Author Topic: How long (and who,how,when, and why)have you ridden Pro-Flex/K2? (Read 106262 times)

Carbon_Angus · « **Reply #150 on:** May 25, 2009, 09:56:48 am »

here are two pics from a recent ride on Ft Ord, East side, looking West... lots of single track, some "goat" trails that we had the climb with the bikes on our back. a few twisty's. the "high-light" for me was the rutted drop that i walked because of my sphinter closing reflex, only to see an attractive "betty" taking it with ease a few moments later.

lots of poppies and lupine, mostly lupine in these pics. camera phone (doh)

BigLevels · « **Reply #151 on:** July 27, 2009, 10:41:38 pm »

How Long: 15 years on my ProFlex 854. Who: Me. How:?. When: Whenever I Can. Why: Because at the time (1994) ProFlex was the best commercially available full suspension bike that I could find. Between 1994 and now I have ridden a lot some years and almost none in other years. This year I have been riding a lot. Of course the elastomers went bad many years ago (Rock Hard in my climate) and for several years I just used heavy die springs which were very inadequate. This year I have changed to multiple discs made from truck inner tubes on the front and high tech silicone rubber on the rear. I look forward to sharing my discoveries with the group. Currently I have been riding for several months with these materials with no signs of problems yet.

orange · « **Reply #152 on:** July 28, 2009, 12:19:18 am »

welcome - show us some pics - I'm intrigued by your elastomer replacements!!

shovelon · « **Reply #153 on:** July 28, 2009, 06:54:24 am »

Quote from: orange on July 28, 2009, 12:19:18 am

welcome - show us some pics - I'm intrigued by your elastomer replacements!!

Me too!

Welcome,
Terry

middleburn · « **Reply #154 on:** August 14, 2009, 02:49:44 pm »

Hello all, just came across this forum whilst browsing and nice to know there are many fellow Proflex riders out there. I've been riding a Proflex 856 that I built up as a special back in 1996 but being honest I've not ridden in anger for the last 10years. I thought I'd dust off the old steed and show my son a thing or two (and lose a few pounds gained from not so healthy living and no riding).

I first started on MTB's in 1993 when I bought a Kona for leisure and commuting but after about 8000 miles and many replacement parts decided to get a ride specifically for the weekends. A friend and I used to cover around 40 offroad miles every weekend that were a mixture of long gravel climbs, singletrack, xc and fast rocky descents that were a struggle for a hardtail.

We test rode two bikes for a weekend, one a Cannondale V with the standard headshock and the other an 856 with RockShox Judy DH's. I fell in love with the 856 as it did everything I wanted it to well enough for me so the choice was made.

I kept the idea of the stock 856 frame with Judy DH's (still working) and built XT parts on it with the exception of a Middleburn chainset, Hope Ti hubs, Mavic rims, Use seatpost, Flight Ti saddle, Roost Stem and bars and Gripshift X-Ray (A big mistake I know). Its still got elastomers at the rear but have been replaced a couple of times due to the usual.

I rode this for a couple of years but gradually less and less as most of the clan stopped riding. The plan is to get back out there and do the thing justice so I'm not too bothered about preserving it for posterity.

Anyway that's me, I'll now start catching up on 10years worth of missing information...

orange · « **Reply #155 on:** August 14, 2009, 03:26:30 pm »

welcome - well all life is here

where are you based?

middleburn · « **Reply #156 on:** August 14, 2009, 03:35:31 pm »

Quote from: orange on August 14, 2009, 03:26:30 pm

welcome - well all life is here

where are you based?

Cheers, I'm based in not so sunny NW England, UK.

Vouds · « **Reply #157 on:** August 15, 2009, 03:24:46 pm »

Hi ^^
k2 since 1997 (wich may be a fake or a gem, maybe $:-\$ ). And 100% rigid I cannot find its origin.

who ? i bought it by chance, i didn't know what is k2 or proflex.

How : commuting, riding it's possible to mount a luggage.

When ? Every day ^^.

Why ? I had another mtb, but it wasn't so funny and hard as the k2 for me. Sold.

