Bike time

[ChrisEdu]

Finally, it looks like I'm about to get my dream bike, an Ellsworth Epiphany with full XT groupset, carbon bar, tubless tyres, Olympic rims, Chris King headset etc... Thinking I'll go for one in Smoke Anodized finish. Spec should be something like this:

Frame Ellsworth Epiphany (Float R Shock)
Fork Rockshox Pike Air U-Turn 110-140mm or
Fox Talas RLC
Headset Chris King
Bar Easton Monkeylite
Stem Thomson Elite
Grips Specialized Sidewinder
Seatpost Thomson Elite
Saddle SDG Bel Air RL
Chainset Shimano XT Hollowtech 2
Front Mech Shimano XT
Rear Mech Shimano XT
Cassette Sram PG990
Chain Sram PC971
Shifters Shimano XT
Front Brake Avid Elixir / 185mm
Rear Brake Avid Elixir / 160mm
Front Wheel Hope Pro2 / ZTR Olympic / DT Comp
Rear Wheel Hope Pro2 / ZTR Olympic / DT Comp
Tyres Maxxis Hi-Roller 2.35"
Tubes Stans Tubeless System
Quick Releases Hope Pair
Seat Clamp Salsa QR

As I'm looking to take a year, or two, out of work, I should have time to enjoy it! :)

Links:
http://www.ellsworthbikes.com/
http://www.freeborn.co.uk/shop/frames/full-suspension/67-ellsworth-epiphany-frame

[harb]

Sounds/looks v. cool.

I haven't had a bike since I was about 12.

[ChrisEdu]

I can confirm, it is happening. I've just got off the phone having placed the order. They should start the build in the next day or so and have the bike finished by the middle of next week. I haven't told my wife the exact cost - she'd kill me! :)

[VetteRacer]

Nice build up... If it were me I would upgrade the rear D to XTR though, the whole groupset usually isnt work it, but the rear D seems to be (atleast used to years ago when I last built a bike). The accuracy and feel of the XTR over XT was worth the few extra $'s. All my bikes have XTR rear Ds on them...
Thats my 2 cents on it... Of course its not my $ on it... It will be a kick ass enjoyable bike either way of course!
Matt

[FJyota]

Finally, it looks like I'm about to get my dream bike, an Ellsworth Epiphany with full XT groupset, carbon bar, tubless tyres, Olympic rims, Chris King headset etc... Thinking I'll go for one in Smoke Anodized finish. Spec should be something like this:

Frame Ellsworth Epiphany (Float R Shock)
Fork Rockshox Pike Air U-Turn 110-140mm or
Fox Talas RLC
Headset Chris King
Bar Easton Monkeylite
Stem Thomson Elite
Grips Specialized Sidewinder
Seatpost Thomson Elite
Saddle SDG Bel Air RL
Chainset Shimano XT Hollowtech 2
Front Mech Shimano XT
Rear Mech Shimano XT
Cassette Sram PG990
Chain Sram PC971
Shifters Shimano XT
Front Brake Avid Elixir / 185mm
Rear Brake Avid Elixir / 160mm
Front Wheel Hope Pro2 / ZTR Olympic / DT Comp
Rear Wheel Hope Pro2 / ZTR Olympic / DT Comp
Tyres Maxxis Hi-Roller 2.35"
Tubes Stans Tubeless System
Quick Releases Hope Pair
Seat Clamp Salsa QR

As I'm looking to take a year, or two, out of work, I should have time to enjoy it! :)

Links:
http://www.ellsworthbikes.com/
http://www.freeborn.co.uk/shop/frames/full-suspension/67-ellsworth-epiphany-frame


Nice rig! I ride mtb quite a bit, mainly aggressive (read fast) XC. Here's my current bike:

I upgraded, too. The bike is a Rocky Mountain Element with Chris King headset and disc hubs, XTR rear der., and XTR metallic pads. What a difference metallic makes. The brakes handle just like a car's. Much better than the organic pads.

