sf to san rafael. we camped at china camped and rode the singletrack, highly recommended if you get the chance. in one of the pics you may be able to spot the birthplace of the fat tire. also snuck in some shots in santa cruz.


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## xtomx (Jul 31, 2009)

Got the Continental Cyclocross 700x42 tires today.
Crosscheck is out of action, so I stuck them on my steamroller:









They actually fit! I would have OK clearance with a center pull brake or larger caliper brake imo.
I'm going to try the rear tomorrow and see how it goes


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

@xtomx nice! looking forward to your follow-up post.

It's been raining here so I'm gonna try a little experiment to see if a Velocity Blunt + Continental Cyclocross 700x42c combo is feasible for the Wazoo and for general riding.


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## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

xtomx said:


> Got the Continental Cyclocross 700x42 tires today.
> Crosscheck is out of action, so I stuck them on my steamroller:
> 
> 
> ...


What I've found is that on the rear of a Steamroller with fat tires, you end up with very little room for adjustment in the dropouts -- the tire rubs the back of the seat tube when it's only about halfway into the dropout. This is with a WTB All Terrain 37c tire mounted.


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## xtomx (Jul 31, 2009)

^ I've had the same problem with a 35c rando haha. 


Got the crosscheck back in action today and took it out for a spin...
It defiantly feels more like a large cx tire then a small sized 29er tire if that makes sense. Rolls very fast on and off the road... 
It's winter here and the trails are stupidly muddy at the moment, but they held up OK... not as good as I was hoping -- still better then the semi slicks I was using (ritchey speedmax). A bit sketchy at times, especially the front tire. 

Looks to be a great do-it-all tire however


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## fritZman (Jan 9, 2004)

*2009 Singlecross*

Here's my latest project for gravel/logging roads.

I was looking for an aluminum frame/bike (stiffness) which had the clearance for narrow 29ers. Enter the 2009 Specialized Tricross Singlecross.

The bike pictured is stock except for the Eggbeaters and the Stan's 2.0 Crow 29er tire I was able to squeeze in there. Still tonnes of room in the fork for more (2.2 29er even) but the rear is now at its limit. In fact, if I ever change the stock gearing of 42:18 and need to pull the wheel in to retension, the Crow would no longer fit (Bonty XDX TLR 1.75 would be used instead).

One interesting surprise/change to the specs is that cantis (Tekro Oryx rear and CR720 front) are now used instead of the mini V-brake.

Best part about this bike? *$502 Cdn including taxes*. :thumbsup:

There's still a few 2008 & 2009 models on sale at: http://bikedepot.com/product-list/bicycles-cyclocross-46/


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## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

fritz... that's a lot of ride for 5 bills!!
what's the weight on that? (special ed's site doesn't even list it!)


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## richmotion (May 18, 2010)

Inspiring, simplicity, art:
http://www.amarobikes.com


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## slowlybutsurly (Nov 10, 2009)

richmotion - Dude, i admit it's nice, but it's not a monstercross. That looks like a track bike on steroids...


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

A friend of mine built his own monstercross fixie. It's set up as a dinglespeed with two homemade cogs bolted on to the iso bolts on a SS disc hub. I'd much rather ride this than the fat tire fixie posted above.

.


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## slowlybutsurly (Nov 10, 2009)

Elisdad - Wow! That frame is beautiful! I love the super skinny tubes & raw finish!


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

@elisdad

nice!! with a proper front brake too.


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

He's a cool guy and he really did a good job on this. I'm in line to get a frame from him too. It'll be a while, but I can't wait.


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## eric_syd (Nov 10, 2005)

Nordstern, I think Richmotion posted the wrong photos from that site  
The prices are out of this world as well. 7k-8k euros for a bike.....


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## slowlybutsurly (Nov 10, 2009)

Whoa! :eekster: Now that's what i'm talking about!

Those things are pure eye-candy! Beautiful!

Thanks for sharing, man! You gave me my daily dose of bike porn...


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## misterdangerpants (Oct 10, 2007)

richmotion said:


> Inspiring, simplicity, art:
> http://www.amarobikes.com


The Amaro Lollobrigida inspired me to build this back in 2009:










Not really a monster cross, but close....


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## Moozh (Jan 20, 2010)

misterdangerpants said:


> The Amaro Lollobrigida inspired me to build this back in 2009:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Me Likey!! Looks ready for the assault on the rough and tumble urban landscape with those hookworms..


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

Another "converted" 29"er. I've had this since 2003. Built with a shorter TT it rides best with drops. Although set up for trail duty at the moment it will see heavy tour duty by summers end. The only changes I can foresee are luggage, skinnier rubber and fenders.


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

I built this for monstercross type duties. Belt drive, drum brakes. Back wheel is a 26", but I will be doing frame mods to take a 29er at the rear. It's a work in progress.

Using smooth large volume tyres in preference to lugged tyres.


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## TooManyTacos (Mar 13, 2007)

Got a La Cruz from Craigslist. The original owner was using it as a commuter so it had a flipped riser bar with thumb shifters and V-brake levers, a Shimano R600 compact crankset for some reason, and an 11-28 cassette. I took it in and put some Dura-Ace brifters, a WTB Dirt Drop (the reissue), Ritchey riser stem, and some WTB Interwolfs. I read GuitarTed's advice about positioning the levers lower down, but I can easily reach them when I'm in the drops, and I can also lean on the hoods when I need to. Looks like it'll be a lot of fun! 

Coming from an MTB background, I'm not completely confident I'll be able to make all my climbs with a 34/28, but I'll have to try it out. Also, I like this idea of riding through the forest and backroads. Does anyone know of that type of terrain in or near the El Lay area?


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

jeff said:


> Another "converted" 29"er. I've had this since 2003. Built with a shorter TT it rides best with drops. Although set up for trail duty at the moment it will see heavy tour duty by summers end. The only changes I can foresee are luggage, skinnier rubber and fenders.


That Vanilla is Sick! :thumbsup:


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

Thanks. It's super comfy, quick and of course, like all vanilla's, a looker.


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## johnny the boy (Dec 21, 2009)

BUMP!!!


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## amillmtb (Jun 24, 2005)

Those WI Cranks are beautiful, along with the rest of the bike.


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## johnny the boy (Dec 21, 2009)

gracias.


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## bravellir (Nov 24, 2008)

My Singular build.










After some experimenting I ended up using mostly the continental cyclocross tires. I switch to a pair of firecross only when the trail justifies a bigger balloon tire.










Just to try the maximum tire with I could fit, I had a kenda 1.95 on the back, which actually touched the stay as I pedaled and a kenda 2.1 on the front. Fun


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## fatchanceti (Jan 12, 2005)

*Another singlecross*

Seen here with 45c Nokian studs:



Rear clearance:



Yeah, not the stock fork - I couldn't stand the appearance of it, despite it's tire clearance.

Usually I run it with Ritchey Speedmax 35c, here it is at 19.3 lbs:



The only thing still stock is the crank/BB and brake levers.
Frame: 54cm SingleCross
Fork: Easton EC70x
stem: Easton EA50
Bar: Salsa Bell Lap
Seatpost: Erickson Ti
Seat: WTB or Selle Anatomica
Hubs: Surly flip flop bolt on
Rims: Mavic CXP-33
Spokes/Nipples: DT 14/15 w/alloy nipples
Tires: Speedmax 35c Kevlar
Brakes: Tektro 720 High profile Cantis
Levers: Stock Tektro
Front Ring 40t Origin 8
Rear Freewheel: White Industries 20t

It's a great all around bike. Light enough to be fast on the road, tough enough for dirt roads and light trail riding. The low gearing is for pulling kids in trailers. Easily swappable to 40x18, 42x20 or back to stock 42x18.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

Love the new Specialized color that ISN'T puke green and brown. Looks like a really nice ride. Great work putting it together. Also love the fact that it's a singlespeed too.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Stick this in your categorized bike-type definition pipe and smoke it.


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## fatchanceti (Jan 12, 2005)

1 Speed said:


> Love the new Specialized color that ISN'T puke green and brown. Looks like a really nice ride. Great work putting it together. Also love the fact that it's a singlespeed too.


Yeah, it's nothing fancy with a cool brand or anything - but after riding just my mountain bikes for a few days (a Fat Chance and a 1998 Stumpy) I feel turbocharged when I hop on the singlespeed CX bike. That thing just scoots. The White Industries freewheel is beyond words - wonderful product.

Plus it's safe-ish to lock up if I wanna go into town for a beer or something. The seatpost is a bit blingy to be doing that too much, but it is unmarked except for the end caps.

The 120mm track spaced rear wheel is kind of a bummer though. Really narrowed down my wheel choices. Even with the fancy spokes and nipples that Surly/CXP-33 wheelset still weighs 1900 grams. That's about 300g lighter than the stock wheelset though.

I have a Woodchipper bar/high rise stem on it right now - sort of an off-roadish dirt drop setup - looks less racy, but more comfy in the drops. The Woodchipper is a really nice bar.

Those 45c Nokians look big, but they really don't measure anywhere near 45mm - more like a 35c in real life. But they kick butt in the ice.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

fatchanceti said:


> Those 45c Nokians look big, but they really don't measure anywhere near 45mm - more like a 35c in real life. But they kick butt in the ice.


Those are on the wish list for sure.


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## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

fatchanceti said:


> Yeah, it's nothing fancy with a cool brand or anything - but after riding just my mountain bikes for a few days (a Fat Chance and a 1998 Stumpy) I feel turbocharged when I hop on the singlespeed CX bike. That thing just scoots. The White Industries freewheel is beyond words - wonderful product.
> 
> Plus it's safe-ish to lock up if I wanna go into town for a beer or something. The seatpost is a bit blingy to be doing that too much, but it is unmarked except for the end caps.
> 
> ...


I am curious how you tension your chain. Is it EBB? Would you mind sharing?


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## fatchanceti (Jan 12, 2005)

Climber999 said:


> I am curious how you tension your chain. Is it EBB? Would you mind sharing?


The singlecross has a different rear end from the regular geared TriCross bikes - it uses rear opening horizontal dropouts. Bolt on hubs that use a 15mm nut on each side.

However I have my doubts about the roundness of the Origin 8 chainring - it's difficult to get even chain tension with it. I just have to run it a bit "droopy".


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## 120 (Nov 20, 2009)

I wish these tires actually fit...


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## fatchanceti (Jan 12, 2005)

120 said:


> I wish these tires actually fit...


Get yourself a TriCross fork - you'd probably be able to run the front one - !


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## 120 (Nov 20, 2009)

Here's an old fixed project I had, 38C.


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## stevemtu (Mar 29, 2006)

*very nice*



CommuterBoy said:


> Stick this in your categorized bike-type definition pipe and smoke it.


I was considering doing something like this.

Care to share your parts list and how you handled the bottom bracket?

Thanks


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## madcap (May 26, 2007)

So I never got around to mounting any tires with knobs on this because I've just been having way too much fun riding it around town. I've done away with the heavy Michelins and use mostly Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 29x2.0 now but put some 2.0 Fat Franks on today for a more classic look.

I will put it in this thread anyway...


----------



## HardyWeinberg (Aug 3, 2007)

Sweet!

What kind of pressure do you run the 2.0 marathon supremes at? Same as Fat Franks or higher?


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## madcap (May 26, 2007)

HardyWeinberg said:


> Sweet!
> 
> What kind of pressure do you run the 2.0 marathon supremes at? Same as Fat Franks or higher?


A little higher in the Supremes. I do about 50-55psi in the Franks and about 60-65 in the Supremes. I can tell a difference when riding the Franks, more rolling resistance and more weight.


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## kittens&cobras (Oct 17, 2008)

*My Show and Tell contribution*

About 1 month old now. Such an amazing fit, wish I could afford more custom bikes.

Clearance for up to 45c tires, running Bonty 1.8s. Uses EBB with a hanger to I can eventually run 1x9.

Pacenti fork crown and Reynolds tubes.

Hugh at www.truenorthcycles.com did a fantastic job.


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## cbchess (Dec 20, 2003)

what kind of alt bar are you running madcap? did you paint it yourself?
it looks like a groovy luv-handles upside down.


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## madcap (May 26, 2007)

cbchess said:


> what kind of alt bar are you running madcap? did you paint it yourself?
> it looks like a groovy luv-handles upside down.


That's it, upside down LUV, and titanium. It was painted with the frame.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

madcap said:


> That's it, upside down LUV, and titanium. It was painted with the frame.


I also run mine 'upside down' on my mountain bike. They're much more comfortable to me that way. Seems to emulate the way that my wrists work.


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## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

Changes to my Fantom Cross Uno.


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## FishMan473 (Jan 2, 2003)

just under 19 pounds with skinny tires. It'll still come in under 20 lbs with full sized MTB tires. Perfect for racing CX, put on the MTB tires and raise the bars a bit and its ready for endurance racing. Or I could just take it out for a long ride on the many miles of rails to trails around here.


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## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

Madcap, and Kittens&cobras, those are beautiful bikes, they look great!


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

*Whoops!*

Seems I accidently deleted my pics from this thread when I re-arranged me Photobucket  :madman:

Anyways,not quite a Monstercrosser yet (ran outta dough),but closer,and of a dual sport nature...I retained the aftermarket wheels (WTB) and tires (Exiwolf's) with a near identical setup (steeper gearing,same discs,etc) to swap when I wanna trail ride,these (stock wheelset,same discs,taller gearing,and 37mm WTB rubbers) for gravel grinders/roadie/exploring the two rides :thumbsup: 








2008 Redline d440


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

longhaultrucker said:


> Seems I accidently deleted my pics from this thread when I re-arranged me Photobucket  :madman:
> 
> Anyways,not quite a Monstercrosser yet (ran outta dough),but closer,and of a dual sport nature...I retained the aftermarket wheels (WTB) and tires (Exiwolf's) with a near identical setup (steeper gearing,same discs,etc) to swap when I wanna trail ride,these (stock wheelset,same discs,taller gearing,and 37mm WTB rubbers) for gravel grinders/roadie/exploring the two rides :thumbsup:


I like your builds. I'd love to try a rigid 29er with the same tires as my cross bike, back to back.

Might want to delete the license plate...


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

umarth said:


> I like your builds. I'd love to try a rigid 29er with the same tires as my cross bike, back to back.
> 
> Might want to delete the license plate...


Thanks,brother,for the kind words. :thumbsup: I actually didn't get to ride it any with these new digs until yesterday (pic was originally posted back in June),due to health issues. It's really short rides (2 miles per day total to and from the kiddo's bus stop,once in the morning,once in the afternoon),but I'm riding a bit-albeit slowly-daily now,hoping to work back up to some kinda regular mileage again,good Lord willing :thumbsup: I got to thinking,some days walking's a bit of a challenge even with the cane,but though similar,pedalling be a different motion,besides,only half the trip moves the back/hip/legs,as I coast down,pedal up. Walking,on the other hand,has me painfully stepping both ways 

On the license plates: Outdated pic. The green Contour was actually broken down in that pic,and I have since turned those tags in (got tired of paying insurance on it "just to keep the tags"),and that other one,the Hyundai...well,firstly,that dude must serve a different God than I,judging by how many times he's intentionally screwed me over in the last 30 years (I'm 37...),not to mention...well,I shouldn't speak ill of anyone,especially him being my Dad (lets just say we don't get along and leave it at that),LOL! He still has the car,but changed tags a while back,so no worries. Thanks for the concern though,it's appreciated


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## johnny the boy (Dec 21, 2009)

cross post (pun intended) from surly forum...


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## magnetosphere (May 23, 2007)

madcap said:


> So I never got around to mounting any tires with knobs on this because I've just been having way too much fun riding it around town. I've done away with the heavy Michelins and use mostly Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 29x2.0 now but put some 2.0 Fat Franks on today for a more classic look.
> 
> I will put it in this thread anyway...


Your chain is installed backwards.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

bravellir said:


> My Singular build.


That bike is so simple and elegant. I really like it.


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## bravellir (Nov 24, 2008)

Thanks for the compliment. I’ve been having a lot of fun riding it


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## ianick (Jul 10, 2006)

I've been enjoying my Fisticuff much more since I put on the 700x40 Speedmax tires. This bike begs to be ridden everywhere. Here it is enjoying the view from the bridge. I really love being able to hit the mountain bike trail, paved bike path and gravel roads all on one bike ride. Every ride turns in to an adventure.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

I know a lot of "Cross Purists" think Monstercross isn't a subset of cyclocross or just marketing. I think they're wrong. This is one of the better threads on this forum. There are some really nice bike here. I hope everyone keeps up the good work.


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## campaleches (Mar 23, 2009)

eric_syd said:


> Nordstern, I think Richmotion posted the wrong photos from that site
> The prices are out of this world as well. 7k-8k euros for a bike.....


Funny. The last one (Amaro Loren Settesei) happens to be my own bike. Here you have a few pics of the bike in the wild:





































Super-fun ride, both on and off the road, just swapping wheels. The idea was building a bicycle that could take both skinny 700c and fatty 650b tyres without geometry compromises (thus the disc brakes). The interesting bit is that outer diameter of 700x23c and 750x42b is virtually the same. I think the bicycle still lacks some knobbies to fully qualify as a real monstercross. Maybe after Pacenti releases the Mini-moto tyres... I am also considering a process of "monsterization": a custom Waltworks steel fork, so that i can fit 2" Quasi-motos in there (there is already clearance for that in the back).

As for prices, do not really believe the website. What you find there is a (rather high) estimation of how much the bikes might cost if you bought everything at retail, but it doesn't actually work like that. It all depends on components, but as for the frame, I paid less of what it would have costed from most American builders, once you add up shipping and import duties (even at current exchange rates). Of couse, it will probably be just the opposite if you are in the US.

Aside from that, I think it is good working with a local builder for a custom frame. It smoothes the process. It was also nice that Aimar Fraga, from Amaro, drove around 400 km. just to deliver my bicycle in person and have some beers together. I guess that was included in the price :thumbsup:


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## campaleches (Mar 23, 2009)

richmotion said:


> Inspiring, simplicity, art:
> https://www.amarobikes.com


As for this one, the Amaro Lollobrigida, I agree it is not exactly a monstercross. It is... it is.... well, it is.... the Lollobrigida, that is it. Not that it cannot take serious off-road punishing... with the right cyclist.

Aimar Fraga, "alma mater" of Amaro, used it to take part in (and almost finish) the Titan Desert. 500 km. through the north edge of the Sahara desert on a fixie with fat tyres and track geometry. Pretty wicked, if you ask me:


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## Frank Z (Feb 24, 2008)

campaleches said:


> Funny. The last one (Amaro Loren Settesei) happens to be my own bike. Here you have a few pics... (...) ... I paid less of what it would have costed from most American builders, once you add up shipping and import duties (even at current exchange rates). (...) It was also nice that Aimar Fraga, from Amaro, drove around 400 km. just to deliver my bicycle in person and have some beers together. I guess that was included in the price :thumbsup:


What a beautiful bike!!! And good info on the builder too... What is the region called where you took the pic's?


----------



## bagheera (Sep 25, 2005)

slocaus said:


> Not to be picky, I have an Inbred 29er that I run with Midge bars and RL-520 levers and BB-7 discs, but it is not a monster cross. ....


Care to share a picture of this bike? i just put together one myself, 2nd gen inbred 29er (orange) with Midge bars and bb7 road disc brakes.... and Nokian Extreme 294 tires.


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## campaleches (Mar 23, 2009)

Frank Z said:


> What a beautiful bike!!! And good info on the builder too... What is the region called where you took the pic's?


Thanks! The pics are from the mountains called "Sierra del Guadarrama", around 50 km. northwest of Madrid, in Spain


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

bagheera said:


> Care to share a picture of this bike? i just put together one myself, 2nd gen inbred 29er (orange) with Midge bars and bb7 road disc brakes.... and Nokian Extreme 294 tires.


Here is a link, since I seem to be the one to get pissy







about keeping monster cross pure, I will not post it in this thread.


----------



## madcap (May 26, 2007)

magnetosphere said:


> Your chain is installed backwards.


Or is it?


----------



## magnetosphere (May 23, 2007)

madcap said:


> Or is it?


According to Shadow Conspiracy and KMC it is. I couldn't tell you why. It's just what they put in the installation instructions.


----------



## Entrenador (Oct 8, 2004)

*How is this working out for you?*



longhaultrucker said:


> ...stock wheelset,same discs,taller gearing,and 37mm WTB rubbers) for gravel grinders/roadie/exploring the two rides :thumbsup:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I just bought a d440 myself and have swapped out the bars. Still rolling the Nanos for now, but I'm wondering if the smaller diameter of running something in the 700x40 range would lower the BB too much -- pedal strikes in turns?

thx.
josh


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## winer (Nov 21, 2010)

Looks the part, but clearance is limited with 35mm tires,










https://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-genesis-day-one-alfine-58cm?replies=1#post-1922338

Singlecross has way more clearance


----------



## mmeiser01 (Mar 13, 2008)

*winter backroad touring setup*


winter setup by mmeiser2, on Flickr

have already made a bunch of changes, may post another photo soon.


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

campaleches said:


>


That is such a nice bike. What kind of fork is on it? I don't think there is a thing about it I don't like. Great job.


----------



## antti k. (Nov 15, 2005)

Yet another Peregrine.


----------



## Joe Nation (May 16, 2007)

Very nice. Seriously considering selling the Gryphon and getting a Peregrine.


----------



## bravellir (Nov 24, 2008)

antti k. said:


> Yet another Peregrine.


Very nice. That saddle is great. What tires are those?


----------



## cubeman (Dec 26, 2004)

Looks like Michelin XC AT 2.0 to me.

Nice bike, enjoy it!


----------



## antti k. (Nov 15, 2005)

cubeman said:


> Looks like Michelin XC AT 2.0 to me.


Thanks mate. And yeah, tires are spot on. I actually thought that they were 2,1", but you are correct. Bigger tires would have clearance issues in the back.:skep: Now approximately 3mm clearance.


----------



## bravellir (Nov 24, 2008)

Have to try one of those. I had a Kenda Klaw, 1.9 I believe, that almost fit in the back.. It had a few mm clearance but I guess that with frame flex it rubbed the left chainstay.


----------



## campaleches (Mar 23, 2009)

CS2 said:


> That is such a nice bike. What kind of fork is on it? I don't think there is a thing about it I don't like. Great job.


Thanks a lot. The fork is a Wound Up Team X. Great fork, but I am thinking of trying something that can clear wider tyres.

Indeed, I am changing quite a few things in the bike, just for the shake of trying them. I will post some pics when it's done. This is how it looks right now (de-monsterized, with 700x32c cyclocross tyres; the Grand Bois Hetres are great tyres, but certainly not for snow):










What's next? A Waltworks steel fork with some more clearance, Pacenti Quasi-Moto tyres (for a full monstercross configuration), moustache handlebar (not sure about that, because so far I am liking the current bars), and I may go back to the original saddle and tape.


----------



## campaleches (Mar 23, 2009)

antti k. said:


> Yet another Peregrine.


Sweet bike! I love peregrines. That handlebar... is it a Salsa Woodchipper?


----------



## antti k. (Nov 15, 2005)

campaleches said:


> Sweet bike! I love peregrines. That handlebar... is it a Salsa Woodchipper?


Thanks! People seem to be bigger fans of Singulars than I thought.

Yes, it´s the ´chipper. Oversize and wide.


----------



## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Best thread on MTBR by a mile. 

God I want a Cross bike.


----------



## watkinscapital (Sep 14, 2010)

What about the Masi CXSS?


----------



## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

Some really good entries lately, glad to see this thread is still kicking.

I'll try to get some shots of mine soon, though daylight lasts about 3 hours right now.


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

watkinscapital said:


> What about the Masi CXSS?


I like the looks of that. My LBS has Masi but they don't have the CXSS. It's a great looking bike.


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

This Masi looks very good. I'd love to see if there is clearance for a wider tire up front.


----------



## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

Masi's shipment just landed according to our sources. CXSS does have room for 45c tires and comes with Panaracer Fire Cross 45c's. So biggest monstercoss tires you can get. Any bigger and it's just a dropped bar'ed 29er


----------



## netanimic (Aug 1, 2006)

My La Cruz


----------



## wroob (Jan 24, 2005)

*GT Monstercross Frankencycle*

My Circa 1995 GT backwoods MTB recycled as a monstercrosser / drop bar 29er / whatever. Other ride is 6" full sus and rather overkill for fireroads, so need being the mother of invention...

Interestingly this frame was originally supplied with a rigid fork, which I tossed in favour of some suspension (along with the cantis, do'h!) when I moved from muddy England to rocky California in 1997. I've always been a fan of the design of the Kona Project 2 since it's early days on the paint splattered Cinder Cone and Lava Dome (remember them?) so added one to this build.

Seems to ride pretty well considering it wasn't designed for 700c wheels. I added an Extracycle brake booster to move the canti bosses up for the rear, it has more clearance than that Mavic adaptor. Also, the front derailleur (XT) was a pig to get enough travel (apparently a common problem, with brifter - MTB triple crank incompatibility) until I connected the cable on the "wrong" side of the clamp, effectively changing the cable pull ratio. Firecross 45c doin' the business up front with a Specialized Captain CX Pro 34c partying in the back.

Yes it looks pretty weird with a 3" stack of spacers, and a 45 degree stem, but I look pretty weird too doubled over with back spasms due to my apparent inflexibility.


----------



## LeonD (Dec 26, 2003)

This winter I'd like to put together a MonsterCross bike. The use for the bike will be truly a 50/50 blend between road and trail (with trail being mostly single and double track).

I'm really undecided between starting with a cyclecross bike or a 29" mountain bike. I can see pluses and minuses with both.

Any opinions from those who have been there?

Also, with riding drop bars in the dirt, what part of the bars do you normally ride on? The flats, drops or hoods?

Thanks.


----------



## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

wroob said:


> My Circa 1995 GT backwoods MTB recycled as a monstercrosser / drop bar 29er / whatever...Yes it looks pretty weird with a 3" stack of spacers, and a 45 degree stem...


Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder,my friend,she looks kool to mine (eye) :thumbsup:


----------



## johnnypecans (Jan 5, 2009)

netanimic said:


> My La Cruz


How much clearance do you have in that fork? I want to go disc on my monstercrosser but I'm pretty attached to my 2.0 do-everything Big Apples.


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

LeonD said:


> This winter I'd like to put together a MonsterCross bike. The use for the bike will be truly a 50/50 blend between road and trail (with trail being mostly single and double track).
> 
> I'm really undecided between starting with a cyclecross bike or a 29" mountain bike. I can see pluses and minuses with both.
> 
> ...


I'm using a CX bike on tame singletrack until I build a "proper" monstercross bike up. I also use it as my road bike. I use some Origin8 Gary bars & ride in the drops at least 70-80% of the time.


----------



## netanimic (Aug 1, 2006)

johnnypecans said:


> How much clearance do you have in that fork? I want to go disc on my monstercrosser but I'm pretty attached to my 2.0 do-everything Big Apples.


Not much:










More pics


----------



## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

LeonD said:


> This winter I'd like to put together a MonsterCross bike. The use for the bike will be truly a 50/50 blend between road and trail (with trail being mostly single and double track).
> 
> I'm really undecided between starting with a cyclecross bike or a 29" mountain bike. I can see pluses and minuses with both.
> 
> ...


I ride both, both have had drop bars at one point. I started racing CX, so I switched to a low rise bar after the first two races.

CX is a great bike to ride. In fact, if I know I'm not going to be taking extremely technical singletrack, I prefer the CX bike. The geometry is MUCH faster and climbs WAY more efficiently. However, I have climbed super technical stuff before with it, and it does fine as long as you're not trying to compare it to an AM bike.

The most important thing is tire selection. If you're not racing, get something wide with high volume, low pressure. You will hate yourself if you don't do it from the get go. Also, you will want your CX bike to absolutely fit you like a glove. Any weirdness with fitment will really throw you off your game.

A 29'er is, well, a MTB. It's better suited for MTB'ing than a CX bike. Much slower on the road, too.

If I could only have one bike, I'd probably choose the CX bike. I'd just miss the efficiency of a MTB on trails, that's all. I ride my 29'er rigid and the 2.35 tires feel a lot better than 700 X 35c.

I've written a review of my Pake on my www.dionridesbikes.com blog in the October month. I covered everything from century road rides, to racing, to trail riding all done on my CX bike. Check it if you're interested.


----------



## fatchanceti (Jan 12, 2005)

netanimic said:


> My La Cruz


Winner. That is hot.


----------



## M_S (Nov 18, 2007)

Elisdad said:


> This Masi looks very good. I'd love to see if there is clearance for a wider tire up front.


the masi fork looks to be the same OEM deal that came on my K2 cross bike. It is heavy but has a ton of clearance. I haven't used anything wider than a firecross but I would bet a Nano would fit. that said you already have to deflate and squeeze a firecross to get it past the brakes.


----------



## LeonD (Dec 26, 2003)

Elisdad said:


> I'm using a CX bike on tame singletrack until I build a "proper" monstercross bike up. I also use it as my road bike. I use some Origin8 Gary bars & ride in the drops at least 70-80% of the time.


Elisdad,

So what would be the difference to you between your CX bike and a "proper" monstercross bike?


----------



## LeonD (Dec 26, 2003)

Dion said:


> I ride both, both have had drop bars at one point. I started racing CX, so I switched to a low rise bar after the first two races.
> 
> CX is a great bike to ride. In fact, if I know I'm not going to be taking extremely technical singletrack, I prefer the CX bike. The geometry is MUCH faster and climbs WAY more efficiently. However, I have climbed super technical stuff before with it, and it does fine as long as you're not trying to compare it to an AM bike.
> 
> ...


Dion, thanks for the reply.

Your Pake is along the lines of what I want to put together.

How do you set up your drop bars for off roading vs. flat bars vs. drop bars for the road?

Thanks again.
LeonD


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

LeonD said:


> Elisdad,
> 
> So what would be the difference to you between your CX bike and a "proper" monstercross bike?


My CX bike doesn't have clearance in back for anything more than a 35c tire. I'd want clearance for 45c or larger in order to have it qualify as a "proper" monstercross frame. With that said, I am currently running a 1.8 29er tire in front right now and a 34c Captain CX Pro in back. That combo is fine for riding my local singletrack.


----------



## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

LeonD said:


> Dion, thanks for the reply.
> 
> Your Pake is along the lines of what I want to put together.
> 
> ...


For a true dirt drop, like the On One Mary bar, I set it up so i will ride in the drop part the entire time. I did that by using a shorter, hi rise stem and positioning the handles at about 20 degrees from parallel with the ground.

On my CX bike, i set up my bar just like I normally would on any CX bike - that way i could be on the flat/hoods/drops at any given time.

I switched to a low riser bar on my CX bike because I felt much more efficient and I could take advantage on my strength - bombing - during a race. I would recommend shopping for a frame that can accept wide tires. I know my Pake can fit up to 42's.


----------



## wroob (Jan 24, 2005)

Dion said:


> For a true dirt drop, like the On One Mary bar, I set it up so i will ride in the drop part the entire time. I did that by using a shorter, hi rise stem and positioning the handles at about 20 degrees from parallel with the ground.


Totally agree with this set-up choice. If you want to ride fast on anything remotely bumpy, riding on the hoods is asking for some expensive dental work, as you risk your hands slipping off. In the hooks is much more secure. That's why most of the stems you'll see run on these kind of bikes (especially frames not designed ground-up for this set-up) look a little goofy, hi-rise etc, compared to a typical road setup as you want to be able to comfortably ride in the drops most of the time.

I find I'm in the drops 100% of the time downhill and on the flats, I use the hoods occasionally when climbing.


----------



## LeonD (Dec 26, 2003)

Not having ANY experience riding drop bars off road, I would have thought the flats would have gotten some ride time.


----------



## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

LeonD said:


> Not having ANY experience riding drop bars off road, I would have thought the flats would have gotten some ride time.


I think people get CX and MX totally mixed up. A CX bike is truly designed for CX racing. Courses are generally fast, non-technical (well, sometimes... but there aren't much roots, rocks or tech singletrack). There are a lot of roped off switchbacks that go through fields and such - I've raced at highschools and public parks where 2-3 mile laps are layed out. A rider should be able to mash with a CX bike, keep speed and dismount and remount very quickly. Also, weight is a major factor since you will be running with that thing slung over your shoulder up hills, over barriers and through sand pits.

When I raced with drop bars, I noticed that I was on the hoods for climbing, but in the drops for most everything else. The CX climbs are not like drilling road climbs or technical MTB climbs - they are like short'ish fireroad climbs - and THEY SUCK! This is why most stock CX bikes are geared like road bikes. Unless you build one up, you will not likely find a granny 22/36 on a CX bike. Most CX bikes are set up 1X9 with a 36T front chainring and whatever in back, usually something like 11-28 or 11-26. Not suited for MTB'ing at all - but if you're strong enough, you can rock that sucker on the trails. I ride my CX bike on the trails all the time, but I have a 1X8 set up, 34 X 11-32

It just so happens that, when set-up correctly, a CX bike makes for a great 50/50 bike. I would not ride off-road on the flats, though :eekster:

It depends on what you want. There's a trade off if you go with either set-up. If you convert a 29'er to a MX, expect that it will ride on the road like a MTB, slow but comfy. It'll rock the trails.

If you choose to go the CX route, expect that bombing down technical stuff is probably hindered and it will be MUCH faster on the road. On steep or extremely technical trails, you will probably be hiking that sucker unless you have Quadzilla legs and Superman lungs.


----------



## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

*Finally!*

I ran my first Cyclocross race yesterday on my monster cross (Yeah, I know, it's a drop bar 29er with skinny tires, to you.). Oh, and yeah, I was the only guy wearing a t-shirt, but I cannot bring myself to wear lycra.

My Karate Monkey: (BTW- been riding drops now for a couple weeks even when it's set up as my MTB)























































All race pics were in the dirt section, but there were barriers, stairs, singletrack, and road sections on the course as well. 1.6 mile course. 
What an awesome, horrible time cyclocross is! Can't wait until the next one. Although running SS against people with gears on this trail was not a good thing. I hung with most the pack for 3/4 of the first lap, and then got DUSTED on the flat open grassy road section. Still didn't come in last so I am happy. :thumbsup:


----------



## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

pointerDixie214 said:


> I ran my first Cyclocross race yesterday on my monster cross (Yeah, I know, it's a drop bar 29er with skinny tires, to you.). Oh, and yeah, I was the only guy wearing a t-shirt, but I cannot bring myself to wear lycra.
> 
> All race pics were in the dirt section, but there were barriers, stairs, singletrack, and road sections on the course as well. 1.6 mile course.
> What an awesome, horrible time cyclocross is! Can't wait until the next one. Although running SS against people with gears on this trail was not a good thing. I hung with most the pack for 3/4 of the first lap, and then got DUSTED on the flat open grassy road section. Still didn't come in last so I am happy. :thumbsup:


That's a sweet sled, dude.

I love this thread. I just monstered up my LHT again. Might have to take a new pic.


----------



## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

bolandjd said:


> That's a sweet sled, dude.
> 
> I love this thread. I just monstered up my LHT again. Might have to take a new pic.


Thanks for the complements. Can't beat a Surly IMO. Wife rode the same race on her 1x1 and got TONS of complements. Dude, my LBS has an LHT frame in my size for ridic. cheap. It's SO hard to walk out of that shop without that frame each time.

If it's still there when I move (May) it is coming with me. :thumbsup:

How big a tire can you fit on the LHT?!?!?!


----------



## LeonD (Dec 26, 2003)

pointerDixie214 said:


> My Karate Monkey: (BTW- been riding drops now for a couple weeks even when it's set up as my MTB)


Excellent bike and nice job with the race.

It's sound like you have your bike set up different for MTB. What do you change?

And what size tires do you have on the bike in the pics?

Thanks.


----------



## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

pointerDixie214 said:


> Thanks for the complements. Can't beat a Surly IMO. Wife rode the same race on her 1x1 and got TONS of complements.


Nice one!

Was the beer before, or after the race?


----------



## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

For MTB, I run the KM with 29x2.1 Kenda Small Block 8s. That's the main difference, along with changing seat height a little and moving the seat backward a touch. I had a flat bar on there that I am still trying to decide if I want to go back on or not. The tires I used for the race are 700x32 WTB Cross Wolfs. Fantastic grip. I figured I wanted knobbies still since I never rode skinnies before. I only almost lost it once. 

THIS beer was after the race.  DFH beer, grilled cheese, and burritos. hard to beat.


----------



## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

Bump


----------



## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

Cyclocross is brutal racing and it beats the hell out of you. After 5 races and being in the contention for top ten for the series, I burned out really bad and _ungracefully_ bowed out of the season.

Taught me a lot about how good/bad the shape I'm in and *seriously* a lot about myself.

I totally believe that if you're going to get serious about CX, you really have to build a CX bike. You can race a MTB and be successful at it, but there were times I had to shoulder the bike to run up a hill and I couldn't imagine trying to hoist my 28lb beast of a 29'er up that thing, and plus not having the clearance to properly shoulder the bike under the top tube. My CX bike is a dainty 21lbs, and even at that weight I'd like it sub-20 for racing.

Good job with the CX racing - unless you've done it, you really don't know how friggin' hard it is. A completely different beast than MTB'ing.

You're right about the gearing. WAY too tiny for CX - but hey... you were out there!


----------



## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

cross distance?
my if club racer. i can sneak ritchey 40 cross tires in there. these are 35s. currently running nokian studs.


----------



## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

kittens&cobras said:


> About 1 month old now. Such an amazing fit, wish I could afford more custom bikes.
> 
> Clearance for up to 45c tires, running Bonty 1.8s. Uses EBB with a hanger to I can eventually run 1x9.
> 
> ...


Nice True North don't see many of those, but why are you running v brake levers with canti's?


----------



## Joe Nation (May 16, 2007)

Mr Pink57 said:


> Nice True North don't see many of those, but why are you running v brake levers with canti's?


Those look like Campag road levers to me. And they're not cantis, they're deep-drop calipers.


----------



## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Joe Nation said:


> Those look like Campag road levers to me. And they're not cantis, they're deep-drop calipers.


http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=7390515&postcount=1017
Are we talking about the same bike? I am taking about the bike further up by True North not the one a few posts up. It has a "V" on the lever which usually means it's a linear-pull lever from Cane Creek (only place I have seen the "V").


----------



## Joe Nation (May 16, 2007)

Sorry, guess not. I was looking at the one in post #1085. Those are indeed V levers and cantis. Weird.


----------



## rr (Dec 28, 2003)

netanimic said:


> Not much:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice ride!

I have a La Cruz as well and have some new wheels/tires coming, Stans wheels w/Bontager XDX 1.75's, will post up pics when I get them on

Dion- I ride the flats when I'm on the trails, I have the secondary brake levers, the more upright position feels better, I've tried it both ways and the drops can be scary. Guess it depends on the trails your riding tho.


----------



## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

pointerDixie214 said:


> Thanks for the complements. Can't beat a Surly IMO. Wife rode the same race on her 1x1 and got TONS of complements. Dude, my LBS has an LHT frame in my size for ridic. cheap. It's SO hard to walk out of that shop without that frame each time.
> 
> If it's still there when I move (May) it is coming with me. :thumbsup:
> 
> How big a tire can you fit on the LHT?!?!?!


Oh the LHT is a great bike for sure. The tires I use are 1.8" Bontrager Jones XR's, which measure 45mm on my calipers. Mine's a 700c; the word on the street is the 26" version can go up to 2.1" tires. The low BB and long wheel base are a bit of a hinderance in the really rough stuff, but I love the Trucker on fireroads and smoothish singletrack.

Besides touring, LHT's make great city bikes, grocery-getters, kid-haulers, vintage-type roadbikes (maybe ride on the stiffish side if you don't weigh 250 lbs like me), allrounder/country bikes (poor man's Rivendell), adventure bikes, gravel grinders - pretty much anything that doesn't involve racing. So if you do pick it up, I'm sure you could find a use for it.


----------



## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

LeonD said:


> Not having ANY experience riding drop bars off road, I would have thought the flats would have gotten some ride time.


You're halfway there! Yep you'd think you'd ride on the flats but you do end up in the hooks most of the time offroad with dirt drops. Kinda addcitive once you ride with them for awhile. I started using Origin 8's Gary Dirt Drop on my Ritchey Breakaway travel bike/fixed gear. Then slapped them on my Crosscheck to go Monstercross. Ended up raising the bar position some to ride in the hooks more.

Have some On-One Midge bars I'm trying next thanks to Shiggy. Think they just may be the ticket off road and the Gary's going back on the Ritchey.


----------



## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

LeonD said:


> This winter I'd like to put together a MonsterCross bike. The use for the bike will be truly a 50/50 blend between road and trail (with trail being mostly single and double track).
> 
> I'm really undecided between starting with a cyclecross bike or a 29" mountain bike. I can see pluses and minuses with both.
> 
> Thanks.


I'd start with one of these frames:
Vassago Fisticuff
Surly Cross check
Singular Gryphon or Swift
Rawland Dakkar
Handsome Devil (maybe?)

Or just buy the new Masi CXSS. Comes with Panaracer FireCross 45s stock. Handlebar may need to be swapped for a dirt drop (take your pick) but otherwise great stock "monstercross" bike.

You can go with a Cross bike but few can hold much more than a 35 in the rear so not really "monstercross" (but hey considering UCI's new 32 or smaller rule maybe we make an exception?). 29er frames are designed around bigger tires which change things a bit when you put the significantly smaller 45's on. But there are a few 50's out there that may not change it too bad.

Regardles, expect to run spacers and/or a higher rise stem on any of the options above except the Gryphon which was designed for off road use out of the box.


----------



## LeonD (Dec 26, 2003)

juansevo said:


> I'd start with one of these frames:
> Vassago Fisticuff
> Surly Cross check
> Singular Gryphon or Swift
> ...


Thanks for the help. After poking around for a bit, those are the frames I'm seeing more and more. The Gryphon in particular looks like it might be the ticket.

Or I'm sure you could take the geometry from a favorite frame and get a custom made with those specs.

This will be a mid winter project so I still have a little time to sweat the details.

Thanks again,
LeonD


----------



## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

juansevo... what are your thoughts on the Motobecane Uno? Wife and I will probably be doing a mini tri this year and we both need road bikes. Figured why not get the best of both worlds and go with a CX frame and build from there. The Moto Uno is a dedicated CX bike but I think, with the relative cheap price, it would be easy to make it a geared MCX bike.


----------



## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

*Monster Trucking*

Here's a few happy snaps from my ride today. Sorry there's no action pics, but that's a little tough to do with an iphone when I'm out solo (which I usually am). Frankly, I'm not very photogenic anyway. Certainly not as much as the bike. The Trucker is shod with the Bonty's Jones XR's. I rather like how they make the bike look - sort of like a WWII Army Jeep.


----------



## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

gregnash said:


> juansevo... what are your thoughts on the Motobecane Uno? Wife and I will probably be doing a mini tri this year and we both need road bikes. Figured why not get the best of both worlds and go with a CX frame and build from there. The Moto Uno is a dedicated CX bike but I think, with the relative cheap price, it would be easy to make it a geared MCX bike.


Well I'd be leary of thinking "It would be easy to make it a geared MCX bike"....I'm pretty guilty of some pretty cleaver cobblejobs over the years, most famous was my "it should be pretty easy just to move my drops on my road bike to the mountain bike for this Gravel Grinder" back in '95 in Cresco, IA. Figured my mountain bike was 8 speed, my road bike was 8 speed, why not just move the handlebars over and set it up? Campy vs Suntour...what's the dif right? And Shimano chains rock!

Didn't work so hot.

Cheap is relative. There is upfront cheap and longterm cheap...pick one. May seem cheap in the short term to cobble it into a geared bike...and it may work ok. But Being you can find a crosscheck on Ebay or Craigslist pretty cheap sometimes I'd suggest doing that. I know my Crosscheck (I'm on my 3rd BTW-love 'em) can be run geared well, single well, road tires to 45's. But the smart guys at Surly figured that all in too. The Uno wasn't setup to be so easy. And if you throw it against the wall and stomp on it out of frustration....it probably won't ride well either.


----------



## Cptn. Sense Of Direction (Mar 10, 2008)

on the masi, I have a geared one. the stock fork(flat crown lugged) _just_ fit a mutano raptor on road rims. with very very little mud clearance. replaced with a xcheck fork and it clears it like dat. eventually got 2.0 racekings and the frame cleared it easily both on the chainstay and seat stay. xcheck fork also cleared it with plenty of room. only problem is getting it in, you rub against the brake pads.


----------



## Cptn. Sense Of Direction (Mar 10, 2008)

^kinda poor pic, but you get the idea


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## jvossman (Jan 12, 2004)

Pottser said:


> This my geared WIllits I got last summer.


what bare ends are those?


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## jvossman (Jan 12, 2004)

bar ends. sorry


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## Yanner (Dec 20, 2006)

My monstercross experiments. Norco Alteres touring frame from who knows when given to me. Shifting bits went on my commuter. Continental cyclocross 42c up front and WTB all terrain 38c in rear, but still have room for a bit more at both ends. Setup dingle speed for now with a modified DMR tensioner, but one of the gear will probably be a magic gear with a little bit of chain wear. Dirt drop bars with quill adapter. Gobi saddles hardly belongs but that's what I had laying around.


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## theMotoMan (Feb 21, 2008)

Never heard of a Norco Alteres, but what a sweet conversion. Great job; even better with the magic gear.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

FishMan473 said:


> just under 19 pounds with skinny tires. It'll still come in under 20 lbs with full sized MTB tires. Perfect for racing CX, put on the MTB tires and raise the bars a bit and its ready for endurance racing. Or I could just take it out for a long ride on the many miles of rails to trails around here.


Dude, your set up is exactly how I'm thinking of setting up my 'road' bike :thumbsup: !

With the exact same bike and fork  !

1) Skinny slick tires: Road (Group ride) bike.

2) Studded tires: Winter bike.

3) Fat slick tires: Commuter bike.

4) Fat knobby tires: MT bike.


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## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

When you stand up to climb on a single speed MonsterCross, do you call it the Monster Mash?


----------



## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

Dion said:


> When you stand up to climb on a single speed MonsterCross, do you call it the Monster Mash?


Dion, what's the bar and stem on this beauty?


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## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

Climber999 said:


> Dion, what's the bar and stem on this beauty?


Thanks!

It's just a cheapo Forte' (Performance Bike) 120mm stem and an On One Mary bar, upside down. 

Since the Mary bar has so much back sweep, you have to get a longer stem than normal to make it so you're not so squashed in the cockpit.

I just flipped them back over to normal to see how it "fits". I've had it both ways and I think I'll probably stick with them right-side-up.


----------



## johnnypecans (Jan 5, 2009)

New paintjob and a pair of 45c firecrosses I picked up today. First try with a spraygun, it's rusto "Smoke Gray" left over from painting the bed of a Unimog. The firecrosses are fun but a little draggy for the 48x19 gearing. When I get around to picking up a smaller chainring I'll try them out again, but for now it's back to my kenda kross pluses.


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## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

johnnypecans said:


> New paintjob and a pair of 45c firecrosses I picked up today. First try with a spraygun, it's rusto "Smoke Gray" left over from painting the bed of a Unimog. The firecrosses are fun but a little draggy for the 48x19 gearing. When I get around to picking up a smaller chainring I'll try them out again, but for now it's back to my kenda kross pluses.


I geared down too after Going from cross tires to the Firecross's. I was running 42x17, but went to a 32t...which was a bit too low except for dedicated off road use.

I'm building a special frame thus winter. Will go with a cyclocross crank with 39/34 ftknt to swap between.


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

38c on there now ordered some Smart Sam 45c and trying to get a OEM RK 2.2 in there today/tomorrow (Thomson stem came today!).

Have not had a chance to really ride it, it's been so icy here.

^^ Where did you get your Mr. Yuck sticker?


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## jmw (Feb 25, 2005)

Surly Steamroller, fixed monster cross....

38c tires on it now, 38x16 gearing
thinking of switching bars to a Velo Orange Milan


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## johnnypecans (Jan 5, 2009)

Mr Pink57 said:


> ^^ Where did you get your Mr. Yuck sticker?


Picked up a bunch of them on ebay, I'm sure they're still available


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

*Mmmmmmmmmmonstercross!*









RK 2.2 F/R!









It's tight with the new 28.6 der.

I want to take this up to Levis-Trow so bad!


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## DFYFZX (Jun 19, 2009)

Guys, I've got a set of 2.0 Race Kings lying around if anyone is interested. They've been used a couple hundred miles but have plenty of life left. I'll let them go cheap. I'm trying to clean out the garage so shoot me an offer


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## SSBonty (Jan 30, 2004)

So I took a battering at the last round of the Finnish unofficial national cross series, where a monstercross would have come very much in use - see video 'Cyclocross where it does not belong' (though I'm sure most of us on this thread would agree it DOES belong!) here:






I'm hence looking to fit some fatties onto my singlecross:


SingleCrossOblique by ssproflex, on Flickr


SingleCrossLateral by ssproflex, on Flickr

I've been running some maxxis and schwalbe 35mm tyres, loads of room width wise for up to 50mm tyres, but how do you know how 'tall' a tyre will be as I think this is where things might get tight? Can't ask about others experiences as it's a no-name alu race cross frame from the UK that just happens to have decent width but possibly not height tyre clearance. I'd like to go as wide as possible, but I'm not keen on spending $100 (not cheap over here, or even getting things mailed!) on a set of tyres that are too fat, then finding they don't fit, and having to hope the next size down fits, repeat to fade...

Am currently keen on something like the Bontrager XR 1.8 or XDX 1.75 as I've been quite happy with similar or the same but wider Bonty 26" and 29" MTB tyres but unsure if they will work heightwise... Anyone got any measurements of height for any tyres in the range of 1.5"-1.8" (38mm-46mm!) - on 2008/2009 Mavic Aksiums if at all possible!?


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## bikesdirect (Nov 7, 2006)

ilostmypassword said:


> this thread is the hotness


And the Monster Cross trend seems to be really hot.
With over 1100 posts and almost a quarter million views this post shows the importance of MC.
This style of bike appears to be coming into its own and I know of at least 4 new complete bikes for spring & summer of 2011.

And I think that there will be many others added to what is available.

so 'I beg you, more MONSTERCROSS' is surely being answered.


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## ~martini~ (Dec 20, 2003)

I suppose I should update the Peregrine build a bit. Went from flat barred and geared ala mtb style to drop bar and single speed. Tires I've run on it? IRC's Mythos combo fits just fine. Not much room for mud though. Bonty XDX 1.75's are on it right now, with Planet bike Casadia full fenders. Looks nice, but I haven't any shots of it set up as such. For most of the summer I had it set up with Woodchippers[wonderful bars btw] an Alfine 8/jtek combo, and WTB Nano raptors. Probably the BEST gravel tires I've ridden. Lightish, good volume, fast, and quite low rolling resistance. As the first tire on the market, its now been over shadowed by many tires out there, but it certainly deserves some credit and love. 
V1:

V2:


V3:


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

This bike is beautiful, darn near perfect. Perfect would be my size in my garage 



bmike said:


> cross distance?
> my if club racer. i can sneak ritchey 40 cross tires in there. these are 35s. currently running nokian studs.


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## Fat Bob (Mar 5, 2004)

[/URL][/TD][/TR][TR][TD]From Cyclenut[/TD][/TR][/TABLE][/IMG]

I know, it's not really a "cross" bike... drop bar 29er fits better, but what the heck


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## Larryscustomcycles (Oct 27, 2010)

Here is our demo Peregrine...just put together. Tyres are some old ones we had lying around, Intense 2.25, they fit but 3 spots of mud will have it jammed up!


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## Beckman4 (Aug 16, 2004)

*Bar*

Martini, is that the Titec Pluto Ti bar on there? If so how do you like it? I'm thinking of putting one of those on my Sawyer.


----------



## ~martini~ (Dec 20, 2003)

It is a ti Titec, but an old Flattracker. Wider and greater sweep than the Pluto Ti. Great bar. Absolutely love it.


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## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

jmw said:


> Surly Steamroller, fixed monster cross....
> 
> 38c tires on it now, 38x16 gearing
> thinking of switching bars to a Velo Orange Milan


What tires are you running on your 'roller?

I've run 28c Gatorskins, 32c Pasela Tourguards, 35c Ritchey Speedmax, and 37c WTB All Terrains on my Steamroller. It was very close with the All Terrains.

I have a VO Milan bar on mine, upside down. They're great bars, but I've got some Soma Condorinas on order, just to try them out. Should be here Monday.


----------



## Mattbike (Mar 13, 2007)

I built this up recently it's a 97 Saracen hybrid that I've put flared drop bars on and some modern kit. My first try of drop bars for off road use. It has 42c tyres with plenty of clearence.

It's fast both on and off road and great for fire roads and other double track. I'm surprised at what it can tackle.


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

*This thread can't die*

So I put some 47c Smart Sam's with fenders on my Fisty

















Panaracer Fire Cross 45c


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

Mr Pink57 said:


> So I put some 47c Smart Sam's with fenders on my Fisty


Where did you find them? And how are you liking the Smart Sams?


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

umarth said:


> Where did you find them? And how are you liking the Smart Sams?


I found them on ebay they are listed as a 28x1.75 this will find them no problem this way. I haven't had any real riding on them yet, just around the apartment  (I've biked down the hall ways before lol). The volume is pretty decent but I also got a set of Firecross 45c and 3 Mutan 44c (from tire swap thread) coming.


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

Mr Pink57 said:


> I found them on ebay they are listed as a 28x1.75 this will find them no problem this way. I haven't had any real riding on them yet, just around the apartment  (I've biked down the hall ways before lol). The volume is pretty decent but I also got a set of Firecross 45c and 3 Mutan 44c (from tire swap thread) coming.


Post a review. I have 35mm tires and like them so much. They roll really well and are pretty plush for a 35mm tire. I've also had very good luck with them on muddy and moderately technical single track as well. Recently I've been leaning towards modding my cross bike and getting it a new fork so I can run the 45mm.


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## rockhound (Dec 19, 2005)

Mr Pink57 said:


> So I put some 47c Smart Sam's with fenders on my Fisty


I love it...

If it weren't named after a demon and didn't have track ends, it'd be perfect for me.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

umarth said:


> Where did you find them? And how are you liking the Smart Sams?


Schwalbe NA has the 28x1.75 in stock.


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

shiggy said:


> Schwalbe NA has the 28x1.75 in stock.


Sweet- thanks.


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## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

~martini~ said:


> I suppose I should update the Peregrine build a bit. Went from flat barred and geared ala mtb style to drop bar and single speed. Tires I've run on it? IRC's Mythos combo fits just fine. Not much room for mud though. Bonty XDX 1.75's are on it right now, with Planet bike Casadia full fenders. Looks nice, but I haven't any shots of it set up as such. For most of the summer I had it set up with Woodchippers[wonderful bars btw] an Alfine 8/jtek combo, and WTB Nano raptors. Probably the BEST gravel tires I've ridden. Lightish, good volume, fast, and quite low rolling resistance. As the first tire on the market, its now been over shadowed by many tires out there, but it certainly deserves some credit and love.
> V1:
> 
> V2:
> ...


I think Sam absolutely nailed the classic color scheme of these rigs. Really want to test one to see if it rides as good as it looks


----------



## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

bikesdirect said:


> And the Monster Cross trend seems to be really hot.
> With over 1100 posts and almost a quarter million views this post shows the importance of MC.
> This style of bike appears to be coming into its own and I know of at least 4 new complete bikes for spring & summer of 2011.
> 
> ...


Mike I've been informed of 3 other companies seriously considering a run at monstercross rigs for 2011. Masi's will be really hot this year even with singlespeed format. I think you'll see Panaracer selling the hell out of the Fire Cross 45c this summer.....I actually predict a shortage.


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Actually what I would really like to see is a carbon monstercross something from say Niner


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## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

Mr Pink57 said:


> Actually what I would really like to see is a carbon monstercross something from say Niner


I agree, a carbon monster cross rig could be sweet and very light. Say around the 17lb range for a 1x10. Rumor has it one of the current dirt drop makers is considering a carbon version of their bar as well. Lot of the carbon cross forks will clear the Panracer FireCross 45c as well as the 40c-42c with nice mud clearance. (IRD, Easton, and Ritchey currently are known to fit....EDGE will fit only 40c as it only has 51mm of clearance)

Currently however the places I've spoke too are all steel/aluminum/ti frames. One company told me they plan on staying away from carbon forks, but they are pursuing more of a Fargo type rig with wide range of flexibility for setup plus disc only. Others are going rim brakes so sticking to available cross forks (steel and carbon).

From what I've gathered overall from the people who've contacted me so far is they see the monstercross rigs as sort of a classic rig. Metal frames. Rim Brakes. Bar end shifters if any. I personally think disc tabs should be considered.....you know a hyrdo disk is destined to be unveiled this year for road rigs from 2 companies for sure. Might as well spec it.

Tires are growing. Aside from the original choice of the Panaracer Fire Cross you see Masi, Soulcraft, Van Dessel, and others spec'ing you see companies like Kenda and Schawlbe quietly adding 40-43c tires to their lines.

Handlebars: Ragley is supposed to start landing in the states soon. Midge is to make a return towards end of year, beginning of next, rumor of a redesign of the WTB bar, and you can bet their will be one other at least to pop up out of nowhere from someone.


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## esXso (Sep 23, 2008)

Link to photos of a 700c Long Haul Trucker wearing 2.1 Nanos. There's apparently enough clearance in the front fork but some rubbing from the back tire. Pretty impressive.


__
https://flic.kr/p/3091182376

I guess it's just a small-framed 26" bike. Surly's website says 45mm maximum without fenders for the 700c


----------



## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

esXso said:


> Link to photos of a 700c Long Haul Trucker wearing 2.1 Nanos. There's apparently enough clearance in the front fork but some rubbing from the back tire. Pretty impressive.
> 
> 
> __
> https://flic.kr/p/3091182376


Pretty sure those are 26" Nanos.

edit: hmm, maybe you are right


----------



## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

boomn said:


> Pretty sure those are 26" Nanos.
> 
> edit: hmm, maybe you are right


The rim brakes would not work if they were 26" wheels/tires.

But did they actually imply a Pugsley would be a good gravel grinder? :skep:


----------



## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

shiggy said:


> The rim brakes would not work if they were 26" wheels/tires.
> 
> But did they actually imply a Pugsley would be a good gravel grinder? :skep:


I was thrown off because Surly sells the LHT frame for 26" wheels as well, with rim brakes positioned to match. They quote the 700c version as fitting 700x45c tires and the 26" version as fitting 26x2.1" tires

Good to know that Surly is pessimistic when it comes to quoted tire size though


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

I ran a Nano on the front of my Cross Check fine. Tough to get between the brakes inflated, but plenty of clearance on the crown and blades. No way on the back.

The LHT allows quite a few frames to use 26" wheels.

http://www.surlybikes.com/bikes/long_haul_trucker_complete/


> *Wheel sizes* 42-62cm accommodate 26" wheels; we also offer 56-62cm sizes which accommodate 700c wheels


Many serious adventure tourists say it if easier to find a 26" tire in third world countries. I have a friend who toured in Nepal, and met a couple guys on the Ride the Spine group, and all wanted 26".

Kinda of way off monstercross here.......


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

For all you other monstercrossers out there do you use a high pressure or high volume mini pump?


----------



## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

Mr Pink57 said:


> For all you other monstercrossers out there do you use a high pressure or high volume mini pump?


I do not use high pressure tires so there is no need for a high pressure pump.


----------



## Singlespeedpunk (Jan 6, 2004)

My new Monstercross Surly Crosscheck with Conti 42c, pending some SmartSam 700x47 that should be on the way.

SSP


----------



## Loretta (Sep 28, 2004)

I've been a posting fool here lately (compared to my usual amount of activity) but considering the topic I thought this timely. See you in Austin.


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

That's a beautiful build. Absolutely beautiful.


----------



## fatchanceti (Jan 12, 2005)

35c Schwalbes on Salsa Delgados





and the whole package


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## bravellir (Nov 24, 2008)

Loretta said:


> I've been a posting fool here lately (compared to my usual amount of activity) but considering the topic I thought this timely. See you in Austin.


I really really like it. Looks amazing.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

Loretta said:


> I've been a posting fool here lately (compared to my usual amount of activity) but considering the topic I thought this timely. See you in Austin.


What a beautiful ride . Shipping to 85901 ?  Seriously , can I get this with 135 mm rear spacing ?


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

The nicest Monstercross bikes on the forum IMO



Loretta said:


>


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

Ditto



Loretta said:


> I've been a posting fool here lately (compared to my usual amount of activity) but considering the topic I thought this timely. See you in Austin.


----------



## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

Saddle Up said:


> The nicest Monstercross bikes on the forum IMO


I like how the nicest monstercross bikes don't have pedals.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

umarth said:


> I like how the nicest monstercross bikes don't have pedals.


Killjoy.


----------



## campredcloudbikes (Feb 22, 2008)

Well, I finally figured out how to open this thread.... it won't open in Chrome or Firefox but will in IE.
A couple more recent shots of the commuter cross.....
a fun ride on minor dirt or pavement. real trails, yeah right, even with bigger tires (bad toe overlap, and pinch flats with cross tires on rocks)


----------



## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

umarth said:


> I like how the nicest monstercross bikes don't have pedals.


They likely don't need pedals while be transported to NAHBS. The pedals would be for the new owners of the bikes to decide.


----------



## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

Saddle Up said:


> They likely don't need pedals while be transported to NAHBS. The pedals would be for the new owners of the bikes to decide.


Kinda condescending if you think people don't understand that. I was mainly joking, but I do prefer to see bikes that clearly have and will be ridden.


----------



## Loretta (Sep 28, 2004)

umarth said:


> Kinda condescending if you think people don't understand that. I was mainly joking, but I do prefer to see bikes that clearly have and will be ridden.


I agree. But it is up to the new owner to ride them, not me.

So have these bikes been ridden? Not when the photos were taken. 
Will they be ridden? Goddamn right.


----------



## Loretta (Sep 28, 2004)

umarth said:


> I do prefer to see bikes that clearly have and will be ridden.


----------



## sparky909 (Jan 19, 2011)

campredcloudbikes said:


> Well, I finally figured out how to open this thread.... it won't open in Chrome or Firefox but will in IE.
> A couple more recent shots of the commuter cross.....
> a fun ride on minor dirt or pavement. real trails, yeah right, even with bigger tires (bad toe overlap, and pinch flats with cross tires on rocks)


I'm using Firefox? No problems here...


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

campredcloudbikes said:


> Well, I finally figured out how to open this thread.... it won't open in Chrome or Firefox but will in IE.


Change your Diplay Mode to Linear, (bottom right).

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=548693


----------



## sparky909 (Jan 19, 2011)

Loretta said:


> I've been a posting fool here lately (compared to my usual amount of activity) but considering the topic I thought this timely. See you in Austin.
> 
> Your my next frame builder - for sure!! What is the model of the saddle on this monsterX?


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

sparky909 said:


> Loretta said:
> 
> 
> > I've been a posting fool here lately (compared to my usual amount of activity) but considering the topic I thought this timely. See you in Austin.
> ...


----------



## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

I would guess the saddle is a Brooks Swallow Ti...


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

I'd also say VO Model 6, the Brooks does not have the connecting flap underneath.


----------



## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

Saddle Up said:


> I'd also say VO Model 6, the Brooks does not have the connecting flap underneath.


/\This , been meaning to try one out , see how it stacks up next to a Brooks . Supposed to be pretty decent saddles .


----------



## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

Saddle Up said:


> I'd also say VO Model 6, the Brooks does not have the connecting flap underneath.


Could be.
I ride a Brooks Swallow on Ti rails. They do have the connecting flap. That looks like it might be the chrome rail version. Can't see if the Brooks tag is on the back.


----------



## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

*Redline Conquest Classic...*

Just picked this up (my wife went with me on Valentine's day to order it), added fenders and off I went. Only 700x35s (Conti Cylocross +) on there with the fenders now, but can definitely go wider. Also probably going to eventually change to more flared drops...but for now, I gotta wait. I have swapped out the saddle for an old WTB Speed V and squeezed an 11-32 cassette on...works for now, but I may need to swap out the 105 for an XT. The red Bridgestone XO-3 is my buddy Dave's. The original fork got bent in a fender-bender, so the obvious replacement was a disc fork. Nice ride.


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

nice bikes!


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## Loretta (Sep 28, 2004)

Saddle Up said:


> I'd also say VO Model 6, the Brooks does not have the connecting flap underneath.


It is a VO. I have a Zimbale saddle on another bike for the show and while the VO is nice, the Zimbale leather seems a bit thicker and the copper rivets and rails really set it off. Zimbale, Cardiff and VO saddles are all made by the same company but the Zimbale saddles just seem nicer.


----------



## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

Dion said:


> It's just a cheapo Forte' (Performance Bike) 120mm stem and an On One Mary bar, upside down.
> 
> Since the Mary bar has so much back sweep, you have to get a longer stem than normal to make it so you're not so squashed in the cockpit.
> 
> I just flipped them back over to normal to see how it "fits". I've had it both ways and I think I'll probably stick with them right-side-up.


Bit of a late reply but have you tried a flipped stem with the Mary bars up the right way?

For commuting I found that to be the most comfortable way to use Mary bars.


----------



## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

*Some additions...*

Got a new saddle, rack, and trunk. Still waiting on the On-One Midge's to be delivered, thanks to slower-than-molasses UPS. The new bars are getting wrapped in brown/cork gel tape and adding some cross levers.


----------



## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Updated the bike with bags and different fender option. Went with WTB Moutain Road Dirt Drops.









Road mode

Long live monstercross!


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

Mr Pink57 said:


> Updated the bike with bags and different fender option. Went with WTB Moutain Road Dirt Drops.
> 
> Long live monstercross!


Nice handlebars.  :thumbsup:


----------



## sparky909 (Jan 19, 2011)

Mr Pink57 said:


> Updated the bike with bags and different fender option. Went with WTB Moutain Road Dirt Drops.
> 
> Long live monstercross!


mMcG - where did you get the smart sams without the reflective stripe...mine came with a reflective stripe like a whitewall which I guess would be nice for night riding/commuting but I don't like them.


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

sparky909 said:


> mMcG - where did you get the smart sams without the reflective stripe...mine came with a reflective stripe like a whitewall which I guess would be nice for night riding/commuting but I don't like them.


That's not my bike. That's Mr_Pink's


----------



## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

sparky909 said:


> mMcG - where did you get the smart sams without the reflective stripe...mine came with a reflective stripe like a whitewall which I guess would be nice for night riding/commuting but I don't like them.


I replied to your pm but incorrectly, I got them on ebay just search "28x1.75" for the size.


----------



## rr (Dec 28, 2003)

I just picked up some Smart Sam 40's on Schwalbe's website, they showed the 28x1.75's available


----------



## adjitridika (Dec 24, 2010)

errr... is this count?










well it's still 26", i'm waiting my kenda karma 29er to be shipped


----------



## ozbikebuddy (Mar 3, 2004)

*Haro Ally Monster V commuter mode*

Here is my recenty aquired 2nd Haro Ally as a Monster X

Swapped out some parts off my other ally that is in the process of getting some tweaks (using my 2nd set of wheels and new brakes etc)

So this got most bit except the old flat bars. Tyre are Schwalbe Marathon Supremes 28x2,00, very nice a pretty puncture proof apparently nod had the chance to test that bit, but they roll really well.

Sone option being considered, setting up for 1x8, dtill trying to get a rear hanger (no luck so far), new brakes as the Hayes MX4's are a pain to adjust (thinkin bb5 of bb7 road, and still rub no matter what and the is with using 287V levers, which might got to Cane creek/tektro style instead, with road disc this would give some really serious stopping power (I like that idea)
:thumbsup:


----------



## bdstorer (May 4, 2007)

ozbikebuddy said:


> Here is my recenty aquired 2nd Haro Ally as a Monster X


WOW! Mate, your bike looks sweet. Best looking Monster X recently posted! Like it alot.



ozbikebuddy said:


> Tyre are Schwalbe Marathon Supremes 28x2,00, very nice a pretty puncture proof apparently nod had the chance to test that bit, but they roll really well.


Bought some of these for my Fargo after seeing the above pic and review. Cheers for the inspiration.


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## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

adjitridika said:


> errr... is this count?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nope, that's what weez callz a drop bar mountain bike. Not really monstercross, monstercross is a 700x38c-48c tire with drop bars.......but that doesn't mean this doesn't look friggin cool though


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## campredcloudbikes (Feb 22, 2008)

My Fisticommuter may not have drop bars, and only has 35mm slicks (currently) but it DOES have a *MONSTER*


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## CHUM (Aug 30, 2004)




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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

CHUM said:


>


Holy bejeebus that is a freaking sick arse 1x1. Wonder what my wife would think if hers looked like that next time she got to ride it. lol

God, nice build man. :thumbsup:


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

^ how does it handle with such a high BB?


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## Joe Nation (May 16, 2007)

You should get some Paul MotoBMX brakes, the pads are height adjustable so you can run 700c wheels in a 26" frame without those horrible adaptors. Cool ride nonetheless


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## CHUM (Aug 30, 2004)

Saddleup said:


> how does it handle with such a high BB?


dunno yet ....this is what i've been doing when my toddler is napping in the car...i tinker in the garage so i can keep an eye in him

(we just had a daughter 2 weeks ago so my riding time is limitied to riding with my 2 year old)



Joe Nation said:


> You should get some Paul MotoBMX brakes, the pads are height adjustable so you can run 700c wheels in a 26" frame without those horrible adaptors. Cool ride nonetheless


i looked at those Pauls...and they are sexy, but at $125 each i couldn't justify the cost - this was a budget build....most of the stuff i had laying around.


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## appleSSeed (Dec 29, 2003)




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## CHUM (Aug 30, 2004)

Saddle Up said:


> ^ how does it handle with such a high BB?


here's my incoherent jabbering on how she handles:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=7910106&postcount=19


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

*Iced Out*

























Just got my gold Hope 2s bulit up, now I just need some gold teeth and a backwards hat.


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## adjitridika (Dec 24, 2010)

CHUM said:


>


dang it CHUM!
man i wish i had that v brake adapters like that... so hard to find it here


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## theMotoMan (Feb 21, 2008)

*Brake Adapter*



CHUM said:


>


I'd like to see some close up shots of the tire clearance and those brake adapters. I have been contemplating a similar conversion, but others have mentioned minimal tire clearance issues.


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## CHUM (Aug 30, 2004)

theMotoMan said:


> I'd like to see some close up shots of the tire clearance and those brake adapters. I have been contemplating a similar conversion, but others have mentioned minimal tire clearance issues.


front about .25":









rear - pulled about 1/2 way back in the dropouts about 3/8":









tires are WTB Mutanoraptors (44/44) 700C


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Chum,

Interesting you went with the adapter, I assume you went V Brake for reasons like having wheels already built? And having most of the parts already? Could get more clearance with discs of course.

How are the Mutano's on the road? I have a pair here and have been meaning to try them.


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## CHUM (Aug 30, 2004)

Mr Pink57 said:


> Chum,
> 
> Interesting you went with the adapter, I assume you went V Brake for reasons like having wheels already built? And having most of the parts already? Could get more clearance with discs of course.
> 
> How are the Mutano's on the road? I have a pair here and have been meaning to try them.


yah...had most of the bits laying around...that's why I am running V's..

and the tires....they run horrible on pavement....freaking horrible...

nice in the dirt though


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

While there are a ton of really nice bikes here, are they really all Monstercross? By it's very name, Monstercross denotes a Cyclocross bike with monstrously wide tires. I'm seeing a lot of 29'rs with drop bars. They're not the same thing.


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## bikesdirect (Nov 7, 2006)

CS2 said:


> While there are a ton of really nice bikes here, are they really all Monstercross? By it's very name, Monstercross denotes a Cyclocross bike with monstrously wide tires. I'm seeing a lot of 29'rs with drop bars. They're not the same thing.


I agree lots of nice bikes here posted, but most are 29ers with drop bars

I do think that the entire idea of MONSTER CROSS is new to the 'industry'
Beleive me; many product managers at major bike companies have never heard the term
and until there are more attempts at developing the catagory there will not be a lot of frames/forks designed with this catagory in mind

We are doing Monster Cross in Steel, Ti, and Aluminum [as I think there should be lots of price points available] - but as the trend develops there will be a natural drift towards a common understanding of what these bikes are and can do

First AL one is below
There will also be an APEX version in AL
Gravity Zilla below will take any tire from 700x28c to 29x2.2 and comes with 700x45c


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## appleSSeed (Dec 29, 2003)

blah


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

"Monstercross" is not an "industry" term (except for opportunistic spammers).

It is an enthusiast term for turning a bike into a custom machine capable of more offroad capability than it was originally designed to be used.

The "industry" that wants to design one to sell for their own greed is just further bastardizing the term.


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## Vecsus (Apr 17, 2004)

i swear if i ever start up my own company I will hire bikedirect to manage my advertisement strategy. always on the lookout to hawk his wares in the forums. (my opinion as a forum member, not a moderator)


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

Way to eff up a great thread BD.

Bad posted it out of principle, nothing more than spamming an otherwise great thread.


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## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

Ya, once BD stepped in, the quality plummets out right.
p.s.: that's an ugly bike they go there...


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## bikesdirect (Nov 7, 2006)

AZ.MTNS said:


> Way to eff up a great thread BD.
> 
> .


No reason to think my post changes the thread
which is called "I Beg You, More MONSTERCROSS"

I have read it with interest and acted on it including:
1 - suggesting to competitors to get involved in MonsterCross
2 - discussed with product managers at several national brands their plans if any in the catagory
3 - exchanged dozens of emails & PMs with cyclists interested in these bikes; and received lots of ideas
4 - designed and ordered 4 models of Monster Cross bikes 
5 - responded to posts and PMs requesting 'spy' photos on our future offerings in MC

My feeling is MonsterCross has the potentail to make lots of cyclists happy and offer versitility in one bike that is hard to get out of any other single bike

I am sorry some may feel that by posting on our future plans we are somehow not responding to "I Beg You, More MONSTERCROSS"; which just seems odd to me. But, we do not even have any Monster Cross bikes to sell yet and will not for months; maybe that is the issue.

After years on a post that is titled "I Beg You, More MONSTERCROSS" - I would think it would be good news if lots of suppliers posted what they are or might do in that area. I guess we can wait till later summer and see how many brands offer something in MC.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

So let me get this straight, by posting your plans to sell a drop bar 29er you have enhanced the Monstercross thread? Your doing nothing more than pimping product.


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## bikesdirect (Nov 7, 2006)

AZ.MTNS said:


> So let me get this straight, by posting your plans to sell a drop bar 29er you have enhanced the Monstercross thread? Your doing nothing more than pimping product.


Actually you have missed it - no need to 'pimp' the product; every unit that comes in will sell out as I am sure you know.

What I am doing besides responding to requests by other posters to see pictures & specs; is hoping that more brands will get involved. And I have encouraged them to. I personally would love to see 2012 MonsterCross from Trek, Fuji, Specialized, Giant, Felt, GT, Raleigh, or you name it.

I wish there were lots of pictures & specs on every monster cross being offered next model year right here to see.

{of course, I would also like to see pictures of new offereings in MiniVelo, SnowBikes, ClassicCity, and new steel stuff too - and about anything else that is a bike} My feeling is: the more the merrier and I like choices


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

bikesdirect said:


> Actually you have missed it - no need to 'pimp' the product; every unit that comes in will sell out as I am sure you know. Why on earth you think I "know" or even care for that matter is beyond me.
> 
> What I am doing besides responding to requests by other posters to see pictures & specs; is hoping that more brands will get involved. And I have encouraged them to. I personally would love to see 2012 MonsterCross from Trek, Fuji, Specialized, Giant, Felt, GT, Raleigh, or you name it. Yep, never miss an opportunity, right, wrong or indifferent.
> 
> ...


 As long as it involves more free advetising for you right?

The bottom line is that you have your own venue on this board to advertise your wares, it is the Bikes Direct, sorry , the Motobecane sub forum, yet you continue to use every opportunity and use the slimmest of excuses to pimp your bikes in otherwise spam free threads and then attempt to cloak it in the reasoning that it is on topic. Please pimp in the moto forum.


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## bikesdirect (Nov 7, 2006)

AZ.MTNS said:


> As long as it involves more free advetising for you right?
> 
> The bottom line is that you have your own venue on this board to advertise your wares, it is the Bikes Direct, sorry , the Motobecane sub forum, yet you continue to use every opportunity and use the slimmest of excuses to pimp your bikes in otherwise spam free threads and then attempt to clock it in the reasoning that it is on topic. Please pimp in the moto forum.


I often ask other management and design types in the bike industry to join in discussions here and other cycling forums. Most prefer not to; however, I think it would be good for everyone.

Your post is an excellent example of one of the reasons I get from others in the industry for not joining in. No one likes to be attacked in public; so most perfer to not show up. IMHO, this is not good for the cycling community.

I will repeat my feeling on this topic: Monster Cross should be explored and offered more by the industry AND I wish brand managers from all my competitors would visit and post opinions and new products on MTBR, RBR, and other public bike forums.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

AZ.MTNS said:


> Way to eff up a great thread BD.
> 
> Bad posted it out of principle, nothing more than spamming an otherwise great thread.


Also the fugliest drop bar 29er I have ever seen, if that is supposed to be a greed induced industry monster cross type bike, fire the designer, he missed it a mile.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

bikesdirect said:


> I often ask other management and design types in the bike industry to join in discussions here and other cycling forums. Most prefer not to; however, I think it would be good for everyone.


Some of them have more ethics and know that spamming here creates more ill will than it produces, good for them.


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## bikesdirect (Nov 7, 2006)

slocaus said:


> Some of them have more ethics and know that spamming here creates more ill will than it produces, good for them.


I think most see it as dangerous; which it maybe. Not due to the majority of members seeing product related posts as spam; but due to being opened up to attack.

After several years on cycling forums, I have seen far more posters that wish industry insiders would post on related forums than those who think there is an 'ethical problem' with cycling industry professionals posting on cycling forums.

If some member were not interested in new products that are coming out; you would not see posts like :
_Quote:
Originally Posted by floydlippencott
Spy pics of Monster Crosser and F/S 29er? _

When I saw that; I thought hmmm; maybe some posters want to see what's might be available in 2012 model year -- what was I thinking?


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## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

appleSSeed said:


> blah


Blah indeed.

That is the cheapest looking drop bar 29er spam I've ever seen.


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## UBUgoat (Sep 12, 2009)

back to the arena...or should i say to the parking lot? anyways, i would like to see a few monstercross/mutantcross products out there for those that want a ready-made or ready-to-mutate/modify...and that's fine. 

i do think the spirit of mX is DIY...and i am trying, tho i am sure i will have to go to my LBS for them to put on a chain and tension it right. no bling ride, but an experiment i'd rather fail at and come out wiser...but i think it'll work. photos sometime in the almost-near future.


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## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

UBUgoat said:


> i do think the spirit of mX is DIY...and i am trying, tho i am sure i will have to go to my LBS for them to put on a chain and tension it right. no bling ride, but an experiment i'd rather fail at and come out wiser...but i think it'll work. photos sometime in the almost-near future.


Why go to the LBS to install a chain and get tension working? If you don't learn now you'll have to go back every time the chain stretches a bit more.

It's simple, buy some tools and take the time to learn. Even if you were to break something, if it's on a cheap bike it's still worth the cost of the lesson.

I too am planning a build before long on a Traitor Crusade SS. Traitor say that the max tire size is a 38c - I have some Continental CountryRIDE's at home in 38c - but I'd like to run something fatter just for bragging rights. It doesn't seem as though anyone has pushed the limits on a Traitor yet so I really don't know what will fit. I feel like a pioneer lol.


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## UBUgoat (Sep 12, 2009)

jasevr4 said:


> Why go to the LBS to install a chain and get tension working? If you don't learn now you'll have to go back every time the chain stretches a bit more.
> 
> It's simple, buy some tools and take the time to learn. Even if you were to break something, if it's on a cheap bike it's still worth the cost of the lesson.
> 
> I too am planning a build before long on a Traitor Crusade SS. Traitor say that the max tire size is a 38c - I have some Continental CountryRIDE's at home in 38c - but I'd like to run something fatter just for bragging rights. It doesn't seem as though anyone has pushed the limits on a Traitor yet so I really don't know what will fit. I feel like a pioneer lol.


right on and yeah, sometimes i just want to blame 'time' but yer right

this old Schwinn Caliente medicine/monster/mutantcross bike already has an early 1990's 38 on the front...came on a Giant Innova...old tire actually raced cyclocross a couple races in 2009 when i just started, ha. still going strong. old caliper brakes on this boat anchor, but it was a blast to rip thru the hardback and mud so that's all that matters. plenty of clearance. but now, back to that chain. or lack of one.


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## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

UBUgoat said:


> right on and yeah, sometimes i just want to blame 'time' but yer right
> 
> this old Schwinn Caliente medicine/monster/mutantcross bike already has an early 1990's 38 on the front...came on a Giant Innova...old tire actually raced cyclocross a couple races in 2009 when i just started, ha. still going strong. old caliper brakes on this boat anchor, but it was a blast to rip thru the hardback and mud so that's all that matters. plenty of clearance. but now, back to that chain. or lack of one.


Sounds like the perfect bike to tinker on. Give everything a good clean and grease - you'll learn a lot pulling it apart and putting it back together!


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## RenoRacing (Aug 12, 2010)

Well in an attempt to get this thread back on track... Here's my contribution. I bought this bike for touring, but with no tours coming up anytime soon, I use it as my main commuter... Had some smaller slick tires on it but swapped them out in favor of some WTB Pathways. Love the look, and it's a blast to mob on! Woodchippers will be the next addition to this configuration...


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## UBUgoat (Sep 12, 2009)

funny, i JUST put on the same tires on my old steel Giant that i raced 'cross on...after a quick spin down a few rough alleys, i'm ready to try it out on some cobblestones, etc. tires are a little fatter than i expected. +1


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Road mode(38c), and a shot to show that I actually ride this thing.


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## Ash Andi (Jan 28, 2010)

Mr Pink57 said:


> Road mode(38c), and a shot to show that I actually ride this thing.


Nice! J and D bags and racks rock! I've owned some myself. It'll be cool to find some light tan bar tape to bring out the decals. :thumbsup:


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

RenoRacing said:


> Well in an attempt to get this thread back on track... Here's my contribution. I bought this bike for touring, but with no tours coming up anytime soon, I use it as my main commuter... Had some smaller slick tires on it but swapped them out in favor of some WTB Pathways. Love the look, and it's a blast to mob on! Woodchippers will be the next addition to this configuration...


