Do I Repair My 855 Or Buy A New Bike?

[jimbob]

Is that a Fournales fork?  and the disc mount is standard?  I love my Crosslinks but the lack of a disc mount has relegated them to the attic in favour of something slightly more modern.  But I might look into the Forunales fork if I can find one...

[Colin]

Blue and Red was the standard XP-X colour scheme, so it originally had a Blue Vector II fork on it, from 1997...............


(Yes I know the spinergy's will collapse and kill me out of pure spite, but don't pester me on this..................<GRIN>)

Until 2010, when I swapped the fork out to get front disc compatibility, which the Look Fournalles provides and yes, it is the standard OEM fork disk mount, it slides on over the end of the fork and has machined dropout locating grooves that position it accurately and clamp bolts to solidly lock it to the round carbon fork leg. The fork is another piece of engineering beauty.


P.s. Actually..................I have a silver swing arm and strut that I practiced doing the x56HH conversion on......................and I considered using it, but that would have left the central frame as the only original piece of the XP-X!

Another idea I have is to build the same components onto an 857 frame that I have and so then the carbon swing arm will mirror the carbon Look fork, would that make you happier Kiwi? If so, I'll get straight on the case.....................<GRIN>

sorry for hijacking your thread Kevin!

Col.

[Colin]

Update with links to buy seal and bearing kits for Crosslinks/Vectors in the USA

K2 NOLEEN Pro-Flex RK005 Vector 2 / Girvin AL Seal Kit
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390468836354&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123

K2 NOLEEN Pro-Flex RK006 Bearing Kit Girvan AL/X-Link
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310439184879&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123

and 855 etc frame pivot rebuild kit (657 was the last incarnation of the x55/x56 frame)
K2 NOLEEN Pro-Flex 657 Bearing Seal RK002 Rebuild Kit
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330793896165&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123


Col.

[Fish]

Hi everyone and sorry for the late reply but I am new to the site.

However, Kevin definitely rebuild your 855. You will gain so much insight and creativity that you never knew you had. I did a complete rebuild on a 857 and that started me on my way. After that I did three more rebuilds and each one is totally different from the other. I will post pics when I get a chance. I modded all of them and with the upgrades they all feel incredible. When you are finished you will not only feel that you have accomplished something but you will have a great ride.

BTW Colin, the bike looks great and that idea of the carbon swingarm to go with the look of the fork is a great idea. But don't listen to me, I would wear carbon fiber underwear if I could find it!!! LOL!

[Spokes]

Carbon fibre under crackers ..... Hmm a man with an eye for fashion.
You certainly wouldn't have any accidents in those!

Chris

[dirkhunt]

Here is what i did for mine




NASHBAR had the wheelset on sale for 60% off plus free ship.

The vee brakes bolt in place and that gets tha hanger out of the way for the 165mm airshock (ebay)
Total spent so far (I'm always looking for bargins)
Bike with beat group  $7 (bike shop was cleaning the "junk" out of the back and that is how much cash I had on me at the time)
New wheelset, middle chainring, cassette, airshock ~$350
About 4 hours work on the front end plus sourcing and figureing out how to make it fit.
The rear is a 1/2 by 20 threaded 1/2" id SS tube with bushings set up as a vibration dampener in the rear

I looked into a rear shock but no one makes them that short in the pressure that you would need to fit the gap.

Have fun
Dirk

[fyrstormer]

the suspension will be the problem.The risse stuff isnt cheap,but it isnt plug and play to get other shocks to work,espif you want to keep the vector.Be aware the proflexes are short quick steering short travel xc race bikes.Plush they aint,but they are a nice ride,and a wee bit diffferent.We all think they ARE cool but we are biased

They definitely are quick-steering, to the point of being scary in my opinion, but a fork with 100-120mm of travel cleans up that problem very nicely. You'll never get that with a Vector of course, but if you're willing to get rid of that there are lots of options. I de-Vector-ized my 756 back in 2003 and I never regretted it.

[Spokes]

Colin how does the LOOK fork compare to the Crosslink?
The Look seems to have longer links so i guess more travel? How does the ride compare, are the characteristics the same just more travel? Is there much of a weight difference between the two carbon versions?

Cheers
Chris

[Colin]

I replaced a Vector II with the Look Fournales on my XP-X (856) in 2010.

The main reason for this was to allow 700c (29er?) disc wheels to be fitted to make it longer legged as a road touring bike, (yes, I know that's probably heresy, but it made a cracking long distance ride and allowed me to justify keeping it!)