I switched to Kenda Navegal DTC 2.1 tires. Holy smokes!:eek: Handling just improved to out of this world. I can't get enough of the bike. I'll be on it tomorrow afternoon, along with Saturday and Sunday. Bar none! It's the best mtb I've ever owned!

[ChrisEdu]

Nice - I've seen some Rocky Mountain bikes before and thought they looked nice; in fact, I think it was one just like yours that I saw.

I'm currently umming and ahhing over whether to switch to XTR mech front and rear along with possibly XTR shifters. What do you think folks? Is it really worth the extra money?

[FJyota]

Nice -
I'm currently umming and ahhing over whether to switch to XTR mech front and rear along with possibly XTR shifters. What do you think folks? Is it really worth the extra money?


I upped to the XTR rear and have done on every bike, however, if you ride in really muddy conditions XT handles the mud better. If you're free riding and banging many rocks, XT is better 'cause it's cheaper to replace.:D

The XTR rear d is lighter, crisper, faster shifting and more precise. I use an XT upfront and have never thought of XTR. You really don't shift too often on the front rings.

I have the XT shifters and haven't tried the XTR. The advantage of XTR is lighter, faster, etc. and you can move the shifter inboard/outboard of your brake. It's not important to me so I ride with the XT.

One thing I have noticed over time and product generations is the continual improvement of quality and feel. As an example, a brand new XT rear d is light years better than a 5 yo XTR. It really does pay to keep up with the times instead of staying "old school."

Hope this helps.

[ChrisEdu]

Well, I've been to the store today to collect my wife's bike (a Specialized Myka) and have chosen the frame for mine. I've gone with the smoke paintwork and have picked one where there's, I feel, a nice balance between the grey and the white. I've also met the guy that's going to be building my bike and had a chat about a few things. I am seriously considering pushing the boat out a bit further to bling up the build with upgrades (and forget to tell my wife how much it comes to!). Of course, the next questions will be which lights, which shoes, which pedals, which saddle, which helmet, etc...?! :) This is becoming fun before I even set tyre on ground!

I do hope I don't regret the Ellsworth considering I was offered a pretty good deal on a Stumpjumper Pro carbon set-up.

[Craig]

So you're not interested in a bike made from bamboo and hemp? :-)

http://www.calfeedesign.com/Bamboomtnbig.htm

[ChrisEdu]

So you're not interested in a bike made from bamboo and hemp? :-)

http://www.calfeedesign.com/Bamboomtnbig.htm

That looks quite cool - perhaps that's where Lotus got the idea from.

I phone the bike shop today and ordered some changes to my spec list - I'm now having an XTR Shadow rear mech, XTR front mech and Avid Elixir CR brakes. :)

[ChrisEdu]

That looks quite cool - perhaps that's where Lotus got the idea from.

I phone the bike shop today and ordered some changes to my spec list - I'm now having an XTR Shadow rear mech, XTR front mech and Avid Elixir CR brakes. :)

Just emailed the bike shop and told them to upgrade my shifters to the XTR ones! :)

I'm now thinking about the pedals and considering going for some Time Atac XS Carbon pedals. Anyone got any experience of them?

[VetteRacer]

My fav pedals are speedplay. Frogs for Mtn and X's for street...
They give my knees the ability to have a natural motion (float).
See if you can test ride a few different bikes with different pedals, feeling them is the biggest way to know if you will like em..
Matt

[ChrisEdu]

My fav pedals are speedplay. Frogs for Mtn and X's for street...
They give my knees the ability to have a natural motion (float).
See if you can test ride a few different bikes with different pedals, feeling them is the biggest way to know if you will like em..
Matt

Apparently, the Time Atac range of pedals are meant to have a good degree of float available and are therefore well suited to people with knee issues.

Instead of phoning the bike shop, for a change, I emailed them last night to order another upgrade! I've decided to go with the XTR shifters as I've heard good things about them and felt that the gear indicators on the XT shifters looked a bit naff for a bike costing a small fortune. :)

What are people's recommendations for lights? I was thinking of getting the Exposure Joystick Maxx-2, however, the guy in the shop has said that the illumination pattern from them isn't so great, giving more of a torch like performance, albeit a bright torch! His recommendation is the Light & Motion range, either the Stella 200 or the Seca 700 Ultra.