I'm really liking the Sherpa!


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

Mr Pink57 said:


> Road mode(38c), and a shot to show that I actually ride this thing.


My pants just got a little tighter...GORGEOUS Fisticuff,I want one later this year or Spring '12 (depending on whether I can find/afford/build a Bander first) :thumbsup:


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

Why all the hate for BD MIke? If we had someone from Ibis, Santa Cruz or Niner here saying the same things BD MIke is saying everyone would be all ohh ahh, hanging on to every word, big puckered lips ready to ....


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Saddle Up said:


> Why all the hate for BD MIke? If we had someone from Ibis, Santa Cruz or Niner here saying the same things BD MIke is saying everyone would be all ohh ahh, hanging on to every word, big puckered lips ready to ....


I have to agree with you on this. Normally I like to stay out of this stuff. I have never bought a bike from BD or anything from BikeIsland but if he wants to introduce a monstercross bike in a monstercross thread that would be fine.

I am sure we would all be crapping ourselves if Singular introduced their Peregrine in here.

*@mijome07*
Jandd makes some pretty nice stuff at good prices and Terry over there is awesome to work with. He is just a regular guy who likes to be outdoors, he'll share stories with you if you keep him on the phone long enough lol.

*@longhaultrucker*
I get a lot of odd looks from other roadies when doing rides, they see a flared drop bar and kinda tilt their heads. I was lucky/unlucky enough to score one during their black Friday sale. Thanks for the kind words.


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## jmw (Feb 25, 2005)

it's cool to be a hater, or a hater of other haters.....whichever is more appropriate at the time.

whoever trademarked "monstercross" must be making a load of cash


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

I think that BD is getting flack in here due to pent up anger over their advertising program across all forums over the years. I think that he was on topic here, and I don't mind the post. However, I'm in the group that finds BD distasteful overall.


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## adjitridika (Dec 24, 2010)

well. this is mine, running kenda karma 29x1,9 on surly 1x1, it's running on 1x8
well you can call it monstercross, or just drop bar 29er i dont care...


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

*48t big ring*

Was thinking of swapping out my 44t for a 48t found a decent deal on a SLX chainring.

Anyone done this I would still have a 32t and a 22t small ring so I don't think range will be a problem in the dirt, I just feel slow on the road with a 44/11.


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

I'm in the process of putting together a new rig & I chose to go with a 38/36 up front & a 12-36 cassette. I feel that I'll have plenty of low end gearing for midwest singletrack & still have a tall enough gear for the road.


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## Ash Andi (Jan 28, 2010)

adjitridika said:


> well. this is mine, running kenda karma 29x1,9 on surly 1x1, it's running on 1x8
> well you can call it monstercross, or just drop bar 29er i dont care...


I'll call it 'chain drop'.


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## adjitridika (Dec 24, 2010)

what is chaindrop?


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

adjitridika said:


> what is chaindrop?


Because you don't have anything to keep the chain from falling off the chainring, the assumption is that you will lose the chain when you hit bumpy terrain or shift or both.


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

After years of playing around with monster cross type bikes, I've given up, and gone to using 29er frames.

I have a proper 29er for mtb riding and racing, but I wanted something capable on road and also light offroad use.



BAs on it at the moment, but it will get fitted with a mtb type slick once I've "run it in".

All my cross frame bikes have a limitation on how big a tyre fits. I have found when a larger section tyre is fitted to a cross frame, the clearance is minimal. The big advantage of the cx frames is the ability to take a big front ring which many mtb frames don't.

About the only change I'd make now is go up a size in frame because I don't need the same standover clearance, and it would be easier to carry on my shoulder.


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## adjitridika (Dec 24, 2010)

umarth said:


> Because you don't have anything to keep the chain from falling off the chainring, the assumption is that you will lose the chain when you hit bumpy terrain or shift or both.


aaah i see... yea i'm trying to search for chainguard, but i think i'll use an old FD to use it... or... anything you can recommend? or.... i just need a bashguard?


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

I'm using this, works great, weighs almost nothing and inexpensive . http://www.e13components.com/product_xcx.html


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Velobike said:


> All my cross frame bikes have a limitation on how big a tyre fits. I have found when a larger section tyre is fitted to a cross frame, the clearance is minimal.


That is the essence of true monster cross right there! You are limited by tire size and you are taking a bike with smaller tires than an mtb into rough terrain. Trail riding then becomes all about skill and picking lines, rather than huge knobby tires and long travel that makes your bike closer to a motorcycle without the motor than a bicycle, and requires less bike handling skills.

True monster cross is a grassroots simplification that goes back to the early days of riding a bike off pavement before mountain bikes existed. MOO - YMMV


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## Ash Andi (Jan 28, 2010)

adjitridika said:


> aaah i see... yea i'm trying to search for chainguard, but i think i'll use an old FD to use it... or... anything you can recommend? or.... i just need a bashguard?


umarth explained it perfectly. I had some good and inexpensive BBG bash guards on my 'cross bike. I ran 2 super-lites. Scroll down on the 1st page of customer pics to see my setup. It's on the bottom left side. Or not.


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## Sun Tzu (Jun 16, 2007)

appleSSeed said:


>


Hi! 
Wich it's the size of tire?
What model?
Thank!


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## appleSSeed (Dec 29, 2003)

^Bontrager 29-3 and it's a tight fit, but I have no rubbing yet.










Wheels are Salsa Delgados 3x to Chris King hubs via DT Comp spokes


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## SAWS (Sep 20, 2007)

Does a Salsa Vaya qualify as Monstercross? I think so - I looked for the right Monstercross frame for more than a year before choosing the Vaya. The new orange for 2011 sealed the deal for me. I have WTB Pathways on it - they measure 42mm on the Mavic A317 rims. There's room for bigger - up to about 47mm. That seems like solid Monstercross territory without spilling over into "Dropbar 29er" territory.

By the way, I love this bike. I have done almost no trail riding yet, but I've ridden quite a few miles of rough paved road, dirt road and gravel road. The bike is smooth and comfortable without feeling numb or slow steering. The Brooks saddle is a revelation, too.


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## Sun Tzu (Jun 16, 2007)

appleSSeed said:


> ^Bontrager 29-3 and it's a tight fit, but I have no rubbing yet.
> 
> Wheels are Salsa Delgados 3x to Chris King hubs via DT Comp spokes


Bontrager 29-3 2.0. OK! Thanks! 
I use Schwalbe Smart Sam in 40 mm (1.6"), but I'd like a tire more fat...and with more grip.
By the way, excellents wheels.



SAWS said:


> By the way, I love this bike.


I too!


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## sbaryenbruch (Jan 4, 2004)

*My contribution....*




























Frame - Tom Teesdale (tet cycles)
Fork - Tom Teesdale
Wheels - Sun Ringle Black Flag Pro
Stem/Post/Binder - Thomson
Headset/BB - Chris King
Bar - Salsa Woodchipper
Levers - SRAM Rival
Crankset - Wickworks carbon 46/36
Brake clips - Mowa Gold
Derailleurs - SRAM Rival
Brakes - Avid BB7 Road
Tires - Bontrager Jones XR 1.8's
Bar Tape - Planet Bike Cork/Gel
Pedals - Time ATAC
Saddle - WTB Rocket V
Weight as pictured - 23.00 lbs


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

adjitridika said:


> aaah i see... yea i'm trying to search for chainguard, but i think i'll use an old FD to use it... or... anything you can recommend? or.... i just need a bashguard?


Yo. Just saw this ****. My only 1x9 I have a a 34t chainring with a 38 on the outside and a n stop on the inside. Depending on how you ride, chain drop might be overrated. My girlfriend and my roommate are slow enough that they never lost their chains (though both are now riding with f. derailers now)

I use my 38t on my road only rides without an issue....


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## bikesdirect (Nov 7, 2006)

Some members are interested in 'spy' photos of monstercross bikes we are working

Some are not

If you are in the later group please do not click on this link to a Steel monstercross in the works that can be run multi or single speed 
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/images/monster_cross/

note; production monstercross will have panaracer fire cross 700x45c when we can get them


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

I think the frame on the steel bike looks far better than the aluminum version.


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## ee ay ess (Jan 24, 2008)

bikesdirect said:


> Some members are interested in 'spy' photos of monstercross bikes we are working


Spy photos of a Bikes Direct bike?!  I better notify Bikes Direct that someone is leaking their photos!

Other than that equivocation...looks like a decent build.


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## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

bikesdirect said:


> Some members are interested in 'spy' photos of monstercross bikes we are working
> 
> Some are not
> 
> ...


Mike looks pretty good. I'm not sure I'm a fan of the fork....ok..will admit I don't like the looks of it at all....but overall think you got a decent build. Plus the Panaracer FireCross 700x45c are really a great tire for a Monstercross. There are narrower 38c-42c tires with far less tread, but for overall use the Panaracer is my favorite with narrow/semi slicks for gravel and commuting focused builds. Looking good. Can't wait to test one when they are ready!


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

Not really a "Monster" Crosser yet with those skinny tires,but,uh...I kinda ran outta cash to swap on fatter tires,so I'll run these a little while. Still,my first ever CX/drop bar'd bike. My LBS dude is an AWESOME LBS dude,and made me a killer deal on it (Thanks B :thumbsup: )

2011 Origin 8 700CX :

































Haven't gotten to ride it yet (and will be out of town most of tomorrow,LOL!),other than a quick spin,but can't WAIT to get 'er dirty


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)




----------



## poppy (Jan 24, 2006)

*Steve Potts*


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

Love that Pott's..


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

Potts... makes me hot!


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## ianick (Jul 10, 2006)

sbaryenbruch said:


> Frame - Tom Teesdale (tet cycles)
> Fork - Tom Teesdale
> Wheels - Sun Ringle Black Flag Pro
> Stem/Post/Binder - Thomson
> ...


That's a great looking bike! I'm really digging the fork. What spec is the tubing? How was your experience with Tet?


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Skin walls.... the new white walls.
Added a Apex compact 50/34 with a Campy Veloce the tires are Panaracer Pesla's 35c an they ride smooth.









Tis the season.


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

Mr Pink57 - I like the seat bag. What is it?

sbaryenbruch - Your bike is pretty sweet.


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

...


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Elisdad said:


> Mr Pink57 - I like the seat bag. What is it?
> 
> sbaryenbruch - Your bike is pretty sweet.


http://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FTBII
Boom!


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

Cavernous.


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## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

DSC01810 by jcaino, on Flickr


DSC01806_b+w_2 by jcaino, on Flickr


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)




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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

ink1373 said:


>


Those don't look like 700c wheels.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

ink1373 said:


>


A drop bar 26er? *JIHAD!*.


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

...and it looks like it's fixed.


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

700c. Fixed mostly, but it's on the freewheel side at the moment. Spring time makes me want to coast for some reason.


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## appleSSeed (Dec 29, 2003)

That grey bike is sweet. Why kind is it?


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

I built it at UBI a few years back. The geometry is based off of my 62 crosscheck, but the project's mantra was definitely "What would Matt Chester do?"


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## Joe Nation (May 16, 2007)

ink1373 said:


> "What would Matt Chester do?"


The right thing, it would seem. Nice ride.


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## ~martini~ (Dec 20, 2003)

slocaus said:


> Those don't look like 700c wheels.


Its just that the bike is so damned big. Very cool. I dig it.


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## RenoRacing (Aug 12, 2010)

New Whip!!! In love with this rig!


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## sbaryenbruch (Jan 4, 2004)

ianick said:


> That's a great looking bike! I'm really digging the fork. What spec is the tubing? How was your experience with Tet?


The tubing is Ox Platinum. The five piece fork weighed 900grams on the nose before the steerer was cut which I thought was pretty impressive....rides really smooth to boot.

Teesdale was easy to work with just a lot slower than expected. Don't be in a rush. The price was pretty sweet considering he'll do pretty much whatever you want.


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

RenoRacing said:


> New Whip!!! In love with this rig!


Nice!, almost pulled the trigger myself on one, I just can't make the geometry work for my body size. Did you cut off the ends of the handlebar?


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## jvossman (Jan 12, 2004)

bikesdirect said:


> I often ask other management and design types in the bike industry to join in discussions here and other cycling forums. Most prefer not to; however, I think it would be good for everyone.
> 
> Your post is an excellent example of one of the reasons I get from others in the industry for not joining in. No one likes to be attacked in public; so most perfer to not show up. IMHO, this is not good for the cycling community.
> 
> I will repeat my feeling on this topic: Monster Cross should be explored and offered more by the industry AND I wish brand managers from all my competitors would visit and post opinions and new products on MTBR, RBR, and other public bike forums.


Hey Mike, in my opinion, its ok for bike manu's to post one time in the relevant thread " hey guys we're thinking about or doing a monstercross, here's a photo if you want to discuss then go over here" with a link wherever the ongoing discussion is. That would probably cut down on the hate email (but I know you don't mind it). As for the bike itself, it certainly doesn't look like any of the other monstercrossers. They seem to have a more traditional look and tube set. Yours looks more like a 29ers with drop bars. Anyway, just my opinion and with your business model you are more than likely to sell everyone you produce. Good luck!

EDIT- just saw your post where you did exactly that on the steel one, now that looks badass!


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## kaiser2 (Jul 27, 2008)

RenoRacing said:


> New Whip!!! In love with this rig!


That is LUSH!:thumbsup:


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## kaiser2 (Jul 27, 2008)

poppy said:


> View attachment 611232
> 
> 
> View attachment 611233


More info please almost my dream build!


----------



## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)




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## poppy (Jan 24, 2006)

kaiser2 said:


> More info please almost my dream build!


Sorry I missed your request,
View attachment 615406

View attachment 615407

View attachment 615408

View attachment 615409


The perfect bike, kind of do it all... , at the moment it is actually my road bike... and everything in between.
What you want to know ?


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

A friend of mine has been building this frame up for me and he worked late into the night on Saturday in order to get it finished enough to ride yesterday at the NCC/Half Acre Gravel Metric Century. The frame still needs braze ons and finishing work as well as a segmented fork to match the seat stays. I'm so stoked to have this and I'm looking forward to many miles on the rig.

You may call it a drop bar 29er, but I've been calling it a monstercross since before I found a builder for it.


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

Nice :thumbsup:


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## johnnypecans (Jan 5, 2009)

Elisdad said:


> You may call it a drop bar 29er, but I've been calling it a monstercross since before I found a builder for it.


Definitely a nice bike, and I'm not one for pedantics, but that's like me saying my bike is Michelle Obama because I've been calling it Michelle Obama since before I put it together...


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

For me the definition of a monstercross is a fat tired bike with drop bars. I know that others hold a much finer definition than that & that's fine by me. All I want to do is have fun riding my bikes & share the love with others.


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## adjitridika (Dec 24, 2010)

Elisdad said:


> A friend of mine has been building this frame up for me and he worked late into the night on Saturday in order to get it finished enough to ride yesterday at the NCC/Half Acre Gravel Metric Century. The frame still needs braze ons and finishing work as well as a segmented fork to match the seat stays. I'm so stoked to have this and I'm looking forward to many miles on the rig.
> 
> You may call it a drop bar 29er, but I've been calling it a monstercross since before I found a builder for it.


it looks like surly troll modified frame  oh is that surly 1x1 fork?


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

This is a custom frame with clearance for 29er tires. I'm using a 1x1 fork until the custom one is built. I also plan to run a double up front, but the cranks I bought wouldn't fit the frame. I'm running 1x10 for now.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

Elisdad said:


> This is a custom frame with clearance for 29er tires. I'm using a 1x1 fork until the custom one is built. I also plan to run a double up front, but the cranks I bought wouldn't fit the frame. I'm running 1x10 for now.


I know what to call it, beachin, just plain beachin. Can't wait to see it finished.


----------



## Dgtlbliss (Aug 21, 2008)

Nice ride. Who's the builder? :thumbsup:


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

A local guy. He builds great wheels too. :thumbsup:


----------



## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

*Thread Bump!!!*

No new pics to pawn over? Come on guys!


----------



## nelzbycks (Jun 3, 2011)

Hey newb here. First post. Joined because of this and other Surly related threads. I can't wait until I have something to contribute to this thread in the way of a complete bike. My starting point is an 06 cross check frameset that I scored on cl for $110. I stripped it and had it powdercoated orange and put a new set of decals on it. Pictures won't upload & I don't know why. And so it begins.


----------



## Evil Chocula (Jan 31, 2007)

nelzbycks said:


> Hey newb here. First post. Joined because of this and other Surly related threads. I can't wait until I have something to contribute to this thread in the way of a complete bike. My starting point is an 06 cross check frameset that I scored on cl for $110. I stripped it and had it powdercoated orange and put a new set of decals on it. Pictures won't upload & I don't know why. And so it begins.


Don't [email protected] this up.


----------



## UBUgoat (Sep 12, 2009)

Elisdad said:


> For me the definition of a monstercross is a fat tired bike with drop bars. I know that others hold a much finer definition than that & that's fine by me. All I want to do is have fun riding my bikes & share the love with others.


*+1*. i can appreciate the fine tuning, but it all counts out on the road. and rocks. fun is the bullseye to fat tire drop stylee:thumbsup:


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

Is this monstrous enough?


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## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

Velobike said:


> Is this monstrous enough?


That doesn't really seem to fit into your signature statement of "as little bike as possible", but all is forgiven because it's ****ing cool.


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

SSSasky said:


> That doesn't really seem to fit into your signature statement of "as little bike as possible", but all is forgiven because it's ****ing cool.


How about a shot of the back?


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

Velobike, that's freaking cool.


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

CS2 said:


> How about a shot of the back?


Here you are


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## aosty (Jan 7, 2004)

What handlebars are those? TIA



Velobike said:


> Here you are


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Velobike said:


> Here you are


Thanks, the attention to detail on that frame is amazing. Unless my old eyes missed it I didn't catch who made it.


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

CS2 said:


> Thanks, the attention to detail on that frame is amazing. Unless my old eyes missed it I didn't catch who made it.


There are no stickers on it. Unsponsored rider 

*Ragley TD-1* (UK company).

They sell 2 Ti frames. The TD-1 is the race frame, is rigid specific and has a steeper head angle.

The bars are *On-One Midges*

I haven't cut the steerer yet because I want to try different positions and bars. This bike is for 12/24 solo races so it's important to get it just right.

Most of the brake cable outers are aluminium tube instead of the usual cable outer. This is to remove as much cable compression as possible so that the cable brakes can get close to a hydraulic feel. Now the the only problem is the flex in the levers which get used harder than they do on the road. Shame no-one makes dropbar levers for mtbs.


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## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

Elisdad said:


>


Beautiful. :thumbsup:


----------



## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

Velobike said:


> Most of the brake cable outers are aluminium tube instead of the usual cable outer. This is to remove as much cable compression as possible so that the cable brakes can get close to a hydraulic feel. Now the the only problem is the flex in the levers which get used harder than they do on the road. Shame no-one makes dropbar levers for mtbs.


Hmmm. Was thinking about something like this.
Can you elaborate? 
Would love to do something on the Fargo and Pugs like this...


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Found this photo.


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## aosty (Jan 7, 2004)

Velobike said:


> The bars are *On-One Midges*


Ah thanks, I didn't realize they were now available in PIMP GOLD...:drumroll:


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

aosty said:


> Ah thanks, I didn't realize they were now available in PIMP GOLD...:drumroll:


And 31.8 as well as 25.4.


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

If they're available in pimp gold then I have found the perfect bar.


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## FishMan473 (Jan 2, 2003)

Velobike said:


> Most of the brake cable outers are aluminium tube instead of the usual cable outer. This is to remove as much cable compression as possible so that the cable brakes can get close to a hydraulic feel. Now the the only problem is the flex in the levers which get used harder than they do on the road. Shame no-one makes dropbar levers for mtbs.


Can you explain more what exactly these aluminum "cable outer"s are and where I can get me some? The brakes are the biggest weakness on my bike.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

FishMan473 said:


> Can you explain more what exactly these aluminum "cable outer"s are and where I can get me some? The brakes are the biggest weakness on my bike.


Avid Full Metal Jacket Brake Cable Set or make your own, but that is the concept.


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

They are simply small diameter alloy tubes bought from the local hardware store. Very much cheaper than the Avid FMJs (which I have on another bike)

The advantage of the alloy tubing is that it can be curved into shape.


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## maettu (Oct 10, 2005)

*Another Monstercross / Commuter*

My Baby...


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## ozbikebuddy (Mar 3, 2004)

*Maettu nice ride*

Maettu nice ride :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

Hi Maettu.... I have seen the Zaboo bikes in some of the races that I've done in Germany. They look quite nice. Anywhere that you know of that I can see them in a shop or are they Manufacturer Direct?


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## maettu (Oct 10, 2005)

1 Speed said:


> Hi Maettu.... I have seen the Zaboo bikes in some of the races that I've done in Germany. They look quite nice. Anywhere that you know of that I can see them in a shop or are they Manufacturer Direct?


Hey BWR Europe Teammate, nice to read you here...

Zaboo Bikes is a brand new 29er only bike brand from Switzerland. Currently there is no dealer network outside of Switzerland but you can check their website to see the different models and find the contact form to get in touch with Zaboo...

http://www.zaboobikes.com/

You should visit your BWR buddies (Jochen and Me) in Switzerland and make a Zaboo test ride!

Regards mat


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

Ah... Mr. Matt... didn't realize that was you. Unfortunately, I don't get to der Schwiez very often. Next time I do, I'll definitely let you know.

FYI - I saw one of your people (an attractive short brunette gal) at the City Bike Marathon in Munich and at least one or two of your Zaboo team people at the Tegernsee Marathon a couple of weeks ago. I thought that you might want to know that at least someone is noticing them.


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## evenslower (Sep 26, 2005)

Not sure this meets the most strict definition of monstercross but here's my take on the subject. 

It's a steel frame built by a friend of mine who jumped into frame building with both feet about 9 months ago or so. I told him I wanted frame #6 and had some specific ideas about where to go with it and here it is. It's mostly the result of riding a Kona Major Jake and GF Rig for a couple of years each and wanting to combine what I liked most about them both with some tweaks here and there. Builder had some suggestions that were incorporated and after riding it for about a month I'm really stoked. Custom is a somewhat daunting task, if you don't like the end product you pretty much have yourself to blame. 

Highlights are Black Cat dropouts with derailleur accommodations, suspension corrected geometry, can run top or bottom pull front derailleur with all cable routing under the top tube to keep it out of the muck, clearance for 2.1 tires, and mounts for three bottles. We only forgot to add the bottle opener :madman:

I'm probably going to run it as it sits for the summer before tackling a self-supported camping trip and a CX race or two set up as a SS this season.


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## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

evenslower said:


> Not sure this meets the most strict definition of monstercross but here's my take on the subject.
> 
> It's a steel frame built by a friend of mine who jumped into frame building with both feet about 9 months ago or so. I told him I wanted frame #6 and had some specific ideas about where to go with it and here it is. It's mostly the result of riding a Kona Major Jake and GF Rig for a couple of years each and wanting to combine what I liked most about them both with some tweaks here and there. Builder had some suggestions that were incorporated and after riding it for about a month I'm really stoked. Custom is a somewhat daunting task, if you don't like the end product you pretty much have yourself to blame.
> 
> ...


Beautiful bike man. I like it. :thumbsup:

Of course, in about 2 minutes, someone is going to complain that it's not a monster cross, but is in fact a 'drop bar 29er' ... 

For frame #6, it looks like your buddy did a great job. Where did he learn about building?


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## evenslower (Sep 26, 2005)

SSSasky said:


> Where did he learn about building?


He's a good welder/machinist to begin with and understands how to do research, let it soak, and apply what was learned. Not to mention he's been into cycling since a teenager.

I'll stop there since he's on the boards occasionally and I don't want to pump his ego up too much


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

evenslower said:


> Not sure this meets the most strict definition of monstercross but here's my take on the subject.
> 
> It's a steel frame built by a friend of mine who jumped into frame building with both feet about 9 months ago or so. I told him I wanted frame #6 and had some specific ideas about where to go with it and here it is. It's mostly the result of riding a Kona Major Jake and GF Rig for a couple of years each and wanting to combine what I liked most about them both with some tweaks here and there. Builder had some suggestions that were incorporated and after riding it for about a month I'm really stoked. Custom is a somewhat daunting task, if you don't like the end product you pretty much have yourself to blame.
> 
> ...


Mighty Sweet Bicycle!!!:thumbsup:


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## rasse1977 (May 16, 2008)

evenslower said:


> Not sure this meets the most strict definition of monstercross but here's my take on the subject.


Nice bike.

Can you tell me a little more about your setup - what bar are you using and what about the STI levers? Looks like an SLX rear mech and BB7 road brakes...?


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## ds3000 (Jan 12, 2010)

T-mu, that looks like a great ride


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## evenslower (Sep 26, 2005)

rasse1977 said:


> Nice bike.
> 
> Can you tell me a little more about your setup - what bar are you using and what about the STI levers? Looks like an SLX rear mech and BB7 road brakes...?


Correct on the rear mech and brakes. The STIs are 9sp Ultegras left over from when I upgraded my roadie to 10sp. The brakes are not quite as strong with the road levers as the BB7s on my Rig and SD7s but they definitely do the job. Bar is a Salsa Woodchipper and so far so good. I've got the hooks right about where I'd be grabbing onto a flat bar setup. Kind of puts the hoods a little higher than ideal but makes the drops comfy off road.


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## 251 (May 13, 2008)

I've been commuting to and from the trails and really chewing up the race tyres (32/30mm SpeedMax Pros) on my Gunnar Crosshairs. I bought a set of cheap 38/35mm WTB All Terrainasaurus tyres to use while not racing, which should be about 99% of the time.

I haven't ridden the WTBs yet, so this is more of an informational post about the fit. The frame and fork are an '01 Gunnar Crosshairs, 52cm. The 700x38 fits fine front and rear, I just chose to use a narrower 700x35 on the back as a matter of personal preference.









Crosshairs with 38/35mm tyres









700x38mm All Terrainasaurus









700x38mm Tread









700x38mm fit, front









700x35mm fit, rear


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

I have a pair of those I ran on my 29er for road/gravel last year,liked em pretty well :thumbsup:


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## nelzbycks (Jun 3, 2011)

Must


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## nelzbycks (Jun 3, 2011)

^^Sorry, That was me trying to get to 10 posts so I could post my starting point:


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## ericb49 (Aug 11, 2006)

The La Cruz as I am currently rocking it; tempted to bring it back to stock for sale and build a monster Vaya as I have seen 1.9 XR1s fit in the rear triangle without the trimming I needed to do for this setup - plus I would bump the frame size down 2cm.










On a ride around the lakes this Sunday with GH on his Fargo.


----------



## nelzbycks (Jun 3, 2011)

^^Sorry, That was me trying to get to 10 posts so I could post my starting point:


----------



## Borison (Mar 29, 2009)

Sorry if I missed it. What bars are you running on the La Cruz?


ericb49 said:


> The La Cruz as I am currently rocking it; tempted to bring it back to stock for sale and build a monster Vaya as I have seen 1.9 XR1s fit in the rear triangle without the trimming I needed to do for this setup - plus I would bump the frame size down 2cm.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

How did you fit that 2.2 Maxxis Ikon under your fork?


----------



## ericb49 (Aug 11, 2006)

Borison said:


> Sorry if I missed it. What bars are you running on the La Cruz?


WTB Dirt Drops


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## ericb49 (Aug 11, 2006)

GTscoob said:


> How did you fit that 2.2 Maxxis Ikon under your fork?


Fork is a Winwood Purist 26er that will fit a 29 x 2.3


----------



## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

*What's this? Action shots? Whoaaaa.....*

Hot ride at 90 degrees today. Decided to hit some of the new singletrack they're building in Pittsburgh on Mt Washington that will eventually be 19 miles of well-planned trails, courtesy of PTAG and volunteers

I have to apologize for my buddy on his Bridgestone XO-3, as it doesn't have drop bars. But it does have 700x35 tires, front disc, and flat bar with extensions. He delivers hoagies on it and hits singletrack on it, good enough for me. I'm running my Redline Conquest Classic - seen here with the new wheelset (TN719/XT) I got for my upcoming tour. Figured if they've been rock-solid on my 29er, that they'd serve me well on the Conquest. I'm running a WTB Pathway 38 up front, which is huge for its size and a Conti Contact 37 out back. Granted, it isn't the best for some fresh singletrack, but I made it work. Tire choice is mostly due to working out what I'm going to be taking across country this August. I'm riding to promote a startup non-profit. So, not to Spam or anything, but if you want to read more, or check up on our ride(going to be GPS tracking/live blogging), see our website - newhopchallenge.org

That's right, this Redline is going from Pittsburgh, PA to Sacramento, CA with a Bob Yak out back. So I'm kinda giving a rundown on tires to use - think I'm going to end up with Conti Top Contacts (40f/37r) along with the spare folding tire the offer. Don't worry, I also have a set of Ortlieb panniers to replace the foldout ones from my trunk.

Bah, enough rambling, on with the pictures.



__
https://flic.kr/p/5924677314



__
https://flic.kr/p/5924679228



__
https://flic.kr/p/5924683472



__
https://flic.kr/p/5924122803



__
https://flic.kr/p/5924125283



__
https://flic.kr/p/5924689658
by jcaino, on Flickr


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## Jnthomps08 (Mar 22, 2010)

Anyone planning on racing a monstercross this season? Im sure someone will, but I didnt know if anyone was building up a monstercross specifically for cross season coming up. Im thinking about building one to by my dedicated cx race bike instead of buying a proper 'cross bike.


----------



## Jnthomps08 (Mar 22, 2010)

Double stuffed!


----------



## alpinestar31 (Jun 23, 2011)

awesome monstercross pics guys. Id like to build one one day.


----------



## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

Jnthomps08 said:


> Anyone planning on racing a monstercross this season? Im sure someone will, but I didnt know if anyone was building up a monstercross specifically for cross season coming up. Im thinking about building one to by my dedicated cx race bike instead of buying a proper 'cross bike.


The value of this would depend on how much your local race organizers are sticklers for UCI regs. Generally MonsterX means big fat tires. UCI has dropped the cyclocross tire limit to 32mm, so fat tires will disqualify you from any race following the UCI regs.

You are, however, allowed to run discs now, and I don't believe there is any rule against heavily flared drop bars. So a monstercross bike with a set of race tires would be fine ...


----------



## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

fitted the Schwalbe Smart Sam 700 x 40s earlier today. Pumped them up to 70psi to "grow". Almost the same volume as the Continental Cyclocross 700 x 42s they replaced, though with more knobs resulting in slightly wider profile. Hope to hit the dirt soon. Riding around the street and the tires are quiet. Found a small gash on the sidewall of the rear tire though, not sure how that happened, but it didn't cut through the tire. Should still be OK.


----------



## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

*My Rawland Drakkar*

Just finally got it dialed in with the addition of a LD style stem from Joel @ Clockwork Bikes.

great for light pavement, gravel roads and mild single track which is all I use it for.


----------



## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

Dark pic and I'm not sure if it really counts. I guess it's monstercross by average, 26x2.4 up front and 700x35 in the back.

In commuter mode once first built:









I'm waiting for the 700x40 Kenda Happy Mediums, then I'll get a good monstercross pic of it.

A lot has changed in the setup since I first built it and right now I'm waiting for new wheels and Salsa Cowbell bars.


----------



## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Plenty of mud clearance. Camera battery was about dead so had to plug it into my computer to take the shot. What we will do for art.

08/08/2011 by travisboss at Garmin Connect - Details
08/08/2011 by travisboss at Garmin Connect - Details
Took it for a ride yesterday with great success.


----------



## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

jfkbike2 said:


> Just finally got it dialed in with the addition of a LD style stem from Joel @ Clockwork Bikes.
> 
> great for light pavement, gravel roads and mild single track which is all I use it for.


Nice! What size is your Drakkar?


----------



## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

Finally took the Wazoo out with the Smart Sams. Ride had everything in the mix = tarmac, dirt roads, mud, singletrack, ruts, mud, cobblestone-type roads, and more mud.










Quite impressed as to how the tires performed, so I'm considering getting a pair of em in 28 x 1.75. For another frame of course hehe


----------



## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

might get points subtracted as the 2011 Fargo is more 29r drop bar mountain bike, but here she is on day 2 of a ~230 mile trip:


----------



## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

agu said:


> Nice! What size is your Drakkar?


Large


----------



## marty_hd (Oct 26, 2005)

bmike said:


> might get points subtracted as the 2011 Fargo is more 29r drop bar mountain bike


Who cares? It is still a way cool bike.


----------



## rockhound (Dec 19, 2005)

GTscoob said:


> Dark pic and I'm not sure if it really counts. I guess it's monstercross by average, 26x2.4 up front and 700x35 in the back.
> 
> In commuter mode once first built:
> 
> ...


GTscoob,

Post as many pics as you can. I am thinking of getting a Soma DoubleCross Disc, but I think I want more room for tires in the rear triangle.

Have you tried a 26" mtb wheel and tire in back?


----------



## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

rockhound said:


> GTscoob,
> 
> Post as many pics as you can. I am thinking of getting a Soma DoubleCross Disc, but I think I want more room for tires in the rear triangle.
> 
> Have you tried a 26" mtb wheel and tire in back?


Nice, it's a pretty sweet frame, even if I had some manufacturing issues that I needed to take care of prior to assembly. Not many companies make 62cm disc brake cross bikes. Civia makes one but the frame costs way more and I didnt like their build spec for the complete.

What size 26" tires would you want to run in the rear? I'm about to put the bike back under the knife this week since I've got some burly 700C wheels for it now.

My only concern would be bottom bracket height running 26s front and rear, I've got 180mm cranks but have never had so many pedal strikes in my life.


----------



## rockhound (Dec 19, 2005)

GTscoob said:


> What size 26" tires would you want to run in the rear? I'm about to put the bike back under the knife this week since I've got some burly 700C wheels for it now.
> 
> My only concern would be bottom bracket height running 26s front and rear, I've got 180mm cranks but have never had so many pedal strikes in my life.


To be honest I had never considered running 26s in that frame until I saw your post. i'd prefer a cross frame that fit some meaty 700c (or skinny 29er tires), but if some 26x1.95 or 2.1s fit, I'd be happy.

(plus I'd run 170 or 172.5 cranks)


----------



## FishMan473 (Jan 2, 2003)

Jnthomps08 said:


> Anyone planning on racing a monstercross this season? Im sure someone will, but I didnt know if anyone was building up a monstercross specifically for cross season coming up. Im thinking about building one to by my dedicated cx race bike instead of buying a proper 'cross bike.


I know this reply is coming a bit late, but... That's what I did last fall. My MX is a way more versatile than a CX bike. I simply put the skinny CX tires on and drop the stem for racing, and then raise the bars back up for MTB use. I do dirt road rides mixed road/dirt rides on it... use it for 12-hour races on easier courses too. Just change the tires, it can do anything.

Go for it.


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

Try this again...

Not sure it this fits the thread but it has 700cx35 tires.


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

rockhound said:


> To be honest I had never considered running 26s in that frame until I saw your post. i'd prefer a cross frame that fit some meaty 700c (or skinny 29er tires), but if some 26x1.95 or 2.1s fit, I'd be happy.
> 
> (plus I'd run 170 or 172.5 cranks)


I think I've got a 2.1" Weirwolf and a 2.0 Larsen in the garage that I toss on the bike for a pic or two.

26x2.1 is just about the same diameter as a 700x25, so it'll drop your bike a good bit relative to 40-45c tires everyone else in this thread is running. As it sat, the 2.4" looked smaller than the 35c but I never measured it to see. 
Sheldon Brown's Cyclecomputer Calibration Chart


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

modifier said:


> Try this again...
> 
> Not sure it this fits the thread but it has 700cx35 tires.


Not sure it fits either. But it is nice.


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

CS2 said:


> Not sure it fits either. But it is nice.


Thanks. If I installed some dirt drops it would probably slide right in.


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## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

modifier said:


> Thanks. If I installed some dirt drops it would probably slide right in.


anorexic cross?


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## gbowen444 (Feb 14, 2008)

My idea of a monstercross bike.....









Haven't put bar tape on it yet obviously and think i will need a shorter stem, but it is monster even if it isn't very cross...


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## iamkeith (Feb 5, 2010)

jfkbike2 said:


> Just finally got it dialed in with the addition of a LD style stem from Joel @ Clockwork Bikes.
> 
> great for light pavement, gravel roads and mild single track which is all I use it for.


What's the foam tubing material you're using for grip on the drops? I'd like to get some of that and install it UNDER the tape. (Nice bike, by the way.)


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

Keep this thread going,guys,it's one of my favorites,especially now...a house fire a couple months back forced us to move,now that I'm no longer out in the sticks,I get to ride all over town on my Origin 8 CX'er,teeheehee! :thumbsup:


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

iamkeith said:


> What's the foam tubing material you're using for grip on the drops? I'd like to get some of that and install it UNDER the tape. (Nice bike, by the way.)


Thanks and the foam is ESI, ESI 100% Silicone Road Grips


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## cbchess (Dec 20, 2003)

+1 for ESI grips - I have them on everyone of my bikes.


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## JerryW (Nov 18, 2008)

Not mine, saw it on the Adventure Cycling blog. Co-motion Pangea:


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## FishMan473 (Jan 2, 2003)

JerryW said:


> Not mine, saw it on the Adventure Cycling blog. Co-motion Pangea:


Beautiful bike, but I'm going to call it a 26" touring bike.


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

FishMan473 said:


> Beautiful bike, but I'm going to call it a 26" touring bike.


Or just call it monstercross. Road geo, huge clearance... two things a monstercross should have. Not sure if 700c is even a huge part of the deal.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

its all in your mind


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## FishMan473 (Jan 2, 2003)

umarth said:


> Or just call it monstercross. Road geo, huge clearance... two things a monstercross should have. Not sure if 700c is even a huge part of the deal.


If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and is sold by the manufacturer as a duck, then its probably a duck:

Co-Motion Pangea

I'm pretty liberal with the term monstercross, my bike started out life as a 29er MTB after all, and "traditional diamond frames" regularly cause blunt trauma to my crotch.

_My_ definition of a monstercross bike is: a bike with tires ranging in size between those of a CX bike and a MTB, with drop or alt bars that is used for mixed terrain riding.

You can define it how you want, but that bike is a duck.


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

FishMan473 said:


> You can define it how you want, but that bike is a duck.


Don't be ridiculous, it's feet aren't even webbed.


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## Dr.Fun (May 20, 2011)

I've been riding this as my commuter for about the last year. It hasn't been until now that I've ventured into the world of monstercross by using larger tires. It's a Nashbar X frame built with a 105 triple (50/36/26) 10-speed (I have two cassettes:11-28, 11-34) drivetrain and XTR rear derailleur. The tires are WTB Pathway 700x38's and have clearance for 40's. Anything larger than that isn't likely to fit. The disc brakes are BB7's. I live in the Seattle-Tacoma area where it is hilly and rainy and combination of comfy tires and stopping power are awesome. 

I did, however, want something with a better feel. So, I recently purchased an Origin X CX700 4130 steel frame. Granted, this isn't a high end steel frame - as a matter of fact it's likely to be as cheap as can be found. I am 95% done with the build now and do think it feels a lot better than the Nashbar frame/fork combo. One of the big selling points for me on this was the capacity to run bigger tires - up to 29x2.1. I've tried 2.2's and the knobs rubbed the seat stays. If you nipped the knobs I'm sure you get them to fit. Larger = a return trip to wherever you bought your tires... for a return or exchange. I've got some 29x2.0 Schwalbe Marathon Supremes that should come in tomorrow.. Aside from being much heavier than the Nashbar, I'm excited about the versatility of the build. I'll post again when the build is done.

Until then, here are a few pics of the Nashbar build that also show tire clearance.


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

FishMan473 said:


> If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and is sold by the manufacturer as a duck, then its probably a duck:
> 
> Co-Motion Pangea
> 
> ...


You and slo need to read up on cross origins. The sport started in an organic manner. You can say "monstercross" and then base it off some strange UCI notion, but that is a modern reinterpretation, and one is certainly allowed to dredge their definition from that. But "monstercross" should be a bike that has road (ish) geometry, a level of practicality, and frame clearance. Don't care about the wheelsize, as I don't think it makes a huge difference on the bike itself.

I did enjoy both of you trying to put a hard definition into a bike that isn't actually defined.


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

umarth said:


> Don't care about the wheelsize, as I don't think it makes a huge difference on the bike itself.
> 
> I did enjoy both of you trying to put a hard definition into a bike that isn't actually defined.


This thread is in a forum based on the division of riders, not on their riding styles or favorite trails, but solely on the number printed on the side of a tire.

The fixed gear freestyle kids in my town get into the same arguments, saying a 26" FGFS bike isnt 'track' when their 700x45c FGFS rigs have as much in common with track bikes as a bmx bike.


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## Holmes (Jun 23, 2008)

This may or may not qualify as a true 'monster cross'. Voodoo Maji single speed frameset w/ Midge bars, 42/21 gearing. It'll fit tires up to 40c (currently running 35's on Delgado rims). I'd like to squeeze some 40c Kenda Happy Medium tires on it at some point. It's seeing some couch potato level racing this season and is great fun on smooth single track.


----------



## evilsjg (Jul 28, 2008)




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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

I like.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

elisdad said:


> i like.


+ 1


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Harp32Wil said:


> Did you run across my old pics? Here are some in case you didn't:


I see your image code but the pics aren't showing up for me.


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## erichwic (Mar 3, 2004)

Someone help me out....what is the point of monstercross?


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

Harp32Wil said:


> Did you run across my old pics? Here are some in case you didn't:


troll... move on nothing to see here.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

erichwic said:


> Someone help me out....what is the point of monstercross?


There is no point really. It's just another way to justify blowing our hard earned money. Then in a few years when the fad dies down, we"ll all strip our bikes and sell the parts on ebay to finance the next craze. See, that was easy wasn't it?


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

CS2 said:


> There is no point really. It's just another way to justify blowing our hard earned money. Then in a few years when the fad dies down, we"ll all strip our bikes and sell the parts on ebay to finance the next craze. See, that was easy wasn't it?


He was spamming with links to "make money fast" websites. Hit the triangle button and report them.


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

slocaus said:


> He was spamming with links to "make money fast" websites. Hit the triangle button and report them.


I know what he was doing. It was my lame attempt at humor.


----------



## kmancrx (Nov 15, 2009)

Origin 8 CX 700. Built as a single speed. 
O8 headset and stem
Race face bars
Cheap vuelta square taper cranks and cheap square taper BB
Velocity blunts on XT hubs
BB5s 180F 160R.
Tektro RL520 lever
38x16
SRAM PC1 chain
Origin8 cog
Nano 2.1 up front and Fango 32 rear. 
Rack is still on for commuting.

The ride is nice and stable. A bit heavy but it's a cheap steel frame and the wheelset is no featherweight by any means.

Flame on for my color choice. I like it.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

On-One Adventure Bike prototype.

Trail trim








Road trim







http://forums.mtbr.com/one/one-adventure-bike-update-740672.html


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## stoker (Sep 26, 2011)

Cool looking rigs ya'll. However I honestly don't understand the point of these bikes; Bike packing?


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

stoker said:


> I honestly don't understand the point of these bikes


Bike riding for fun.


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## kmancrx (Nov 15, 2009)

stoker said:


> Cool looking rigs ya'll. However I honestly don't understand the point of these bikes; Bike packing?


For me it's versatility. I commute on it. It can be geared or SS. Although I don't think I will put gears on it in the near or not so near future. I can take it out to the dirt greenway in the mud an slop an not have to worry about gunking up my fickle Campy drivetrain on my Redline. Plus the fat tires are fun. Disc brakes rock in the wet When I rode it at the local training race course it handled the single track stuff with much more confidence than my Redline (maybe I just need to learn to ride a bike)...I still love my RL though.


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## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

stoker said:


> Cool looking rigs ya'll. However I honestly don't understand the point of these bikes; Bike packing?


Point of them is they bridge a gap left between cyclocross and 29ers...with really more in common with cyclocross.

I've been a big fan of riding cross bikes for day to day riding. But 35mm is the limit on size on most cross bikes because for racing (damn you UCI) you can't use over 35mm (and now not over 32mm if using discs...which is dumb). Which is fine for racing...need rules and such. But for the rest of us? eh...

38c-45c tires which in the end is what really defines monstercross (sure someone will whine on that, but that's pretty much industry fact now). Such give you a bit more cush, bit more room for some knobs should you go offroad, ride in snow, go through sandy bits on trails, or ride gravel that you sometimes feel sketched out by on 35mm cross tires. It's a great all around bike for day to day use. Ultimate "one bike" for many. I have two sets of tires for mine so i can run 35c cross tires or the Panaracer FireCross 45c knobs (which rock for all around).

Bike packing is a whole 'nother area. Sure, could use a monstercross for such. But coul use a standard mountain bike or fat bike or a drop bar mountain bike too. Hell a cyclocross bike would be fine in some cases too. Granted, dropped bar mountain bike rigs like Salsa's ground breaking Fargo are set up specifically for it and probably ideal for such with their larger tires, bike packing specific design, and enough braze on's to mount just about anything to the bike make it perfect for such.


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

GTscoob said:


> This thread is in a forum based on the division of riders, not on their riding styles or favorite trails, but solely on the number printed on the side of a tire.
> 
> The fixed gear freestyle kids in my town get into the same arguments, saying a 26" FGFS bike isnt 'track' when their 700x45c FGFS rigs have as much in common with track bikes as a bmx bike.


Thanks, pointing out the obvious is brilliant.

It is the only on going Monstercross thread that I know of, so one would think that people passionate about monster cross would get stoked regardless. Or that you'd realize there are an awful lot of bikes posted on this thread that are not technically "29er" because their tires are too narrow, but it is ok to post them here. Really, we have a mtb biased cyclocross forum now, so why hasn't this been moved over there yet?

Why don't you go ***** about how seatpost discussion is not 29er specific.


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

shiggy said:


> On-One Adventure Bike prototype.


At some point I do want to check the bike out. We're both in Portland. Want to get beers sometime?


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## Surly in OZ (Aug 2, 2011)

Well having read through these pages I had to give it a try. You have to walk before you can run, so some 38c as a taster.

A fun ride, still fast enough on the road, and great on fire roads/smooth single track.

Made the Cross Check, if it was not already the go to bike in the shed


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

umarth said:


> At some point I do want to check the bike out. We're both in Portland. Want to get beers sometime?


Sure, PM me.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Surly in Oz, did the red hardware come stock or did you buy it? It looks great.


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## Surly in OZ (Aug 2, 2011)

CS2 said:


> Surly in Oz, did the red hardware come stock or did you buy it? It looks great.


Hi mate, those are standard Avid Ultimate Shorty s that I just added. Much improved braking over the stock brakes.

Regards.

Stephen.


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## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

Went for a little mixed-terrain ride this morning on my Vaya. Kinda Monstercrossy, so I'll post this here:

Mountain Bike Chuck: Friday Morning Ride Report: Urban Exploration


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

FKMTB07 said:


> Went for a little mixed-terrain ride this morning on my Vaya. Kinda Monstercrossy, so I'll post this here:
> 
> Mountain Bike Chuck: Friday Morning Ride Report: Urban Exploration


I really like your blog. That's a nice group of city photos too. If I tried that in Cleveland I'd probably get shot. Hope you don't mind me posting a pic of the bike. It's way too nice to have to click on a link to see.


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## rockhound (Dec 19, 2005)

evenslower said:


> Not sure this meets the most strict definition of monstercross but here's my take on the subject.
> 
> It's a steel frame built by a friend of mine who jumped into frame building with both feet about 9 months ago or so. I told him I wanted frame #6 and had some specific ideas about where to go with it and here it is. It's mostly the result of riding a Kona Major Jake and GF Rig for a couple of years each and wanting to combine what I liked most about them both with some tweaks here and there. Builder had some suggestions that were incorporated and after riding it for about a month I'm really stoked. Custom is a somewhat daunting task, if you don't like the end product you pretty much have yourself to blame.
> 
> ...


Looks like the Katy Trail to me...

Nice bike. Would you mind sharing the geometry numbers?


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## skankingbiker (Jan 15, 2010)

holmes said:


> this may or may not qualify as a true 'monster cross'. Voodoo maji single speed frameset w/ midge bars, 42/21 gearing. It'll fit tires up to 40c (currently running 35's on delgado rims). I'd like to squeeze some 40c kenda happy medium tires on it at some point. It's seeing some couch potato level racing this season and is great fun on smooth single track.


nice!!

What kind of brakes are those?


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## ParisLove (Oct 1, 2011)

The pink On One's do look pretty sweet.


----------



## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

Can anyone tell if a 40c tire will fit into an Easton EC..X carbon fork


----------



## midtnSS (Apr 26, 2004)

*Yep*



Saddle Up said:


> Can anyone tell if a 40c tire will fit into an Easton EC..X carbon fork


Ive got a 44 Bonty in mine and a 45 Fire Cross will fit, just have to deflate to clear the brakes


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## Holmes (Jun 23, 2008)

skankingbiker said:


> nice!!
> 
> What kind of brakes are those?


Those are Mafac Racer brakes pulled off an old Peugeot 10 speed, circa 1973, with Kool Stop salmon pads. Getting the toe-in just right is a pain, but once you have them adjusted properly they work very well, as good as any other rim brake I've used. If / when I wear them out I'll replace them with some Paul Racer's.


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

CS2 said:


> I know what he was doing. It was my lame attempt at humor.


I found it funny :thumbsup:


----------



## Sun Tzu (Jun 16, 2007)

Surly in OZ said:


> Well having read through these pages I had to give it a try. You have to walk before you can run, so some 38c as a taster.
> 
> A fun ride, still fast enough on the road, and great on fire roads/smooth single track.
> 
> Made the Cross Check, if it was not already the go to bike in the shed


Hi! About of Avid Shorty...the stopping performance is great? Is it worth the change?


----------



## SAWS (Sep 20, 2007)

FKMTB07 said:


> Went for a little mixed-terrain ride this morning on my Vaya. Kinda Monstercrossy, so I'll post this here:
> 
> Mountain Bike Chuck: Friday Morning Ride Report: Urban Exploration


I agree the Vaya is in the monstercross range. My long search for a monstercrosser ended with a Vaya purchase. It'll fit tires up to 47mm and it is by far the most comfortable bike I've owned for long rides. I use it for a lot of road riding, but there is frequently some dirt or gravel road thrown in. I kind of wish it would fit MTB sized tires, but then the compact double road crank I like so much wouldn't fit. All in all, I think it strikes the right balance. I couldn't be happier with mine.


----------



## motorbacon (Jun 17, 2010)

stoker said:


> However I honestly don't understand the point of these bikes;?


Epic mixed terrain rides


----------



## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

motorbacon said:


> epic mixed terrain rides


+1!


----------



## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

ericb49 said:


> The La Cruz as I am currently rocking it; tempted to bring it back to stock for sale and build a monster Vaya as I have seen 1.9 XR1s fit in the rear triangle without the trimming I needed to do for this setup - plus I would bump the frame size down 2cm.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


So it looks like the Winwood has a ton of tire clearance from what I can see. I was thinking of swapping my Fisty fork for something carbon, I can get a 2.2 RK in that fork do you think I could in this one?


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

*Here's my Rawland Drakkar*

Hope to get it dirty soon.

Swapped the wheels over from the VooDoo Wazoo, so that bike is taking a sabbatical for now.


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

That will look awesome dirty (looks great clean too)! :thumbsup: Nice


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## fire_strom (Sep 4, 2009)

Here's what I am working on. It started as a Swobo Filmore that I got for a song on bonktown. They only had the gigantic 60cm but I got it anyway. It was a little big and the headtube was too steep for my slack ass, and it had no soul. I got it to be a townie. So I bought a Pake c'mute frame, Surly Cross fork and 38/40 WTB tires, Avid V brakes, and swapped the good bits and replaced some of the other parts. The bar is a 56cm Soma Sparrow. 
It may not be a MonsterCross, but I started the build as a town bike so that wasn't the goal anyway. Though it was influenced by this thread. It is not finished yet, when it is done it will be even less pure MX and more Monster Cross Town Traffic Bike. It will jump more curbs than water bars and navigate over more stairs than rock gardens. I wonder how much pounding those Soma bars can take?
-Scott


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

I wouldnt really push it on those bars. Soma makes stuff for street cruisers not for abusive riding. Salsa might have something that could work for you, like their high sweep bars. 

Tighten your chain, your drivetrain will thank you later.


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

FWIW, the Origin8 bars seem to be pretty dependable. I know that some have had issues with them, but my experience has been good. I use the Gary bars, but they have a OnOne Mary knock-off that would probably work better for you than these Somas.


----------



## fire_strom (Sep 4, 2009)

GTscoob said:


> I wouldnt really push it on those bars. Soma makes stuff for street cruisers not for abusive riding. Salsa might have something that could work for you, like their high sweep bars.
> 
> Tighten your chain, your drivetrain will thank you later.


That, the headset and some other adjustments. There isn't even a star nut in there. It isn't ride ready yet.

I had the Origin8 SpaceBar II (MTB approved version) on the Filmore and tried them on the El Mariachi. They felt weird so I eBay'd them. Should have kept them.

No hurry it turns out; I just got off the phone with a Dr., the left calf pain from my Sunday evening OTB MTB'ing incident is a broken fibula. I'm out for a while.
S**T
-Scott


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

Yikes. Heal up quickly. Being off the bike sucks.


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## fire_strom (Sep 4, 2009)

Elisdad said:


> Yikes. Heal up quickly. Being off the bike sucks.


Thanks, it should turn out OK. I got one of the those walking boot things and since I am allowed to walk as pain allows I guess I could tool around the neighborhood on the MonsterCross'Muter. That will help preserve the sanity.
-Scott


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

fire_strom said:


> Thanks, it should turn out OK. I got one of the those walking boot things and since I am allowed to walk as pain allows I guess I could tool around the neighborhood on the MonsterCross'Muter. That will help preserve the sanity.
> -Scott


Stay off the stairs you mentioned earlier, and watch toe overlap.


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## Dr.Fun (May 20, 2011)

*Build Complete: Origin 8 700CX*

I posted a week or so back about a build I was completing. Here it is with the new tires (Kenda Small Block 8 29x2.1). FYI, the horizontal drop-outs are the only reason these tires fit. I had to slide them back a smidge to fit. Overall I'm happy with the bike. The frame is heavier than I wanted, but it's versatility is more positive than the weight is negative. I use it as my daily commuter. As winter nears, I thought I'd play around with a 180mm rotor up front. So far, with organic pads and BB7's the stopping power is great. The only real downside is that the frame is a bit too big. Might pick up a legitimate 29er frame to dial in the fit perfectly. For now and the near future this will be my new ride.

Thanks to all the previous posters for the info, insight, and pics. Your contributions helped me a great deal.:thumbsup:


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## Holmes (Jun 23, 2008)

Dr.Fun said:


> I posted a week or so back about a build I was completing. Here it is with the new tires (Kenda Small Block 8 29x2.1).


I like it.


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

As do I.


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

+3,I LOVE it! :thumbsup:

Looks killer with those fat tires on it. I'm still running the Ritchey 35mm on mine (which is pretty much rideen around town only since we moved here),but soon as we get the first white flakey stuff,I have a set of 38mm going on it 


















(and yes I know I need a lower rack,LOL )


----------



## mgersib (Apr 9, 2004)

stoker said:


> Cool looking rigs ya'll. However I honestly don't understand the point of these bikes; Bike packing?


LOL... They're great for jumping into the local Cat 1 'cross race and getting up the hackles of the traditionalists up! Or for cruising out on gravel to singletrack and back... You know, for riding. It's a bike.


----------



## iamkeith (Feb 5, 2010)

*Monstercross = Adventure Bike ?*

Here's another bike for the collection, and some random thoughts:



CS2 said:


> There is no point really. It's just another way to justify blowing our hard earned money. Then in a few years when the fad dies down, we"ll all strip our bikes and sell the parts on ebay to finance the next craze.


I disagree that these bikes will be a fad. In fact, I think they've been around longer than we realize. What's new is the sudden explosion in availablility of wide, knobby 700c tires (thanks to the 29er movement) and the many new off-road style drop bars, which have made the bikes so much better. And, of course, the quoining of the term "mostercross," which seems to capture the immagination so vividly. Before that, "adventure bike" was still the best descriptor.

As usual, Shiggy has his finger on the pulse:


shiggy said:


> On-One Adventure Bike prototype.


As does Salsa:








But check out this description of the "new" Hakkaluggi _cyclocross / adventure-bike_, from way back in the 1997 Ibis Catalog:








On that note... here's my newly-rebuilt 1998 Ibis Hakkaluggi:
- 58cm frame
- Custom Igleheart fork
- Bontrager 44c (1.75") XDX tires
- Salsa Woodchipper bars
- Middleburn 48/36/24 triple crank & 12-28 8spd cassette





























I can't wait to get out on it! Around here, dirt roads (unpaved state routes, old logging roads, ranch roads, forest service roads, etc.) out-mileage paved roads by about 1,000:1, and they're relatively car-free. A mountain bike always seemed like a slow, overkill way to explore them, and did nothing to build my bike handling skills. This is so much more elegant. Thanks to this thread for all the inspiration!


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

That IBIS is lust-worthy.


----------



## Holmes (Jun 23, 2008)

Elisdad said:


> That IBIS is lust-worthy.


:thumbsup:


----------



## fire_strom (Sep 4, 2009)

Closer to finished now. Drifted further from monstrosity and more towards coMMuter Cross.
Still untested but it should be fun once I can ride it.
Scott


----------



## rockhound (Dec 19, 2005)

longhaultrucker said:


> +3,I LOVE it! :thumbsup:
> 
> Looks killer with those fat tires on it. I'm still running the Ritchey 35mm on mine (which is pretty much rideen around town only since we moved here),but soon as we get the first white flakey stuff,I have a set of 38mm going on it
> 
> (and yes I know I need a lower rack,LOL )


What size frame is that?

If you don't mind me asking, how tall are you? Inseam?


----------



## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Whoa! That is beautiful.


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## mike5krnr (Sep 14, 2004)

My Rock Lobster 29er


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## Holmes (Jun 23, 2008)

mike5krnr said:


> My Rock Lobster 29er


Totally dig the color scheme, sweet bike. :thumbsup: Are you running Paul Thumbies / bar end shifters?


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## mike5krnr (Sep 14, 2004)

Holmes said:


> Totally dig the color scheme, sweet bike. :thumbsup: Are you running Paul Thumbies / bar end shifters?


Thanks, it was a Navy Blue frame before I had it stripped down and powder coated "Electric Lime". Yes , Paul Thumbies and I recently put a XTR rear derailleur on it to match the front. It is a blast to ride....


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

All three of them last three bikes...are drool inducers! :thumbsup:


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## 5titusguy (Jan 14, 2008)

*My pieced together Nakisi*

The true story behind this bike was that i had a XTR 950 rear hub, a Campy Record front hub just floating around. I needed to buy a couple replacement rims for the shop so I included a 32 for the rear and a 28 for the front. plenty of of spokes lying around so I built them up.... After I built them I started looking at Monstercross frames to put them on. Did a non serious search for several years on ebay and MTBR, then I saw the Nakisi and decided that was the one I wanted. Waited many months for it to come in at BTI, then I pulled the trigger.... I had a ton of fun putting this one together,,,, took me many trips down memory lane diggin through the old stuff.:thumbsup:
I'll add picts when MTBR will allow me too :madman:


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

That's one nice looking Ibis! 

Took the Rawland out today, though trail conditions were far from ideal...it still rocked.

Here are some dirty and dirtier pics...


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

cs2 said:


> There is no point really. It's just another way to justify blowing our hard earned money. Then in a few years when the fad dies down, we"ll all strip our bikes and sell the parts on ebay to finance the next craze.





iamkeith said:


> I disagree that these bikes will be a fad. In fact, I think they've been around longer than we realize


As usual somebody missed on my sense of satire.

All kidding aside, your Ibis is outstanding. One of the nicest bikes I've seen in this thread. I love vintage bikes.


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## iamkeith (Feb 5, 2010)

CS2 said:


> As usual somebody missed on my sense of satire.
> 
> All kidding aside, your Ibis is outstanding. One of the nicest bikes I've seen in this thread. I love vintage bikes.


Thanks!

I kind of knew your comment was tongue-in-cheek. I was trying to address the original question of "what's the point of monstercross" which has been perplexing me since someone posted it a couple of weeks ago and which you were responding to, as much as anything, . (These posts don't always end up in a sequence that flows as logically as you'd like.) This also explains my comment _below_ my pictures.

I took the bike on some technical single track for its first ride yesterday though, and it was a blast. It might make a better trail bike than a road bike after all. I honestly don't understand how someone COULDN'T get the point of a bike like this. Skinny road tires all of a sudden look comical to me.


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## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

I love this thread. I'm a noob and need 10 posts before I can post pictures of mine.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

brdpkns said:


> I love this thread. I'm a noob and need 10 posts before I can post pictures of mine.


I'm with you. I never get tired of this thread.


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## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

Okay, I just posted 10 times in the test forum so I could post a picture. (Or 4.)

Here's my new setup. 700x50. They're much muddier now.


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## nelzbycks (Jun 3, 2011)

brdpkns said:


> Okay, I just posted 10 times in the test forum so I could post a picture. (Or 4.)
> 
> Here's my new setup. 700x50. They're much muddier now.


Yeah! Fatties DO Fit Fine!


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

How did you fit those tires?


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## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

CS2 said:


> How did you fit those tires?


I pulled the chain tensioners (Err, dropout balancers... whatever they're called) completely out so I could get maximum clearance. Also did a tiny bit of creative trimming to the knobs on the side of the tires.

Still rubs a tiny bit, but nothing that would slow me down.

Now I've just got to keep the wheels perfectly true. :thumbsup:


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

brdpkns said:


> I pulled the chain tensioners (Err, dropout balancers... whatever they're called) completely out so I could get maximum clearance. Also did a tiny bit of creative trimming to the knobs on the side of the tires.
> 
> Still rubs a tiny bit, but nothing that would slow me down.
> 
> Now I've just got to keep the wheels perfectly true. :thumbsup:


Not just awesome...FRIGGIN' AWESOME!:thumbsup:


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## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

Very nice... what frame is that brdpkns?


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

gregnash said:


> Very nice... what frame is that brdpkns?


Hint 1: Top tube has "Cross Check".

Hint 2: @nelzbycks said "Yeah! Fatties DO Fit Fine!"

Betcha it is a Surly Cross Check! How much money you got in your pocket? After you get some new glasses, the rest is mine!


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## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

slocaus said:


> Hint 1: Top tube has "Cross Check".
> 
> Hint 2: @nelzbycks said "Yeah! Fatties DO Fit Fine!"
> 
> Betcha it is a Surly Cross Check! How much money you got in your pocket? After you get some new glasses, the rest is mine!


:thumbsup:


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## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

FKMTB07 said:


> Went for a little mixed-terrain ride this morning on my Vaya. Kinda Monstercrossy, so I'll post this here:
> 
> Mountain Bike Chuck: Friday Morning Ride Report: Urban Exploration


Another great in-town mixed-terrain ride. This time I took my regular cx bike (sorry!) but given how rough some of the gravel is on this route, my Vaya would have been a little more comfortable maybe.

Mountain Bike Chuck: Oh My Dam!


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## sonnylowe (Feb 14, 2008)

Man I am loving this post, so many great ideas. I've decided I need one of these. I plan to convert my Specialized Tricross, any chance someone knows what the largest size tire I could put on it? Is it as simply as measuring the clearance and getting a tire a bit smaller!?!?

Thanks...
Sonny


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## UBUgoat (Sep 12, 2009)

to avoid raking, i did this for kicks...just might stay this way awhile...may slap the gary bars on it, but not ready to switch out the brakes....already feels good from a quick spin, but not sure what climbing will be like... to 'purists' this probably isn't a 'mx' ride...perhaps for the bars (comfort/cruiser riser flipped upside down and reversed!) or the fact it's a 29er (technically, the tires say 700x55!). it's all about the ride...and today, this first ride on technical trails was about as revelatory as my first singlespeed experience. all is well...:thumbsup:


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## ds3000 (Jan 12, 2010)

Nat, I really like your bike.


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## evilsjg (Jul 28, 2008)

sonnylowe said:


> Man I am loving this post, so many great ideas. I've decided I need one of these. I plan to convert my Specialized Tricross, any chance someone knows what the largest size tire I could put on it? Is it as simply as measuring the clearance and getting a tire a bit smaller!?!?
> 
> Thanks...
> Sonny


Someone in another monstercross thread on this forum was running schwalbe smart sam's in 1.75" front and 1.6" rear on his tricross, the 1.75 was apparently too big to fit out back. Maybe that helps.

I'll note that just because it will fit, doesn't mean it will work well. When I had the 1.9 Kenda Karma's on my Gary Fisher Presidio I could flex the front wheel enough to get the tire to rub the fork.


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## sonnylowe (Feb 14, 2008)

evilsjg said:


> Someone in another monstercross thread on this forum was running schwalbe smart sam's in 1.75" front and 1.6" rear on his tricross, the 1.75 was apparently too big to fit out back. Maybe that helps.
> 
> I'll note that just because it will fit, doesn't mean it will work well. When I had the 1.9 Kenda Karma's on my Gary Fisher Presidio I could flex the front wheel enough to get the tire to rub the fork.


Thanks for the input, it is greatly appreciated!!!

Sonny


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## motorbacon (Jun 17, 2010)

Drop bar 29er is close enough.

Here's the old bike in failure mode. Freehub body failed..........and led to new bike. haha
Old..Hovered around 31 lbs. Heavy and older components. Frame only allowed 2.3's in the back and had to trim the knobs a bit.










New. Just around 27 lbs. Salsa fork literally weighs half of the iro 19 fork. haha. Lots of newer bits. This guy takes 2.4's without issue.


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## UBUgoat (Sep 12, 2009)

whatever doesn't fit the monstercross definition purity law, there's mutantcross


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## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

In it's element:


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

That Crosscheck is the awesome.


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## motorbacon (Jun 17, 2010)

Premium rushed this guy on Sunday night up a steep fire road (3.4miles and 2100') and bombed back down as I was short on time.

The thing is stiff. No flex compared to the old bike and with the carpet fiber post it's seriously comfy. Doing more fun stuff tonight after work.


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## appleSSeed (Dec 29, 2003)

I like your bike, but like you said, that's really just a mountain bike with drop bars.


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## escocia (Nov 14, 2010)

After reading this forum for a few months I finally decided to try SS because all the very positive comments.
I got a Kona Unit 2011 frame from US and the rest of the parts from Europe.
The first felling was great: more difficult than my geared bike but much nicer to ride.
Later I decided to change the bars and install a Midgle from On-One.
I am very happy with the final result. Is quite difficult to find a similar bike in Madrid, Spain.
Some photos of the bike the last time I took the bike:


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## sonnylowe (Feb 14, 2008)

escocia said:


> After reading this forum for a few months I finally decided to try SS because all the very positive comments.
> I got a Kona Unit 2011 frame from US and the rest of the parts from Europe.
> The first felling was great: more difficult than my geared bike but much nicer to ride.
> Later I decided to change the bars and install a Midgle from On-One.
> ...


Nice looking bike, and what a beautiful place to ride!!


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

escocia said:


> After reading this forum for a few months I finally decided to try SS because all the very positive comments.
> I got a Kona Unit 2011 frame from US and the rest of the parts from Europe.
> The first felling was great: more difficult than my geared bike but much nicer to ride.
> Later I decided to change the bars and install a Midgle from On-One.
> ...


Escocia.... nice bike! The Unit looks even better with the drop bars than it does with flats. Hmmmm. Might have to start looking for one. Too bad that you're on the other end of the mountains from me. I'm between Salzburg and Munich. We could go for a ride together.


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## fire_strom (Sep 4, 2009)

Update: I guess I'll stick with the Soma Sparrow for now. I will keep an eye out for something a little more robust but these bars should do for now.


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## appleSSeed (Dec 29, 2003)

Took the steed out on a 3 mile ride to the library


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## skankingbiker (Jan 15, 2010)

fire_strom said:


> Update: I guess I'll stick with the Soma Sparrow for now. I will keep an eye out for something a little more robust but these bars should do for now.


The sparrow is one of my favorite bars. Took me a while to set it up perfect though. My main position is the "hook" position. I use the ends when I want to sit up.


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## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

fire_strom said:


> Update: I guess I'll stick with the Soma Sparrow for now. I will keep an eye out for something a little more robust but these bars should do for now.


which sparrow is that?
their product page says only for MTB levers...


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Four years and 30 pages long. This is one of my favorite threads.


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## fire_strom (Sep 4, 2009)

skankingbiker said:


> The sparrow is one of my favorite bars. Took me a while to set it up perfect though. My main position is the "hook" position. I use the ends when I want to sit up.


Mine is upside down for that. There is no sit up option this way and the hook/hood zone is just ok in this configuration. The ends are in a great place though so I think it will be a fine place to be stuck.



bmike said:


> which sparrow is that?
> their product page says only for MTB levers...


The levers are a little outside their minimum clamp diameter on these bars. I expected to have to shim them but I just kept tightening and they snugged up eventually. MTB bars (and Sparrow)=22.2 mm, the levers said they could range from around 23.?-25ish mm. Over all the set up in comfortable but I didn't install barrel adjusters so I can't really dial in the brakes except with the cable clamp at the v-brake. The other issue with the set up is the v-brake pad doesn't clear the fork legs when I release the cable to remove the front wheel and the tire hangs up. I have to deflate the tire to get the wheels off. I should have gotten canti's.
Scott


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## fire_strom (Sep 4, 2009)

or canti pads in v-brakes? Would that work? Anyone know?
Scott
Edit:
I found these:
Kool Stop Cyclocross Linear Pads

Use a dual-compound pad
Threaded post
Looks like they might clear. I better do a search. I can't be the first one to run into this. I am pretty sure I read somewhere here that someone was having the same issue.


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Went for some singletrack yesterday. The bike behind mine is Volpe but with only 32c tires on it I am going to see if a 44c Mutano will fit in that frame to help the rider out on some long gravel grinds.

Have a nice gravel grind tonight, got the frame bag all loaded


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

Oh that's just friggin NICE!!! :thumbsup:


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## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

fire_strom said:


> Mine is upside down for that. There is no sit up option this way and the hook/hood zone is just ok in this configuration. The ends are in a great place though so I think it will be a fine place to be stuck.
> 
> The levers are a little outside their minimum clamp diameter on these bars. I expected to have to shim them but I just kept tightening and they snugged up eventually. MTB bars (and Sparrow)=22.2 mm, the levers said they could range from around 23.?-25ish mm. Over all the set up in comfortable but I didn't install barrel adjusters so I can't really dial in the brakes except with the cable clamp at the v-brake. The other issue with the set up is the v-brake pad doesn't clear the fork legs when I release the cable to remove the front wheel and the tire hangs up. I have to deflate the tire to get the wheels off. I should have gotten canti's.
> Scott


Thanks. On wood chippers now. I've always thought those would make a great offload drop bar.


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## fire_strom (Sep 4, 2009)

bmike said:


> Thanks. On wood chippers now. I've always thought those would make a great offload drop bar.


The choices for drop bars are a bit limited since I am stuck with the grip shift style shifter. The Sparrow isn't hardcore but it should suffice. Maybe I should start a sub-thread cataloging dropbars with 22.2 (MTB) diameters. There are lots of cruiser/townie bars but few that would take a pounding. The On-One SpaceBar2 OR, but is that a drop bar, even if it's upside down?
Scott


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## ironman13 (Aug 3, 2009)

bmike said:


> might get points subtracted as the 2011 fargo is more 29r drop bar mountain bike, but here she is on day 2 of a ~230 mile trip:


i love


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

longhaultrucker said:


> Oh that's just friggin NICE!!! :thumbsup:


Thank you verymucho Mr. Roboto.


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

Any time :thumbsup:


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

Firefly just dropped this bomb:



















Not monstercross by the definition but still pretty rad.


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## Holmes (Jun 23, 2008)

GTscoob said:


> Firefly just dropped this bomb:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Whoa, that is indeed pretty rad. What's that little knob / protrusion on the seat post?


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## Noahknoll (May 28, 2008)

Redline Monocog... Complete with handlebar moustache.


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## Holmes (Jun 23, 2008)

Noahknoll said:


> Redline Monocog... Complete with handlebar moustache.


Stay classy my friend. :thumbsup:


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## sonnylowe (Feb 14, 2008)

Holmes said:


> Whoa, that is indeed pretty rad. What's that little knob / protrusion on the seat post?


WOW that is Beautiful!!!

"Knob" - Looks like the seat post slides over the seat tube and that's the built in clamp...


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## fire_strom (Sep 4, 2009)

That screams for a new race genre, paved downhill giant slalom. Imagine the lean angle potential. 
Scott



GTscoob said:


> Firefly just dropped this bomb:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## kmancrx (Nov 15, 2009)

^^^ Thumb friction shifters on a boutique bike. C'mon guys at least go with bar ends.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

kmancrx said:


> ^^^ Thumb friction shifters on a boutique bike. C'mon guys at least go with bar ends.


It was a custom mix of new and NOS parts. Here's the blog link misterdangerpants


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## metrotuned (Dec 29, 2006)

Oh man, misterdangerpants has it so bad!


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

kmancrx said:


> ^^^ Thumb friction shifters on a boutique bike. C'mon guys at least go with bar ends.


Needs Paul thumbies. I said the same thing to a coworker, the bartop shifters make it look like a wonky commuter bike more than a purpose built monstercross bike.


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## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

The guy is obviously into vintage parts, hence the Deore shifters, cranks, etc. They look indexed to me, but I could be wrong. At the very least, they probably still work about as well as new barends (w/ or w/o thumbies).

It's a bizarre build. I'm sure no one else in the world would duplicate the same build. But at the same time, it's obviously a very carefully thought out build, and is probably exactly what the buyer wanted, not what internet nerds like us think is cool or right.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

GTscoob said:


> Needs Paul thumbies. I said the same thing to a coworker, the bartop shifters make it look like a wonky commuter bike more than a purpose built monstercross bike.


Man, you must be a youngster. Back in the day only men used thumbies.


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## ironman13 (Aug 3, 2009)

prettyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

Firefly is nice, but the silly low bar height makes me feel like they don't know what they're doing.


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## 251 (May 13, 2008)

ink1373 said:


> Firefly is nice, but the silly low bar height makes me feel like they don't know what they're doing.


Silly low? They look like a good height to me-- still functional without being trendy 'slammed'. If we're going to critique the Firefly, I think it looks great, but a level top tube would be an improvement.

This was taken after yesterday's cross race (35mm tyres). I ride the same saddle/bar height with 38mm tyres on the trails.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

251 said:


> Silly low? They look like a good height to me-- still functional without being trendy 'slammed'. If we're going to critique the Firefly, I think it looks great, but a level top tube would be an improvement.


Personally, I love the Firefly. The bars a non-issue other than they're a nice set of WTB bars. It's what the guy wanted and it seems that he got everything he wanted. Fan-freakin'-tastic! Don't we all wish we had that experience?

Is it just me or does everyone put their seats and bars in the positions that they want because that's what's comfortable to them? Maybe I missed the rule change here in Germany. I'm just sayin'..... Now, if you want to talk about riser bars and bar ends... we have something to complain about. 

It's a bit Monster Truck meets Cross Bike meets Road Bike and other than the wide slicks, what makes it not technically a Monster Cross? That one confused me.

Love the Gunnar! Are they still in business? They were/are a company that I've always found interesting but sadly, they fly way under the radar so most people don't even know of their existence (provided that they still have one). Are 38's the widest you can fit or is that just what you like?


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## 251 (May 13, 2008)

1 Speed said:


> Love the Gunnar! Are they still in business? They were/are a company that I've always found interesting but sadly, they fly way under the radar so most people don't even know of their existence (provided that they still have one). Are 38's the widest you can fit or is that just what you like?


Thanks, Gunnar/Waterford are definitely still around. The Gunnar Hyper-X is a disc-only CX frame that I've been eyeing. I got mine in the U.S. and I've not seen any other Gunnars or Waterfords here in Australia.

Gunnar spec the Crosshairs for '38mm plus fenders', and I think there's a lot of room to grow. I haven't tried anything larger than a 38mm, but I a 40mm tyre has a good chance in the front. A 38mm tyre is probably about as large as you can go in the back.


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## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

ink1373 said:


> Firefly is nice, but the silly low bar height makes me feel like they don't know what they're doing.


The fact that they have the bar top shifters also suggests that they may not plan on spending a ton of time in the drops. That, combined with the slick tires suggests the person may not plan on riding a ton of technical trails with it.

Whatever the case, it looks to me like they got exactly the bike they wanted. I'm sure the guys at Firefly can walk someone through bar height / fitting.


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## misterdangerpants (Oct 10, 2007)

First, this thread is my *favorite* on this site. It's the only one I check regularly. Lots of great bikes posted. Secondly, I don't want to derail this thread so will get to the point.

Thanks for all the kind words. This has been a project in the making for the past few years. I was greatly influenced by the drop bar mountain bikes of the late 1980s (1987 Bridgestone MB-1, 1989 Specialized Rock Combo) as more recently the Amaro Lollobrigida and a bike the Fast Boy Cycles Double-Dually-Dinglef$#%er.

As for a definition of what kind of bike it is, quite frankly, I can only say that it's a bike that will be ridden. A lot.

I like description from a Bike Rumor Firefly interview:

_"We've got a couple more things in the works, including a 'monster cross'. It's set up for disc brakes and larger tire diameters. The geometry splits road and mountain, so it's not exactly 'cross. Everything is custom though, so there's not going to really be a standard model for this category."_

Firefly also stated this up on their Twitter site:

_"Not exactly a mountain bike, definitely not a road bike. Definitely the future owner's dream bike."_

That pretty much sums it up.

Now for the questions and comments:



Holmes said:


> What's that little knob / protrusion on the seat post?


It's an integrated seat post (ISP).



illnacord said:


> Oh man, misterdangerpants has it so bad!


Indeed, I do!



GTscoob said:


> Needs Paul thumbies. I said the same thing to a coworker, the bartop shifters make it look like a wonky commuter bike more than a purpose built monstercross bike.


When I brought my parts bin to Firefly, I included both bar cons and the Shimano Deore thumb shifters. I wanted a backup with the bar cons in case the thumb shifters didn't work out. When I arrived at Firefly on Monday afternoon, Tyler had it about 50% built with the thumb shifters (no cables at that point) and they looked great and I was pretty excited they were going to work. Regarding Paul Thumbies, I've used them on my drop bar Ted Wojcik and they're great (my wife also has them on her Sweetpea), but the Shimano shifters are closer to the bars. In addition, they complemented the other NOS parts I had on the bike.



ink1373 said:


> &#8230;.but the silly low bar height makes me feel like they don't know what they're doing.


I beg to differ. Firefly knows exactly what they're doing. As do I. There was quite a bit of thought that went into this bike, both the geometry and design. This bike works for me. It most likely won't work for you, and that's perfectly fine with me.



251 said:


> If we're going to critique the Firefly, I think it looks great, but a level top tube would be an improvement.


I thought about a level top tube, but wanted some clearance. Damn my short legs and long torso!



SSSasky said:


> The guy is obviously into vintage parts, hence the Deore shifters, cranks, etc. They look indexed to me, but I could be wrong. At the very least, they probably still work about as well as new barends (w/ or w/o thumbies).
> 
> It's a bizarre build. I'm sure no one else in the world would duplicate the same build. But at the same time, it's obviously a very carefully thought out build, and is probably exactly what the buyer wanted, not what internet nerds like us think is cool or right.


I love parts from the early/mid-1990s. What I tried to do what get most of the bike to have North American made parts. It's easier to do this if you go back 15 - 20 years. Shifters are both index and friction.



1 Speed said:


> Personally, I love the Firefly. The bars a non-issue other than they're a nice set of WTB bars. It's what the guy wanted and it seems that he got everything he wanted. Fan-freakin'-tastic! Don't we all wish we had that experience?
> 
> Is it just me or does everyone put their seats and bars in the positions that they want because that's what's comfortable to them? Maybe I missed the rule change here in Germany. I'm just sayin'..... Now, if you want to talk about riser bars and bar ends... we have something to complain about.
> 
> It's a bit Monster Truck meets Cross Bike meets Road Bike and other than the wide slicks, what makes it not technically a Monster Cross? That one confused me.


Well said. I like you.



SSSasky said:


> The fact that they have the bar top shifters also suggests that they may not plan on spending a ton of time in the drops. That, combined with the slick tires suggests the person may not plan on riding a ton of technical trails with it.
> 
> Whatever the case, it looks to me like they got exactly the bike they wanted. I'm sure the guys at Firefly can walk someone through bar height / fitting.


You are correct. I spend very little time in the drops. Mostly on fast descents. This will be primarily used on pavement and gravel roads with a little rolling single track thrown in.

And yes it's exactly what I wanted.

That being said, here are some of my favorite shots of the beast:


















































































For those inquiring minds, here's the build list:

Frame, Stem, Integrated Seat Post: Firefly
Fork: Engin
Wheels: Chris King Hubs, DT Swiss Spokes, ENVE Rims
Quick Release: Cook Bros.Racing
Tires: Maxxis Hookworm 26x2.5
Pedals: Shimano XTR M970
Crankset: Cook Brothers Racing RSR w/Blackspire Super Pro Chainrings
Bottom Bracket: Kooka Titanium
Chain: SRAM
Rear Cogs: Shimano XTR M900 8-speed 12/28
Front & Rear Derailleurs: Precision Billet ProShift
Shifters: Shimano Deore Thumbshifters
Handlebars: WTB Dirt Drop
Headset: Chris King Titanium
Brakes: Avid BB7 Road
Brake levers: Cane Creek SCR-5C
Saddle: Sella Italia Flite
Serial #: FF044
Place of Origin: Boston, MA


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## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

I love those derailleurs!


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## theHIP (Jan 17, 2004)

*My humble contribution*

not really a monstercross by definition, but its my monster. been working on this since the spring when i got so busy that i had no bike time. my first ride was a race my bro in law does on family property in october. the ride was awesome! killed the tight singletrack. climbed nice. i have some small changes to make, but i am ecstatic so far...


----------



## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

atom29 said:


> At least you have a realistic geometry. A usable bike is worth more than a flashy bike with ridiculous geometry any day. This isn't the fixedgeargallery. This isn't a concept bike hypothetical never gonna ride like that thread. So sick of that Firefly.


Jealous much?


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## atom29 (Feb 6, 2010)

> My humble contribution


At least you have a realistic geometry. A usable bike is worth more than a flashy bike with ridiculous geometry any day. This isn't the fixedgeargallery. This isn't a concept bike hypothetical never gonna ride like that thread. So sick of that Firefly.