Yes, more travel  - 80mm claimed on the Look against 45mm for the Vector and 75mm for the Crosslink.

Weight wise, I'd say the Look is lighter than a Vector but a bit more than a CS Crosslink.
Vector weighs in at 3.6lb/1632g with a coil spring and an ODS.
The Look weighs 3.0lb/1367g ready for disk brake.
A Carbon Crosslink weighs 2.77lb/1255g with an NR-5 fitted.

also, for me, allowing conversion to disk brakes saved weight over the Magura HS11's that I had on the bike (V brakes may be similar weight to disks).

The Look fork rides like the Vector (and the Crosslinks that I have on other bikes) exhibiting great lateral stiffness and precise steering, with very little pedal bob and just a bit of brake dive that stiffens up as the weight comes onto it.

The air shock is much more sensitive than the ODS with coil, with little or no stiction and so makes a great rough road ride and I'm sure would be great for XC riding. On the downside, it's probably even more bespoke in it's manufacture than the ODS fitment and is probably irreplaceable.

For me, the Fournales delivered my essential needs of a rebuild of the XP-X, but is quite a unique bit of kit and won't suit everyone, or else they would have sold many more of them! Fortunately I paid nowhere near the original Retail price for them despite them being BNIB.

Col.

[Spokes]

The Look fork surely is a pretty fork and even better for the disc option. But like all linkage forks they are a Marmite fork( Vegimite for those on the other side of the world ).  You either love them or hate them. Love Marmite me!

And Nothing wrong with tailoring your bikes for the use they get. Like your XPX my 857 wears semi slicks and is mostly used as a road training bike with a few dry trails on the way back. With its firmer suspension, high seat height, lightweight crosslinks and smooth tires it flies. I've even been thinking of putting higher gearing on it.

My 4000 is used once mid week and every weekend off road and the crosslink cs are brilliant. I do still look at OP's disc convention with envy though!

When I get my arse in gear and build this 4500 Ill see if I praise Fox Tallas forks as much.

Chris

[fyrstormer]

Looking at these pictures again, I'm amazed how tall some of you guys are. Your seats are so high I wouldn't be able to touch the pedals even with just one foot at a time.

[w2zero]

Fyrstormer you must have left out the laughing emoticon.  When the mtbs of the early to mid 90's were made, the riding position was still very nearly the same as on a road bike.  Crazy steep downhills were done with the saddle in the middle of your chest and butt almost on the rear tire.  The ULM on the 855 left no alternative and the stems were long to stretch the rider out.  My saddle is still pretty high but there is  a riser stem and riser bars to better suit my ability to bend, though not doubled over. 

Many of the bikes presently being manufactured are in my opinion overgrown BMX bikes with the very low saddle position.  It is telling that a lot of the riding I see with those consists of standing on the pedals or pushing them up hills with very little saddle time compared to the more cross country style of bikes.

I realize that my 855's and sixes are old bikes and aren't meant to be serious downhillers or take the serious drops that some of the new ones are built for, but they have been there.

[Colin]

Just a mere 5'8" or 174cm and not unusually long legs (30" inseam)........

.........but bear in mind my XP-X is set up as road racer/tourer!

Yes, W2Zero, I remember the days! LOL! What a great downhilling technique that was, I think I've still got the bruised ribs from it!

A couple of years ago I did the Black run at Dalby Forest (UK) on my 4000se with the Carbon Crosslinks on it and it performed beautifully, never bottoming out and flowing the jumps like I couldn't believe, I honestly thought that the bike would not cope with it, but it exceeded my own skills and nerve level. The best bit was a youngster on a modern bike who watched me from  the bottom and waited to ask me what forks I was running as they seemed to cope so well that he wanted a pair, he was a bit taken aback when I said "they stopped making these a decade ago".
Then again, maybe it was my superlative riding skills that carried the day...............?   NOT! <GRIN>

Col.

[Spokes]

I do tend to have my seat quite high due to being 6'2" tall and having a 35" inseam. Compared to the Orange 5 my friend rides the our riding positions are noticeably different. Funny thing is my 4000 gets all the admiring comments and his bike doesn't get a second look!
I regularly ride Cwmcarn and "The Wall" at Afon Argoed in S Wales and my crosslink cs easily handle everything I can throw at them. It's only when I try and race him down the rocky descents that I loose out. But he has 140mm front sus so it's to be expected. Everywhere else he wishes he had a lighter bike!!

I think it testament to the desighn and quality of Proflex that they can be fitted with either linkage forks or Tele and ride superbly.

Chris