The Klein is 7 years old this year, and what with a 5 day-a-week training schedule to (try and) keep to, now seems like a good time to get in some backup. Buying a new bike would be far too easy, so I've gone the second hand route for a frame. Add in a "reasonable" budget for some quality bits, and let's see what happens...
First the frame. One week looking at the Singletrack Classifieds was all it took to spot a 2005 (20th Anniversary Edition) 16" Rocky Mountain Blizzard frame, only 5 months out of the shop. The top tube might be too small for me, but I only figured this out after I'd bought it, so here's hoping a long stem will fix things.
The original 2005 Blizzard looked like this:
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17/4/2007
It's a Reynolds 853 steel hardtail, hand made and hand painted in Canada, with a bonkers RRP of £600 just for the frame. Luckily my second hand frame came in at less than half that price. It's in good condition, check it out...
 20th Anniversary Edition badge |
 Black and white simplicity. The rear is disc only |
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 The grease in that headset smells great |
 Neat welds, sparkly black paint |
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The chap who sold me the frame also had Race Face carbon seat post and handlebars for sale, so I snapped up those too. The bars are in good condition but the seat post has a nasty scratch on it. Maybe if I ignore it it'll go away.
 Seems a shame to just sit on it |
 Matching logos - that's the most important thing after all |
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 Mmm, carbon fibre weave |
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20/4/2007
Wiggle have delivered the components, and Merlin have delivered the custom-built wheels. Rock on!
Here's what it all looks like before I trash it...
 Silver and black is so this years look, darling |
 New wheels are so sexy. Discs will have to wait for pay day. |
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 Anyone for XT? |
 Good old rapidfire shifters |
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 XT short cage rear mechs are great |
 Hollowtech II crankset, 170mm for my little legs |
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 Integrated bottom bracket |
 The hollowness of Hollowtech II |
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04/05/2007
Pay day has been and gone and the brakes are here! A brand spanking new set of Avid Juicy 5s, 185mm front and 160mm rear. In the words of Spud, "To brake is to admit defeat". But should I feel the need to wave the white flag, these are still the worlds best looking budget hydraulic disc brakes.
 A boxed set of one-fingered stoppage |
 185mm rotor. But is it art? |
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 Yes, I have decided |
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23/05/2007
Front forks in actually turning up shocker! "In stock and ready to dispatch" my arse, Winstanley Bikes. They're about as new as you can get though, assembled in Taiwan less than a month ago (but 2 weeks after I actually ordered them).
 Big black and rigid with a smooth action. Just like my, err, other coil forks |
 Compression damping adjustment and lockout. Lockout is very easy to use |
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 U-Turn adjuster at 130mm for big Northern rocky downhills |
 Wound down to 85mm for big uphills, endo practice, or falling off |
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29/05/2007
A highly scientific method for determining what length of stem I need: plug in the forks, sit on bike, and imagine where the bars should be. Verdict? I need something looong. A 130mm Ritchey Comp is ordered.
 No stoppers, no go-ers, no steering |
02/06/2007
Build day! It's great sunny weather, I only have a moderate hangover, and there's a 4 hour X-List playing on Xfm. On with the shorts, off with the shirt, and let's do some half naked bike building.
 Headset installed, forks cut down to size, bars and stem attached |
 Discs bolted on, shoulders getting sunburnt about now |
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 Transmission all wired up, whole back sunburnt now |
 1, 2, skip a few, 99, 100. Ready! |
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 If that isn't the sexiest handlebar hardware you've ever seen, you're wrong |
 The completed article. It even looks fast standing still. |
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| First Ride : More pics and analysis |
Spec Sheet
I've tried to go for a selection of quality kit without breaking the bank (too much).
Original spec vs Fozard 2007 spec:
| Original Spec | My Spec | |
| Frame | Reynolds 853 Cromoly | Reynolds 853 Cromoly (2nd hand) |
| Frame Weight | 2.0 kg / 4.4 lb (18.5") | A bit less (16") |
| Fork | Marzocchi MX Pro w/ETA | Rockshox Revelation 426 Coil U-Turn |
| Front Travel | 105mm | 85 - 130mm adjustable on-the-fly |
| Head Set | FSA Orbit | Hope XC (2nd hand) |
| Stem | RACE FACE Deus XC | Ritchey Comp |
| Handlebar | RACE FACE Deus XC | RACE FACE Next Carbon (2nd hand) |
| Brakes | Shimano XT Disc (160mm/160mm) | Avid Juicy 5 (185mm/160mm) |
| Brake Levers | Shimano XT Dual | Avid Juicy 5 |
| Shifters | Shimano XT Dual | Shimano XT Rapidfire |
| Gearing | Shimano XT | Shimano XT |
| Cranks & Chainrings | RACE FACE Deus X-Type | Shimano XT Hollowtech II |
| Bottom Bracket | RACE FACE Deus X-Type | Shimano XT Hollowtech II |
| Pedals | Crank Bros. Egg Beater CX | Shimano M540 |
| Hubs | Shimano XT | Shimano XT |
| Cog-Set | Shimano XT | Shimano XT |
| Chain | Shimano HG73-9 | Shimano HG93-9 |
| Spokes | DT Comp | DT Comp DB Black |
| Rims | Mavic XM 317 Disc | DT 4.2 Disc |
| Tyres | IRC Serac XC 2.1" | Bontrager Jones AC Folding (from the shed) |
| Seat Post | RACE FACE Next XC | RACE FACE Next Carbon (2nd hand) |
| Saddle | Selle Italia C2 | Bontrager Race Lux (2nd hand unused) |
| Price | £1900 | £1180 |