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## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

atom29 said:


> At least you have a realistic geometry. A usable bike is worth more than a flashy bike with ridiculous geometry any day. This isn't the fixedgeargallery. This isn't a concept bike hypothetical never gonna ride like that thread. So sick of that Firefly.


Wow. I hope this is at least a bit sarcastic. Chill out man - we're all here to look at cool bikes. You're definition of cool may not be exactly the same as someone else's, but you can still appreciate the bike.

And the owner of said Firefly has chipped in on the bar height issue, which is certainly well within normal bar height ranges. Beyond that, I'm not sure what is 'unrealistic' about the geometry.

I love utility bikes. It's all I ride. Bikes that are built for purpose and are well and truly used. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a little pr0n now and then.:thumbsup:


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

atom29 said:


> So sick of that Firefly.


I kind of like it.


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## nelzbycks (Jun 3, 2011)

^^me too!^^^


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

nelzbycks said:


> ^^me too!^^^


Mrdangerpants had something similar last year based on a retro MTB frame with newer parts. I drooled over that too.


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## N10S (Sep 27, 2004)

theHIP said:


> not really a monstercross by definition, but its my monster. been working on this since the spring when i got so busy that i had no bike time. my first ride was a race my bro in law does on family property in october. the ride was awesome! killed the tight singletrack. climbed nice. i have some small changes to make, but i am ecstatic so far...


This bike frame is like a Mantis X-Frame Valkyrie Monster-cross sort of creation eh? Nice work!!


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## atom29 (Feb 6, 2010)

> Jealous much?


Why would I say the opposite of what I think? I gave up ridiculous bikes long ago. At some point function is more important than fashion. I would rather have that Monocog a thousand times over instead of that retarded piece of titanium.


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## atom29 (Feb 6, 2010)

And quite spewing garbage to get 10,000 posts. That's pathetic. Post a real opinion.


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## fb71 (May 8, 2006)

It seems from the picture that you have the compact version of the Cane Creek levers. Is that because of a better fit with the Woodcheeper?

Thanks


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## mrkdone (Dec 30, 2008)

*Surly Cross Check with Disc Fork - Monstercross*

just to add and show some love to a pretty fun thread over the years. Added a Salsa La Cruz disc fork with BB7 road caliper. With 29x1.8 bontrager jones, there is minimal clearance. It rides fine on dirt, but would probably lock up in mud.

peace


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## appleSSeed (Dec 29, 2003)

very nice! was thinking of doing the same thing to my crosscheck


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

mrkdone said:


> just to add and show some love to a pretty fun thread over the years. Added a Salsa La Cruz disc fork with BB7 road caliper. With 29x1.8 bontrager jones, there is minimal clearance. It rides fine on dirt, but would probably lock up in mud.
> 
> peace


Is that custom paint? Can't recall seeing that color stock. I like it. Nice job.


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## mrkdone (Dec 30, 2008)

CS2 said:


> Is that custom paint? Can't recall seeing that color stock. I like it. Nice job.


Thanks.

not custom color, just an old cross check. this bike has been more the product of evolution than a plan. I posted on this thread before with an different version some years ago. I just wanted to show the disc front fork on a cross check showing tire clearance.


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

Did a remake on the old Schwinn and turned it into a gravel bike as the season is upon us. Yep that stem is pretty steep :thumbsup: but it is made for dirt drops. Have to see how it rides. 11/34 9 speed rear 30/44 double front.


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## atom29 (Feb 6, 2010)

>


Surly hasn't made such a nice color since. That and green bean. Not sure which came first.



>


Merriam Webster is looking for something to put next to their fugly definition. Do get in touch.


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## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

modifier said:


> Did a remake on the old Schwinn and turned it into a gravel bike as the season is upon us. Yep that stem is pretty steep :thumbsup: but it is made for dirt drops. Have to see how it rides. 11/34 9 speed rear 30/44 double front.


My eyes are bleeding.


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

@atom29

Is that a La Cruz fork? If so did it change much of the geo on the CC?


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## atom29 (Feb 6, 2010)

Sorry, that's not mine, forgot the quotes.


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## fb71 (May 8, 2006)

Noahknoll said:


> Redline Monocog... Complete with handlebar moustache.


Previously forgot the QUOTE

Noahknoll, how do you like your Woodchipper with the CC compact levers? Did you go with the compact version because of a better fit with the WC or because of hand size?

Thanks


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

Just picked up a pair of NOS 700x42 Maxxis Wormdrives.

Time to monstercross my Double Cross :cornut:


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

brdpkns said:


> My eyes are bleeding.


Ha :thumbsup:


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## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

modifier said:


> Ha :thumbsup:


That is *awesome*. Ride report? :thumbsup:


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

bobbotron said:


> That is *awesome*. Ride report? :thumbsup:


Thanks.

It's only up to 30 so far so I haven't talked myself into going for a proper ride yet but around the yard it feels good. I know that's summer weather for you guys way up north but for the midwest it's a lot more enjoyable if it's at least 40. It's sunny though so I think I'll have to force myself.


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## NEPMTBA (Apr 7, 2007)

So, thinking of doing up an Monstercross fixie, or MXF...

... would you be mad at me if I do so? Would I be within the rules? Are there any out there?

If ya say "hey" I will proceed...


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

Just got back from the ride. It was harder than I thought to find gravel. It's been quite a while since I did such a thing and when I did it last it was just a matter of going a few miles outside of the sprawl to find some. Now that sprawl goes on and on. I called around to some locals and no one had any idea of any close. So I loaded up and headed in a direction where I thought the black top might end. 17 miles later I found it, which isn't really too bad considering. Saw a guy working on his bridge and asked if I could park next to his driveway then headed off on the bike. 

I have been too busy to ride much at all for over a month and it showed, however this was pretty hilly. Up and down, up and down with almost no flat cruising. The bike worked flawlessly and I kept in the 44 ring. Shifting the rear derailleur was a bit tricky since those shifters were designed for 6 speeds not 9 speeds, plus no indexing, but no real issues. Hitting the fresh big gravel at full speed going down hills was scary but I stayed upright. I ran 60psi rear and 50 front. It rolled nice but I could probably get away with a bit less. The front end felt a bit light due to the long fork and short reach stem but nothing I could not compensate for and the added stability going down hills was welcome. I locked out the fork on longer climbs. 

I'm not a fan of road riding and gravel makes it a bit more interesting but it's still pretty blah compared to trails. But non the less it's a good workout and for the amount I'll be doing it this bike will serve the purpose well.


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

NEPMTBA said:


> So, thinking of doing up an Monstercross fixie, or MXF...
> 
> ... would you be mad at me if I do so? Would I be within the rules? Are there any out there?
> 
> If ya say "hey" I will proceed...


If there are any rules I think they are pretty vague. As I understand it the bike should be more laid back and stretched out than a cross bike and have 35c and wider 700c wheels. Drop bars of some kind might be a good idea. Fixed should not be a disqualifier.

Hey it's your bike..build away if that's what you want.

Here is a google link. If it works. monstercross - Google Search


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## Dgtlbliss (Aug 21, 2008)

NEPMTBA said:


> So, thinking of doing up an Monstercross fixie, or MXF...
> 
> ... would you be mad at me if I do so? Would I be within the rules? Are there any out there?
> 
> If ya say "hey" I will proceed...


Yes, they exist. Yes, I have one. Yes, they rule. No, it won't make you hipster.


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## jaydilinger (Oct 10, 2008)

My Co-Motion Divide


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

jaydilinger said:


> My Co-Motion Divide


Thanks for sharing.... that's really pretty. More pics?


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

1 Speed said:


> Thanks for sharing.... that's really pretty. More pics?


Agreed, from what little I can see it really is a nice bike.


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## turkish_sp (Nov 11, 2008)

After seeing Misterdangerpants' monstercross or rad bike, I decided to use my old Clark Kent F14 to put some kilometres on easy trails and road. Some good friends lend me parts to build a proto (road bar, shifters, disc wheels), and if I get used to the position on the bike, will buy BB7 brakes, Cane Creek levers and a wider bar.

I don't know if levers are well placed, that's the reason why it is _tape-less_:


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## thekrow4jc (Apr 2, 2006)

that's a fun looking build!


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## pedalmunky (Mar 14, 2007)

Pls more pics of the Co-Motion, Mr. Dilinger? Pretty please?

...oh. Just noticed your thread a bit further down the 29er page. Beautiful and burly bike. Kudos. I happen to work for a Co-Motion dealer and now you've got me thinking...


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## krott5333 (Aug 6, 2009)

iamkeith said:


>


possibly the sexiest bike I've ever laid eyes on


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

krott5333 said:


> possibly the sexiest bike I've ever laid eyes on


Possibly correct. That sure is nice.


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## poppy (Jan 24, 2006)

misterdangerpants said:


> First, this thread is my *favorite* on this site. It's the only one I check regularly. Lots of great bikes posted. Secondly, I don't want to derail this thread so will get to the point.
> 
> Thanks for all the kind words. This has been a project in the making for the past few years. I was greatly influenced by the drop bar mountain bikes of the late 1980s (1987 Bridgestone MB-1, 1989 Specialized Rock Combo) as more recently the Amaro Lollobrigida and a bike the Fast Boy Cycles Double-Dually-Dinglef$#%er.
> 
> ...


This on going thread have some of my all time favourite bikes and this one and this one is very much at the very top.
Very special, personal and thought out project and very, very well done.


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## iamkeith (Feb 5, 2010)

ericb49 said:


> The La Cruz as I am currently rocking it; tempted to bring it back to stock for sale and build a monster Vaya as I have seen 1.9 XR1s fit in the rear triangle without the trimming I needed to do for this setup - plus I would bump the frame size down 2cm.


Late reply to an old post here , but I just stumbled across this even-older Bikeman blog and thought it was an interesting option for you guys with La Cruz's, that would solve many of the problems @ericb49 mentions above.

It seems 2.0" 650b tires fit a bit better than 29/700c tires, _without_ having to swap the fork, and without changing the effective gearing, bottom bracket height, or the standover height!(Yea, I know this thread is in the "29er" forum, but what the hell.)

Salsa La Cruz, 650B Conversion

This obviously works because of the disk brakes, but could be an option for any bike with road calipers too, by using extended-reach side-pulls.


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## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

iamkeith said:


> Late reply to an old post here , but I just stumbled across this even-older Bikeman blog and thought it was an interesting option for you guys with La Cruz's, that would solve many of the problems @ericb49 mentions above.
> 
> It seems 2.0" 650b tires fit a bit better than 29/700c tires, _without_ having to swap the fork, and without changing the effective gearing, bottom bracket height, or the standover height!(Yea, I know this thread is in the "29er" forum, but what the hell.)
> 
> ...


Nice looking setup!


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## ericb49 (Aug 11, 2006)

iamkeith said:


> Late reply to an old post here , but I just stumbled across this even-older Bikeman blog and thought it was an interesting option for you guys with La Cruz's, that would solve many of the problems @ericb49 mentions above.
> 
> It seems 2.0" 650b tires fit a bit better than 29/700c tires, _without_ having to swap the fork, and without changing the effective gearing, bottom bracket height, or the standover height!(Yea, I know this thread is in the "29er" forum, but what the hell.)
> 
> This obviously works because of the disk brakes, but could be an option for any bike with road calipers too, by using extended-reach side-pulls.


I scored the La Cruz after seeing that setup on Bikeman as well, unfortunatly not all 650B 2.0 Quasi-Motos are created equal - I could not get XT hub Velocity Blunt 650B wheels (identical to BM setup) to fit in back with the current issue of those tires (I have tried three different 2.0s in back, the ones used must have been early issue with slightly smaller casing...). Of course those wheels fit my 2001 Titus Switchblade like a glove so that part has been good ;-)


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

ericb49 said:


> I scored the La Cruz after seeing that setup on Bikeman as well, unfortunatly not all 650B 2.0 Quasi-Motos are created equal - I could not get XT hub Velocity Blunt 650B wheels (identical to BM setup) to fit in back with the current issue of those tires (I have tried three different 2.0s in back, the ones used must have been early issue with slightly smaller casing...). Of course those wheels fit my 2001 Titus Switchblade like a glove so that part has been good ;-)


If the 2.0 Quasi's didn't work - I bet the 650b Panaracer Fire XC Pros would! They aren't as high volume or wide as the Quasi-motos. :thumbsup:

IRD Fire XC Pro (650b) at BicycleTires


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## ericb49 (Aug 11, 2006)

MMcG said:


> If the 2.0 Quasi's didn't work - I bet the 650b Panaracer Fire XC Pros would! They aren't as high volume or wide as the Quasi-motos. :thumbsup:
> 
> IRD Fire XC Pro (650b) at BicycleTires


Howdy McG! I dismissed the XCs since they are a 2.1 and just look knobbier, maybe I should hunt one down and try :thumbsup:


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## campaleches (Mar 23, 2009)

I've been toying with the idea of converting my bike into a monstercross from some time ago. It normally is on either 700c skinny tyres (as a roadish bike) or 650x42b Grand Bois Hetres (as a great "country road" or do-it-all bike).

This week I just tried a new setup and I wanted to present the bike here; from the last messages I have read, I think it could not be more timely. In case it helps: I tried 2.0" Quasi-Motos; they turned well on the workstand, but happened to rub a bit under load. So I also tried an IRD XC Pro in the back. Result? It rubbed... until I trimmed the side knobs; the casing is indeed narrower than the Quasi, and so far, so good. Grip feels ok, at least for my needs and tastes. A (very) sharp knife and some patience did the trick.


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## iamkeith (Feb 5, 2010)

campaleches said:


> I've been toying with the idea of converting my bike into a monstercross from some time ago... This week I just tried a new setup and I wanted to present the bike here...


That is one SWEET looking bike! More details, please!


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## ericb49 (Aug 11, 2006)

campaleches said:


> I've been toying with the idea of converting my bike into a monstercross from some time ago. It normally is on either 700c skinny tyres (as a roadish bike) or 650x42b Grand Bois Hetres (as a great "country road" or do-it-all bike).
> 
> This week I just tried a new setup and I wanted to present the bike here; from the last messages I have read, I think it could not be more timely. In case it helps: I tried 2.0" Quasi-Motos; they turned well on the workstand, but happened to rub a bit under load. So I also tried an IRD XC Pro in the back. Result? It rubbed... until I trimmed the side knobs; the casing is indeed narrower than the Quasi, and so far, so good. Grip feels ok, at least for my needs and tastes. A (very) sharp knife and some patience did the trick.


As you can maybe see I am no stranger to trimming - 29 x 1.9 XR1 stuffed in the rear...420 side knobs removed ;-)


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## hak (Dec 12, 2011)

iamkeith said:


> But check out this description of the "new" Hakkaluggi _cyclocross / adventure-bike_, from way back in the 1997 Ibis Catalog:
> View attachment 646587
> 
> 
> On that note... here's my newly-rebuilt 1998 Ibis Hakkaluggi:


Nice Lugi!

I found that Ibis Catalog clipping great, thanks. I used to have 5 bikes, 2 roadies (Klien crit bike, Perf.R006 cabron comfy racer) and 2 MTB 26"ers (Klien XC, and Ibis all day bike)... and my beloved 1997 Ibis Hakkalugi. I built this up originally for a 3 week cycle tour, with panniers, front bags, big camelback, sleeping bag, bivvy, the works.

But since my MTB bikes' chain stays were too short to allow me to pedal and not hit the panniers with my heels, and my Klein Quantum roadie would've been too brutal for 21 days straight in the saddle, and the R00 didn't have brazeons and even with clamps I wasn' sure how a clydesdale like me + gear would do on the carbon frame. So the "justification" for a new whip existed :thumbsup:

it was great on the trip and great all around. and as my life changed, I wrecked one road frame, sold another, and sold both 26" bikes, but I kept the 'lugi. It could do the "middle 80%" of the riding I wanted (or had time to) do. These things really can do a lot.

I worked at a shop at the time, even though we didn't carry Ibis, they were cool with me doing a custom request/build on a prodeal sheet. I asked for:

* braze-ons for racks, front and rear
* no 'hand-job' rear cable hanger since i knew i was going to use v-brakes
* blue (gangrene and black lung punniness aside)

in 1997, they used at least 2 brands of tubes in their builds, mine came with Tange Prestige for all but the chainstays, which were Columbus Metax Stainless. They leave/left the drive side chainstay naked to show it off.

I built this up with a XTR kit (except front hub which was XT) and it was like that until 2009 when, odd as it sounds, my XTR shift/brake ferrules were all nabbed - all 4 missing at the shift/brake pods. 2 LBSes over 6 months couldn't find the exact parts (?) so i put on XT brake/shifter combos to get me whole. It still has the same wheels i built up myself in 1997, mavic ma40's with 36 spokes, DT db 14/15 with alloy nips. blue of course . I finally broke a nipple this year and had it repalced, the wheels still hold true. Old school White Industry cranks and my go-to Frog pedals. Currently running 700x40 Ritchey TrailMix tires (I bought 2 pairs originally, this is my final pair). This thread has inspired me to order some 45-47 width tires, those are already on the way. Even with the 40's, I've ridden all kinds of smooth, rooty, tricky single track, it just takes some finesse, and fireroads and gravel are just fine. for my "oh, only paved" days, I have a set of drop-right-in old-school Cane Creek wheels that work great.

The Stem/Bar/Seatpost/Seat are newly changed (that's why it looks so clean  ) back issues have me using a flat bar vs. a traditional drop bar, so I apologize in advance for breaking the MC mold. enough typing, on with the pics:










matching color fork:









wide and comfy









classic badge, and plenty of room even with 700x40's on it now









made by..









a little moron









rear space and braze-ons









stainless stays, exposed. what state of the art drivetrain in 1997 looked like - and it's held up. Love the 36 spokers


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## misterdangerpants (Oct 10, 2007)

campaleches said:


> I've been toying with the idea of converting my bike into a monstercross from some time ago.


Nice Amaro! :thumbsup: My Firefly was heavily influenced by the Amaro Lollobrigida. Anyway, super nice rig you have there and quite versatile.


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## campaleches (Mar 23, 2009)

iamkeith said:


> That is one SWEET looking bike! More details, please!


Thanks! The frame is an Amaro custom Ti. The funny thing about this bike is that it actually is (was?) my road bike. When I first approached Aimar, from Amaro Bikes, I asked him for a road bike with medium or long reach brake calipers and clearance for fatter tyres (32-35c). When the CAD drawings were already done, however, I thought that disc brakes and 650b wheels could allow for even fatter tyres, and make an even more versatile rig. I was actually thinking of Grand Bois Hetre tyres. The good point about 650b wheels is that 650x42b tyres have exactly the same outer diameter than 700x23c. Thus, I can change wheels and use very different tyre sizes without any changes in bike geometry and without toe overlap. This is how the bike was born:










The ride was very nice, and what I found is that the bike was so much fun on the dirt! Offroad capabilities were quite better that I had expected, the main limits coming (IMO) from the Grand Bois tyres (very nice for everything but serious offroad riding) and the drop handlebar; so I started experimenting with different h-bars and ordered a Waltworks custom fork that could accomodate bigger tyres. This is a pic of the bike at some point along the process, fitted with moustache bars:










The problem is that I found Quasi-Moto tires fitted fine in the front (the fork was designed around them), but rubbed in the back when under load. So I ditched the monstercross project for some time, and kept on waiting for a narrower 650b knobbie (Pacenti Mini-Moto?). As time passed and I convinced myself that such a tire was not happening (not for now, at least), I checked the specs of the XC Pro and saw it might fit if I trimmed the side knobs, as the casing was a bit narrower than that of the Quasi.

Meanwhile, after trying out a porteur bar, a Nitto Moustache and a flipped Albatross, I decided to give a go to the On-One Midge., and so far I'm LOVING it.

... and that is pretty much how I got to monstercross, and how the bike gt to be what it is now. If you want any other details, just ask and I will be more than happy to help if I can.

BTW, I still keep the 700c wheels and skinny tires. Now they look a bit funny on the bike, but it still works great as a road bike.


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## campaleches (Mar 23, 2009)

misterdangerpants said:


> Nice Amaro! :thumbsup: My Firefly was heavily influenced by the Amaro Lollobrigida. Anyway, super nice rig you have there and quite versatile.


Thanks! I love your Firefly, too. It's one of the more personal and carefully-thought bikes I have ever seen. It may not be for everyone (I can see the point of some criticisms, even if I do not share them), but that's the point of going custom, I think. And the component selection is amazing (do have no idea how you could get all those NOS components)!

I had already noticed the resemblance with the Lollobrigida, and I am not the only one:

BicisClasicas • View topic - donde te había visto yo antes????

... as you can see, your bike doesn't leave anyone cold.

Slightly O-T, the Lollobrigida may seem a weird bike to be actually ridden (a fixie with track geometry and monster tires!!!), but it took part in the titan Desert, a 500 km. marathon race across Northern Africa:


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## Holmes (Jun 23, 2008)

hak said:


>


That is a *sweet* rig.


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## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

Trimming tires with a knife? You all are much more patient than me. I used a belt sander to file down my side knobs.


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

campaleches said:


>


 Love those 650b tires:thumbsup:


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## tburger (Apr 27, 2004)

Holmes said:


> That is a *sweet* rig.


+1 :thumbsup: Very, very nice Ibis!


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## BjornS (Feb 5, 2010)

*Niner in monster-commuter mode*

Proudly presenting my Niner EMD in commuter mode. It looks a bit monstercross-ish, but then I would have to replace the Reba with a carbon or steel fork right?

Well, as winter gives us cold and icy weather it will be used with these Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro (2.25") and the drop bar set up for a while.

Nice ride both for commuting and for frozen singletrack on the long way home

Bj.


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## CMu_dogtag (Mar 1, 2007)

*Phlegmish Hakkalugi*

Great Video! The classic Hakkalugi's are great looking bikes. This is a video of a guy getting it done on singletrack with a modern carbon Lugi.






Local trails ala cx from Andy Wardman on Vimeo.


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## campaleches (Mar 23, 2009)

ericb49 said:


> As you can maybe see I am no stranger to trimming - 29 x 1.9 XR1 stuffed in the rear...420 side knobs removed ;-)


Nice job! Certainly neater than mine. If you are not afraid of cutting off knobs, then I would say go for the XC Pro. If it still does not fit after trimming, or if you don't like it, I will happily buy it from you (not a lot of trimmed 650b tires in the market :thumbsup


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## ericb49 (Aug 11, 2006)

brdpkns said:


> Trimming tires with a knife? You all are much more patient than me. I used a belt sander to file down my side knobs.


A good friend recalls over coffee about how he and other Repack regulars would spend hours shaping the knobs on Carlisle and Uniroyal tires with x-acto blades...anything for the few extra tenths.

In my village we have a saying about patience.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
It is good to be patient ;-)


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## misterdangerpants (Oct 10, 2007)

hak said:


> stainless stays, exposed.


Fantastic Hakkalugi. You don't see too many bikes with Metax. Cool they kept some of the stainless stays exposed. Nice touch.



campaleches said:


> This is a pic of the bike at some point along the process, fitted with moustache bars:


Wow, the Grand Bois Hetres look wicked! Again, super bike and great job. :thumbsup:


----------



## Mr Cabletwitch (Apr 16, 2009)

Cross check with WTB Mutano Raptors in 44c. Rides awesome offroad, and I've ridden it 10ish miles on road to get to the trail and it worked decent. Doubletrack and gravel roads are really where it shines though.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)




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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

Odd. No front brake and such a short stem for a road bike.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

My bad, I'll rebuild it :lol:


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## ben_san (Jun 23, 2008)

*Monster*

This one's only half baked but this thread needs some fresh monster cross action. That's a 2.25" Panaracer Rampage squeezed in the front :eekster: Can't wait to get riding.


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

Hope you don't break a spoke.


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## ben_san (Jun 23, 2008)

umarth said:


> Hope you don't break a spoke.


I don't think I'll ever run a tire this big, this was just how the wheelset was setup for my hardtail. It's nice to know a 2" tire should give plenty of room...


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## hak (Dec 12, 2011)

ben_san said:


> This one's only half baked but this thread needs some fresh monster cross action. That's a 2.25" Panaracer Rampage squeezed in the front :eekster: Can't wait to get riding.


chances are, it'll rub when you're out of the saddle and pumpin... but here's to pushing the envelope!


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## WrecklessREX (Feb 25, 2011)

My voodoo nakisi.


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## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

CommuterBoy said:


>


Really? :madman::madman:


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Uhh, yeah. I'd love to have an e-fight about it actually. What's your problem? :lol:


----------



## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

CommuterBoy said:


> Uhh, yeah. I'd love to have an e-fight about it actually. What's your problem? :lol:


Not looking for an e-fight. I just don't understand how you could look at the other setups in this thread and think, "Hey, MY bike fits here too!"

It's nothing against your bike... but it would like me posting a carbon tri bike in a "loaded touring bikes" thread.


----------



## ~martini~ (Dec 20, 2003)

Dirt Rag pre-review of my Peregrine. Seems they like it so far!


----------



## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

brdpkns said:


> Not looking for an e-fight. I just don't understand how you could look at the other setups in this thread and think, "Hey, MY bike fits here too!"
> 
> It's nothing against your bike... but it would like me posting a carbon tri bike in a "loaded touring bikes" thread.


I guess this thread is the beginning of how the All-mountain hardtail thread got off course. People started posting bikes that are clearly XC bikes or entry level hardtails, not AM at all and now that thread is a crapshoot.

FWIW, if you were going to do a rear brake only singlespeed, coaster brake is the only way to go. :thumbsup:

Lets all stop, breathe, and continue posting monstercross bikes. Not drop bar 29ers. Not roadie singlespeeds.


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

My bad. I had forgotten the clearly defined and governing-body sanctioned perameters for this highly scientific niche of the cycling community. 

It's a cyclocross bike, by the way. And if those were 2 inch knobbies you know you'd all be touching yourselves :lol:


----------



## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

CommuterBoy said:


> It's a cyclocross bike, by the way. And if those were 2 inch knobbies you know you'd all be touching yourselves :lol:


Probably not. Ugly frame, ugly fork, ugly glowing spokes. Perfect for a commuter since ugly bikes last longer when locked up next to nice bikes.

http://forums.mtbr.com/commuting/post-your-commuter-photos-399153.html


----------



## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

some consider the fargo something other than monstercross. i like guitar ted's description:



> There are some aspects of this new Fargo that are very "road bike like", but not in a touring bike way. No- In a very racy, cyclo-cross bike way. Maybe it is the "ultimate monster-crosser".


which is how i ride mine. dirt, gravel, single track, exploring, etc. etc.
here she is wearing some spikey sneakers for winter.


fargo-tree by mbeganyi, on Flickr


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

GTscoob said:


> Probably not. Ugly frame, ugly fork, ugly glowing spokes. Perfect for a commuter since ugly bikes last longer when locked up next to nice bikes.
> 
> http://forums.mtbr.com/commuting/post-your-commuter-photos-399153.html


Well crap, it's not my commuter. I was going to stop contaminating this thread with my idiocy, but you had to go and call it ugly. Not monstercross...OK, I get that. Maybe not 'mountain-y' enough for some. My apologies. But calling it ugly is what a third grader does when the conversation just gets too advanced for their maturity level. A poor comeback for my obviously hysterical and witty 'touching yourself' comment.

Oh, and ... your mom. Neener neener.


----------



## fire_strom (Sep 4, 2009)

No, it is ugly.
-G


----------



## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

Cool story, bro.


----------



## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

ben_san said:


>


What is this beast?


----------



## hak (Dec 12, 2011)

fire_strom said:


> No, it is ugly.
> -G


call me crazy, but i like it. and the spoke glowie things, nothing wrong with them.... sometimes, when the weather turns and my rides go long (rides i chose to ride my Hakkalugi often have some pavement in them) i'm glad i have my own groovy reflective wheel stuff myself.

https://hakalugi.net/images/lugi/stainlessstays.jpg (link instead of image since it's a big image - reflective tape on the inside of my rims - yes adds rotational weight - yes people ask me if its worth it - yes it is)

no comment on the other stuff, i have no idea if gears are needed for the "monstercross class", etc. but a tall wheeled bike with wider tires is a fun ride either way.


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## ben_san (Jun 23, 2008)

jasevr4 said:


> What is this beast?


Custom fillet brazed frame by this guy. Here's a better shot unbuilt with the matching rack:


----------



## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

ben_san said:


> Custom fillet brazed frame by this guy. Here's a better shot unbuilt with the matching rack:


That is tasty, but well out of my price range!


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

ben_san said:


> Custom fillet brazed frame by this guy. Here's a better shot unbuilt with the matching rack:


WOW, the craftsmanship is simply outstanding. Please tell us the flat red paint is primer. That bike is way too nice for anything less than a full on custom paint job. Great bike enjoy.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

The Hunter... is lovely! Funny enough, contrary to CS2, the flat red is part of what makes it so cool. Of course, I'm a fan of the old hot rods and that's the way that they're purposely painted. In fact, flat black with red darts is how I'm having my new Retrotec done. By the way, he rack is sweet too. Nice stuff! Looking forward to seeing it built.

What is the whole Rep thing anyway? Weird how I have the same Rep. as the SPAMmer and I've been on this list for like 10 years. Maybe he gets more because he posts more. Me, I just get tired of the name calling and that's why I don't post more. Hmmmm.


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

1 Speed said:


> The Hunter... is lovely! Funny enough, contrary to CS2, the flat red is part of what makes it so cool. Of course, I'm a fan of the old hot rods and that's the way that they're purposely painted. In fact, flat black with red darts is how I'm having my new Retrotec done. By the way, he rack is sweet too. Nice stuff! Looking forward to seeing it built.
> 
> What is the whole Rep thing anyway? Weird how I have the same Rep. as the SPAMmer and I've been on this list for like 10 years. Maybe he gets more because he posts more. Me, I just get tired of the name calling and that's why I don't post more. Hmmmm.


Looks like I'm not the only one sitting in front of a computer at 3:00 AM


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

CS2 said:


> Looks like I'm not the only one sitting in front of a computer at 3:00 AM


CS2.... I'm cheating.... American living in Germany.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

1 Speed said:


> CS2.... I'm cheating.... American living in Germany.


Shame on me, I'm just an insomniac. I do like flat paint jobs on some bikes and cars. I'm 53 so I lived through the 70's muscle car era. I'm actually doing a bike for my son that we were toying with the idea of a flat black finish with either red or blue cables and trim.


----------



## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

CS2 said:


> WOW, the craftsmanship is simply outstanding. Please tell us the flat red paint is primer. That bike is way too nice for anything less than a full on custom paint job. Great bike enjoy.


I believe the flat red was a custom paint job.

I keep telling myself that my next bike is going to be flat black, flat blue, or flat red but it never ends up happening.


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## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

ok. 26in >


----------



## poppy (Jan 24, 2006)

this is one cool looking bike (the Hunter), this wheel look a little too tight, at least in the angle of the photo
:thumbsup:


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## ben_san (Jun 23, 2008)

1 Speed said:


> The Hunter... is lovely! Funny enough, contrary to CS2, the flat red is part of what makes it so cool. Of course, I'm a fan of the old hot rods and that's the way that they're purposely painted. In fact, flat black with red darts is how I'm having my new Retrotec done. By the way, he rack is sweet too. Nice stuff! Looking forward to seeing it built.
> 
> What is the whole Rep thing anyway? Weird how I have the same Rep. as the SPAMmer and I've been on this list for like 10 years. Maybe he gets more because he posts more. Me, I just get tired of the name calling and that's why I don't post more. Hmmmm.


Yep, you got it - definitely a rat rod inspired paint job. It's a wet matte clear coat over a red powder coat base. It really does look nice in real life. Rack is made by Pass & Stow and is really solid and well constucted.


----------



## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

CommuterBoy said:


>


I'd love to see that on some singletrack.


----------



## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

Finally got some crappy bike-in-the-kitchen photos of my Soma.

Frame: Soma Double Cross DC ver1, 62cm
Fork: Kona P2
Front cockpit: Thomson stem, Salsa Cowbell 2 bars, Lizard Skins Tape, Hudz hoods
Rear cockpit: Thomson post, WTB Devo saddle
Drivetrain: Sram Rival shifters, derailleurs, cranks (180mm), Salsa rings (38/45), Ultegra cassette (11-28)
Wheels: SLX 36H hubs laces to Velocity Chukker rims
Brakes: Avid BB7s, 160/160 SLX rotors
Tires: 700x42 Maxxis Wormdrive

In all fairness, the bike generally lives with 700x28s or 700x35s on it for commuting but the 700x42s are great in the dirt.

Upgrade path:
180mm compact Rival crank going on next week
Salsa Vaya fork - slightly taller w/ more rake so handling should not be affected, more ground clearance for long cranks


----------



## EMFC (Aug 22, 2004)

*Wider Rim?*

My CX bike will accommodate a 2.0 tire and I am currently running Mavic Aksium wheelset. Would it be better for me to have a wider rim for bigger tires or will these be just fine?


----------



## phil_rad (Dec 28, 2007)

My new Singular Gryphon. I first had a Rohloff mounted to it but that was no good. Had to eliminate 13 gears! ;-)

Gryphon1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Sorry, can't seem to get the picture directly on the post. anyways, here's the link.


----------



## BikeShopMonkey (Nov 18, 2010)

here ya go phil-rad.....


----------



## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

Niiiice :thumbsup:


----------



## fridrikh (Aug 20, 2010)

@Martini; love that peregrine, where did you get it?


----------



## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

GTscoob said:


> Finally got some crappy bike-in-the-kitchen photos of my Soma.
> 
> Frame: Soma Double Cross DC ver1, 62cm
> Fork: Kona P2
> ...


How does the front shift with those Salsa rings? They're not ramped/pinned, right?


----------



## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

FKMTB07 said:


> How does the front shift with those Salsa rings? They're not ramped/pinned, right?


It shifts OK. If I'm cranking too hard I cant upshift to the big ring as the chain just rubs against the ring without moving up and over the teeth and if I'm in the big ring and cranking the chain won't want to let go and downshift. They were kind of an impulse buy, $20 for both rings and they'd probably work great with friction shifters and a wider chain but the 10speed chain just doesnt mesh right for snappy shifts.

It's just taught me to be easy when shifting the front derailleur. It's my first bike with a front derailleur in over 5 years so I wasnt expecting much.

That being said, front shifting is part of why I'm swapping the crank out for a compact Rival. I want a little bigger of a big ring for the road riding and commuting I do on the bike and a little lower of a little ring for off-road use and want the ramps and pins for good shifting. I'd think the granny ring would be fine without ramps and pins but the the big ring definitely needs them.


----------



## turkish_sp (Nov 11, 2008)

I'm trying to find if I get used to its riding position, so I built this bike:









Now I'm riding a 29er front wheel and a 26" at the rear. Every time I go for a ride, I make some adjustments to dial the position.


----------



## kid_dynamite (Jan 20, 2008)




----------



## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

Ooo, hotness, kid dynamite.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

FKMTB07 said:


> Ooo, hotness, kid dynamite.


Times 1,000. What a nice bike.


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## kid_dynamite (Jan 20, 2008)

CS2 said:


> Times 1,000. What a nice bike.


Thanks guys! It's a custom Monster Bicycle Co. Ti Frame. I'm certainly happy on it. Here are a couple more shots...


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## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

kid_dynamite said:


> Thanks guys! It's a custom Monster Bicycle Co. Ti Frame. I'm certainly happy on it. Here are a couple more shots...


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

Monster Bike Co. contact info. please! Website preferably. She's got a perdy er, frame...... yeeeha!


----------



## kid_dynamite (Jan 20, 2008)

1 Speed said:


> Monster Bike Co. contact info. please! Website preferably. She's got a perdy er, frame...... yeeeha!


Monster Bicycle Co, Custom Titanium Bicycles-Home

I suppose in interest of full disclosure you should know I own the business. The frame as pictured with custom geometry is $1725. Feel free to contact me through the website for any details.


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## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

kid_dynamite said:


> Monster Bicycle Co, Custom Titanium Bicycles-Home
> 
> I suppose in interest of full disclosure you should know I own the business. The frame as pictured with custom geometry is $1725. Feel free to contact me through the website for any details.


Well as long as your put as much effort in your frame as you do your web UI design.

:nono: 

Just giving you a hard time. I'm a web designer, so I'm snobby about such things. Give me a MX setup and I'll give you a kick-ass site.


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## kid_dynamite (Jan 20, 2008)

brdpkns said:


> Well as long as your put as much effort in your frame as you do your web UI design.
> 
> :nono:
> 
> Just giving you a hard time. I'm a web designer, so I'm snobby about such things. Give me a MX setup and I'll give you a kick-ass site.


I know, I know! Baby steps....I don't know about "give", but I do know about steep discounts:thumbsup:


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## turkish_sp (Nov 11, 2008)

I think I'll build a proper monstercross after trying out this:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xKAB45Ah3XU/TxRT_TMunZI/AAAAAAAAHiI/syZuTlbFb2s/s640/2012-01-16%25252013.47.14.jpg[/IMG

96er


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

+1 rep for building a new Ti frame with V brakes!



kid_dynamite said:


> Thanks guys! It's a custom Monster Bicycle Co. Ti Frame. I'm certainly happy on it. Here are a couple more shots...


----------



## NastyButler (Jun 17, 2011)

kid_dynamite said:


> Thanks guys! It's a custom Monster Bicycle Co. Ti Frame. I'm certainly happy on it. Here are a couple more shots...


Wow! One sweet ride. Your guys obviously know how to build a good bike. What are the limits to the rubber you can squeeze in there?


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

turkish_sp said:


> I think I'll build a proper monstercross after trying out this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Tags help


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## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

nothing too special, but I just bought a set of 700x45s for my Cross Check. haven't ridden them yet due to the rain, but I'm excited to try them out on the local trails...










J.


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## Drew Diller (Jan 4, 2010)

I'd say I put more monster into this than I did cross. =P

I built it in my basement, except for the custom extra big Lefty clamps, those are from MendonCycleSmith. https://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/bamboo-2-build-log-757643.html










Basically a trouble I've encountered is that my shoulders scrunch up real bad on flat bars when I start to get fatigued.

More pics: Index of /random/bike/fat_bamboo_v2


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## fire_strom (Sep 4, 2009)

Wow


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## phil_rad (Dec 28, 2007)

Wow! Awesome! I'm all about renewable materials but how durable is the bamboo? 

That's what I call a monstercross! ;-)


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## Drew Diller (Jan 4, 2010)

Very durable. Same species that Boo Bicycles uses. _Dendrocalamus strictus_, or "iron bamboo". It carries a bit of a weight penalty compared to other bamboos but it is surprisingly tough. I have to put some serious muscle into it with a sledge or large hammer for breakage to happen.


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## phil_rad (Dec 28, 2007)

Very cool!


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## WrecklessREX (Feb 25, 2011)

Damn Drew, Who would have ever thought a bicycle could be so badass! (besides you)

Nice work!


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## sonnylowe (Feb 14, 2008)

Drew Diller said:


> I'd say I put more monster into this than I did cross. =P
> 
> I built it in my basement, except for the custom extra big Lefty clamps, those are from MendonCycleSmith. https://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/bamboo-2-build-log-757643.html
> 
> ...


I absolutely LOVE this bike...I want one!!!


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## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

Sweet zombie jebus drew, I love how it came out, well done! How do you find the ride?


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## Drew Diller (Jan 4, 2010)

sonnylowe - my ever itching day dream is to build customs. Lots of practice, refinement and testing needs to happen before I'll entrust my work to an unfamiliar person's personal health, ya know?

bobbotron - I'm focused on little nitpicks - the Alfine hub cable tension being one, it's sensitive - but so far so good! I'm really bummed that we had such a weird lack of snow here in Minnesota this year, the geometry changes I had in mind were to make a long bike that has weight more toward the front to keep the rear from punching down to much (a problem I had on my Pugsley despite it being an _awesome_ bike). So I didn't really get to evaluate that idea. I also need to get a shorter stem.

I guess I never really meant it to come out looking so outlandish. I just come from a software background and think "These are the things I want it to do, so I need ______" and eventually out comes a thing.

I want a fat bike that doesn't bounce quite so much up front, a hand position where I'm not so clumsy when bonking, I want to be able to put the bike away wet and not care (belt), etc. This bike came out of that. It's not quite "there" as I see it but it's a good step in the right direction.

The Lefty is really a means to an end. I didn't like certain aspects about Maverick forks for fat tires, and MendonCycleSmith simply made the Lefty setup *available*. Accessibility is an important thing. Before he started selling after market clamps, I had been considering what it would take to solve the problem myself.

I really do mean it that none of the bike is for shock value. As to "why" bamboo, I dunno, the first time I saw a bamboo bike I was all _WTF a bike made out of a plant, haha that's ridiculous... how much do you want for it?_


----------



## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

Drew Diller said:


> I'd say I put more monster into this than I did cross. =P
> 
> I built it in my basement, except for the custom extra big Lefty clamps, those are from MendonCycleSmith. https://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/bamboo-2-build-log-757643.html
> 
> ...


I love everything about this. I want to ride that. Internal gear & belt driven, too? Yes, please.


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## pedalmunky (Mar 14, 2007)

I love this bike. As little as three years ago none of us had any idea something like this could even exist. Amazing.


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## james-o (Nov 8, 2010)

Good work, that's a great project bike! )


----------



## emat (Oct 27, 2011)

Does anyone have any info the Rawland Drakkar for 2012? It's no longer listed on Rawland's website, so I'm wondering if it's been discontinued or just waiting to be updated.


----------



## rockhound (Dec 19, 2005)

fridrikh said:


> @Martini; love that peregrine, where did you get it?


He sells them.

I've wanted one for years, just have to find the scratch.


----------



## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

Drew, what are you using for a shifter?


----------



## Drew Diller (Jan 4, 2010)

jasevr4 said:


> Drew, what are you using for a shifter?


Versa Alfine-specific brifters.
link

Like any brifter, they are uncomfortably expensive.

Also going to try Jtek Alfine bar end shifters, to see which I like better. I kinda want to go this route for (1) simplicity, and (2) because I've had the pleasure of meeting Ryan and I'd like to support his business.

EDIT: I have been enjoying the **** out of this thread for a long time prior to posting in it


----------



## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

Stripped the fenders / racks off the Cross Check and put the knobbies on. I'm ready for the trails to dry out.


----------



## fb71 (May 8, 2006)

brdpkns said:


> Stripped the fenders / racks off the Cross Check and put the knobbies on. I'm ready for the trails to dry out.


What tires are those?


----------



## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

Look like Kenda Karma 1.9's


----------



## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

Yep! Karma 1.9


----------



## fb71 (May 8, 2006)

brdpkns said:


> Yep! Karma 1.9


Thanks.
Do they fit without modifications?


----------



## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

Drew Diller said:


> Versa Alfine-specific brifters.
> link
> 
> Like any brifter, they are uncomfortably expensive.
> ...


Yeah that's the same as what I will likely be running on my monstercross build ONE day.










I really like the idea of these, but the only option is to use a Jtek shifter on there, and I'm skeptical as to whether it would work or not. Still, I can dream!

retroshift | Mud Proof Shifting. Designed by Goats!


----------



## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

Here's an update on my Salsa Vaya, which is now the first single speed Vaya I've seen:

Went from this:










to this:










Then it got stripped of all the touring gear, rebuilt with Dura-Ace/Force parts, and ridden as a geared do-everything bike, and now here is in its current form, using a White Industries Eno Eccentric Disc hub and White Industries freewheel. Surly chainring and Tektro levers round out the setup. 39:17 gearing and a position on the eccentric such that the rotor still lines up with the caliper without any special adapters or modifications.


----------



## FreeRide91 (Mar 6, 2012)

*Awesome bamboo bike*

Def wanna try something like that out some day, love the lefty fork too!


----------



## BluesDawg (Apr 8, 2007)

emat said:


> Does anyone have any info the Rawland Drakkar for 2012? It's no longer listed on Rawland's website, so I'm wondering if it's been discontinued or just waiting to be updated.


There was a teaser on Rawland blog back in October about the Drakkar returning to the lineup. Hoping there will be some news coming soon. The Drakkar is one of the frames on my short list for the dream build dirt road / gravel grinder / adventure bikepacking bike I'm planning to build this summer. :thumbsup:


----------



## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

I was able to take the Surly out for 30 miles after work last night. I do love when the days get longer this time of year!


----------



## ericb49 (Aug 11, 2006)

Tried some new tires from Vee Rubber in the La Cruz.

V12 is a round profile 1.95 with tiny knobs, buzzed a bit but I loved the ride - when the 1.75 comes out this will be the ticket.
http://veerubberusa.com/bicycle/Bicycle.php?name=VRB-325 (Vee 12)&type=Power Series


















X-C-X has a hardpack center tread with some decent side knobs - should be good for path and gravel grinding.
http://veerubberusa.com/bicycle/Bicycle.php?name=VRB-323 (Vee X-C-X)&type=Performance Series


















Pic from last sunday's ride around the lakes on Mt Tam









Converted road triple to 39/24T with help from a Big Bash Guard.


----------



## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

brdpkns said:


> I was able to take the Surly out for 30 miles after work last night. I do love when the days get longer this time of year!


That looks great, nice build!


----------



## unsub1 (Oct 17, 2005)

Got fed up with the Rival kit and cantis and was looking for a better fit so I sold off the Traveler's Check and built up a Vaya with a drivetrain based on the Co-Motion adventure bikes. Just in time for Spring Break!


----------



## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

I post too much.

I'm visiting Tucson from Indiana and decided to bring my Cross Check along. Love the riding out here.


----------



## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

Gorgeous pic! :thumbsup:


----------



## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

brdpkns said:


> I post too much.


Then stop typing but keep posting pictures.


----------



## schnee (Oct 15, 2005)

Here's the bike that I made for myself at the Yamaguchi framebuilding course.










Those XRs are 42mm. The bike can fit plenty wider than that.


----------



## atom29 (Feb 6, 2010)

I love how that thing could also look like a fat road with 32s. That's a well though out design you have there.
Are those Velocity rims on Shimano hubs?


----------



## schnee (Oct 15, 2005)

Thank you!

I actually ride it roadie-style with another wheelset with 28c tires. It's fairly standard cross geometry (73/73) and perfectly neutral handling so it works well with both sets of rubber.

Yeah, Velocity Deep-V on Dura Ace. My road set is Kings to reflective Deep V.


----------



## jmmUT (Sep 15, 2008)

*Monstercrossy-ish*

My rendition of a monstercross. It's an all-rounder for gravel grinding, commuting, and mixed-terrain touring. Is a slack geo and low gear so not most ideal for crossy applications but it actually rides snappy and quick

Spot Brand Highline, Single speed (32:16) Bontrager Race SS wheelset, 29x1.9 Karma tires, Avid Juicy 3 hydro disc brakes, generic dirt drop bars, vintage Dia Compe pedals. Weighs in at just above 25 pounds.


----------



## fire_strom (Sep 4, 2009)

Yay Bread


----------



## justdaman (Jan 1, 2012)

I stumbled upon this thread late last year and have since lusted for a monster cross bike.
Unfortunately here in the Philippines, parts for this kind of build are hard to find. 
So i decided to have a monster cross frame made for me by a local builder and just have all the parts that are not available here shipped in. 
After 4 long months of waiting she's finally done. Here she is.


----------



## bravellir (Nov 24, 2008)

@justdaman Nice looking frame. Steel?? Hows the ride?


----------



## justdaman (Jan 1, 2012)

yup. rides great! a bit heavy though but all is good.


----------



## BluesDawg (Apr 8, 2007)

schnee said:


> Here's the bike that I made for myself at the Yamaguchi framebuilding course.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice! Looks like a fat tire Casseroll.


----------



## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

Been doing a bit of my local trails on my weenie-35mm tire'd Origin 8 lately...

















And loving it :thumbsup: Still planning to swap a Surly Cross Check frame underneath it's components this year if possible though


----------



## ProjectBomber (Jun 9, 2008)

*building a MX bike...*

Hey everyone, I stumbled upon this thread a few weeks ago. And like many I'm sure realized that what I'd been wanting to do to my old frame had been done by many before me. So now that I'm convinced it's a good idea I'm wondering what the likely hood of using most of the original parts from my '91 Marin would be. I right now have the bike set up as a commute bike with a big ring and the original 7speed shimano rear setup. The bike was originally equipped with shimano exage400 running gear with shimano sti's for mtb/hybrid.

Here's what I've got so far, but I would like more of a drop/dirt drop bar... of course I don't know what that does for my drivetrain situation.










that bar is the Origin8 city bar inverted which seems ok for the time being but moves my hands really close in the "drop" position.


----------



## kustomz (Jan 6, 2004)

*MonsterCross*

So way back in 2004 when I pounded on the chainstays with a hammer so I could fit 44 Mutano Raptors on my Jamis Coda, I was actually part of MonsterCross! Still have it and still ride it.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

kustomz said:


> So way back in 2004 when I pounded on the chainstays with a hammer so I could fit 44 Mutano Raptors on my Jamis Coda, I was actually part of MonsterCross! Still have it and still ride it.


Very nice bike.


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## TheRealKTrain (Jun 14, 2009)

Anyone ride the Gravity Zilla? I know it's cheaper than most of yalls taste, but it would be a beater/commuter bike for me. Thanks!


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

I've been wondering the same thing.


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## proline69 (Apr 14, 2009)

Drew Diller said:


> I'd say I put more monster into this than I did cross. =P
> 
> I built it in my basement, except for the custom extra big Lefty clamps, those are from MendonCycleSmith. https://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/bamboo-2-build-log-757643.html
> 
> ...


Wow - just beautiful.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

TheRealKTrain said:


> Anyone ride the Gravity Zilla? I know it's cheaper than most of yalls taste, but it would be a beater/commuter bike for me. Thanks!


BD has the complete bike on their site for a really good price. Unless you a big spare parts box it's probably cheaper to buy it complete. I like it's looks personally. Only problem is the Orange version isn't available as a frame only.


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## axcxnj (Jun 23, 2008)

TheRealKTrain said:


> Anyone ride the Gravity Zilla? I know it's cheaper than most of yalls taste, but it would be a beater/commuter bike for me. Thanks!


i picked up the XX with plans of setting it up for touring, paved and dirt road. it was really hard to find a better specced bike for the price. took it on some singletrack and it felt a little bit twitchy on the steeper downhills..but its not a mountainbike so who can expect it to handle one. but it was alot of fun to ride on the dirt roads. I threw on my MTB wheels/tires to check the frame clearance max and the fork fits a Continental Mountain King 2.2. the chainstays are what are limiting in the rear, but i think a low profile 2.0 29er tire should fit. I wish i had a few more tires to try out in the rear.


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## TheRealKTrain (Jun 14, 2009)

axcxnj said:


> i picked up the XX with plans of setting it up for touring, paved and dirt road. it was really hard to find a better specced bike for the price. took it on some singletrack and it felt a little bit twitchy on the steeper downhills..but its not a mountainbike so who can expect it to handle one. but it was alot of fun to ride on the dirt roads. I threw on my MTB wheels/tires to check the frame clearance max and the fork fits a Continental Mountain King 2.2. the chainstays are what are limiting in the rear, but i think a low profile 2.0 29er tire should fit. I wish i had a few more tires to try out in the rear.


Pics or it didn't happen!


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## axcxnj (Jun 23, 2008)

this is a fairly worn continental mountain king 2.2 in the gravity zilla fork.


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

How about some pics of the junk in the trunk?


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## axcxnj (Jun 23, 2008)

ask and you shall receive. this is a michelin XC 2.0 tire (i actually think it measures a little larger than the continental 2.2) in the rear. this tire rubs and is unrideable. i think a 1.75 would work nicely back here...or perhaps a small block 8 if they make one narrow enough


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

Rode some sections of the Atlanta Beltline two weeks ago and snapped some pics of my Double Cross wearing 700x42 NOS Wormdrives.

Also pictured is a closeup of the Salsa Vaya 50mm rake disc fork (normally specced on the smaller Vayas to help with toe overlap). The Vaya fork replaced my old Kona P2 because I wanted more ground clearance for 180mm cranks; it's about 12mm taller and has 5mm more rake. Slacked the bike out to 71/71 SA/HA but the increased rake means that steering geometry is unchanged. I did have to throw a longer stem on and slide the saddle forward a bit to shift weight forward with the taller front end.


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## mike5krnr (Sep 14, 2004)

^ ^ Nice Bike! ^ ^


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

mike5krnr said:


> ^ ^ Nice Bike! ^ ^


Thanks bud, she's my commuter M-F and light duty trail rider on the weekend.

I think I put the specs out a while back when I first built her but here they are again:
Frame- 62cm Soma Double Cross DC, gen 1
Fork - Salsa Vaya 700C 50mm rake
Drivetrain - SRAM Rival shifters/ders/compact crank. Ultegra 11-28 cassette, Wippermann chain
Wheels - Velocity Chukkers laced to Shimano SLX hubs
Brakes - Road BB7s with SLX rotors
Cockpit - Thomson bar and stem, Salsa Cowbell 2 bars.

That WTB Devo CF/Ti saddle gave up the ghost on the trail that day and has been removed since it started creaking on every pedal revolution. Gotta find another red saddle now.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

GTscoob said:


> That WTB Devo CF/Ti saddle gave up the ghost on the trail that day and has been removed since it started creaking on every pedal revolution. Gotta find another red saddle now.


Notorious WTB saddle issue. Put a drop or two of triflow in the plastic base where the metal rails insert.


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

slocaus said:


> Notorious WTB saddle issue. Put a drop or two of triflow in the plastic base where the metal rails insert.


Nice! I'll try that when I've got a quick minute.


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## NoWay Ray (Mar 19, 2004)

GTscoob said:


> Rode some sections of the Atlanta Beltline two weeks ago and snapped some pics of my Double Cross wearing 700x42 NOS Wormdrives.
> 
> Also pictured is a closeup of the Salsa Vaya 50mm rake disc fork (normally specced on the smaller Vayas to help with toe overlap). The Vaya fork replaced my old Kona P2 because I wanted more ground clearance for 180mm cranks; it's about 12mm taller and has 5mm more rake. Slacked the bike out to 71/71 SA/HA but the increased rake means that steering geometry is unchanged. I did have to throw a longer stem on and slide the saddle forward a bit to shift weight forward with the taller front end.


Really nice bike, I also have a 62cm DC, how's the clearance with those tyres, I'm only running 32's on mine at this time.


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## misterdangerpants (Oct 10, 2007)

brdpkns said:


> I post too much.


Nice bike though! :thumbsup:

Here's mine with some new shoes.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

misterdangerpants said:


> Nice bike though! :thumbsup:
> 
> Here's mine with some new shoes.


Sweet! That thing practically oozes sexy, dirty fun!


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

NoWay Ray said:


> Really nice bike, I also have a 62cm DC, how's the clearance with those tyres, I'm only running 32's on mine at this time.


Clearance is really good with the 42s but I dont think I could go any wider out back. The seatstays are the choke point on these frames. I'm pretty sure I could fit a small 29er tire up front, Vaya fork has a ton of clearance.

I've got commuter tires back on it but might throw the 42s back on for an urban cyclocross race on Sunday and can get a picture for you.


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## BluesDawg (Apr 8, 2007)

I have just ordered a Monster Cross frameset from Black Mountain Cycles. It should be here in about a week. I'm still trying to decide what tires to put on it. I want to come pretty close to the 48mm capacity and want tires good for about a 45/45/10 mix of paved road/dirt road/mild singletrack.


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## ironacct (Jan 2, 2012)

Nice ride!


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## Vecsus (Apr 17, 2004)

Just joined the monstercross crowd. I call this my Mutant. I re-purposed my Waltworks into a bike-packing/gravel-road grinder bike. Only a 4-hour and a 3-hour ride on it so far but I am already loving it. My whole goal was to build this out with existing parts or used bits from the local area. I got lucky at a bike swap and picked up nearly everything I needed for the conversion for under $250 (BB5 road disc brakes, Ultegra brifters, woodchipper bar, XT RD, Ultegra FD, Brooks B17 saddle). 

Thinking about mounting up a set of 38c WTB Interwolf tires I've had int he attic for a couple years (another project that never really developed). Right now I have Race King 2.2s on there but those are overkill for what I plan to do. 

First ride on singletrack on this beast was amazing. Felt like a kid again for some reason. Winding through singletrack in the drops was thrilling.


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## SAWS (Sep 20, 2007)

The bike looks great Vecsus - and nice score on all those parts for <$250! Makes me wish I'd gone to the bike swap that was in my area recently.


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## firminite309 (Nov 2, 2011)

But I do want some bonty 1.8s for some more cush (coming from front suspension). And about that rear hub, I wanted to run a disc brake version so I could affix a fixie cog for a rear wheel that could serve fixie, single speed, and geared versions. What do you think, as I see you've done at least two of the three combos.


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## Tojom (Jun 2, 2008)

Labels, labels, labels darling! **** that, to me Boe's bastardised touring frame is where it's at. I've spent silly amounts of money on carbon barred, XT cranked, SS 29er stuff but the bike I ride the most is an old Japanese made touring frame with caliper brakes. I'm trying to gain the balls to sell all that stuff that I've spent a lot of money (to me) and waaaaay to much time deliberating over. But then some of it might come in handy when I've finally stopped experimenting and finally found the ONE bike that suits me. It's a journey, so we might as well enjoy it!! Keep the inspirational (not aspirational) pics coming! I'm liking this!!


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## BluesDawg (Apr 8, 2007)

I decided to name it "Levon", in honor of the great Levon Helm. Here is the finished bike. It is a Monster Cross frame from Black Mountain Cycles, Mike Varley's shop in Point Reyes, California. This bike replaces and uses many of the components from my Salsa Casseroll all around road bike, adding wider tire capacity for better dirt road performance and some offroad trail capability. The Casseroll will now convert back to its original singlespeed/fixed gear setup.

Spec:
frame: Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross. Size 59 (58cm TT) Steel frame with steel fork.
crank: Sugino XD triple. 24/36/48
BB: Shimano UN55 113mm square taper spindle
FD: Suntour X-1
RD: Shimano Ultegra 6400 GS
cassette: Shimano HG50 13-26 8-speed
chain: SRAM 8-speed
shifters: Suntour Power ratchet bar ends (friction)
brakes: Tektro CR720 cantilever
brake levers: Cane Creek SCR-5
headset: Cane Creek 40
stem: Specialized Pro-Set +16 110
handlebar: Salsa Cowbell 3 - 44mm
seat post: Specialized carbon wrapped
saddle: Koobi PRS Enduro
bottle cages (2): Blackburn stainless steel
wheels: Velocity A23 rims. Shimano Tiagra hubs. Sapim Race black spokes (32 3X f&r). Hand built by me.
tires: (skinny) Continental Contact 37mm. (fat) Vee Rubber 12 - 700 x 1.95

I took it out for its first road ride with the Continental Contact 37 tires.
Bike Ride Profile | Levon's first road ride near Milledgeville | Times and Records | Strava
I noticed the higher bottom bracket right away as the bike sits higher than the Casseroll, but the odd feeling went away soon and the bike was very comfortable. The bike performs on pavement very much like the Salsa, feeling stable, but sporty and a bit sluggish on climbs compared to my carbon bike. The Salsa Cowbell 3 handlebars felt very good. They are set a little higher than my usual position, but that makes the drop position much more useful. Still, I may want it lower.

Then I swapped the tires for a set of Vee Rubber 12s, size 1.95. They actually measure 47mm wide and they really change the look of the bike, making it much more "monster"ish. I took it to a local offroad riding area with good doubletrack and singletrack trails.
Bike Ride Profile | Levon's first dirt ride near Milledgeville | Times and Records | Strava
The bike was great fun on the trails, eating up the doubletrack and handling the singletrack surprisingly well. That higher handlebar position was very welcome on the trails. Riding over the roots was very different from my full suspension bike and I didn't try anything really technical, but I did successfully ride up a tricky, short, steep, turning uphill section that hangs up most new riders on mountain bikes.

So far, I am really happy with how the bike turned out. I think I'm going to have a lot of fun riding it on a wide variety of roads and trails.


skinny mode by BluesDawg, on Flickr


fatty by BluesDawg, on Flickr


bartram start by BluesDawg, on Flickr


bartram fr qtr by BluesDawg, on Flickr


bartram side by BluesDawg, on Flickr


bartram sign by BluesDawg, on Flickr


bartram launch by BluesDawg, on Flickr

Levon - Bartram bridge hill.wmv - YouTube

Levon bartram dbltrk.wmv - YouTube


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## ink1373 (Nov 16, 2005)

Ooo those vee rubber tires are interesting.


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## Weinerts (Feb 3, 2011)

*Another take...*

Okay here is the latest - I love the drop bars.. but I have not found the right bike yet for them. 
The Redline was great - but my lower back started to hurt (too long top tube and not enough rise on the stem). 
The Heckler was totally great - but I kinda missed the stupid things I can do with flat bars - the bike just begs to be abused.

Jabber is next in line - but I have to ride it for a while before I modify it any more.
I am going to try some Wood-chippers or go back to the flipped Mary bars - we will see what happens this weekend at the Bike Swap!


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## Weinerts (Feb 3, 2011)

Weinerts said:


> Okay here is the latest - I love the drop bars.. but I have not found the right bike yet for them.
> The Redline was great - but my lower back started to hurt (too long top tube and not enough rise on the stem).
> The Heckler was totally great - but I kinda missed the stupid things I can do with flat bars - the bike just begs to be abused.
> 
> ...


Ok and I know the Heckler is not a 29er - but I had it this way for about a year and it did have a set of 29er wheels with 23mm on it for a long road ride once... Just sayin...


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Weinerts said:


> Okay here is the latest - I love the drop bars.. but I have not found the right bike yet for them.


You are doing drop bar mountain bikes. You need to pay less attention to the word monster and more attention to the word cross in monstercross. Start looking at cyclocross type bikes or adventure bike frames and you will get somewhere. Like the Surly Crosscheck, the Soma Double, the Vassago Fisticuff.

People think putting drop bars on a mountain bike makes a monster cross, but putting big tires on a cross-type bike, designed for drop bars, is what monstercross is all about, really.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

slocaus said:


> People think putting drop bars on a mountain bike makes a monster cross, but putting big tires on a cross-type bike, designed for drop bars, is what monstercross is all about, really.


And here lies someone who actually gets it. Congratulations That's why it's called Monster CROSS not Monster 29er.


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## FishMan473 (Jan 2, 2003)

slocaus said:


> You are doing drop bar mountain bikes. You need to pay less attention to the word monster and more attention to the word cross in monstercross. Start looking at cyclocross type bikes or adventure bike frames and you will get somewhere. Like the Surly Crosscheck, the Soma Double, the Vassago Fisticuff.


While I agree there needs to be some definition to the genre, I think you guys are being a little snooty about it. Sure, just slapping drop bars on an MTB doesn't make it a MONSTERCROSS bike, but not everyone has the money to go out and buy a purpose built frame/bike either. I think a monster cross bike has more to do with how its used than what equipment it has on it.

I would define a monster cross bike as such:

1) Primary use is dirt/gravel roads, possibly mixed with both trails and pavement riding.
2) Drop bars of some form or another
3) tire size between 35c and 52c (2")

And really, I feel like those last two can be flexible, for example some people may prefer/only have flat bars and others might find that the terrain in their area is so rough and rocky even on the backroads that larger tires help smooth things out a bit.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

FishMan473 said:


> While I agree there needs to be some definition to the genre, I think you guys are being a little snooty about it. Sure, just slapping drop bars on an MTB doesn't make it a MONSTERCROSS bike, but not everyone has the money to go out and buy a purpose built frame/bike either. I think a monster cross bike has more to do with how its used than what equipment it has on it.
> 
> I would define a monster cross bike as such:
> 
> ...


When I saw the first monsterCROSS bikes here, they were mostly old 1980s/1990s steel road/cross bikes that folks were putting 45-47c tires on and often using a 2x4 to dent the inner chain stays to get room for those "fatties".

Minimal investment, maximum fun, and much more challenging and skills building riding single track than a drop bar MTB.

If using something that you can build for $100-$200 or less is snooty, then so be it.

MonsterCROSS is the spirit of innovation, not how fat your wallet is and how you can outspend the next guy with Ti this and carpet fiber that and get it to the teens in weight. It started being almost always SS, home brewed with old parts.

Here is one of the early innovators of the sport, riding fixed gear too boot.


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## appleSSeed (Dec 29, 2003)

I put some Big Apple 29x2.0's on my Handsome Devil. Had to change the stock fork out for a Salsa La Cruz that I had just swapped out so I could have the clearance on the crown. That changed the geo a bit, but nothing that I wouldn't welcome on my "townie"...slackened it out a bit. I think I'll get a custom fork and stem down the line.

I know this is a bit "snooty", but I built it up for tweed rides and beer runs mostly. It fits my personal criteria for monstercross, canti/v brakes, drop bar, singlespeed. It's a large chunk of my $10,000 annual income, but as Guru from Gangstarr said,...the righteous man sacrifice to get what he deserves.


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

Very elegant (and nice) :thumbsup:


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## Weinerts (Feb 3, 2011)

*I get it*



longhaultrucker said:


> Very elegant (and nice) :thumbsup:


I am hip to your vibe and will now officially call my bikes "Ridged Inexpensive Velo-swap Part Integrated Drop Bar Fat Front 29er Ridged single-speed" as not not to add confusion. 
or unintended offence. I just like the name Monster Cross better.

Bicycles are Bicycles. They have two wheels - they are awesome - you have to do work to 
make them move. Being proud of what you have is very important.

There are some very beautiful bikes on this forum and I hope to see more!!!


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## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

The MTBR board of standards says this definition is not acceptable.

"Ridged Inexpensive Velo-swap Part Integrated Drop Bar Fat Front 29er Ridged single-speed"

Please re-submit with the following taxonomy:

suspension, material, bar type, wheel size, tire size, gearing (optional qualifiers: price, homebuilt, parts swap, retro, etc. etc.)

your bike would be:

rigid, steel(?), drop bar, 700c, single speed, inexpensive, part swap

'Monster Cross' is no longer an official MTBR 2012 board of standards definition. It will be relegated as the official governing board is determining a new classification.

The proposed taxonomy and definition for monster cross is: 
rigid, steel(?), drop bar, 700c, 45, 1x10, bling, $$$, snooty, etc.

It is awaiting a meeting of the board for consideration and final voting.

Please fill out supplemental form 10-C for additional descriptors such as saddle type (brooks, etc.), color and trim. These are to follow the 'gearing' descriptor column. If your bike does not have gears, please consider filing under the scooter division. 

Your certificate and sticker will arrive in 6-10 business days. It must be applied to the down tube. This is the only way to show that you were MTBR 2012 part 11 compliant. Please retain the certificate and make a copy of it. Keep the original safe, and carry the copy with you at all times.


As the definitions will likely change over time - MTBR will devote a standards page so that anyone can look up your bike and its certification number to be sure they are truly looking at a 'monster cross' rig.

If you include NJS parts in your build you need to attach the appropriate additional certificates - NJS-a134 and NJS-c12. Please pay the extra $30 registration fee. Delivery takes an extra 3-4 weeks due to travel time from Japan.


Thank you for your application. We look forward to including your bike when the appropriate paperwork is re submitted.


*note to those using a third party to submit paperwork - please consider hiring a professional 'bike classification specialist' - they are accredited by the board and are guaranteed to get your bike into the category you want.


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

Weinerts said:


> I am hip to your vibe and will now officially call my bikes "Ridged Inexpensive Velo-swap Part Integrated Drop Bar Fat Front 29er Ridged single-speed" as not not to add confusion.
> or unintended offence. I just like the name Monster Cross better.
> 
> Bicycles are Bicycles. They have two wheels - they are awesome - you have to do work to
> ...


Um.........maybe your vibe hipster is off just a smidge,my friend,I was making an honest compliment,I digs your bike. Thanks for explaining to me why I sweat so much when out riding though,I never would have _dreamed _it was because riding a bike around a ridge trail was work 

Geez,you even give some peeps props on their bikes :eekster:


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

I'm not ragging on anyone about the bike they ride. Bikes are great, I literally owe my life to a bicycle. Let me say that again. I. AM. ALIVE. Today. Because. of. a. BICYCLE. :thumbsup:

My point was putting drop bars on a bike designed with the geometry for flat bars means huge compromises in fit and comfort, the old lipstick on a pig thing.

And again, I have kissed many pigs, lipstick or no................, but you want to to feel good, not hurt, right? :devil:


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## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

slocaus said:


> I'm not ragging on anyone about the bike they ride. Bikes are great, I literally owe my life to a bicycle. Let me say that again. I. AM. ALIVE. Today. Because. of. a. BICYCLE. :thumbsup:
> 
> My point was putting drop bars on a bike designed with the geometry for flat bars means huge compromises in fit and comfort, the old lipstick on a pig thing.
> 
> And again, I have kissed many pigs, lipstick or no................, but you want to to feel good, not hurt, right? :devil:


Agreed. I threw flats on my Fargo last fall thinking I'd go 1x9 with old parts for the winter (with studs). Had to make too many compromised to get it to work.

Did the same with a CrossCheck, and went the other way with a Soma Juice.

Bikes are damned fine, regardless of label.
I just was bored while on a conference call this morning...


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

slocaus said:


> I'm not ragging on anyone about the bike they ride. Bikes are great, I literally owe my life to a bicycle. Let me say that again. I. AM. ALIVE. Today. Because. of. a. BICYCLE. :thumbsup:
> 
> My point was putting drop bars on a bike designed with the geometry for flat bars means huge compromises in fit and comfort, the old lipstick on a pig thing.
> 
> And again, I have kissed many pigs, lipstick or no................, but you want to to feel good, not hurt, right? :devil:


Didn't hurt me a bit,my friend (wasn't refering to what you'd said either...assuming you're replying to me),LOL,it isn't my bike  I was just stating I thought it looked cool to my eye,and apparently struck a nerve


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## Weinerts (Feb 3, 2011)

*If it is cool ride it.*



Velobike said:


> Is this monstrous enough?


My last two cents.. then I have to go and make the non biking world a better place.. okay really do not care of the non biking world but I am paid to do that...

Whatever the heck the above bike is - it is my inspiration - one classification only
"Awesome" and I will return to the "fat bike" forum. I just love the name and I always ride with that stupid grin on my face you see in all the fat bike photos.

Ride more and stay safe! (in San Diego watch out for cars!!! we lost another rider to a texting driver :madman: last week).


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## canyoneagle (Sep 27, 2007)

Holy guacamole there are some badass bikes in this thread.

Here's my entry.
No drop bar, though the frame was designed around the woodchipper. Does an alt bar count?


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## canyoneagle (Sep 27, 2007)

GTscoob said:


> Thats a really nice 29er. Not monstercross.


Guess drop bars are required, then 
It was worth a try, anyway!!!!


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

canyoneagle said:


> Holy guacamole there are some badass bikes in this thread.
> 
> Here's my entry.
> No drop bar, though the frame was designed around the woodchipper. Does an alt bar count


Thats a really nice 29er. Not monstercross.


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

canyoneagle said:


> Guess drop bars are required, then
> It was worth a try, anyway!!!!


Not hardly. If you look through here there are plenty of older cyclocross and touring bikes that have been converted to run alt-bars or flat-bars.

The main thing is that you're taking a cyclocross or touring bike with fat-tire clearance and putting the fattest rubber onto the tires as you can fit, even if it requires manually adding more clearance to the frame. Most of the tires end up being larger than cross standard (700x35) and smaller than 29er trail tires (~29x2.1); the majority of the bikes in this thread are running 700x40-45 tires.

It's about the whole package, not just fat tires and drop bars.


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## hoogie (Jun 26, 2009)

Weinerts said:


> Ride more and stay safe! (in San Diego watch out for cars!!! we lost another rider to a texting driver :madman: last week).


that's not good at all ... i got cleaned out by a driver a few days ago, they just turned into a driveway without indicating, apparently a 6'4" rider dressed in fluoro isn't easily spotted ... driver got a piece of my mind and told that "@$$holes like you should take the f...ing bus"

monstercross content: looking at a gryphon frame, got some bits to try on my old gt peace 29r to see if i like the drop bar set up :thumbsup:


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## canyoneagle (Sep 27, 2007)

GTscoob said:


> Not hardly. If you look through here there are plenty of older cyclocross and touring bikes that have been converted to run alt-bars or flat-bars.
> 
> The main thing is that you're taking a cyclocross or touring bike with fat-tire clearance and putting the fattest rubber onto the tires as you can fit, even if it requires manually adding more clearance to the frame. Most of the tires end up being larger than cross standard (700x35) and smaller than 29er trail tires (~29x2.1); the majority of the bikes in this thread are running 700x40-45 tires.
> 
> It's about the whole package, not just fat tires and drop bars.


So velobike's doesn't count then. Bummer. It's still a very cool bike. :thumbsup:


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

This project took almost a year to put together and I posted a couple of images here after it's first ride. Now it's finally done and I wanted to share another pic.










It's a custom frame & fork built by a friend here in the Illinois. He got me swinger dropouts from Todd over at Black Cat, set it up for internal cable routing, & used segmented seat stays along with a segmented fork for me. It's a mix of mtn & some road parts.

A.B. Cycles frame & fork
FSA Impact headset
On One Midge bars
Sram brake levers
Avid BB7 road brakes
Sram bar end shifters
Salsa tape
Thomson stem
Thomson post
Brooks Swift saddle
Salsa seat clamp
Stylo cranks
Salsa 48/32 rings
Truvativ press fit 30 BB
Rival front mech
X.9 rear mech
Sram chain
Eggbeaters
Chris King hubs
Stan's Arch rims
DT Swiss Comp spokes
Specialized Renegade tires (will set up tubeless sooner or later)


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

That ABCycles looks Dialled!

Here's my Rawland Drakkar, posted an older photo of it (I think) earlier in the thread. It basically replaced my VooDoo Wazoo MXer, because I wanted wider tires and a bit more versatility.

Rawland Drakkar frame and fork
CK hubs + Velocity Blunt SLs + Duro Miner 29x2.1 (more like 1.9) tires
CK BB+ Shimano Deore LX crank + Time Atac pedals
CK headset + Ritchey Classic stem + OnOne Midge 
Shimano Deore Rapid Rise rear der + Deore front der + Dura Ace bar-end shifters
generic seatpost + Selle Italia TransAm saddle
Avid BB7 MTN brakes + Tektro RL520 levers


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

Your Rawland is pretty sweet too.


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## chairmandave (Apr 7, 2004)

*Pretty In Pink*

Still need to slap on some fenders and a rack to make it my daily commuter, but wanted to take a picture while its new and pretty:










The finishing touch:


----------



## mike5krnr (Sep 14, 2004)

^^^^^ Nice bike... good job! :thumbsup: ^^^^^^^^


----------



## adjitridika (Dec 24, 2010)

chairmandave said:


> Still need to slap on some fenders and a rack to make it my daily commuter, but wanted to take a picture while its new and pretty:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


your shifter setup looks new to me, can you post pictures of it?


----------



## crux (Jan 10, 2004)

Elisdad said:


> This project took almost a year to put together and I posted a couple of images here after it's first ride. Now it's finally done and I wanted to share another pic.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That is one sweet ride.


----------



## chairmandave (Apr 7, 2004)

adjitridika said:


> your shifter setup looks new to me, can you post pictures of it?


Shimano Dura-Ace 10spd downtube shifters bolted to Kelly Take-Off mounts.


----------



## N10S (Sep 27, 2004)

I just built this Rawland Drakkar up recently. 1x9 drive train with XTR ti cassette, Race Face forged LP cranks and Phil ti BB. Dura Ace bar-con with an XTR RR rear derailleur. Had to use a chain tug to keep the axle from pulling in the stainless track drop-out which is really hard and really slick. An odd set-up but it works really well. The shifter is twisted to avoid top-tube contact in the event of a get-off. Having had a Singular Gryphon and a first gen Fargo, I was unsure how the Rawland would compare for off-road single track use. I am happy to say, its been great so far and with a higher BB really handles obstacles with ease. Still need to do some fine tuning on the stem and plan on getting another set of wheels cyclocross tires. Clearance for the Rampage up front is a piece of cake and although I am running a narrow rear tire the claerance out back is huge and it would easily take a 2.35-2.4 with no rubbing. Overall a great bike that did not get much attention while it was available, especially set-up for more hard-core trail use.


----------



## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

N10S said:


> I just built this Rawland Drakkar up recently. 1x9 drive train with XTR ti cassette, Race Face forged LP cranks and Phil ti BB. Dura Ace bar-con with an XTR RR rear derailleur. Had to use a chain tug to keep the axle from pulling in the stainless track drop-out which is really hard and really slick. An odd set-up but it works really well. The shifter is twisted to avoid top-tube contact in the event of a get-off. Having had a Singular Gryphon and a first gen Fargo, I was unsure how the Rawland would compare for off-road single track use. I am happy to say, its been great so far and with a higher BB really handles obstacles with ease. Still need to do some fine tuning on the stem and plan on getting another set of wheels cyclocross tires. Clearance for the Rampage up front is a piece of cake and although I am running a narrow rear tire the claerance out back is huge and it would easily take a 2.35-2.4 with no rubbing. Overall a great bike that did not get much attention while it was available, especially set-up for more hard-core trail use.


Oh my that is sweet...swap in a carbon fork & sram bits and you've more or less have what I want for my next ride (which may be a few years off :smallviolin


----------



## AMCAT (Sep 10, 2009)

BluesDawg said:


> I decided to name it "Levon", in honor of the great Levon Helm. Here is the finished bike. It is a Monster Cross frame from Black Mountain Cycles, Mike Varley's shop in Point Reyes, California. This bike replaces and uses many of the components from my Salsa Casseroll all around road bike, adding wider tire capacity for better dirt road performance and some offroad trail capability. The Casseroll will now convert back to its original singlespeed/fixed gear setup.
> 
> Spec:
> frame: Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross. Size 59 (58cm TT) Steel frame with steel fork.
> ...


Hows the speed on the vee tires ?? I was going to spring for some schwables,but the price is do right on the vee rubber tires....also whats the size and model
thx....


----------



## BluesDawg (Apr 8, 2007)

AMCAT said:


> Hows the speed on the vee tires ?? I was going to spring for some schwables,but the price is do right on the vee rubber tires....also whats the size and model
> thx....


Mine are the Vee 12 model, size 1.95. They roll very fast and soft on dirt and are pretty fast and quiet on pavement. Better than I expected and a good value imho.


----------



## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

*Nashbar Carbon Cyclocross fork*




Was on back order for a long time finally came today. I have not been able to ride it yet but it is 17mm shorter a to c then my fisty fork. The tires are 35c Pasela's so it looks to have plenty of clearance (I use these on gravel rides mainly now anyways). And I think I dropped at least 1.5lbs from the frame going to this carbon fork from the beastly steel fork Vassago supplied (now defunked).

I am excited for cross season


----------



## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

N10S said:


> I just built this Rawland Drakkar up recently. 1x9 drive train with XTR ti cassette, Race Face forged LP cranks and Phil ti BB. Dura Ace bar-con with an XTR RR rear derailleur. Had to use a chain tug to keep the axle from pulling in the stainless track drop-out which is really hard and really slick. An odd set-up but it works really well. The shifter is twisted to avoid top-tube contact in the event of a get-off. Having had a Singular Gryphon and a first gen Fargo, I was unsure how the Rawland would compare for off-road single track use. I am happy to say, its been great so far and with a higher BB really handles obstacles with ease. Still need to do some fine tuning on the stem and plan on getting another set of wheels cyclocross tires. Clearance for the Rampage up front is a piece of cake and although I am running a narrow rear tire the claerance out back is huge and it would easily take a 2.35-2.4 with no rubbing. Overall a great bike that did not get much attention while it was available, especially set-up for more hard-core trail use.


Nice to see another Drakkar here! :thumbsup:


----------



## adjitridika (Dec 24, 2010)

Mr Pink57 said:


> Was on back order for a long time finally came today. I have not been able to ride it yet but it is 17mm shorter a to c then my fisty fork. The tires are 35c Pasela's so it looks to have plenty of clearance (I use these on gravel rides mainly now anyways). And I think I dropped at least 1.5lbs from the frame going to this carbon fork from the beastly steel fork Vassago supplied (now defunked).
> 
> I am excited for cross season


nice bike! can you tell me what brake lever and brake caliper? is that cane creek lever on avid bb5 mountain caliper?


----------



## N10S (Sep 27, 2004)

agu said:


> Nice to see another Drakkar here! :thumbsup:


 agu, your Drakkar build definitely inspired me to give the Drakkar a try. The more miles I put on the bike the better I like it. Did a double track and rail trail ride with my son today and the bike really felt good but made me think how much faster a set of cx tires would roll. At almost 54 I need all of the help I can get to stay ahead of my 19 year old son.


----------



## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Tektro RL520 levers
Avid BB7 MTN


----------



## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

The internet does not do brown paint justice.


----------



## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

N10S said:


> agu, your Drakkar build definitely inspired me to give the Drakkar a try. The more miles I put on the bike the better I like it. Did a double track and rail trail ride with my son today and the bike really felt good but made me think how much faster a set of cx tires would roll. At almost 54 I need all of the help I can get to stay ahead of my 19 year old son.


Really? Well you share the same observations as me - the more I ride it, the more I like it and the more it amazes me. Try them with some wider CX tires like a Schwalbe Smart Sam. I get some toe rub using a full-sized knobby (29x2.1) because of the frame's size so I limit myself to a Duro Miner 29, which measures to like a 1.8. So far so good.

I have a FD on mine so what I did to keep the rear axle in place and allow for clearance is to put a crankbolt and it's matching nut on the dropout. Perfect fit and stays put.


----------



## Ampelhasser (Mar 21, 2010)

My Van Dessel in a new dress










Ampel


----------



## FKMTB07 (Mar 29, 2007)

Ampel - nice!!


----------



## ben_san (Jun 23, 2008)

Ampelhasser said:


> My Van Dessel in a new dress
> 
> Ampel


So nice! I always thought the WTF was a beautiful bike with ugly paint. This proves it.


----------



## ben_san (Jun 23, 2008)

Here's my monster. 2" 29er tires clear easily on the front. Custom steel by Rick Hunter.


----------



## jonnybbiker (Jan 2, 2011)

Dr.Fun said:


> I posted a week or so back about a build I was completing. Here it is with the new tires (Kenda Small Block 8 29x2.1). FYI, the horizontal drop-outs are the only reason these tires fit. I had to slide them back a smidge to fit. Overall I'm happy with the bike. The frame is heavier than I wanted, but it's versatility is more positive than the weight is negative. I use it as my daily commuter. As winter nears, I thought I'd play around with a 180mm rotor up front. So far, with organic pads and BB7's the stopping power is great. The only real downside is that the frame is a bit too big. Might pick up a legitimate 29er frame to dial in the fit perfectly. For now and the near future this will be my new ride.
> 
> Thanks to all the previous posters for the info, insight, and pics. Your contributions helped me a great deal.:thumbsup:


Great rig u got there! What size is the frame?


