New bike (and the old ones) - Stolen Norco recovered and tweaked May 2008

[PINT of Stella, mate!]

Well, back in Scotland for a couple of months seeking work/attending weddings. Staying at the folks'. Thought "f*** it, I need a ride - step-father's bike is a bag of shit- need something fun..."
Problem is, I'm in debt up to my eyeballs and am still technically unemployed so the budget had to be around 500 quid - enough to get a decent bike, not enough to max out the credit card - So's I've gone and bought a Norco Rival...
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h34/taylorndt/norco1.jpg
It's been ace so far. Alrighty it's got mechanical disc brakes and the forks collapse easier than a manhattan icon but the it's so much fun for throwing around and feels so light compared to my Scrap (similar bike - same price)
Anyway it'll get me to and from the pub and the pretty nifty 4x track just outside town No problems... Add to that the fact that it doesn't get dark here till eleven pm and you've got a winner...

Whilst I'm at it I thought I better include the bikes back home in Melbourne (can't believe haven't done this considering how long I've been trolling on here!)

Anyways, heres the good'un. Giant Reign 1 with Husselfelt bar and Gamut bash plate. Great bike. cost more than my car! sweetest thing to ride...
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h34/taylorndt/3329671542a4724605927l.jpg
and the Kona Scrap. Basically my commuter bike...
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h34/taylorndt/3329671542a4724605852l.jpg

So, I've finally done it. I've now paraded my wares around Farkin for all to see. Please don't burgle me? :o

[bunya djer n dher]

nice bikes...especially like the reign for some reason.

cool bikes!

[_Ajax_]

All your bikes look great. Nice work:)

[Jeebus]

you better put the seat down on the rival.

[Breaka]

If i was to relieve you of any of your bikes through burglary, it would be the reign. I think I have a bit of a soft spot for them :o (And haha of course there is an empty soldier positioned underneath it!)

But why the Rival over the Scrap?

[PINT of Stella, mate!]

Don't get me wrong, I love the Scrap! it was my first introduction into DJ/Street (like I can actually do either ...:rolleyes:) and it is so much fun to ride. But it is a tad heavy which is greatfor doing sweeping turns on concrete, and it kinda reminds me of an old Lancaster bomber (not a bad thing - especially if you ever watched The DamBusters when you were a kid...) whereas the Norco is light and whippy like a nice ice cream. Both great bikes for cheap prices...

[Cameo]

Sorry if this is a tad personal, but where exactly in Melbourne do you live?

Nice bikes, the Reign is pretty shweet.

[PINT of Stella, mate!]

Sorry if this is a tad personal, but where exactly in Melbourne do you live?

Nice bikes, the Reign is pretty shweet.

Southbank although you wouldn't really know it this year (bloody oil industry and it's lack of large oil fields in downtown Melbourne...)

[johnny]

Nice rides dude.

I also like the strategicaly placed Stella bottle in front of the Reign!

[Breaka]

I also like the strategicaly placed Stella bottle in front of the Reign!

I don't think it was strategically placed there johnny. My bet is that the floor of his house is laced with them! :p

[do-a-flip]

nice bikes! that reign looks sweet. My mate has one so i know how mad they are to ride!:cool:

[keenan_92]

haha! i like that stubby under the reign! lol good one.

nice bikes mate, good job.

[Night_Train]

i like the crossmax wheel on the reign.....very nice i want one but i dont have 1000 for a whole set haha

[derelikt]

Thats a nice collection you got there mate.

[AngoXC]

Please don't burgle me? :o

Sorry if this is a tad personal, but where exactly in Melbourne do you live?


I see a plot hatching...

But it is a tad heavy which is greatfor doing sweeping turns on concrete, and it kinda reminds me of an old Lancaster bomber (not a bad thing - especially if you ever watched The DamBusters when you were a kid...)

Considering those Scraps are fairly bomb-proof, a B-17 would have served a better example (hahah!) but since your in the UK, ill give you the benafit of the doubt...

[PINT of Stella, mate!]

So, not long after posting the original thread, my folks' garage was broken into and the Rival was pilfered (along with it's new sexy white Gusset Slim Jim pedals)
I of course was a bit peeved and needed a new bike so off I went shopping.

Ended up coming home with my first clipless xc-whippet: The Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo: http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h34/taylorndt/DSC00517.jpg
(a full parts list and more photos can be seen here: http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=13069&highlight=hoo+koo&page=29)

However a week later the local police managed to apprehend the pricks responsible for the break-in and recover the bike. Sweet, I thought until I went to pick it up. The bastards had swapped the forks, the wheels, the seat, the stem and broke a brake lever. The new wheelset had a 9-speed cassette to boot! F***ing bike was unrideable. The irony is, however, they left the White Slim-Jim's on which made it stand out a mile (and also enabled the cops to id the bike and arrest the thieves!)

So it sat in the garage until this year when I came back here to work. I took the bike down to my uncles joint in Glasgow and started changing out parts:

It now looks something like this:
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h34/taylorndt/DSC00054.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h34/taylorndt/DSC00055.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h34/taylorndt/DSC00056.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h34/taylorndt/DSC00058.jpg

The Bike came back with a RockShock Tora fork
I've swapped the cassette for an 8 speed shimano.
Put on new ODI 'Peaty' Grips
Swapped the seat for a new Charge DJ seat.
Replaced the tires for Halo Twin Rails
Swapped the Old Avid Juicy three brake levers for a set of bog standard shimanos.
Replaced the dodgy long stem with a truvativ holzfeller short stem
I still may have to change the wheelset as they don't look the strongest and the rear is wobbling a bit (and making a hell of the noise with the disc rubbing.)

Still, I've got two bikes to play with over here now. Sweet!

[lucky13]

only 1 stubbie mate?

[PINT of Stella, mate!]

only 1 stubbie mate?

And it was a 0.5% to boot.

not a bad drop though for a non-alcohol brew...

[lucky13]

And it was a 0.5% to boot.

not a bad drop though for a non-alcohol brew...

what ever happened to claytons?

anyway, nice bikes mate. i like the colour sceme on the norco.

[PINT of Stella, mate!]

Cheers. I was kinda going for a two tone look. The only downside is I'm afraid to ride it on anywhere other than fresh clean tarmac as I don't want to get the wheels dirty. :p

[Welshy]

nice bikes, but what do you mean "wheels dont look too strong", the back is a mavic 721...?

[PINT of Stella, mate!]

I'm not too sure on the particulars but they both seem to have come off XC bikes and the rear hub was a bit loose and had been ridden like that for a few months whilst it was in the care of my mate.

having said that I spent yesterday arvo tightening everything and apart from the squeaky brakes it's running sweet.

[norco racing team]

nice collection of bikes what sort of riding so you use them for