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New Downhill Bike

2K views 23 replies 12 participants last post by  317000 
#1 ·
A few days ago I made a thread about downhilling at Whistler on a hardtail. I was able, however, to find a very good deal on Ebay. :D :D :D :D :D

1st Picture. Azonic Steelhead (this was an earlier picture of it, before it got a front brake)
2nd Picture. Raleigh Ram :cool:

Tell me what you think! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 

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#6 ·
kenbentit said:
I like the Steelhead. I have the older version before they added the cool hydroform look. What's your's weighing in at? I'm at almost 38lbs with DeeTrax wheels and an 04 DJ2 fork.
I'm not sure how much my steelhead weighed
 
#12 ·
creyc said:
Could you please explain what you mean by this? I thought it looked kinda cool.
It's machined from a polycarbonate thermoplastic. Polycarbonates are badass...very strong, good workability, durable, etc. However, there are certain chemicals that thermoplastics don't like (ie they brake down the stucture, scientifically and so forth). Do you know what sorts of chemicals are in a can of spray paint? Hell no, no one does. But there is bound to be a compound in there that will potentially ruin the integrity of your shiny new bashring.

I don't think e.13 recommends it either, along with some cleaning products...
 
#13 ·
acetone is a typical spraypaint base. it will F up the finish on polycarbonate (and most plastics besides teflon), but i would hesitate to say that it would comprimise the structural integrity of a 10 mm thick bashguard, unless you were really trying. still, i would avoid spraypainting a plastic bash...non-acetone based paints will probably be ok. always test it out first. toluene (a typical spraypaint base) could be bad too...not sure though. i'll try it out at work tomorrow ;) regardless, good lookin bikes...DH on a hardtail must be insane
 
#16 ·
Andrewpalooza said:
It's machined from a polycarbonate thermoplastic. Polycarbonates are badass...very strong, good workability, durable, etc. However, there are certain chemicals that thermoplastics don't like (ie they brake down the stucture, scientifically and so forth). Do you know what sorts of chemicals are in a can of spray paint? Hell no, no one does. But there is bound to be a compound in there that will potentially ruin the integrity of your shiny new bashring.

I don't think e.13 recommends it either, along with some cleaning products...
I used to be into the RC car scene not long ago, and the bodies which fit the cars are made out of a polycarbonate plastic. (lexan) Obviously the bodies get painted up in just about every manner you can think of, and although its very thin plastic, it maintains its structural rigidity after many coats of paint.

If you want to paint the back of your clear plastic bash guard I would recommend just getting some paint from a local hobby shop. Tamiya makes a great spray paint that comes in a ton of different colors. Just make sure you clean the bashgaurd with soap before or it wont ever stick. Not that I'm really sure it wont just scratch off on the first ride anyways. ;)
 
#22 ·
creyc said:
I used to be into the RC car scene not long ago, and the bodies which fit the cars are made out of a polycarbonate plastic. (lexan) Obviously the bodies get painted up in just about every manner you can think of, and although its very thin plastic, it maintains its structural rigidity after many coats of paint.

If you want to paint the back of your clear plastic bash guard I would recommend just getting some paint from a local hobby shop. Tamiya makes a great spray paint that comes in a ton of different colors. Just make sure you clean the bashgaurd with soap before or it wont ever stick. Not that I'm really sure it wont just scratch off on the first ride anyways. ;)
I worked as a CNC machinist for a long time making architectural signage, and we used polycarbonate all the time (Makrolon mostly). We painted it using Matthew's MAP paints, but we have to put down a coat of a primer called Ti-bond first, or else the paint job is f'ed. There is a whole set of rules about how you can paint polycarbonate (depending on the type....e.13 supposedly has their own custom mix). All I know is that some painting methods are better than others...and I still don't think e.13 recommends it
 
#24 ·
odo said:
Maybe we should get back to topic. I was wondering what people think about a 888VF on the Raleigh Ram? :confused: :confused:
If the Sherman that's on the Ram right now has TPC damping (Looks like a Sherman Flick), going to the SSVF damped 888vf will be a big step backwards. May even be inferior to a well set up (devolved) SPV damping system too. The VF has absolutely ZERO adjustably besides what you can do with adjusting oil weight/level, and spikes like crazy at high speed. The RC is a much better option, and for an additional $150 the HSCV damping is more than worth it.

If you go the route of a pre-2006 888, flat crowns are something to be considered, as the stock crowns are unnecessarily tall.
 
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