----------



## Eric Malcolm (Dec 18, 2011)

*Arthouse MX*

This is ME. Oddball.

A great bike for any condition road and light MTB riding duties.

I have 2 sets of wheels and 3 ride options, 700c x 23 road, 700c x 35 CX and 26 x 2.1 MTB
I'm going to get a set of 650B to fit when the right combo of rims/tyres are available to replace the 26". It goes very well down gravel roads and grass tracks in CX mode and this is the my favoured choice. Built for speed parameters that are faster than that of the MTB, in the group of Monstercross style ride position but in my own unique way. An Arthouse interpretation of this genre.

Eric


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

I'm speechless. It's really weird and really cool at the same time. Who made it? Can you actually buy one?


----------



## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

I fitted a pair of Schwalbe Big Apples (29x2.35) on my Drakkar, and while it fit I found the clearance on the fork a bit too tight for comfort...

Decided to take them off and install my old set of Maxxis Aspens.

The BA's rolled really nice on pavement though!


----------



## N10S (Sep 27, 2004)

agu said:


> I fitted a pair of Schwalbe Big Apples (29x2.35) on my Drakkar, and while it fit I found the clearance on the fork a bit too tight for comfort...
> 
> Decided to take them off and install my old set of Maxxis Aspens.
> 
> The BA's rolled really nice on pavement though!


Wow...I am glad you posted this AGU. I have been thinking about an alternate set of tires for fast rolling rail trails and asphalt and had considered the Big Apples. Man I did not realize they were so tall!

Here is a shot of my fork clearance with the 2.35 Rampage which I thought was a pretty big tire for the Drakkar fork.










Obviously not as tall as the Big Apples. The fork AC on the Drakkar is only around 16.0" (406 mm) which is really short, but I suppose is also relative to the fact that the frame and fork are designed for 650B, but can also be built as 700C, or 29er.

If I go with higher pressure I am thinking a set of Duro Stingers 700Cx28 on my Easton XC2 rims which should still work ok with the narrow 24mm rim width. Duro also makes a tire called the Sevilla which is a bigger 700Cx35. Here is a link to those products:

Tires | Duro Tire & Wheel

Who knows though, the Sevilla may be too tall as well?


----------



## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

N10S, I think you'll be OK with the Sevillas at 700x35c. I've a set of Schwalbe Smart Sams, 700x40c but they look a bit anemic on the Drakkar. I loved how they rolled though and they do OK for the occasional dirt jaunt.

I've rolled on a pair of Duro Miner 29x2.1 (more like a 1.9 really) and while they roll fast and have decent grip in the dry, I took a spill on a wet road while taking a turn (obviously not designed for tarmac though). The Miner's rubber durometer seems a bit hard as well.

I've since fitted a pair of Aspen 29x2.1s on the Drakkar, and all is well now hehehe


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

Eric Malcolm said:


> This is ME. Oddball.
> 
> A great bike for any condition road and light MTB riding duties.
> 
> ...


bump


----------



## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

Eric Malcolm said:


> Built for speed parameters that are faster than that of the MTB, in the group of Monstercross style ride position but in my own unique way. An Arthouse interpretation of this genre.
> 
> Eric


Did you build that yourself? I hope it holds together well, a lot of the old e-chainstay bikes had issues with the bottom brackets snapping away from the rest of the frames. Cool look and easy chain maintenance.


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## misterdangerpants (Oct 10, 2007)

ben_san said:


> Here's my monster. 2" 29er tires clear easily on the front. Custom steel by Rick Hunter.


Fantastic bike! :thumbsup: Rick is currently making me a fork for my "monster cross", now in 650B format:


----------



## MattC555 (Mar 24, 2011)

Brake rotors?


----------



## misterdangerpants (Oct 10, 2007)

MattC555 said:


> Brake rotors?


The photo was for test fitment.  Rotors go on tonight.


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

misterdangerpants said:


> Fantastic bike! :thumbsup: Rick is currently making me a fork for my "monster cross", now in 650B format:


Cost for that frame? Is it made by ex IF guys?


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

car bone said:


> Cost for that frame? Is it made by ex IF guys?


You can get a close approximation on their site. It isn't cheap but is sure is nice. Everything Dangerpants does is first class. Check out his site. He's got lots of really nice builds.


----------



## appleSSeed (Dec 29, 2003)

That firefly is 650b?


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## ben_san (Jun 23, 2008)

Here's a better shot of the Hunter. Fun bike!


----------



## Weinerts (Feb 3, 2011)

If I could convince my lower back that this is a good idea.. I would never have flat bars again. 

These bikes look great.


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## UBUgoat (Sep 12, 2009)

ben_san said:


> Here's a better shot of the Hunter. Fun bike!


beautiful beautiful....almost the perfect bike (i'd prefer it singlespeed)...but i love the tire choice:thumbsup:


----------



## R+P+K (Oct 28, 2009)

ben_san said:


> Here's a better shot of the Hunter. Fun bike!


That looks really nice 

Although I'd whack a low profile rear dérailleur on there to cut out the cable loop.


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

ben_san said:


> Here's a better shot of the Hunter. Fun bike!


I shouldn't be quoting this for the 3rd time but that is so elegant. Nice job


----------



## fishy (Jan 2, 2004)

i really like that red dusty hunter too !


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

That Hunter is certainly in the spirit of things but while that Firefly is a nice looking bike it's just a mountain bike with drop bars.

This thread is almost as bad as the "Best Tubeless Brew" thread. It just keeps going and going.... lol


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

modifier said:


> That Hunter is certainly in the spirit of things but while that Firefly is a nice looking bike it's just a mountain bike with drop bars.
> 
> This thread is almost as bad as the "Best Tubeless Brew" thread. It just keeps going and going.... lol


Bad? To most of us... it's about the only interesting thread left on the 29'er forum. Sad... but true. I do agree that the Tubeless Brew thread sucks though.


----------



## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

modifier said:


> That Hunter is certainly in the spirit of things but while that Firefly is a nice looking bike it's just a mountain bike with drop bars.
> 
> This thread is almost as bad as the "Best Tubeless Brew" thread. It just keeps going and going.... lol


I mean yeah. Why post or read here anymore. Oh wait.


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

All the action is in the 650b forum now, haven't you heard?? 29ers are so 2011.


----------



## ee ay ess (Jan 24, 2008)

ben_san said:


> Here's a better shot of the Hunter. Fun bike!


Gorgeous.

I wondered what the rationale on bottle cage placement was? Looks like it'd be good for shouldering? (Maybe this is common...I'm not into CX so I'm outta the loop, if so.)


----------



## aosty (Jan 7, 2004)

hot!!



ben_san said:


> Here's a better shot of the Hunter. Fun bike!


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

ben_san said:


> Here's a better shot of the Hunter. Fun bike!


I kinda dislike the gigantic tube that goes where the brake is. But I like the color.


----------



## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

My guess is to make room for a frame bag in the upper corner. Also, on bigger frames, it's really nice to have the bottle cage on the down tube up high. My Fargo has two cages there, and the upper one is oh-so-easy to use.



ee ay ess said:


> Gorgeous.
> 
> I wondered what the rationale on bottle cage placement was? Looks like it'd be good for shouldering? (Maybe this is common...I'm not into CX so I'm outta the loop, if so.)


----------



## lordconqueror (Mar 6, 2009)

misterdangerpants said:


> Fantastic bike! :thumbsup: Rick is currently making me a fork for my "monster cross", now in 650B format:


So is this an actualy cyclocross frame, i.e. typical 'cross tire clearences, or is it purpose built to accomodate wider tires? I ask because seing this makes me want to get a pair of 650b wheels and tires to run on my disc cross bike.


----------



## misterdangerpants (Oct 10, 2007)

lordconqueror said:


> So is this an actualy cyclocross frame, i.e. typical 'cross tire clearences, or is it purpose built to accomodate wider tires? I ask because seing this makes me want to get a pair of 650b wheels and tires to run on my disc cross bike.


It was designed to accomodate wider tires (2.5" slicks).

Now with brake rotors:


----------



## Dirty Tiger (Nov 2, 2008)

So very cool.


----------



## Eric Malcolm (Dec 18, 2011)

Sorry for the late response, the OLY's and a crashed computer have kept me away from the forum.

Yes, I am aware of the E-stay reputation, I did build this frame for myself. The frame has added reinforcement in the critical areas and has clocked over 2000mls now, no problems. My local riding area is unchallenging in terms of terrain, more a windy area, which is why I opted for the 'aero' style to address headwinds over open ground. I like to overcome design issues, so a nice result for me. Not sure if its race legal for CX but it suits me on my rides - non competitive.

A notable side issue with E-stays is that I find this bike so much easier to clean with an open BB. Both in regards to oil from the chain and mud off the tyres and fingers between chainstays.....

Eric


----------



## minh (May 23, 2004)

misterdangerpants said:


> It was designed to accomodate wider tires (2.5" slicks).
> 
> Now with brake rotors:


bad. ass.


----------



## Skulduggery (Jul 9, 2011)

*Tessa*










E.


----------



## Dirty Tiger (Nov 2, 2008)

Who is Tessa, the girl or the bike.


----------



## Skulduggery (Jul 9, 2011)

Dirty Tiger said:


> Who is Tessa, the girl or the bike.


The bike. Named after a poisoned (I call it murdered) lynx in the Bavarian Wood.

E.


----------



## crowdypooster (Jun 17, 2008)

Regarding the Firefly:

This thing is on time. Side question: I have been out of the loop for a few years. I see those top mount shifters. PLEASE tell me where you can get those! I was using Suntour XC's in friction mode until a couple years ago when they finally gave up.


----------



## hardtailkid (Jan 25, 2010)

crowdypooster said:


> Regarding the Firefly:
> 
> This thing is on time. Side question: I have been out of the loop for a few years. I see those top mount shifters. PLEASE tell me where you can get those! I was using Suntour XC's in friction mode until a couple years ago when they finally gave up.


I believe Paul Components (PaulComp.com) makes some.... they are called the Thumbies.


----------



## misterdangerpants (Oct 10, 2007)

crowdypooster said:


> Regarding the Firefly:
> 
> This thing is on time. Side question: I have been out of the loop for a few years. I see those top mount shifters. PLEASE tell me where you can get those! I was using Suntour XC's in friction mode until a couple years ago when they finally gave up.


I'm using Shimano Deore 7-speed (8-speed with ghost click) thumb shifters. You can generally find these on eBay. For the drop bar set, you need DX as the XT version has an aluminum clamp and won't fit.

Also, as _*hardtailkid*_ mentioned, you can get the Paul Components Thumbies and pair them up with whatever speed bar con shifters you choose. I've used the Thumbies and would recommend them. Although, I prefer the DX shifters.


----------



## Ike Turner (Dec 20, 2006)

ben_san said:


> Here's a better shot of the Hunter. Fun bike!


is this a slight sloping TT geometry or is the front the difference? or both?

whats the rear tire clearance


----------



## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

must be slightly sloping due to the larger front tire.

that's a good-looking Hunter! (well, all of them are!)


----------



## vintapperen (Jul 9, 2009)

Eric Malcolm said:


> This is ME. Oddball.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Awesome!


----------



## ben_san (Jun 23, 2008)

Ike Turner said:


> is this a slight sloping TT geometry or is the front the difference? or both?
> 
> whats the rear tire clearance


It's designed with a slightly sloping top tube and looks that way even with same size tire front and rear. Clearance for around a 1.8-1.9" tire on the back.


----------



## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

Swapped to a pair of Bonty 29-3 rears for some "jack of all trades" ability...

Retaped the bars as well - new wrap makes a subtle difference on bar feel!


----------



## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

Ooh, some nice builds in here!


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Adding my Ogre to this thread just to hear the "that's not monstercross" replies :lol:


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

^^ You talkin ta me? Can't see your pictures... 

If so, no. Shimano hubs, standard 8 speed.


----------



## kmancrx (Nov 15, 2009)

Joan454 said:


> Is that at dt swiss 240 single speed hub with some gears on it. I posted about a week ago about wanting to run that on a Surly Cross Check. You have just about the exact bike I want.


Funny, if you look on the first page of this thread someone posed this exact same question back in 2007.

https://forums.mtbr.com/3734881-post5.html

I think this thread is like a ghost coming back to haunt us all:eekster:

It just won't die.


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

^^ I just keep hoping someone will clarify what monstercross is, exactly... :lol:


----------



## discomatt (Oct 21, 2011)

Forgive me if this is a silly question but are there any standard Cx frames that will take a 2.0+ rear tyre, or will i have to settle for a 29er frame instead or go custom?

That Hunter is Gorgeous!


----------



## kmancrx (Nov 15, 2009)

discomatt said:


> Forgive me if this is a silly question but are there any standard Cx frames that will take a 2.0+ rear tyre, or will i have to settle for a 29er frame instead or go custom?


Origin8 CX700 will. I own one. Cheap too, no the best of construction but still a decent frame.

Vassago Fisticuff may have but I can't confirm that.

Voodoo maybe?


----------



## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

CommuterBoy said:


> ^^ I just keep hoping someone will clarify what monstercross is, exactly... :lol:


It's pretty plain as day. They're cyclocross bikes with the fattest tires possible shoehorned into the frame and fork.

Seems like most of them max out at 700x45 or so.

Your Ogre is a drop-bar 29er with massive tire clearance. Drop bars and 29" wheels =/ monstercross.


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Oooooohhhhh... right right right right. Thank you :lol:


----------



## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

CommuterBoy said:


> ^^ I just keep hoping someone will clarify what monstercross is, exactly... :lol:


Post #5 in this thread:

https://www.google.com/url?q=http:/...ds-cse&usg=AFQjCNHW6Ot0cBtNwZ2398eyZS4ogwD8uQ


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

My brilliant sarcasm is obviously going undetected by anyone but myself. :skep:


----------



## ben_san (Jun 23, 2008)

discomatt said:


> Forgive me if this is a silly question but are there any standard Cx frames that will take a 2.0+ rear tyre, or will i have to settle for a 29er frame instead or go custom?
> 
> That Hunter is Gorgeous!


The only two standard frames with that much clearance I know of are the Van Dessel WTF and Singular Peregrine. Both great bikes!


----------



## discomatt (Oct 21, 2011)

kmancrx said:


> Origin8 CX700 will. I own one. Cheap too, no the best of construction but still a decent frame.
> 
> Vassago Fisticuff may have but I can't confirm that.
> 
> Voodoo maybe?





ben_san said:


> The only two standard frames with that much clearance I know of are the Van Dessel WTF and Singular Peregrine. Both great bikes!


Thank you both. I may end up with a narrower tyre at the rear and something huge up front as finding frames is becoming a nightmare on a very tight budget!


----------



## junior1210 (Sep 9, 2011)

I believe CoMotion makes a couple of high volume tire frames, but they are pricey.


----------



## Ukaluca (Aug 23, 2012)

*CC monster*

The latest version of my CC.


----------



## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

Can't wait for the 'anorexic fatbikes thread' and the 'Husky hybrids' thread. Good fun.

where does this fit? I can put 42s on there. Those are 35s. IF Club Racer.


Untitled by mbeganyi, on Flickr


----------



## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

Ukaluca said:


> The latest version of my CC.


Sharp looking bike! How is it to ride?


----------



## J3SSEB (Jun 1, 2009)

Redline Decacog


----------



## rideandshoot (Dec 18, 2006)

*a variation on the theme...*

So I realize this may be stretching the 'Monster Cross' definition a bit but I drew some of my inspiration from this thread so I thought it would only be right to contribute...

This is my commuter so the tires are city oriented. I live in a very large metro so my route is mostly pavement but I also use a couple short dirt paths and a few miles of dirt road. I could fit some cross sized knobbies on there if mission required it.


















yes I do get an 8th shift out that shifter.


----------



## rideandshoot (Dec 18, 2006)

xiaoodan said:


> Amazing...love the matching stem.


I have a black one (same length) in the bin... maybe I should switch it? I thought the clamp on the old Uno was kind of cool. I should have pointed out that other than handlebar, brake levers and fork this is a 'bin bike'. You know the bin in the garage where all the parts you upgraded end up. Wait I missed two the shifter was in a bin at the local bike shop ( It was a freebee) and I bought the canti's used for $40.

The frame was actually free too... sort of. It was a warranty replacement for a hard tail mountain bike. Some day I'll find just the right used steel frame and replace it.


----------



## Ukaluca (Aug 23, 2012)

bobbotron said:


> Sharp looking bike! How is it to ride?


I really like the ride right now but there are changes coming up. A new stem, luxy bar and brake levers. 
That should stretch the cockpit.
With the tire pressure lowered, rocky, steep trails are no problem.


----------



## Straz85 (Mar 20, 2009)

This thread makes me so happy I got a Cross Check as a commuter. I think my commuter's going to to be turned into a MONSTER COMMUTER CROSS...MONSMUTER CROSS? Off to the bike shop on my lunch break to see what they have for cross tires.


----------



## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

*My Kish*

Time to add mine to this glorious thread.


----------



## rasse1977 (May 16, 2008)

Nice bike Climber999 but it looks like you need a seatpost with a forward offset...


----------



## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

rasse1977 said:


> Nice bike Climber999 but it looks like you need a seatpost with a forward offset...


Much obliged...What I need is a longer seat. This one is one of the shortest; the WTB Devo.


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

Your Kish is beautiful.


----------



## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

Elisdad said:


> Your Kish is beautiful.


:thumbsup:


----------



## appleSSeed (Dec 29, 2003)

That seat is ruining it for me. It's like she male porn...sort of.


----------



## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

appleSSeed said:


> That seat is ruining it for me. It's like she male porn...sort of.


A Specialized Phenom is on order. I will post a new image...


----------



## nateeprasan (Mar 18, 2011)

Voodoo Bokor drop bar with gripshift , Alfine 8


----------



## NEPMTBA (Apr 7, 2007)

J3SSEB said:


> Redline Decacog


Very cool set-up! :thumbsup:


----------



## dancing james (Sep 27, 2010)

lynskey cooper cx bike with hydraulic disc brakes, could accommodate a reasonably large CX tyre for monstercross duties


----------



## appleSSeed (Dec 29, 2003)

^wtf dude? That is straight blasphemy

Nothing about that is monster cross, or mountain bike, or anything even close to relating to something that should be in on MTBR let alone this forum and/or this thread. 

Man card revoked. Do not pass go. Do not collect $100 dollars. DO put some fat tires on that thing and report back.


----------



## rideandshoot (Dec 18, 2006)

appleSSeed said:


> Nothing about that is monster cross, or mountain bike, or anything even close to relating to something that should be in on MTBR let alone this forum and/or this thread.
> 
> Man card revoked. Do not pass go. Do not collect $100 dollars. DO put some fat tires on that thing and report back.


I disagree...

The Disk brakes are the main reason. Is that some sort of cable to hydraulic converter in front of the stem?

Crest rims are typically associated with mountain bikes as is the Thomson seat post and even Lynskey for that matter.

I ride mine on 'street tires' because most of my commute is in the city. All that said it would be extra cool with some knobbies.

Amazing bike BTW whatever you want to call it.


----------



## Glide the Clyde (Nov 12, 2009)

appleSSeed said:


> ^wtf dude? That is straight blasphemy
> 
> Nothing about that is monster cross, or mountain bike, or anything even close to relating to something that should be in on MTBR let alone this forum and/or this thread.
> 
> Man card revoked. Do not pass go. Do not collect $100 dollars. DO put some fat tires on that thing and report back.


If you only knew what you're talking 'bout. Disk brakes, Crest hoops, cable routing on top of top tube, Thomson bits, and a sweet, smokin' hot beefy frame. Only detraction are the street tires.


----------



## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

I don't mind seeing this bike here, but it's a cyclocross and not an MX, no matter what. Tire clearance is up to 40c, and thus, there isn't a single MTB tire that can fit in that frame...Sorry...


----------



## BluesDawg (Apr 8, 2007)

appleSSeed said:


> ^wtf dude? That is straight blasphemy
> 
> Nothing about that is monster cross, or mountain bike, or anything even close to relating to something that should be in on MTBR let alone this forum and/or this thread.
> 
> Man card revoked. Do not pass go. Do not collect $100 dollars. DO put some fat tires on that thing and report back.


fail


----------



## avocado (Sep 17, 2012)

Anyone know a store in the SF Bay Area that stocks monstercross tires? East Bay would be best. I've been to a few LBS's already, and they act like I'm asking for a flux capacitor when I describe the tires I want. Might have to resort to ordering, but local is better. 

Since this thread is all about pics, here's my humble ride. The tires are fat enough, but not aggressive enough to get traction in some of the loose soil common around here. 

...oops, too new to post pics. Here goes i139.photobucket.com/albums/q313/danmcjunk/velo/xc_cc1.jpg


----------



## BluesDawg (Apr 8, 2007)

avocado said:


> Anyone know a store in the SF Bay Area that stocks monstercross tires? East Bay would be best. I've been to a few LBS's already, and they act like I'm asking for a flux capacitor when I describe the tires I want. Might have to resort to ordering, but local is better.
> 
> Since this thread is all about pics, here's my humble ride. The tires are fat enough, but not aggressive enough to get traction in some of the loose soil common around here.
> 
> ...oops, too new to post pics. Here goes i139.photobucket.com/albums/q313/danmcjunk/velo/xc_cc1.jpg


Black Mountain Cycles


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## appleSSeed (Dec 29, 2003)

Malibu412 said:


> If you only knew what you're talking 'bout. Disk brakes, Crest hoops, cable routing on top of top tube, Thomson bits, and a sweet, smokin' hot beefy frame. Only detraction are the street tires.


I'm just saying that someone could post up Salsas new road bike in this thread if they had Thomson parts on it and some stans wheels?

It's definitely a sweet bike. I have two Lynskey made frames as well, but I wouldn't even call my La Cruz Ti a monstercross bike and it's got a disc brake, Thomson parts and a 40/35c tire setup. I def. wouldn't post it in THIS thread with my 23c Bontrager road tires on it.

That's all. Hardly a fail on my part. Maybe a fail to express my less than seriousness regarding all of this. Post what you will, I'll call it how I see it. :thumbsup:


----------



## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

Don't post it in this thread until it *is* Monstercross. It's just a CX bike until it has fat tires. That Lynskey should be here... http://forums.mtbr.com/cyclocross/post-your-cross-bike-733433.html


----------



## marty_hd (Oct 26, 2005)

nateeprasan said:


> Voodoo Bokor drop bar with gripshift , Alfine 8


How / where did you finagle an Alfine shifter on drop bars?


----------



## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Fat tires stuffed into a road geo frame? check
Rim brakes, not discs? check
Drop bars? check
700c rims? uh....


----------



## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)




----------



## efuentes (Oct 13, 2009)

I hope I qualify 









Saludos


----------



## BluesDawg (Apr 8, 2007)

appleSSeed said:


> I'm just saying that someone could post up Salsas new road bike in this thread if they had Thomson parts on it and some stans wheels?
> 
> It's definitely a sweet bike. I have two Lynskey made frames as well, but I wouldn't even call my La Cruz Ti a monstercross bike and it's got a disc brake, Thomson parts and a 40/35c tire setup. I def. wouldn't post it in THIS thread with my 23c Bontrager road tires on it.
> 
> That's all. Hardly a fail on my part. Maybe a fail to express my less than seriousness regarding all of this. Post what you will, I'll call it how I see it. :thumbsup:


Fail on my part was to not read carefully enough before replying. I misinterpreted the reference to a mountain bike as if you were saying a monstercross bike should be a drop bar 29er. Not the case at all. Also agree that the bike should be shown with fat rubber installed. 40mm qualifies imo, but just barely.


----------



## NEPMTBA (Apr 7, 2007)

A different variation...


----------



## nateeprasan (Mar 18, 2011)

marty_hd said:


> How / where did you finagle an Alfine shifter on drop bars?


I use Alfine 8 hub, Nexus 8 gripshift, and a bar extender. Something like this but with gripshift.


----------



## appleSSeed (Dec 29, 2003)

BluesDawg said:


> Fail on my part was to not read carefully enough before replying. I misinterpreted the reference to a mountain bike as if you were saying a monstercross bike should be a drop bar 29er. Not the case at all. Also agree that the bike should be shown with fat rubber installed. 40mm qualifies imo, but just barely.


*manhug*

:thumbsup:


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

Does this count?


----------



## N10S (Sep 27, 2004)

MMcG said:


> Does this count?


I think so, but your tires look kinda big, and then there are those disc brakes...

When did you pick the Drakkar up? Interested in how you like it SS?

From my perspective the Rawland bikes (particularly the Drakkar) blur the lines between Monstercross and drop bar mountain bikes. I can't say I ever considered my Drakkar a "cyclocross" bike, definitely not a mountain bike either, but really more of a purpose built monster from the start.

Lots of Rawland's showing-up on this page!


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

N10S said:


> I think so, but your tires look kinda big, and then there are those disc brakes...
> 
> When did you pick the Drakkar up? Interested in how you like it SS?
> 
> ...


I found it via an adhuntr.com search. Couldn't pass it up for the price.

I've only ridden it on a short ride. The tires are temporary. that wheelset is currently moving between two bikes.


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

nice Drakkars MMcG and N10S...hehe

MMcG it looks like you put the a chainring bolt/nut in the slider to keep the rear axle in place (that's what I did)...

N10S I'm tempted to go 1x9 myself...but still on the fence with regards to front chainring size. I kind like the symmetry of the two bar end shifters though...

Been swapping some tires to see which fit the "do it all"-ness of the Drakkar...

Nano 29x2.1's seem to fit the bill fine, but are kinda fat.
Duro Miner 29x2.1's are slippery!
Aspen 29x2.1's roll fast, are supple, but are big too.
Schwalbe Smart Sam 700x40c look kinda skinny, and mine got a sidewall cut.
Bontrager 29-3 29x2.0 nice consistent grip, need to drop psi for dirt duty
Vee Rubber Traction Power 29x2.0 rounded profile, low knobs. No dirt or road time yet on these but they look promising!

Photos soon!


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

*Testing new rubber*

Here it is with the Vee's. And a shot of the tread pattern too

Don't mind the duck. He certainly doesn't!


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

There are some really nice bikes here. What would be the minimum tire size to qualify for Monster status? I'm thinking I can fit 37C on one of my bikes. I'm not sure that's big enough.


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## kyttyra (Mar 8, 2012)

My good old Tricross in Monstercross mode from last fall:










Currently it sports 700x45 Resist Nomads (very nice IMO btw) and a riser bar. Still cross-worthy as long as the paths are dry.










It's my crappiest bike, but I love it nevertheless and I have a feeling that I will not get rid of it until the frame breaks <3


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## htdoerge (Oct 22, 2011)

i finally got out for the first time in a while for a monstercross ride on my rawland drakkar. in my opinion monstercross goes beyond tire size/geometry and has a lot to do with the kind of riding i do. monstercross rides for me often include, but are not limited to, riding both pavement and singletrack, usually getting lost, and usually some walking.


----------



## medium pace (Sep 7, 2012)

Just "finished up" my first monster cross build. It's rough right now, but I may work on paint and misc this winter, but until then I will enjoy the hell out of it.

1982 Peugeot road frame with 700x42c, single speed (flip-flop) and midge On-One bars. I still have the original crank and chain rings, but will change that out later when my legs get tired of the 42x18 SS. The original brake calipers have really great clearance and there is no issue with the 42's front or back, lots of room!


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

You need to post a pic, or many pics.


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## jlfreemire (Mar 6, 2011)

photo-69 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Origin8 cx700 frame, salsa stem bar seatpost, sram rival crankset, formula/cxp22 rims, 29x2.1s, bontrager saddle, OR8 tape, tektro levers and kore cantis, 34/18 ratio

It feels like driving a monster truck.


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## yak (Jul 3, 2006)

*1994 avanti monster*

 .


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## N10S (Sep 27, 2004)

agu said:


> Here it is with the Vee's. And a shot of the tread pattern too
> 
> Don't mind the duck. He certainly doesn't!


That vee rubber tire looks cushy. How is that working out? Looks trail worthy for sure.

I recently tried the smaller sized big apple liteskin with kevlar bead..it rolled well but with my riding being mostly off road the knobbies are back on. I came to the conclusion that for me the Drakkar is more fun off road than as a road bike.

Btw- I recently went to a 3x9, but then went back to 1x9 with a change to a 34t ring from 32t. With an 11-34t cassette it covers me pretty well. I think once you get used to a 1x set up you forget the aded gear range even when its available.


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

N10S said:


> That vee rubber tire looks cushy. How is that working out? Looks trail worthy for sure.
> 
> Btw- I recently went to a 3x9, but then went back to 1x9 with a change to a 34t ring from 32t. With an 11-34t cassette it covers me pretty well. I think once you get used to a 1x set up you forget the aded gear range even when its available.


The Vees ride nicely on road and trail. They've got a round profile and roll quietly on tarmac. Took it to a track that had some muddy turns and they performed surprisingly OK...with a bit of rear wheel drift when getting the power down. I guess the width (or lack thereof) made them cut through the mud.

Right now I've put a 10-speed 105 cogset on the back, 12-25 spread, to get a bit more oomph on the road. The barcons are on friction mode anyway so it works ok. Incidentally used that same cog for the trail ride...I've got an XT 11-24 on Blunts and Bontrager 29-3 "rears" for steeper trails.

It's a fun bike, that's for sure!


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## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

Sunday cruise


----------



## justdaman (Jan 1, 2012)

Now with salsa gel bartapE and brooks flyer


----------



## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

FKMTB07 said:


> Then it got stripped of all the touring gear, rebuilt with Dura-Ace/Force parts, and ridden as a geared do-everything bike, and now here is in its current form, using a White Industries Eno Eccentric Disc hub and White Industries freewheel. Surly chainring and Tektro levers round out the setup. 39:17 gearing and a position on the eccentric such that the rotor still lines up with the caliper without any special adapters or modifications.


OMG I friggin LOVE that!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## GrooveNinja (Jun 28, 2004)

Awesome thread!

Curious what everyone thinks about a Volagi Viaje's capabilities as a Monstercross bike? They say 700x45c which isn't that big of tires.

Viaje SL | Volagi


----------



## kustomz (Jan 6, 2004)

GrooveNinja said:


> Awesome thread!
> 
> Curious what everyone thinks about a Volagi Viaje's capabilities as a Monstercross bike? They say 700x45c which isn't that big of tires.
> 
> Viaje SL | Volagi


From the images I have seen, even that size is VERY tight!


----------



## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

justdaman said:


> Now with salsa gel bartapE and brooks flyer


awesome!


----------



## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

i don't remember if i posted in this thread, but here goes: 2011 GT CX series 1; panaracer 700 x 45 front and rear. everything else is stock but for the saddle and pedals. i go almost everywhere on this bike.


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

Been a while since I posted this-and with 700cx35mm it wasn't exactly a "monster" crosser then anyways,LOL! Now with 38mm* it's a bit closer :thumbsup:
Origin 8 700CX

































There's PLENTY of tire clearance front and back,if they'll fit my rims,wanting to try something fatter,say a Nanoraptor (I ride it roads lots  ) next year,also hoping to hit some sweet singletrack on it by week's end 

*tread sidewall says 37mm,but it measures out to 38.5mm,so there


----------



## dwnhlldav (Feb 2, 2006)

*Drop Bar Sawyer*

I bought a Trek Sawyer to use as a commuter. But the more I ride it, the more I love it. I have a set of XT hubs with Velocity P35 rims to use for offroad.


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## Climber999 (May 2, 2009)

I got some flakes about my Devo saddle. Since I changed it and also swapped the midge bar with an ENVE one, I'm permitting myself to post the bike again.


----------



## skiing9689 (Jun 21, 2006)

More of an mtb with dirt drops and cross tires, but still fun


----------



## axcxnj (Jun 23, 2008)

Climber999 said:


> I got some flakes about my Devo saddle. Since I changed it and also swapped the midge bar with an ENVE one, I'm permitting myself to post the bike again.
> 
> View attachment 733586
> 
> View attachment 733587


gunks!

great choice of bike an location


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## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

skiing9689 said:


> More of an mtb with dirt drops and cross tires, but still fun


ooo...that's a beautiful shot!

J.


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

Reefeaxia said:


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Sign me up brother! I'll take all of it. Double of everything.

I just love these innovative internet entrepeneurs.


----------



## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

here's one from my ride last night...the tires are Marathon 700x40s. I'm saving for either some 50s in the same flavor or some Panaracers...










J.


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

Jayson44 said:


> here's one from my ride last night...the tires are Marathon 700x40s. I'm saving for either some 50s in the same flavor or some Panaracers...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


nice shot of the oil can train on the left hand side, too.


----------



## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

*Not 29er*

Maybe it's time this thread was moved to the cyclocross sub forum? I'm pretty excited by this and I thought some of you might be as well.

26" LHT rim brake compatible 650b conversion.


Front


Rear


The 2.1" tires that are mounted rub slightly in a couple of spots, 2" tires that are less aggressive would fit right in. I have a pair of 42mm Contis on the way.


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

Saddle Up said:


> Maybe it's time this thread was moved to the cyclocross sub forum? I'm pretty excited by this and I thought some of you might be as well.


First... really nice bike.

Second... MOVE? Nooooooooooooooooooooooo! It's more or less the only thing I read on the 29'er forum these days since everyone has fallen in love with 150mm fullys.

Sorry... I'm still the rigid fork, hardtail, singlespeed guy.


----------



## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

1 Speed said:


> First... really nice bike.
> 
> Second... MOVE? Nooooooooooooooooooooooo! It's more or less the only thing I read on the 29'er forum these days since everyone has fallen in love with 150mm fullys.
> 
> Sorry... I'm still the rigid fork, hardtail, singlespeed guy.


A resounding +2 here (with the exception that spinal injuries dictate a squishy fork,but yeah,otherwise 100%-please don't move it) :eekster:


----------



## eric_syd (Nov 10, 2005)

*drop 29er or Gravel grinder*

I had pretty much relegated my GT Peace 29 to the garage because it did not have disc tabs and I was not fit enough to ride single speed. I decided to use the frame to build a gravel grinder to ride one hour every morning on roads, bike paths and firetrails around home.
First, I had to modify it to take a rear derailleur. I have dremmeled then glued with Araldite an aluminium derailleur hanger. Hope the bond will be strong enough to take the torque from the derailleur/ chain tension. Then I have drilled the little horizontal tube joining the seatstays to manage the front derailleur. I have built reasonably strong and light wheels with a set of NOS XTR non-disc hubs I had in my parts bin, the only thing I had to buy was a shorter stem... and here we go. I'm quite happy with the outcome. Position both in the hoods or in the drops are great. I have ridden on-road only so far to test it out. I'll get it off-road today or tomorrow.
Hope it fits in this thread.
Eric


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

eric_syd said:


> I had pretty much relegated my GT Peace 29 to the garage because it did not have disc tabs and I was not fit enough to ride single speed. I decided to use the frame to build a gravel grinder to ride one hour every morning on roads, bike paths and firetrails around home.
> First, I had to modify it to take a rear derailleur. I have dremmeled then glued with Araldite an aluminium derailleur hanger. Hope the bond will be strong enough to take the torque from the derailleur/ chain tension. Then I have drilled the little horizontal tube joining the seatstays to manage the front derailleur. I have built reasonably strong and light wheels with a set of NOS XTR non-disc hubs I had in my parts bin, the only thing I had to buy was a shorter stem... and here we go. I'm quite happy with the outcome. Position both in the hoods or in the drops are great. I have ridden on-road only so far to test it out. I'll get it off-road today or tomorrow.
> Hope it fits in this thread.
> Eric


I love it! I'm thinking of building up a frame I have laying aroud to something similar.

Did that bike have a riser or straight handlebar before? If so What type and how long stem/spacers and such did you have before? I mean what was the changes (if any)?

I'm thinking long and hard about converting one of mine to drop bar, only problem is I don't know if I can get a good position on it, comfortable that is. My daily ride had a EFF top tube of 570ish with a 85mm stem and 1 inch riser and the new one 585mm effective, and it will utilize the same lenght fork, andf apparantly the ideal top tube size for me is 540-545 if it was a cross bike.

I'm worried about not getting close enough with the bars even if I get a 35mm stem and short reach bar.


----------



## eric_syd (Nov 10, 2005)

car bone said:


> I love it! I'm thinking of building up a frame I have laying aroud to something similar.
> 
> Did that bike have a riser or straight handlebar before? If so What type and how long stem/spacers and such did you have before? I mean what was the changes (if any)?
> 
> ...


The initial bike had a 90mm stem with slightly riser bar.
I swapped the bars for an inverted On-one Mary which I liked very much but as stated earlier, I was not fit enough for SS so I moved on to gears and disc brakes...and another frame.

As a rule of thumb, the position of your hands in the drops should be identical to what they are with your current setup. I gather from your post that you will need a steep angle (35 deg) stem which is similar in reach to a short stem and brings the bars up at the same time.
I would also recommend a short reach, shallow drop bar like On-one midge or Origin8 Gary. BTW, it's unfortunate you're not in Australia, I have both a Gary and a steep stem in my parts bin that I want to part with....
There have been extensive posts in mtbr about drop bars setup and one where Shiggy made some great pics explaining it. I can't find it right now but read this if you haven't yet. Hope this helps.
Eric
shiggy's Mt Bike Tire Site - Why I Use Dropbars - THE bike tire information resource
Guitar Ted Productions: Drop Bar Mountain Bike Tips: Updated
http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/help-estimating-stem-dropbar-setup-680954.html
http://forums.mtbr.com/cyclocross/drop-bars-771806.html


----------



## junior1210 (Sep 9, 2011)

This might help a little.


----------



## murf99 (Dec 12, 2010)

My favorite bike in the stable









Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

Here is a my personal monstercross rig. I designed it right down to ever last bit, then had my friend Jeff Tessier of Tessierbikes.com build it. Easily the best fabricator I've ever met. He currently designs CNC machines to machine goofy stuff for the medical industry...as well as designs to the parts they make. Brilliant. 

Highlights:
*Bruce Gordon rock n road tires-If anyone wants to know why some of us argue it ain't monstercross if it's a 29er with drop bars....this tire proves our point. 43mm wide super all around tire. Rolls faster than many cyclocross treads on gravel/pavement, but hooks up better than many 2.2 tires on the market. 

*ENVE Carbon top tube/seattube. Goal was less weight reduction and more stiffness/vibration damping. Goal achieved and then some. 

*On One Midge dirt drop 31.8. Tough one to beat for true all around use. That said, I do love the Ragley Luxy for pure off road and single speed usage. 

*Gearing 42x18

This is my go to every day bike. I do have a Salsa Chili Con Crosso for putting on miles and a Santa Cruz TRc for tackling off road trails here in CO with the crew. But I've ridden most of our Colorado Springs area trails in the city limits no problem on this.


----------



## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

juansevo said:


> Here is a my personal monstercross rig. I designed it right down to ever last bit, then had my friend Jeff Tessier of Tessierbikes.com build it. Easily the best fabricator I've ever met. He currently designs CNC machines to machine goofy stuff for the medical industry...as well as designs to the parts they make. Brilliant.
> 
> Highlights:
> *Bruce Gordon rock n road tires-If anyone wants to know why some of us argue it ain't monstercross if it's a 29er with drop bars....this tire proves our point. 43mm wide super all around tire. Rolls faster than many cyclocross treads on gravel/pavement, but hooks up better than many 2.2 tires on the market.
> ...


Very nice looking bike dude! I bet it's a blast to ride.


----------



## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

juansevo said:


> Here is a my personal monstercross rig. I designed it right down to ever last bit, then had my friend Jeff Tessier of Tessierbikes.com build it. Easily the best fabricator I've ever met. He currently designs CNC machines to machine goofy stuff for the medical industry...as well as designs to the parts they make. Brilliant.
> 
> Highlights:
> *Bruce Gordon rock n road tires-If anyone wants to know why some of us argue it ain't monstercross if it's a 29er with drop bars....this tire proves our point. 43mm wide super all around tire. Rolls faster than many cyclocross treads on gravel/pavement, but hooks up better than many 2.2 tires on the market.
> ...


Wow. Really nice looking. I bet that's a ton of fun.


----------



## russd32 (Jun 13, 2006)

^^ That bike is purdy!


----------



## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

SSSasky said:


> Wow. Really nice looking. I bet that's a ton of fun.


Thanks! I spec'ed the whole thing down to ever bit. It's really fun to ride and it's what I ride the most when it's just me. Simple and sweet. Have it designed to take a belt drive as well as a 1x setup as well which I may try this Spring. Also have a set of Magura road levers/canti's i'm thinking of adding.


----------



## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

juansevo said:


> Thanks! I spec'ed the whole thing down to ever bit. It's really fun to ride and it's what I ride the most when it's just me. Simple and sweet. Have it designed to take a belt drive as well as a 1x setup as well which I may try this Spring. Also have a set of Magura road levers/canti's i'm thinking of adding.


What was your thinking on the fork? It's an older Lemond fork, no? Did you just really like the ride or something?

I'm just curious, because it seems like a bit of a 'spare-no-expense' frame, so I'm surprised to see a (possibly) re-used fork rather than a new purpose selected/built fork.

Whatever the case, it looks like a great build. I'd love to have it in my stable, that's for sure.


----------



## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

SSSasky said:


> What was your thinking on the fork? It's an older Lemond fork, no? Did you just really like the ride or something?
> 
> I'm just curious, because it seems like a bit of a 'spare-no-expense' frame, so I'm surprised to see a (possibly) re-used fork rather than a new purpose selected/built fork.
> 
> Whatever the case, it looks like a great build. I'd love to have it in my stable, that's for sure.


I had a carbon IRD fork on it at one time. Never really liked it. Knew someone who wanted it so sold it.

I really like the ride actually of an aluminum fork. I had this on something else so threw it on as a "in the meantime" solution, but it's now been on there a year.

Debated having a steel fork made for it. Debated some of the newer carbon options out their in the cross world. But right now, I have other experiments I want to run with (tubulars, ti seat posts, possible ti stem concept) that I'm more curious about than the fork. Will the day come? Probably, but for now the tubular project is higher up on the ladder and getting a website built/logo done (which is close) for monstercrosser.com is taking priority.

Well....that and just riding. I find more I ride the more new crap for the bike gets pushed aside actually.


----------



## htdoerge (Oct 22, 2011)

an older picture of my rawland drakkar while testing out my revelate designs set up.


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## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

htdoerge said:


> an older picture of my rawland drakkar while testing out my revelate designs set up.


So sick!


----------



## murf99 (Dec 12, 2010)

My origin8 cx700 after swapping forks for a 26" salsa cromoto has enough room for a 29x2.25 ardent and only raised the axle to crown by 20mm .I was unable to tell any difference in handling

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## kid_dynamite (Jan 20, 2008)

Some good looking builds here...


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## kid_dynamite (Jan 20, 2008)

Updated pic of my Monster Model 1









details..Custom Titanium, Monster Bicycles Custom Titanium, Columbia, MO HOME


----------



## RobRobideau (Oct 12, 2012)

kid_dynamite said:


> Updated pic of my Monster Model 1
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That is just plain gorgeous!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

kid_dynamite said:


> Updated pic of my Monster Model 1
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's a really sweet bike! Hurray big MO.

Love your trials there. I'm originally from KC and was the IMBA rep. for many years as well as racing all over the mid-west.


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

Ad bought: Rawland Drakkar large Monster Cross frameset - Buy and Sell and Review Mountain Bikes and Accessories

Rawland Drakkar for sale.


----------



## htdoerge (Oct 22, 2011)

finally got around to swapping the 50 tooth chainring on my drakkar for a 44. now running 44-34 with a 12-36 cassette, i think this could be the perfect monstercross set up.


----------



## intheways (Apr 19, 2004)

nateeprasan said:


> Voodoo Bokor drop bar with gripshift , Alfine 8


Kickass! I've been considering with doing the same thing. How do you like it?


----------



## schnee (Oct 15, 2005)

Update of my do-it-all bike with big honkin' Schwalbe Marathon 40c tires.


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

intheways said:


> Kickass! I've been considering with doing the same thing. How do you like it?


That looks nice like that - probably due to the tall head tube on those Bokor 29er frames.


----------



## The_Boy (Sep 15, 2005)

I've posted a couple of my previous Monstercross bikes on this thread, but this is my current one. Technically its a drop bar 29er, but whatever, I consider it Monstercross:


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

The_Boy said:


> I've posted a couple of my previous Monstercross bikes on this thread, but this is my current one. Technically its a drop bar 29er, but whatever, I consider it Monstercross:


Still, I kind of like it.


----------



## zuk88 (Feb 16, 2005)

Nashbar X with 700 x 40c....soon to be sold to fund a Long Haul Monster Trucker build.


----------



## dtheo (Sep 18, 2005)

can I get a rundown of tires from ~1.6-1.9 size that are readily available these days?
performance opinions too.
I have a bonty 1.8 which I love but it needs a match

thanks,
DT


----------



## Retlaw (Nov 6, 2010)

You guys have built some beautiful bikes!
Here's my first attempt.... I swapped most of the components from my 1999 Redline Conquest onto this '09 Redline disc frame I scored on eBay for $150. 
Wheels are 29'er WTB Laserdiscs with a Deore 525 rear hub with axle washers removed to fit the 130mm rear spacing of the frame.
Tires are Smart Sam 700x40's that just fit the rear. Close spaced knobs in the center should provide road smoothness, and aggressive side knobs will work nicely on dirt.
Avid BB5 brakes, 12x32 XTR rear cogs with a XT derailleur. A 50x34 crankset is on the way to replace the roadie 39x53's. Barely got a chance to ride it, but it works real nice in the 1 inch snow we just had.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

zuk88 said:


> View attachment 767957
> 
> 
> Nashbar X with 700 x 40c....soon to be sold to fund a Long Haul Monster Trucker build.


Are you doing the standard LHT or the disc LHT? The disc might be real interesting. I've always thought a 26" disc with 650B would be an outrageous build. You certainly won't see too many others like it. Good luck.


----------



## jfcooper (Apr 12, 2007)

Outcast step up for gravel grinding.


----------



## zuk88 (Feb 16, 2005)

CS2 said:


> Are you doing the standard LHT or the disc LHT? The disc might be real interesting. I've always thought a 26" disc with 650B would be an outrageous build. You certainly won't see too many others like it. Good luck.


I'll be using the Disc Trucker frame with some of the parts off the Nashbar build. I want to keep the Soma bar, Brooks saddle, WTB wheelset, and use downtube shifters for a vintage look.









The Nashbar is in single speed road mode right now....only 35c tires with fenders.


----------



## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

dtheo said:


> can I get a rundown of tires from ~1.6-1.9 size that are readily available these days?
> performance opinions too.
> I have a bonty 1.8 which I love but it needs a match
> 
> ...


Here's a partial list of some of the newer(ish) tires out there:
Clement X'Plor MSO
Bruce Gordon Rock n' Road
Vee Rubber X-C-X
Schwable Marathon Extreme/Dureme/Mondial

Check the Gravel Ginder websites. With gravel racing taking off big time, I think there will be a lot more monstercross-type tires coming in the near future.


----------



## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

bolandjd said:


> Schwable Marathon Extreme


good luck finding these in the States in 700x40. I just sold a pair to get some 700x44 Mutanos and I'm hoping I don't regret it...

J.


----------



## marcinski (Jul 11, 2010)

May I add Schwalbe Smart Sam 700x47 to the list. I fitted them recently to Cross Check, seem nice so far.
Marcin


----------



## skankingbiker (Jan 15, 2010)

jfcooper said:


> View attachment 768560
> 
> Outcast step up for gravel grinding.


Is that an old Binachi pista saddle on there?


----------



## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

marcinski said:


> May I add Schwalbe Smart Sam 700x47 to the list. I fitted them recently to Cross Check, seem nice so far.
> Marcin


how do you like them? have any pics?

J.


----------



## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

scored a NOS set of Mutano 44s on ebay for $20. 










plenty of room:









excited to see how these do on the trails vs the Marathon XRs...

J.


----------



## marcinski (Jul 11, 2010)

Jayson44 said:


> how do you like them? have any pics?
> 
> J.


Sorry only crappy cellphone picture:









I like them so far, although haven't ridden them too much and only in conditions like in the picture. They fit with sufficient clearance and are relatively light and fast rolling.

Marcin


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## 4Crawler (Oct 30, 2011)

bolandjd said:


> Here's a partial list of some of the newer(ish) tires out there:
> Clement X'Plor MSO
> Bruce Gordon Rock n' Road
> Vee Rubber X-C-X
> ...


I've been running the 700x40 Marathon Mondail tires on my cross bike about 8 months now. I'm really liking the tires, especially since I mounted them tubeless last fall. Thy roll fast on pavement and hook up pretty well off pavement, running at 28/30 psi (F/R) and seem to be wearing well:


















- Monstercross Bicycle Build


----------



## GreatWhite415 (Jan 18, 2013)

Looked over this thread many times during my build. Full build details in my sig, but the quick version-
56cm Cross Check
36h King rear/White front laced to ceramic Open Pros 
105 shifters, XT RD, Ultegra FD, 44/36 front, 11-32 rear 
TRP Eurox brakes
Salsa cockpit


----------



## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

*Volagi*

Running Bruce Gordon Rock and Road tires. Very smooth riding bike.


----------



## Ampelhasser (Mar 21, 2010)

my Karate Monkey.


----------



## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

I love that! :thumbsup:


----------



## Drew Diller (Jan 4, 2010)

Ampelhasser said:


> my Karate Monkey.
> 
> View attachment 774672


Dude. That's a proper bike to my eyes.


----------



## eric_syd (Nov 10, 2005)

*Cannondale*

Not sure it is a monstercross but it did not fit anywhere else.
Not been off-road with it yet. Trails are soaked and closed here.
Love the WTB bars.


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

eric_syd said:


> Not sure it is a monstercross but it did not fit anywhere else.
> Not been off-road with it yet. Trails are soaked and closed here.
> Love the WTB bars.


I'm not sure either, but it gets extra credit points for being the best looking bike I've seen in years.


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

I don't know either but credit to you for finding a use for an old Crack-n-fail. That was back during that short time that they made pretty decent bikes.



eric_syd said:


> Not sure it is a monstercross but it did not fit anywhere else.
> Not been off-road with it yet. Trails are soaked and closed here.
> Love the WTB bars.


----------



## eric_syd (Nov 10, 2005)

CS2 said:


> I'm not sure either, but it gets extra credit points for being the best looking bike I've seen in years.


Thanks CS2


----------



## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

finally got to put my new tires on some dirt...I love 'em. better in the dirt than the Marathon XRs & just as "loud" on the pavement.










J.


----------



## mojak (Sep 27, 2005)

hi guys...quick question...

if my road bike is a 44cm width nitto bar, should i get the 42 or 46cm woodchipper bar?
thank you.


----------



## htdoerge (Oct 22, 2011)

i'd say 46cm. i've never regretted having a little more leverage gained from a wider bar.


----------



## ocbuk (Sep 5, 2011)

My Gryphon, out in the backwoods yesterday.
Granted, not a great shot for details, rather one in which the bike is seen in it's natural environment ...


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## mojak (Sep 27, 2005)

htdoerge said:


> i'd say 46cm. i've never regretted having a little more leverage gained from a wider bar.


tq..i'm contemplating on whether to build a Gryphon to try out dropbar style mtb or get the Jones diamond frame and use dropbar on it.

looking at the numbers between those 2, think the Jones has a slightly longer tt (23), slightly lower fork (435mm) and slightly lower headtube length..

so far none has tried dropbar on the Jones yet so dont know what effect it might have on the so-called Jones feel if using woodchipper on it.


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

mojak said:


> tq..i'm contemplating on whether to build a Gryphon to try out dropbar style mtb or get the Jones diamond frame and use dropbar on it.
> 
> looking at the numbers between those 2, think the Jones has a slightly longer tt (23), slightly lower fork (435mm) and slightly lower headtube length..
> 
> so far none has tried dropbar on the Jones yet so dont know what effect it might have on the so-called Jones feel if using woodchipper on it.


I, personally, would go the Singular route. Partly because you'd be leaning toward the direction the bike was designed to be used instead of adapting a mountain bike and because I actually it's a better bike than the other option.


----------



## JKLDK (Feb 21, 2013)

*Singular Peregrine*

In its latest winter monstercross incarnation. The frame is a little big, so I'm planning on getting a smaller one.


----------



## brdpkns (Oct 17, 2011)

1/2 disc Cross Check


----------



## mojak (Sep 27, 2005)

hi, can i know if anyone tried to combine the shimano road bar end shifters to the mtb 2x10 mtb groupset like the xt or slx, is there any problem with shifting?


----------



## 4Crawler (Oct 30, 2011)

I'm running 10sp bar end shifters with an SLX triple crank and a 9sp XT RD w/ 10sp cassette and it works perfect:
- DSCF1325


----------



## mojak (Sep 27, 2005)

4Crawler said:


> I'm running 10sp bar end shifters with an SLX triple crank and an XT RD w/ 10sp cassette and it works perfect:
> - DSCF1325


Thanks, Im sourcing for parts to build a Singular Gryphon and thinking of getting the Retroshift CXV shifters and lever combo to an XT or SLX 2x10 setup.


----------



## The Gen (Sep 9, 2012)

Ampelhasser said:


> my Karate Monkey.
> 
> View attachment 774672


One of the best I ever seen.... spectacular!


----------



## mpolka (Mar 8, 2013)

There's no doubt about it, that blue karate monkey is gorgeous.


----------



## A1an (Jun 3, 2007)

Based on how some define "monstercross" this may qualify. Civilian Vive Le Roi with a 700x40 Happy Medium squeezed up front. Wheelset is Bontrager Rhythm Comp from a GF Paragon I parted out a while ago. Largest tire I could get in the rear is a 700x35 SB8. Great for smooth single track but I need more volume for most of what we have around here (really rooty). Mostly using this bike for road...paved, gravel, and dirt. Thinking about building a Karate Monkey or a Fisticuff for rides with more single track involved.

Before new bar:









As it sits now:


----------



## f3rg (Aug 29, 2007)

I see the occasional 26er in this thread, so I'll go ahead and post mine, too.

It started out as just a cheap Fisher Wahoo, that I purchased just so I could get a hold of the frame (aside from the super steep top tube, it exactly matches the geometry of my '99 Fisher SuperCaliber). Stripped it of all its cheap parts, and just did a simple flat-bar set-up for a few years, until I discovered I prefer the feel of riding drop bars.

So, I stole some parts off one of my road bikes, upgraded to a SRAM X9 10-speed drivetrain, and now it's just about right. I have a lighter rigid fork on the way, and some Shimano CX75 calipers I need to mount (to replace the BB7 MTN + Travel Agent kludge), and it should be done. Weight should be about 19.7lbs with the rigid fork and Kenda Klimax tires, or 23lbs+ with a suspension fork and 2.2 Nevegals.

Using a 48T large ring, I have roughly the same top gear as a CX bike with 35c tires and 46x11 gears.


----------



## mojak (Sep 27, 2005)

mojak said:


> Thanks, Im sourcing for parts to build a Singular Gryphon and thinking of getting the Retroshift CXV shifters and lever combo to an XT or SLX 2x10 setup.


it seems that the Retroshift CXV is unable to be mated to a 10speed XT dyna-sis rear d...now I need to decide whether to use 9speed XT with the CXV or use bar end 10speed shifters and normal Tektro rl520 brake levers..

can those who use bar end shifting tell me how is your experience shifting using bar end shifters offroad like?


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

f3rg said:


> I see the occasional 26er in this thread, so I'll go ahead and post mine, too.
> 
> It started out as just a cheap Fisher Wahoo, that I purchased just so I could get a hold of the frame (aside from the super steep top tube, it exactly matches the geometry of my '99 Fisher SuperCaliber). Stripped it of all its cheap parts, and just did a simple flat-bar set-up for a few years, until I discovered I prefer the feel of riding drop bars.
> 
> ...


I love it. I'm building something similar myself, but it will be road going. and steel. Maybe I can show it in a month or so. I had the salsa cromoto 425mm fork (with ground off canti studs) on my last bike and while it was steep at 72.5 HA it was riding quite well, I got used to it very fast, supposedly it gave a trail of 57mm, and thats neutral.


----------



## f3rg (Aug 29, 2007)

car bone said:


> I love it. I'm building something similar myself, but it will be road going. and steel. Maybe I can show it in a month or so. I had the salsa cromoto 425mm fork (with ground off canti studs) on my last bike and while it was steep at 72.5 HA it was riding quite well, I got used to it very fast, supposedly it gave a trail of 57mm, and thats neutral.


I originally had a suspension fork with 80mm of travel on it, but I put on a rigid because I plan on doing mostly gravel riding for a while, and wanted less weight. It dropped the head tube by about an inch, and immediately improved the handling (I started out on this frame using this fork, but had forgotten how well it handled). A-C is 445mm, so I found a lighter fork with the same a-c to drop weight further, but I'm still waiting on it to arrive. I'm considering modifying my suspension fork for 65mm of travel to keep the head angle about the same when I go back to that fork. It's internally adjusted (pain. in. the. ass.), with settings at 80, 110, 120, and 140mm. I just need to grab a drill press and add my own holes.










Oh, I ground off my frame's canti studs, too: :thumbsup:


----------



## mpolka (Mar 8, 2013)

Ken2neth said:


> I have an embarrassingly large number of saved photos of drop barred 29er/cross bikes.


That's nothing to be embarrassed about. I've got a sizable folder full of bike pictures.


----------



## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

*Cross Check as Roadie/Gravel/Commuter/Bikepacker*

I'm primarily a mountain bike rider for about 2/3 of the year, but during the months of December through April I do a lot of road riding, a century or two, and some mountain bike races. There are many miles of gravel roads around here, from the valley floor of northern California, basically to Nevada. I'd like to build up a bike that can still work well for dedicated road rides with 23-25c skinnies, but also be well equipped to handle mixed road/gravel rides, and some off-road touring with wider CX tires.

My thought is to take my aluminum frame road bike and swap almost everything over to a Surly Cross Check frame. Right now, I can max out on the road frame with 25c tires...which just sucks on the fast downhill gravel road sections. My hands and feet are literally numb, and corners are sketchy...not a lot of fun. I'm thinking this would be a lot different with 40c tires. I already have a FS bike and an older steel frame 26" hardtail, but those are suited well for trail rides and I'd like to keep them that way.

So what do you think? Good idea, or should I just keep the roadie as is and build a dedicated montstercross rig?

From this:









To this:









+ A couple of these:









+ a couple of these in 700x40c:


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

Your plan seems solid. You may want to plan on a different stem and possibly some bars with a bit of outward flair to them. That's what works for me anyway.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

The Gen said:


> One of the best I ever seen.... spectacular!





mpolka said:


> There's no doubt about it, that blue karate monkey is gorgeous.


I have an honest question. I've posted my drop-bar equipped Ogre in this thread, and been bashed, because obviously, it's not monstercross. It's a drop-bar 29er, and therefore I'm an idiot. How is it then, that this blue Karate Monkey (which shares the exact same frame geometry/specs as the Ogre), is such a stunning example of 'Monstercross'?

I mean don't get me wrong. I love the blue monkey. And I understand that everyone has a different definition of what monstercross actually is....

Maybe I'm just discovering that it's ME that no one likes :lol:

Not to re-ignite the debate, but can someone clarify?

Here's my non-monstercross drop-bar 29er idiot bike:


----------



## Drew Diller (Jan 4, 2010)

CommuterBoy said:


> Not to re-ignite the debate, but can someone clarify?


What I think:


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

Anything from a fat tired cyclocross bike to a drop bar 29er counts as a monstercross in my book.


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## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

if you ride it, and you like it, who cares what people on the internet think? 

J.


----------



## mpolka (Mar 8, 2013)

CommuterBoy said:


> I mean don't get me wrong. I love the blue monkey. And I understand that everyone has a different definition of what monstercross actually is....
> 
> Maybe I'm just discovering that it's ME that no one likes :lol:
> 
> ...


The blue monkey is really simple and elegant, that's why so many people have been complimenting it (and the color is sweet!) your bike is really similar and I think it's pretty awesome too. Don't let "strict" definitions about category upset you, all that classification stuff is made up by some internet snob anyway.


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

If it has drop bars, and whatever size tires that are uci illegal for cross then its a monster cross.


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Oh don't think I'm worried about what people think. :lol: If that was the case I would have killed myself the first time I built a drop-bar 29er.


----------



## CBUL (Jan 7, 2011)

*Dirty Blue Cross Check set up for spring gravel.*

### 58cm Cross Check build with all sorts of possibilities.


----------



## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

car bone said:


> If it has drop bars, and whatever size tires that are uci illegal for cross then its a monster cross.


Best definition of monstercross, imho.


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

GTscoob said:


> It's pretty plain as day. They're cyclocross bikes with the fattest tires possible shoehorned into the frame and fork.
> 
> Seems like most of them max out at 700x45 or so.
> 
> Your Ogre is a drop-bar 29er with massive tire clearance. Drop bars and 29" wheels =/ monstercross.


Just to throw some gasoline on the fire :lol:

I understand this conundrum... the "'cross" part of Monstercross implies that it's a CX bike. The "monster" implies that it's got tires that are too big for normal competition use.

But the problem with this whole 'define the term' thing in light of the approved rules of cyclocross is that we have to begin with the assumption that we should take cyclocross seriously :lol:


----------



## CBUL (Jan 7, 2011)

Commuter Boy- Maybe blue is more attractive than booger green.....
I must tell you I dig the Ogre I have a gray Karate Monkey that seems not to turn heads as well but I like subtle. Thumbs up for the Booger green Ogre. Want flashy? Strip it down of green and Chrome that thang! 


As Kermit says "Its not easy being green"

I raced my Monkey in Cyclocross. I didn't do very well but I had style points.

Good Game!


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

CBUL said:


> I raced my Monkey in Cyclocross.


OOh, see, that adds a whole new level of complication and/or validation to the situation of justification of title application in the monstercross nation. The temptation from this revelation is to say my creation meets legalization... so less defamation from the population is a logical ramification.


----------



## CBUL (Jan 7, 2011)

Commuterboy- You go and run with scissors! Its all good brother.


----------



## seewhatididther (Oct 3, 2010)

Anyone tried the Specialized Ground Control 29x1.9? It's probably more tire than I'd need for my Vaya (and possible more than will fit!).

My other options are the 29x1.9 XR0 and xr1, both available locally, but they don't have that sweet knobby look.


----------



## mpolka (Mar 8, 2013)

seewhatididther said:


> Anyone tried the Specialized Ground Control 29x1.9? It's probably more tire than I'd need for my Vaya (and possible more than will fit!).
> 
> My other options are the 29x1.9 XR0 and xr1, both available locally, but they don't have that sweet knobby look.


Have you considered the WTB moto 1.9? I am thinking about getting a pair but I'm not sure how they actually measure up. They certainly have a sweet knobby look.


----------



## seewhatididther (Oct 3, 2010)

mpolka said:


> Have you considered the WTB moto 1.9? I am thinking about getting a pair but I'm not sure how they actually measure up. They certainly have a sweet knobby look.


Those Motos look intense! Probably knobbier / slower than the Ground Control, plus the WTB site lists them at 690 grams.


----------



## mpolka (Mar 8, 2013)

I'm less concerned with low weight and rolling resistance and more concerned with grip and awesomeness. I've also had bad experiences with durability with specialized tires in the past.

Here's my homemade lugged monster cross.


----------



## CBUL (Jan 7, 2011)

Mpolka- Cool ride! I dig the bear trap pedals.Looks like allot of tire in the front fork! 

Very cool.


----------



## bolo (Sep 30, 2009)

JKLDK said:


> In its latest winter monstercross incarnation. The frame is a little big, so I'm planning on getting a smaller one.


I love this bike


----------



## mpolka (Mar 8, 2013)

CBUL said:


> Mpolka- Cool ride! I dig the bear trap pedals.Looks like allot of tire in the front fork!
> 
> Very cool.


 Thanks, bear traps are my favorite non clipless pedal. The tires are 2.1s, it's definitely a squeeze. I'm gonna try 1.9s soon though.


----------



## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

I got a look at the WTB 1.9 motos at a shop the other day...GTed measured them at 49mm at the knobs, so I would think they'd fit my Cross Check. just bought a brand new pair of tires for it, though, so they'll have to wait. but they looked pretty sweet!

J.


----------



## seewhatididther (Oct 3, 2010)

I ended up with the XR1 1.9s for my Vaya. I tried to talk myself up to something knobbier, but based on how I use it, that would've been a waste.


----------



## Super E (Nov 5, 2004)

My new spring project...


----------



## Space Robot (Sep 13, 2008)

Hi guys, I've been looking through this thread, but don't remember seeing a Surly LHT. Anyone have one of these? How wide can you go? Their site says 45 on the 700c frame but is it possible to go bigger? Say, 1.9's?


----------



## mpolka (Mar 8, 2013)

cackalacky said:


> Hi guys, I've been looking through this thread, but don't remember seeing a Surly LHT. Anyone have one of these? How wide can you go? Their site says 45 on the 700c frame but is it possible to go bigger?


I've got a disc trucker fork on my bike and it will squeeze a 29x2.1


----------



## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Here is how it kind of stands now, still working out a few other pieces. The fork is a Nashbar cross fork (Winwood) and will take a 47c Smart Sam without fenders, I can not get my "1.9" RK in that fork though. This is more for gravel then singletrack these days, and I just got the Cowbell 3 today (literally just finished taping it).

Makeshift parts spec
54cm Vassago Fisticuff
Hope Pro 2 hubs on Jalco X320 rims (poo rims)
Sram Apex Compact 52/34
Shimano XT Cassette 11-32
Shimano XTR m960 RD
Shimano LX fd
Time ATAC XS/Alums
King cages
CC S3 Headset
Tiagra 9 speed shifters
Nashbar Carbon Cyclocross fork
Salsa Skewers
Salsa Cowbell 3 bar
Panaracer Pasela 35c
Avid BB7_Roads

The saddle will be replaced, am looking for a Brooks B17 probably in the mandarin color hopefully.

Got a lot of gravel to cover this year and this had taken most of it on the Pasela's no less.


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## hillharman (Sep 8, 2011)

Kona Offers Sneak Peek of 2014 Titanium Rove - Bike Rumor

This has me excited.


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

hillharman said:


> Kona Offers Sneak Peek of 2014 Titanium Rove - Bike Rumor
> 
> This has me excited.


Looks nice. I can not imagine that being the final build spec of it though. It has TRP Hydro's, Whiskey Fork, and Stan's ZTR wheels I think we will see a weaker spec more Kona housed pieces. Either way it's nice to see more of these to compete with Salsa.


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## hillharman (Sep 8, 2011)

Mr Pink57 said:


> Looks nice. I can not imagine that being the final build spec of it though. It has TRP Hydro's, Whiskey Fork, and Stan's ZTR wheels I think we will see a weaker spec more Kona housed pieces. Either way it's nice to see more of these to compete with Salsa.


I'm expecting it to be available as a frame. That's how they sell the Raijin.


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## monogod (Feb 10, 2006)

hillharman said:


> Kona Offers Sneak Peek of 2014 Titanium Rove - Bike Rumor
> 
> This has me excited.


yup.


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## Space Robot (Sep 13, 2008)

mpolka said:


> I've got a disc trucker fork on my bike and it will squeeze a 29x2.1


Great, thanks! Anyone know about the LHT frame rear tire clearance?


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## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

cackalacky said:


> Hi guys, I've been looking through this thread, but don't remember seeing a Surly LHT. Anyone have one of these? How wide can you go? Their site says 45 on the 700c frame but is it possible to go bigger? Say, 1.9's?


I posted mine a while back. Alas, it isn't monstercrossed anymore, or I'd post a new pic. But yes, the LHT is a fabulour monstercross platform. My experience with my 700c old skool 'Rim-Trucker' is 45mm barely fits in the back and there's a little more room than that in the front. Keep in mind that many tires' listed sizes aren't accurate and often the tire width will vary depending on your rim width. So, some tires listed as 50 mm or 1.9" will fit.

P.S. That new (old) skin-walled BG Rock n' Road would look KILLER on my Trucker.


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## Space Robot (Sep 13, 2008)

bolandjd said:


> My experience with my 700c old skool 'Rim-Trucker' is 45mm barely fits in the back and there's a little more room than that in the front.


 Thanks! So was it the brake calipers or the actual frame that was closer to the tire in the back? Looking at the disc trucker so wonder if that would be any better clearance wise...

Nevermind, you said there's more room in the front, so I can assume it's the frame...


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## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

cackalacky said:


> Thanks! So was it the brake calipers or the actual frame that was closer to the tire in the back? Looking at the disc trucker so wonder if that would be any better clearance wise...
> 
> Nevermind, you said there's more room in the front, so I can assume it's the frame...


 Yeah, the limiter is the chainstay bridge. There's plenty of room between the seatstays.


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## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

I'm not sure if this fits in here or not: Waterford 650b Monstercross with Grand Bois Hetre tires.

I've got about 48mm of clearance in the back, which is about 3mm to small for the smallest 650b knobby tire (Pacenti Quasi moto). The fork can fit a 650x2.1b though.

Hopefully someone comes out with a 650x1.9 soon, but until then I'm totally content ripping around on these Hetres (love them!)


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

zxebay said:


> I'm not sure if this fits in here or not.
> 
> I've got about 48mm of clearance in the back, which is about 3mm to small for the smallest 650b knobby tire (Pacenti Quasi moto). The fork can fit a 650x2.1b though.
> 
> Hopefully someone comes out with a 650x1.9 soon, but until then I'm totally content ripping around on these Hetres (love them!)


What model is that? I didn't know Waterford did anything with a disc.


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## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

Waterford makes custom bikes. I asked them for a 650b disc frame compatible with a Road BB and as much clearance as they could muster.


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

Beautiful build but really needs a more traditional looking crank. Everything else screams retro except for the spaceage DA crank. 

Any reason why silver seatpost and black stem?


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## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

GTscoob said:


> Beautiful build but really needs a more traditional looking crank. Everything else screams retro except for the spaceage DA crank.
> 
> Any reason why silver seatpost and black stem?


I may eventually swap the DA crankset for a black, White industries (or something else, got any suggestions?).

As for the stem, it's temporary. I'm waiting to get a stem made.


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

zxebay said:


> I may eventually swap the DA crankset for a black, White industries (or something else, got any suggestions?).
> 
> As for the stem, it's temporary. I'm waiting to get a stem made.


If I got to build your bike, I'd do something like the Middleburn RS8 - clean lines, compatible with external BBs, lightweight, removable spider with SS and geared chainring options. Most of the classy looking cranks limit you to square taper BBs which are fine on commuters and pub bikes . . .


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## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

While those Middleburns are very nice looking, would it be possible to put road size chain rings on them? I can't imagine going any lower than a 48T big ring on this bike.


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

Finally I have something worthy of posting in this amazing thread I started all these years ago. I want to thank everyone who has posted their amazing bikes for inspiration. I decided to pick up a Motobecane Fantom Cross Ti with Rival gruppo. I've had it for almost two years now, but just took the 32c Kenda Kwickers and put on 40c Kenda Happy Mediums. That makes it officially monstercross, by my definition at least. I've ridden the past three days in a row on the new tires, and I'm liking the increased volume for off road. Traction and braking are definitely improved. Also swapped to Woodchippers, which I like; I just need to get the position dialed in as they are currently too low even with the flipped stem.

For the price I payed for this bike, I'm more than pleased. I still might go with a custom frame in the future for more tire clearance and S&S couplers. Also a few other odds and ends I want to swap out, but I'm getting closer to my do-it-all dream bike.


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## TooSteep (Oct 6, 2012)

*Where can I get a frame like this one?*

I found picture of a stunning SS 'cross type' bike with wide tires on an old forum post. It is a custom made bike by Ezra Caldwell of Fast Boy Cycles:









The Schwalbe Super Moto's are 26x2.35" (60mm wide).

Are there frames available with these characteristics: gently sloping top tube, lots of fork rake (low trail), canti or v-brake mounts and clearance for 60mm tires ?

I have been looking for an off-the-shelf frame with these characteristics, but have come up empty. Does anyone have any ideas?


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## Drew Diller (Jan 4, 2010)

TooSteep said:


> I found picture of a stunning SS 'cross type' bike with wide tires on an old forum post. It is a custom made bike by Ezra Caldwell of Fast Boy Cycles:
> 
> View attachment 792349


That's a pretty sweet bike. I'm sorry I can't give you recommendations you'll like because I prefer disk brakes. (I'm riding a Gravity Zilla where I swapped in a 26" x 40mm rim, and Schwalbe Big Apple 26x2.35" in the rear, and a Maxxis Hookworm 26x2.5" in the front. I plan on making my own frame that'll take the Maxxis in the rear as well. Sorry that doesn't inform you at all, I'm going to stop talking...

My favorite has to be one of Velobike's rides.


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## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

TooSteep said:


> I found picture of a stunning SS 'cross type' bike with wide tires on an old forum post. It is a custom made bike by Ezra Caldwell of Fast Boy Cycles:
> 
> The Schwalbe Super Moto's are 26x2.35" (60mm wide).
> 
> ...


If you would consider a coaster hub instead of v-brakes, the Handsome Cycles Shop Bike is probably the closest production bike you'll find aesthetic wise.

Shop Bike | Handsome Cycles

If you are set on v-brakes / canti, your best bet would probably be the Surly 1x1. Not the same aesthetic at all, but it's got tons of tire clearance, sloping top tube, and canti studs.

I don't think you'll find a *low-trail* 26" wheel *production* frame.

If low trail is *more* important than a gently sloping toptube, and you are willing to consider 650B wheels instead of 26", the Velo-Orange Polyvalent should be on your shopping list.

Polyvalent MK II Frame and Fork - Polyvalent - Frames

Canti studs, low trail, SS or geared, clearance for 55mm tires without fenders, super nice aesthetic.

Re: low trail - have you ridden a lot with a low trail bike? If not, I wouldn't make it a high priority for your shopping list. Everyone I know who has high and low trail bikes say there isn't much difference (unless you always ride with a loaded front rack). I ride a high trail cross bike with a loaded porteur rack (sometimes up to nearly 50lbs) daily, and it handles fine. Low trail would be nice, but high trail is no deal breaker for me.


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## TooSteep (Oct 6, 2012)

Thanks for the info. I'll look in to those suggestions. Hadn't thought of putting a 26x2.35 on a 45mm CC clearance bike. Hadn't thought of the Shop Bike. I had looked at the XOXO, and determined there wasn't enough clearance. (I just looked at the shop bike. The aesthetics appeal to me. They say 26x2.25 max, but they usually leave enough wiggle room with specs to fit in 2.35's. Hmmm...)

To clarify - I like the aesthetic of the swept fork, and the comfort of the compliant ride. I can live with more trail. I would be very happy to have a bike similar to the one I posted, but with 29er wheels. In fact, Schwalbe Super Moto's in 29x2.35 would be terrific for my purposes. In a 29er, I'd be content with disc brakes.

Here is another brilliant Ezra Caldwell creation in the same vein, with, I believe, 29er wheels:









That bike has some notoriety on the 'net as the TF5.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

Ezra does some really cool stuff which doesn't seem to be limited by convension. However, if for some reason you don't want to employ Ezra to build you a bike, you could maybe try antbikemike | "Not sport?transport". He does some amazing stuff too. There's always McClung but that's kind of a whole different bike. You'd get a chance to have V's or Canti's though.


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## TooSteep (Oct 6, 2012)

1 Speed said:


> ... However, if for some reason you don't want to employ Ezra to build you a bike...


He is not taking any more orders.

However, Ezra did send me a quick note when I inquired about the bike. He said the HT angle was 72.5 and the fork had 47mm of rake. He also said that it "certainly COULD be a 29er for a taller rider".

Comments on the photo included:
"It really is somewhere right in between a cross and a MTB frame. The Geometry is much more like a cross bike. Weight not as far back as with a MTB, and front end not as high..."

It is up on flickr here:

Flickr: Please wait...

I am attracted to the idea of a nimble lightweight platform for fast 29x2.4 tires. A true monstercross.


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## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

Spent a few hours trimming... Now my 650b Waterford is a true Monstercross rig.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Drew Diller said:


> My favorite has to be one of Velobike's rides.


I hope you don't mind but that bike is just too nice not to share.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

why the **** has the last like 5 bike had alt or northroad bars?? Thats pretty much the ONLY thing that disqualifies a bike from being whatever cross. Needs to have dropbars... Seriously. drop bars. no drop bars no cross.


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## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

so if I put flat bars or mustache bars on my Cross Check, that makes it NOT a cross bike? :skep:

J.


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## junior1210 (Sep 9, 2011)

Jayson44 said:


> so if I put flat bars or mustache bars on my Cross Check, that makes it NOT a cross bike? :skep:
> 
> J.


Nope that'd make it a Flat Check. And if it got blown away in a tornado it would be a Kited Check. :lol:


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## mpolka (Mar 8, 2013)

Jayson44 said:


> so if I put flat bars or mustache bars on my Cross Check, that makes it NOT a cross bike? :skep:
> 
> J.


A cross check is not a cross bike, period. Don't let the name fool you. I'm half kidding, but it really is more of a light tourer than a cross bike.


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## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

mpolka said:


> A cross check is not a cross bike, period. Don't let the name fool you. I'm half kidding, but it really is more of a light tourer than a cross bike.


:shocked: Really, dude? I am so done with this absurd notion that if a CX bike has a bottle holder and weights more than 15 lbs than it isn't a "real" cyclocross bike. BS. The Cross Check has steep angles, short chainstays, and a high BB. Its a cyclocross bike. Since it's steel and has a few braze-ons, its useful for more than just riding in circles on muddy fields. That's the genius that Surly tapped into. An idea that's been copied by just about every other bike compnay, BTW. But its no less a cross bike than a Pacer is a road bike or a Karate Monkey is a mountain bike.


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## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

mpolka said:


> A cross check is not a cross bike, period. Don't let the name fool you. I'm half kidding, but it really is more of a light tourer than a cross bike.


bahaha. yeah, ok...

J.


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## mpolka (Mar 8, 2013)

bolandjd said:


> :shocked: Really, dude? I am so done with this absurd notion that if a CX bike has a bottle holder and weights more than 15 lbs than it isn't a "real" cyclocross bike. BS. The Cross Check has steep angles, short chainstays, and a high BB. Its a cyclocross bike. Since it's steel and has a few braze-ons, its useful for more than just riding in circles on muddy fields. That's the genius that Surly tapped into. An idea that's been copied by just about every other bike compnay, BTW. But its no less a cross bike than a Pacer is a road bike or a Karate Monkey is a mountain bike.


I was just being a smartass, I've owned a cross check and it's a wonderful bike. I also raced cross on it and it was not wonderful for racing. I guess the distinction between it and the other models that Surly has lies in its intended application being "cross." Cyclocross is a pretty specific application if you're going by the exact definition, where mountain biking or road riding could be a lot of different things. Sure, you could race cross country, downhill, crits, rr's and more on a Pacer or Karate Monkey but the bikes were designed for a broad spectrum of uses. Yet a "cyclocross" bike has a very specific set of designs goals and the cross check does not do a great job achieving because it is built in the same suit as the other bikes Surly makes. In my opinion the cross check is best for dirt adventure rides. Sorry that was long and rambling.


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## ascarlarkinyar (Apr 24, 2012)

mpolka said:


> I was just being a smartass, I've owned a cross check and it's a wonderful bike. I also raced cross on it and it was not wonderful for racing. I guess the distinction between it and the other models that Surly has lies in its intended application being "cross." Cyclocross is a pretty specific application if you're going by the exact definition, where mountain biking or road riding could be a lot of different things. Sure, you could race cross country, downhill, crits, rr's and more on a Pacer or Karate Monkey but the bikes were designed for a broad spectrum of uses. Yet a "cyclocross" bike has a very specific set of designs goals and the cross check does not do a great job achieving because it is built in the same suit as the other bikes Surly makes. In my opinion the cross check is best for dirt adventure rides. Sorry that was long and rambling.


i can agree with with for the most part.

i went with a specialized tricross as a cyclocross/road bike because it better fit those applications than just being below average at all applications.

i have a karate monkey that has been geared as a commuter and now one of my SS mountain bikes. i like it better than the cross check.


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## BezO (May 7, 2013)

I stumbled upon this thread looking for a frame similar to many here. I'm a commuter & short tourer, so there are a few differences, but I'm hoping you all can help. My dream all-arounder bike would be:


Lugged cromo frame - I prefer straight top tube, road type frames, but I'm open to other styles.
Room for wide tires, of course. I'd prefer 700c/29er, but I'm open to 650B/26". I need space for at least 40mm/1.5", but want wider.
1" threaded steerer - I change handlebars on occasion and need the flexibility. I'm open to threadless as a last resort... very last resort.
Track-ends - I'm going with an internal gear hub and want to tension the chain without a tensioner.
No canti mounts - I'm going with a drum brake in the back at least with the IGH.

I've only seen this bike built custom. What TooSteep posted is it, minus canti mounts, plus IGH/drums.


TooSteep said:


> View attachment 792349


Same builder did this, with straight top tub, 700c wheels & 2-speed kickback coaster brake, so a little closer to my ideal bike.








Is this type of frame on the market? I'm not ready to spend $2,000 on a custom. I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks


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## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

Check out Rawland. I think the Drakkar suits your needs.


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## BezO (May 7, 2013)

zxebay said:


> Check out Rawland. I think the Drakkar suits your needs.


Everything except the lugs. It's the one element that is aesthetic only, but I'm not ready to give up on it yet.

Thanks for the quick reply!


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## SSSasky (Mar 17, 2004)

BezO said:


> I stumbled upon this thread looking for a frame similar to many here. I'm a commuter & short tourer, so there are a few differences, but I'm hoping you all can help. My dream all-arounder bike would be:
> 
> 
> Lugged cromo frame - I prefer straight top tube, road type frames, but I'm open to other styles.
> ...


You should look at the Singular Peregrine:

Singular Peregrine









Lugged, flat toptube, IGH compatible, no cantis (disc mounts), big 29" clearance.

The only miss is the threadless headset, but I don't think you'll find what you're looking for *without* canti studs and *with* a threaded steerer. You generally go full retro or not. Retro headset = retro brakes. Modern headset = modern brakes.

I don't think you'll find a modern (ie not dutch) production, lugged touring/commuter/all-rounder frame designed for drum brakes - working around disc mounts is probably the closest you'll get.

