This well-loved frame and forks would make a great basis for a budget full-suss build for a young and/or short rider. With a mixed 140mm/125mm travel (adjustable at both ends), it’s the perfect setup for enjoying modern trails. This bike has a really shallow seattube angle, which means that as the saddle height increases there’s a very noticeable change in the bike’s reach. This would be especially useful if the bike is for a growing rider. Size: Medium (18 bb-centre to top of seatpost clamp). Travel: Adjustable 100/125mm (4/5). 4-bar Linkage design (Horst-Link). For 26 quick-release wheels. Spare mech hanger included. RLC – Adjustable Rebound / Lockout / Compression. TALAS travel-adjusting system for 140/120/100mm travel. For 26 Quick-Release wheel. FSA Pig DH Pro. Everything on the bike was working fine before I retired it, but it’s been sat in storage for over 10 years after that. I can’t give any guarantees that things haven’t suffered from the effects of corrosion/perishing and stopped working properly in that time. My assessments on the state of it are limited by the fact that it’s no longer a complete bike, so it’s hard to properly assess certain things about it (especially the suspension). The frame has plenty of wear-and-tear, most notably from a bunch of chain-drops because this was ridden back in the days of triple front chainsets. Fitting a modern 1x system should mean that this doesn’t happen any more, and you could use the nubby little second-seattube to mount a clamp-on chain guide if you want to go the whole-hog. The pivot bearings weren’t new, but the suspension still feels like it’s moving freely. There’s a teeny little bit of play in the system, but I think it’s coming from the upper shock bushing and not the bearings. All of the dials on the forks still turn, but it’s hard to say if the internals are still fully doing their job. The TALAS system doesn’t seem able to access the lowest-travel setting (100mm), but the forks have retained their air-pressure astonishingly well over the years. The shock feels like it needs a new upper bushing. Headset bearings feel surprisingly good. Mech hanger looks straight, but I’m providing a brand-new spare with the frame, so it shouldn’t scupper anything if it isn’t.