This bike is being an obsession - I even dreamt about it last night! :eek: :D

[ChrisEdu]

Continuing the XTR theme, I've told them to put a XTR chainset on too! So, now it is having XTR shifters, front mech, rear mech and chainset / crankset, plus the Avid Elixir CR brakes as upgrades that I've specced since ordering, but before the build started (which it did today! :) ). Hopefully I can get my new baby by the end of the week.

[rolexroz]

All of the above is like a foreign language to me.

GMT, YACHT, SUB etc I can do, I have no problems sorting out which is what, unless it is Vintage talk in which case most of us get confused, but all this XTR, D XTR, GTX, Pedals, GTF etc leaves me in another world. And I have looked at many pictures of these poor deformed humans with the lumpy legs, poor souls, but I just cannot see where the engine is, am I missing something?

[ChrisEdu]

LOL - It's meant to be fun, apparently! I believe it's how the poor used to move around, and in some cases still do when they steal a bike or get one cheap. However, I think in the Rolex owning fraternity, using a bicycle is seen as a fun, fitness activity and sometimes mooted as being environmentally friendly.

As for all the letters, etc... imagine them as beinbg different grades of watch or calibre, with XTR being the best and non-series / non-branded equipment being crap!

[ChrisEdu]

Got the bike today! It looks great with the combination of smoke frame, XTR, Fox Talas, Avid Elixir CR and Hope Pro 2 hubs. It feels pretty good, too! I've also bought a LIght and Motion Seca 700 Ultra front light, Satmap Active 10 GPS and Dakine Apex hydration pack to go with it. :) Can't wait to get out and have a really good blast! :)

[huck]

Any pics?

[NickIslander]

Got the bike today! It looks great with the combination of smoke frame, XTR, Fox Talas, Avid Elixir CR and Hope Pro 2 hubs. It feels pretty good, too! I've also bought a LIght and Motion Seca 700 Ultra front light, Satmap Active 10 GPS and Dakine Apex hydration pack to go with it. :) Can't wait to get out and have a really good blast! :)

Congratulations... a fine spec!

Am sitting here still glowing and feeling great from a 25k vets time trial this morning (not a serious sport for me for years, but great fun!!). Absolutely poured for the second half! Starts the weekend off rather well (and helps to justify certain excess in the alcohol/food line which may occur later! :) :))

[ChrisEdu]

I think I managed to drive over 25km today! :) Finally, got some clipless shoes and my hydration pack today. Still waiting for the GPS to arrive though.

[ChrisEdu]

Did my first proper ride on the bike today - a 6 mile circuit from Whiteways, just north of Arundel. I've never felt so sick from exercise! The chap I went with has done a lot of riding, unlike me, and just seemed to keep on going relentlessly - wanker! :)

The views were pretty fantastic from the top, where we reached Bignor. However, I was exhausted pretty soon into the ride and had to wakll up some of the climbs. :( The downhills were much more fun, although I did hold back for fear of crashing!

The bike's performance, unlike the owner's, was great. I could feel the suspension tracking over obsticles and smoothing the way. The brakes were fantastic, scrubbing speed at an incredible rate. Gear changes were the best I've ever experienced on a bike, quick and crisp. The Giro Xen helmet and Dakine Apex hydration pack performed beautifully, although my Giro Rivet gloves split! The worst part of the bike build's performance was the saddle which left me feeling rather sore. :(

After the ride, I would certainly recommend the bike to anyone wanting a really good mountain bike.

[SoCalSam]

Just went and learned a bit about the Ellsworth Epiphany, and it reads like THE "all mountain" bike. Nice! Thanks for the post :-)

[NickIslander]

Sounds a tough first ride Chris... I'm sure you'll soon be picking up the fitness and killing those hills!

I think most of us are still searching for the ultimate saddle (well, blokes anyway!!). I've been through God knows how many and often found that cheap ones serve as well as the mega expensive ones... for a while at least. To a large extent you are able to be much more "mobile" off-roading on an MTB. Pounding away the tarmac on a road bike can be wearing - in two senses of the word!