*OR*

If you decide you can tolerate canti brakes / studs, look for a used *Rivendell Quickbeam / Simple One*. Lugged, 40mm+ tire clearance, rack and fender mounts, horizontal dropouts, *threaded* headset. They're no longer made, and were $1000+ when new, but they meet a lot of your wishlist.
















(IIRC - this was a prototype frame made for long-reach calipers - production had canti studs)


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## BezO (May 7, 2013)

I came across the Peregrine in a magazine a while back, then searched the net to see if they offered options. The Simple One logo looks familiar too.

I'll keep both these & the Drakkar on the list as I'm starting to come to the same conclusion. This frame doesn't exist until I pay someone to build it.

I strongly considered the Mercier Kilo WT5 a while back. No lugs or threaded steerer. A combination of it and my current singlespeed is what's inspiring this next build. I didn't realize how odd this combination was until I couldn't find it.









Seems like they no longer make the 5-speed.

Thank you!


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## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Dusting off this thread, it's always been a favorite of mine and easily one of the most accepting of interpretations.


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## Slash5 (Nov 27, 2011)

BezO said:


> I stumbled upon this thread looking for a frame similar to many here. I'm a commuter & short tourer, so there are a few differences, but I'm hoping you all can help. My dream all-arounder bike would be:
> 
> 
> Lugged cromo frame - I prefer straight top tube, road type frames, but I'm open to other styles.
> ...


I see CRC carries these bikes. Listed with 700-32 tires, maybe the manufacturer would sell a frame only?
Creme Cycles 2013 - Ristretto : Ristretto Solo


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## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

from my ride on Friday afternoon:









J.


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## murphy87 (Oct 19, 2010)

*Super monstercross?*

So I know this thread started as bikes running 2.0 tires or smaller but I am proposing a whole new class of super monstercross bikes! This creature makes a fargo look like a normal cross rig!

Pugsley frame running on rabbit hole rims and knard 3.0 tires. Woodchipper bars using a set of ultegra ten speed brifters and a jtek shiftmate in the rear to work with a older 9 speed XTR rear mech. Avid bb7 road brakes with a 180 front and 160 rear rotor. Fun on the bike paths so far! Can't wait to shred some single track with this beast. What do you guys think? Don't ding me to hard for the stem its the only means to get the bars to the correct height for now.


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## SlowPokePete (Mar 27, 2006)

Nice rig, Murph :thumbsup:

SPP


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## hillharman (Sep 8, 2011)

The bar has been raised... and dropped.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

That is a nice Fat Bike, too bad they don't have a sub forum for them.


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## SocratesDiedTrolling (Sep 15, 2012)

CommuterBoy said:


> Oh don't think I'm worried about what people think. :lol: If that was the case I would have killed myself the first time I built a drop-bar 29er.


Sort of a delayed reply here, but I know that feel oh so well. I once posted a picture of my Fargo on a 29er forum (not related to MTBR.com), all happy about my new purchase of a bike for which I had lusted over a year... and everyone hated it. It seemed many there didn't think it belonged among 29ers due to the drops and rigid fork.

Ah well. I don't need to be part of their club; I'll ride whatever bikes I like. If only they knew my other bike is an old British three speed...


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## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

Murphy,

I am running 10speed 6600 ultegra shifters with the exact same 9 speed XTR derailleur. It works 100% perfectly without the shift-mate. Why do you feel the shift-mate is required?

By the way, I was running 9 speed campy shifters on the same setup, and used a shift-mate, so I understand its purpose.


----------



## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

SocratesDiedTrolling said:


> Sort of a delayed reply here, but I know that feel oh so well. I once posted a picture of my Fargo on a 29er forum (not related to MTBR.com), all happy about my new purchase of a bike for which I had lusted over a year... and everyone hated it. It seemed many there didn't think it belonged among 29ers due to the drops and rigid fork.
> 
> Ah well. I don't need to be part of their club; I'll ride whatever bikes I like. If only they knew my other bike is an old British three speed...


Fu...uh...forget those guys. Fargo's are awesome! Old English 3 speeds too.


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## murphy87 (Oct 19, 2010)

zxebay

I am running the shiftmate with this setup cause I researched on jtek's website and I found a chart that referred to using a shiftmate when running shimano 10-speed sti's with 9-speed mechs so I picked one up since my shop had one hanging out in inventory. Plus we setup a customers bike with 10-speed ultegra sti's with 9-speed mountain mechs and I really liked the very very light shift action. Since I was going to be running full length housing I was looking to make the shifting action a little lighter and it is so buttery smooth and light with the shift mate. However all that being said thanks for the info on being able to run ultegra 6600 shifters with 9-speed mountain mechs. I will keep that in the memory bank for future reference though. Thanks for the information zxebay! 

zxebay

Did you use the front ultegra 3-speed shifter with a mountain triple crank? If so did you have any problems? I am planning to pick up a shiftmate straight to use with the front shifter and a mountain triple crank. If I don't need it though I may hold out on picking one up. Thanks for any info!


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## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

To be honest, I'm surprised your rear derailleur is shifting properly with the shift-mate installed. 10 speed road shifters are only supposed to be used with 9 speed MTB derailleurs because the 10 speed mtb derailleurs are dyna-sys. 


I'm using a road compact in the front, so I can't help you there. Try it out and see how it works, then see if you need to tweak it.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

murphy87 said:


> zxebay
> 
> I am running the shiftmate with this setup cause I researched on jtek's website and I found a chart that referred to using a shiftmate when running shimano 10-speed sti's with 9-speed mechs so I picked one up since my shop had one hanging out in inventory. Plus we setup a customers bike with 10-speed ultegra sti's with 9-speed mountain mechs and I really liked the very very light shift action. Since I was going to be running full length housing I was looking to make the shifting action a little lighter and it is so buttery smooth and light with the shift mate. However all that being said thanks for the info on being able to run ultegra 6600 shifters with 9-speed mountain mechs. I will keep that in the memory bank for future reference though. Thanks for the information zxebay!


I just checked the jtek site and saw nothing like that. Just about mixing different speed shifters and cassettes with same brand RDs ( no mention of the Shimano RD speed at all). I am also surprised your setup is working at all. Your levers and RD will work perfectly on a 10-sp cassette without the shiftmate and should be even smoother.


----------



## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

shiggy said:


> I just checked the jtek site and saw nothing like that. Just about mixing different speed shifters and cassettes with same brand RDs ( no mention of the Shimano RD speed at all). I am also surprised your setup is working at all. Your levers and RD will work perfectly on a 10-sp cassette without the shiftmate and should be even smoother.


Agreed. HOWEVER, if you wanted to run 10 speed campy levers, then that shift-mate would come in quite handy.


----------



## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

zxebay said:


> Agreed. HOWEVER, if you wanted to run 10 speed campy levers, then that shift-mate would come in quite handy.


Or 10-sp levers with a 9-sp cassette.

10-sp Campy levers reported work perfectly with Shimano RDs and 8-sp cassettes w/o adaptors.


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## murphy87 (Oct 19, 2010)

Shiggy 

You are very correct on running the 10 speed shifters with 10 speed cassettes. However I got this 9-speed XTR rear mech on a crazy deal, the 10-speed shifters were free and the 9-speed cassette, chain and chainring were all items I already had so I picked up a shiftmate to make the shifters play nice with the 9-speed rear mech and 9 speed cassette. To be honest I am a little leary that the 10 speed shifters could work with 9-speed mechs on a 9 speed cassette. Now I have the mountain gearing I need to turn three inch tires up the sides of mountains all day long. Not to mention I have put my hands on and spun around on several 10-speed setups using sti's and the shifting action is no where as light and smooth as the 10-speed sti's using a shiftmate on a 9-speed mountain mech and 9 speed cassette.

As for not seeing things on their website. Go look again. I am using the shiftmate model#2 which they clearly list is designed to mate different speed shifters to different speed drivetrains. Fourth down on the list shifter type shimano 10, derailleur shimano, cassette type and speed shimano 9. So if one has a 9 speed mountain cassette and chain they should use a 9 speed mountain mech. So that left me with trying to figure out how to make my free 10-speed shimano sti's work with my 9-speed mountain bike drivetrain. Enter shiftmate model#2 which is the solution to make a 10 speed shifter pull the proper amount of cable to work with a 9 speed cassette. The shifting is so buttery smooth which my head tech and myself are not quite sure why but we have a theory that by looping the cable around the pulley the leverage ratio changes and gets greater so the feel at the shifter is an incredibly light and smooth action. If you still don't believe how it works buy yourself a shiftmate model #2 and use it to mate up a set of 10-speed sti's to a 9 speed casette and derailleur. You will be surprised how perfectly it works.


----------



## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

murphy87 said:


> Shiggy
> 
> You are very correct on running the 10 speed shifters with 10 speed cassettes. However I got this 9-speed XTR rear mech on a crazy deal, the 10-speed shifters were free and the 9-speed cassette, chain and chainring were all items I already had so I picked up a shiftmate to make the shifters play nice with the 9-speed rear mech and 9 speed cassette.


Ohhh, you're using a 9 speed cassette as well. That makes sense. We were a little confused because you never mentioned the fact that you were running a 9spd cassette, so we assumed it was just the derailleur.

Yea, you definitely don't want to run 9spd cassette and 10spd shifters without the Jtek.

However, if you get a 10 speed cassette and get rid of the shift-mate it will work fine (9 spd xtr derailleur is fully compatible with 10spd cassettes/shifters). But, if you're content with your 9sp cassette that's cool too!


----------



## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

murphy87 said:


> Shiggy
> 
> You are very correct on running the 10 speed shifters with 10 speed cassettes. However I got this 9-speed XTR rear mech on a crazy deal, the 10-speed shifters were free and the 9-speed cassette, chain and chainring were all items I already had so I picked up a shiftmate to make the shifters play nice with the 9-speed rear mech and 9 speed cassette. To be honest I am a little leary that the 10 speed shifters could work with 9-speed mechs on a 9 speed cassette. Now I have the mountain gearing I need to turn three inch tires up the sides of mountains all day long. Not to mention I have put my hands on and spun around on several 10-speed setups using sti's and the shifting action is no where as light and smooth as the 10-speed sti's using a shiftmate on a 9-speed mountain mech and 9 speed cassette.


I (mis)counted 10 cogs in your pic. You did not specify what you had.



> As for not seeing things on their website. Go look again. I am using the shiftmate model#2 which they clearly list is designed to mate different speed shifters to different speed drivetrains. Fourth down on the list shifter type shimano 10, derailleur shimano, cassette type and speed shimano 9. So if one has a 9 speed mountain cassette and chain they should use a 9 speed mountain mech. So that left me with trying to figure out how to make my free 10-speed shimano sti's work with my 9-speed mountain bike drivetrain. Enter shiftmate model#2 which is the solution to make a 10 speed shifter pull the proper amount of cable to work with a 9 speed cassette. The shifting is so buttery smooth which my head tech and myself are not quite sure why but we have a theory that by looping the cable around the pulley the leverage ratio changes and gets greater so the feel at the shifter is an incredibly light and smooth action. If you still don't believe how it works buy yourself a shiftmate model #2 and use it to mate up a set of 10-speed sti's to a 9 speed casette and derailleur. You will be surprised how perfectly it works.


And because of that you misunderstand what I said.
I saw nothing about using (all Shimano) 10-speed shifters with a 9-sp RD and a 10-sp cassette.


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## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

shiggy said:


> Or 10-sp levers with a 9-sp cassette.
> 
> 10-sp Campy levers reported work perfectly with Shimano RDs and 8-sp cassettes w/o adaptors.


They do. Had my randonneuring bike set up like that for a bit.


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## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

Accidentally deleted my pictures while doing some editing... so I'll contribute a new one.

I took my frame to Bernie Mikkelsen and we did a little hammering. It'll fit 650x2.0b now!


----------



## lee paolo (May 23, 2013)

here it's my custom built One One Inbred, I love it!


----------



## MiWi (Jan 1, 2013)

Teenage Mutant Monstercrosser....

My DIY Monstercrosser with IRC Mythos II 29x2.1 tires.


----------



## Barteos (Aug 9, 2007)

It's one of those bikes that just look right. Drop bars would make it even nicer



zxebay said:


> I'm not sure if this fits in here or not: Waterford 650b Monstercross with Grand Bois Hetre tires.
> 
> I've got about 48mm of clearance in the back, which is about 3mm to small for the smallest 650b knobby tire (Pacenti Quasi moto). The fork can fit a 650x2.1b though.
> 
> Hopefully someone comes out with a 650x1.9 soon, but until then I'm totally content ripping around on these Hetres (love them!)


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Barteos said:


> It's one of those bikes that just look right. Drop bars would make it even nicer


I'm kind of digging the moustache bars. Seriously, it's too long since Waterford brought out a disc bike. Kudos to the OP for his stunning build.


----------



## letitsnow (May 23, 2006)

Here is mine. The frame came from a bike that my wife put many miles on as a kid. The other parts were spares that don't have much value. I use this bike often.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

zxebay said:


> I'm not sure if this fits in here or not: Waterford 650b Monstercross with Grand Bois Hetre tires.
> 
> I've got about 48mm of clearance in the back, which is about 3mm to small for the smallest 650b knobby tire (Pacenti Quasi moto). The fork can fit a 650x2.1b though.
> 
> Hopefully someone comes out with a 650x1.9 soon, but until then I'm totally content ripping around on these Hetres (love them!)


what bag is this?


----------



## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

Barteos said:


> It's one of those bikes that just look right. Drop bars would make it even nicer


Thanks, but I quite like the Mustache bars 



CS2 said:


> I'm kind of digging the moustache bars. Seriously, it's too long since Waterford brought out a disc bike. Kudos to the OP for his stunning build.


I don't think Waterford makes a Disc bike, this one was custom. However, a couple of their Gunnar models have disc options.
Thanks for the kudos.



> what bag is this?


It is an Acorn Medium saddle bag in "Ranger Tan"


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

Swapped out my Midge drop bars for a set of Jones Loops, flipped the stem and switched a few spacers around too. Oh and put in an Old X0 drivetrain while I was at it...

Digging the more upright posture when in the trails and navigating traffic...but still needs more mileage before a final verdict


----------



## htdoerge (Oct 22, 2011)

i actually just switched my drakkar back to a midge set up, raised the bars a little more, after a few rides i think i prefer it over my salsa cowbell set up, so i'm gonna keep it at least for a little. i love my drakkar either way.


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

Yup I like the versatility of the Drakkar. I wonder when Rawland will release an updated version? There was talk of a Ti variant before...


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## N10S (Sep 27, 2004)

agu said:


> Swapped out my Midge drop bars for a set of Jones Loops, flipped the stem and switched a few spacers around too. Oh and put in an Old X0 drivetrain while I was at it...
> 
> Digging the more upright posture when in the trails and navigating traffic...but still needs more mileage before a final verdict


I don't have my Drakkar any longer and back on a midge-equipped Singular Gryphon, but I have been thinking about the Jones Loop bar. I am interested to hear your feedback regarding how well you like it compared to drop bars off-road? I really like the feel of drop-bars when riding single track, but the loop seems like it would be a nice option.


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## htdoerge (Oct 22, 2011)

i'm starting to doubt they'll ever release an updated drakkar, although i'd love to see them do it, it's a great bike that can work well for a lot of different people. i've definitely put mine through the paces from commuting to mountain biking to bike camping to gravel grinding. perfect monstercross bike.


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

N10S - I too like the feel of the "attack" position of drop bars on singletrack, but I've found you can also get low pro by relaxing your arms and bending at the hips on the Loops. On more technical/sketchy terrain the Loops give you a bit more steering leverage too. I've also used the forward section of the Loop for an "aero" position when on the road. All that said, the jury is still out as to which bar will be the mainstay on the Drakkar. I've had it with the Midge since day 1, but I find the Loops just as fun. Maybe I'll try a set of moustache bars next time, ala Bridgestone XO.

htdoerge - yup, it seems Rawland is concentrating on more "rando" oriented frames - though the Drakkar can do that too (and be more capable when the going gets rough)


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## GreatWhite415 (Jan 18, 2013)

Cross Check I posted a while back in action. Converted the Open Pros to tubeless, running Stan's The Crow 29x2.0. They clear easily (better than the Firecross 700x45c I had before).


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## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

No pic of you clearing that gap? I smell a cheater!


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

*Fabulous Blog*



GreatWhite415 said:


> http://www.onelesshiker.com


I love your blog. Keep up the good work.


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

GreatWhite415 said:


> Cross Check I posted a while back in action. Converted the Open Pros to tubeless, running Stan's The Crow 29x2.0. They clear easily (better than the Firecross 700x45c I had before).


Very cool, what pressures are you running?


----------



## mr.vance (Oct 19, 2007)

Ran up to the mountains today to try to escape the heat.









Guess I didn't go far enough.

alan.


----------



## my2hands (Nov 3, 2010)

mr.vance said:


> Ran up to the mountains today to try to escape the heat.
> 
> View attachment 812175
> 
> ...


Now that's a good trail shot


----------



## GreatWhite415 (Jan 18, 2013)

zxebay said:


> No pic of you clearing that gap? I smell a cheater!


Just rolled over it, perhaps I'll try a more impressive maneuver on video



CS2 said:


> I love your blog. Keep up the good work.


Thanks man



TwoHeadsBrewing said:


> Very cool, what pressures are you running?


Normally 25-28psi, seems to be the sweet spot


----------



## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

Found a Rawland dSogn frame on eBay and couldn't resist!





I've since put a front derailleur on and trimmed the cables.


----------



## socrates69 (Jul 22, 2010)

*Van Dessel WTF 59cm Monster Cross*

Just finished my new project. Thank you guys for this thread with so much inspiration! Van Dessel WTF 59cm.

Purchased the frame 2nd hand. Loved(!) the retro-look of the frame but hated the REALLY bright green so i had it painted. I e-mailed Van Dessel (twice) to purchase new decals and a new head badge but they never responded. In the end i decided to have it painted with my own decals/color scheme.

I'm really happy with the result. It it a hefty beast - 12,6kg/27.7lb and a ton of fun.

Set up as singlespeed (44x20) with Kenda small blocks 2.1 (which just fit). I put on my favorite (broken in) Brooks saddle, matching tape and went to the woods. I tell you, the grin never left my face. After about 100km on this WTF i know now i have to lower my bars a bit (1 or 2 cm) - other than that i leave it as it is. Love it!

Not a racing bike (too heavy, tyres are too fat), just pure fun with drop bars and fat tyres. 








have fun out there!







































Frame: Steel, Van Dessel WTF 59
Crank: WI ENO 44t chainring
BB: ECC brand?
Hubs: Chris King silver, rear kog 20t
Rims: Salsa Semi
Tyres: Kenda Small Block 2.1 (fits - just)
Brakes: Avid Road BB7 SL
Bars: Ritchey Classic
Seatpost/stem: no name silver
Saddle: Brooks Swift ti Brown (matching tape) 
12,6kg/27,7lb


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## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

Love those Van Dessel frames. Looks good, though I'm not sure how I feel about the mint paintjob.


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## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

double post


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

I converted my monster cross to singlespeed. I also got rid of the horrid Brooks saddle & swapped out to some comfy Lizard Skins tape.


----------



## ozbikebuddy (Mar 3, 2004)

schnee said:


> Here's the bike that I made for myself at the Yamaguchi framebuilding course.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I really like this And so wanna make 1 of these myself!

The whole design and layout ROCKS!


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## FatCloud (May 6, 2013)

GreatWhite415 said:


> Cross Check I posted a while back in action. Converted the Open Pros to tubeless, running Stan's The Crow 29x2.0. They clear easily (better than the Firecross 700x45c I had before).


If you were truly the only Cross bike in the Tahoe 100K, I saw you and was mightily impressed!
I was the jerk going the wrong way on a loaded up X-Check, which I had just taken on the Tahoe Rim Trail breaking things and my spirit...speaking of...here's my Monster Cross Check

Surly X-Check on the Rim Trail by Patrick's Velolog, on Flickr


The second is on the Arnold Rim Trail, another trail that hurt my spirit (but gave inspiring views and was really fun when I could ride it).
Until I get a real MTB, my X-Check is going to be a fire road machine.


----------



## MiWi (Jan 1, 2013)

"That ain´t got nothin to do with cyclocross anymore. It´s simply disgusting you ****in moron."

True, but it´s fun.


----------



## TBMD9er (May 22, 2009)

zxebay said:


> Love those Van Dessel frames. Looks good, though I'm not sure how I feel about the mint paintjob.


I want see the mint. Where is the photo?


----------



## james-o (Nov 8, 2010)

How's this? SS CX with Midge bars and 42C Conti Contacts for weekend overnighters on rough roads and smooth trails. Will put some 42-45C treaded tyres on once it gets wetter out.


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

How do you like the contacts? I had the older version with the yellow foam inside them and those were bullet proof, looked kinda similar, they are now named plus something.

I have contacts for my 26er but I have not yet built the bike up so I have no idea how good they will be yet.


----------



## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

Salsa Vaya converted to 650B:


----------



## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

MileHighMark said:


> Salsa Vaya converted to 650B:


Which model cane creek headset is that on there?


----------



## Stockli Boy (Feb 3, 2012)

*Former 29er re-imagined as a monter*

It can run up to 29x2.5, I have a set of 650Bs x 2.3 as well. This served me nicely in the Crusher in the Tushar (I was not DFL). Ti frame, carbon bars & post, Avid BB-7, Rival shifters & rear derailleur, Paul front derailleur. Mismatched carbon cages plus a 3rd cage for long self-supported rides or to stash my coat.


----------



## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

jcaino said:


> Which model cane creek headset is that on there?


Cane Creek S-3. No longer made, which is a pity, as it's one of my favorite headsets.


----------



## james-o (Nov 8, 2010)

car bone said:


> How do you like the contacts? I had the older version with the yellow foam inside them and those were bullet proof, looked kinda similar, they are now named plus something.
> 
> I have contacts for my 26er but I have not yet built the bike up so I have no idea how good they will be yet.


These are std Contacts. Pretty tough, no flats yet and I ride flinty and thorny trails. They're scary on loose dusty stuff, I can't brake with any conviction on damp grass, but I can slide the rear around without carving up the ground.. fun ) Great on firm and/or small, fast bumpy ground and really smooth on tarmac.


----------



## podrunner (Nov 21, 2010)

*Final build of my "Monster" Monster*







Greetings to all. I just finished my build on my Monster frame. The frame is custom built by Jim Smith at Monster Bicycle Co. In Columbia, Mo. Custom Titanium, Monster Bicycles Custom Titanium, Columbia, MO HOME

Double butted tubing, internal cable routing, BB30, tapered head tube. He also built a custom titatinium seat post.

Bike rides like a dream

Here are the build specs:

Monster frame
Enve CX fork, Thomson stem, Salsa Cowbell 2 bars, Sram Red shifters, XO front and rear derailleurs, XO crankset, Fizik saddle, TRP Spyre brakes. Wheels are Specialized Roval Control carbon wheels with Renegade Control 1. tires set up tubeless. Salsa Nickless cages.


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## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

MileHighMark said:


> Cane Creek S-3. No longer made, which is a pity, as it's one of my favorite headsets.


And not to mention that their only silver headsets now are either the low-end or 110 headsets, everything in between is black only. Meh.


----------



## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

Anyone running Shimano STI integrated (drop bar) levers with MTB 2x10 cranks? I know that Salsa spec'd SRAM levers on one of the Fargo models, but I don't recall seeing anything like that with Shimano levers.


----------



## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

MileHighMark said:


> Anyone running Shimano STI integrated (drop bar) levers with MTB 2x10 cranks? I know that Salsa spec'd SRAM levers on one of the Fargo models, but I don't recall seeing anything like that with Shimano levers.


Yep, 9 speed XT derailleurs f/r w/ 9 speed Shimano levers.


----------



## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

Dirty $anchez said:


> Yep, 9 speed XT derailleurs f/r w/ 9 speed Shimano levers.


What size chainrings?


----------



## captainmorgan (Mar 11, 2006)

Okay, been following for a while, and finally have something to contribute.




























Its sized about a 59cm road frame, so the giant 60-622 tires dont look quite as big as if it were on a smaller frame, but they are huge!

Heres the breakdown

Custom Waltly Titanium frame
No name carbon 29er fork
Easton Haven 29er wheelset
Schwalbe Super Moto HS 430 29x2.35 tires
Chris King NoThread Headset
Sram XX 42/28 crank
avid BB7 road mechanical brakes
Sram Force gruppo
no name carbon stem
no name carbon seatpost
WTB Silverado saddle
FSA SL-K compact carbon dropbar

I have a set of Conti X-king 2.2 (55-622 ETRTO) for trail and winter.

Waltly was amazing to work with. Great communications. They let me do whatever I wanted for custom geometry and options. Craftsmanship was superb. And of course their price was great.


----------



## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

MileHighMark said:


> What size chainrings?


Best as I remember, 46/34.


----------



## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

Dirty $anchez said:


> Best as I remember, 46/34.


Thanks. I'm going to run 24/38, so I'm not sure how Shimano's STI shifters will work with the appropriate front (MTB) derailleur.


----------



## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

MileHighMark said:


> Thanks. I'm going to run 24/38, so I'm not sure how Shimano's STI shifters will work with the appropriate front (MTB) derailleur.


They will work fine, takes a bit of fine tuning in worst case. The SLX fd works well on this type of application.


----------



## BluesDawg (Apr 8, 2007)

MileHighMark said:


> Thanks. I'm going to run 24/38, so I'm not sure how Shimano's STI shifters will work with the appropriate front (MTB) derailleur.


That "shouldn't" work with road shifters and MTB FD, but you might be able to finesse it. If not, try a road FD. The movement would be right, though the small ring size might require some finesse as well.


----------



## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

BluesDawg said:


> That "shouldn't" work with road shifters and MTB FD, but you might be able to finesse it. If not, try a road FD. The movement would be right, though the small ring size might require some finesse as well.


It works fine with 9 speed controls and 9 speed derailleurs. I ran that setup for several years.


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

Shimano 9spd mtn & road played well together because the shifters & derailleurs had the same ratio. This is no longer the case with their 10spd stuff. Sram 10spd mtn & road components however work well together.


----------



## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

Elisdad said:


> Shimano 9spd mtn & road played well together because the shifters & derailleurs had the same ratio. This is no longer the case with their 10spd stuff. Sram 10spd mtn & road components however work well together.


Yeah, if I want to run Shimano 10s levers, I have to use a 9s (i.e., non-Dyna-Sys) rear derailleur with an 11-36 cassette. Interestingly enough, Campy 10s levers/front derailleur works pretty decent.

At this point, I'm probably going with whatever shifters are the least expensive (which is probably Shimano 105).


----------



## BluesDawg (Apr 8, 2007)

I agree with all being said about rear shifting. My concern was only about mixing Shimano road shifters with MTB front derailleurs.


----------



## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

BluesDawg said:


> I agree with all being said about rear shifting. My concern was only about mixing Shimano road shifters with MTB front derailleurs.


I've had mixed results running Shimano road levers with MTB front derailleurs. Granted, this was a while ago, but I can't imagine that Shimano has made any efforts to improve interchangeability since then.


----------



## 4Crawler (Oct 30, 2011)

I'm running Shimano 10sp bar end shifters with a pre-DynaSys MTB front der. and it works fine. That front shifter is basically friction mode, it does have a detent in the middle but you can set the lever at any position as needed to shift. It has plenty of cable pull to reach all 3 rings.


----------



## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

4Crawler said:


> I'm running Shimano 10sp bar end shifters with a pre-DynaSys MTB front der. and it works fine. That front shifter is basically friction mode, it does have a detent in the middle but you can set the lever at any position as needed to shift. It has plenty of cable pull to reach all 3 rings.


Shimano's bar-end shifters are much more forgiving than their integrated (aka, road-style) shifters. I know that a 9s MTB Shimano rear derailleur will work with 10s road levers, but indexing the front derailleur/shifter is a bit trickier. In my case, I want to run the following:

26/40 Sugino crank (2x10)
12-36t cassette (10s)
STI/Road shift levers (10s)

SRAM shifters/derailleurs would be compatible, but I'm not completely sold on the Double-Tap actuation.


----------



## 4Crawler (Oct 30, 2011)

MileHighMark said:


> Shimano's bar-end shifters are much more forgiving than their integrated (aka, road-style) shifters. I know that a 9s MTB Shimano rear derailleur will work with 10s road levers, but indexing the front derailleur/shifter is a bit trickier. In my case, I want to run the following:
> 
> 26/40 Sugino crank (2x10)
> 12-36t cassette (10s)
> ...


Yes, the front bar end shifter is pretty generic as it is pretty much friction mode.

If you have not already done so, dig through the thread below:
- http://forums.mtbr.com/drivetrain-s...atability-9-speed-shimano-systems-646014.html
and see if that combination is discussed.


----------



## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

So who else has a Surly Straggler on order to build up as a monstercross bike?


----------



## kid_dynamite (Jan 20, 2008)

podrunner said:


> View attachment 829208
> Greetings to all. I just finished my build on my Monster frame. The frame is custom built by Jim Smith at Monster Bicycle Co. In Columbia, Mo. Custom Titanium, Monster Bicycles Custom Titanium, Columbia, MO HOME
> 
> John, glad you're enjoying the frame! That build looks great. I'll be posting my newest as soon as I can get some wheels stuck in it.
> ...


----------



## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

MileHighMark said:


> Shimano's bar-end shifters are much more forgiving than their integrated (aka, road-style) shifters. I know that a 9s MTB Shimano rear derailleur will work with 10s road levers, but indexing the front derailleur/shifter is a bit trickier. In my case, I want to run the following:
> 
> 26/40 Sugino crank (2x10)
> 12-36t cassette (10s)
> ...


Love the double tap on my Fargo. Ideally, friction bar end front, clicky indexed rear. 2x10.


----------



## crazybeach (Jan 24, 2011)

Pictures of my Vaya, that rocks 40c tires, during a 110 mile adventure ride!


----------



## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

GTscoob said:


> So who else has a Surly Straggler on order to build up as a monstercross bike?


Fo Sho.


----------



## GreatWhite415 (Jan 18, 2013)

Swapped over to singlespeed (34x16) to try some SSCX over the fall.


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

GreatWhite415 said:


> Swapped over to singlespeed (34x16) to try some SSCX over the fall.


That thing look beautiful. I'd be curious to know how you like those tires for racing. Are they Stan's Ravens?


----------



## GreatWhite415 (Jan 18, 2013)

Elisdad said:


> That thing look beautiful. I'd be curious to know how you like those tires for racing. Are they Stan's Ravens?


They are Stan's Crows, they are great on fireroad and pavement, decent on gravel, loam and rocky stuff, awful in sand or mud. Pretty much a summer only tire, but in the right conditions they are perfect, especially if you ride on the road to get to the trail.


----------



## Hools (Feb 12, 2012)

GreatWhite415 said:


> Swapped over to singlespeed (34x16) to try some SSCX over the fall.


That's beautiful.


----------



## Gilarider (Jul 13, 2009)

Is there a consensus on tire pressure and tubeless v. not in the monstercross world? I am going to put some 1.9-2.0 tires on some road rims and I am wondering if tubeless is worth the hassle. I am going to ride mostly dirtroads and I have some cross tires for the smooth stuff. 

I guess I want to know: are there folks out there that pump their tires up hard (which means 35+psi to me) for the low rolling resistance, or does everybody go as low as possible like with their mtbs?


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

I run higher pressures with tubes currently. Most of my friends in the gravel riding scene are moving to tubeless and swearing by it. I'll be converting soon.


----------



## 2melow (Jan 5, 2004)

Sleeveless said:


> I'll seriously take whatever you've got on the subject, and if you own one of these beasts and live near Nashville, I'd love to hit you up for a test ride. :thumbsup:


Been meaning to post these for a while.

Now wearing WTB Weirwolf 2.5"s (remember those???  ) kicks.

18 pounds of awesome.


----------



## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

2melow said:


> Been meaning to post these for a while.
> 
> Now wearing WTB Weirwolf 2.5"s (remember those???  ) kicks.
> 
> 18 pounds of awesome.


So where's your RLT 9?


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## raymondy (Jul 16, 2013)

GreatWhite415 said:


> Swapped over to singlespeed (34x16) to try some SSCX over the fall.


nice pics. living in NYC I rarely see or get to ride in places like this


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## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

x2 on the beautiful Xcheck. looking good!

J.


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## Tinman (Aug 18, 2013)

2melow said:


> Been meaning to post these for a while.
> 
> Now wearing WTB Weirwolf 2.5"s (remember those???  ) kicks.
> 
> 18 pounds of awesome.


wew......18#'s with 2.5's and down bars .............smoke'in .. ;<)


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## Tinman (Aug 18, 2013)

My mutated, dubbed ..... _Renegade X_ bike, I use for such terrain (my fav.type terrain to ride,camp,enjoy comradery ......even sneak a little brook trout flyfishing in etc.), wearing 1.8"/46 rubber but also use 38's, clothed in wet & cold mode, Northern climate as shown. I was met with a nice heavy _sleet _fall on a ride last evening Nothing quite like sleet to remind you , your alive.(chuckle)

History links on the subject / Monstercross -

The growth of monstercross | Bedrock & Paradox

https://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/early-monstercross-bruce-gordon-684086.html

I have been eyeing a Specialized Secteur as an addition , for MX terrain and AP use, sense they have clearance for 40's,rear rack braze on's now (2013). Maybe this spring........





Enjoy the outdoors....


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## 2melow (Jan 5, 2004)

BruceBrown said:


> So where's your RLT 9?


Here is my RLT 9 proto.

I am taking it on some pretty big decomposed rose granite gravel rides, Northern Colorado style. 5000 feet from my house to 7300 feet in the pics. Still trying to decide if I can get away with a single ring. 39x36 is pushing it on this ride where the pics were taken.


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## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

That RLT is pretty cool.

If you can find an old 30/39/50 crank, remove the big ring and run it as a sub-compact double.


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

Just put this together last night. Rides like a dream.














More pictures to come after I get it on the trails in the daylight.


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## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

*Straggler*

Here's my Surly Straggler with WTB Prowler 2.1 up front, 38c Tioga Bloodhound out back. Going to try for something knobby in the 1.8 size or maybe schwalbe marathon 50c

View attachment 850748

View attachment 850749

View attachment 850750


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

*Monstercross: inclusive or exclusive?*

I posted this on the "world domination" monstercross forum, and am re-posting it here, along with a picture of my latest monstercross creation.


> The sport of mountain biking, on which this website is based, has always been one of inclusivity. The culture of mountain biking has always been one where people of all backgrounds and abilities scrape together whatever parts they can buy or collect to create a machine that facilitates good times out in the woods and hills.
> 
> There is no agreed-upon technical definition for the term monstercross. You cannot go to a bike shop and buy a monstercross bike. To turn monstercross into some narrow classification would destroy its charm. Monstercross is a genre of bikes comprised of custom-built or adapted frames, assembled by independent thinkers, with "monster" connoting a Frankenstein of a bike, cobbled together from pieces of different bikes.
> 
> ...


What do you think? I see an awful lot of bikes here that the monstercross fascists would say do not belong.


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## Drew Diller (Jan 4, 2010)

goto11 said:


> What do you think? I see an awful lot of bikes here that the monstercross fascists would say do not belong.


What do I think?

I think no one can enforce what gets posted here. This is a thread from which one can glean ideas, so I say post it up and just let people deal with it.

TLR; Stratify if you want, but I won't care.


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## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

Since "cross" tires are 32 or 33c, I would say anything that's running 38's and up and running drops qualifies.


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## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

Yep. For the most part. Monstercross was coined because the bikes Matt Chester was building were running tires bigger than cross bikes, smaller than a 29er. Thus "monstercross". The history of the term is that short and sweet really. 

I know people get into this feel of wanting to call anything with knobbies and bars that look like drop bars monstercross. Easy to do. Especially with forums. Its' where a lot of newbies (and people who hate their jobs. ha!) go to learn. Its' a start, but not the end all. 

I push the original definition because:
a) That's just what it is. 
b) As someone who's been building and riding monstercross bikes I can tell you, its' really quite sweet when you hit that middleground of a bike between a cyclocross bike (which I own) and a 29er (which I've owned many). It truly is it's own class of bike and rightfully so. 

I say it over and over, and anyone who owns a set can agree. There is something to be said about the Bruce Gordon Rock n Road tire vs a cross or 29er tire. Even many other tires in that 38c-45c range. It just makes for a different bike worthy of it's own designation.


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

juansevo said:


> Yep. For the most part. Monstercross was coined because the bikes Matt Chester was building were running tires bigger than cross bikes, smaller than a 29er. Thus "monstercross". The history of the term is that short and sweet really.
> 
> I know people get into this feel of wanting to call anything with knobbies and bars that look like drop bars monstercross. Easy to do. Especially with forums. Its' where a lot of newbies (and people who hate their jobs. ha!) go to learn. Its' a start, but not the end all.
> 
> ...





vulture said:


> You can call your bike anything you want. Just say RAHRR. Real monsters come in all sizes and shapes.


Lighten up, juansevo. Stop trying to narrow the definition of monstercross. 1.7" isn't big enough for everyone. You know that monsters come in all sizes and shapes, but I guess haters gotta hate.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

Just to give the term "Monstercross" some reference. Hint, it's not a dropbar 29er.

"monster 'cross bikes" creeping towards world domination?

29 inches dot com:

Who Does "Monstercross"?


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

goto11 said:


> Lighten up, juansevo. Stop trying to narrow the definition of monstercross. 1.7" isn't big enough for everyone. You know that monsters come in all sizes and shapes, but I guess haters gotta hate.


MONSTERCROSS is a very narrow definition that does not need to be redefined by some revisionists. Please, no more disparaging remarks towards others trying to keep the history and definition true.

Here is the "Post your drop bar 29er" thread:

http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/bored-post-your-drop-bar-29er-462507.html?highlight=drop+bars


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## jmmUT (Sep 15, 2008)

This is the same tired argument that went on forever when mountain bikes started doing dirt jumping/street/park. You ended up with any number of concoctions that borrowed from BMX and Observed Trials and then people would argue back and forth when something counted as a 26" BMX or DJ MTB or a "Street Trials" or whatever. 

The solution? Well I like a post that was on PSbmx.com (Plus Size BMX) that I can't find that said just call it what it's being ridden on at the time. A 26" front suspension mountain bike with hydraulic brakes and a 20" bmx bike with no brakes are both street bikes if that's what they are riding together at the time. We all like what we like to ride and a fuzzy definition is not a bad thing.


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

*It's how you use it!*

The difference between a drop-bar 29er and a monstercross bike is that the former gets to the trailhead on a bike rack, while the latter is ridden to and from the trails. It's about how you ride it.



AZ said:


> MONSTERCROSS is a very narrow definition that does not need to be redefined by some revisionists. Please, no more disparaging remarks towards others trying to keep the history and definition true.


AZ, the first link you provided points to the forum where the person who is credited with coming up with the term "monstercross" from 2006, Wade the Vulture, says, 


vulture said:


> ... As far as this being a trendy sub-genre dont be worried. You can call your bike anything you want. Just say RAHRR. Real monsters come in all sizes and shapes...


Is that revisionist? I think not.

The second link you provided from Guitar Ted in 2008 says "up to 52mm," which is over 2"... quite consistent with my statement that 1.7" tires aren't big enough for some of us.

That said, we don't need to agree on a specific size limit to the millimeter like some UCI regulating body. These are monsters, after all.

The disparaging remarks are not coming from me, but from the monstercross nazis who need a serious reality check. This debate is a stupid waste of time, but it will be worth it if it gets the haters in these forums to cool their flames. It's wrong that proud bike builders/owners keep getting shot down by the fascists.

Can't we all just agree that it's about how you use it that counts? No one cares what you call it, so long as you ride it with a big, happy grin on your face and don't take yourself too seriously.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

goto11 said:


> The disparaging remarks are not coming from me, but from the monstercross *nazis*


.........


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## TitanofChaos (Jun 13, 2011)

Crosspost from sawyer thread

Dinglespeed, Monstercross, Commuter

38/18 and 34/22, same chain length, no dropout adjustments to switch gears


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

If you have a mountain bike and put drop bars on it you can go ahead and call it what ever you'd like, you can even post pictures here, it still doesn't make it something it's not. I'm not sure why the Dropbar 29er thread wouldn't be the thread of choice instead? It's like posting a carbon hardtail race bike in the All Mountain Hardtail thread. There is a Beach Cruiser sub forum over at bikeforums.net where the same debate happens. Some guy took his Surly Troll to the beach and now suddenly he has a beach cruiser when in actual fact he has a mountain bike he's riding at the beach. Putting candles on a cow pie doesn't turn it in to a birthday cake.


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## floydlippencott (Sep 4, 2010)

goto11 said:


> What do you think?


I think your just a troll and when you put lipstick on a pig, its still a pig. As far as calling people who don't agree with you "Facists", I'll let the ignorance of doing that speak for itself.


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## floydlippencott (Sep 4, 2010)

TitanofChaos said:


> Crosspost from sawyer thread
> 
> Dinglespeed, 29er, Commuter
> 
> 38/18 and 34/22, same chain length, no dropout adjustments to switch gears


 Your chain line is off, will probably lead to excess wear, dropped chains, maybe worse.


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## TitanofChaos (Jun 13, 2011)

floydlippencott said:


> Your chain line is off, will probably lead to excess wear, dropped chains, maybe worse.


how can you tell this from one picture?


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## floydlippencott (Sep 4, 2010)

TitanofChaos said:


> how can you tell this from one picture?


The chain doesn't go in a straight line? A picture is worth one thousand words.


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

floydlippencott said:


> I think your just a troll and when you put lipstick on a pig, its still a pig. As far as calling people who don't agree with you "Facists", I'll let the ignorance of doing that speak for itself.


I just got back from a quick ride and am heading out again in a few minutes...

Read back a bit in the thread and you'll see that I was attacked for promoting a more tolerant definition of monstercross, based on the history of this mongrel breed. Prior to that, many others were shot down for posting pics of their own ideas of what monstercross means to them, and my intention is to defend them and be inclusive.

Barnyard references are fun and all, but pigs and cow pies have nothing to do with it. Mountain bikes and monstercross bikes are all mongrel breeds, composed of road, cruiser, cyclocross and home-built parts. I troll-baited, for sure, but the trolls have been inhabiting these forums for years. I just wanted to point out the absurdity of trying to narrowly define bike genres.

Leave it to the UCI to dictate restrictions to the gram and millimeter. Those restrictions do not/should not exist in the dirt world, as is evidenced by the huge UCI-backlash last year when they tried to bring their fascism to mountain bike races.

As for my tongue-in-cheek reference to Nazis, I think anyone who seeks a "purity of breed" in a mountain bike forum is just asking for it. I will now bow out of this petty debate, hop on my monstercross bike and go to work.


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## badjick (Jan 14, 2011)

Justdaman, very nice! Is that an Ave Maldea frame?


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

goto11 if you are riding that bike to work it is no longer a monstercross bike it has become a commuter bike, just following your logic here.


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## jmmUT (Sep 15, 2008)

TitanofChaos said:


> how can you tell this from one picture?


I have a dinglespeed Sawyer too and love your build.

I think no one can really tell for sure from the picture because of the angle, depth, swoopy lines, etc.

But here is how you can make sure it's in line: 
http://forums.mtbr.com/singlespeed/perfect-chainline-426690.html

Basically since it's a 135mm spacing hub, cut that in half to 67.5. Then measure the span from middle of your bottom bracket to the front outside chainring and subtract it from 67.5. You really should use calipers and not try with a ruler. Always measure twice. You'll get something like "25mm". Then put the corresponding rear cog "25mm" in from the end of the hub. Do the same for your other chainline and after you tighten the rear hub and mount, triple measure. Sometimes the math doesn't line up due to error and you must adjust slightly. You should really be under 1mm of error or better to prevent issues.


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

Saddle Up said:


> goto11 if you are riding that bike to work it is no longer a monstercross bike it has become a commuter bike, just following your logic here.


If it had street tires on it and I only rode it to work, then yes, it would be a commuter bike, but I ride my monstercross to work and to the trailhead and over the rocks and through the hills and back again.

Nice Sawyer up there, TitanofChaos... I considered building up one of those myself, but found a great deal on a used Gary Fisher Ferrous first. Here are my most recent creations. Call them what you will.

Original handbuilt size large Bontrager Race Lite 26" to 700c conversion using XTracycle brake adapter (gleaned this idea from one of the forum members). Fun to ride, but the frame geometry didn't work well with drops (headtube too short), so it will be returning to a rigid 26er:







I'm around 215 and have broken bones in my arms and wrists several times over 35 years of dodging cars and rocks, so bigger tires and a front shock on the most recent creation make the experience much more enjoyable. Gary Fisher Ferrous (US-made True Temper OX Platinum - a great Bontrager-inspired frame with a bad rep):







I don't ride it like a mountain bike and it's no substitute for my full-suspension bike, but it makes the boring trails fun again and rolls a lot faster on the pavement. I may put Rock n' Roads on the Ferrous, if my road/rock ratio tilts more to the road side, but the trails I've been riding recently demand bigger tires.

I've enjoyed all the ideas from the forums throughout the years. I hope we can all stop bickering about what to call them, and just enjoy the cool bike builds.

Suffering from VCS (vicious cycle syndrome): Obsessed with bikes and need to seek treatment. The only effective treatment is to ride more.


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## TitanofChaos (Jun 13, 2011)

jmmorath said:


> I have a dinglespeed Sawyer too and love your build.
> 
> I think no one can really tell for sure from the picture because of the angle, depth, swoopy lines, etc.
> 
> ...


I'll admit, I was trolling, I already did the math and I know my cog is 2mm too close to the hub due to sawyer's stock double crank and my dingle setup, I'd have to swap the crank to make the outer chainring perfect, the inner setup is dead on by measuring

any details on your dingle setup? are you running the stock cranks?


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## kid_dynamite (Jan 20, 2008)

*Another Monster*

Here is another Monster Model 1. This one has internal cables, butted tubes, tapered HT, Monster Ti post, and Disc brakes. It's wearing 700x45 nomad resist tires here. The TRP Spire brakes are fantastic...


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

kid_dynamite said:


> Here is another Monster Model 1. This one has internal cables, butted tubes, tapered HT, Monster Ti post, and Disc brakes. It's wearing 700x45 nomad resist tires here. The TRP Spire brakes are fantastic...
> View attachment 853781


Nice, did you see the recall notice on the Spyres?

TRP Spyre Recall


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## FatCloud (May 6, 2013)

I went on a ride recently with a fellow from SOMA who was riding a new frame they are going to be releasing, the SOMA Wolverine. Here it is:


(He was FLYING down the downhills, I thought I was pretty good on my X-Check, but he was killing it.)
Speaking of, here's an action shot of the front of my Monster-Crossed-Check.

Manny takes some great photos of mixed terrain road bikes on dirt, you should check the rest of his Flickr!


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

That Soma is hot!


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## cm2051 (Oct 7, 2013)

My All-City Nature Boy with 1.8 Specialized S-Works Renegades stuffed in it should surely count as "Monster Cross"


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## FatCloud (May 6, 2013)

cm2051 said:


> My All-City Nature Boy with 1.8 Specialized S-Works Renegades stuffed in it should surely count as "Monster Cross"


You get a special oogey boogey Monster Cross if you ride trail fixed.
I half want a Nature Boy to ride fixed terrain. (In reality, I'll probably upgrade my Surly frame at some point and relegate the X-Check to fixed duties)


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

cm2051 said:


> My All-City Nature Boy with 1.8 Specialized S-Works Renegades stuffed in it should surely count as "Monster Cross"


Want to see a photo of that thing outside in the light.


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## justin146 (Dec 23, 2013)

I am not a fan of drop bars, I dont even have them on my dedicated road bike. So does this count? It has 29x2.00 Serfas Drifters. I had to clearance the frame in one spot to fit them. Just the little cross brace behind the bottom bracket. I used a punch to bend it in about 1/4".


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## tozovr (Jul 26, 2006)

juansevo said:


> Yep. For the most part. Monstercross was coined because the bikes Matt Chester was building were running tires bigger than cross bikes, smaller than a 29er. Thus "monstercross". The history of the term is that short and sweet really.
> 
> I know people get into this feel of wanting to call anything with knobbies and bars that look like drop bars monstercross. Easy to do. Especially with forums. Its' where a lot of newbies (and people who hate their jobs. ha!) go to learn. Its' a start, but not the end all.
> 
> ...


The original definition, as it relates to this forum (really the place I always took as the originated of the term), wasn't tires bigger than 'cross, but smaller than 29. It was bikes with drops and 29" wheels/tires regardless of width.


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## need4gforce (Sep 12, 2009)

I just put Clement MSO 40's on my Specialized Crux. THey fit great! So plush!


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## 2002maniac (Nov 17, 2008)

Here's my latest build. I wanted a rugged commuter that could be raced at the local cyclocross while still being worthy of the many miles of singletrack I love to ride. I started with a Nasbar Cyclocross frame and pillaged most of the components from my Road bike.

The fork is a "Trigon" from ebay. It is 415AC and meant for a 26er

I'm running a Kenda Karma 1.9 on the front and a Ritchey Speedmax 700x45 out back. I'd love to find something a bit wider for the rear, as there's still plenty of clearance. Not quite enough for a 1.9, but I think a 1.7-1.8 would work fine.

I have a set of Circus Money hubs and Crest rims for the build. I'm just waiting for my Sapim Laser spokes to come in. Should make a nice light wheelset.

Brakes are BB7 with 160/140 discs

Platform pedals are for commuting only


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

2002maniac very nice build.


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

Trying out the Rawland Drakkar in 650b mode, which might classify it more as a drop bar mtb than a monstercrosser. The Drakkar blurs the lines though!


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## need4gforce (Sep 12, 2009)

My crux with 40 MSO Clement's Amateur Human Cyclocrossist @capitalcrewbike


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## 2002maniac (Nov 17, 2008)

How do you like the 40mm MSO? I think I heard they ran small. What's the actual width with your setup?


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

justin146 said:


> I am not a fan of drop bars, I dont even have them on my dedicated road bike. So does this count? It has 29x2.00 Serfas Drifters. I had to clearance the frame in one spot to fit them. Just the little cross brace behind the bottom bracket. I used a punch to bend it in about 1/4".


I don't mean to make the "monstercross" thing any more nit-picky than it already is, but that's just a hybrid with extra-fat tires on it. sounds comfy though!


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## justin146 (Dec 23, 2013)

mack_turtle said:


> I don't mean to make the "monstercross" thing any more nit-picky than it already is, but that's just a hybrid with extra-fat tires on it. sounds comfy though!


I agree lol. I had never even heard of Monstercross until I found this thread. That bike does have a carbon fork on it now. And it is super comfy with ~40psi in the tires.

Honestly most of these look like hybrids with drop bars to me.


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## dr.welby (Jan 6, 2004)

First ride on the the new bike. Clearance for Nanos, low BB for riding in the Plains, lots of water bottle and gearing options. Perhaps a monstergrinder?


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

justin146 said:


> Honestly most of these look like hybrids with drop bars to me.


that kind of comment will get you chased out of this thread with pitchforks and torches. burn the traitor!


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## NM520 (Mar 16, 2008)

Been a member for a long time-- I don't remember posting before, but this... wow! Amazing job!


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## FatCloud (May 6, 2013)

justin146 said:


> Honestly most of these look like hybrids with drop bars to me.


Burn in hell, you rat bastard.

Just kidding.


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## Tinman (Aug 18, 2013)

Here is my monstercross, used for extended National Forest service, fire,dirt road cycling. Based on original monsterX concept with a few modern amenities. I run 38-46 (1.5"-1.8") tires (shown with Spec. Renegade 2bliss 1.8"), touring geared triple, modified, etc. Also used as all a rounder. 
Enjoy the outdoors&#8230;.


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## htdoerge (Oct 22, 2011)

Just got my drakkar overhauled and ready for more fun in here in Austin.


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## kustomz (Jan 6, 2004)

htdoerge said:


> Just got my drakkar overhauled and ready for more fun in here in Austin.


Very nice! wonder why they don't offer that frameset anymore?


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## jemlinus (Jul 27, 2008)

Tinman said:


> Here is my monstercross, used for extended National Forest service, fire,dirt road cycling. Based on original monsterX concept with a few modern amenities. I run 38-46 (1.5"-1.8") tires (shown with Spec. Renegade 2bliss 1.8"), touring geared triple, modified, etc. Also used as all a rounder.
> Enjoy the outdoors&#8230;.


Isn't this Crosstrail?


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## leeboh (Aug 5, 2011)

Thinking of converting my Karate Monkey . Currently flat bars and 9 sp shimano mt bike brakes and shifters, bb7 disc. Drop bar options? Need brifters and road disc bb7's? I could run Salsa woodchippers or dirt drips with existing shifters and levers? Thoughts and opinions please.


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## nelzbycks (Jun 3, 2011)

I guess I should put this here too! I've got it in fat bikes somewhere too, but I have always loved this thread!


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## kustomz (Jan 6, 2004)

My lonely Jamis Coda frame has came down from the hook and been built up in it's umpteenth iteration. Of course the seat and chainstays were modified a long time ago to fit fat tires. So this time it wears Geax Evolution 29x1.9 for gravel and adventure use. Other new touches include a 42 and 11-32 1x9 drivetrain with Retroshift on Salsa Cowbells. Keep on truckin'.


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## The Gen (Sep 9, 2012)




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## fixgeardan (Aug 20, 2004)

Very nice bike there. What do you think about those nomad tires. Ive been lookin at those for my Crosscheck?


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

dr.welby said:


> First ride on the the new bike. Clearance for Nanos, low BB for riding in the Plains, lots of water bottle and gearing options. Perhaps a monstergrinder?


You make some beautiful bikes. I love the look of the raw brazed SS.


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## Marcus.s (Feb 11, 2014)

*An Alfine Monster*

Been lurking in this thread for a while. This is my first own built bike. It's an Origin8 CX frame with Alfine8 hub. The primary use will be for commute. It is currently equipped with Schwalbe 50mm spike tires and mud guards. When it's no ice in the mornings it will get proper 29er tires.


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## 4Crawler (Oct 30, 2011)

Marcus.s said:


> Been lurking in this thread for a while. This is my first own built bike. It's an Origin8 CX frame with Alfine8 hub. The primary use will be for commute. It is currently equipped with Schwalbe 50mm spike tires and mud guards. When it's no ice in the mornings it will get proper 29er tires.
> 
> View attachment 870615


Looks good. I was originally thinking of setting up my CX700 with an internal geared hub, but with with a 3x10 drive train instead.


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## leeboh (Aug 5, 2011)

Looking to run some 29er 2.0 to 2.3's on my karate monkey. Looking for smooth tires for urban assault. I've come up with schwalbe big bens I thought would work well, any other thoughts? Primarily for roads, I would be doing some dirt as well.


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## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

leeboh said:


> Looking to run some 29er 2.0 to 2.3's on my karate monkey. Looking for smooth tires for urban assault. I've come up with schwalbe big bens I thought would work well, any other thoughts? Primarily for roads, I would be doing some dirt as well.


Big Apples/Big Ben/Fat Frank are all good choices.


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## schnee (Oct 15, 2005)

My monstercrosser after a monster ride. 82 miles on concrete, mud, and gravel.

Sorry about the non-drive side, but I was tired.


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## The Gen (Sep 9, 2012)

Kona Unit Monstercross (all black) by El Gen, on Flickr


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## bwade913 (Jan 14, 2012)

*Here's my monster cross bike*

I've just completed this monster cross build based on a custom Carver frame. It's basically a conventional cross geometry with enough clearance to handle 650Bx2.0 tires.


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## heartland (Oct 1, 2009)

*love this thread*

Do 700x42c tires qualify my Cross-Check as a monstrous crosser?


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## jemlinus (Jul 27, 2008)

The Gen said:


> Kona Unit Monstercross (all black) by El Gen, on Flickr


This is not a cx bike. Putting a dropbar on a MTB doesn't change the fact that it's a MTB.


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## deuxdiesel (Jan 14, 2007)

The Gen said:


> Kona Unit Monstercross (all black) by El Gen, on Flickr


I like it. It seems you would be pretty stretched out on it, but if it works for you, that is all that matters. All this BS about what is and what isn't a (insert type of bike here) is just that- BS.


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## kustomz (Jan 6, 2004)

deuxdiesel said:


> All this BS about what is and what isn't a (insert type of bike here) is just that- BS.


Agreed. The ETT of a bike that was originally designed for flat bars ended up being the perfect length for my long arms when I put dropbars on it.


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## phsycle (Apr 14, 2011)

schnee said:


> My monstercrosser after a monster ride. 82 miles on concrete, mud, and gravel.
> 
> Sorry about the non-drive side, but I was tired.


Nice!! What frame is that? Also, did the guy parked behind you on the SS (Nature Boy?) do the same ride?


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## jemlinus (Jul 27, 2008)

deuxdiesel said:


> I like it. It seems you would be pretty stretched out on it, but if it works for you, that is all that matters. All this BS about what is and what isn't a (insert type of bike here) is just that- BS.


There are reasons why we call them Monster*cross*.


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## Fat Biker (Mar 3, 2007)

Thanks for all the inspiration in this thread I decided to build my own interpretation of a "monstercross" based around a 29er !!!!!!!!!! (The horror !!!!!!!)
But now I'm scared to post it due to all the negative comments from the purists here . 


Sloping top tube ? - Yup. (Need the clearance off road - short legs)
35c tyres ? - Yup (Needed mud clearance from the stays and chain)
Long top tube ? - Yup (Needed room to move and stretch)
Short stem ? - Yup (Needed to quicken the slack 29er geo up)
Road drop bars ? - Yup (Hankerin' to try the "drop bar" offroad)
Ex 29er ? - Yup (The only frame I had to hand that was remotely suitable)
Fast on gravel ? = Yup (Mile crunching away from the idiot tin can drivers)
Smooth on tarmac ? - Yup (Needed to get to the gravel pronto to escape the idiot tin can drivers)
Parts bin special ? - Yup (Funds were tight)

Is it a bike I love to ride ? - Yup ! (And then some)



P.S. A lot of "needs" in this post but necessity is the mother of invention (or something) 



Fat Biker


----------



## The Gen (Sep 9, 2012)

I build this last weekend for a friend..... is this a monstercross?....I don't know... but it is amazing...

Bloom Titanium Custom Frame and Fork (XACD)
Thomson Components
CK headset, hubs and cog
Brooks saddle & Tape
Salsa woodchipper 2 handlebar
BB7 mountain brakes
10,5 Kg of pure fun....

Here the full set....


Bloom Monstercross by El Gen, on Flickr


Bloom Monstercross by El Gen, on Flickr


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## The Gen (Sep 9, 2012)

jemlinus said:


> This is not a cx bike. Putting a dropbar on a MTB doesn't change the fact that it's a MTB.


In my opinion, a monstercross can be:

1) A 29er converted to a CX bike, adding a dropbar and anything required to fit the bike to your needs...

2) A CX (or similar) with mtb tyres....

I don't think that there is a clear statement about what a monstercross is... so we cannot exclude any 'monster' here posted....


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

The Gen said:


> In my opinion, a monstercross can be:
> 
> 1) A 29er converted to a CX bike, adding a dropbar and anything required to fit the bike to your needs...
> 
> ...





Fat Biker said:


> Thanks for all the inspiration in this thread I decided to build my own interpretation of a "monstercross" based around a 29er !!!!!!!!!! (The horror !!!!!!!)
> But now I'm scared to post it due to all the negative comments from the purists here .


Glad you have a bike you love to ride, because that's what matters, not what you call it. Go ahead and post some pics. I love to see what others have created!

I think any hardtail with drop bars and sub-2" tires that is suitable for on and off road, preferably with 29"/700C wheels can qualify as monstercross. I think the purists lost any leg to stand on once quotes were dug up from the people who coined/popularized the term "monstercross" saying, "monsters come in all sizes and shapes" [Wade the Vulture] and anything with tires "up to 52mm" [Guitar Ted] could qualify as monstercross.

But if they want to call my bike a drop-bar 29er, then who cares?

I would add that after going from 38mm tires to riding on 1.95" (50mm) tires for a while, I'm thinking the Rock n' Roads (43mm) will be my next set of tires for the monstercross bike. The purists seem to think the 43mm Rock n' Roads are the perfect monstercross tires, and I think they are probably right.


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## phsycle (Apr 14, 2011)

goto11 said:


> Glad you have a bike you love to ride, because that's what matters, not what you call it. Go ahead and post some pics. I love to see what others have created!
> 
> I think any hardtail with drop bars and sub-2" tires that is suitable for on and off road, preferably with 29"/700C wheels use can qualify as monstercross. I think the purists lost any leg to stand on once quotes were dug up from the people who coined/popularized the term "monstercross" saying, "monsters come in all sizes and shapes" [Wade the Vulture] and anything with tires "up to 52mm" [Guitar Ted] could qualify as monstercross.
> 
> ...


Agreed, goto11. Too many cat fights in here.

By the way, the Rock n Roads are defintely one of my favorite tires. Have them on my CC and they do really well on and off road. Only have maybe 100 miles on it now, but so far so good.


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## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Not claiming to be an expert or a purist or even a good rider but the Rn'R's are a great tire. For whatever Monstercross is.


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## jemlinus (Jul 27, 2008)

The Gen said:


> In my opinion, a monstercross can be:
> 
> 1) A 29er converted to a CX bike, adding a dropbar and anything required to fit the bike to your needs...
> 
> ...


Monster*CROSS*. It says on the name that it's a CX bike.

With your logic, if I put an aerobar on a fatbike, it's a TT bike.

The reason why most of CX bikes have flat or very minimal top tube slope is to carry the bike on the shoulder.

Sorry but your bike is not even close to CX. Your bike is close to Salsa Fargo, which is a dropbar mountain bike for touring.

*Salsa Fargo*


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## The Gen (Sep 9, 2012)

A full rigid 29er, a ciclocross and a monstercross can be used on similar terrains, but a fat bike is the opposite of road bike.... this is not a valid comparison....

There are just a few brands or manufacturers offering pure monstercross frames or bikes, so most of the users (as me) adapt their bikes 'create' his own monstercross...... if a 29er "converted" is not a valid monstercross, 50% of pages of this post should be removed.... 

Here you have an example of a 'pure' monstercross. It is custom titanium design from an Spanish colleague....

















Amazing.... right?.... but if we 'exclude' those 29er-drops (Ok, I will not call them any more monstercross....) we would be missing this.....









And the fact, is that both bikes have similar 'angles' (key for riding style) and riding position.... the same gearing... (mtb in both).... so both concepts are no so far....


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

As usual, I'm sure the dissenting comment will earn me demerits but does this argument get old to anyone else? The downhill and XC forums are not on my radar but do they have the same problem there? O.K., heading off to put my nose in the corner (or go outside and play in the rain, as is the real case).


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## fotu (Jan 20, 2005)

1 Speed said:


> As usual, I'm sure the dissenting comment will earn me demerits but does this argument get old to anyone else? The downhill and XC forums are not on my radar but do they have the same problem there? O.K., heading off to put my nose in the corner (or go outside and play in the rain, as is the real case).


An accurate bicycle taxonomy is critical to long term bicycle archiving and retrieval.


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## wdvolks (May 23, 2013)

Hey, i was looking at the new Trek CrossRip. Would that be considered a "monstercross" bike??


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## Fat Biker (Mar 3, 2007)

The Gen said:


>


Now that is one *GORGEOUS* looking bi-cycle right there .

But something tells me it is waaaaay out of my price range  :cryin:

Fat Biker


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## Fat Biker (Mar 3, 2007)

goto11 said:


> Glad you have a bike you love to ride, because that's what matters, not what you call it. Go ahead and post some pics. I love to see what others have created!
> 
> I think any hardtail with drop bars and sub-2" tires that is suitable for on and off road, preferably with 29"/700C wheels can qualify as monstercross. I think the purists lost any leg to stand on once quotes were dug up from the people who coined/popularized the term "monstercross" saying, "monsters come in all sizes and shapes" [Wade the Vulture] and anything with tires "up to 52mm" [Guitar Ted] could qualify as monstercross.
> 
> ...


If only I had a four digit bank balance for something titanium ? :madman:

Oh well perhaps a parts bin raid is in order :thumbsup: 

A few of the criteria I had in my head were :-

1. Good mud clearance
2. Good standover height
3. Reasonably light 
4. Disk brakes
5. Comfortable
6. Quick

It was going to be used on the relatively smooth trails and in the local woods .
It also needed to be fairly usable on the road for commuting to and from work and the trails.

Monstercross purists look away now !

Everyone else apologies for the crappy cell phone pics .

Either way it's gonna hurt your eyes  :crazy:









































Fat Biker


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

Nice rig, except... why does it look like your fork is on backward?


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## Fat Biker (Mar 3, 2007)

goto11 said:


> Nice rig, except... why does it look like your fork is on backward?


Thanks

Damn I knew something was wasn't quite right !!! LOL

It's an On-One tapered carbon race 29er fork (730g ish)

Fat Biker


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## SocratesDiedTrolling (Sep 15, 2012)

Got in my first longer ride of the year a couple weeks ago. We stopped for lunch, and I snapped a pic of my friend's El Mariachi Ti and my own Fargo.









Pure "monstercross" or not, they are both rigid 29ers with drop bars. Well, some 29er guys tell me the Fargo isn't a real 29er, but these labels mean little. Either way, I love my Fargo dearly. 

My buddy also has a Fargo, and recently decided to swap the drops to the El Mar, and the flat bar to his Fargo, hence his stem extender pictured here.


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## efuentes (Oct 13, 2009)

My trusty Rawland on some nice singletrack


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## Slow Danger (Oct 9, 2009)

Hey all, here's a monstercross newb question. If i'm looking at a monstercross for the combination of gravel grinding and occasional trail riding, do I use/look for a similar effective top tube as I would use on a mountain bike? I haven't ridden drop bars since I was a kid. I have no idea how to size myself for a cross bike. If I've asked the same old question, forgive me.


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## efuentes (Oct 13, 2009)

I usually run a couple of cm less stem length to compensate for the longer reach to the brake hoods on the drop bar, its hard to do on modern MTBs since they are designed for short stems. True monstercross bikes run shorter Eff T.T. than MTBs


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## ladljon (Nov 30, 2011)

*Do it all*

Not sure how this tread came about in the 29er bikes....My PsychloX will be sporting R&R 43 on the F and 38 R...got to wear these out first....been riding snow,gravel,dirt and some rocky single track...no drop bars with Rohloff


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

Slow Danger said:


> Hey all, here's a monstercross newb question. If i'm looking at a monstercross for the combination of gravel grinding and occasional trail riding, do I use/look for a similar effective top tube as I would use on a mountain bike? I haven't ridden drop bars since I was a kid. I have no idea how to size myself for a cross bike. If I've asked the same old question, forgive me.


It's closer to road bike sizing.


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## my2hands (Nov 3, 2010)

goto11 said:


> Glad you have a bike you love to ride, because that's what matters, not what you call it. Go ahead and post some pics. I love to see what others have created!
> 
> I think any hardtail with drop bars and sub-2" tires that is suitable for on and off road, preferably with 29"/700C wheels can qualify as monstercross. I think the purists lost any leg to stand on once quotes were dug up from the people who coined/popularized the term "monstercross" saying, "monsters come in all sizes and shapes" [Wade the Vulture] and anything with tires "up to 52mm" [Guitar Ted] could qualify as monstercross.
> 
> ...


I love my BG Rock n' Roads. I was skeptical at first, but they're amazing on gravel, and I was surprised how fast they were on pavement.

This is my Monstercross (?)


----------



## _alain_ (May 25, 2010)

Mine..


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## phsycle (Apr 14, 2011)

Slow Danger said:


> Hey all, here's a monstercross newb question. If i'm looking at a monstercross for the combination of gravel grinding and occasional trail riding, do I use/look for a similar effective top tube as I would use on a mountain bike? I haven't ridden drop bars since I was a kid. I have no idea how to size myself for a cross bike. If I've asked the same old question, forgive me.


You essentially have to account for the extra length to the hoods. So my MTB's are maybe around 600mm ETT, but road and cross are ~550.


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## hozzerr1 (Feb 26, 2005)

that is one purrrty looking bike.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

What is monstercross???

ok one for the fuking wannabe noobs, monstercross is this:

technically:whatever with UCI illegal tires of any size and a drop bar.
estethically: level (90degree) toptube and 29/700c UCI illegal tires and drop bar.

questions???????????????????????????????


no ****ing questions!!


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## nelzbycks (Jun 3, 2011)

goto11 said:


> Nice rig, except... why does it look like your fork is on backward?


It does look backwards, but the disc brake and caliper look to be on the proper side? Right? I mean left? Haha!


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## 29buzz (Nov 5, 2004)

*Fisticuff!*

With 2.0 tires to see how they fit.:eekster: Would work for dry places. Now sporting 41 Knards.


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## proline69 (Apr 14, 2009)

socrates69 said:


> Just finished my new project. Thank you guys for this thread with so much inspiration! Van Dessel WTF 59cm.
> 
> Purchased the frame 2nd hand. Loved(!) the retro-look of the frame but hated the REALLY bright green so i had it painted. I e-mailed Van Dessel (twice) to purchase new decals and a new head badge but they never responded. In the end i decided to have it painted with my own decals/color scheme.
> 
> ...


Nice looking Rig .


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## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

got mine out in the snow the other day...



















fatties fit fine!

J.


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## Mr. Doom (Sep 23, 2005)

*My spare parts project.*

Built this up after deciding monstercross and canti brakes were no fun on downhills, took off the Woodchipers and fat tires back from my GF Erwin and started this. 
Bought a Stans rear wheel off a friend for $50 then took it from there.
Traded Thomson post , 8 Speed XTR cassette and shifters for two hours of babysitting. BB5 brakes for $30, everything else in the parts bin.:thumbsup:

This is probably my cheapest/fuguliest bike in rotation but fun to ride, not sure a GT Nomad is on here so I thought I would share.


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

Mr. Doom said:


> Built this up after deciding monstercross and canti brakes were no fun on downhills, took off the Woodchipers and fat tires back from my GF Erwin and started this.
> Bought a Stans rear wheel off a friend for $50 then took it from there.
> Traded Thomson post , 8 Speed XTR cassette and shifters for two hours of babysitting. BB5 brakes for $30, everything else in the parts bin.:thumbsup:
> 
> This is probably my cheapest/fuguliest bike in rotation but fun to ride, not sure a GT Nomad is on here so I thought I would share.


I like it. What kind of brifters are those, and do they work well with V-brakes and discs?


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## Mr. Doom (Sep 23, 2005)

goto11 said:


> I like it. What kind of brifters are those, and do they work well with V-brakes and discs?


The free kind, spray painted??? 8 speed tiagra. BB5 Road caliper and travel agent on the rear. I have not tried a serious DH with the disk yet but the "experiment" with rim brakes on the front was almost disastrous after 14 years of disks. A 44mm is the largest tire that will comfortably fit in these frames BTW.


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

Mr. Doom said:


> The free kind, spray painted??? 8 speed tiagra. BB5 Road caliper and travel agent on the rear. I have not tried a serious DH with the disk yet but the "experiment" with rim brakes on the front was almost disastrous after 14 years of disks. A 44mm is the largest tire that will comfortably fit in these frames BTW.


I thought my monstercross bike was fast on the downhills until I rode with my buddies on their full-suspension bikes. I almost killed myself trying to keep up with them. It was more a function of the drop bars than the brakes (my BB-7s and Cane Creek V-levers work great). That low and forward position in the drops or on the hoods is not good for the steep and deep. Maybe a wider drop bar would make it easier to use the cross-top levers to get my weight back, but they're too close together on my WTB dirt drop and not safe for high speed.

My new rule is: If my riding buddies are noobs and/or ride hardtails, monstercross is OK. If buddies are riding full-suspension, then I'm riding my FS bike too.


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## MHanraha (Aug 2, 2006)

Goto11 you mean you can't ride like this on drop bars?

Neither can I...must be the disc brakes.


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

MHanraha said:


> Goto11 you mean you can't ride like this on drop bars?
> 
> Neither can I...must be the disc brakes.


Fun to watch that one again. I'd be happy if I could jump that high with no bike at all. Akrigg, Macaskill and Ashton are superhuman.

Anyone know who makes the widest flared dirt drop bar? Maybe that would help me backflip my monstercross bike and ride it up trees


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## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

the Salsa Woodchippers I have on my Xcheck are pretty dang wide at the ends. there's 3 versions and I went with the widest:

Woodchipper Bar | Parts & Accessories | Salsa Cycles

J.


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

Woodchippers come in 42, 44, and 46cm widths

Thanks for doing my research for me :thumbsup:

Any other research assistants know of drop bars wider than 46cm?

I primarily need the width for the flats. The WTB Dirt Drop bars I have now are so narrow on the flats that I can't safely use my cross top levers except on very gentle terrain (my hands are only about 6" apart on the flats).

I'm not really looking for more width in the drops (TREES!), but this is unavoidable if the flats are wider. The other option is a shorter/taller stem and levers with bigger brake hoods than my Cane Creek V's have.


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## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

goto11 said:


> Woodchippers come in 42, 44, and 46cm widths
> 
> Thanks for doing my research for me :thumbsup:
> 
> ...


Nitto Noodles come in a 48cm width.


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## 0sparky0 (May 6, 2012)

My Franken-cx beastie. 2014 Giant TCX. XTR brakes and rear d. Ultegra crank. Giant carbon bar and alloy 29er wheels. Totally scavenged leftover parts from my Anthem spares. Its a bit short in the cockpit, but my first ride (50mi) was effortless. Have Specialized Renegade tires. I think the 1.8's. Have fit my Racing Ralph tubular 2.0 as well as the new Thunder Burt up front, though the Burt was tight. Ton of room. The Ralph 'barely' fit in back. Summary: flat bar cross bike+fat tires=awesome sand/gravel road bike. Just not super comfy at the moment.









Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

*Noodles!*



GRAVELBIKE said:


> Nitto Noodles come in a 48cm width.


Except for the lack of flare, I like them noodles.







The flats resemble the backsweep of flat bars, and the lack of the flare means less likely to hit trees. Hmm... I really like the flare when I'm in the drops. Do you do much serious (bumpy, roots and rocks) off-roading with these, GRAVELBIKE?


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## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

goto11 said:


> I primarily need the width for the flats. The WTB Dirt Drop bars I have now are so narrow on the flats that I can't safely use my cross top levers except on very gentle terrain (my hands are only about 6" apart on the flats).


the Woodchippers have the widest flats of all the dirt drop bars. I almost went with the on-one midge bars (I like the looks of them more than the Salsa) but went with the Salsa due to the flat width. also, the angle of the Salsa is not as extreme as others, so it's easier to ride the hoods (which I do a lot of). that was the other factor in me getting the Salsa.

J.


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## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

goto11 said:


> Except for the lack of flare, I like them noodles.
> View attachment 876374
> 
> The flats resemble the backsweep of flat bars, and the lack of the flare means less likely to hit trees. Hmm... I really like the flare when I'm in the drops. Do you do much serious (bumpy, roots and rocks) off-roading with these, GRAVELBIKE?


Back in the day, I rode Nitto-made drop bars exclusively (off-road). Never had any problems.


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## phsycle (Apr 14, 2011)

I tried Midge bars, which were fairly wide. Didn't like them much, so switched to Salsa Cowbell 46. Been great so far.


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## IDysterDimma (Sep 30, 2010)

Widest I've seen is the VO Grand Cru rando bar, they go up to 50cm.


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## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

IDysterDimma said:


> Widest I've seen is the VO Grand Cru rando bar, they go up to 50cm.


"Available in 42, 44, 46, 48, and 50cm measured from center-to-center at the ends; there is 60mm of flare." So that would make them approx 44cm at the hoods, and possibly narrower on the tops.


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## proline69 (Apr 14, 2009)

johnny the boy said:


> BUMP!!!


:madman: That's Beautiful !


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

The flat bars on my FS bike are over 71cm wide (and 78cm isn't that uncommon), so I'm thinking 50 or 60cm will still feel quite narrow. I found the Soma Junebugs come in 56cm (34 on the flats). Soma Junebug Bar - Outside Outfitters
I was thinking of getting the Nitto Noodle (and flaring them myself) or VO Grand Cru, but both only come in 26mm clamp size and I need/prefer 31.8... Still holding out for something ridiculously wide (by drop bar standards) before I replace my WTB dirt drops. Why not 70cm at the flare? That would not be too wide compared to a DH bar. The ideal off-road drop bar would have a 31.8mm clamp with about 62cm flats and ~70cm at the flares. As someone who went from narrow flat bars to wide ones, I can definitely attest to the advantages of the extra leverage provided by a wider bar in rough terrain. The same physics that work for flat bars also apply to drop bars. Salsa, Nitto, Soma, On-one, you listening? Monstercross is getting big and I bet that wider bars like disc brakes, will soon be coming to the 'cross world. Whoever makes them first will cash in.


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## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

*Cross-posting from the Straggler thread in the Surly section...*

View attachment 880350


Sorry about the filth. New wheels/tires. Not knobbies, but I took a spin up some trails with good climbs with loose gravel and rocks and it was not a problem.


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## heartland (Oct 1, 2009)

> Sorry about the filth.


Never apologize. (for that)


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## deuxdiesel (Jan 14, 2007)

0sparky0 said:


> My Franken-cx beastie. 2014 Giant TCX. XTR brakes and rear d. Ultegra crank. Giant carbon bar and alloy 29er wheels. Totally scavenged leftover parts from my Anthem spares. Its a bit short in the cockpit, but my first ride (50mi) was effortless. Have Specialized Renegade tires. I think the 1.8's. Have fit my Racing Ralph tubular 2.0 as well as the new Thunder Burt up front, though the Burt was tight. Ton of room. The Ralph 'barely' fit in back. Summary: flat bar cross bike+fat tires=awesome sand/gravel road bike. Just not super comfy at the moment.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Gorgeous bike. Love the flat-bar set up!


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## mtnfiend (Feb 26, 2004)

I recently built a new-to-me Rawland Drakkar. I spend a good bit of time (too much likely) specing out the build list. The goal was to build a bike to do everything from a double century , loaded road touring, my 50 mile round trip commute 2-3 a month, light singletrack, to loaded dirt touring (think ACA Utah Cliffs Loops). I got a second wheelset to mount a set of Schwalbe Thunder Burt 2.1 and the other runs 32 Panaracer Pasela.

So far I've done one 50 mile commute, some mixed surface riding on the Paselas, and this past weekend at a 65 mile, 8,750 of gain nearly all offroad spectacular ride. This is one hell of a versatile bike.

Here a few pics:


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

Really nice build. I really like the look of the fork.


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

*My Abomination*

I didn't want to do it for aesthetic reasons, but found myself wanting a dropper post every time I took the monstercross on anything steep, so I broke down and shimmed an old 26.8 Gravity Dropper with a PBR can to fit my 27.2 seat tube.








There are those who are accustomed to fat tires, but want something more road-worthy and those who are accustomed to skinny tires, but want something more dirt-worthy. I come from the first camp. This is the most fun I've ever had on a "road bike."


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## slowride454 (Jan 11, 2014)

I wish my Soma Double Cross could take a bigger tire. I might have to start shopping for another frame and fork. I undid the cross nature of the Soma and when full fred commuter instead with VO Casey's Crazy Bars and brown bar tape. Anyone making a steel CX frame and fork that can take a 29 x 2.4 or 3.0?


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## FatCloud (May 6, 2013)

slowride454 said:


> I wish my Soma Double Cross could take a bigger tire. I might have to start shopping for another frame and fork. I undid the cross nature of the Soma and when full fred commuter instead with VO Casey's Crazy Bars and brown bar tape. Anyone making a steel CX frame and fork that can take a 29 x 2.4 or 3.0?


That's a joke right?
Anything above 2" is pretty big. You might as well just get a 29er frame and put drops on it (bonus points if you can get non-disc with cantis!)

Oh, PS. Photo drop in 3...2...1...





I just updated my blog with a whole bunch of these if you want to see a Monstercross on single track, road, and gravel all in one 70 mile ride.
As long as I'll live I'll love the versatility of this bike.


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## slowride454 (Jan 11, 2014)

I have 29ers. I have a Yelli Screamy and a GT Karakoram set up rigid and SS. The Soma is nice, but can't take much tire. I currently have 35s with fenders. It is a nice in-between my Specialized Roubaix on 25s and the Nashbar on 28s and the 29ers. A MTB with drop bars does not handle or look like a road bike, hence wanting road bike geometry and fat tire traction/cushion.

Yelli


GT


Soma with drops, fenders, rack


Soma before adding fenders


Soma now...


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## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

Get a Salsa Fargo, problem solved.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

slowride454 said:


> I wish my Soma Double Cross could take a bigger tire. I might have to start shopping for another frame and fork. I undid the cross nature of the Soma and when full fred commuter instead with VO Casey's Crazy Bars and brown bar tape. Anyone making a steel CX frame and fork that can take a 29 x 2.4 or 3.0?


Shands takes quite big tires, like 45-50 or so it looks like. and they are real cx bikes.








Stooshie image gallery: Reynolds 853 steel cyclocross frame - Handbuilt by Shand Cycles









[url]http://www.shandcycles.com/frames/fat-tyre-stoater/stoater-ft-overview/
[/URL]


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## ladljon (Nov 30, 2011)

*Tires*

Don't think I'll ever get this Surly Knard 700x41,front, sealed tubeless....Velocity A23s. Just fits too loose..Have a Kenda Kross Surpreme on rear....


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## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

I've got the fever...


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## newdee (Apr 4, 2014)

i hope this counts. first ride around the parking lot last night. still need to hook up the rear brake and maybe some hood brakes unless i decide to run it fixed.


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## kidglove13 (Dec 6, 2013)

My newly built Voodoo steel 29er gravel grinder


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## Slow Danger (Oct 9, 2009)

kidglove13 said:


> My newly built Voodoo steel 29er gravel grinder


Be sure to post up more pics once you put some tires on those rims.


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## kreater (Nov 11, 2004)

*my Quiring......*

suited up....from street to trail this bike rocks.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

what fork is that?


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## kreater (Nov 11, 2004)

car bone said:


> what fork is that?


Scott built it for me from Quiring. The bike if fitted with 2.0 but the fork can take a 2.25 easily. Pacenti crown.....


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## alex(K) (Jun 27, 2008)

kreater said:


> suited up....from street to trail this bike rocks.
> View attachment 889254


that is a nice bike... i'd love to see more pics. 29"?


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## kreater (Nov 11, 2004)

yes 29, only a side pic right now......