BrokerDon · « **Reply #158 on:** November 20, 2009, 09:58:51 am »

since 1997 (ProFlex 857)... then upgrade to current GREATLY improved & upgraded K2 ProFlex 5000:

• Hammerhead rear CF swingarm disc brake adaptor
• Avid mechanical discs 180mm F&R
• Fox Vanilla RC 500 x 2 80 rear shock (5" PLUSH travel)
• Rock Shox Recon 3" to 5" travel fork with remote lock out
• Easton CF seat post
• Easton CF XC handlebar
• Shimano XT gears, shifters & chain rings
• Chris King hubs
• Chris King headset
• Mavic X317 rims
• Slime "tubeless" tires on standard rims (AMAZING traction and MUCH plusher ride since they can be aired down without pinch flats)

Actually bought an Intense Uzzi 5 years ago and ended up selling it and coming back to my K2 ProFlex 5000 since it pedals MUCH more efficiently than the 4-bar linkage on the Intense and the Way Big K2 frame fits me better 8-)

Next bike: Ellsworth Evolve 8-)

webba · « **Reply #159 on:** December 07, 2009, 09:35:21 am »

I was big into moutain biking in the 90s and was ridding a titanium Dynatech with trimnell forks / rockshox mag21sl I loved my bike and the way it rode I really couldnt see the point in getting a FS , untill one day a m8 that was working at my LBS invited me out on a Proflex test day at sherwood pines about 6 or 8 of us were taken out for the day with the entire proflex range and could just ride whatever bike we chose, I grabbed a 857 as my first choice and about 6 hours later they almost had to drag it from my hands I loved it I was torn and seriously conciderd selling my dynatech but in the end chose to keep it ,it was a VERY close thing though a year or so later I got my Dynatech nicked (it was locked in my kitchen at the time) I was devisated. I later bought a giant atx990 from a mate which is a nice bike but not the ride i rememberd,then about 2 1/2 years ago I came across a 97 animal frame cheap (£100 )so i stuck some z1 bams on it and a xt groupo and took it for a blast it was and still is awsome I love it I havnt ridden loads of FSs but a few and it rides as good as anything ive ridden. I am now thinking of putting on disk brakes and getting the frame recoated, has anybody still got any frame stickers?

Serdontos · « **Reply #160 on:** December 07, 2009, 10:17:38 pm »

Got my K2/Proflex 4000 in 1999, I decided on Proflex because it was different, no one in Northeast Oklahoma had one, and I was stoked about the Crosslink Smartfork technology. I had a few years away from MTB, but am once again hitting the trails hard and I love the looks I get on the trails when the young lads see the "old guy on the funky bike with no disc brakes". I intend to keep using my 4000 and have recently picked up another off the bay, I'm glad I found this group dedicated to these great bikes!

orange · « **Reply #161 on:** December 13, 2009, 01:46:55 pm »

excellent - welcome

bikeflyer · « **Reply #162 on:** March 04, 2010, 01:01:19 pm »

After many years of road riding, I bought my first mountain bike, a Proflex 854 in December of 1993. In 1999 the frame developed a crack at the bottom of the seat tube, and I was offered an 857 frame in exchange by K2. At that time I upgraded to V brakes, 8 speed gearing, and new shocks. Then in 2004, the replacement frame also developed a crack. K2 was less willing to swap out the frame a second time, and I was about to try and have it welded, when I saw an 857 bike for sale on ebay, which I subsequently won. It turned out the ebay bike had been built from an almost new frame and very used components. So I had my components swapped onto the new frame. Everything was fine until 2008, when the frame cracked again, in the same location as on the previous bikes. This time I had the frame welded, and so far it appears to be holding together. Since purchasing another mountain bike in 2006, my Proflex has mostly been relegated to use on rail-trails. And with the exception of the frame cracking every 4-5 years, has been an excellent bike.

In May of 2009, I also purchased a brand new 10-year old K2/Proflex 4000 on ebay, for my significant other. We now ride together on almost matching bikes.

Bob

orange · « **Reply #163 on:** March 05, 2010, 05:49:26 am »

welcome

jimbob · « **Reply #164 on:** May 11, 2010, 12:18:01 pm »

Hi, pointed towards this forum from retrobike.co.uk, been into mountainbikes since around 1990, started on a couple of Claud Butlers, then an Orange Prestige, GT I-Drive, Orange P7, and have just bought a Proflex 857

Hoping to keep hold of the Proflex as the 1st full-suspension mtb I ever had a go on was a Proflex of some sort (circa 1992) and I've always wanted to have one.

Couple of questions, where can I find some adapters to allow me to run disc brakles on the Proflex frame/Girvin fork???

thanks.

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Author Topic: How long (and who,how,when, and why)have you ridden Pro-Flex/K2? (Read 106262 times)