Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

1996 DBR Axis R

13K views 22 replies 5 participants last post by  Pyro Tim 
#1 · (Edited)
I've been busy the past couple of days putting my Axis R back together, having stripped it after buying it back in October. It was collected and posted it to me by a retrobike member, for which I am extremely grateful to him.

When it arrived the elastomers had gone, the BB was ropey, large chainring was bent, the saddle had a couple of rips in it, it had plastic pedals and it had Gripshift on it. I didn't like the rear wheel much either. All were changed.

Money was tight, and I spent my time sourcing quality parts at best prices.
I couldn't get a 44 or 46 tooth Ritchey chainring, so got a 48 tooth one from ebay. Well, I like going fast down hill :lol:

I bought a red hoped rear wheel on Mavic X517 as a spare back in October, from a retrobike member. UN72 BB, and got the M739 shifter combo from retrobike members. Thanks to all of you.
190lb+ stiff springs from ebay, and some Porcipaws and M780 SPDs from ebay too. I managed to get the Flite Ti from ebay as well, by buying a bike! :lol: Thanks to another retrobike member for collecting and posting to me. This was the source of the rear tyre too, a Smoke :D Front I got as a reissue from bike-discount.de

To help fund this I sold the Gripshift and the original M739 levers.

I stripped her down to her bare bones


Thanks to a couple of retrobike members for their invaluable advise and help with the forks. I learned a lot. Here she is with the forks rebuilt and the BB in. It was a testing afternoon yesterday in the cold, with having to sell and fettle my wife's BSO at the same time.


It was then a case of work quickly this afternoon before the light ran out



For some reason it was a real b*tch to index the front mech, but sorted now


I had tried M737 pedals




but they were far too heavy, so this is the finished article, but it was pretty dark by now, so will probably get some better pics in the morning, on my test ride

:D

Spec
Frame: DBR Axis R 19"
Fork: Rock Shox Judy SL
Mechs: M739 XT
Brakes: M739 XT
Chainset: M737 XT
Pedals: M780 XT
BB: UN72
Bars: Avenir
Stem: Tioga
Headset: Tioga
Seatpost: Zoom 26.8
Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Ti
Tyres: Panaracer Smoke, reissue Dart. May change for Smoke and Dart backwall
Wheels: Hope red on Mavic X517
Cassette: M737 XT
Skewers: M739 XT
Grips: Onza Porcipaws

Comments and critiques welcome :)
 
See less See more
7
#4 ·
I've changed the front wheel to a red Hope suspension hub on X517 SUP, and have just purchased a M737 chainset to go on it (black outer ring, rest silver, blue bolts. It will then be completed, until I can get a Middleburn RS2 for her.

To be honest, I think your forks look too fat for the beautiful thin tubes on the frame, and would look better with something more inkeeping with its design. I also think you need to cut down your steerer as the bit sticking out above your stem looks awful. TBH my WCF 4.0 rides better, but this looks better.
 
#6 ·
true, it is a nice fork, and with such a small frame, would be a crime to cut it down. Maybe put it on a more modern frame, and put something more inkeeping on the Axis. It is a nice bike, don't get me wrong. I'm an arse, and just like being period correct.
 
#8 ·
I don't have scales, but it feels about 23-4. If yours was mani 5s on the original wheels, mine should come in slightly under that, but I have the M780 pedals, and I guess the 23 was without pedals. The Axis R came with rigid forks over here in Blighty, but they were long gone when I got it. I thought originally they came with M737 on 217s. I've got the original front wheel, but the rear had been replaced by the time I got it. I've got the original tyres too, WTB VelociRaptors, but I put them on my wifes bike. The Sugino chainset was gone, and the more modern Ritchey (pictured) was on it, but without the outer ring. I've just pulled the trigger on a M737 chainset
 
#9 ·
It will be very close. I had a very similar build originally, but with Raceface cranks and xt rings. Here in the US, it came with a manitou sx with a steel steerer. I replaced it with the 5 with aluminum steerer right away. Here in the US it was called the Axis team. Supposedly there were only 500.
 
#10 ·
This is US spec in link below. It varies from UK (Axis R), as mine has TT lite tubing, and a 26.8 seatpost. Mine came with XT brakes, mechs, levers and SRT800 shifters. I don't know if they had been changed before I got it, or came as standard, but are the same, or slightly better than the US Axis. Mine is also blue, red and white, not silver, with the yellow details. I know the Ritchey chainset isn't original, as they didn't do 4 arm in 96.

BikePedia - 1996 Diamondback Axis Complete Bicycle
 
#13 ·
I'll get some better pics up, but mine are the original ones from the 90s. Well, not the 1st generation, but you get the idea. I will do a new set of photos when the chainset arrives, which will hopefully be this week.

I will also be rebuilding my WCF this week. Had my Pace RC35 MXCDs fully serviced and rebuilt, and replaced the ali steerer. Will be a similar spec to this. M739 mostly with M737 chainset and rear hub. Hope front, in silver, on X517s. Ti bars, X-lite ZE360 seatpost, Flite Ti saddle, Onza HO Ti pedals. Smoke and Dart amberwall. On lookout for a ti stem, and seatpost. I've found a seatpost, but will cost me £95, and a stem, £110 which I don't have right now :(
 
#15 ·
I have some Hope hubs, rear is a screw on that I'm toying with building up as a SS wheelset, on Campag Stheno rims I've got. Alternatively I'll just wait until I find a cassette rear hub, and just build them up as a weight weenie wheelset.

Really need to find some Middleburn RS2s at a good price for the Axis R though. I will be entering it into Retrobike of the month next month hopefully, unless of course the WCF looks stunning when rebuilt ;)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top