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## alex(K) (Jun 27, 2008)

very cool. love versatile frames like that...


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## danec99 (Jul 22, 2010)

WTB Nano's


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## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

saw those the other day...I'm still lusting.

J.


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## Benzosol (Mar 31, 2012)

*Dirt Research Just Finished*

I've been lurking around checking out everyone's franken cross bikes for a while now. I found this Dirt Research about 7 months ago. Tried to keep the build as true to when the frame was made by Teesdale back in 96.


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## Austin Dave (Jul 7, 2010)

Wow. I really like that Dirt Research bike. Fantastic.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Outrageous build, I have a set of blue OP rims on one of my bikes. Are those Bruce Gordon tires?


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

zxebay said:


> I've got the fever...


What Model Waterford is that?


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## Benzosol (Mar 31, 2012)

CS2 said:


> Outrageous build, I have a set of blue OP rims on one of my bikes. Are those Bruce Gordon tires?


Yes, B.G. Rock n Road.


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## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

Benzosol, that is a KILLER DR! nice job on the build!

J.


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## Benzosol (Mar 31, 2012)

*Couple other shots..*









Benzosol said:


> I've been lurking around checking out everyone's franken cross bikes for a while now. I found this Dirt Research about 7 months ago. Tried to keep the build as true to when the frame was made by Teesdale back in 96.
> 
> View attachment 896373


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## zxebay (Oct 9, 2011)

CS2 said:


> What Model Waterford is that?


It's basically a Gunnar Fast Lane - series 14 OS2.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

Benzosol said:


> View attachment 896655


wat cranks are those?


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## Benzosol (Mar 31, 2012)

*MRC Steely Danz Mtb Cranks*



car bone said:


> wat cranks are those?


McMahon Racing made these cranks back in the late 90's for mtb use.
I am also running older Shimano Xt M739 long cage with matching front. So I decided to use mtb cranks. It shifts very well with the 8 speed dura ace downtube shifters.


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## Benzosol (Mar 31, 2012)

That fork is sweet. Reminds me of the Bridgestone MB0 and MB1 forks.


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## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Those are great cranks, throwing Q-factor to the wind.


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## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Those are great cranks, throwing Q-factor to the wind.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

Benzosol said:


> McMahon Racing made these cranks back in the late 90's for mtb use.
> I am also running older Shimano Xt M739 long cage with matching front. So I decided to use mtb cranks. It shifts very well with the 8 speed dura ace downtube shifters.


I myself is running 8sp shimano hg60 or 61 cassettes (and kmcs best 8sp chain), xtr 9sp shifter and a pullconverter from jtek to shift my custom 6sp cassettes  I have a thread in the commuter forum if you are interested to see pics. I'm all for durability.


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## LockeFromTheForest (Jun 8, 2014)

@murf99

How is the frame build quality of the cx700? Looking into this for my monstercross build. Also wondering what size yours is. The top tube slopes a bit more than I thought it would. 

Thanks!


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## LockeFromTheForest (Jun 8, 2014)

THAT.
Is a beautiful machine. I'm on their site now. I'm assuming that those prices are for the frame only, not a complete build. Sure hope I'm wrong...


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## kyttyra (Mar 8, 2012)

My mostly stock Canyon Inflite Al 8.0. I think it qualifies as a Monstercross bike with 700X41 Knards which are true to size (casing width ≈42 mm on Mavic Crossride rims). At least the Knards look monstrous when compared to 33 mm Rocket Rons, which came with the bike 



Should a need for larger tyres arise, I think that the rear end would accept a 45 mm tire (such as Panaracer Firecross), and in the front there should be room for a 50 mm tyre).

Partial OT: The Shimano 105 rear derailleur should only accept a 11-28 cassette (at least the Shimano website says so), but this bike came with a 11-32 cassette. I'm just wondering, whether it would work with a 11-36 cassette...


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## Austin Dave (Jul 7, 2010)

Nice bike! 
How do you like the Knards? Are they a good tire on the trial and street? I've been eyeing them but haven't run into anyone who's tried them. thanks


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## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

kyttyra said:


> Partial OT: The Shimano 105 rear derailleur should only accept a 11-28 cassette (at least the Shimano website says so), but this bike came with a 11-32 cassette. I'm just wondering, whether it would work with a 11-36 cassette...


That 105 will not play nice with the 11-36. The 11-32 really is the max you can go with a 105.


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## kyttyra (Mar 8, 2012)

Austin Dave said:


> Nice bike!
> How do you like the Knards? Are they a good tire on the trial and street? I've been eyeing them but haven't run into anyone who's tried them. thanks


I have not ridden with them much yet, but the roll quite well on the asphalt, with very little buzz but of course one can feel that they are not road slicks, especially when cornering. As for the trails, I drove a short course in nearby paths (dry, with rocks and roots) and cannot say much. Except that they felt better than, say, <35 mm cyclocross tyres. At least as long as the paths are dry.



jcaino said:


> That 105 will not play nice with the 11-36. The 11-32 really is the max you can go with a 105.


Ok, thanks for the answer. A 1/1 gearing ratio would have been nice, but not really necessary - for crawling I have a fat bike


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## LockeFromTheForest (Jun 8, 2014)

Thinking of this for my new go anywhere, do anything, crossracingcommutouringmountaneater. Let me know what yall think, and tips or ideas are more than welcome

SOMA Fabrications Wolverine Frame (54)
Drivetrain: 1x10 Shimano XT (Cassette, RD, BB), Salsa 34t 5 bolt chainring (Either XT shifters if using MTB bar OR Retroshift/Brifters thumb mounted on Soma JuneBug dirt drops) Crank Arm from the local Community Shop
Headset: Cane Creek 40
Brakes: good ol' BB7s
Handlebars: EITHER Soma JuneBug bars or Butterfly/trekking bars. Havent decided yet.
Seatpost: Something I can scrounge up or find cheap.

Wheelset: DT Swiss 350 29", DT Swiss M520 Rims

Total: Roughly 1200. Many of these parts can be bought cheaper in Missoula used from an LBS or the CBS (thank mothra for our abundance of barely used MTB components). Pricing is shown for an all new build, rounding up.

I'm looking for some tips on gearing for the 1x10 setup though. Any thoughts?


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## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

LockeFromTheForest said:


> Thinking of this for my new go anywhere, do anything, crossracingcommutouringmountaneater. Let me know what yall think, and tips or ideas are more than welcome
> 
> SOMA Fabrications Wolverine Frame (54)
> Drivetrain: 1x10 Shimano XT (Cassette, RD, BB), Salsa 34t 5 bolt chainring (Either XT shifters if using MTB bar OR Retroshift/Brifters thumb mounted on Soma JuneBug dirt drops) Crank Arm from the local Community Shop
> ...


If you're going 1x10, I'd probably suggest a 38T chainring and a 11-36 cassette. If its really flat where you are, you can probably go up to a 42T without a problem.


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## LockeFromTheForest (Jun 8, 2014)

Awesome. Thanks for the tip. Its fairly mountainous in Western Montana, so I might not go as big as 42. I like the sound of a 38 though. Thanks for the tips. Any cheaper, better value wheelsets come to mind? I can grab that DT swiss for roughly 340


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## newdee (Apr 4, 2014)

finally completed the build.

Fyxation Quiver Frameset
Surly New flip flop rear and Ultra New front hub laced to Velocity A23 rims
Vee Rubber 12 29x1.75 tires setup tubeless
Sugino XD cranks with Tange BB and Surly 39t chainring
Salsa Cowbell Bars
Tektro RL340 Levers


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

My latest build:



















This new Velo Orange Camargue frame easily clears my 2.1~2.2" semi-knobbies, and it looks like there's still room for fenders. Since this will mostly be used for running errands, pulling the kids around, and touring, I will probably put more roadish tires on there--but I was curious to check out the clearance.

Notice the rear chainstay length: giving a big middle finger to the short chainstay craze, I slammed the rear wheel all the way back, giving me a Cadillac ride!


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## bobbotron (Nov 28, 2007)

Great looking bike!!



seat_boy said:


> My latest build:
> 
> This new Velo Orange Camargue frame easily clears my 2.1~2.2" semi-knobbies, and it looks like there's still room for fenders. Since this will mostly be used for running errands, pulling the kids around, and touring, I will probably put more roadish tires on there--but I was curious to check out the clearance.
> 
> Notice the rear chainstay length: giving a big middle finger to the short chainstay craze, I slammed the rear wheel all the way back, giving me a Cadillac ride!


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## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

Seatboy- that's awesome! Your's must be the first real life production Camargue to hit the interwebs. I expect a full report on your wonderful blog.


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

I'm working on a post about it, but I'm about three posts behind right now. Thanks for the blog feedback!



bolandjd said:


> Seatboy- that's awesome! Your's must be the first real life production Camargue to hit the interwebs. I expect a full report on your wonderful blog.


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## phsycle (Apr 14, 2011)

Yeah, that VO is awesome. Nice job.

From my ride today.


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## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

*Cross-post from Surly...*

Sure, the tires may be slick, but it hasn't stopped me from riding mud n gravel...


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## dovebiker (Jul 22, 2013)

Austin Dave said:


> Nice bike!
> How do you like the Knards? Are they a good tire on the trial and street? I've been eyeing them but haven't run into anyone who's tried them. thanks


I won a pair at a post-event hula contest and fitted them to some A23s rims to replace some well-worn 40mm Smart Sams. A couple of rides around my local trails hasn't resulted in anything of note - they do have a deep profile which gives plenty of cush and they appear to roll quite fast on hardpack/tarmac. I've set the bike up for some adventure CX with a trip to Scotland and North Yorkshire next week where I'll be hitting some MTB trail centres as well as wild-biking on the Isle of Mull. Will report back.


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## PHeller (Dec 28, 2012)

Any cheap crossbikes that can handle a 2.35 tire, discs, flat bar, and a Nexus hub?


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

PHeller said:


> Any cheap crossbikes that can handle a 2.35 tire, discs, flat bar, and a Nexus hub?


They are called 29er MTBs.


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## PHeller (Dec 28, 2012)

Not necessarily. I don't want MTB geometry, ie, the suspension corrected fork. You could say "just run a smaller fork on an MTB frame" but that produces a big BB drop and perhaps overly steep HTA.


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## bolandjd (Jul 23, 2008)

Sooooo, you want a 29er with a non-suspension corrected fork and a steep(ish) HTA that can run a IGH without a tensioner?

Singular Gryphon
Velo Orange Camargue
All City JYD


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## PHeller (Dec 28, 2012)

those are all soooo close. 

I think an older Raliegh XXIX may work. Apparently the frame didn't change, although the fork went from non-suspension corrected to suspension correct throughout the years.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

PHeller said:


> those are all soooo close.
> 
> I think an older Raliegh XXIX may work. Apparently the frame didn't change, although the fork went from non-suspension corrected to suspension correct throughout the years.


I've got one of those in my basement. It's the red one without the split seat stay. So, you can't use a belt. They look pretty solid. The only down fall is the SS version doesn't have any braze ons for a derailleur and needs a different rear derailleur hanger.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

PHeller said:


> Not necessarily. I don't want MTB geometry, ie, the suspension corrected fork. You could say "just run a smaller fork on an MTB frame" but that produces a big BB drop and perhaps overly steep HTA.


Then the answer is a big no.
If you can fit 2.35 tires it is not a 'cross bike.


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## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

shiggy said:


> Then the answer is a big no.
> If you can fit 2.35 tires it is not a 'cross bike.


Well, if you fit 1.7 tires it is not a cross bike by UCI definition. I don't see why a bike that matches the geo of a cross bike and doesn't have a suspension corrected fork is disqualified for 2.3s alone, especially in a thread dedicated to cross bikes with more tire clearance.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

Sleeveless said:


> Well, if you fit 1.7 tires it is not a cross bike by UCI definition. I don't see why a bike that matches the geo of a cross bike and doesn't have a suspension corrected fork is disqualified for 2.3s alone, especially in a thread dedicated to cross bikes with more tire clearance.


PHeller stated the desire for a cheap crossbike with discs, flat bar and clearance for 2.3 tires. Not going to happen. Either going to be a MTB (could be cheap) or a custom (not cheap).


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## agu (Jun 22, 2007)

Tucked a pair of a Bontrager 700x38c CX-0's in my Crockett. Some toe rub but that shouldn't be a problem. Quite a bit bigger than the stock 32c CX-3's which I'll save for wetter and muddier rides,


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## dovebiker (Jul 22, 2013)

Austin Dave said:


> Nice bike!
> How do you like the Knards? Are they a good tire on the trial and street? I've been eyeing them but haven't run into anyone who's tried them. thanks


Took my CX bike with Knards for a three-week trip to Scotland and North Yorkshire - exceeded my expectations. I visited the MTB trail centres at Glentress and Innerleithin a couple of times and gave them a good work out on a mixture of blue, red and black runs. Never experienced any problems with grip or durability running 30psi on Velocity A23 rims - they're definitely my go-to tyre now for adventure biking. Also did a fair bit of venturing into the hills and forests and riding some rough trails or even no trail at all.


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## captainmorgan (Mar 11, 2006)

*Time for some ride shots*


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## ascarlarkinyar (Apr 24, 2012)

*This is not monstercross*

but for those who want to "pretend monstercross" on their specialized tricross bike.

the biggest tires i can stuff on this bike are the furious freds on the back and specialized renegade 1.95 crontrol bliss on the front with some occasional rubbing. the frurios freds on the front do not rub.

the racks are on because i have downgraded my cross bike to full time super commuter.


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## gottwood (Jun 2, 2009)

Uber cool!


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## The Gen (Sep 9, 2012)

My 29er dropbar.... (It may not be a monstercross.....)

Gasventinove Stambek SS (Columbus steel)


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## Deeps Elgnis (May 4, 2012)

Please help me find a bike with the following: 

A not-a-mountain bike-with-drop-bars

Steel frame / steel or carbon fork
A 68 BB shell ( no press fit )
Disc brakes 
Single speed sliders /EBB and ability to run geared options
Fits at least a 40c
No proprietary stuff ( like nature boy disc drop outs)
Not a split frame for a belt.....
135 rear spacing

the Soma wolverine would be perfect except for the split frame for the belt drive.
Raleigh furley is out due to press fit BB
Surly straggler is out due to weird geometry
Dammit Salsa- please put alternator drop outs on the vaya. 


I have my fingers crossed for the swobo scofflaw, waiting on details

Is there any other bike that meets all of these criteria and is still being sold? Singular peregrine is would have worked. But it is no longer made.


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## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

Deeps Elgnis said:


> Please help me find a bike with the following:
> 
> A not-a-mountain bike-with-drop-bars
> 
> ...


The Wolverine and Straggler geo's are nearly identical with the Soma having a taller head tube and increased stack height. And a tad less BB drop.

And what's so bad about the split for belt drive?

Just go custom so you can spec exactly what ya want. From the sound of it, if someone comes out with something similar, you'll find something wrong with it.


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## Deeps Elgnis (May 4, 2012)

The belt drive split just adds a place for an issue to occur. I have broken a lot of frames in the past and I just feel that it adds a weaker spot to the frame. This may be completely incorrect on my part, based only on wild speculation.


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## sys2000 (Sep 28, 2014)

Hello,

please answer my question.

I want to buy Gravity Zilla monstercross, but have found it only in US online-shops.

Please can smbd. help me - to ship it outside the US?

Or may be please tell some used monstercross to buy.

I'll be very grateful to those, who can help me buy a monstercross.


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

Deeps Elgnis said:


> I have my fingers crossed for the swobo scofflaw, waiting on details


I'm surprised Swobo still exists to sell bicycles.


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## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

Swobo is truly a great little brand. They got new ownership a few years ago and the bikes they're coming up with are really quite awesome. The Scofflaw is a great example as well as the Mutineer, Folsom, and on goes the list. 

And it's not just bikes. They still have clothing and also just announced the Hobo backpack which is really well thought out. They've got more up their sleeve and are the ones to watch over the next few years.


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

We stopped by their booth at Interbike a couple of years ago. All of the bikes were leaning against each other on a wall out of sight. They had 4 sofas full of bros having a great old time. The show floor is where you do business, the party is after the show. They had zero interest in selling bikes.


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## juansevo (Nov 3, 2005)

Saddle Up said:


> We stopped by their booth at Interbike a couple of years ago. All of the bikes were leaning against each other on a wall out of sight. They had 4 sofas full of bros having a great old time. The show floor is where you do business, the party is after the show. They had zero interest in selling bikes.


Ha. Welcome to the bike biz! Each knows their stake in the game. Swobo had always been an edgy, fun loving brand which attracts the same in dealers and customers. And hey, ride bikes/drink beer. That's what life's about!!! 

And btw you do know they have new owners? Their booth was all business when I saw it this year. They've got reps. They've added models. They've added well thought out products like the Hobo pack. They're driving a demo van to all corners of the country so people can ride their bikes. Hell got them down for one of my projects this last summer we needed demo bikes for and they'll be down to do demos again this Fall as well as for our fat bike demo days this winter.

You'll always see this brand be a bit different than the rest, but I can assure you that they're all business. Still not your cup of tea? Well, many other brands to choose from


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## sys2000 (Sep 28, 2014)

Hi, guys, again!

Can somebody help me to buy a monstercross (e.g. Gravity Zilla) bike from USA?
The problem is that its box size exceeds international mail limits!

Or may be you can give an advice on those man, who will help.
Also I'm interested in a used monstercross with disk brakes!


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## mrribbits (Apr 25, 2014)

*My MX attempt*

Well not sure if my rig qualifies as Monster Cross, but I think it's close. Looking to get some Midge bars soon. It's my "do just about everything" bike. Hope to move to steel one day...

*Trek Crossrip LTD*
_TRP HY/RD
Shimano 105
Velocity A23 Comp
Clement Xplor MSO 700x40
Thudbuster ST
Brooks Cambium C17
Tubus Fly Classic_


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## Jannsen Agustin (Oct 19, 2014)

Still a WIP


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## Worn Treads (Jul 5, 2014)

Surly cross check
Kenda slant six 1.8

Fought this thing for 400 miles on the trans north California. Road gearing was the worst idea.

Read about it at www.worntreads.com


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## gottwood (Jun 2, 2009)

"My MX attempt
Well not sure if my rig qualifies as Monster Cross, but I think it's close. Looking to get some Midge bars soon. It's my "do just about everything" bike. Hope to move to steel one day..."



Well, it's almost the definition of Monstercross, what you have there! And a beautiful one, too.


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

40mm tires quailifies it.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

Jannsen Agustin said:


> Still a WIP


That one looks classy and badass. Is it ti?


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## james-o (Nov 8, 2010)

Arkose Two by james*o, on Flickr
Love what Nano 40Cs did to my CX-ish riding

And 50C Speedsters are great .. but how does a 650B fit into all this?

N-R testing by james*o, on Flickr

(shillery disclaimer, these are both bikes developed for Evans in the UK who I work for)


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## Jannsen Agustin (Oct 19, 2014)

car bone said:


> That one looks classy and badass. Is it ti?


Thanks! I can't wait to ride it. It's a Columbus Chromoly


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## Eric Malcolm (Dec 18, 2011)

car bone said:


> What is monstercross???
> 
> ok one for the fuking wannabe noobs, monstercross is this:
> 
> ...


Hey Car Bone,

I came across this comment, so since you like to not be challenged by viewing endless permutations of 'cross bikes that have a larger than UCI legal tyres fitted, that would make the thread a little bit boring after awhile, seeing everything the same I mean. Being elastic with the newer variations has kept the thread alive forever so far.

In days gone by, we used to jam the largest tire we could into our steel road race bikes and go 'off road' as best we could on our caliper braked bikes.

I have kinda gone back a little to that style here, I have 35mm tires fitted, the TT is sort of level, in part. You can't shoulder it, but it has drop bars. So I qualify - right.

CX - no, Gravel for this one, lots of attitude and its got street creed.

It is a Retro build of a 1900 English Humber, known as cross tubed frames. Here, I have used a little bit of creativity and 'hot-rodded' it.

I find it odd that UCI illegal in one sense, but strictly not in another a little against the spirit of thinking found in this entertaining thread.

Enjoy, if you can........no choking please.

Eric


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## Jannsen Agustin (Oct 19, 2014)

Hey guys! I hope you can help me, I've decided that Shimano 105 10 spd will be the groupset for my monstercross, however, I would like to put Shimano XT cranks. Is this even possible? If so, how do I go about it specially if the shifters are 105 STI's. Consider as well that my choices of bike parts where I live are limited.

Thanks in advance! It is a good day to ride!


----------



## heartland (Oct 1, 2009)

Shouldn't be a problem to use XT and 105 as long as both are 10 speed. You might want to use an XT front derailleur to better match the crank.


----------



## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

I thought I had read that the pull distance was different between the road and mtb cranks which meant that going more than 2x would result in improper pull ratio and shifting? Is that true?


----------



## heartland (Oct 1, 2009)

gregnash said:


> I thought I had read that the pull distance was different between the road and mtb cranks which meant that going more than 2x would result in improper pull ratio and shifting? Is that true?


Oops, yes, that's right. I spoke in ignorance. I've had it work with 9 speed set ups, so I assumed it'd work with 10, but apparently Shimano did switch the pull ratios for the 10 speed group.


----------



## Jannsen Agustin (Oct 19, 2014)

If it's too complicated to make it work I think I'll just make it a straight 105's I just want a smaller chainring for the cranks


----------



## Gilarider (Jul 13, 2009)

gregnash said:


> I thought I had read that the pull distance was different between the road and mtb cranks which meant that going more than 2x would result in improper pull ratio and shifting? Is that true?


I am trying to figure out what you mean by this, but haven't. I would think a 10s front shifter from shimano would shift just about any front derailleur OK, and an xt crank would work as long as it is 2x.

One thing that could be a problem is chainline, depending on what frame you are putting it on and how long the chainstays are. If you are putting xt on a 68mm shell with short chainstays the chain may come off the big ring when you are cross-chained, but it may not. I have a 3x XT crank on my monstercross and the chain would fall off the middle ring in the big cog until I did some funny chainline adjusting.

edit: I guess front ders have different pulls but I have always been able to get them to work between mtn and road shifters. Maybe I have just gotten lucky. I would think a road der and mtn crank will work just fine on a cross bike.


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## NickandBruce (Sep 18, 2014)

Where you're most likely to run into a problem is using the 105 shifters with XT der.

The cable pull ratios are different between Shimano 10 speed road and mountain groups meaning that in one system, a shift does not pull the cable the same amount as the other. If you want to use 105 shifters you either need to use a road group set der, or use a cable pull adapter. I think you might also be able to use a 9 speed mountain der which might be a better choice than 105 since it will be better matched to the cog and chainring sizes. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think road 10 speed cable pull ratios were the same as 9 speed road or mtn.


You could also go full Sram since they use the same cable pull ratios on road and mountain groups and Gevenalle says they're working on adapting the new Microshift 10sp mtn thumb shifters to their system which are designed to work with Shimano 10 sp.


----------



## Mason Rickert (Oct 26, 2014)

*Cx700*

Just wanted to pop up a pick of my franken-monster. Used mostly for, well, everything. I've ridden singletrack, commuted, bar bike whatever. Super fun to ride.















Origin8 CX700
Kenda 29x2.0 tire
1x10 drivetrain


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## gottwood (Jun 2, 2009)

*Max tyre to Kona Project 2 Triple butted*

For anybody who wants know how big tires can a Kona Project 2, 700c, disc-only, can fit, well, this is a pic with a Schwalbe Smart Sam 700x47c and this is quite the maximum:


----------



## chasejj (Sep 22, 2008)

Not sure if this is a Monstercrosser. I consider it to be the bastard love child of a 29er XC bike and a road bike.

Large Yeti ARCcarbon frame, Shimano XT 29er wheelset with 180 Ice rotors and TRP HyRD calipers. WTB Nano 2.1 tires (tubeless), XTR 985 crank (42/32/24) XTR 11-36 Cassette, XTR 972 (9spd) RD, Ultegra 6703 Fder, Ultegra 6703 Brifters . 
Salsa Woodchipper 2 46cm bars, SID XX fork, Thomson seatpost and X4 stem.

The magic to make this work is the FD adapter that allows a braze on to be used on a Direct Mount frame.

The frame is a size smaller than I would typically ride to get the shorter TT dimension for drop bars. The headtube is a bit short but with a 6omm carbon spacer and a couple of 10mm Cane Creek spacer I managed to get the cockpit to fit and handle well.


----------



## Jannsen Agustin (Oct 19, 2014)

NickandBruce said:


> Where you're most likely to run into a problem is using the 105 shifters with XT der.
> 
> The cable pull ratios are different between Shimano 10 speed road and mountain groups meaning that in one system, a shift does not pull the cable the same amount as the other. If you want to use 105 shifters you either need to use a road group set der, or use a cable pull adapter. I think you might also be able to use a 9 speed mountain der which might be a better choice than 105 since it will be better matched to the cog and chainring sizes. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think road 10 speed cable pull ratios were the same as 9 speed road or mtn.
> 
> You could also go full Sram since they use the same cable pull ratios on road and mountain groups and Gevenalle says they're working on adapting the new Microshift 10sp mtn thumb shifters to their system which are designed to work with Shimano 10 sp.


That's what I've been reading that cable pull ratios are different from MTB and road. Going full SRAM would be my last choice. I have seen online one monstercross that is specced XT crank and FD and Ultegra for cassette and RD as well as Ultegra STI's. Will this work with 105 RD and cassette, XT crank and FD then STI? If not I guess I'll just use a bar end shifter.


----------



## chasejj (Sep 22, 2008)

Compatible.For Shimano 10 speed Road Brifters-

Rear Derailleur- Any Shimano Mountain 9 speed will work.
Front Derailleur-Modify the pull of a mountain or use a Shimano road FD.
Cassette-Any 10 speed Shimano Cassette

My XTR 980 (42/32/24) crank shifts well across the range using the Ultegra FD. The one note is the cage is optimized for a 50-36 jump which is 2 more teeth than the 42-32 jump requiring a slightly higher mounting point than optimal. Works acceptably.

Rear Derailleur shifts great. I just wish I could get a Shadow Clutch style to work. Maybe that is another project I need to work on by altering the cable pull point.


----------



## Jannsen Agustin (Oct 19, 2014)

chasejj said:


> Compatible.For Shimano 10 speed Road Brifters-
> 
> Rear Derailleur- Any Shimano Mountain 9 speed will work.
> Front Derailleur-Modify the pull of a mountain or use a Shimano road FD.
> ...


Thanks for confirming! Seems I won't be using bar end shifters! yay!


----------



## TooSteep (Oct 6, 2012)

james-o said:


> Arkose Two by james*o, on Flickr
> Love what Nano 40Cs did to my CX-ish riding
> 
> And 50C Speedsters are great .. but how does a 650B fit into all this?
> ...


Tires? rims? frame? bars?

Thanks!


----------



## james-o (Nov 8, 2010)

TooSteep said:


> Tires? rims? frame? bars?
> 
> Thanks!


Tyres - Nano 40c on CX, Vee Tyre Speedster 50C on the 650B. Rims - old XT 29er UST wheels on the CX, Pacenti CL25s on the 650B. CX bike is a Pinnacle, the other is a sample 1-off. Bars - 44>47cm flare drops from a Taiwan supplier on both.


----------



## chasejj (Sep 22, 2008)

*Yeti MonsterX*

Not sure if this is a Monstercrosser. I consider it to be the bastard love child of a 29er XC bike and a road bike.

Large Yeti ARCcarbon frame, Shimano XT 29er wheelset with 180 Ice rotors and TRP HyRD calipers. WTB Nano 2.1 tires (tubeless), XTR 985 crank (42/32/24) XTR 11-36 Cassette, XTR 972 (9spd) RD, Ultegra 6703 Fder, Ultegra 6703 Brifters . 
Salsa Woodchipper 2 46cm bars, SID XX fork, Thomson seatpost and X4 stem.

The magic to make this work is the FD adapter that allows a braze on to be used on a Direct Mount frame.

The frame is a size smaller than I would typically ride to get the shorter TT dimension for drop bars. The headtube is a bit short but with a 6omm carbon spacer and a couple of 10mm Cane Creek spacer I managed to get the cockpit to fit and handle well.


----------



## Mason Rickert (Oct 26, 2014)

LockeFromTheForest said:


> Thinking of this for my new go anywhere, do anything, crossracingcommutouringmountaneater. Let me know what yall think, and tips or ideas are more than welcome
> 
> SOMA Fabrications Wolverine Frame (54)
> Drivetrain: 1x10 Shimano XT (Cassette, RD, BB), Salsa 34t 5 bolt chainring (Either XT shifters if using MTB bar OR Retroshift/Brifters thumb mounted on Soma JuneBug dirt drops) Crank Arm from the local Community Shop
> ...


I just did the 1x10 setup using 105 shifters, 11-36SLX cassette and 9sp xt r der. I'm running a 36 up front. It works slick. If you think that 36 is the "big ring" on 1x10 mtn setups so it matches well with the SLX cassette. Sounds like a cool build. Enjoy


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

Jannsen Agustin said:


> That's what I've been reading that cable pull ratios are different from MTB and road. Going full SRAM would be my last choice. I have seen online one monstercross that is specced XT crank and FD and Ultegra for cassette and RD as well as Ultegra STI's. Will this work with 105 RD and cassette, XT crank and FD then STI? If not I guess I'll just use a bar end shifter.


shimano 9/8/7 sp mtn rds and 10/9/8/7 road rds work the same. and they want 10/9/8/7 sp road shifters or 9/8/7sp mtn shifters.

10sp mtb system does not pull the same amount of cable per click (and the rds are designed for this) and most likely the 11sp road doesnt neither. talking shimano here. 10 sp pulls more cable at some cogs/gears than the others. totally incompatible. In the middle I think they pull equal lenght cable at all gears but at the ends they don't.

but you can mix and match all the others as you wish. I have a 9sp xtr shifter and a 8sp spacing 6sp cassette and a tiagre 10sp road rd. what makes this 9 to 8sp thing work is the pull converter from jtek, its called the shiftmate. there are many variations of this one. Usually you can go one step up or down with the shifter/cassette spacing, 8 to 9, 9 to 8 and so on.


----------



## bgenesis12 (Jul 11, 2014)

The Gen said:


> My 29er dropbar.... (It may not be a monstercross.....)
> 
> Gasventinove Stambek SS (Columbus steel)
> 
> ...


I like those drop bars. would you please share brand and model?


----------



## The Gen (Sep 9, 2012)

Sure!...

Deda Elementi RHM01....

Deda Elementi RHM01 Road Handlebar - Black | Chain Reaction Cycles


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Mason Rickert said:


> Just wanted to pop up a pick of my franken-monster. Used mostly for, well, everything. I've ridden singletrack, commuted, bar bike whatever. Super fun to ride.
> 
> View attachment 934064
> View attachment 934065
> ...


I really like that.


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

chasejj said:


> View attachment 934203
> 
> 
> bastard


I have my own bastard


----------



## bgenesis12 (Jul 11, 2014)

The Gen said:


> Sure!...
> 
> Deda Elementi RHM01....
> 
> Deda Elementi RHM01 Road Handlebar - Black | Chain Reaction Cycles


I'll have to change my stem too. What stem did you pair the bars with?


----------



## drøn (Sep 1, 2012)

how controversial would bull horn bars and 2.2" tyres be??


----------



## Jannsen Agustin (Oct 19, 2014)

It's finished!


----------



## jmmUT (Sep 15, 2008)

drøn said:


> how controversial would bull horn bars and 2.2" tyres be??


I think that would be sweet. Super aggressive and very non UCI legal which would make it even better!


----------



## mattbryant2 (Apr 19, 2005)

Has anyone tried 29x1.8 Continental Mud Kings on their monstercrosser? I've been racing cross this season on my Vaya with 700x40 On-One Gravel Road tires, which are surprisingly capable in the mud, but looking for something of a similar size with more bite in the muck. Any thoughts?


----------



## drøn (Sep 1, 2012)

Sorry, can't resize on phone.


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

drøn said:


> how controversial would bull horn bars and 2.2" tyres be??


The size of your pics fuks up the forum software (I for example can't see any side scroll function on the last page, and no buttons, no nothing, since these are all to the right, I couldn't have sent you this post from the last page of this thread at all). Can you make them smaller?


----------



## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Holy oversized pics Batman!


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

drøn said:


> Sorry, can't resize on phone.


just shrink them 50% and post them by adding them up to the forum server. "add pics button", upload from your source. I usually resize to 25% of my original 10mpx and then save as 98% quality. then upload them.


----------



## drøn (Sep 1, 2012)

second try 
same photos of my bike in commuter mode with suit-of-armour-fenders and a pizza platform.


----------



## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

*Grrattitude*






















I am grateful for titanium, aluminum, steel, carbon, rubber, grease, oil and, especially, dirt.


----------



## ladljon (Nov 30, 2011)

Goto11 Nice Moots....MotoX?


----------



## my2hands (Nov 3, 2010)

drøn said:


> second try
> same photos of my bike in commuter mode with suit-of-armour-fenders and a pizza platform.
> 
> View attachment 942073
> ...


B...e....a...utiful


----------



## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

ladljon said:


> Goto11 Nice Moots....MotoX?


Yeah, I was about to get a new S.C. Highball Al frame a couple months ago, but came across an unbelievable deal on a 2009 Mooto X YBB 10th Anniversary Edition 29er frame on eBay... The top tube for this year is on the shorter side for a 29er, but just happens to be the same length as a large Hakkalügi. I'm 6'1" and it fits me perfectly. I tried two other monstercross builds before I finally got the geometry right. This one is a keeper.


----------



## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

chasejj said:


> Not sure if this is a Monstercrosser. I consider it to be the bastard love child of a 29er XC bike and a road bike.
> 
> Large Yeti ARCcarbon frame...
> 
> View attachment 934522


Nice beast! The Yeti frame was on my short list for mx frames, but I ended up with a Moots YBB. How does it ride?


----------



## drøn (Sep 1, 2012)

thank you!


----------



## beens (Jul 3, 2014)

Kinda whoring my bike. But who isn't proud of their new builds??
Stagger. 
Hope hubs
Stans grails
Sram drive train
Bb7s
On one midge
Bruce gordon rock n roads


----------



## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

beens said:


> Kinda whoring my bike. But who isn't proud of their new builds??


LOL. From one bike pimp to another, she's looking good!:thumbsup:


----------



## heartland (Oct 1, 2009)

Nice. For a while I've _kinda_ wanted a set of BG rock n roads for my Cross Check. Now I really want a set.


----------



## beens (Jul 3, 2014)

The first gravel/single track ride will be this weekend. But they are surprisingly fast on paved. I recommend the tires highly


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

beens said:


> Kinda whoring my bike. But who isn't proud of their new builds??
> Stagger.
> Hope hubs
> Stans grails
> ...


Gorgeous!!!!


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

drøn said:


> second try
> same photos of my bike in commuter mode with suit-of-armour-fenders and a pizza platform.
> 
> View attachment 942073
> ...


Sweet Rawland - what gear ratio are you rocking on that thing? Badass bike!


----------



## drøn (Sep 1, 2012)

thank you
44X18 in the photos, but I just took it down to 42X18.
this is geared for on road commuting.


----------



## msedbaue (Mar 16, 2014)

Fun winter project Im putting together. Going to have some BB7s on their shortly! :thumbsup:


----------



## x3speed (Jan 18, 2012)

Singular Gryphon with a gravity vidar


----------



## hozzerr1 (Feb 26, 2005)

BezO said:


> I stumbled upon this thread looking for a frame similar to many here. I'm a commuter & short tourer, so there are a few differences, but I'm hoping you all can help. My dream all-arounder bike would be:
> 
> 
> Lugged cromo frame - I prefer straight top tube, road type frames, but I'm open to other styles.
> ...


just found out by mere coincidence, in part because I am addicted to this thread, that the artist behind these creations passed away last year at a very young age....

here is the link to Fast Boy Cycles: FAST BOY CYCLES


----------



## RaleighX (Mar 30, 2011)

2014 GT Corsa Disc...1x10 steel ripper...


----------



## msedbaue (Mar 16, 2014)

RaleighX said:


> 2014 GT Corsa Disc...1x10 steel ripper...


Nice ride!


----------



## msedbaue (Mar 16, 2014)

Pretty excited, I have some Stans Crest wheels on the way as well as some WTB Nine Line 2.0s.

Im going to run single speed (or potentially dinglespeed) Anyone have gearing that they like or recommend?


----------



## x3speed (Jan 18, 2012)

I cannot help you with gearing but I have crest rims with 9 line tires on my other monster cross bike and I love it


----------



## jmmUT (Sep 15, 2008)

msedbaue said:


> Im going to run single speed (or potentially dinglespeed) Anyone have gearing that they like or recommend?


I run dinglespeed on my monstercross/adventure/commuter with either slick 45mm or knobby 1.9 wide tires. I run 32:20 and 36:16. The 36:16 does get a bit spinny on road but is good for climbing and easy to start off on. I might steepen it a bit though. The 32:20 is for technical trails and also for loaded touring and is the same ratio as I run on my dedicated mountain bike.


----------



## beens (Jul 3, 2014)

Is the ratio close enough that the chain swaps over? Im new to dingle speed.


----------



## msedbaue (Mar 16, 2014)

x3speed said:


> I cannot help you with gearing but I have crest rims with 9 line tires on my other monster cross bike and I love it


Are you running tubeless?


----------



## x3speed (Jan 18, 2012)

I am, with the ones that are NOT tubeless ready.


----------



## msedbaue (Mar 16, 2014)

Nice, I got the TCS ones on the way. I was reading that you dont want to run higher than 40PSI, you ever go more?


----------



## x3speed (Jan 18, 2012)

No 40 to seat, run them at 30ish


----------



## msedbaue (Mar 16, 2014)

Cool, I was just wondering for gravel vs some singletrack. 

thanks!


----------



## x3speed (Jan 18, 2012)

Yeah, I ran 42c tires for transiowa. But a drop bar 29er really needs 2.0 width tires. I believe Guitar Ted wrote this at one point. After some time, I've come to agree with this. Originally I trained on these tires on my f29 on the road, gravel and singletrack.


----------



## x3speed (Jan 18, 2012)

Ninelines are fast and grippy enough.


----------



## Ze_Zaskar (Jan 3, 2008)

Here's my monstercrosser (monstertourer?):


----------



## beens (Jul 3, 2014)

700c trucker? Or is it 650b. Regardless. It's rad. I'm building my wife a cross check with nano 40s now.


----------



## Ze_Zaskar (Jan 3, 2008)

It's a 58cm 700c Trucker.
The 29x2.0 Race Kings fit with room.
It's an absolute blast offroad. The long wheelbase and low CG do wonders in places where a rigid dropbar bike shouldn't go


----------



## msedbaue (Mar 16, 2014)

Stock wheelset with some WTB Nine Line 2.0s, Stans Crests are on the way









The Nine Lines compared to some Bontrager XR1s 2.2








Lots of room up front!


----------



## x3speed (Jan 18, 2012)

I ve been looking at xr1s in the 1.9 size. How do you like yours? I already have the crest/ nineline setup you do and I like it.


----------



## x3speed (Jan 18, 2012)

Sorry, should have remembered my earlier post. How do you like the xr1s?


----------



## msedbaue (Mar 16, 2014)

x3speed said:


> Sorry, should have remembered my earlier post. How do you like the xr1s?


I really like the XR1s. I run them tubeless on my superfly. Very fast, good traction. I would recommend them for any XC rig. They are actually not bad through mud/wet conditions either. I was surprised on how well they perform in those conditions.


----------



## x3speed (Jan 18, 2012)

Really thinking about 1.9s for gravel/road situations just to try something different.


----------



## msedbaue (Mar 16, 2014)

Ive done a few 100K gravel rides on them. Never a problem.


----------



## x3speed (Jan 18, 2012)

Sweet, I will look for some.


----------



## jwood70 (Mar 22, 2011)

I was inspired. Having spent the last few days reading through this thread, I wanted to show off my attempt at a monster crosser

Pake c'mutr frame
mix of 105/ultegra 
700x54 tires (AND THEY FIT)

I took a little test ride today around the Nuese river greenway and the trails branching off and It put a huge smile on my face the whole way


----------



## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Great canti's on there, and bottle opener


----------



## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

Original vision;


Ended up becoming;



19.2 lbs (before going tube-less)

First "regular" build for me. Still going strong.
Will ride this bike tomorrow at Marshall Mesa, Boulder, CO.

JM


----------



## jwood70 (Mar 22, 2011)

chefmiguel said:


> Great canti's on there, and bottle opener


Thanks, I love this frame already and now, it is about perfect for me.


----------



## monogod (Feb 10, 2006)

x3speed said:


> I ve been looking at xr1s in the 1.9 size. How do you like yours?


another vote of love for the xr1. as msedbaue said they are quick and comfy. they're not only excellent XC tyres but they handle wet, mud, and generally muck very well.


----------



## monogod (Feb 10, 2006)

msedbaue said:


> Im going to run single speed (or potentially dinglespeed) Anyone have gearing that they like or recommend?


i run my green san jose fixed dingle and use 42/38 up front and 17/21 surly dingle fixed cog out back.

the 42/17 is great for gravel, road, commuting, flatter trails, and general all-around use while the 38/21 is great for more technical/hilly trails. doesn't really change the cs length when swapping so no rear brake adjustment is needed.

the nice thing is it also offers 42/21 and 38/17, though it alters the cs length a little bit. and i have a 21t WI freewheel on the flip side of the hub for freewheeling in the lower ratios.


----------



## msedbaue (Mar 16, 2014)

Took it on a single track and road ride last weekend. Love the bike! Single speed is great off road, little spinny on the road (as expected).

I cant wait to get this baby on some gravel roads.


----------



## drøn (Sep 1, 2012)

not mine, but very cool


----------



## beens (Jul 3, 2014)

^ best thing I've seen on the interwebs in a while.


----------



## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

I love that one.


----------



## Sleeveless (Nov 18, 2006)

drøn said:


> not mine, but very cool


Clearance looks amazing. Strange drivetrain choice for a bike designed to be ridden offroad. I really appreciate my 11-36 cassette to allow me to spin up any loose hills.


----------



## ___Nicholas (Feb 8, 2015)




----------



## jiggs-1960 (Feb 13, 2015)

*my first effort at building a monster cross machine*









Cannondale Quick CX4 frame
Sram Rival shifters
Sram X9 front & rear derailleur
FSA Afterburner crank 28/40
Avid BB7 brakes
Pacenti CL25 rims w/ X9 hubs-Laser spokes
Ritchey Pro seatpost & stem


----------



## heartland (Oct 1, 2009)

drøn said:


> not mine, but very cool


I want to go to there.


----------



## Jannsen Agustin (Oct 19, 2014)

changed my risers to drops and swapped my 2.1 tires for 35c.


----------



## caad4rep (Sep 7, 2011)

Twin Six Speedy Devil ~ Singlespeed with 42/17 gearing. This is my gravel bike and my singletrack training bike.


----------



## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

___Nicholas said:


> View attachment 962461


Hey what fork is that.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Tinman (Aug 18, 2013)

podrunner said:


> View attachment 829208
> Greetings to all. I just finished my build on my Monster frame. The frame is custom built by Jim Smith at Monster Bicycle Co. In Columbia, Mo. Custom Titanium, Monster Bicycles Custom Titanium, Columbia, MO HOME
> 
> Double butted tubing, internal cable routing, BB30, tapered head tube. He also built a custom titatinium seat post.
> ...


Excellent !


----------



## superstar1 (Apr 19, 2013)

Genesis prototype


----------



## proline69 (Apr 14, 2009)




----------



## msedbaue (Mar 16, 2014)




----------



## TBMD9er (May 22, 2009)

*Yours turned out nicer than mine*



socrates69 said:


> Just finished my new project. Thank you guys for this thread with so much inspiration! Van Dessel WTF 59cm.
> 
> Purchased the frame 2nd hand. Loved(!) the retro-look of the frame but hated the REALLY bright green so i had it painted. I e-mailed Van Dessel (twice) to purchase new decals and a new head badge but they never responded. In the end i decided to have it painted with my own decals/color scheme.
> 
> ...


My Van Waltworks
Mine is a 61 cm, and like many, I had the poor design issue of the seat tube separating from the front welded cross brace. Happened to 2 frames, so I grabbed a G&T warranty frame replacement, and then had the second frame repaired. These are heavy beasts, but great stable rides in monster cross mode. I have even down some bikepacking on the great divide route and it handled great.


----------



## robtre (Apr 9, 2008)

*Almost there*

Needs a set of pedals and we need the rain to STOP! Charlotte area has been saturated last couple weeks. I started down this MX journey buy buying a CX bike, adding bigger volume tires and immediately taking it out on singletrack. LOOOOVED IT! Curiosity and boredom led me to pursue MX definition 2.0 and convert my Vassago Jabberwocky to a drop bar 29er with skinny tires. Loved it even more. I like the geo of the drop bar 29er better I just feel more confident. So this is the first dedicated MX in the fleet, a very budget build Jamis Exile Steel SS 29er, with all the parts moved over. I cant wait to ride this bike. I got many of these parts on the cheap, so I plan to slowly upgrade as I go.


----------



## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

@robtre... what fork did you end up getting? I am looking at turning my On-One Inbred 29er into an MX but debating on fork. Definitely want to go with steel (I am thinking) to compliment the steel frame but debating on something like a used Kona P2 or Surly Ogre or Firestarter.


----------



## robtre (Apr 9, 2008)

Greg NAsh 

I had a Jamis Frame / Fork combo that I bought here locally. The frame is a 2008, Reynolds 631 Steel SS frame, and the fork to match barely used. The fork is crazy long, 490 A/C length 29er 2.1 tires (not pictured) have a ton of room in the fork. I will get a better pic soon and post up. Should have interesting ride characteristics. The fork length is what I wanted for my rigid mountain bike, so I might do some part swappin" and see how it handles.


----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

Was riding winter cross on my 90s something LeMond Nevada City (with no clearance). Got me thinking about my older 29er.


















No more clearance issues.


----------



## my2hands (Nov 3, 2010)

*Surly Cross Check Reconfig'd*

FrankenSurly:
Old School Surly with Reynolds 631 tubing and 1 inch headtube. I chopped it and brazed on some S&S couplers, and then had it repowdered a dark yellow. Put Paul Components Mini Motos, Canti Levers, Thumbies (Sram 10 spd) and Tall and Handsome seatpost. Cane Creek 110 headset, VO saddle, Bruce Gordon Rock n Roads, and Soma Stem. I found some used White Industries Racer X hubs on Ebay and laced them to Mavic 319's. Oveja Negra bags. Oh yeah, and old Bear Claw pedals and GT MTB bullhorn bars. First ride reminded me of my pre-Fargo days - fast and nimble, but not as comfortable. (also posted this in the Surly forum)


----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

With more monster tires.


----------



## mtnfiend (Feb 26, 2004)

my2hands said:


> FrankenSurly:
> Old School Surly with Reynolds 631 tubing and 1 inch headtube. I chopped it and brazed on some S&S couplers, and then had it repowdered a dark yellow. Put Paul Components Mini Motos, Canti Levers, Thumbies (Sram 10 spd) and Tall and Handsome seatpost. Cane Creek 110 headset, VO saddle, Bruce Gordon Rock n Roads, and Soma Stem. I found some used White Industries Racer X hubs on Ebay and laced them to Mavic 319's. Oveja Negra bags. Oh yeah, and old Bear Claw pedals and GT MTB bullhorn bars. First ride reminded me of my pre-Fargo days - fast and nimble, but not as comfortable. (also posted this in the Surly forum)
> View attachment 973191
> View attachment 973192
> ...


Snap that is a great build! Well done sir!

Been a long a$$ time since I've seen those bars. I had a set similar back in the '90s. Maybe from Advocet?


----------



## msedbaue (Mar 16, 2014)

Buddysnack said:


> Was riding winter cross on my 90s something LeMond Nevada City (with no clearance). Got me thinking about my older 29er.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Rad bike!


----------



## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Not Avocet, probably Zoom, Scott or a rebadged brand.


Great bike btw.


----------



## my2hands (Nov 3, 2010)

[email protected] and chefmiguel

They're GT bars, or at least GT brand logo on them. I pulled them off my old Miyata Ridgeline witch does have an Avocet headset on it.


----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

msedbaue said:


> Rad bike!


Thanks! I thought I had one bike to rule them all, until I slapped on some slicks for a fast road ride and got killed this weekend. Definitely a mud-slinger over a road warrior. Thinking about some Surly Knard 41mm or something 30+ish for tires.


----------



## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

*Does it still count with fenders?*
















I remain extremely impressed with the versatility of the Clement Xplor MSO.


----------



## my2hands (Nov 3, 2010)

my2hands said:


> FrankenSurly:
> Old School Surly with Reynolds 631 tubing and 1 inch headtube. I chopped it and brazed on some S&S couplers, and then had it repowdered a dark yellow. Put Paul Components Mini Motos, Canti Levers, Thumbies (Sram 10 spd) and Tall and Handsome seatpost. Cane Creek 110 headset, VO saddle, Bruce Gordon Rock n Roads, and Soma Stem. I found some used White Industries Racer X hubs on Ebay and laced them to Mavic 319's. Oveja Negra bags. Oh yeah, and old Bear Claw pedals and GT MTB bullhorn bars. First ride reminded me of my pre-Fargo days - fast and nimble, but not as comfortable. (also posted this in the Surly forum)
> View attachment 973191
> View attachment 973192
> ...


Before:







After:


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

kewl. You must have spent quite some time modding that surly. Is it that good?


----------



## my2hands (Nov 3, 2010)

car bone said:


> kewl. You must have spent quite some time modding that surly. Is it that good?


Well, its as good as I need it to be - if that makes sense? My Fargo is my favorite bike, but it benefits from Rohloff setup, and SON dynamo. The CC is lighter though. I wanted a 1 inch head tube for the ease of stem height adjust-ability and for easy packing in the travel case. One bolt and the stem and handlebar comes off. I wanted to be able to remove the cranks relatively easy so I went with Shimano. The Paul Thumbies are hinged clamped so they too remove easily. I was going to braze on disc tabs, but decided against it thinking that disc brakes wouldn't pack as nicely as v brakes or mini motos. I brazed on the couplers and rack mounts to the fork and back seat stays which didn't take too long. Also, I got the frame for 200 bucks and an amazing deal on the couplers. Spec'ing it out was fun.


----------



## newdee (Apr 4, 2014)

my2hands said:


> Well, its as good as I need it to be - if that makes sense? My Fargo is my favorite bike, but it benefits from Rohloff setup, and SON dynamo. The CC is lighter though. I wanted a 1 inch head tube for the ease of stem height adjust-ability and for easy packing in the travel case. One bolt and the stem and handlebar comes off. I wanted to be able to remove the cranks relatively easy so I went with Shimano. The Paul Thumbies are hinged clamped so they too remove easily. I was going to braze on disc tabs, but decided against it thinking that disc brakes wouldn't pack as nicely as v brakes or mini motos. I brazed on the couplers and rack mounts to the fork and back seat stays which didn't take too long. Also, I got the frame for 200 bucks and an amazing deal on the couplers. Spec'ing it out was fun.


how do you like the Rock'n'Road tires? are they as quiet and fast rolling on pavement as they say?


----------



## Fat Biker (Mar 3, 2007)

Buddysnack said:


> Thanks! I thought I had one bike to rule them all, until I slapped on some slicks for a fast road ride and got killed this weekend. Definitely a mud-slinger over a road warrior. Thinking about some Surly Knard 41mm or something 30+ish for tires.


Have you thought of something like this Buddy ?

TA Chinook Outer Chainring 50T 104bcd 23mm Silver | eBay

To help with "roadie baiting" as we call it in our younger days over here 

Fat Biker


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## my2hands (Nov 3, 2010)

newdee said:


> how do you like the Rock'n'Road tires? are they as quiet and fast rolling on pavement as they say?


They're definitely faster than I expected on pavement, and I am a big fan of the gumwall. They do make some noise IMO, but not as much as you might expect given the tread. They're in their element though on crushed gravel and hard pack dirt - stable and fast. I only wish they made them in 50 plus instead of the 43.


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## Fat Biker (Mar 3, 2007)

my2hands said:


> . . . . . . . and I am a big fan of the gumwall.


 . . . . . . . nothing finer teamed up with silver spokes and rims . Oldskool baby . Yeah ! 

Fat Biker


----------



## my2hands (Nov 3, 2010)

jcaino said:


> View attachment 973605
> 
> View attachment 973606
> 
> ...


I likey stainless steel...


----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

Fat Biker said:


> Have you thought of something like this Buddy ?
> 
> TA Chinook Outer Chainring 50T 104bcd 23mm Silver | eBay
> 
> ...


This is awesome Fat Biker. I was looking for a bigger chain ring, and heard that TA made a 50t. Totally necessary. Mind you, some carbon wheels would also help from getting pummelled by powerwatttrained kids on S5zipp speed machines.


----------



## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

jcaino said:


> View attachment 973605
> 
> View attachment 973606
> 
> ...


Of course it does... Love the gumwall tires and fenders.


----------



## Tinman (Aug 18, 2013)

I notice a lot of pre-regulations of what is and what isn't being suggested on this thread.

So what would you say the minimum tire width would be for said ~ "Monster X" terrain habitat ?

To my eye's Monstercross terrain is basically fire/forest service roads ~ I would not want less than 42's (tire width) personally and would prefer 47's/1.8"

How about you ? 

I see quite a lot of skinny tire, gravel grinder,CX bikes here ~ maybe fast but, not my first choice for going the distance


----------



## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

gregnash said:


> Of course it does... Love the gumwall tires and fenders.


Hah - those aren't gumwall tires, they're just coated with mud. Surprisingly the tires stayed clear and the fenders didn't back up with mud, like I was expecting. The fenders do a great job of keeping everything clean.


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## montana_ben (Oct 26, 2010)

Not very monstrous I suppose, but the 1.8 renegade fits great up front and the Nano 40 has decent room in back. Really looking forward to doing some long explorations on fire and logging roads this summer, really comfortable so far, and still feels quick. Pretty fun on singletrack too. Might need a cassette swap to get some lower gears, it's pretty punishing on the steeps...


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

Avanti KISS 29er


----------



## diomar (Mar 22, 2015)

*cotic escapade*








Hi! from Greece,from my morning ride with the new bike.


----------



## TBMD9er (May 22, 2009)

*Paid Spam Fun versatile bike*

Van Dessel WTF Commuter, Gravel grinder, Monster cross - Buy and Sell and Review Mountain Bikes and Accessories


----------



## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

Tinman said:


> I notice a lot of pre-regulations of what is and what isn't being suggested on this thread.
> 
> So what would you say the minimum tire width would be for said ~ "Monster X" terrain habitat ?
> 
> ...


my 'cross is faster in a lot of places than my MTBs, and that's why i like it--especially on long fire road climbs.

is there any particular component selection that makes a monstercross or is it just the tires?

i consider my GT monstercross but only because i'm running a 45 on the from and a 40 out back--and have ridden this bike about seventy percent of the trails i've ridden my mountain bike on.

(given my MTB skillset, eldridge grade on mt tam is no place for drop bars and cantilever brakes)


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Can anyone recommend a CF non disc fork for a CC?


----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

Tinman said:


> I notice a lot of pre-regulations of what is and what isn't being suggested on this thread.
> 
> So what would you say the minimum tire width would be for said ~ "Monster X" terrain habitat ?
> 
> ...


Hey Tinman,

Personally, I think a monstercross can be one of two things:

-A Cross/Gravel bike with tires bigger than what you would run in cross racing
-A Mountain bike with drops and skinnier tires

I know the second definition may be less popular, but I rode on a converted mountain bike this winter, and all my cross friends called it a Monstercross. It feels like a "monster" cross bike to me.

I suppose if you rode over cars and did some sick jumps, whatever you are on is a monstercrosser.


----------



## LBIkid (Mar 16, 2007)

CS2 said:


> Can anyone recommend a CF non disc fork for a CC?


Nashbar has a house-branded carbon fork with disc and canti mounts.


----------



## ljsmith (Oct 26, 2007)

Everyone seems to have differing ideas of what Monster Cross is, so I am not sure if mine counts. What I do know is that it is an awesome bike that is a whole lot of fun. Lynskey Cooper with Specialized Renegade 29 x 1.8 front and Specialized Trigger 38c rear.


----------



## treharne (Nov 27, 2014)

*drop bar 29+ action.*

Here is my surly ecr with woodchippers. have not figured out how to mount the grip shifter for the internal hub but I think Ill switch to a 2x10 setup.


----------



## Ska (Jan 12, 2004)

An older pic of my Campy built Straggler. No worries, pretty abused and dirty nowadays. :thumbsup:


----------



## drøn (Sep 1, 2012)




----------



## x3speed (Jan 18, 2012)

What tires are those. Can you give us specs


----------



## drøn (Sep 1, 2012)

They're schwalbe super moto. most favourite tyres. I just updated pedalroom as well. all specs are there: Rawland Drakkar Monsteur - Pedal Room


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

LBIkid said:


> Nashbar has a house-branded carbon fork with disc and canti mounts.


An excellent fork. But the disc mount looks ugly with a disc hanging off of it.


----------



## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Co-pilot looks ready!6


----------



## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

treharne said:


> Here is my surly ecr with woodchippers. have not figured out how to mount the grip shifter for the internal hub but I think Ill switch to a 2x10 setup.
> View attachment 979440
> View attachment 979441


great gargling god, that bike puts the monster in cross!!!


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## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

drøn said:


> View attachment 980726


Nice Rawland.

Here's some pics out n about on the vaya today...40's still qualify as monstercross, right?


----------



## LBIkid (Mar 16, 2007)

drøn said:


> They're schwalbe super moto. most favourite tyres. I just updated pedalroom as well. all specs are there: Rawland Drakkar Monsteur - Pedal Room


Are those the 29x2.35 or smaller?


----------



## drøn (Sep 1, 2012)

LBIkid said:


> Are those the 29x2.35 or smaller?


yup. 2.35 on 45mm duallies.
mudguard clearance are for wusses.


----------



## SeadogZA (May 21, 2015)

*Finally*

I have been building this On One for 2 years. Its been through some personality changes but has finally found itself as a monstercrosser. The only decision remaining is....rigid front of stay with the Reba.


----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

700 x 50c = Monster

I'll post a report to see how she rides.


----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

So...for my preference, 700 x 50 is too much monster and not enough cross. Great dampening, almost bouncy, but heavy and slow compared to cross tires.


----------



## justdaman (Jan 1, 2012)

New paint!


----------



## spyghost (Oct 30, 2012)

justdaman said:


> New paint!


timberland? place looks familiar

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## justdaman (Jan 1, 2012)

Yup yup!


----------



## KonaSS (Sep 29, 2004)

Set up from the part bin, but it is so much fun that I am looking at upgrading a few parts. Currently with cross tires as I used it for a 100 mile gravel race.


----------



## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

hmmm...I'd take one.










Introducing the Salsa Cycles Cutthroat Tour Divide Bike - The Radavist

J.


----------



## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

Jayson44, Yep - me too, if this isn't "Monstercross"; nothing is - regardless of a (sloping top-tube etc).

Three Days on the Tour Divide with the Salsa Cutthroat - The Radavist


----------



## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

While I was waiting at a redlight this morning I had a pedestrian ask how I like my monstercross setup.

It was pretty random, and because of this thread I had to quickly stammer out that my Gryphon is "not _technically_ monstercross. It's really just a 29er with flared dirtdrops. I like it a lot, but it's just a mountain bike." As the light changed, I think he understood.


----------



## michigan_kr (Mar 8, 2015)

*Old touring bike*

1979 Fuji Gran Tourer. Redeemed from some guy's porch for $35 on craigslist. Stripped the paint, tossed the gears, added the powder coat. Updated the wheels and have been running Conti Speed Ride tires at 42mm.

Great setup for SE Michigan. The ride quality of steel just must be experienced.


----------



## Soundtallica (Jan 2, 2011)

drøn said:


> View attachment 980727


What did you do with your brake levers? Did you gut some Campy shifters and somehow stuff MTB hydraulic disc levers into the hoods? If so, that's awesome, and how did you do it? I might want to convert my 29er hardtail to drop bars!


----------



## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

michigan_kr said:


> 1979 Fuji Gran Tourer. Redeemed from some guy's porch for $35 on craigslist. Stripped the paint, tossed the gears, added the powder coat. Updated the wheels and have been running Conti Speed Ride tires at 42mm.
> 
> Great setup for SE Michigan. The ride quality of steel just must be experienced.


This.

Great job.


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## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

letitsnow said:


> Here is mine. The frame came from a bike that my wife put many miles on as a kid. The other parts were spares that don't have much value. I use this bike often.


That's awesome. Did you add the disk tabs?


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

michigan_kr - that Fuji is hardcore! The Radness is strong in you.


----------



## Ze_Zaskar (Jan 3, 2008)

New monstercross build, now with monster clearances:


----------



## drøn (Sep 1, 2012)

Soundtallica said:


> What did you do with your brake levers? Did you gut some Campy shifters and somehow stuff MTB hydraulic disc levers into the hoods? If so, that's awesome, and how did you do it? I might want to convert my 29er hardtail to drop bars!


Yes, that is exactly what I did:
I bought one pair of Formula RX on ebay and a set of old Veloce 9 speed ergos. All italian innit.
Plus an extra hardware kit for the Formulas.

First modifications were to the Formulas. Opening up the clamps with a dremel was quite easy. Then I tapped threads in the compression nut things to match the thread of some new banjo bolts. The nuts were lock-tite'ed in place and filed down to plane with the surrounding surface. Now I could fit the hoses in a way that led them along the handle bar.

Ergos were then gutted and plastic bodies filed down aggressively to fit over the Formula levers. I opened up the brake cable channel to take the hydraulic hose and filed at the base to change the mounting angle of the hood body to sit tighter to the hydraulic lever.

This took a lot of careful work hours and countless test fittings before I dared bleed the brakes and bolt it all together.
The hoods got a bit bulky, but the brakes work really good.

If somebody have spare brakes lying around and want to convert them, I'd say it's a fettle, but definitely doable.


----------



## aybee (Feb 2, 2014)




----------



## dubdryver (Mar 20, 2006)

Looking at the Soma Wolvering..love the look of the Surly Straggler, but I'm not hip on the wonky (i know it isn't for many) dropouts. How are you Wolverine owners liking them?

I currently have a '10 Specialized Tricross with Conti' 42c on 24mm Rol wheels so they see a bit of a spread. Also have my half built Raleigh RX 1.0 in the old green and red that will most likely assume commute duties if I do end up moving to Belgium. I'll fit whatever wheels I can fit, but I it's not going to be anywhere near as generous as the Tricross. Truthfully, I'll be happy to get rid of the Specialized....I can't stand the brand...but I really can't fault the bike.

I am neither a purist or a lurker well maybe a little bit on this thread, but it is annoying that people have to come into the thread, and ask if their bike qualifies simply because they threw some dropbars on it.

I have to actually agree with the purists here. In the spirit of Monstercross, there are pretty defining features that separate a 29er with dropbars and/or skinny tires, a 26" running CX tires and/or 700c wheels. I really think it undermines the niche genre. 

If you throw skinny tires on your bike to take up commuter duties, then call it what it is "Commuter converted 29er" or "Dropbar 29er" if that's what it is....there is no shame in than. However, when you come into the thread, and you have a fat bike with a lefty fork and big tires...it's still a fat bike. If you have a Yeti Arch with a rigid with dropbars, it's still a dropbar MTB. 

They are cool bikes in their own right, but they ARE NOT MONSTERCROSS. You shouldn't have to disperse your pictures every which way you can to get attention, because you're going to end up getting negative attention along with it. It starts with just being honest with yourself, and if you truly don't know...there's nearly 25 pages of examples of what IS and what IS NOT a monstercross.


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## NickandBruce (Sep 18, 2014)

I'm building a Soma Wolverine for a customer and think it's dropout system does what its supposed to on the stand. We're building it up as a belt drive bike and waiting on parts so no ride feedback for a bit. 

I haven't had a Straggler in my hands but they sound like they would be easy to work with if setup right.


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## aybee (Feb 2, 2014)

I read a post in the straggler forum about a former straggler owner that switched over to a wolverine, and his main gripe was the fiddly dropouts of the strag. I am also a former owner of a straggler and can attest to the dropout issues, specially when setup SS.


----------



## dubdryver (Mar 20, 2006)

I have "Paragon Style" sliders on two bikes, and then Misfit's similar style on another.
I've had EBB's and horizontals, and although they aren't bad, Paragon sliders are still the best, and easiest to adjust.

The added feature is that you can go to Paragon Machine works and actually pick up 12x142 T/A or 10x135 sliders for the use of a thru-bolt if you want to make it stronger for touring or bike packing duties.


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## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

dubdryver said:


> Looking at the Soma Wolvering..love the look of the Surly Straggler, but I'm not hip on the wonky (i know it isn't for many) dropouts. How are you Wolverine owners liking them?
> 
> I currently have a '10 Specialized Tricross with Conti' 42c on 24mm Rol wheels so they see a bit of a spread. Also have my half built Raleigh RX 1.0 in the old green and red that will most likely assume commute duties if I do end up moving to Belgium. I'll fit whatever wheels I can fit, but I it's not going to be anywhere near as generous as the Tricross. Truthfully, I'll be happy to get rid of the Specialized....I can't stand the brand...but I really can't fault the bike.
> 
> ...


So how do you define monstercross?


----------



## dubdryver (Mar 20, 2006)

A cyclocross frame (hints the namesake monsterCROSS) stuffed with the biggest rubber possible, minimum 40c with dropbars. Alternate bars should be acceptable as long as they accept brifters or friction shifters assuming they're geared.

Flat bars and trigger/grip shifters make it a hybrid.

I wouldn't disqualify disc brakes simply because the functionality that we all know as being superior to rim brakes offroad and in poor conditions should make them acceptable. If you're bike packing, or touring they're even more valuable.


----------



## Fat Biker (Mar 3, 2007)

I like this thread for the diversity it has and the repurposing / resurrecting of otherwise outdated / unused / forgotten bits of kit and equipment. 
The ingenuity of some folks on here has floored me and left me aghast at times .

It was this thread that led me to create my own interpretation of a "monstercross". 
I came at it from both sides. A drop bar skinny wheeled 29er and a drop bar 700c skinny wheeled carbon 26er.
Both immense fun but both with different problems too. Did it stop my enjoyment of the bikes ? No. 
I also had a great time actually building the damn things too. After each build was I proud of what I had achieved ? Sure . So much so I felt the need to show my works. I wasn't looking for approval from anyone . But I might just have inspired someone else to try something similar in the process. Job done 
So go ahead folks keep building AND posting your "monstercross" projects.

Here's something to turn the purists (and those that agree with them ) a worrying shade of puce . This thing will take upto a 26" x 4" but is running 38mm x 700mm. Admittedly not my first colour choice but hey I dig the concept. 
Carry on


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## dubdryver (Mar 20, 2006)

But that's not " repurposing / resurrecting of otherwise outdated / unused / forgotten bits of kit and equipment"

That's a brand new On-One Fatty/Baby Fatty....Repurpose a brand new frame?
I mean it's basically putting thinner urban tires on a fat bike frame..
More suitably "Fatbike commuter":skep:

On-One Fatty Frame | On - One


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## Fat Biker (Mar 3, 2007)

dubdryver said:


> But that's not " repurposing / resurrecting of otherwise outdated / unused / forgotten bits of kit and equipment"


I never said it was.

It is just an illustration of how far ONE interpretation of a "monstercross" could be taken . As a juxtaposition to what some purists may define as monstercross.

Fat Biker


----------



## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Sweet Baby Jebus.


----------



## CLONG (Nov 2, 2006)

Cross Check with a some mixed up Shimano bits, a Soma fork and bars, and some cheapo silver things...and a basket. It's for dirt.


----------



## dorianhawkmoon (Apr 22, 2014)

*Seven Sola it is a monster*


----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

I totally get the "Cross bike on speed" type of interpretation of a MonsterCross, and would agree that that is a MonsterCross. Having said that, all my cross buddies call my 29er a MonsterCross, and to the roadie purist in me, I agree with that.

Let your Monster-freak-cross Flag fly I say.


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

I don't want to upset anyone's sensitivity to the definition, but is this "monster-cross"?


----------



## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

... if not, what about this one?


----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

Erik_A said:


> I don't want to upset anyone's sensitivity to the definition, but is this "monster-cross"?


That's a little too freaky for me.


----------



## irvin_steinert (Jul 19, 2015)

*Gorgeous*

Awesome job on those fenders, where did you get those?

Ever have any issues with flats, I went with Big Apples as I was concerned the Supermotos might be prone to flats.



drøn said:


> View attachment 980723
> View attachment 980724
> View attachment 980725
> View attachment 980726
> View attachment 980727


----------



## mountainbiker24 (Feb 5, 2007)

dubdryver said:


> A cyclocross frame (hints the namesake monsterCROSS) stuffed with the biggest rubber possible, minimum 40c with dropbars.


I'm not much into Monstercross, so excuse my ignorance, but wouldn't a cyclocross bike with big cyclocross tires be, well, cyclocross?


----------



## 4Crawler (Oct 30, 2011)

mountainbiker24 said:


> I'm not much into Monstercross, so excuse my ignorance, but wouldn't a cyclocross bike with big cyclocross tires be, well, cyclocross?


My take is that its cyclocross up to what would be (UCI?) legal to race, which is something like 33 or 35mm wide tires. Above that its monstercross, just stopping short of a full mountain bike.


----------



## Jayson44 (Aug 12, 2005)

^ this.

J.


----------



## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

Today was the first time I'd noticed that this thread is in the 29er forum. Does that confuse people?


----------



## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

newfangled said:


> Today was the first time I'd noticed that this thread is in the 29er forum. Does that confuse people?


That you just noticed it? No, not in the least.


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

newfangled said:


> Today was the first time I'd noticed that this thread is in the 29er forum. Does that confuse people?


There was no cyclocross forum when it started. Seeing as everyone knows it's here why not leave it here.


----------



## NickandBruce (Sep 18, 2014)

*Relax people, I'm just posting a picture of a bike.*

I'm surprised I haven't seen this here.

Salsa Cycles


----------



## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

NickandBruce said:


> I'm surprised I haven't seen this here.


Why? Salsa even calls it a drop bar 29+, "Today we're pleased to introduce Deadwood, our 29+ drop-bar mountain bike".


----------



## Gonzo Cyclist (Aug 24, 2015)

Digging up some pics, took a Redline MonoCog, put a Voodoo fork on it, a Thomson road stem, and a Soma JuneBug Bar, bike rode so sweet off road, 2.25 tires, them some 2.1's


----------



## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

Golden Saddle Rides: Purple Pachyderm Elephant Tourer

Golden Saddle Rides: Purple Pachyderm Elephant Tourer | The Radavist


----------



## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

BLUE LUG BUILT AN OCEAN AIR RAMBLER

Blue Lug Built an Ocean Air Rambler | The Radavist

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bluelug/


----------



## Gonzo Cyclist (Aug 24, 2015)

That bike is too sweet Erik_A

check out the new Trek 920, I'm not a huge Trek fan, but I would ride the S*&%out of this thing.
920 - Trek Bicycle


----------



## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

MOOTS ROUTT DIRT DROP EXPEDITION BIKE

Moots Routt Dirt Drop Expedition Bike | The Radavist


----------



## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

FIREFLY BICYCLES: MONSTERCROSS

Firefly Bicycles: MonsterCross | The Radavist


----------



## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

I like the old school style of the Rambler but that Firefly could convince me to sell everything in a quest to obtain one.


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## irvin_steinert (Jul 19, 2015)

*why it's a monster*

I disagree with any claims for purity in the category and would like to emphasize the "Monster" nomenclature as to the true defining characteristic. I feel it draws from the "Frankenstein" methodology of borrowing from whatever category piece by piece and from ones "parts bin" piece by piece to create a "monster" that crosess catagories or genres and so it can be what ever you want it to be. 
I feel that a Monster Cross bike should be:
- unique in some regard
- built by an individual from parts 
- reasonably capable of some level of off road activity but have drop bars
- demonstrate an irreverence for purisim
- built for fun only and at the whimsy of the owner


----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

irvin_steinert said:


> I disagree with any claims for purity in the category and would like to emphasize the "Monster" nomenclature as to the true defining characteristic. I feel it draws from the "Frankenstein" methodology of borrowing from whatever category piece by piece and from ones "parts bin" piece by piece to create a "monster" that crosess catagories or genres and so it can be what ever you want it to be.
> I feel that a Monster Cross bike should be:
> - unique in some regard
> - built by an individual from parts
> ...


Hey Irvin,

I totally agree with your definition. However, to distance myself from the new-style roadie snobism known as above-uci legal cross (i.e. monstercross), I have decided to self identify as a whole new category:

All-Mountain CX!

It's all the rage, and the only rule is adventure with drop bars. F_ck Monstercross and its elitist BS. All Mountain CX is beef jerky for the soul.


----------



## drøn (Sep 1, 2012)

could someone please start a "Monster Cross Definition Discussion" sticky thread so we can keep this to photos?


----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

drøn said:


> could someone please start a "Monster Cross Definition Discussion" sticky thread so we can keep this to photos?


What are the photos of though?


----------



## irvin_steinert (Jul 19, 2015)

Buddysnack said:


> Hey Irvin,
> 
> I totally agree with your definition. However, to distance myself from the new-style roadie snobism known as above-uci legal cross (i.e. monstercross), I have decided to self identify as a whole new category:
> 
> ...


I'm down with that! Start a thread and I'll post a photo of my All Mountain CX bike.


----------



## AKamp (Jan 26, 2004)

More of a drop bar 29 but here is my entry.


----------



## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

AKamp said:


> More of a drop bar 29 but here is my entry.


 What stem is that?


----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

Looks like a Potts stem. What shifters are those? Great WTB throwback look. The VRC kids may really like this.


----------



## AKamp (Jan 26, 2004)

Ld stem from Joel at Clockwork Bikes. Steve isn't building them anymore. The shifters are xtr on some mounts I built based on some oldies but goodies.


----------



## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Definitely


----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

AKamp said:


> Ld stem from Joel at Clockwork Bikes. Steve isn't building them anymore. The shifters are xtr on some mounts I built based on some oldies but goodies.


Can you take some close ups of the shifters? I have the original WTB shifter mounts on my 88 Brodie and would love to see more clearly your modern interpretation.


----------



## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

X2. Except the part of owning an older set.


----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

The originals:


----------



## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Like that one a lot!


----------



## superstar1 (Apr 19, 2013)

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=ea8a05b48ad1eb849aacd1474bef763d&oe=56623655


----------



## Krevra (May 11, 2015)

My newly built On-One Inbred 29er~


----------



## TruTone (Jun 30, 2011)

Krevra said:


> My newly built On-One Inbred 29er~


Looks like you could probably use some bigger tires man!


----------



## doismellbacon (Sep 20, 2007)

Finally got my SOMA Wolverine monster crusher together. It will be undergoing some more changes, but here it is with the "Barton Springs" kit (aka riding trails to the swimming hole for the day), which includes a cable lock, $ & phone, swim trunks, snacks, and two "energy drinks" in the frame bag, plus a towel and mat in the handlebar roll. 
I splurged on the cambium seat, Thomson post, Salsa Cow Chipper bars... and the drilled and polished TRP levers are pure vanity bits...they look and feel fantastic ATMO, but hopefully they won't snap in two the first time they hit dirt. Tires are 2.0 Race King Pure Grip and they are fantastic setup tubeless on the XT/Arch wheels I borrowed off my son's 29er...more like 1.9" real world, and a great blend of speed grip and off road Cush...$31 a pop is pretty sweet too. 
The rest is a Frankenbuild of on-hand parts that accidentally worked out beautifully.... I had intended all along to use some old Ultegra barcons, and thanks to interwebz and my own fuzzy logic I convinced myself that a 10sp non clutch XT dérailleur would index properly with a 9sp cassette and 9sp road shifters...
Whether it was the dynasys-ness of the dérailleur or the fact that my shifters are actually 8sp with a 9th click that caused the problem, Yo no se, but the indexing no worky. No worries, simple twist of a dial on the right shifter and BAM, perfect shifting!... As long as you're ok with friction... Ahh the good ole days! With friction shifting, I could steal my son's wheels with a 10sp 11-36 cassette and still have perfect shifting with only a small twist of the lower limit screw to allow access to the big cog. 
Front end is a 50/34 campy crank off a road frame that's going on the block to fund this experiment. UltraTorque is pretty damn cool. I had front dérailleur clearance trouble too with shimano MTB stuff, then realized I had an old Record FD in the right clamp diameter buried in the garage.... "See Honey, all these piles of of old parts are really useful!" Boom....front shifting perfection! So once I build up my own set of wheels w' Centerlock hubs and rotors, 11-36 cassette, and wtb rims and 40c Nano's it will be complete with a full and proper 10sp Shimpagnolo friction drivetrain. 
The frame design, fit, feel, and handling is exactly what I'd hoped for. Neutral, stable yet nimble, with a lovely springy feel that only light gauge steel delivers. SOMA really nailed this one. Build quality is less than perfect however... It looks really nice all around, except for the fact that the top tube has a crease right in the middle of it (at the middle cable boss) and is actually not perfectly straight. The first frame the shop ordered had this problem and it was really noticeable...and quite surprising that SOMA would let something like that out the door. The top tube was actually bent downward in the center with a visible crease running almost the entire circumference. The builder either used a tube that was slightly bent, or did it to the tube in the process of welding it up, seemingly pre-paint because the finish is flawless. The second frame had the same blemish, but is was less severe, barely noticeable, and will generally be covered with a frame bag, so I decided to live with it. Disappointing, but I guess you get what you pay for..... This ain't a Bread Winner after all (ooooh, but some day!). Seeing it on two frames in a row makes me think it's process related, and those interested in this frame should be on the lookout for this flaw.


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

I love the frameset and it's versatility. Your build is pretty nice too.


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## Gilarider (Jul 13, 2009)

That looks like it would index with an eight speed cassette, if you were still interested.


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## doismellbacon (Sep 20, 2007)

Elisdad said:


> I love the frameset and it's versatility. Your build is pretty nice too.


Thanks!



Gilarider said:


> That looks like it would index with an eight speed cassette, if you were still interested.


It might, but some of the loaded riding I have planned on very steep terrain makes that 36t cog really desirable, and I think I might have to buy a different derailleur, which would defeat the purpose...and besides, I'm really enjoying the friction shifting... probably wouldn't want to race cx on it, but for the bike's intended purposes it's fun and very easy to live with.....swapping in a wheel with pretty much any cassette is plug and play.

BTW, the mismatched ugly orange tape has already been replaced with some proper natural cork... I'll post more pics when the final build is complete.

Anybody looking to build wheels for a bike like this should know that WTB KOM i23's are on closeout all over the place... .Universal has them for $50.


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## Gilarider (Jul 13, 2009)

It looks like a nine speed derailleur which will index with the eight speed shifters on an eightspeed cassette but not on a ninespeed cassette with the eightspeed shifters and an extra click. No 36t, though.


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## FrankZappa6 (Aug 9, 2010)




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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

FrankZappa6 said:


> View attachment 1017307


Looks great. What's the run down on it?


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## N10S (Sep 27, 2004)

Nice Lacruz!! I haven't been on this forum much over the past year or so, but there are certainly some nice looking bikes being posted lately.


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## Stregone (Aug 26, 2004)

My first 'road bike'.

I bought a really nice specialized sx-trail years ago back when my friends and I were super into mountain biking. I got hurt and by the time I recovered my mountain biking buddies all moved on to other stuff  So I stuck the bike in the closet for, ugh it must be like 7 years. I recently got on a get-into-shape kick and pulled my bike out and dragged it out to the trail. Holy crap I felt like a jackass huffing and puffing down the trail on a bike that costs as much as a decent used car. A coworker does road biking so I looked into road bikes, and decided that this 'monster cross' thing would be great because I definitely do not want to be riding on anything other than neighborhood 25mph streets. With this I can string together dirt paths and quiet streets and get some exercise. I just put some slicks on it and took it out to the local rail-to-trail with my coworker and wow, it feels like cheating after only mountainbiking my whole life! I thought we might do 5 or 6 miles because we were both out of shape, but we ended up doing just under 17, only because my partner was even more out of shape than me 

I can't wait to get a little more in shape and put the stock tires back on and take it out to some singletrack, should be a blast.


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

Good on you for getting back out there.


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## FrankZappa6 (Aug 9, 2010)

N10S said:


> Nice Lacruz!! I haven't been on this forum much over the past year or so, but there are certainly some nice looking bikes being posted lately.





tiretracks said:


> Looks great. What's the run down on it?


Thanks - I appreciate that.

It's a 53cm La Cruz with...
Cowbell 3's on a Salsa Stem
Rival Drivetrain
BB7 Road's
Velocity A23's on X9 hubs 
WTB Nano 700x40 TCStires but with tubes for now
Brooks B17 
Easton post
Nothing real special with the build kit but the frame is awesome as is the ride quality. One of these days I'll get it set up tubeless. This was a shot from from a lunch time ride on a stunningly beautiful day.


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## irvin_steinert (Jul 19, 2015)

Exactly! Some say Monster Cross is just an excuse for another bike, I say it lives in its own realm able to satisfy a growing segment of riders that want to do things in a way that suits their lifestyle and not try to emulate a specific "sport" category.


Stregone said:


> View attachment 1017465
> 
> 
> My first 'road bike'.
> ...


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## mrribbits (Apr 25, 2014)

Not sure if she qualifies for this thread: My new custom Straggler build with Rock n' Road 700x43 tires.


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

Nice build.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Erik_A said:


> Golden Saddle Rides: Purple Pachyderm Elephant Tourer
> 
> Golden Saddle Rides: Purple Pachyderm Elephant Tourer | The Radavist


The biplane stays out back are great.


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## donnieboy (Jan 20, 2014)

floydlippencott said:


> Your chain line is off, will probably lead to excess wear, dropped chains, maybe worse.


The only way to see that is with a parallel line of sight between chain-line and frame center line. The camera does not make your conclusion feasible or possible. Now, go clean and measure your chain for stretch, so as to not prematurely wear YOUR parts.


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## Fat Biker (Mar 3, 2007)

donnieboy said:


> The only way to see that is with a parallel line of sight between chain-line and frame center line. The camera does not make your conclusion feasible or possible. Now, go clean and measure your chain for stretch, so as to not prematurely wear YOUR parts.


I doth my cap to you sir 

Replying to a post from 2013 :eekster: :thumbsup:

I get sometimes get distracted and forget what I was going to do too. 

