Well...It all started with a KillerV600, model '96, customized with DH bars and high rise stem. Then I replaced every
single bit that failed. I reckon that after a bit more than one year of playing around, the only original parts that
remained were the bar grips. The
KillerV600 frame cracked after four months and was replaced with a KillerV800 frame (the nicest
frame ever...but a weld on the back sloping tube cracked after about two years and a half of abuse), which leads to the
Beast of the East as a warranty replacement. So lifetime warranty works at Cannondale. Not too
much complain about that, although I had to look somewhere else for a trials frame because they didn't have another Beast and
instead I asked for a road frame to replace a cracking dawes touring bike (now with a fantastic Road
Warrior). So the Zero Orange looked good. But it cracked at the junction weld of the BB and left chainstay, after 9 months. The frame was replaced under warranty, but then the
Cannondale fork broke. I decided to go for front disk brakes with a new front wheel,
fork, handlebars, stem and make the damn bike much lighter. I also took out the seat and replaced the useless big rings on
the freewheel by the smallest gears available except the 18t I used for trials. I replaced some non critical steel screws
by aluminium ones (from motorbike shops). That gave me a nice hybrid Orange/Monty look until the frame cracked again. No Guarantee replacement this time...
That is when I opted for the pure trials Toxsin Frame (5cm longer), re-using most of the other parts (end of 2004). The Toxsin
is still my current bike, though it evolved, and I had a nice setup for a while, until pedal threads ate into the cranks, the forks cracked, and I decided to get back
my Monty bars. Also, I had to put a brake booster on the rear only for the sake of protecting the hydraulic hose from abuse and it started looking like this.
Then the battered rear drop outs of the Toxsin meant the rear wheel was coming off on harsh landings, after about 3 years of heavy riding.
Time for a change, and modernity (end of 2007) came in the shape of the Atomz AKT2! Amazingly light and beautifully crafted.
Check out the close up photos
Frame: Atomz AKT2
Fork: BT.
Bars: Koxx (oversized)
Stem: UN
Crank: 175mm Tensile Urban Legend with Tensile 18t freewheel
Bottom bracket: Try-all ISIS.
Pedals: Gusset Slim Jim Magnesium.
Brakes: Avid Ball Bearing 7 cable disk brakes (front) with AZ2 disc and
Magura HS33 hydraulic (rear) with red Heatsink pads in CNCed aluminium backings.
Seat??? what for?
Rims: Try-all
Hubs: Czar fixed 16t single speed (rear) / American Classic (front)
Tyres: Maxxis Hans Rey adventure 2.4" rear and
Panaracer XC Fire 2.1" front.
Integrated chain tensioner.
Wheelbase in this current setting: 1090mm.
