ed 

Flow didn't work out for several reasons. I took it downtown with the wheelset off the Komodo and noticed that pretty-much anything I'd ride on the Flow, I'd ride on the Komodo...yet the Komodo is much more comfortable for a dude my size. The TT on the Flow was on the short side. I felt like the handlebars were always encroaching on my junk, so after 1 day of riding...it's been disassembled and taken to the slaughter house.

There was just one thing that I couldn't get past. The PIKE is a beautiful fork. After riding the Fox this season...I thought the PIKE would feel similar, but maybe not quite as smooth as the "legendary Fox" butter. I was gravely mistaken. The PIKE is noticeably smoother than the Fox. 20mm TA is nice to...so what's the hold-up?

The PIKE steerer tube is 185mm. My Komodo HT is fairly tall at 140mm. I have a super-low stack CB headset at 20.56mm. My stem is about 40mm. That adds up to around 200.56mm of stack. Add 3mm for top cap breathing room, and it's a no-go.

The solution will be here this weekend:


This is slated as a DH/FR stem, so it should be (fingers crossed) tough enough for me.
HT-140mm
HSet-20.56mm
Stem-26mm
Total stack 186.56

This should give me plenty of top cap room + a mini-spacer! (I have a 2mm on the shelf)

Back to the "1 bike to rule them all" theory, I guess. I'm sad that the Flow didn't work out, but my other reasoning is that I felt pretty selfish building a completely new bike for myself when I am not a wealthy guy and I have a family to take care of. It just seemed a bit childish, I guess. The Komodo is a nice bike. I can't deny that. I'm not gonna break this frame. The wheelset is stronger than I thought too. I was beating the crap out of it downtown on the Flow, and when I got home...they weren't even out of true.

craigcraigcraig

a pimped out crapper. sweet.

ed 

Oh, thou hast blasphemed the Komodo. You're gonna hurt his feelings!

craigcraigcraig

oh sensitive one huh, that's why it needs the fancy fork and wheels so it can feel better about being covered with stickers to hide it's true self.

junkyard

What you really want is a steel, single speed, rigid 29er.

ed 

I think you're confused Craigx3.

ed 

Crapper:




Komodo:

dminor 

Dang that's a homely little tadpole! But if it works, what the hey.

craigcraigcraig

aw POOP, forgive me.

ed 

Hey man...at least it's all chrome instead of plain ol' flat black At least it's on 35mm long. I think that will feel just about perfect with my 2" Eastons.

I'll give it some thought.

helmut

Hey Ed, what kind of fork is that on your Crapper? Do I spy disc mounts on it?

ed 

Yeah, it's a Kona P2 Tall Race with canti / disc mounts. I'd throw the BB7 on there, but it's not a disc hub.

Zephyr11

Shame the Flow didn't work out. It looked like it was shaping up to be a cool little bike. Of course, a pimped Komodo sounds pretty sweet too. Even if there'll be no root beer, the Punisher sticker makes up for it, right?

mzeffex 

Selling the fox now?

ed 

It's boxed up and ready to go.

mzeffex 

Go to where? I'm looking for a fox.. is it already sold?

ed 

Nope...it's just sitting in a box waiting for a bid. I guess it doesn't need a bid if I get some sort of awphur.

mzeffex 

How much are you looking to get for it?
And how much travel does it have? If adjustable from what to what?

ed 

It's adjustable from 140mm to 140mm. Talk to your LBS or Scrublover...you can drop it internally to whatever you want with a stopper thingy. Just snap'it'on. If it fits your needs then we can talk turkey.

Fox Float RL 140mm
5.5"
Rebound
Lockout
Air Preload
Supposedly 3.7lbs, but I think it's closer to 3.8lbs. Still a freakin' feather.

ed 

Well, the stem got here today. I had 2mm more breathing room than I had anticipated. Instead of running two 1mm spacers, I went with a 4mm. The manual said that you need anywhere betw 4-7mm on top. I tend to err on the low end. The more there is to grab...the better.

It doesn't look half bad installed, Doug. The word "utilitarian" comes to mind. The Chrome makes me wanna get some of those Chrome MTX rims to match! I kinda like it. Definitely different from the run-of-the-mill Thomson / Easton / RF that everyone has these days.

I'm actually pretty impressed with the construction!

Since there's only 1 pinch bolt for the tube...they went with a larger stainless bolt with a stainless "sex bolt" type of thing that uses a 6mm hex on BOTH SIDES instead of Thomsons 4mm or the standard 5mm. Since the pinch bolt doesn't thread into the aluminum stem with aluminum threads, it can take a bit more tension. It's rated at 18Nm which is pretty dang steep IMO.

The 5mm bar cap bolts (two above, two below) are torqued to 9Nm.

Over all, I'm gonna be really happy with it b/c it gives me the option of running the PIKE. I'm gonna love that! Besides...I really dig "something different". Maybe why I'm still on a Jamis.


I'll get some pic's up when it's light out.

mtnbiker66

..............what about the flow frame?

ed 

Soon as I get paid...it'll be shipped.

mtnbiker66

what?

ed 

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ed 

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