Fat Biker


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## BluesDawg (Apr 8, 2007)

My AWOL with 1.95 Renegades doesn't even meet my own definition of Monstercross and yet, it seems totally appropriate to post it here.

n06 by Benny Watson, on Flickr


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## irvin_steinert (Jul 19, 2015)

love the green bar tape


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## onlyontwo (Nov 21, 2006)

FrankZappa6 said:


> View attachment 1017307


Frank, you and I have a similar local in our bike pics:









I just listed mine for sale though.

Cheers,
-A


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## doismellbacon (Sep 20, 2007)

*SOMA Wolverine MonsterCross*


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

I love that Soma. If I needed a new bike, that Wolverine would be near the top of my list.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

What's the bar on the wolverine? Cowchipper? (looks extra flared in that last pic)


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## irvin_steinert (Jul 19, 2015)

What model/brand of brakes are those?


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

irvin_steinert said:


> What model/brand of brakes are those?


Those look like TRP Spyres. I put a pair on my monstercross earlier in the year. I feel that they're a big improvement over the BB7 road brakes I used when I built up the bike. To be fair though, BB7s were all you could get back then & I've been hard on the brakes over the last five years.


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## irvin_steinert (Jul 19, 2015)

I have trp spyres but my rotors don't look like that. Those look like they have a wide (deep?) disc.


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## Fat Biker (Mar 3, 2007)

irvin_steinert said:


> I have trp spyres but my rotors don't look like that. Those look like they have a wide (deep?) disc.


Spyres with some version of Shimano Ice-Tech rotors.

Fat Biker


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Buddysnack said:


> The originals:
> View attachment 1012004
> View attachment 1012005
> View attachment 1012006


Drool worthy!


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

^ I try not to post my bikes in this thread, since they're all dropbar mountainbikes and not true monstercross, but I guess I'll throw this out there:



__
https://flic.kr/p/C6eScG



__
https://flic.kr/p/Biq7Mk



__
https://flic.kr/p/CfND6V

It's a new Sunrace/Sturmey-Archer indexed 9 speed shifter for $25. The clamp is 22.2mm, but I filed it down enough to fit it on the drops.

Those photos are from the first ride a few days ago, but after that I moved things around a bit, and slid it right up under the levers. Initially I mounted it low, because I thought I wanted space for my pinky above it, but that ended up not working. Moving it up means my pinky just sits underneath, which works much better.

The shifter is pretty cool, because you can rotate it around on the clamp to adjust where the cablestop comes out. So I can mount it behind the bar like in the photos, or flip the clamp so that the shifter is sitting in front of the bar.

I mostly ride this bike on the hoods, and the way I've got it now (which is slightly higher than in the photos) shifting is easy. The drops aren't obstructed at all, and from the drops shifting is doable for some gears but tricky for others. If I was riding mostly in the drops, I'd probably flip the clamp around so the shifter was sitting further forward.


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## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Nice!


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## irvin_steinert (Jul 19, 2015)

Fat Biker said:


> Spyres with some version of Shimano Ice-Tech rotors.
> 
> Fat Biker


OK got it: SM-RT99-S


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## jzam86 (Jan 7, 2016)

Just fitted a set of rock n roads to my bombtrack arise. Yet to take it for a ride.









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

jzam86 said:


> Just fitted a set of rock n roads to my bombtrack arise. Yet to take it for a ride.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great looking bike. Love to hear how she rolls and review of the R&Rs. I just put some WTB Nanos on my monster, and I am in love.


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## autosmith (Jan 16, 2012)

*More Monster cross*

This is my Commuter and Gravel road racer. Although there may be a new Co-Motion in the works.


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## BikeBro (Nov 13, 2012)

I can finally contribute to this thread! I just finished converting an old Specialized Crossroads hybrid into a CX bike and had my first ride on it today. I ended up taking it down some fairly rough single track (Rock-It in Laguna Woods for those local to me) and I had an absolute blast! Made that trail new and exciting again.

Few pics -


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## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Much improved!


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

Any new "Monstercross" frames with 142x15 rear thru-axle dropouts?


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## Pro Bike Supply (Dec 16, 2011)

Just thought I'd drop this here... custom painted OPEN U.P. with 650b wheels


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## SAWS (Sep 20, 2007)

Pro Bike Supply said:


> Just thought I'd drop this here... custom painted OPEN U.P. with 650b wheels


I love that bike! I'd dump my Vaya for it, if I had 3 grand to drop on a frameset. Plus new wheels. Great design, though.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


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## schnee (Oct 15, 2005)

Pro Bike Supply said:


> Just thought I'd drop this here... custom painted OPEN U.P. with 650b wheels


One bike quiver like no other.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

Pro Bike Supply said:


> Just thought I'd drop this here... custom painted OPEN U.P. with 650b wheels


The only 650B+ that I have any interest in whatsoever. Beautiful bike and love the colors!


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## kazafaza (Mar 27, 2011)

Large Krampus in SS mode with Genetic Digest 48cm drops...









Cheers,
T


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

random question: does anyone worry about the strength/durability of normal drops for offroad riding?

I've got dirtdrops on two bikes, which are great. The 3rd bike I flip back and forth between a woodchipper and some generic giant dropbar. I don't really like the woodchipper, but occasionally I think "Well, it is made for this kindof stuff, so maybe I should stick with it." But I actually have no idea if it's any tougher than a normal dropbar or not.


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## schnee (Oct 15, 2005)

I buy cyclocross drops for that reason, they're probably made burlier. (I don't know for sure, but I can't imagine they'd be weaker than weight weenie drops.) The slight flare in Salsa Cowbells, for example, is super comfortable for the technical bits I encounter from time to time.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

newfangled said:


> random question: does anyone worry about the strength/durability of normal drops for offroad riding?
> 
> I've got dirtdrops on two bikes, which are great. The 3rd bike I flip back and forth between a woodchipper and some generic giant dropbar. I don't really like the woodchipper, but occasionally I think "Well, it is made for this kindof stuff, so maybe I should stick with it." But I actually have no idea if it's any tougher than a normal dropbar or not.


I wouldn't worry. However I don't go out and buy the lightest bars i can find either. I try to find info on the alloy used and weight, i like to get the best alloys (non 6061) and like medium heavy to heavy.

My newest bars are the nitto rm014 dirt drops, non heat treated ones. I have no idea how strong these will be but I guess: strong enough.

I don't buy things for light weight. I actually never (well almost never) look at the weight when selecting stuff. I try to go by reputation instead.

If you śtter clear of WW stuff and carpet fiber I guess you'll be safe.


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## johnny the boy (Dec 21, 2009)




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## wpccrunner (Feb 17, 2016)

ive got a Trek Crocket 1x10 Dura Ace 7900 I used for cross racing. Absolute black 40T with an 11-28 Ultegra Casette. When it comes to Gravel season I throw some WTB Nano 40c tires, an 11-36 Cassette with Roadlink and bottle cages on. There are some seriously steep climbs on the races out in western NC.


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## Pat. (Aug 10, 2013)

It is the beginning of march so it is time for a new project.
And a new project involves paint  (Pardon my englisch if there are typo's in it).

The plan is to build a monstercrosser.
I have a new Cube frame still standing in the window. But it is lime green... Even for
me it is to much green...
So time for the paint brush and pencils.










It will be a real monstercrosser.
Cube MTB Frame with a Fatbike front.
A Saso fork and Surly Lite Marge wheel are lying unemployed in the garage for over
a year. A Satori Beach Ergo steer will be on top with Shimano Sora 9 speed shifters/brakes.
Double crank 22-36 and 12-36 9 speed cassette. The rear wheel will come from a
friend of me. Brakes will be Avid BB7 to work with the Sora brakes.

Aplying the first layers of paint:









making the monster howl:









just need to finish the eyes and front fenders:









A little more details in the eyes:









The front fender and bolts are allmost ready:


















The last step is to put on a few layers of transparant coating (varnisch?)
Sow the paint is preserved and get's a nice shine.
Then i'll let it dry for a week and start building the bike.


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## Fat Biker (Mar 3, 2007)

Well. It's certainly different. Not my cup of tea, but this matters not as it's not my bike. Your bike your choice. Interesting nonetheless. 
Still looking forward to how this turns out though. 
I await more photo's of this project as it progresses. Especially the fat front concept. 11 out of 10 for originality. 
Well done. 


Fat Biker


P.S. Is the frame one of the few BSA threaded Cube frames or is it one of the BB30/pressfit iterations ? (Looks small enough to be BSA in the pics on my phone TBH)


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## irvin_steinert (Jul 19, 2015)

can't wait to see the full build!


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

Pat. said:


> It is the beginning of march so it is time for a new project.
> And a new project involves paint  (Pardon my englisch if there are typo's in it).
> 
> The plan is to build a monstercrosser.
> ...


hahbahahahah I fuking love it. I sprayed my ti frame with rattlecans and did'nt mask jack sh1t. and everybody on here said I ruined it. hahahahah

Probably gonna paint my next one with a brush too. it looks so "homemade" somehow.


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## mtn_cyclist (Oct 29, 2013)

My monster cross-ish AWOL


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## autosmith (Jan 16, 2012)

My new Monster has been unleashed.


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## Pat. (Aug 10, 2013)

So i have tons of pictures of building the monstercrosser.
A.k.a The Cube BullShark!

But i am not going to bother you by that.
Just the finished version here 
It's fun to ride the trails around here with it. Strange but fun


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## Pat. (Aug 10, 2013)

I also made a short movie while driving the monstercrosser.
No POV but a rolling monster 





[/quote]


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## Fat Biker (Mar 3, 2007)

Pat. said:


> So i have tons of pictures of building the monstercrosser.
> A.k.a The Cube BullShark!
> 
> But i am not going to bother you by that.
> ...


Errrm. . . . . . . Errrm. . . . . . . . . . Errrrm. . . . . . . . . .

Well done, . . . . . . . I think ? LOL

It's certainly different that's for sure. :eekster: :thumbsup:

Just an FYI that bike is capable of dealing with far more demanding terrain than that in the video.

So come on Pat where's the gnar video ?

Come on show us what you *really* built her for 

Fat Biker


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## irvin_steinert (Jul 19, 2015)

All that work on the paint; I would think to go with a red handlebar wrap or something more ostentatious.


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## ciquta (Nov 26, 2015)

Pat. said:


> The plan is to build a monstercrosser.
> I have a new Cube frame still standing in the window


What frame model is that?

The geo doesn't look much suitable for drop bars


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

ciquta said:


> The geo doesn't look much suitable for drop bars


what exactly is the proper geo for a half fat, drop bar, hardtail with a dropper post? i didn't know anyone had written a rulebook for this setup.


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## Fat Biker (Mar 3, 2007)

^ This .

And we all know who pioneered the look









I think the rule book was torn up , set on fire then put out with a spade with this puppy .

If Pat thinks it works for him why the hell not ? Good for him .

Fat Biker


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Just don't pretend it's "Monstercross".


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

ciquta said:


> The geo doesn't look much suitable for drop bars


So I just have to wonder how the reach is?

Because anytime I stick drops on a normal frame I have to use a super short stem.

In the photos that looks like 90mm+, which would destroy my back.

Here's my monster with a 60, but I've since gone down to a 40.



__
https://flic.kr/p/DVdxUW


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## Randonneur33 (Mar 21, 2016)

Hi guys new here and the forum is really big.....i found Monstercrosses recently and just started to do first purchases. One question,a luged fork crown is needed and cannot find any on stock. Kirk Piacenti,Nova etc came without luck. It must be a 70mm free space cromn. Are they good? Strong enough? Where can i buy one in the States?
Thanks guys
Karl


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## Randonneur33 (Mar 21, 2016)

*Crowns like this*


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Does it have to come from the U.S.? If not, Ceeway has them.

Framebuilding Bicycles. Tubing, Parts, and Tools


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## Randonneur33 (Mar 21, 2016)

Not necesary, but would be better. Here a friend send me this info too.
https://www.bikelugs.com/
Also a nice dirtbar.






Where can I buy in USA. How is this form propperly called.
Thanks again guys!


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Randonneur33 said:


> Not necesary, but would be better. Here a friend send me this info too.
> https://www.bikelugs.com/
> Also a nice dirtbar.
> View attachment 1058337
> ...


Soma Junebug, it's commonly referred to as a "dirt drop".

Soma Junebug Bar


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

newfangled said:


> So I just have to wonder how the reach is?
> 
> Because anytime I stick drops on a normal frame I have to use a super short stem.
> 
> ...


I run a 35/10deg on mine. dh race face.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

^ glad it's not just me. I've got stem envy seeing some of those other conversions.


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## schnee (Oct 15, 2005)

Pat. said:


> So i have tons of pictures of building the monstercrosser.
> A.k.a The Cube BullShark!


Plenty cool, but not really relevant to this thread.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

newfangled said:


> ^ glad it's not just me. I've got stem envy seeing some of those other conversions.


yopu need about a 5cm shorter stem on mtbs usually.


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## ciquta (Nov 26, 2015)

*OneSpeed* said:


> what exactly is the proper geo for a half fat, drop bar, hardtail with a dropper post? i didn't know anyone had written a rulebook for this setup.


My back did, and I bet not just mine 

IMHO Monstercross should have: 
- a shorter reach (yes, you can adjust that with a different stem, but doesn't look as great)
- longer stack (as above)
- a slightly lower BB drop may may be nice too

You may also compare Karate Monkey with Fargo.


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## SpeedyStein (Aug 2, 2014)

*Where'd all the pretty orange paint go?*



johnny the boy said:


>


 I love my orange SOMA. Nice build!


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## SpeedyStein (Aug 2, 2014)

*Here's my work in progress*

Some Wolverine build version 1


----------



## SuperC (Feb 17, 2012)

*My monster*

Origin 8 Scout, retired from mtb duty and turned into a monster....


----------



## senor_mikey (Apr 25, 2009)

*Bantam Dirt Frog*

Thought I'd throw my Bantam Cycles up here. Custom frame from Bob K in Portland. Designed to fit 45 mm tires with skinny frame tubes and a low trail fork. Currently shod with Kenda Slant Six's in 1.8". Shimergo set up with 10 speed Campy levers and a 1st gen XTR rear der and cassette. My main daily ride. Older shot had WTB Ninelines on some non tubeless rims















mike


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## senor_mikey (Apr 25, 2009)

another shot with some Panaracer Gravel King SK's. Measured 42mm set up tubeless on some new DT Swiss R460 rims









mike


----------



## namdoogttam (Jul 1, 2014)

Beater cobbled together on a 2007 Redline Conquest frame:


----------



## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

SuperC said:


> Origin 8 Scout, retired from mtb duty and turned into a monster....
> View attachment 1060591


@SuperC how do you like the Mosso fork? I have the same one in my eBay box waiting to go on my On-One Inbred that has been retired from mtb duty for commuter duty (which currently has alt bars but will more than likely get dirt drops).


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

SpeedyStein said:


> Some Wolverine build version 1


Like the fade on the stays.


----------



## zmjones (Sep 9, 2015)

This is my Vaya which is primarily used for off-road commuting.









Gearing is 46-36 x 11-40 via a road-link. Front hub is a Son 28 which powers a Supernova E3 front and rear.


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## SuperC (Feb 17, 2012)

I like it. Cheap, sturdy as heck and I have done quite a bit of singletrack (small jumps, rock gardens, logs, creeks, etc.) and it has been stellar. They are mighty proud of the name, though. Could shave quite a few grams by taking off the stickers, but they're under some pretty thick clear coat.


----------



## zmjones (Sep 9, 2015)

*jamis renegade*










pacenti sl25 28/32h rims w/ dt swiss 350 hubs and schwalbe g-one 38mm tires.


----------



## SpeedyStein (Aug 2, 2014)

The light color on the stays is just a beam of light through the trees that I didn't notice, but since you mentioned it, I think it looks kinda cool. 

zmjones, love the Vaya - what rear derailleur are you using? Thinking about a similar setup for the drivetrain on my Wolverine... Thanks!


----------



## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

SuperC said:


> I like it. Cheap, sturdy as heck and I have done quite a bit of singletrack (small jumps, rock gardens, logs, creeks, etc.) and it has been stellar. They are mighty proud of the name, though. Could shave quite a few grams by taking off the stickers, but they're under some pretty thick clear coat.


Ok well that was going to be my next question is how "deep" were the stickers on there. Was hoping they would be somewhat superficial and come off with a heat gun. Oh well.... 
That is the next purchase for turning my hardtail into a commuter/gravel grinder.


----------



## Stemag (Oct 28, 2011)

autosmith said:


> My new Monster has been unleashed.
> 
> View attachment 1057875
> 
> ...


My dreambike, lucky you


----------



## autosmith (Jan 16, 2012)

Yeah mine too and the stars had to align to get it. Thanks!


----------



## zmjones (Sep 9, 2015)

SpeedyStein said:


> The light color on the stays is just a beam of light through the trees that I didn't notice, but since you mentioned it, I think it looks kinda cool.
> 
> zmjones, love the Vaya - what rear derailleur are you using? Thinking about a similar setup for the drivetrain on my Wolverine... Thanks!


105 5800 GS. The situation is not ideal wrt to chain tension. If the Wolftooth Tampan had been around when I did this I would have used an XT rd instead. I definitely wouldn't do this with a bigger gap on the front.


----------



## SpeedyStein (Aug 2, 2014)

Interesting. I hadn't seen the Wolftooth device before, thanks for that! I just ordered 10 speed 105 shifters 'cause I can still use an older mtb rear derailler with those and an 11-36 cassette, but I would have gone 11 speed if I realized that doohickey was out there... Oh well, saved some cash at least


----------



## SpeedyStein (Aug 2, 2014)

Here's the Wolverine after a new Ritchey seatpost and stem- waiting on parts from CRC to install the matching handlebars. Getting close to complete!


----------



## grizzler (Mar 30, 2009)

Love these monster cross bikes! Not sure if the Fargo qualifies...


----------



## scubajunkee (Jul 7, 2011)

Here's my newly built Van Dessel Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. SRAM Road Apex shifters with Rival FD & X9 RD. FSA SL-K 50/34 cranks and Praxis Works 11-40 cassette. Brakes are Avid BB7 Road-S. Tires are Tubeless 700x32 Gravel Kings on WTB i23 rims w/Deore hubs. White Shimano SPD pedals. The beauty of this bike is that I can switch to flatbars, go to a 1x setup and put on my 29er Schwalbe Racing Ralphs easily.


----------



## Drliamski (Jan 8, 2015)

Salsa El mariachi

Sent from my XT1562 using Tapatalk


----------



## jmctav23 (Oct 16, 2010)

Vassago Fisticuff built on a budget: silly fun.









thats a 29x2.1 Vee Rubber v10 squeezed in the back, would definitely clear the front as well. awesome 12 dollar tire.


----------



## Stemag (Oct 28, 2011)

zmjones said:


> pacenti sl25 28/32h rims w/ dt swiss 350 hubs and schwalbe g-one 38mm tires.


Nice bike, it´s an Expert? 
How do you like the bike, i am thinking of maybe buying an Expert (and replacing the wheels)
Whitch size is it?

Sorry, i just remembered that we already talked about this in the jamis thread


----------



## schnee (Oct 15, 2005)

It's so awesome to know a cross bike with regulation-sized cross tires is a MONSTER.


----------



## zmjones (Sep 9, 2015)

Stemag said:


> Nice bike, it´s an Expert?
> How do you like the bike, i am thinking of maybe buying an Expert (and replacing the wheels)
> Whitch size is it?
> 
> Sorry, i just remembered that we already talked about this in the jamis thread


yea it is an expert and a 56. these wheels are not stock. the stock ones aren't bad though. the stock rims are 460g i think.


----------



## dmytro1208 (Apr 13, 2016)

My Mr. Orange


----------



## dmytro1208 (Apr 13, 2016)

...


----------



## MikeDee (Nov 17, 2004)

Here is my Bruce Gordon BLT. My only beef is it's heavy at 28 pounds; but it is a loaded touring bike after all.

Stock Deore LX 8 speed components, Sun CR18 rims, Schwalbe Marathon 700x47 tires, Tektro V-brake levers and RX-5 brakes, Soma Hwy 1 bar.

Any suggestions for improvements?


----------



## SpeedyStein (Aug 2, 2014)

Ok, I think I'm happy with this setup. SOMA Wolverine, Ritchey bars, stem, post, and saddle, Ultegra CX crank, 105 Shifters, SLX RD, CX70 FD, 11-36 XT cassette, i23 rims on XT hubs, TRP Spyre calipers with Siimano pads/rotors.

WTB Cross Boss tubeless 700x35, waiting to wear them out and going to throw some SOMA Cazaderos or maybe Rock n Roads... We will see...


----------



## Gonzo Cyclist (Aug 24, 2015)

keep the Cross Boss SpeedyStein, best tire I have run in six or seven years on any of my cross bikes, works best at 45psi in the back, and 40psi up front, another good tire, is the IRD Fire Tread, in a 35, close, but not as good as the Cross Boss


----------



## SpeedyStein (Aug 2, 2014)

Hi Gonzo, I like the Cross Boss, but would like just a little more volume, and a little more bite in loose stuff - kinda thinking about the Trail Boss in a 29x2.1, same tread pattern, just bigger tire. 

I do agree though, the Cross Boss is awesome. I'm running them at 30/35 right now, and they are pretty smooth. 

I saw the IRD Fire Tread, but the knobs on that tire looked huge! Looks like a great winter tire... I wonder if it's easy to setup tubeless?


----------



## jmacjgm (Mar 8, 2009)

Recent custom build with a carbon MTB frame. 20lbs.




















38mm tires currently installed for the gravel rides. Frame can fit up to 2.5 inch tires.


----------



## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

*Custom Carver*

Here is my custom Carver gravel / monster cross ride. Love how comfortable this bike is.


----------



## jmctav23 (Oct 16, 2010)

Vee Rubber's smaller sizes of the V series 29er tires are on closeout around the web at the moment...scored a V7 1.9 for 7 bucks. Running that on the rear with a V10 2.1 up front on the Fisticuff for the summer.


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

MikeDee said:


> Here is my Bruce Gordon BLT. My only beef is it's heavy at 28 pounds; but it is a loaded touring bike after all.
> 
> Stock Deore LX 8 speed components, Sun CR18 rims, Schwalbe Marathon 700x47 tires, Tektro V-brake levers and RX-5 brakes, Soma Hwy 1 bar.
> 
> Any suggestions for improvements?


I never thought 28 lbs was heavy, especially for an all steel bike.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

*29+*

Are 29+ bikes the heir apparent to the Monster-cross genre? They don't get any more monstrous than the Deadwood.


----------



## MikeDee (Nov 17, 2004)

jmacjgm said:


> View attachment 1070278
> 
> 
> Recent custom build with a carbon MTB frame. 20lbs.
> ...


How do you like that drivetrain?


----------



## jmacjgm (Mar 8, 2009)

It's very nice! Going to squeeze on a 34tooth chainring for faster road rides. 32/10 isn't keeping up speed. Would love to be able to fit a 38 or 40 tooth chainring but I'd need to move the chainline out too far. 52mm is about as far as possible without affecting 42 tooth cog retention.


----------



## j3n5 (Jan 21, 2011)

My Sobre Versatile.


----------



## Bicyclelist (Sep 5, 2006)

Custom Painted Fargo by Steven Wilke, on Flickr


----------



## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

I love the paint job.


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Bicyclelist said:


> Custom Painted Fargo by Steven Wilke, on Flickr


Very nice looking paint.


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## Bicyclelist (Sep 5, 2006)

Thanks!

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


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## aybee (Feb 2, 2014)

Race season's almost over, I'll be able to ride her soon!










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Elisdad (Apr 9, 2005)

Man, that's beautiful.


----------



## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

How tight is the Nano 29 x 2.1 in the rear stays?



aybee said:


> Race season's almost over, I'll be able to ride her soon!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## slowride454 (Jan 11, 2014)

aybee said:


> Race season's almost over, I'll be able to ride her soon!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Beautiful. I've been thinking about selling my Soma Double Cross frame and getting a Wolverine.


----------



## CObiker123 (Oct 13, 2014)

*Kona Rove*

Kona Rove build. Just finished it last week and got out on it yesterday for about 25 miles, mostly single and double track with some fine gravel bike paths. I am loving it. I will have some racks and bags coming shortly. The stem is temporary for now while I wait on an LD stem from Crust Bikes. This should get me just the extra 1-2 inches in rise I am looking for. Specs: 2014 Kona Rove frame, steel. FSA crank 50/34, 11-32 in the back. TRP Hy/Rd hybrid brakes which so far have been awesome. XT rear der, Tiagra front, Stans Crest wheels with XT hubs, Clement 40mm MSO tires which did great on the hard pack and roll awesome on the pavement. Tubeless set up was pretty simple. Shimano bar end shifters and brake levers on Origin 8 Gary bars. 
It is going to be my all around adventure / commuting / grocery getter.


----------



## Megaman 2 (Jul 3, 2010)

*A Zaskar Monster*

I think this is a monstercross...I posted in "dropbar 29er, but I think this is more appropriate.

This is my latest fun machine. I converted it to 1x (42x11-42) and used the left brifter as my switch for my dropper post. The thing is fun as hell.

Frame: Carbon Zaskar 29er
Fork: Carbon On*One
Cranks: Carbon X01
Cassette: Sunrace 11-42
Chainring: Absolute Black direct mount 42t
Shifters and brakes: SRAM 10speed hydraulic (180/160)
Seatpost: KS Lev Dropper (left brifter activated)
Wheels/Tires: Sun Ringle Charger Pro/Stans Tubeless/Duro 2.35 tubeless


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

dmytro1208 said:


> My Mr. Orange


thats unfortunately not monstercross!

monstercross is this:

Level or almost level top tube
uci illegal tires
drop bar

and to stay within the philosophy i'd say road cranks are required and so does a short road or cx-ish fork, definitely not a whatever-mm suspension corrected one.
also imo, if the rd can take more then 32t its an automatic disqualification.


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

car bone said:


> thats unfortunately not monstercross!
> 
> monstercross is this:
> 
> ...


Stop. Monstercross is not narrowly-defined. Quotes from the person who coined the term "Monstercross."



goto11 said:


> Just to lay this stupid debate to rest, here is the quote from the vulture's mouth himself:
> 
> You can find it 3/4 of the way down on this page in this forum.





vulture said:


> I call bikes that are more monsterous than cross but not quite a regular 29" wheel mountain bike "monster cross" nobody cares if they are single speed or fixed or geared or whatever, I just thought of this as a way to talk to my customers. As far as this being a trendy sub-genre dont be worried. You can call your bike anything you want. Just say RAHRR. Real monsters come in all sizes and shapes. Elmo is a monster. Godzilla is a monster. There are Gila monsters and monster Trucks. Some would say that bigfoot is a monster, but he's not real like Elmo and Godzilla. Speaking of Godzilla, check out the FuManchu live cover from Germany. Those guys rock!
> cheers, Wade


RAHRR


----------



## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

I know Monstercross when I see it and a drop bar mountain bike ain't it. MHO.


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

tiretracks said:


> I know Monstercross when I see it and a drop bar mountain bike ain't it. MHO.


ec-fukn-sactly


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

goto11 said:


> Stop. Monstercross is not narrowly-defined. Quotes from the person who coined the term "Monstercross."
> 
> RAHRR


you can raahr all yopu like it doesn't change anything.

Level or almost level top tube
uci illegal tires
drop bar.

is what most people think is montercross. a run of the mill drop bar 29er mtb is NOT!

AND NEVER WILL BE!

Not even with the most lax enterpretation, m0nstercr0ss.

period


----------



## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

car bone said:


> you can raahr all yopu like it doesn't change anything.
> 
> Level or almost level top tube
> uci illegal tires
> ...


I'm not saying that bike isn't a drop-bar mountain bike. It's not something that can be pigeonholed by looking at a picture. I'm just saying your definition is narrow and lame. What makes it a monstercross is how you use it. If it's an off-road-only bike, it's a mountain bike. If it's a road and off-road bike with drop bars, it's a 'cross bike. The tire size determines if it's monster or not. Any further attempt to pigeonhole the definition is futile and stupid for a made-up, fun, predominantly home-built bike genre.


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## irvin_steinert (Jul 19, 2015)

goto11 said:


> I'm not saying that bike isn't a drop-bar mountain bike. It's not something that can be pigeonholed by looking at a picture. I'm just saying your definition is narrow and lame. What makes it a monstercross is how you use it. If it's an off-road-only bike, it's a mountain bike. If it's a road and off-road bike with drop bars, it's a 'cross bike. The tire size determines if it's monster or not. Any further attempt to pigeonhole the definition is futile and stupid for a made-up, fun, predominantly home-built bike genre.


I agree 100%....don't worry about what others say. You can define your own bike. To me Monster means outside the realm of normalcy and Cross means cross country which implies a multitude of terrains and the intent to travel distance. What else is "cross": Red Cross, crucifix, angry, betrayal? Cyclo-cross is a poor name for what that event actually is; a short course multi-terrain race contrived to induce multiple dismount-remounts and kept short to entice spectators to show up and be engaged.


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## schnee (Oct 15, 2005)

What's really funny is when I first saw this thread, EIGHT YEARS ago, the bikes looked bad-ass. Now that I have a fat bike with 4.8" tires, they look rather shy and unassuming. Even my own bike with WTB Nano 40c looks normal.

Funny how times change.

I'd say the only two bikes that really impress me any more with the 'road bike looks, with surprisingly aggressive tires' are the Open U.P. and Soma Wolverine.


----------



## Frankencross77 (Jul 2, 2016)

*Hi everyone.*

Hi everyone. There are some really nice bikes on here. This thread has inspired me. I am thinking of building a Frankencross bike using my gary fisher big sur. In its current form it is ridged and singlespeed. I am trying to decide which style of bars to go with. (drops or bullhorn) I am leaning towards the bullhorn right now. Later down the road I will fit some 29er wheel and tire. Will post so me pic later. Let's see some more pics.:thumbsup:


----------



## MikeDee (Nov 17, 2004)

schnee said:


> What's really funny is when I first saw this thread, EIGHT YEARS ago, the bikes looked bad-ass. Now that I have a fat bike with 4.8" tires, they look rather shy and unassuming. Even my own bike with WTB Nano 40c looks normal.
> 
> Funny how times change.
> 
> I'd say the only two bikes that really impress me any more with the 'road bike looks, with surprisingly aggressive tires' are the Open U.P. and Soma Wolverine.


I can't help but think that the Open U.P. is an expensive gimmick. You can put 650B wheels on any 700C gravel bike that has disc brakes. There are complete carbon gravel bikes that sell for less than this one as a frame does ($3000). There are a number of gravel bikes that can take 45mm tires on a 700C wheel, while this one can only take a 40. Wonder how fat a tire one of these bikes could take if you put 650B wheels on it? I don't see the point of putting 2.1" knobbies on a bike that doesn't have a flat bar and lacks suspension. I'd rather ride a mountain bike.


----------



## ryoanji (May 3, 2015)

MikeDee said:


> I don't see the point of putting 2.1" knobbies on a bike that doesn't have a flat bar and lacks suspension. I'd rather ride a mountain bike.


off-road touring?


----------



## ryoanji (May 3, 2015)

*Clearance question*

A question to those who run fat rubber in CX-ish frames. How much clearance do you prefer to have at the back? Would something like that be too tight for your liking? The tires are Schwalbe 40c in a CX frame.


----------



## ryoanji (May 3, 2015)

Apparently it shows thumbnail, but if you click on image it will go full size


----------



## schnee (Oct 15, 2005)

That's really odd - the chainstay dimples are in the completely wrong place.

That's too tight for me. I'm heavy, those tires would rub when I'm sprinting or taking a hard corner.


----------



## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

ryoanji said:


> A question to those who run fat rubber in CX-ish frames. How much clearance do you prefer to have at the back? Would something like that be too tight for your liking? The tires are Schwalbe 40c in a CX frame.


Do you have sliding dropouts? If so, pull the wheel back and carry on.


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

ryoanji said:


> A question to those who run fat rubber in CX-ish frames. How much clearance do you prefer to have at the back? Would something like that be too tight for your liking? The tires are Schwalbe 40c in a CX frame.


Depends. If you foresee riding in mud your going to need more clearance. 650b wheels and tires would probably be a better solution in your case.


----------



## ryoanji (May 3, 2015)

*Thanks!*

Unfortunately, I don't have sliding dropouts. I wish thought! 

As to the dimples, I also thought initially that those were in the wrong spot, but then realized that it must have been for smaller wheels! Since the frame is from 2003, it is gotta be 26". I tried it with 2.1" RR on 19mm rims and lo and behold, it works perfect!

But I just wanted to see what are the biggest tires I can ran on 700c. Those are Schwalbe Extremes 40c on Mavic 19mm rims. Tire measures about 39mm. I tried checking clearance with a hex wrench and 1mm (2mm over the knobs) is max I can fit.


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## schnee (Oct 15, 2005)

Here's my rig, in Stockholm. It's gravel grinding paradise around this city.


----------



## biketavioumaximus (Jun 28, 2007)

aybee said:


> Race season's almost over, I'll be able to ride her soon!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Where did you get the racks from?


----------



## blak_byke (Jun 21, 2006)

Megaman 2 said:


> I think this is a monstercross...I posted in "dropbar 29er, but I think this is more appropriate.
> 
> This is my latest fun machine. I converted it to 1x (42x11-42) and used the left brifter as my switch for my dropper post. The thing is fun as hell.
> 
> ...


Define "MonsterCross" however you'd like, but this thing looks fun as hell!!


----------



## BPDRacing (Jun 5, 2010)

*Narrow road wheels?*

I am throwing together a cheap Monster/Commuter/Touring hoopty bike from stuff I find thrown away or my limited parts bin. One thing I have not been able to find in the garbage was a straight set of 700c wheels that work with 8spd cassettes and rim brakes. So on a whim I ordered a cheap set of road wheels and did not pay attention to wheel width.

On to the question

Can I run 35-42mm tires on a narrow road wheel? The rim measures almost 21mm outside and 15mm internally. I can return these wheels but I would be out shipping which would cost 25% of what I paid for the wheels.

Sorry for the long question and no pics. I promise to add pics once I get this hoopty in more of a Monster state.

Thanks


----------



## MikeDee (Nov 17, 2004)

ryoanji said:


> off-road touring?


With no way to mount racks?


----------



## ryoanji (May 3, 2015)

MikeDee said:


> With no way to mount racks?


Bikepacking bags? Plus, that is not always true. Sometimes, you can. For instance, mine is drop bar CX/touring frame with rack eyelets and clearance for 2.1" (on 26" though).


----------



## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

*Pearl Orange WTF*


Van Dessel WTF rolling on tubeless.


----------



## Geralt (Jul 11, 2012)

I see that Raleigh has the Stuntman on their website now. Not sure I understand why they would put an alloy fork on it though.

http://www.raleighusa.com/stuntman


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

Geralt said:


> I see that Raleigh has the Stuntman on their website now. Not sure I understand why they would put an alloy fork on it though.
> 
> http://www.raleighusa.com/stuntman


Nearly the perfect bike but man, I just can't see buying a bike and then spending another bunch of $ to get ride of the awful brown/tan that they chose to make it. It's funny that you do get to at least 'choose' to have the brown on their website though. Seems a bit like voting in the old USSR. Anyway, it'd be great if they'd sell the frame/fork in other colors... and in Europe, where I live. You guys get all the cool Raleigh bikes.


----------



## Geralt (Jul 11, 2012)

I actually sort of like the color because it's different. The color scheme and name are nods to "The Fall Guy" television series which seems like a bit of an odd justification/inspiration.

View attachment 1089125
.


----------



## BPDRacing (Jun 5, 2010)

*Almost a Monster*









Found this GT Arette in the trash on bulk pick up day. Some new wheels and tires and it rides great. I still need to find a set of drop bars with 25.4mm clamp size.


----------



## BPDRacing (Jun 5, 2010)

Riding with my son.


----------



## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

^ monstercross? all i see is two mountain bikes with flat bars. 

and please fix the saddle on the GT


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

*OneSpeed* said:


> ^ monstercross? all i see is two mountain bikes with flat bars.
> 
> and please fix the saddle on the GT


I think the GT is a monster in waiting. It has the correct stem and he's looking for some drop bars.


----------



## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

ah, i didn't notice the back to back posts.


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

senor_mikey said:


> Thought I'd throw my Bantam Cycles up here. Custom frame from Bob K in Portland. Designed to fit 45 mm tires with skinny frame tubes and a low trail fork. Currently shod with Kenda Slant Six's in 1.8". Shimergo set up with 10 speed Campy levers and a 1st gen XTR rear der and cassette. My main daily ride. Older shot had WTB Ninelines on some non tubeless rims
> 
> View attachment 1060977
> View attachment 1060979
> ...


There's just something about those skinny steel tubes that get me going. It could be the fact I got my first road bike in 1976!


----------



## BPDRacing (Jun 5, 2010)

*OneSpeed* said:


> ^ monstercross? all i see is two mountain bikes with flat bars.
> 
> and please fix the saddle on the GT


Sorry I offended you...must have thin skin. If you looked at my title it says "Almost a Monster". Some people get so bent out shape in this forum. There is reason I have been a member for years and have less than 15 posts.

And my saddle is fine....for something I got for free.


----------



## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

BPDRacing said:


> Sorry I offended you...must have thin skin. If you looked at my title it says "Almost a Monster". Some people get so bent out shape in this forum. There is reason I have been a member for years and have less than 15 posts.
> 
> And my saddle is fine....for something I got for free.


my comments were about the second pic, i had no gripe with the first one, i didn't catch that it was the same person posting twice.

i don't care how fancy your saddle is, i was referring to the awkward angle it is at. that looks extremely uncomfortable, try a more level position so your not sliding off the front of it constantly.

good luck with the project, there are plenty of 25.4 drop bars out there.


----------



## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

Nitto's for instance.


----------



## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

*finally got my Cowbell 3's on and other bling updated... Van Dessel WTF*


----------



## johnny the boy (Dec 21, 2009)




----------



## fjlegend (Jan 9, 2009)

*GT Xizang Ti*

2014 GT Xizang Ti 9r frame size large. Sram hydro brakes, sram xo crank and der, swiss dt m1800 wheels with Schwalbe Big One 2.35 tires, 3t carbon team stealth erogterra bars, Carbon Kubis fork. 20mm Stoic On Off riser stem. 19.5 pounds with pedals and no pack.

20160904_150503 by FJLEGEND, on Flickr


----------



## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

johnny the boy said:


>


More please. Details? Did you build the frame?


----------



## fjlegend (Jan 9, 2009)

*pic2*

20160904_150516 by FJLEGEND, on Flickr



fjlegend said:


> 2014 GT Xizang Ti 9r frame size large. Sram hydro brakes, sram xo crank and der, swiss dt m1800 wheels with Schwalbe Big One 2.35 tires, 3t carbon team stealth erogterra bars, Carbon Kubis fork. 20mm Stoic On Off riser stem. 19.5 pounds with pedals and no pack.
> 
> 20160904_150503 by FJLEGEND, on Flickr


----------



## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

Got my front rack on and put some 29 x 2.1's on for some bike camping.


----------



## johnny the boy (Dec 21, 2009)

.....


----------



## johnny the boy (Dec 21, 2009)

tiretracks said:


> More please. Details? Did you build the frame?


it's a soma wolverine. more details here: 
SOMA Wolverine **FOR SALE** - Pedal Room


----------



## kylehampton (Mar 25, 2004)




----------



## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

kylehampton said:


> View attachment 1092731
> View attachment 1092732
> View attachment 1092733
> View attachment 1092734
> ...


Very cool set up. I like the little details, like the adapted XTR derailleur. What frame is that?


----------



## kylehampton (Mar 25, 2004)

Buddysnack said:


> Very cool set up. I like the little details, like the adapted XTR derailleur. What frame is that?


Waltly custom. Direct from China. $750. $1000 with the travel couplers.

The language issue was a minor niggle. But use rattleCAD for the design and that simplifies matters.


----------



## Ross1200 (Mar 27, 2014)

kylehampton said:


> View attachment 1092731
> View attachment 1092732
> View attachment 1092733
> View attachment 1092734
> ...


Nice. What tyres are in the top 2 pics??

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kylehampton (Mar 25, 2004)

The whole reason for the build.

https://www.compasscycle.com/shop/components/tires/650b/compass-650bx48-switchback-hill/


----------



## Ross1200 (Mar 27, 2014)

kylehampton said:


> The whole reason for the build.
> 
> https://www.compasscycle.com/shop/components/tires/650b/compass-650bx48-switchback-hill/


How good are they? Having had a look, I like the look of the 700x38 steilacoom for singletrack and gravel.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## tahic (Jul 21, 2008)

kylehampton said:


> Waltly custom. Direct from China. $750. $1000 with the travel couplers.
> 
> The language issue was a minor niggle. But use rattleCAD for the design and that simplifies matters.


Would you share your CAD drawing? Interested in the CS/WB length you achieved with this clearance


----------



## Shane5001 (Dec 18, 2013)

BPDRacing said:


> View attachment 1090412
> 
> 
> Found this GT Arette in the trash on bulk pick up day. Some new wheels and tires and it rides great. I still need to find a set of drop bars with 25.4mm clamp size.


You can pick up an Origin8 Gary 2 bar pretty cheap.


----------



## jamescyco (Jan 20, 2009)

*Supervelo*


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

*Hurray for Sutra!*

I'm so excited... I just got word that my new Kona Sutra LTD is in.








About the only thing I plan to change at the moment is get get mechanical levers instead of the hydros (anyone want to buy the others) and replace the brakes and QR's with Paul Components Klampers and skewers. 

Well... and make a set of bags for it too, of course!


----------



## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

^ I had no idea that existed, but it looks amazing.


----------



## semyorka (Dec 28, 2015)




----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

semyorka said:


> View attachment 1096625


Beautiful, but for the sake of an old guy with bad eyes who makes it?


----------



## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

it says Black Mountain Cycles :thumbsup:


----------



## semyorka (Dec 28, 2015)

Yep, Black Mountain Cycles out in Point Reyes Station, CA. Mike (the owner) gets a run of these frames made every year or so. They shred!


----------



## semyorka (Dec 28, 2015)

Here's one more picture of it:


----------



## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

*OneSpeed* said:


> it says Black Mountain Cycles :thumbsup:


My bifocals thank you. I was able to see the screaming pink paint though.


----------



## bcwall (Jul 4, 2011)

Love my Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross! Just need to ride it more!


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

I think I'm in love! Jaroon+ | Wilier Triestina Gravel Bikes If I hadn't just ordered the Kona Sutra LTD, I'd definitely be looking at this.


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

A 29+ mountain bike with drop bars.


----------



## autosmith (Jan 16, 2012)

Just finished Michigan Mountain Mayhem. Very fun and tough.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## zspokes (Jun 12, 2008)

*Monster Sola*

I just assumed that this was where all old nice 26" MTBs go to live out their years...


----------



## jaseyjase (May 21, 2015)




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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

I am thinking about making an old 26" hardtail into a MX bike. I don't have any parts yet, just an idea in my head. I think to make it roll over stuff easier and to get the front end up high enough to ride drop bars, I would like to put a tall rigid fork on it and a 29" front wheel. yeah, rigid SS 69er monstercross!

any idea what size or style of frame I should start with? I am 5'9" and I would like to make it handle like a bike. concerned about making reach, HA, STA, and BB drop all work together.


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## hamsterspam (Sep 28, 2014)

how about a half 29+ karate monkey?
panaracer fatbnimble up front, 29x2.4 ardent out back,absolute black 3 tooth oval, wolf tooth expander cog,soma junebug bars


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## JUNGLEKID5 (May 1, 2006)

Monster/29er mtb drop bar. Still monstered out and is wicked fun on the trails.


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## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)




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## wood_dweller (Oct 28, 2016)

Few years ago I was very excited by Salsa Fargo, so I wanted to create cheaper alternative 










I used old Fuji Sundance MTB bike, which has very short top tube (56 cm c-c) - just perfect for drop bars. With ordinary stem handlebar would be too low. Sadly it was just impossible to find riser in 25,4 mm diameter. Somehow I manged to find proper one but in 22,2 mm diameter and I had to use adapter. This is a reason why it looks so weird 










Finally I decided to put ordinary drop bars and lower stem instead of Midge (which I found uncomfortable).

This is how it looks now


















In the end. This is nearly classical mtb with 2x10 drivetrain


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## Soundtallica (Jan 2, 2011)

*Schwinn Moab 2*

I got bored of my old 1993 Rockhopper monstercross conversion, so I decided to build this guy. Specifically, my Rockhopper was only able to tackle terrain similar to my normal CX bike, so I wanted to make my monstercross rig a bit more capable to create some separation between the two in terms of usage scenario. That's the purpose the disc brakes and suspension fork serve.

With cobbled together heavy parts, this thing weighs 27.2lbs as shown. I need to shed some weight, probably in the pedals, tires, and crankset. If I want to make it even lighter, I also have an old carbon rigid MTB fork laying around. I also intend to put on a 48t outer chainring to make it a bit faster on smoother surfaces.

This thing will be used for touring, adventure rides, and commuting. Judging from my first ride on it, it'll be a perfect companion for all three!


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## khardrunner14 (Aug 16, 2010)

sweet inspiration


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

SPAM, selling my Monstercross frame.

Custom Ti Carver 29er frame - Buy and Sell Mountain Bikes and Accessories


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## axcxnj (Jun 23, 2008)

just buttoned up the build last night. looking forward to a thankgiving morning ride.


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## irvin_steinert (Jul 19, 2015)

*great bike*



hamsterspam said:


> how about a half 29+ karate monkey?
> panaracer fatbnimble up front, 29x2.4 ardent out back,absolute black 3 tooth oval, wolf tooth expander cog,soma junebug bars
> 
> View attachment 1101328


great photo!


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## richwolf (Dec 8, 2004)

I don't know if this qualifies as monster cross or not but here is my Ti 29er with rigid fork, 44 c tires from compass and aero bars. Triple up front with a 48 tooth large ring and an 11-28 rear 10 speed cluster. I thought about drop bars but didn't want to spend the money for bars, bar end shifters and converting to mechanical discs.

To me the real revelation are the tires. I bought a Trek Stache and love it for trail riding but for pavement riding, gravel grinding etc, the Compass tires roll superbly, grip surprisingly well and are capable of being run tubeless. I entered a 24 hour TT road competition and did 324 miles in 23 hours with this rig.

Go here for info on the Compass line of tires. (No they don't sponsor me or give me any good deals!) I have a set on my tandem, my wife's gravel bike and my Ti bike.

https://www.compasscycle.com/product-category/components/tires/


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## FitWell (Dec 1, 2016)

*FitWell Schratz now on Kickstarter*









Check the kickstarter for frame specs and whatnot.


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## sslikesnake (Jan 12, 2011)

Breathing new life into an old frame. My parts bin build for gravel grinding and wet commuting.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## monsun (Jan 7, 2017)

*Planet x london road (apex 1, vision team 30 disc, smart sam 47x622, ritchey ventureM*

Hi, forum!

In the making...What do you think about wrapping orange bar tape only on the right side. Or maybe regular black on both sides?

Sorry for bad quality of photo. Will post better one when finished.

Planet x london road (apex 1, vision team 30 disc, smart sam 47x622, ritchey ventureMAX, WTB volt)


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

monsun said:


> Hi, forum!
> 
> In the making...What do you think about wrapping orange bar tape only on the right side. Or maybe regular black on both sides?
> 
> ...


Personally, I'd say, it's your bike... do what makes you happy. I recently saw a bike with basically braided tape in two colors. That was really cool. Nice ride, by the way.


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)




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## dblspeed (Jan 31, 2006)

monsun said:


> Hi, forum!
> 
> In the making...What do you think about wrapping orange bar tape only on the right side. Or maybe regular black on both sides?
> 
> ...


hey monsun how do you like your Venturemax so far? Have you been using other flared drop bars?

Nice military green frame btw, from the website it almost looked like neon green, or maybe it's the lighting. :thumbsup:


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## monsun (Jan 7, 2017)

dblspeed said:


> hey monsun how do you like your Venturemax so far? Have you been using other flared drop bars?
> 
> Nice military green frame btw, from the website it almost looked like neon green, or maybe it's the lighting. :thumbsup:


My first flared drop bar but I must say it feels very natural on all positions. It's wide on top so it's easy to mount wider bag and other stuff. Also, brake levers don't stick out like on some other flared drops. It can be rotated a bit upward and you still have grip on drops because of the ergo ''bulge''. Drops are long enough. I bought comp version for 35€.

Frame is olive green with mate black fork, because they ran out of olive forks. ...Maybe even better.


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## dblspeed (Jan 31, 2006)

monsun said:


> My first flared drop bar but I must say it feels very natural on all positions. It's wide on top so it's easy to mount wider bag and other stuff. Also, brake levers don't stick out like on some other flared drops. It can be rotated a bit upward and you still have grip on drops because of the ergo ''bulge''. Drops are long enough. I bought comp version for 35€.
> 
> Frame is olive green with mate black fork, because they ran out of olive forks. ...Maybe even better.
> 
> View attachment 1115119


The comp is what I'll be getting too, cheaper than the Cowchipper (or even the Midge), very similar shape.

I just noticed you have Smart Sams, they're excellent tires and last for ages, enjoy your new bike!


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## monsun (Jan 7, 2017)

Planet x london road
Description of the setup is few posts back
City of Ptuj (Slovenia)in the background


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

monsun said:


> My first flared drop bar but I must say it feels very natural on all positions. It's wide on top so it's easy to mount wider bag and other stuff. Also, brake levers don't stick out like on some other flared drops. It can be rotated a bit upward and you still have grip on drops because of the ergo ''bulge''. Drops are long enough. I bought comp version for 35€.


Flared drop bars have ruined me. I'd never go back to a standard 'skinny' road bar with vertical drops.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

Smithhammer said:


> Flared drop bars have ruined me. I'd never go back to a standard 'skinny' road bar with vertical drops.


flared drop bar of choice?

I just received an On One Midge and i'm pumped to try it out. I've read a lot about bars and decided i wanted one a long time ago but could never track one down until now. All i need now is a bike to put it on.

I have Surly Cowbells on my cross bike and like them but want more. my second choice was the Surly Cowchipper. I may still try that one down the road at some point.


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

*OneSpeed* said:


> flared drop bar of choice?
> 
> I just received an On One Midge and i'm pumped to try it out. I've read a lot about bars and decided i wanted one a long time ago but could never track one down until now. All i need now is a bike to put it on.
> 
> I have Surly Cowbells on my cross bike and like them but want more. my second choice was the Surly Cowchipper. I may still try that one down the road at some point.


I used to run a Woodchipper, but was never totally happy with it. I had a hard time finding the ideal balance between usable hoods and keeping the drops/extensions at a low angle, which is how I prefer them. In short, I think the Woodchipper would be improved if it had a tighter radius.

I've been on a Some Junebug for the last year and I really like it. It's very similar to the Midge, but with extensions that are a little longer.

I'd be curious to try a Cowchipper at some point - heard a lot of good things about that bar, and the design looks like it ticks a lot of the boxes for me. But so far, the Junebug is my fave.


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## Φran (Feb 1, 2017)

*My Ramin One*

My 2014 Pinnacle Ramin One 29er with drop bars (Salsa Woodchipper).

Still a work in progress.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

monsun said:


> Planet x london road
> Description of the setup is few posts back
> City of Ptuj (Slovenia)in the background
> 
> View attachment 1116849


The bike turned out really nice. I really like the orange tape with the OD green.

Slovenia! I love me some Slovenia! A couple friends and I did the West Slovenia bikepacking route last year and then I was back in Kobarid for the singlespeed Euros. It looks like we'll be back this summer again. Hoping to be able to ride my new Kona Sutra LTD this time. Lots of exploring to do.


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

Guys "MonsterCross" is so 2008...

It's "RandoCross" now:


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## monsun (Jan 7, 2017)

1 Speed said:


> The bike turned out really nice. I really like the orange tape with the OD green.
> 
> Slovenia! I love me some Slovenia! A couple friends and I did the West Slovenia bikepacking route last year and then I was back in Kobarid for the singlespeed Euros. It looks like we'll be back this summer again. Hoping to be able to ride my new Kona Sutra LTD this time. Lots of exploring to do.


I'm recently discovering slovenian gravel (unpaved) roads and I've bought this book with maps. You've got 1310km of mostly unpaved roads.

There are .gpx maps on the bottom of this page.

Mladinska knjiga - GPS koordinate

In this second link you've got english description of Pohorje cycling route with map. There is .pdf link (kolesarska karta pohorje) on the bottom of page. I plan to do this route in april.

https://maribor-pohorje.si/pohorska-kolesarska-transverzala--pt-.aspx


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## Sonorum (Sep 25, 2016)

Erik_A said:


> Guys "MonsterCross" is so 2008...
> 
> It's "RandoCross" now:


Geez, bicycle categories are approaching metal-genre ridiculousness.. "Avant-garde technical folk black metal" and so forth... Aren't you either roadbiking, offroadbiking or touring in some form or another?:thumbsup:


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## Buddysnack (Jan 30, 2013)

I got Dugast to custom make me some 38 Rhinos. Perfect for adventurecross rambles. Took it for my first spin on the weekend, like a plush fast cx with monster aspirations.


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## blak_byke (Jun 21, 2006)

I'm all kinds of turned on by this build. Nicely done!



Buddysnack said:


> I got Dugast to custom make me some 38 Rhinos. Perfect for adventurecross rambles. Took it for my first spin on the weekend, like a plush fast cx with monster aspirations.


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## aybee (Feb 2, 2014)

She rides really smooooth





































Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk


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## pade (May 20, 2007)

What are you recommendations for a monster cross frame? I'm got a SC Highball 29er right now that I'll rip parts from and put onto the mx. Ideally something that'll fit 2.0 tires and can be singlespeed.


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## xjcrawlr (Jun 19, 2007)

*Does this count? The Gryphon is drop bar specific...*

650B+ Gryphon, dynamo and internal geared


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

newagebiker said:


> What are you recommendations for a monster cross frame? I'm got a SC Highball 29er right now that I'll rip parts from and put onto the mx. Ideally something that'll fit 2.0 tires and can be singlespeed.


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...verine&usg=AFQjCNE9O0e9CX743eJlMDbTnc1YO8YRPQ


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## pade (May 20, 2007)

And while we're on the topic of bikes, what makes something a monster cross bike apart from dropbars? I've read lots of discussion on here and there seems to be varying opinions all over the internet.


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

newagebiker said:


> And while we're on the topic of bikes, what makes something a monster cross bike apart from dropbars? I've read lots of discussion on here and there seems to be varying opinions all over the internet.


Whatever it is, it doesn't start life as a mountain bike or have 26 or 27.5 inch wheels.


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## dhbasher (Jan 12, 2016)

Would a 700+ count as a monstercross??

Got a road/CX geo, moustache bar that will probably be flipped to drop the front even more...

The bike is stock except the Schwalbe Smart Sam 29x1.75 & few commuter accessories...love that bike, it's fast, comfortable & solid at the same time on road, dirt, gravel & snow, will need studded tires for ice next! 

It can be build has a road bike, CX, gravel or 700+. close to a 29er mtb but it isn't!

RSD Bikes - Catalyst 2016 700+


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

*Singular Swift - Reverse Mullet - drop bar MTB build*

Singular Swift - in it's current reverse mullet build... "party up front, business in back".

As someone who primarily rides cyclocross, I wanted to keep drop-bars and similar shifters, so that I can practice bike handling skills on the MTB trails.

For moderate singletrack (no drop-offs, or major rock-gardens) I am impressed with how well this build works. I don't miss suspension (or wide flat bars) at all.

Other than the slacker head tube and provision for a suspension corrected fork, the geometry is very similar to my cyclocross bike, even has the lower BB ability due to the Phil Woods asymmetric bottom bracket. This allows a lower BB height for bike-packing and a higher height for MTB.

Build info:

Swift version 1 frame (which works well with drop bars):
Drop bar 29ers - Gryphon or Swift? - Singular Cycles

On-One Rigid Carbon MTB Fork:
MKM 35 Rigid Carbon MTB Fork | On - One

WTB 27.5" Scraper rim (front):
Scraper | WTB

WTB 27.5" x 2.8" Trailblazer tire Front):
Trailblazer | WTB

For less technical trails and bikepacking, I throw on a second front wheel (29er Stans Flow rim with Maxxis Ardent 2.4" tire).

Cane Creek Thudbuster LT seatpost:
https://www.canecreek.com/products/seatposts

Other parts:
WTB 29x 2.25" Trail Boss rear tire
Salsa Woodchipper 46cm dirt drop bars.
1989 Shimano FD-M732 front derailleur with works with
6600/ 5600 (triple) road shifters and XT triple crank


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

dhbasher said:


> Would a 700+ count as a monstercross??
> 
> Got a road/CX geo, moustache bar that will probably be flipped to drop the front even more...
> 
> ...


the whole time i'm reading your description I'm thinking "but what frame is that?" you kept me in suspense till the end.

Nice ride, as far as i can see it only has two problems. it doesn't have sliding dropouts and it doesn't come in XL.  so close.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

Erik_A said:


> Singular Swift - in it's current reverse mullet build... "party up front, business in back".
> 
> As someone who primarily rides cyclocross, I wanted to keep drop-bars and similar shifters, so that I can practice bike handling skills on the MTB trails.
> 
> ...


Nice Build, I dig it! :thumbsup:

what do you think of that On One fork?


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

I like the On-One fork a lot. Good compliance without being too flexy. Don't notice any rotor rub when cornering. Not too many decent carbon forks with 1-1/8" straight steer tube and QR front axle.

Not the lightest, but lighter than the OEM Singular steel fork (which I also like, but it doesn't fit a 27.5 x 2.8" tire).



*OneSpeed* said:


> Nice Build, I dig it! :thumbsup:
> 
> what do you think of that On One fork?


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

tiretracks said:


> Whatever it is, it doesn't start life as a mountain bike or have 26 or 27.5 inch wheels.


According to Article 7, Section VI of the "Monstercross Rule Book?"


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

... Ha, but The Monstercross Velominati doesn't say anything about 27.5 Plus! Actually the trend even for "all-road" bikes seems to be to design frames that allow both 700c wheels with narrow tires, or 27.5 with fat tires.

If you read this, it explains that the Singular Swift (MTB) and Gryphon (Monstercross) were both designed for drop bars and 29er wheels. Drop bar 29ers - Gryphon or Swift? - Singular Cycles

I considered the Gryphon but the top-tube was too short for me (I am 6'-4"). The 2 bikes are very similar in geometry. The Swift allows for a suspension corrected fork and the Gryphon doesn't. Other than the shorter top-tube and longer head tube on the Gryphon, that's about it. I like the aesthetics of the XL Swift better as well, the super tall top-tube looked a bit strange on the XL.









If anything would help a monster-cross bike it would be the ability to swap in a set of 27.5 x 2.8/3.0" plus tires which have the same diameter as a 700c x 2.0" tire.

Actually, I would love to run 27.5 x 2.1" tires on my cyclocross bike (which in similar fashion has a 700 x 40c WTB Nano tire in the rear and a 29 x 1.8" Specialized Renegade squeezed in the front fork for non race-day use). But for that to work I would need to switch to disc brakes on the CX, and I am not doing that anytime soon. I have too many rim-brake wheelsets (and love the TRP RevoX canti's a lot).



Smithhammer said:


> According to Article 7, Section VI of the "Monstercross Rule Book?"


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

Yup. I've seen some pretty sweet B+ builds that I would put in the somewhat nebulous "monstercross" category. 

As for geometry? I don't see any clear lines being drawn, nor do I know why there would need to be. There are plenty of examples these days of sweet frames that have geo somewhere in between "road" and "mountain" and that, when combined with a good dirt drop bar, some sort of road/mtn hybrid drivetrain and decently meaty rubber, fall squarely into this versatile category. 

Some people just love to split hairs and adhere to rigid, if mostly arbitrary, categories....


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

Erik_A said:


> Not the lightest, but lighter than the OEM Singular steel fork (which I also like, but it doesn't fit a 27.5 x 2.8" tire).


Which of the scraper rims do you have? I'm just surprised, because my gryphon easily fits a 29x3 chronicle on 35mm rims with plenty of space left over.


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

It is the i45 Scraper version. The version 1 fork will fit the 2.8 tire, but just barely, no room for mud.

I think that the later version Swift (and Gryphon) forks were wider.



newfangled said:


> Which of the scraper rims do you have? I'm just surprised, because my gryphon easily fits a 29x3 chronicle on 35mm rims with plenty of space left over.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

^ right, my bad. Forgot that the old swifts were blue, and then white, and now blue again.


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## Kyle509 (Jul 19, 2006)

Juice
Juice MonsterX by Kyle, on Flickr


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

nice build Kyle!


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

Montercross mic-drop:
2017 NAHBS: Cielo Dirt Drop Bourbon and Fire MTB | The Radavist


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

^ I swear, if I wanted a slopping toptube I could get that with any mountainbike frame (like my monstercrossish Inbred).

I would consider giving money to someone making a horizontal toptube frame with ridiculous tire clearance.


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## romanaught (Mar 10, 2017)

Missing my new Whiskey Goat rims. Best ride I have ever owned.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

all of the last 3 pics are just 29ers with drop bars. just saying.


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

car bone said:


> all of the last 3 pics are just 29ers with drop bars. just saying.


And?


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

"relevance"


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

If those are wrong, I don't want to be right!



car bone said:


> all of the last 3 pics are just 29ers with drop bars. just saying.


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

car bone said:


> "relevance"


How is a 29er set up m-cross style not "relevant?"


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## hamsterspam (Sep 28, 2014)

is this monstrous enough?


----------



## solidfish (Jul 1, 2012)

*Monstercross on 26er*

This is an old stumpjumper 26er. Its an aluminum frame with a carbon fork, so a little rear heavy, but overall at about 19lbs.









Stumpjumper M4 26er (19lbs)
XT Drivetrain
Carbon fork
Tarmac Dropbars
Stans Olympic 26er
Geax Aka Pluma tires (semi slick)
BB7 road brakes


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## bad_kharma (Jan 14, 2016)

Don't post here much, so hi!  
Here's my gt tequesta I got next to free and with I revamped in bikepacking mode. 
Happy trails to y'all!

Sent from my Amstrad CPC 464 using Pica Pica Tapa Tapa


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## pade (May 20, 2007)

This bike is not mine







Surly Cross Check
Don't think I've seen it posted before, but I think it's rad and worthy to be posted here.


----------



## CObiker123 (Oct 13, 2014)

I think this qualifies. I always loved the way some big ol knobs looked on these bikes, but when I really looked at what I am riding and commuting on, a little less aggressive was needed. In doing so, I drank the kool-aid and built up some 650b's for the Kona and put some WTB Horizons on. I am a believer and convert!


----------



## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

car bone said:


> all of the last 3 pics are just 29ers with drop bars. just saying.


Isn't this thread in the 29er forum? Did I miss something here?????


----------



## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

car bone said:


> all of the last 3 pics are just 29ers with drop bars. just saying.


Shut up already, car bone. Unless you coined the term "monstercross" (news flash: you didn't), you don't get to define it.
http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/i-beg-you-more-monstercross-355649-53.html#post12700259

Bite me.

RAHRR


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## autosmith (Jan 16, 2012)

Here's mine. A few slight adjustments from new. I run 40mm wide maxxis tires and never think about changing them. Weather commuting or racing.

























Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ciquta (Nov 26, 2015)

RAHRR





































.


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## SpeedyStein (Aug 2, 2014)

Yep, another SOMA. Great bike though, really digging how versatile this bike is.


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## theMotoMan (Feb 21, 2008)

That is an awesome ride! Can you list off the components? I've been out of the bike business for about 5 years and want to get back in with something like this!


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

ciquta said:


> RAHRR.


I can't quite tell...is that the neomax bar? I'm seriously tempted by the various flared bars from ritchey.


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## ciquta (Nov 26, 2015)

newfangled said:


> I can't quite tell...is that the neomax bar? I'm seriously tempted by the various flared bars from ritchey.


no it's venturemax


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

^thanks. Looking closer, I guess I do see all the wiggly bits in the extensions.

How is it?


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## SpeedyStein (Aug 2, 2014)

theMotoMan said:


> That is an awesome ride! Can you list off the components? I've been out of the bike business for about 5 years and want to get back in with something like this!


If you are referring to my bike, thanks! I have been tweaking it here and there to get everything just right for how I use it, and I think I have settled on a final build.

SOMA Wolverine, 54cm. 
Ritchey Post and Saddle, with no name bars and stem
Tektro brake levers with TRP Spyre calipers, RT56 Rotors, 180mm front and 160mm rear
Microshift 11spd bar end MTB shifter mated to XT 11 spd RD and 11-42 cassette, Ultegra crankset with Wolftooth 36T chainring, Saint pedals for commuting/neighborhood rides. 
XT hubs, WTB i23 Frequency Team rims, with WTB Nine Line 29x2.25 tires, tubeless. 
Blackburn rear rack for kid toting duty and Blackburn frame bag for carrying small stuff.

This bike doubles as my main mode of transport right now - VW bought my car back about 4 months ago and I haven't replaced it yet. Very happy with the ride quality and versatility this frame offers, and that it can fit giant tires! I love the Nine Lines because they roll fast and ride great, and don't weigh a ton like a lot of other 29er tires.


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## ciquta (Nov 26, 2015)

newfangled said:


> ^thanks. Looking closer, I guess I do see all the wiggly bits in the extensions.
> 
> How is it?


mixed feelings so far... (I'll try to explain being not a native English speaker )

the angle and the flare are right to me, much better than my old woodchipper

Even the 46cm version feels narrover, and gives definitely a more upright position in the drops

the "wiggly bits" are comfy but too far to grab the brake lever with your finger, OTOS they leave less room to grab the drop and so the "bit" pushes hard on your palm... this might be a major issue but I need to test it on a long ride


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

^ thanks.

I don't the woodchipper much either, but I do like "traditional" round drops, so I like the looks of the neomax.


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## theMotoMan (Feb 21, 2008)

Nice ride! What is the frame and build on this one?



ciquta said:


> RAHRR
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## ciquta (Nov 26, 2015)

theMotoMan said:


> Nice ride! What is the frame and build on this one?


the frame is a custom Titanium size-made

build is:

rd SRAM gx 10v 
cassette Sunrace 11-42 with 32t upfront
levers apex sram
brakes avid bb7r mechanical
hubs dtswiss 370
rims funforks trailride 35mm internal width
tires panaracer fat b nimble 29"x3" 
seatpost funn hyperion titanium
saddle Brooks cambium c17 carverd


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## bad_kharma (Jan 14, 2016)

ciquta said:


> RAHRR
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Gorgeous!!!

Sent from my HUAWEI NXT-L29 using Tapatalk


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## drøn (Sep 1, 2012)




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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

NICE! Dron


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## schnee (Oct 15, 2005)

pade said:


> And while we're on the topic of bikes, what makes something a monster cross bike apart from dropbars? I've read lots of discussion on here and there seems to be varying opinions all over the internet.


Monstrous Cyclocross bike.

Started as 'wow those are super aggressive tires on a cross bike dude' but that was before a) manufacturers jumped on the trend, making some bikes with room for 29 x 2.4" tires, rendering the early examples in this thread rather quaint, and b) later comers want to be part of the cool kids club and throw pictures of their ugly babies into the mix.


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

I like the Specialized Sequoia:
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/road/adventure/sequoia

Very versatile for gravel racing, bike packing, and single-track.


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## Buster Bluth (Sep 11, 2008)

herly ferk now I want to build up a monster cross bike and use it as a commo00oter.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

D


solidfish said:


> This is an old stumpjumper 26er. Its an aluminum frame with a carbon fork, so a little rear heavy, but overall at about 19lbs.
> 
> View attachment 1128521
> 
> ...


That's my kind of bike.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Erik_A said:


> I like the Specialized Sequoia:
> https://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/road/adventure/sequoia
> 
> Very versatile for gravel racing, bike packing, and single-track.


Nice bike what's the biggest tire you can fit?


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

*Douchenozzles Take Notice*



Smithhammer said:


> According to Article 7, Section VI of the "Monstercross Rule Book?"


While Article 7, Section VI of the Monstercross Rule Book does mention that monstercross bikes typically resemble cyclocross bikes with larger tires and a more upright riding position, it is superseded by Article 11, Section III, which states:"There will always be uptight douchenozzles who attempt to narrowly define the term Monstercross because it makes them feel special. Pay them no heed. Monsters come in all shapes and sizes. RAHRR."​
Citation from the person who coined the term, "Monstercross":"I call bikes that are more monsterous than cross but not quite a regular 29" wheel mountain bike "monster cross" nobody cares if they are single speed or fixed or geared or whatever, I just thought of this as a way to talk to my customers. As far as this being a trendy sub-genre dont be worried. You can call your bike anything you want. Just say RAHRR. Real monsters come in all sizes and shapes. Elmo is a monster. Godzilla is a monster. There are Gila monsters and monster Trucks. Some would say that bigfoot is a monster, but he's not real like Elmo and Godzilla. Speaking of Godzilla, check out the FuManchu live cover from Germany. Those guys rock!
cheers, Wade"
_- __Wade the Vulture
_​Source (Post #44, dated 5/22/2006): http://forums.mtbr.com/singlespeed/monster-cross-bikes-creeping-towards-world-domination-192307.html


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## blak_byke (Jun 21, 2006)

goto11 said:


> While Article 7, Section VI of the Monstercross Rule Book does mention that monstercross bikes typically resemble cyclocross bikes with larger tires and a more upright riding position, it is superseded by Article 11, Section III, which states:"There will always be uptight douchenozzles who attempt to narrowly define the term Monstercross because it makes them feel special. Pay them no heed. Monsters come in all shapes and sizes. RAHRR."​
> Citation from the person who coined the term, "Monstercross":"I call bikes that are more monsterous than cross but not quite a regular 29" wheel mountain bike "monster cross" nobody cares if they are single speed or fixed or geared or whatever, I just thought of this as a way to talk to my customers. As far as this being a trendy sub-genre dont be worried. You can call your bike anything you want. Just say RAHRR. Real monsters come in all sizes and shapes. Elmo is a monster. Godzilla is a monster. There are Gila monsters and monster Trucks. Some would say that bigfoot is a monster, but he's not real like Elmo and Godzilla. Speaking of Godzilla, check out the FuManchu live cover from Germany. Those guys rock!
> cheers, Wade"
> _- __Wade the Vulture
> _​Source (Post #44, dated 5/22/2006): http://forums.mtbr.com/singlespeed/monster-cross-bikes-creeping-towards-world-domination-192307.html


AMEN!! I submit this here thing...


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

Anything designed or built by Tom Ritchey is "Monstercross" in my book. Logic?









... even if it started out as a 26er.


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Throwing drop bars on a mountain bike doesn't make it Monstercross.


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

goto11 said:


> While Article 7, Section VI of the Monstercross Rule Book does mention that monstercross bikes typically resemble cyclocross bikes with larger tires and a more upright riding position, it is superseded by Article 11, Section III, which states:"There will always be uptight douchenozzles who attempt to narrowly define the term Monstercross because it makes them feel special. Pay them no heed. Monsters come in all shapes and sizes. RAHRR."​


Gospel troof.


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## MikeDee (Nov 17, 2004)

life behind bars said:


> Throwing drop bars on a mountain bike doesn't make it Monstercross.


???? If it doesn't have suspension, then yes it does!


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

life behind bars said:


> Throwing drop bars on a mountain bike doesn't make it Monstercross.


NO SH!T!!
too bad only u and i seem to understand this.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

goto11 said:


> While Article 7, Section VI of the Monstercross Rule Book does mention that monstercross bikes typically resemble cyclocross bikes with larger tires and a more upright riding position, it is superseded by Article 11, Section III, which states:"There will always be uptight douchenozzles who attempt to narrowly define the term Monstercross because it makes them feel special. Pay them no heed. Monsters come in all shapes and sizes. RAHRR."​
> Citation from the person who coined the term, "Monstercross":"I call bikes that are more monsterous than cross but not quite a regular 29" wheel mountain bike "monster cross" nobody cares if they are single speed or fixed or geared or whatever, I just thought of this as a way to talk to my customers. As far as this being a trendy sub-genre dont be worried. You can call your bike anything you want. Just say RAHRR. Real monsters come in all sizes and shapes. Elmo is a monster. Godzilla is a monster. There are Gila monsters and monster Trucks. Some would say that bigfoot is a monster, but he's not real like Elmo and Godzilla. Speaking of Godzilla, check out the FuManchu live cover from Germany. Those guys rock!
> cheers, Wade"
> _- __Wade the Vulture
> _​Source (Post #44, dated 5/22/2006): http://forums.mtbr.com/singlespeed/monster-cross-bikes-creeping-towards-world-domination-192307.html


ok i'll play.
















is this really monstercross?


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

Wow, some folks take this label very seriously! In reality its as easy as this:


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## Ailuropoda (Dec 15, 2010)

After getting really into gravel riding I was contemplating getting a Salsa Cutthroat. I got a Wilier-Triestina Jaroon+ instead. Pictures to follow. I have two sets of wheels, the second set has Nobby Nic 29x2.35 tires. Plenty of crank clearance. The outside diameters being what they are the 2.35 inch tires only drop the bike by about half an inch...but they are substantially lighter and roll faster than the Maxxis Chronicle 29+ tires.

Nice bike so far. I hurt my knee pretty badly on my Tour Divide attempt and am recovering but the ten-mile slow rides I have taken are nice. It's a comfortable bike.

The Jaroon+ is the ultimate monstercross bike.

https://www.outsideonline.com/2147256/your-next-gravel-bike-will-come-29-mtb-tires


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

Converted my Jamis Dragon One. I've been Monstercross curious for a while, had to try it. Pretty fun and versatile bike.

On One Midge bars, TRP Spyre brakes, SLX cranks, Stans Flow rims on Surly Hubs with White Industries freewheel, Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.1's, Carver Carbon fork.


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## MikeDee (Nov 17, 2004)

So, I ask the purists, what is your definition of a monster cross bike, if you are saying a hardtail mountain bike with drop bars isn't? Is it a cyclocross bike with room for 45mm tires? I submit that a purpose built cyclocross bike is a poor role model for the kind of riding we do. Cyclocross racing courses are like nothing where I ride. I don't think I've ever shouldered my bike and ran with it, etc. It's like riding a time trial bike on the road, a purpose built bike for a specific race course. I'd never own one.


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## SAWS (Sep 20, 2007)

blak_byke said:


> AMEN!! I submit this here thing...
> 
> View attachment 1146245


I love that bike! 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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## SAWS (Sep 20, 2007)

car bone said:


> NO SH!T!!
> too bad only u and i seem to understand this.


For the love of god, enough! The posts arguing about the definition of monstercross are a total snoozefest. Can't we all agree that there's a venn diagram in which monstercross overlaps with several other categories (including without limitation, cyclocross, drop bar 29er, etc.) and just enjoy the bikes? If you don't like one, just move on - no harm done.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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## blak_byke (Jun 21, 2006)

SAWS said:


> I love that bike!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


Thank you much!! :thumbsup:


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## bad_kharma (Jan 14, 2016)

Here's my rig... Purposed for bikepacking and Gravel









Sent from my HUAWEI NXT-L29 using Tapatalk


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

SAWS said:


> For the love of god, enough! The posts arguing about the definition of monstercross are a total snoozefest. Can't we all agree that there's a venn diagram in which monstercross overlaps with several other categories (including without limitation, cyclocross, drop bar 29er, etc.) and just enjoy the bikes? If you don't like one, just move on - no harm done.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


no. just no.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

if it aint monster cross it aint monster cross, wtf am i gonna say here really?


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## ljsmith (Oct 26, 2007)

life behind bars said:


> Throwing drop bars on a mountain bike doesn't make it Monstercross.


Yes it does. Just like when I put riser bars and knobby tires on my road bike and it became a mountain bike.


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## ljsmith (Oct 26, 2007)

Lynskey GR250


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## pade (May 20, 2007)

Wow, that's what dreams are made of.


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## ChknNRice (Aug 28, 2017)

Just finished this build. 
Frame/Fork: Traitor Slot XL
Headset: FSA Orbit
Bars: Salsa cow bell 3
Tape: 2 layers of cotton tape/deda outter
Shifters: Sram Rival 2x10
Cassette: Sram 11-36
BB: Sram GXP 
Chain: Sram PC 1051
Seatpost: Thompson 26.8
Calipers: BB7 road s
RD: Sram GX Type 2.1 Long Cage
FD: Sram GX 2x10 High Clamp - Top Pull
Crank: Sram GX 38/26
Stem: Chinelli Ant
Seat: takeoff from a Bianchi road bike (not sure what to put on it)
Rotors: Ashima Ai2
Wheels: Alex Rims cx5 (spare wheelset I had sitting around)
Tires: Kenda Flintridge Pro 40mm


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## ljsmith (Oct 26, 2007)

MikeDee said:


> So, I ask the purists, what is your definition of a monster cross bike, if you are saying a hardtail mountain bike with drop bars isn't? Is it a cyclocross bike with room for 45mm tires? I submit that a purpose built cyclocross bike is a poor role model for the kind of riding we do. Cyclocross racing courses are like nothing where I ride. I don't think I've ever shouldered my bike and ran with it, etc. It's like riding a time trial bike on the road, a purpose built bike for a specific race course. I'd never own one.


Honestly I don't care all that much, but I do have an opinion. A mountain bike with drop bars is a "drop bar mountain bike". This category of bikes has existed probably since the very beginning of mountain bikes, it does not need a new name and they certainly existed way before the designation "monster cross". You are saying that a monster cross bike should not be based on a cross bike. So a Monster *CROSS* bike should not be a Cross bike? That makes absolutely no sense. Thats like saying a plus mountain bike should not be a mountain bike. To say that the riding that "we" do has anything to do with it is meaningless. Basically if a Monster Cross bike isn't good for the riding you do don't get one, get a drop bar mountain bike. Monster cross bikes are cyclocross style bikes that fit larger tires than typical cyclocross racing bikes. This means the geometry should be similar to a cyclocross bike and designed specifically for drop bars. How big the tires have to be is another matter of opinion. To me it should be at least 38mm or bigger (ideally 40-50), but over 2.0 and you are pushing it.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

ljsmith said:


> Honestly I don't care all that much, but I do have an opinion. A mountain bike with drop bars is a "drop bar mountain bike". This category of bikes has existed probably since the very beginning of mountain bikes, it does not need a new name and they certainly existed way before the designation "monster cross". You are saying that a monster cross bike should not be based on a cross bike. So a Monster *CROSS* bike should not be a Cross bike? That makes absolutely no sense. Thats like saying a plus mountain bike should not be a mountain bike. To say that the riding that "we" do has anything to do with it is meaningless. Basically if a Monster Cross bike isn't good for the riding you do don't get one, get a drop bar mountain bike. Monster cross bikes are cyclocross style bikes that fit larger tires than typical cyclocross racing bikes. This means the geometry should be similar to a cyclocross bike and designed specifically for drop bars. How big the tires have to be is another matter of opinion. To me it should be at least 38mm or bigger (ideally 40-50), but over 2.0 and you are pushing it.


You care way too much. Does it offend you if I post a drop bar mountain bike in the monster cross thread?

So, if my bike has *identical geo* but fits 2.3's (even though I'm running 2.1's) it's not a monstercross bike because it was originally intended as a MTB?


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

*OneSpeed* said:


> You care way too much. Does it offend you if I post a drop bar mountain bike in the monster cross thread?
> 
> So, if my bike has *identical geo* but fits 2.3's (even though I'm running 2.1's) it's not a monstercross bike because it was originally intended as a MTB?


Like a mtb isn't a cross bike so, yep pretty much.


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## ciquta (Nov 26, 2015)

ChknNRice said:


> Just finished this build.


great job man!

those rival shifters are so sexy...


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## ciquta (Nov 26, 2015)

ljsmith said:


> To me it should be at least 38mm or bigger (ideally 40-50), but over 2.0 and you are pushing it.


IMO you are focusing too much on the "cross" and not enough on the "monster".

Yes, MONSTER means you have to push it... I wouldn't be scared by a monster with 38mm toes roaring at me


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

dhbasher said:


> Would a 700+ count as a monstercross??
> 
> Got a road/CX geo, moustache bar that will probably be flipped to drop the front even more...
> 
> ...


Not exactly sure what to call it. But I really like it. It looks indestructible.


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## Guy.Ford (Oct 28, 2009)

**NEW* Soma Wolverine v2.1 frame*

Keeping with the Monstercross vein, here is a pic from the Soma site of the new v.2.1 Wolverine being released 9/2017 with stiffening plates added near the dropouts.

View attachment 1154851


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Guy.Ford said:


> Keeping with the Monstercross vein, here is a pic from the Soma site of the new v.2.1 Wolverine being released 9/2017 with stiffening plates added near the dropouts.
> 
> View attachment 1154851


Can also get that with a thru axle fork as well.


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## Guy.Ford (Oct 28, 2009)

life behind bars said:


> Can also get that with a thru axle fork as well.


Yes you can Unicrown Thru-Axle Fork for Wolverine | SOMA Fabrications


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Bike Tires Direct has some pretty good deals on the V.1 frame and fork sets.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/soma-fabrications-wolverine-frameset


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## MikeDee (Nov 17, 2004)

ljsmith said:


> Honestly I don't care all that much, but I do have an opinion. A mountain bike with drop bars is a "drop bar mountain bike". This category of bikes has existed probably since the very beginning of mountain bikes, it does not need a new name and they certainly existed way before the designation "monster cross". You are saying that a monster cross bike should not be based on a cross bike. So a Monster *CROSS* bike should not be a Cross bike? That makes absolutely no sense. Thats like saying a plus mountain bike should not be a mountain bike. To say that the riding that "we" do has anything to do with it is meaningless. Basically if a Monster Cross bike isn't good for the riding you do don't get one, get a drop bar mountain bike. Monster cross bikes are cyclocross style bikes that fit larger tires than typical cyclocross racing bikes. This means the geometry should be similar to a cyclocross bike and designed specifically for drop bars. How big the tires have to be is another matter of opinion. To me it should be at least 38mm or bigger (ideally 40-50), but over 2.0 and you are pushing it.


Monster cross has no established definition. If I want to say that a drop bar mountain bike is closer to my ideal of what monster cross bike should be, than it has as much validity as your cyclocross based definition. Cross doesn't have to mean cyclocross. To me, it's a word that implies on and off road.


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## MikeDee (Nov 17, 2004)

I'm looking to build a light, rim brake monstercross/gravel bike. It must be able to use 45 mm tires. Anyone got a recommendation for a frame or complete bike that's not custom made or very expensive?