I took it really easy yesterday and went for an extremely gentle 10 miler or so, poodling along the local riverbank cycle path with my daughter... really enjoyable cycling on my hybrid bike. The bacon sarnies were a luxury too :)

[ChrisEdu]

Bacon must be a cyclist thing! The chap I was riding with wanted bacon and eggs when we got back! :)

As for killing the hills - I'm not sure I'll last long enough before they kill me! It felt like the kind of effort I excert on the Concept2 for short bursts, e.g. a max of a couple of minutes, not for long enough to get to the top of a long slope. Still, I'll try to remember to wear my Polar HRM kit next time so that I can get some physiological data to go alongside my perception of excertion. It'll also be interesting as the model I've got also has a GPS tracking system for logging distance and speed, etc... and then analysing on PC.

[NickIslander]

LoL! I haven't considered bacon as a cycling thing... any excuse will do though! :)

I don't use any high tech instrumentation at all (if you don't count a long-gone 1960's mileometer, with a little metal peg knocking round a crudely toothed wheel on a mechanical counter! :))

I do have a bike-friendly GPS plotter on my iPhone (Motion-X) but I've yet to fix it to any bike.

I can gauge my physical exertion quite well over the years, without technology; it all fits into easy categories: I either feel "pretty well dead", "not quite dead", "totally knackered", "fairly knackered", "just-about-alrightish", "probably OK" or "haven't been out today" ;)

[ChrisEdu]

It's my sports science background - I have to have data! :)

Now then, did someone mention a bacon sandwich?! :)

[raptor]

the ideal bike for you would be one made of cannabis ;)

[ChrisEdu]

the ideal bike for you would be one made of cannabis ;)

Well, I guess I could always consume the bike during the ride to help with any pain! :)

[raptor]

btw do you know this lense?
Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC

[raptor]

Well, I guess I could always consume the bike during the ride to help with any pain! :)

i could easily see you doing it ! :eek:

[harb]

Any pics?

I second that!

C'mon mate, let's have a look at this fine sounding piece of kit! :)

[raptor]

sounds great fun and a good exercise :)
real men dont use a saddle ;)
as a bodybuilder i use the hot tub for my sore body

[FJyota]

As for killing the hills - I'm not sure I'll last long enough before they kill me! It felt like the kind of effort I excert on the Concept2 for short bursts, e.g. a max of a couple of minutes, not for long enough to get to the top of a long slope.

Chris, you may need to check your platform settings on the rear shock for hill climbing. A stiff platform will reduce your pedal bob and put the energy into the wheels not the suspension.

Next, you won't like to hear this, but to be aggressive on hill climbing, you need to get yourself into shape!:) I go spinning in a gym a couple of times a week. This will get your leg speed up, leg strength and wind much stronger, too. Once you're in shape, you'll be zooming up the hills and won't have to catch your breath before pedaling off. You'll find yourself pounding the rest of the trail as your active recovery. Believe me, a little workout in the gym will do wonders for your riding.

[ChrisEdu]

btw do you know this lense?
Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC

Don't know it. What camera is it for?

[ChrisEdu]

Chris, you may need to check your platform settings on the rear shock for hill climbing. A stiff platform will reduce your pedal bob and put the energy into the wheels not the suspension.

Next, you won't like to hear this, but to be aggressive on hill climbing, you need to get yourself into shape!:) I go spinning in a gym a couple of times a week. This will get your leg speed up, leg strength and wind much stronger, too. Once you're in shape, you'll be zooming up the hills and won't have to catch your breath before pedaling off. You'll find yourself pounding the rest of the trail as your active recovery. Believe me, a little workout in the gym will do wonders for your riding.

My wind is pretty strong already - just ask my wife! :D

The rear shock is tuned for the frame and doesn't move much going uphill - the idea of the ICT suspension system is that it stays active and tracks regardless of the pedal or brake inputs.

When the weather gets better - it's rather murky today - I'll try to get the photos done.