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## Guy.Ford (Oct 28, 2009)

MikeDee said:


> I'm looking to build a light, rim brake monstercross/gravel bike. It must be able to use 45 mm tires. Anyone got a recommendation for a frame or complete bike that's not custom made or very expensive?


Soma Saga DC, I know it fits canti and V's, also takes a 700 x 47mm tire, not sure if the rest fits your needs but worth a look

Saga DC Frame Set (Disc/Canti) | SOMA Fabrications


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

The Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross is exactly what you need:

Home - Black Mountain Cycles

I have one, a very nice riding and versatile frame.



MikeDee said:


> I'm looking to build a light, rim brake monstercross/gravel bike. It must be able to use 45 mm tires. Anyone got a recommendation for a frame or complete bike that's not custom made or very expensive?


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## LordByron (Sep 5, 2017)

*My monster*

Ride 10 miles to the trailhead and rip.


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## MikeDee (Nov 17, 2004)

As far as I know, there are only a few niche companies offering what they are calling monstercross bikes (e.g., Black Mountain Cycles, Bruce Gordon). Anyone have a list?


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

MikeDee said:


> As far as I know, there are only a few niche companies offering what they are calling monstercross bikes (e.g., Black Mountain Cycles, Bruce Gordon). Anyone have a list?


No list but you can add the '17 Kona Sutra LTD to the 'list'. I have 2.25 Nine Lines on mine and they're awesome with room to spare.


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## biketavioumaximus (Jun 28, 2007)

What wheel size are you rockin there?


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## Drummerboy1975 (Nov 24, 2011)

I have a new Raleigh Stuntman. I love this bike!

I can't post pics for some odd reason???


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

MikeDee said:


> monstercross bikes (e.g., Black Mountain Cycles, Bruce Gordon). Anyone have a list?





1 Speed said:


> add the '17 Kona Sutra LTD to the 'list'. I have 2.25 Nine Lines on mine and they're awesome with room to spare.


Soma Wolverine


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## phidauex (Apr 17, 2013)

Sweet bikes here, makes me a little sad I can only cram a 45mm tire into my 2008 Salsa La Cruz.

On the issue of definitions, I feel the occasional need to point out little facts like that Tony Pizzo rode a single speed bicycle across the country 3 times in 1919, wearing a Navy sailor outfit, while handcuffed to his bike. Bicycles are all nearly identical, if viewed by an outsider, and cross bikes, road bikes and mountain bikes are so closely built in nearly every objective measure that they can only be considered close siblings. Asking "is it REALLY monstercross???" is like asking if my brother should change his name because he left the house in a suit today rather than a pair of sweatpants.

Big tires, no suspension and drop bars sounds like a fine recipe for monstercross to me.


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## tangerineowl (Nov 18, 2013)

Wikkit Q-Bomb (frameset) looks pretty cool:-

Mountainbike.nl • Toon onderwerp - Specialized Stumpjumper WC HT 29"

Q-Bomb de ultieme strandracefiets met de lage Q-factor.


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## iowamtb (May 17, 2014)

car bone said:


> NO SH!T!!
> too bad only u and i seem to understand this.


Monstercross: What it really is & where it really came from
Taken from that link............

"It's this humble beginning and the do-it-all approach a monstercross bike offers is why I've devoted a chunk of time over the last 12 years to studying it, riding them, and keeping people informed. The appeal to monster cross is that you can't really do anything more....or less....with it. It's really just a bike that fits up to 45c tires & has dirt drops. I can't define it beyond that, there is no 'marketing' to be done. As someone who's had a self-designed custom frame that's worked just fine for 5 years so far, and likely will go at least 20 more, my only meaningful tweaks have been subtle ones: Trying various handlebars, experimenting with rim widths, experimenting with tires/tire combos front & rear, trying different stem angles (25 degrees btw seems to be a sweet spot for me), changing out bar tape, and playing with gear ratios as a singlespeed setup. But otherwise, that's it. In those same five years I've owned 4-5 fat bikes and easily 5-6 mountain bikes."

I don't know what is up with some people that seem to have a negative opinion about what makes any type of bike one of those types? Just ride man and shut up. 

3 pics of my Wolvie


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

You must spread some reputation around before giving it to Iowamtb again!!

Cool bike, and I like your house too.


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## iowamtb (May 17, 2014)

*OneSpeed* said:


> You must spread some reputation around before giving it to Iowamtb again!!
> 
> Cool bike, and I like your house too.


Thank you!


----------



## SuperC (Feb 17, 2012)

Mosso has been pretty good. Nothing flashy, but it works well.


----------



## MrDirtHerder (Nov 1, 2017)

Wow. New to this forum and all but seems like a lot of misconceptions about monster cross stem from this thread. Friend just told me about it because he saw mine and yeah...this thread seems to be where the myths started for sure.

So, i was there when Matt Chester (father of monstercross) was exploring dirt drops. First on 26" then 29. He offered both on his old site and usually just for flat bars but would tell people if they had old WTB dirt drops he could custom fit for optimized positioning. Then WTB came out with the Mutano Raptor in a 44mm and Matt went nuts over it. About the same time, Brant at On-One teamed up with Shiggy to release a dirt drop handlebar, The Midge. Matt loved it. He then started offering a separate bike option on his site optimized for the new 44mm tires as you could use road cranks (lower q factor-better power transfer). Still offered 26" & 29", and he originally called monstercross a "big tired cyclocross bike" until his buddy Wade at Vulture said "Hey that looks like a Monster Cross Bike", important to note that Wade was very familiar with Matt's other drop bar mountain bike creations over the years, but it was this bike with a dirt drop/44mm wide tires that made him coin the term. Yeah, he would later say "whatever works" but he was also hungry for work and he eventually stopped making frames (a crime he's out of the biz, but that's another story).

I remember that once Matt went to monster cross it was all he could think about. Wish I could ask him what he thinks of all the new tires as I recall hearing how he wished there was more than one option and heard he hoarded as many WTB's as he could when it was discontinued.

He honed in this idea for such a bike because he was an eccentric guy who believed in truly living with the bare minimum. This wasn't marketing, he was just fascinated with how a monster cross rig split the difference between a full on cross bike and a mountain bike perfectly. He'd ride to Vail for this radio show he did at night (from leadville, year round) on this rig a day or two a week. Stay with a friend or GF (can't recall), then ride back the next day. He'd rip local single track with ease on this bike, but seen riding pavement too. He really was fascinated with the idea of such a bike because any short comings the bike had, a rider who honed their strength/skills could make up for. Kinda funny to hear people yell "it's all marketing" because the concept of monster cross came out of his distain for the industry constantly trying to tell people to be a better rider you needed bigger tires, more suspension, lighter bikes, and oh yeah...replace every few years and upgrade...mentality of the industry. He believed in pushing how to be a better rider, had blog posts on nutrition, value of simplicity, importance of really spending time on getting just the right setup, and having fun. Really the kind of stuff everyone against the what's truly monster cross claim to believe in. Pity he had all those head injuries back when TBI's weren't well treated or well known about, that is what cost him is career and sent him into deep depression his close friends would say.

To Matt, a Monstercross/cyclocrossy bike with room for big tires, was an exercise in what the bare minimum of a bike you need to ride a bit of everything efficiently. He built them in titanium because it would last forever. He'd eventually get deep into single speeds then finally only fixed gear as prt of that self imposed challenge. Often talked to people not about what the lightest/coolest parts were but what budget stuff (Like old Square taper BB's) you could use forever. He did rim brakes only as discs were expensive, but also because they meant sacrificing ride quality. He liked that anyone could find pads for rim brakes anywhere. He even experimented with Powergrips and became a master at setting them up....because he wanted to own only one pair of shoes and didn't think you should have to buy special shoes to ride. The guy was pretty deep and highly intelligent. Sort of a zen master kind of human being it was hard not to admire.

It's kinda a pity this story is lost and never told, but then Matt didn't care about being in magazines and rarely one for the internet. He wasn't trying to make it big by creating such a bike, heck people still laughed at 29ers at that period in time in Colorado. I really think these beginnings and origin would make people really appreciate the reason it's such a cool genre. I own a lot of bikes, but my canti brake generic monster cross single speed was always my favorite and having a variation of such always will be.

I think it's easy to make fun of the purists, but thing is once you actually build a true monster cross bike with say a Soma Junebug dirt drop bar with Bruce Gordon Rock n Road Tires. Ride it to work, to the grocery store, rip singletrack, etc.. on it. And be sure to set the dirt drops up right (Start with flats even with saddle then go up or down after that), as that riding in the hooks position is really what makes the setup shine vs a flat bar or standard drop bar. I have yet to meet anyone who's done this that argues with the purist definition. Even pushed a few friends enough they finally tried it...and then boom, they refer to the other bike as their dropped bar mountain bike. Which btw, is hardly an insult when you consider one of the most sought after vintage bikes ever, Cunningham, was a drop bar mountain bike design. There has never been anything wrong with calling such a bike such, not sure why people take offense, but it's all because people don't know their history very well.

Anyway, sorry for the long rant. New to getting on this forum (or any) because of other injuries my local shop/friends can't answer and stumbled upon some monster cross threads. Seems like a lot of anger towards purists which is surprising, so thought I'd share some history.

Here are some great sites for further reading:

5 Meters of Development:
Matt's personal blog with focus on setup, minimalism, music, and health. Won't find any "check out this carbon widget" stuff on here or mention of something being light without mention of its' longevity as well.

5 metres of development.

Best interview with Matt I can recall outside of a local paper once. Not even a big name cycling blog which somehow makes it cooler:
Large Fella on a Bike: FBQ #11 Matt Chester

Handbuilt Bicycle Guide Origin Article:
Best single article on the topic in the modern era. Kinda blew me away anyone else other than a handful of people from back in the day knew so much. 
Monstercross: What it really is & where it really came from

Monstercross News:
Just a fb page with no ads. Hardly a guy making money "marketing" the term. Often posts pics of old touring/hybrid frames to build into monster cross bikes with model/year so people can search for such. It's been around for 10 years. Always has the latest tire applicable to share from 38mm-50mm. Also posts dirt drops and often takes pics of them side by side.

https://www.facebook.com/Monstercrossnews/

I still have to laugh at how many comments there are about this being a marketing ploy. No one makes a production monster cross frame. No big company (or any) offers a complete monster cross build. You really have to go to a builder to get a dedicated monster cross frame still, and well if it puts money in the pockets for small builders I can't think of a better group in the biz to get the $$$. In the end, the only company making lost of money of of this is MTBR as this seems to be the longest running/deepest thread on this site. By leaving it unmoderated and keeping the arguments going it draws soooo many people through to this site. Eyeballs matter in advertising. Creating opposition gets eyeballs in media. Looks like even I have now contributed to this cycle. But hey, if a few people are educated on this now, build a purist monster cross and love it...maybe pay a builder...I'm all for it.


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## iowamtb (May 17, 2014)

Sorry to hijack this thread but this is on the subject of turning my Soma B side into a monstercross so here goes.....

For some reason I am really wanting to remove the Jones bars, hydro brakes and levers, and rear 10 speed dyna sys deraileur, and replace them with cowchippers, sram levers and rear derailleur, and BB7 road discs on my Soma B side. This is the exact setup my Wolverine has except it has cowbell 3 for the bars. Something about the big fat 2.4 tires I am running that seems like it would ride so nice on Iowa gravel with drops. Thats basically what I got my Soma Wolverine for but heck what's wrong with having a drop bar MTB for primarily gravel and bike packing to compliment your drop bar gravel grinder right? Am I looking for a reason to waste money lol? If so please talk me out of it because I am looking at around $380 for all the stuff.

The ETT length on my B side is actually longer than the ETT on my Wolvie (600/604 compared to 587). So I don't think drops would be an issue at all. The one big difference is the BB drop is huge between the 2 bikes (70 for the Wolvie and 46/39 for the B side). 

I think that the drops feel better for my tricep tendonitus and right hand numbness although I really do like my Jones bars. My right hand goes numb on a long ride but it happens a lot faster on my Jones bars than it does on my other bike with my cowbells. 

Just seeing all these cool monster cross bike pics with fat tires is turning me on. I do little singletrack (maybe 1-2 times per year) and mainly ride gravel and dirt roads and double track at times. I am open for opinions.


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## iowamtb (May 17, 2014)

BTW Mrdirtherder thank you for that last post. Very interesting.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

iowamtb said:


> The ETT length on my B side is actually longer than the ETT on my Wolvie (600/604 compared to 587). So I don't think drops would be an issue at all. The one big difference is the BB drop is huge between the 2 bikes (70 for the Wolvie and 46/39 for the B side).


the longer top tube on your b-side is the reason why putting drop bars on it will be hard. drop bars lengthen the reach of your bike by quite a bit, which is why a bike that fits you with drop bars is much shorter than a bike that fits you with flat bars.

put another way, if you put flat bars on your Wolverine, it would feel much shorter, probably too short.

you might be able to mitigate this with a short length, high-rise stem.

I don't know if these will work for the way your bike fits, but have you looked into Soma Gator bars?


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

MrDirtHerder said:


> Wow. New to this forum...


Wow, great story and excellent links. I've just spent the last few hours reading all the stories in your links (not finished yet). Fascinating. I love the history and passion in these stories!!

It makes me want to go for a 200 mile adventure on my SS cross bike, then come home and melt a credit card buying a ton of new frame building equipment. (One of those will happen for sure...)

Thank you for your perspective, and for the info/history. Good stuff! :thumbsup:


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

iowamtb said:


> Sorry to hijack this thread but this is on the subject of turning my Soma B side into a monstercross so here goes.....


So I recently did this with one of my XC hardtails. It was a little too small with a suspension fork and a flat handlebar. I forget exactly but roughly a 100mm ish stem, wasn't enough. I then put on a rigid fork and On One Midge handlebars with TRP Spyre brakes, 2.1's, and a short riser stem (70mm +25 degree, so it reaches up as much as out). I also had to use a *large* number of spacers under the stem to get the handlebars up high enough. The goal there was to make the primary riding position in the drops. I never got the handlebars that high and ended up with my hands on top of the hoods most of the time.

Bottom line: it worked, kind of. The frame I used was an old school SS XC race frame with a really low stack height. A Jamis Dragon One SS. I can't quite get the handlebars high enough or close enough to me. Well, I probably could with a longer fork and another new stem, but I got what I wanted out of it... proof of concept. I really like it but I'd rather not invest a couple hundred bucks on a non-ideal setup I'm not sure I'll be happy with long term. I've got a few hundred miles on it and have enjoyed the setup. My plan is to sell the frame and buy a Soma Wolverine. Funny huh.

As it turns out that frame is just a bit to small to be a perfect HT MTB, and just a bit too big to be a perfect Monstercross bike. Take as many measurements as you can before attempting a conversion. It may or may not work for you.


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## iowamtb (May 17, 2014)

Thank you for the advice. Honestly as it’s set up now with the jones bars, i always said if big boom happened, it would be the bike of my choice. Like a mad max can do anything and pack anything machine. It’s just tough with all this eye candy floating around. It just makes me wish I owned a ton of inventory and could go out and change at will “just because”. My Wolvie rocks. My b side as it is now is my mad max firewood gathering machine lol!!!! I don’t even have the money now anyways just window shopping but I am sure this is going to pass soon.


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## ciquta (Nov 26, 2015)

thanks @MrDirtHerder for the story!


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## iowamtb (May 17, 2014)

mack_turtle said:


> the longer top tube on your b-side is the reason why putting drop bars on it will be hard. drop bars lengthen the reach of your bike by quite a bit, which is why a bike that fits you with drop bars is much shorter than a bike that fits you with flat bars.
> 
> put another way, if you put flat bars on your Wolverine, it would feel much shorter, probably too short.
> 
> ...


What u say makes sense but we are talking 587 to 600. 13 mm? Thats not enough to sneeze at is it? In general though I understand what u r saying. With my jones bars this bike has a 90 mm 30 degree Ritchey stem so the Jones bars are right at seat height.


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## Bicyclette (Nov 8, 2017)

MrDirtHerder said:


> Anyway, sorry for the long rant. New to getting on this forum (or any) because of other injuries my local shop/friends can't answer and stumbled upon some monster cross threads. Seems like a lot of anger towards purists which is surprising, so thought I'd share some history.


No worries really, thanks for all those details and the links, super interesting to read all that



MrDirtHerder said:


> He really was fascinated with the idea of such a bike because any short comings the bike had, a rider who honed their strength/skills could make up for.


All is said!


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

iowamtb said:


> What u say makes sense but we are talking 587 to 600. 13 mm? Thats not enough to sneeze at is it? In general though I understand what u r saying. With my jones bars this bike has a 90 mm 30 degree Ritchey stem so the Jones bars are right at seat height.


That might work. You will have to experiment.

The ETT on every flat bar hardtail that fits me is in the neighborhood of 600-615mm. Drop bar bikes I have owned are all 540-550mm. Personally, I could never make a bike that fits with a flat bar work with a drop bar unless a ran the stem backwards!


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## iowamtb (May 17, 2014)

mack_turtle said:


> That might work. You will have to experiment.
> 
> The ETT on every flat bar hardtail that fits me is in the neighborhood of 600-615mm. Drop bar bikes I have owned are all 540-550mm. Personally, I could never make a bike that fits with a flat bar work with a drop bar unless a ran the stem backwards!


That explains it. We are different. My drop bar bikes have ETT lengths not a whole lot shorter than my mtb


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

iowamtb said:


> That explains it. We are different. My drop bar bikes have ETT lengths not a whole lot shorter than my mtb


Just FYI it will be more accurate to compare the Reach number as opposed to ETT. I agree that the ability to use the same frame for both flat and drop handlebars is highly specific to the bike, the individual, and the intended setup.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

*OneSpeed* said:


> Just FYI it will be more accurate to compare the Reach number as opposed to ETT.


True. however, not to derail the thread, but, reach and stack are related in such a way that one is almost meaningless without the other. you can't isolate reach.

If the drop bar postion on your Wolverine feels just right, it would be worth plugging the numbers from your B-side and your Wolverine into bikegeo.net and see what it would take to make the effective S+R close enough.

what length fork is on your B-side? Soma lists two numbers on their geometry to signify how two different length forks affect the geometry.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

iowamtb said:


> That explains it. We are different. My drop bar bikes have ETT lengths not a whole lot shorter than my mtb


everyone is different, but I just juxtaposed two bikes that fit me, one with drop bars and the other with flat bars. I used to ride a Soma Double Cross Disc cyclocross bike. it had Salsa Cowbell bars and a 90mm stem pointed up with 25mm or so of spacers under it. that's the green bike. my Jabberwocky has wide, flat bars and a 70mm stem pointed down with 15mm or so of spacers on it.









I find that the calculations on Bikegeo.net are pretty accurate. it shows that the stack on my Jabber is about 10mm higher, but the reach on the DCD was 50mm shorter. 5 centimeters or about 2 inches. that's a lot! those extra two inches are there because of the extra length of a drop bar.

you might fit differently. maybe your frame is a little shorter on your than mine is for me, but generally, if a flat bar bike fits you well, that is why it's going to be hard to fit it with drop bars.


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## pedalmunky (Mar 14, 2007)

Thanks for the oral history Mr DirtH. Made for a facinating read. Loved the passion for simplification. Except for the Powerstrap mention, but oh well.


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## iowamtb (May 17, 2014)

mack_turtle said:


> everyone is different, but I just juxtaposed two bikes that fit me, one with drop bars and the other with flat bars. I used to ride a Soma Double Cross Disc cyclocross bike. it had Salsa Cowbell bars and a 90mm stem pointed up with 25mm or so of spacers under it. that's the green bike. my Jabberwocky has wide, flat bars and a 70mm stem pointed down with 15mm or so of spacers on it.
> 
> View attachment 1166937
> 
> ...


After a lengthy discussion with Jeff Jones I ordered some new 710 2.5 rise bars, new chunky grips and a shorter stem. So I ended my mental want for dirt drops on this bike. Can't wait to see how this bike rides once it's done!


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## autosmith (Jan 16, 2012)

Fall single track. There's a new flow trail nearby. The berms and jumps on the monster cross is the most fun I've had on a bike in quite a while.


















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## MrDirtHerder (Nov 1, 2017)

Thanks. Glad you found it helpful and enjoyable to read. Kinda find it odd that we're on these forums to learn, yet people are being so negative about those telling the true story. It's like, sorry but aren't you on here to learn? Or just to post pics of your bike you don't ride? 

Likewise, when people get upset about facts we have a problem. Also interesting how in this thread, people say "what does it matter?" yet in another thread in another forum on here they'll argue over 2mm of rim width or a degree of handlebar sweep or that a top tube is 10mm too short. All valid arguments, but seems like when they get in the monstercross thread the logic goes to hell. 

I'm with you. History is fascinating and I've been drawn in more to the history of monstrcross over time thanks to the Monstercross News page on FB. It's really pretty fascinating when you delve into it, because it is the perfect do it all and "just ride" bike in it's original form. Plus when you get into Matt Chester's head reading his post on his blog you really develop an appreciation for what he was going after and why the narrow definition mattered because you can see it in his writings on unrelated topics. 

Here's to knowing our history. Thanks for the kind words.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

^ My new Monstercross frame will be here in a few days! Found a good deal and couldn't resist after all the stoke from this thread. Looking forward to new adventures, might even have to try some Power Grips.


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## VelomaneCO (Dec 3, 2017)

Hi!
I am new to the forum and would like to share my recent build (cyclocross ? montercross? not sure of which label) : "La Mule" is its name
I found an old 1999 Trek 720 MultiTrack that I rebuilt into an all-rounder bike (gravel, groceries/errands, touring, cross...)
Today's ride was the perfect test with a 20-mile route combining gravel, trails and road.


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## iowamtb (May 17, 2014)

VelomaneCO said:


> Hi!
> I am new to the forum and would like to share my recent build (cyclocross ? montercross? not sure of which label) : "La Mule" is its name
> I found an old 1999 Trek 720 MultiTrack that I rebuilt into an all-rounder bike (gravel, groceries/errands, touring, cross...)
> Today's ride was the perfect test with a 20-mile route combining gravel, trails and road.
> ...


Nice!!


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## SurlySingleSpeeder (Apr 7, 2017)

Mack-turtle, i loved the stack adn reach calculator site, thanks man. so, I have a Karate Monkey who has done kanza and a few land runs dropped with a soma gator bar, a litle extra stack and a short stem with a bit of rise and she has been slammable. Anyway, i work at a specialized shop and need to ride a specialized bike as my collection of Surly's n all city bikes is apparently... Anyway, thinkin of drop barring an epic hard tail. SO i have compared the geometry to a monkey and a few other touring rigs, and the take home seems to be this is a duper long bike. other than that no duper red flags. Seems it wouldnt be too terrible to put a stumpy stem on there and make her a drop bar beauty?! Spose my question is can anyone see why this would be a spectacularly bad idea or si there anything i am missing? My boss says it will ruin teh bike adn it is a terrible idea, i love me some drop bars though. This would be my first non steel bike, as well as my first bike with gears. drinkin a lil bit of dat cool-aid.


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## tahic (Jul 21, 2008)

SurlySingleSpeeder said:


> Mack-turtle, i loved the stack adn reach calculator site, thanks man. so, I have a Karate Monkey who has done kanza and a few land runs dropped with a soma gator bar, a litle extra stack and a short stem with a bit of rise and she has been slammable. Anyway, i work at a specialized shop and need to ride a specialized bike as my collection of Surly's n all city bikes is apparently... Anyway, thinkin of drop barring an epic hard tail. SO i have compared the geometry to a monkey and a few other touring rigs, and the take home seems to be this is a duper long bike. other than that no duper red flags. Seems it wouldnt be too terrible to put a stumpy stem on there and make her a drop bar beauty?! Spose my question is can anyone see why this would be a spectacularly bad idea or si there anything i am missing? My boss says it will ruin teh bike adn it is a terrible idea, i love me some drop bars though. This would be my first non steel bike, as well as my first bike with gears. drinkin a lil bit of dat cool-aid.


I'm with your boss... that frame is not at all suited to drop bars ... get a sequoia if you have to ride a speccy

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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

I still don't have the monstercross bike I want but here are a few lame attempts I have made:

Bianchi Boardwalk- too long with drop bars, had to rebuild it with flat bars.








Karate Monkey with dirt drops. just awkward








old Scott Laredo with musasche bars. even with a stubby stem, I always ended up riding it on the ends of the bars


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

I plan to build a monstercross-ish bike on the cheap by converting an old hybrid from the local co-op. I usually ride a road/cx bike with a 545-555mm effective top tube or a mountain bike with a 600-615mm top tube.

since I will be using an old bike for this and need to search to find the right one,* what should I be looking for in terms of size? it might be hard to get exact measurements on the frame as I search but I might be able to dig up geo charts on old bikes using my phone as I go.

any particular frames that make good candidates? I am looking for steel, rigid, canti brakes, room for at least 40mm tires. I'd like to singlespeed it, which might require a tensioner.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

...


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

I have two candidates. Mid-90s steel

Diamondback Ascent. 26er, so not strictly Monstercross. Needs a lot of work, tires, left crank arm. $50








Spec Crossroads Elite. Needs new tires to make it functional.









Which one will make a better gravel grinder with drop bars?


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

Does the crossroads use 700c wheels? You'll get the benefit of bigger hoops and more tire selection. Looks clean. 

The Diamondback looks pretty rough, rusty chain, missing parts. Probably been stored outside for a while.

Of those two, I'd go Crossroads.


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## bad_kharma (Jan 14, 2016)

mack_turtle said:


> I have two candidates. Mid-90s steel
> 
> Diamondback Ascent. 26er, so not strictly Monstercross. Needs a lot of work, tires, left crank arm. $50
> View attachment 1173465
> ...












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## bad_kharma (Jan 14, 2016)

*OneSpeed* said:


> Does the crossroads use 700c wheels? You'll get the benefit of bigger hoops and more tire selection. Looks clean.
> 
> The Diamondback looks pretty rough, rusty chain, missing parts. Probably been stored outside for a while.
> 
> Of those two, I'd go Crossroads.


+1... And I'd use the DB cranks 

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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

I swapped the Ascent for the Crossroads. It has a long way to go, but it mostly needs bars, levers, and tires.


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## cxboy (Sep 7, 2013)

Loving this !!!



Smithhammer said:


> Gospel troof.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

for those of you who have more budget than I do:
Vassago Fisticuffs frame $400 instead of $600
w/ fork and headset <$520

Fisticuff Frame


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

mack_turtle said:


> I swapped the Ascent for the Crossroads. It has a long way to go, but it mostly needs bars, levers, and tires.


this project is seeming less and less optimistic. I spent two hours rummaging around the local co-op and came up empty. my goal was to find some functional tires, drop bars, brake levers, a stem, and a crankset that would hold a single ring (the cranks on the bike have a weird BCD for a hybrid triple). the Yellow Bike Co-op is huge and has TONS of old bike parts. I quickly learned that all the good stuff has been picked over and finding what you are looking for is like finding a needle in a hay stack. i have a new found respect for people who can successfully build interesting, functional Frankenbikes.

my first order of business was to find a stem and handlebar that might work and it turns out that upright quill stems that fit around the bends on a drop bar are extremely rare. i finally found something but it was extremely short and I have no idea if that is going to result in a fit that works for me. success: 2/10

I then started digging through the brake levers in seach of a pair of functional aero drop bar levers. most of the levers were right-side only, missing parts, or had rubber hoods that were rotting off. after about 30 minutes, I find a pair of Diacompe levers that matched! there were missing the inside cable ferrules. another ten minutes of searching allowed me to steal some ferrules that would work. the clamps were missing so I dug through a giant box of drop-bar lever clamps and tried about 20 of them. nadda. these Diacompe levers require some oddball clamp that I will probably never find. success: 0/10

a friend gave me some old LX cranks with a BB and a 44t Surly ring. Awesome! success: 10/10.

I found some 35mm wire bead hybrid tires. this was after I mostly gave up on the project. $5 each. success: 3/10.

at this point I was 99% certain this is not worth the effort. I already added up the cost of buying the stuff I need new but cheap (stem adapter, modern drop bars, levers, etc), and the project was several hundred dollars, well on the way to buying a new bike that is rust-free, has decent double-walled wheels, knobby tires, disc brakes, etc. why bother tinkering with an old hybrid that is better off as a hybrid when I could wait a little while and buy something that works 100 times better?

I am putting the bike back together with new/ old tires, new cables, and selling it for what I put into it.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

So here's my latest project. MonsterCross goodness.

Build kit so far. Lots of Japanese components.

- Soma Wolverine frame with lugged crown fork
- IRD Defiant crankset- soon to be 1x 42t NW
- Tange Seiki BB
- Power Grips Pedals/straps- yes, you read that correctly. 
- Velo Orange headset
- Soma stem and seatpost clamp
- Hadley 135mm Bolt-on rear hub with Ti hardware (my first one, totally dig it so far but haven't ridden it yet.)
- Surly Bolt-on front hub. Both laced to Stans Arch MK3 rims
- Soma Cazadero 42c rear tire, Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.1" front. Front tire may be too wide on these rims, not a lot of clearance but we'll see.
- Shimano bar end shifter. Undecided if I'm going wide range 10 speed or 11 spd? 
- On One Midge handlebars, Tektro ergo levers. Planning on doing a base layer of normal handlebar tape, with the second/top layer of Cotton bar tape from Newbaums. I have a plan, should be cool. 
- TRP Spyre calipers
- I have a GX rear derailleur that's almost new so I'll give that a go before I buy something new, or just give up the gears for SS. 
- Thomson seatpost, Ergon saddle.

Couple more weeks and I'll have it rolling. I need a chainring, I have to run cables and housing, I need a cassette, need to finish the handlebars/tape, and need one more rotor which I think I have. Looking forward to my first ride on this thing!!!


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## Erik_A (Aug 30, 2008)

*Singular Swift (drop-bar MTB)*

I few recent shots of my Singular Swift (drop-bar MTB)

1x10 with an Ultegra 5700 shifters
TRP Hy/Rd hydraulic brakes
Shimano RD-810 (Saint) rear derailleur
11-40 cassette using a Wolftooth 40t ring
Salsa Woodchipper 46cm drop bar
Phil Wood Eccentric bottom bracket (EBB) 
Steel fork is 485mm long/48mm rake 
WTB 2.3" front/ 2.25" rear


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

Erik_A said:


> I few recent shots of my Singular Swift (drop-bar MTB)
> 
> 1x10 with an Ultegra 5700 shifters
> TRP Hy/Rd hydraulic brakes
> ...


I like the way you set the bars up. Very nice bike.


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## TheKaiser (Feb 5, 2014)

mack_turtle said:


> I have two candidates. Mid-90s steel
> 
> Diamondback Ascent. 26er, so not strictly Monstercross. Needs a lot of work, tires, left crank arm. $50
> View attachment 1173465
> ...


That is funny, I have an Ascent EX with similar paint, probably 1 year newer as it has rapidfire rather than topmount shifters, sitting in the garage, and I've been contemplating a drop bar gravel conversion vs. a fixie city conversion as potential fun projects. Been looking at similar Crossroads, and Trek MultiTracks as shown a few posts up... on Craigslist and wondering if it would be better to just get a native 700c frame for gravel. Its always nice to think you have some outlandish idea, and then stumble upon simpatico peeps working on the same stuff. Your cautionary tale is a sound one, and I can easily imagine the project costs outpacing a proper purpose built gravel bike, but I have far too many parts in the junk bin to let the idea go without at least giving it a shot.


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## esXso (Sep 23, 2008)

I've wanted some monstercross for a long time and this is about the only thing available, not bad but a bit heavy. God why hast thou forsaken us?

Why are there so many anemic gravel bikes with skinny tires* or smaller wheels and all of ONE bicycle from a large company? Seriously, I am asking why. As you can see below it can be done, so why isn't it?

*which are as heavy and sometimes heavier than tubeless 2.1" Schwalbes


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

esXso said:


> I've wanted some monstercross for a long time and this is about the only thing available, not bad but a bit heavy. God why hast thou forsaken us?
> 
> Why are there so many anemic gravel bikes with skinny tires* or smaller wheels and all of ONE bicycle from a large company? Seriously, I am asking why. As you can see below it can be done, so why isn't it?
> 
> *which are as heavy and sometimes heavier than tubeless 2.1" Schwalbes


Check out the Kona Sutra LTD. I absolutely LOVE mine and have run it with 700x2.25 tires. Currently running it with 700X2.00 WTB Nine Lines and it's one of my favorite bikes. It fascinates me that so many companies have gone the 29-/B sized route. The bikes just look weird to me with such small wheels.


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## ryoanji (May 3, 2015)

Both Raleigh Stuntman and Kona Sutra LTD are billed as "off-road touring" bikes (if I am not mistaken, Stuntman chainstays are 450!). If you just need big rubber and snappy handling with drop bars, you need to resort to mtb with drop bars. 

Because of their "touring" intent, no wonder that they are so heavy. Stuntman is 28 lb in 58 size! I wonder how light can it be built up with nice carbon fork and wheels. Any guesses on weight of the frame? I am thinking 2.5kg with headset and bb installed, no? (based on Vaya's weight).


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## MrDirtHerder (Nov 1, 2017)

Go check out monster cross news on fb, find this is the only outlet for getting the scoop on new dirt drop bars, new 38-45mm wide tires on the market, and so forth. It's been up for 10 years I think I read somewhere. 

personally dig bruce gordon and soma cazaderro tires. Handlebars I like the Midge when running bar end shifters. Soma Junebug & Portola bars on everything else. Will admit the carbon Cowbell (which is very similar to the Soma bar) has me drooling though. I personally prefer cantilever brakes myself. Yeah discs are better in the wet but I can find really nice old rim brake wheels that are light for cheap anywhere. Plus I can always find pads in a pinch where not every shop has disc pads you need when you need it. 

Fun bikes. But look out, It starts with building a cross check or wolverine and then leads you to custom. Never thought I'd ever go custom fo any bike until I fell in love with a true monster cross rig. I thank the MC News fb page for inspiring such.


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## MrDirtHerder (Nov 1, 2017)

Just saw this great article on CX Magazine's fb page on monster cross that nails it to a T. special thanks to the guy behind MC news for keeping history alive!

https://www.cxmagazine.com/monster-cross-news-jon-severson-gravel-offroad-dirt-drop-bar


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## UpTheAnte (Mar 7, 2018)

*Waterford X22*

Ciao... my Waterford X22 in latest iteration
View attachment 1186694

71 going on 12...roll on... for if you stop, you may drop...


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## namaSSte (Dec 19, 2003)

thats a great looking setup!!!


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## namaSSte (Dec 19, 2003)

Still a work in progress but I wanted to build up an inexpensive ss,drop bar, mtb. Really happy with how it turned out and I LOVE riding this thing...I keep it down in Florida so i don't ride it as much as I like but its perfect on those sandy, flat, fast, tight, singlestrack trails there.

here it is in its first incarnation (pre carbon fork) & before it insisted on warmer climate.


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## autosmith (Jan 16, 2012)

Scouting the Barry Roubaix route. 









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## jmw (Feb 25, 2005)

can't believe this thread is still alive....


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## Black Squirrel (Oct 13, 2016)

esXso said:


> I've wanted some monstercross for a long time and this is about the only thing available, not bad but a bit heavy. God why hast thou forsaken us?
> 
> Why are there so many anemic gravel bikes with skinny tires* or smaller wheels and all of ONE bicycle from a large company? Seriously, I am asking why. As you can see below it can be done, so why isn't it?
> 
> *which are as heavy and sometimes heavier than tubeless 2.1" Schwalbes


I bought a Stuntman this year, have about 250 miles on it so far. Road, bike path, gravel, single track. It's by far the most versatile and fun bike that I have owned.

I bought a 52cm, because I liked the steeper seat angle. I swapped the bars, stem and post to EA70 (EA70ax bars), swapped the seat, 165mm GX eagle cranks with 38t direct mount, and went tubeless with the stock tires and wheels. Bike weighs in at exactly 25 pounds.

The 450 stays are a non issue. I used to be in the short chainstay club. Last year I had a Charge at 430mm, a spot rocker at 440mm (ish) and now this at 450mm. It doesn't make a damn bit of difference as far as I can tell.

The internal hydro routing sucks. The rear hose came 3" too long and the front is barely long enough. I left them because I am too lazy to be bothered to bleed the brakes.

I swapped out the parts I did because the seat and seat post are a complete waste. The cranks are cheap, but not bad, I run 165's so they came off day one. The bars are really narrow, I put 44's on it.


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## PiotrK (Mar 25, 2018)

*Geometry advice*

Hi everybody. I've been a silent guest here for a few weeks, time to get serious. I want to build a monster cross do-it-all drop bar 29er based on Kross Unplugged frame (Reynolds 631). It has extremely long ETT and I'm having second thoughts if it is reasonable. Please advice me, which stem would You (not) recomment. I'm 174 = 5'9" tall.

The bike originally used 5 degree 120 or 110mm stem with riser bar. I wanna go shorter with Midge Bar and 90mm, 45 degree or 60mm, 35 degree stem. Not sure if i should aim to have hoods or drops in place where the original bar was. Looking forward to Your thoughts. Thanks!









Original setup:


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## LeRag (Mar 30, 2018)

My 29" Monstercross conversion 

But not perfectly happy with the FD since the lowest gears are not perfectly smooth...


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## Jonny Fritz (Jun 1, 2018)

*trek procaliber drop bar 29er - monster cx ?*

if you dream it...you can build it.


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## N10S (Sep 27, 2004)

Upside down pic please delete.


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

MrDirtHerder said:


> Wow. New to this forum and all but seems like a lot of misconceptions about monster cross stem from this thread. Friend just told me about it because he saw mine and yeah...this thread seems to be where the myths started for sure.
> 
> So, i was there when Matt Chester (father of monstercross) was exploring dirt drops.
> ...
> ...


MrDirtHerder,

Thank you for this information. Your post is probably directed at me, in part, because I object to narrow definitions of monstercross... My goal was not to cause controversy, but simply point out the pettiness of the purists who, in my opinion, drain the fun out of building bikes based on a personal "exercise in what the bare minimum of a bike you need to ride a bit of everything efficiently" would be, to use your words. I agree 100% that monstercross is not a marketing ploy, but moreover a personal exercise in building the do-it-all bike. In fact, as the market for "gravel bikes" matures, I have yet to see a single big manufacturer use the term "monstercross" for marketing their product... those who disagree should feel free to cite examples if I missed them. [Correction: there is the Ibis Hakka MX, but I don't think they explicitly use the term "monstercross"]

I'll share my perspective, but can see from the comments in this forum that I'm not alone. I think my history with bikes gives me some credibility when I say that those who want to narrowly define bike genres are too wrapped up in their personal preferences and closed to others' experiences. I stand by my belief that bikes are better defined by how they are used than how they are built. I don't want to come off as some know-it-all. On the contrary, I am frustrated by people who purport to know all, and dictate their personal opinions and preferences as if a one-size-fits-all approach is realistic or attainable in cycling. Of course we can define things like 29er, 26er, road bike, etc., but anything "cross," outside of UCI regulations, is all relative to the individual cyclist.

I grew up in Marin lusting after the original Klunkers, then later purpose-built bikes by Joe Breeze, Steve Potts, Otis Guy, Charlie Cunningham and hanging out in Charlie Kelly and Gary Fisher's MountainBikes shop on San Anselmo Avenue (and later, the Fat Tire Trading Post at the same location). The first geared bike I took offroad was a Junior 10 with 24 x 1.25" tires, drop bars and butterfly brake levers. I've been into all types of bikes since 1978, and got my first purpose-built mountain bike in 1985. My reality today, as a 6'1", 215 lb. guy (without packs), is that a rigid (monster)cross bike with rim brakes and 44 mm tires doesn't work for me. I tried Rock n' Road tires and they're too much road and not enough rock for me. Rim brakes don't stop me, especially in the wet conditions I ride frequently, and rigid forks with sub-2" tires cause undue pain.

I respect Cunningham engineering, but Charlie and I are different people, as I suspect Matt Chester and I are very different people. I would suffer on a Cunningham, and that beautifully-engineered bike would suffer catastrophically under my weight and riding style. I don't consider a Cunningham with drop bars suitable for use as a mountain bike, but more of the missing link that led to monstercross (yes, it's a mountain bike for many, but it would not work for *me*). I'm not a road biker *AT ALL* and it seems that most cross riders come from the road world, not the MTB world, so what's "monstrous" to them is pathetically insufficiently suited to off-road use for me. That said, I've helped get many of my MTB buddies into the cross world (monster and otherwise) because it allows us to ride out of our houses and get anywhere throughout the local network of roads and trails without the use of a car.

To me, a monstercross bike needs more cush. These days, I split my time 60/40 between my 160mm travel MTB with 2.8/2.5" tires and a Mooto-X YBB with a 100mm travel fork, disc brakes, drop bars and 2" tires. I call my Moots a monstercross bike and my other one my mountain bike. I built a fully rigid monstercross bike before the Moots with skinnier tires, but it did not meet the definition of "the bare minimum of a bike you need to ride a bit of everything efficiently" *for me.* I don't think people should be upset that I call it a monstercross bike instead of a "drop bar mountain bike," because it is not a mountain bike to me. It really sucks as a mountain bike, relatively speaking, so I would never call it that. It's *my* monstercross bike.


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

goto11 said:


> MrDirtHerder,


Call it what you want but deep down inside you know it just ain't so.


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## Shortyesquire (Jun 8, 2007)

PiotrK said:


> Hi everybody. I've been a silent guest here for a few weeks, time to get serious. I want to build a monster cross do-it-all drop bar 29er based on Kross Unplugged frame (Reynolds 631). It has extremely long ETT and I'm having second thoughts if it is reasonable. Please advice me, which stem would You (not) recomment. I'm 174 = 5'9" tall.
> 
> The bike originally used 5 degree 120 or 110mm stem with riser bar. I wanna go shorter with Midge Bar and 90mm, 45 degree or 60mm, 35 degree stem. Not sure if i should aim to have hoods or drops in place where the original bar was. Looking forward to Your thoughts. Thanks!
> 
> ...


Not sure if this will help but I went a 70mm 25° stem on my Lynskey MT29 XL with a Ritchey Venturemax bar. I'm 6'3" and have a Lynskey Sportive in XL as my commuter.

I found that the 70mm 25° stem placed the bars at almost the same spot as my 100mm 0° stem on the commuter. In fact with the tighter curve and more flare, I'm able to use the drops more, which is a good thing especially on rocky descents and dirt roads.

I know the purists will heap crap on my bike because of the suspension and dropper post, but it is an absolute weapon in mtb marathon races. With carbon forks and lighter wheels it would probably carve up CX races too. It's quicker than most bikes in most places...









Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

life behind bars said:


> Call it what you want but deep down inside you know it just ain't so.


Nah. I just don't care about what *my bike* is to people who want to judge it by a picture, but have no clue how it's ridden. It isn't called a "drop bar mountain bike" by me or anyone else I ride with, nor do we use that term for Salsa Fargos or Cutthroats, even though that's what Salsa calls them. We all have real mountain bikes for when we're just riding trails, but we call our big-tired cross bikes monstercross bikes because it makes sense, based on how we ride them.

I am sorry if that bothers the people who want to believe they're more hardcore than those of us who want bikes that are comfortable, stop well and have traction offroad, but you all best get over it because a bike that spends half its time on roads isn't ever going to be a mountain bike to real mountain bikers. Monsters come in all shapes and sizes, cross means it's ridden both on and offroad, and there is no better term for a big-tired bike used for this purpose than monstercross.








My monstercross bike is rad. Bite me.


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

I went with this old Moots 29er frame because the relatively short top tube was designed when MTBs typically ran longer stems. As such, it has the same top tube length as an Ibis Hakkalugi, making it easy on the back when in the drops. This is the third monstercross bike I've built from the ground up. The first one was fully rigid with rim brakes and I hated it.

Moots Mooto-X YBB 10th Anniversary Limited Edition 2009, 19”, 22.4" top tube (eBay score!)
RockShox SID XX Solo Air 100mm 29" Straight 1-1/8 15x100mm TA, Axel to Crown 526mm
Di2 hydraulic brifters w/ XTR control unit for syncro-shift
XT Icetech brakes & 6 bolt rotors
XTR Race PD-M9000 pedals
XTR Di2 M9050 11 speed Long Cage Rear Derailleur
XTR Di2 9050 3x11 Front Derailleur
XTR FC-M9020-3 180mm cranks 40-30-22T
WTB Dirt Drop 31.8
27.2 LEV dropper post w/ bar-end remote lever
Stan's tubeless ZTR Arch wheelset w/ 2" tires
King Cage w/ Stanley "aeroflask"


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## goto11 (Jun 12, 2009)

Shortyesquire said:


> Not sure if this will help but I went a 70mm 25° stem on my Lynskey MT29 XL with a Ritchey Venturemax bar. I'm 6'3" and have a Lynskey Sportive in XL as my commuter.
> 
> I found that the 70mm 25° stem placed the bars at almost the same spot as my 100mm 0° stem on the commuter. In fact with the tighter curve and more flare, I'm able to use the drops more, which is a good thing especially on rocky descents and dirt roads.
> 
> ...


Pay no heed to the purists and fundamentalists. They are all that's wrong with this world. People need to lighten up, live and let live. Too many people want to impose their beliefs on others.

Look, I appreciate all the history here, but it's like quoting the Bible and saying your interpretation is the only interpretation. People are going to have different interpretations, and there is joy and beauty in that. Purists and fundamentalists suck the joy and beauty out of life.


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

For some of you who might equate Monstercross a bit with 'Adventure Bikes' and on of the favorite bikes in my current stable. This might be an interesting review of the Kona Sutra LTD for you. Kona Sutra LTD Review, The Last Adventure Bike - BIKEPACKING.com


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## Shortyesquire (Jun 8, 2007)

1 Speed said:


> For some of you who might equate Monstercross a bit with 'Adventure Bikes' and on of the favorite bikes in my current stable. This might be an interesting review of the Kona Sutra LTD for you. Kona Sutra LTD Review, The Last Adventure Bike - BIKEPACKING.com


I took one of the early (09 I think) Kona Sutra's with the Dedacciai tubing on the Munda Biddi trail in Western Australia with Schwalbe Marathan Mondiales.

Heavy as [email protected]#^ but also strong and reasonably compliant. Perfect bike for the trip. I sold that bike to a backpacker who was planning to ride over 5,000 kms from Perth to Sydney.

Despite the fact that the Munda Biddi is over 1000kms of off road I still thought of the Sutra as a (super) tourer.

I'm guessing with the thru axles and 73mm bb, the Sutra LTD veers more into monstercross territory. I guess the test for me is whether it would be just as happy running a 100mm fork and dropper or rigid forks and post, the Surly Krampus, my Lynskey and that Moots above obviously seem to fit that bill.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk


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## jmctav23 (Oct 16, 2010)

buff and birchy...


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## esXso (Sep 23, 2008)

*Another genuine monstercross bike for the masses*

Besides the Raleigh Stuntman we now have another steel 29er with good geometry, the Kona Sutra LTD. I've sloppily edited the photo to set it up the way I like to ride with lots of bar drop and a long stem. The Sutra geometry 54cm is roughly equivalent to the Stuntman 56cm, but it has a shorter headtube and clearance for 2.2 tires (2.0 shown in photo). Sweet! Good job, Kona.

Criticisms: Why does a "54cm" bike have a 57cm ETT and 52cm seatube? I tend to believe most bikes now have too-long top tubes, and this is especially a problem running drop bars.

What I particularly like: A shorter headtube and short fork keep the front end low.


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## shojii (May 27, 2008)

*Jamis Coda Monstercross - Converted Hybrid*

Here's mine. Now running Maxxis 700x42s, I picked this up as a flat bar hybrid. I've kept the original v-brakes adding travel agents so the TRP levers pull enough cable to enable me to stop. I got about $160 tied up in this bike...totally econo.


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## blak_byke (Jun 21, 2006)

shojii said:


> Here's mine. Now running Maxxis 700x42s, I picked this up as a flat bar hybrid. I've kept the original v-brakes adding travel agents so the TRP levers pull enough cable to enable me to stop. I got about $160 tied up in this bike...totally econo.


Nice Coda. What year is it? My Coda only allows for a 700x35 out back.


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## Black Squirrel (Oct 13, 2016)

My stuntman is still going strong. Over 1000 miles on it now. Lots of road, gravel, single track, you name it, its done it.

Ended up going back to road cranks, 170mm rivals. I have a 42t on it now, as I am riding a bit more road and gravel than mountain. Resolute 42's on carbon wheels. 22lbs right now.


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## shojii (May 27, 2008)

blak_byke said:


> Nice Coda. What year is it? My Coda only allows for a 700x35 out back.


Hi, blak_byke

It's a 2009. Same as this one: https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/searchlistingdetail.aspx?id=18270

I'm about to modify the stays so I can get a 48 in there....check this out (courtesy of MTBR member Kustomz)

https://forums.mtbr.com/attachments...nce-issues-i-got-yer-fix-right-here-drive.jpg

I've already done this mod to a Ti everti cross bike so I can run wide 650Bs. Works well.


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## blak_byke (Jun 21, 2006)

shojii said:


> Hi, blak_byke
> 
> It's a 2009. Same as this one: https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/searchlistingdetail.aspx?id=18270
> 
> ...


Cool. Mine is an 2006. I've been researching this to do to my Poprad that I just had converted to disc so I can run 650b comfortably. All the info I've found involved crimping the stays individually. Thanks for this!


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## shojii (May 27, 2008)

blak_byke said:


> Cool. Mine is an 2006. I've been researching this to do to my Poprad that I just had converted to disc so I can run 650b comfortably. All the info I've found involved crimping the stays individually. Thanks for this!


In hindsight, I should have done it like this...you can still 'try this at home' though : )

https://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/f2/framebuilders-q-diy-chainstay-crimp-8185.html


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## TheLittle (May 8, 2009)

Im from Brazil and this is my Custom Monstercross bike.

I made the head tube very short so I can build with lower stem and use it like a "gravel" bike or so. Head angle is 69 because I wanted it to behave more like a MTB than a road bike.

Steel frame - not cromoly 
BXT 480mm Tapered 15mm axle fork (can put 80mm or even 100mm susp)
Deore cranks with 38t ring (have 36 also)
Deore XT rear mech
105 STI
Sunrace 11.46 cassete
TRP Spyre brakes
Alpkit Love mud Bomber bars (similar as midge) 
70mm stem
ESI Grips + cheap tape (need to change)
ZTR Crest + novatec 791-792 hubs(not in pictures)

tires may vary. Can fit 650b up to 2.8" or 29 up to 2.5" (tested)


















































Here are some videos on my local trails











fell free to ask questions if u like it or not.


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## blak_byke (Jun 21, 2006)

Trek 750


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## hardly_stuntworthy (Sep 4, 2007)

I have been a long time fan of the Monstercross builds but after a stalled 26er build of a cannondale flash hardtail I sort of went away from the idea for a while.
I have been thinking about it on an off a bit, but just couldn't find the right frame to do it to, up until now.
So I had a 2018 New release Surly Karate Monkey which was a great MTB hardtail, which I built up with wide riser bars and some rockshox Yari forks. It was an awesome trail beast but after thinking about it and scoring another Ritchy Adventuremax dropbar handlebars the die was cast.
I had gotten some new KM forks, gevenalle shifters, TRP hybrid caliper brakes and the new shimano RX-800 rear derailluer, wolftooth roadlink and a 11 40 rear cassette. I present to you all the #fatbastardmonstercross


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## jms (Feb 4, 2006)

hardly_stuntworthy said:


> I have been a long time fan of the Monstercross builds but after a stalled 26er build of a cannondale flash hardtail I sort of went away from the idea for a while.
> I have been thinking about it on an off a bit, but just couldn't find the right frame to do it to, up until now.
> So I had a 2018 New release Surly Karate Monkey which was a great MTB hardtail, which I built up with wide riser bars and some rockshox Yari forks. It was an awesome trail beast but after thinking about it and scoring another Ritchy Adventuremax dropbar handlebars the die was cast.
> I had gotten some new KM forks, gevenalle shifters, TRP hybrid caliper brakes and the new shimano RX-800 rear derailluer, wolftooth roadlink and a 11 40 rear cassette. I present to you all the #fatbastardmonstercross


Nice! That build is Monstercross with a capital "M". What do you think it does best?


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## hardly_stuntworthy (Sep 4, 2007)

thanks dude, every thing these tyres are awesome on the road and as good on the trails it is the best of both worlds. I was a little apprehensive at first but with the 60mm x 30 degree rise stem and straight seatpost the riding feel is great, the 460mm wide bars feel good and help with steering quickly through the trails and single track.

I have a brothers cycles Big Bro on the build as a 29er monstercross with Funn 500mm wide bars and 2.25 tyres to compare it with the 27.5+ bike.

Cheers


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## Crash_FLMB (Jan 21, 2004)

Just finished mine tonight. Tooling around the block, it feels great. Can't wait to put some miles on her this weekend. Mostly built with spare parts.

2007 Vassago Jabberwocky
Surly ECR fork
Old-school Race Face Turbine 1x9 setup
Stan's Arch rims on Formula hubs
Soma Gator bars (I like flair)
Modified Sram MTB shifter

I rode it with Origin8 Batwing bars for a year before deciding on drops.









Sent from my LM-G710VM using Tapatalk


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## Johnny Rhubarb (Jun 3, 2016)

*Black Mountain Cycles*


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## ryencool (Apr 20, 2012)

Does this count? 2015 jamis bosanova commuter bike converted to a steel monster. Stock rear rack and fenders removed to fit fatter tires.

700x38c Nile Blue gravelkings Sks
Jamis carbon fork
Carbon seat post
Carbon saddle
TrP cable actuated hydraulic brakes
Raceface mtb pedals
Supacaz bling kush tape


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## Fett (Jan 6, 2004)

I just listed my Kona Sutra Frameset in the Classified, if anyone is looking for a great frame to do a monster cross build on. It is nearly new, bought the wrong size.

https://classifieds.mtbr.com/showpr...485&title=kona-sutra-29er-monster-cross&cat=7


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## corwin1968 (Oct 8, 2011)

I know the OP referred to <2.0 tires and drop bars but I'll go ahead and post up my Rivendell Hunqapillar.

It currrently sports 50mm tires because that's what I had on hand when I got the frameset, but the bike would be awesome with 43-45 mm gravel tires.

Also, I think the Jones bar is a worthy replacement for drop bars, for many people riding monstercross style. This is the 2.5 rise (63.5 mm) version of the loop H-Bar and the bike now sports the regular (12.7mm) rise bend H-Bar.


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## Fett (Jan 6, 2004)

Here is my new Monstercross build. I was happy with how it turned out. I had the frame custom made by the EBay seller EasyTi. It only cost $650 and was well done. The welds looked nice. The only fault that I can find is that the water bottle touch because they put the mount a bit too low on the down tube.


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## brocolhead (May 23, 2018)

corwin1968 said:


> I know the OP referred to <2.0 tires and drop bars but I'll go ahead and post up my Rivendell Hunqapillar.
> 
> It currrently sports 50mm tires because that's what I had on hand when I got the frameset, but the bike would be awesome with 43-45 mm gravel tires.
> 
> ...


Hi. 
Is it 54 size and can you tell what is your height please?


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## VegasSingleSpeed (May 5, 2005)

Fett said:


> The only fault that I can find is that the water bottle touch because they put the mount a bit too low on the down tube.


Topeak Ninja Cages allow a wide range of adjustability at the mount...


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## caemis (Dec 12, 2015)

Rock Lobster Monstercross - I call it "Mobster" and absolutely love it. In a matter of days riding the mobster, it became my favorite bike


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## Jumbotron (Oct 25, 2018)

My humble contribution. Two rides in and having a blast, though I need to tweak the shifting and brakes, and find a better way to carry a tube and pump.


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## pade (May 20, 2007)

Looking for some new frame options/guidance. 
I've been running my Private Jake for a year now which has been great, but I'm starting to get the itch to switch to something different. 
Visually I'd like something similar to this crosscheck:








I love the simple look of the straight tubes, no beer can/tapered headtube. I need something with discs, so the obvious idea would be to look at the Straggler, but I'm interested in hearing what other frames are out there, short of going custom.

Would love to run a 2.0 tire, doesn't have to be a straight steer (but as I mentioned I love the simple look) a level toptube would be nice, and full length cable housing would be a huge bonus.

Here's my current setup on the PJ, sorry about the quality:







The Ramblers clear everywhere just fine, but given theres only a few mm of clearance left I don't want to go any bigger on this frame. They do measure to 40mm on the Crest rims if anyone cares.

Thanks in advance.


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## Redlands R&C (Dec 14, 2013)

Soma wolverine checks that box. I ran 29x1.95's on mine.


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## knutso (Oct 8, 2008)

Not sure if this qualifies, but I just had a blast in my first 90 minutes out! 2013 DB Mason on a 425mm exotic fork.


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## dutchy1971 (Dec 2, 2018)

Can a total newby ask a quick question please ? (if this is not the correct thread,do throw it in the right place,by all means..)

Recently I tried building up my own 'monstercross' bike.Read as much as I could about it, bought a decent steel trek multitrack frame but..the WHEELS ?? The more I read about wheelsizes,ertra,inside diameter, 28inch,700c..I cannot seem to get my head around what kind of wheels to choose for this very modest diy-project ..

I've even read that 'tandemwheels' are the way to go ??

Could anyone point me in the direction of what sort of wheels I'm looking for when I'm trying to put min.38mm on a 700c wheel? 

Any help would be much appreciated !!

(and now I'm off again to absolutely drool over the examples you guys have allready posted here.. it's a real treat to watch so much monstercross-bikes in one place-Thanks for sharing !)


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## 4Crawler (Oct 30, 2011)

I run Stans ArchEX rims, 21mm inner / 25mm outer width and 700C x 40 tires on mine:
- https://www.4crawler.com/Photos/104_pana/CX700/16.html


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## dutchy1971 (Dec 2, 2018)

Thank you very much for that info. That's what i was looking for exactly. By the way ,your CX is a beauty !!


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## caemis (Dec 12, 2015)

Does your Trek @dutchy1971 has rim brake mounts? You can not use Stans etc. with rim brakes!


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## dutchy1971 (Dec 2, 2018)

Ah! I didn't realise that,thanks for mentioning. The frame is currently completely stripped so everything is still possible (even discs) but..as it's a secondhand bike,and my first attempt of building this particular mx-bike, I'd like to keep costs as low as I can,while still fun to ride .

Allready looking at a pair of mavic 29 fts x wheels , fairly cheap and they're the same 'type' of wheel i think ??

thanks for the info-appreciate it .


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## Redlands R&C (Dec 14, 2013)

Stan's does (or did anyway) make a tubeless compatible rim brake rim, I think it was the Alpha ZTR. That was a great rim.
As for rim width with your tire size preference, don't worry about this too much especially as you said, it is your first attempt. On a 35/38 size tire, I personally wouldn't think twice about running them on old school narrow 16mm IW rims or a newer 28mm IW rim. They will all be fine and you'll have fun!


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## dutchy1971 (Dec 2, 2018)

Jason Rides Bikes said:


> Stan's does (or did anyway) make a tubeless compatible rim brake rim, I think it was the Alpha ZTR. That was a great rim.
> As for rim width with your tire size preference, don't worry about this too much especially as you said, it is your first attempt. On a 35/38 size tire, I personally wouldn't think twice about running them on old school narrow 16mm IW rims or a newer 28mm IW rim. They will all be fine and you'll have fun!


 Serious ?? And here I am worrying my *ss off about 'too wide vs too narrow, wheelsize-charts from several companies etc.etc. ' Nightmares about exploding tires or crashing because of sliding tires..

I did not know that a 38 would fit on a 'regular size- rim'- I even have those lying around !? This would save me 100's of euro's..

I've got a rigida front- and a good mavic wheel for the back, just hanging on the wall overhere.

(*currently running to the shed and starting-tinkering-mode ON)

eh..Thank you ever so much for helping a newby out !!


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## Redlands R&C (Dec 14, 2013)

Waaay back in the day, people paid way less attention to rim width.
I had a Soma Wolverine once, and I ran it with 29x1.8" Specialized FastTrak's. The beauty of it was that I built the wheels with some N.O.S. Mavic MA40 rims which were super narrow. Had to watch my pressure a little bit more than I would have if they were on wider rims, but they held the tire just fine.

Use what you have for starters, enjoy riding the bike, and learn the nuances of the bike and components first. Then down the road you can start fiddling with other things!
Enjoy


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## Crash_FLMB (Jan 21, 2004)

4Crawler said:


> I run Stans ArchEX rims, 21mm inner / 25mm outer width and 700C x 40 tires on mine:
> - https://www.4crawler.com/Photos/104_pana/CX700/16.html


I'm running some Hutchinson 38mm tires on those same rums. So far so good.

Sent from my LM-G710VM using Tapatalk


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## dutchy1971 (Dec 2, 2018)

Jason Rides Bikes said:


> Waaay back in the day, people paid way less attention to rim width.
> I had a Soma Wolverine once, and I ran it with 29x1.8" Specialized FastTrak's. The beauty of it was that I built the wheels with some N.O.S. Mavic MA40 rims which were super narrow. Had to watch my pressure a little bit more than I would have if they were on wider rims, but they held the tire just fine.
> 
> Use what you have for starters, enjoy riding the bike, and learn the nuances of the bike and components first. Then down the road you can start fiddling with other things!
> Enjoy


THIS here, guys, is info that I could not find anywhere else..Not any shops overhere, (understandably so cause they're into selling m o r e new stuff..) nor any riders that are only using the newest, most expensive material there is.

So thank you a LOT for all the input - much appreciated !


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## Jumbotron (Oct 25, 2018)

I've been getting into serious hi-jinks with this thing. So much fun: it's a bike that can handle everything I have the courage and skills to ride.


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## dutchy1971 (Dec 2, 2018)

Jason Rides Bikes said:


> Waaay back in the day, people paid way less attention to rim width.
> I had a Soma Wolverine once, and I ran it with 29x1.8" Specialized FastTrak's. The beauty of it was that I built the wheels with some N.O.S. Mavic MA40 rims which were super narrow. Had to watch my pressure a little bit more than I would have if they were on wider rims, but they held the tire just fine.
> 
> Use what you have for starters, enjoy riding the bike, and learn the nuances of the bike and components first. Then down the road you can start fiddling with other things!
> Enjoy


Thanks again for the info (and encouraging words..) I've found that on my 19mm rims the best i could do was fit a pair of 'gravely-tires' on them, 35mm wide. So those are going to be my gravel-wheels.

Am going to buy a pair of mtb-wheels tonight (hopefully, as they're second hand and I'll have to see if they're any good still) On those I want to try putting on something significanly wider (38, 40..who knows ?)

My old hybrid frame has got lots of clearance for wide(r) tires, so..fingers crossed.

This build has been a lot of fun allready.

Thanks guys !


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## jmctav23 (Oct 16, 2010)

still rollin and lovin the fisticuff


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## caemis (Dec 12, 2015)

jmctav23 said:


> still rollin and lovin the fisticuff
> 
> View attachment 1262799


Nice shot! Lovin the colors ...


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## pade (May 20, 2007)

Asked earlier about a frame, but still riding my Private Jake. This thing rips. Really like where I've got it, just need to get some SPDs going. The ramblers are great, and also do a great job of throwing pebbles in my face and helmet lol.


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## chrisbshralp (Mar 23, 2018)

TheLittle said:


> Im from Brazil and this is my Custom Monstercross bike.
> 
> I made the head tube very short so I can build with lower stem and use it like a "gravel" bike or so. Head angle is 69 because I wanted it to behave more like a MTB than a road bike.
> 
> ...


Whoa, I was just looking at these before. Nice!

Local trails look cool, too. Good riding community / local shop around you?


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

chrisbshralp said:


> Whoa, I was just looking at these before. Nice!
> 
> Local trails look cool, too. Good riding community / local shop around you?


Very cool! Congrats.... looks like a really fun bike.


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## TheLittle (May 8, 2009)

chrisbshralp said:


> Whoa, I was just looking at these before. Nice!
> 
> Local trails look cool, too. Good riding community / local shop around you?


Thanks bro!

I gave up this bike because I dont really like riding asphalt, and theres almost no dirt roads near here. This trails are awesome indeed, but too much for a rigid bike, some even for a xc bike. 
The Trail/Enduro people mantain a good trail network, some XC guys donates money for maintenance and uses it too, gravel/road/monstercross people doesnt care (monstercross barely exists here).

https://www.trailforks.com/region/p...vitytype=1&z=10.2&lat=-23.02855&lon=-43.49792

Thats why I gave up this "niche" and sold the bike. Now an enduro hardtail took the place of it. Was fun while I had it, served good to improve my trail skills, but to ride it often on trails is too much suffering and for a mtb guy riding asphalt is too boring.

If u are coming to Brazil, keep in touch and we can arrange some rides here in Rio.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Whoa, I didn't know this thread was still active. Did monstercross beget gravel bikes?


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## VegasSingleSpeed (May 5, 2005)

Nat said:


> Whoa, I didn't know this thread was still active. Did monstercross beget gravel bikes?


Gravel bikes are the juvenile stage along the development towards an adult monstercross. Don't step on them.


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## caemis (Dec 12, 2015)

VegasSingleSpeed said:


> Gravel bikes are the juvenile stage along the development towards an adult monstercross.


Thanks for that! You made my day


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## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

Here's my Monster:


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## ciquta (Nov 26, 2015)




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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

I already have a Soma Wolverine v2 & really like it. However, I am wishing to go even bigger 29 tires, thinking 2.4. Anyone here make the switch from a Wolverine to larger tire 29er Monstercross? Did you miss anything switching?


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

I always wondered what this thread was about, seems like a menagerie of touring bikes, gravel bikes, and cross bikes.

I rode a 1992 Bianchi Project 3 across the US and up and down both coasts, then later upgraded to a Project 7 with an early RS suspension fork. Best off road tires back then were the 2.1” Smokes.

Fun bikes, but down bars are not ideal for technical riding, these days I’d take an FS short travel gravel burner with mustache bars.


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## amer_ua (Nov 10, 2009)

do it counts like a monstercross?


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

For anyone interested I was told my Bombtrack the Beyond+ and Beyond+ ADV can be run as drop bar bikes. The Beyond+ can do 27.5+ or 29x2.4, while the ADV is a 29+ bike. The ADV has a slightly longer top tube. The regular Beyond plus is a drop bar bike and I think maxs out at 29x2.1?


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## claystrick (Nov 13, 2008)

amer_ua said:


> do it counts like a monstercross?
> 
> View attachment 1302523


Nice!!! Did you use road hydro brakes or cables?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## VegasSingleSpeed (May 5, 2005)

More stupidity.


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Is that a rockshox rs fork?


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## Redlands R&C (Dec 14, 2013)

VegasSingleSpeed said:


> More stupidity.
> View attachment 1305947


This is ridiculous.
Ridiculously amazing and I bet it is a hoot to ride!
What stem is that?


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## VegasSingleSpeed (May 5, 2005)

Funoutside said:


> Is that a rockshox rs fork?


Yes.



Redlands R&C said:


> What stem is that?


On/Off Stoic 20mm stem.


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Does that stem offer something different/interesting like the look suggests? 

What does the montercross community think of the Lauf TR fork?


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## VegasSingleSpeed (May 5, 2005)

Funoutside said:


> Does that stem offer something different/interesting like the look suggests?


Less reach and more rise.


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Good to know.


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## RevolioClockberg (Jan 20, 2020)

*650B monstercross build*

Hello everyone, I want to show you my build. The pictures are not that good, sorry for that, I hope I'll find time to make better ones.







The frame is from aliexpress, it was branded as BXT 27.5 mtb frame. It is some kind of generic frame, I doubt BXT are doing any manufaturing themselves. Those guys are just buying stuff in bulk and branding it as their own. I don't have problem with that, fine with me. Does anyone recognize this frame? It would be just great to know the real manufacturer.

Anyway back to the bike. I'm using 11 speed Shimano ST-RS685 Shifters and BR-RS785 brakes - those are the cheapest hydraulic disc brakes for road I was able to find. A little bit heavy but performance wise they are flawless. I have two wheelsets. One is carbon and the other one is alloy. The complete bike with alloy wheelset cost me around 1200$. The weight is 8850g without pedals. Pretty satisfied with the build. Done about 2500km as of now.

You can check this youtube video I made about this bike, if you interested in more details:





Right now I'm using Shimano GRX RD812 rear derailleur. Bought it a month ago, before that I was using SLX mtb rear derailleur with an adapter. FYI you need an adapter to pair road shifters and mtb derailleur.

About this adapter - it is 3D printed out of PLA plastic. Anyone can download the files and print it, you can find it on thingiverse. Not sure if anyone would need it now when GRX group is out there, but who knows: 
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4092228


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Wolftooth makes tan pan adapter for Shimano & cost like $4 to buy. Related note, Gevenalle also has drop bar brakes(for single speed) & brake with shifters(not brifters) that work with mtb brakes. The shifters can work either in index or friction mode so it can work with mtb rear derailleurs in both 1x & 2x configs.


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## RevolioClockberg (Jan 20, 2020)

Funoutside said:


> Wolftooth makes tan pan adapter for Shimano & cost like $4 to buy.


Yeah, there is wolftooth tanpan and don't forget about shiftmate from jtek. They are both made of metal - witch is good for reliability. Great products, was pretty useful at the time.

But the cost is actually about 45$ for either one. It is kind of pricy.

The only reason I've mentioned the adapter I was using previously is to make people aware that it exists. At the end of a day the more options is always better. The main benefit of 3D printed adapter is that it is so very cheap to make. I think it is an option for someone who wants to try drop bars on their current mtb with as little investment as possible to see how this monstercross thing works out for them.


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Ooops, misread the price. Yeah, $45 is pricey. Maybe there is a generic one on Alibaba? The 3D printed one is a great idea, but only downside would be not everyone has access to a 3D printer or the materials. By chance do you have the file to share for this? I'm thinking about going Shimano setup & tan pan route, but would like to run mtb brakes. I know tan pan isn't for getting road levers to work with mtb brakes, but is there something else for that? If not the Gevenalle drop bar levers come in a variant that works with mtb brakes.


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## Yeah right (Jun 1, 2019)

First, damn the full screen ad that wiped out my earlier reply.


RevolioClockberg said:


> Right now I'm using Shimano GRX RD812 rear derailleur. Bought it a month ago, before that I was using SLX mtb rear derailleur with an adapter. FYI you need an adapter to pair road shifters and mtb derailleur.
> 
> About this adapter - it is 3D printed out of PLA plastic. Anyone can download the files and print it, you can find it on thingiverse. Not sure if anyone would need it now when GRX group is out there, but who knows:
> https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4092228


Nice :thumbsup:

But why didn't you release the model sooner than half a month ago? 



Funoutside said:


> By chance do you have the file to share for this? I'm thinking about going Shimano setup & tan pan route, but would like to run mtb brakes. I know tan pan isn't for getting road levers to work with mtb brakes, but is there something else for that? If not the Gevenalle drop bar levers come in a variant that works with mtb brakes.


Are you trying to get road hydraulic working with mountain hydraulic brakes? Then for Shimano, they're supposed to be directly interchangeable.

If you want cable brake pull conversion, then you really do not want to use anything 3D printed out of plastic. Heck, no one's making metal pull adapters anymore either. Best to go with road pull cable calipers or the Gevenalle levers. Gevenalle is probably cheaper than buying Shimano brifters.


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Gevenalle for single speed is $35 for the brake levers. For 2x it's like $200, which seems fair Or the cheaper option go 1x with with SS brake levers paired with microshift bar end shifter, which is like $52.


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

How does wiring for bar-end shifter work? Would I need a specific drop bar that has routing for bar end or would any of them work?


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## N10S (Sep 27, 2004)

Funoutside said:


> How does wiring for bar-end shifter work? Would I need a specific drop bar that has routing for bar end or would any of them work?


No special bar is required and the cable routing runs on the bottom side of the shifter and the cable/housing are initially taped with the bar and then it exits out of the tape before the rise at the drop. Early Gary bars were too small in circumference to accept standard bar end shifters but every other bar including the newer generation Gary bars are compatible. I have bar ends on my Bianchi Axis and will get a shot of the cable routing tonight and add that for reference.


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Thank you.


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Another question was told today the bike I ordered has sram Level TL hydro brakes. Would hydro road/gravel leavers work with that? If it can would I need something specific to make it work?


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## VegasSingleSpeed (May 5, 2005)

Funoutside said:


> Another question was told today the bike I ordered has sram Level TL hydro brakes. Would hydro road/gravel leavers work with that? If it can would I need something specific to make it work?


IIRC, only the eTap/AXS calipers have 21mm pistons, like the Level calipers do. The standard Red/Force/CX1/Apex calipers have 18mm or 19mm (CX1) pistons, so those levers are likely not able to move enough fluid to actuate the larger 21mm pistons of the Level calipers.

Just find a complete hydro brifter/brakeset on eBay...the SRAM sets with post-mount calipers are usually in lesser demand (and cheaper) than the flat-mount sets that are popular with road and gravel.


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Thank you for your reply. I will have to look into it. The LBS I ordered the bike from suggested if I was to go that route I go mechanical mtb brakes.


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## VegasSingleSpeed (May 5, 2005)

I've picked up good, used sets of SRAM Red and Force brifter/calipers for about $300/set on eBay. The ergonomics of the brifters were the motivating factor, but the performance of the hydraulic brakes are considerably better than cable (Spyres) or cable-hydro (Yokozuna). YMMV.


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Thank you for your reply.


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## amer_ua (Nov 10, 2009)

its cables

cheap levers and calipers from ali

braking perfomance is really poor compared to mtb hydro brakes

but this bike had do be

cheap (i invested 60 usd)
low maintance period and costs (thats why there are no dropper and hydrobrakes)

but bike is still running tubeless

and its quite fast

love it


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## WMBigs (Jul 11, 2009)

Hi all, I have a 1st generation Karate Monkey with BB7 brakes set up 1x10 with Shimano shifter and derailleur. Want to put a Cowbell or Cowchipper bar on it. I know there is a drop bike BB7 available. What happens if I use the mtn bike BB7 with drop bar brake handles??
Any way to put a shifter on the top part of the bar. Want to keep index shifting. Don't want the brifter type, but do want shifter close at hand while on drops. Will be riding mostly dirt/gravel roads on the front range of Montana. Some single track as well.


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

[SUB] [/SUB]It would be the wrong brake pull, unless you have a tan pan or the Gevenalle drop bar shifters in a mtb pull variant. There is the single speed model or models with 1x & 2x indexed shifters.


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## bugly64 (May 6, 2008)

Down by the river...


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Digging the rim color!


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## Zerort (Jan 21, 2013)

So after running this for awhile on my local XC trails







I was noticing that my times for the 14 mile loop were pretty decent. The only thing holding me back were there small steps and roots that slowed me down due to the rigid front end.

So I decided to see just how fast an XC hardtail is with dropper bars and built this. First ride this weekend as I am waiting for a front brake caliper.


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## Taroroot (Nov 6, 2013)

*Chris Cross*

Here's mine:








Fat Chance Chris Cross with Di2 GRX grouppo, XT front caliper, Ultegra rear. 42cm Cowchipper carbon bars, want to go wider, Easton SL90 stem. KS Lev dropper, Fabric carbon saddle. This setup is relatively cheap Mavic Allroad 650b wheelset with 27.5x2.1 Ground Controls, barely fits, a little chainstay rub. Road config is 700c Astral Wanderlusts on White Industries hubs.
It's pretty amusing the incredilous comments you get as you roll out the exit of a black DH trail.


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## jms (Feb 4, 2006)

IIRC The "pull" is different on the road and mountain BB7 brake calipers


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

A few years ago now.
Currently running a 42t oval ring, 26" Toseek carbon fork, Ramblers, Kona Rove bars and a Giant Contact dropper.


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## shojii (May 27, 2008)

Mine, a homebrewed Vivente world randonneur set up as a 1x 9 monstercrosser/do anything bike. It's somehow made my other bikes redundant...


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## Redlands R&C (Dec 14, 2013)

VegasSingleSpeed said:


> More stupidity.
> View attachment 1305947


This is inspiring me to do something stupid as well. Now, where is that bottom bracket I ordered...


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

I love how the fork just scrapes over the top of the tire!



shojii said:


> View attachment 1911684
> 
> Mine, a homebrewed Vivente world randonneur set up as a 1x 9 monstercrosser/do anything bike. It's somehow made my other bikes redundant...


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## Redlands R&C (Dec 14, 2013)

Here is my newly built, parts-bin spec, dinglespeed monstercross


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## Chippertheripper (Sep 10, 2014)




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## bad_kharma (Jan 14, 2016)

Chippertheripper said:


> View attachment 1917397


Gorgeous!!!

Sent from my JSN-L21 using Tapatalk


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## Bikesbikesbikes (Apr 4, 2021)

Cool temps and clear sky's in Oregon today.


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Any suggestion on a drop bar xc bike(preferably steel or carbon)?


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Swap to the 440mm chip to put on some 2020 Thunder Burts in 29x2.1 size. Only been able to test it in grass & road, but so far it feels similar to the 43mm GravelKing SK+.


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## bad_kharma (Jan 14, 2016)

Does this qualify as a monstercross?
Sunn 1995

Sent from my JSN-L21 using Tapatalk


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

bad_kharma said:


> Does this qualify as a monstercross?
> Sunn 1995


If it had drop bars, yes.


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## DarKris (Sep 11, 2016)

Been running this for a few months now and it absolutely shreds. Having my LBS install an angleset to make it even better for trail riding


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## DarKris (Sep 11, 2016)

Angled headset installed 😀


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## Tichytpf (May 24, 2021)

Does this one qualify? Trek Checkpoint ALR4 running 29x2.1" rocket rons (liteskin). I love a gravel bike with fast mtb xc race tires, but I definitely want to keep a high and tightly spaced gearing and the narrow q factor of a road/gravel bike. With a bit of a tear in my eye I just sold this one, hoping that the replacement Grizl will be better in terms of properly fitting the 2.1"s with a bit more margin, a bit comfier and a bit lighter.


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

This thread reminded me of something. 1984. I was 14 and worked at a motocross track. Corona Raceway as a flagger. My friend and I were pressed into service to work the Superbowl of Motocross at the LA Colosseum. During the main event intermission and the Dash for Cash, there was a mountain bike race on the track. I was already riding bikes off road but didn't know mountain biking was a thing. Hooked instantly.

We were suppposed to hit the Miller High Life lights when the race leader passed but they didn't work, so with infield and pit passes we ran amok. Jeff Ward held off Johnny O'Mara long enough to win the main and Broc Glover won the Dash for Cash wearing pink leathers.


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## Josh Patterson (Nov 23, 2005)

Moots latest gravel bike, the Routt ESC deserves a mention: Moots Launches Routt ESC Titanium Adventure Bike


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## SlipperyToad (Aug 18, 2010)

I need some help... I have a 2017 Transition Vanquish frame sitting in a box in my basement. I had it built up as my trail hardtail, but I didn't ride it much, so I stripped the parts and built up a new mountain bike for my wife. I can't get the idea of building it up as a monster cross out of my head, but I'm sort of stuck on how to get the front end where I would want it. It's built around a 530 AC fork... I actually ran it with 540 and still used a 25mm riser bar to get things where I wanted them. If I take on this project, I'd want to go rigid, but it's looking like the Whisky No. 9 fork at 500mm axle to crown is about as suspension corrected as they get. It's also nearly the cost of a suspension fork. I'd also like to avoid adding a lower cup, stack of spacers, or super rise stem to get the bars higher, but realistically I'm starting to think some combination of those things is going to be necessary. Anyone have ideas, I particularly interested in a rigid fork with AC measurement over 500mm?


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## rockychrysler (Aug 9, 2003)

Second shakedown ride today on my cobbled together 69er mullet frankenbike. Started life as a 2004 Stumpy pro, now a solid entry in the monstercross category for certain.


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## Josh Patterson (Nov 23, 2005)

SlipperyToad said:


> I need some help... I have a 2017 Transition Vanquish frame sitting in a box in my basement. I had it built up as my trail hardtail, but I didn't ride it much, so I stripped the parts and built up a new mountain bike for my wife. I can't get the idea of building it up as a monster cross out of my head, but I'm sort of stuck on how to get the front end where I would want it. It's built around a 530 AC fork... I actually ran it with 540 and still used a 25mm riser bar to get things where I wanted them. If I take on this project, I'd want to go rigid, but it's looking like the Whisky No. 9 fork at 500mm axle to crown is about as suspension corrected as they get. It's also nearly the cost of a suspension fork. I'd also like to avoid adding a lower cup, stack of spacers, or super rise stem to get the bars higher, but realistically I'm starting to think some combination of those things is going to be necessary. Anyone have ideas, I particularly interested in a rigid fork with AC measurement over 500mm?


Your options are limited in carbon if you need a fork over 500mm. If you go with a steel fork from a custom builder, you can get the exact A2C you want. Depending on the builder, it might even be more affordable. You can always test the monstercross waters with a suspension fork if you have one handy. 

Please share photos if you decide to build it up.


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## DarKris (Sep 11, 2016)

Is it Monstercross? Is it Downcountry? Downgravel? Idk but it’s fun 😬


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## ranier (Sep 9, 2003)

My '98 Bro Eddy, Igleheart fork, 1x10 drive train.


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## jannmayer (10 mo ago)

My Carbonda CFR707 gravel bike probably qualifies as monstercross with the current setup. Maxxis Rambler 700x50 tires measure 2.0 on these rims. I'm running a Shimano GRX drivetrain with 46/30 chainrings and 11-46 cassette, so it can make it up just about anything. I've only had it on a few short rides so far, but it's a more fun on the easy trails than my hardtail. (As a long-time road biker, drop bars on dirt still feel a little bit naughty!) The comfort isn't bad with a long carbon seatpost and a Redshift Shockstop stem.

I like how the large tires and oversize bar (46 cm with 24 deg flare) balance the tall headtube and make it look a little bit better proportioned than most bikes in my size.

I will be building up a second wheelset with narrower semi-slick tires that will be better for mixed rides, but I love having the large knobbies as well.


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## Chris Pringle (Oct 28, 2003)

My multipurpose bike in gravel mode doing the San Juan huts MTB trail…



















And this pic in its more common randonneur mode…


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## Monsieur Paul (3 mo ago)

I built up and have been loving this MB5 Monstercross running on Gravel king 2.1's. Perfect for forest service roads in the Kootenay region of BC, which are often too chunky for road-style gravel bikes. Bought the bike for $40CDN in the spring, and have put about $275 (tires, used bar & stem, shifters, TRP brake levers) into it since then. A surprisingly fast rig on road and trail alike!


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