Ill-advised Hutch Exel update (freestyle, BMX, '80s content)

In reply to mndsm:

Tires? Those Intense's were on closeout for something like $9 a piece... I'm trying not to be completely mental about this

Besides, I like the look of black tires with this setup (though I waffled a bunch on whether to do all-black or skinwall).

Or am I BMX-slang-challenged on the "skinnies" thing? White-tread skinwalls? Narrow white tires? Close-fitting white jeans for riding? 'Cause I really can't do that...

The closest thing to a bike I imprinted on, and the origin of this craving was a hot pink Dyno on white Tuffs with, IIRC, black treaded skinwalls of the GT-logo-tread persuasion.

Skinny tires. Period correct T2's on white skinny tires. Common on flatland style bikes like that Hutch.

BTW - As I recall the geometry on that bike is pretty forgiving. While I was never able to get surfing down (standing on the seat and bars) I was able to do the version where you stand on the top tube and grab the seat between your calves. Given a long enough hill, I could do that for miles...

Excellent! That's right where I left off, too. Clamping the seat, no problem. But I never even got close to the full surfing maneuver. Much too twitchy about getting a foot on the bars...

Haven't had time to do anything meaningful, but at lunch had a couple of minutes to rest a couple of parts on it and snap a pic (in defiance of anything sensible anybody's ever said about photo locations and background clutter):

Man I love a tall layback seat post!

That is rad

It kills me that I am effectively a decade too young to be able to ride something like that.

Can you imagine a 20-something year old riding that in Inner SE Portland? Ha.

Trent hit it square on the head; it's rad!

In reply to Ditchdigger:

If it comes to it, I will plead with you to build up the General.

In reply to Burrito Enthusiast:

On the flip side, I've had 27 years since '87 to have any idea what I'm doing on the damn thing, and still don't. I guess if nothing else I'm supposed to be too old to be embarrassed about something like that...

Actually, I probably do ride better than in '87, it's just that the bar was set low...

So cool. Those wheels are spot on.

It lives!
I don't have a front brake on it yet, and so far the rear V-brake plate thing isn't working out exactly as I'd hoped; the Tuffs are so wide you can't really run the semi-spherical adjusters. The good news is that everything happens to coincide so the pads sit pretty darn well, but not perfectly. I can probably also firm things up by tweaking the noodle to get the last cable run straighter and get rid of some more compliance that way.

The other thing I noticed straightaway is damn is this thing short in the cockpit! I'm running the bars vertical right now, and am going to try to get used to that a bit instead of going straight to tilting them forward... It's making me wonder whether it was, as some people attempted to point out, silly to go with such old-school geometry, but A) I've wanted a bike like this so long I think I was going to have to try it before I could really let go, and B) I may still get used to it. I've just taken it for a test spin, and haven't spent any real time on it at all yet.

Yeah, those old bikes have some REALLY short geometry. They're fun though, and pretty easy to maneuver.

In reply to DILYSI Dave:

My thoughts exactly!

Hey, the rear brake is coming in a bunch with a little use!

Trying to decide for certain between another V-brake plate on the front vs a 990 plate. The only 990 I've run... sucked. I'm leaning strongly toward completing the sacrilege.

Trying to get up on the balance point on the rear trials-style (rear brake on, front wheel pretty high) is weird. You pretty much just pull the bars straight back to your thighs. I'm a long way from getting comfy. I was never good at manuals, but it's something I'd really like to learn. There's something so satisfying about balance maneuvers. Didn't make it to the park today before the encroaching mayhem got too close...

Made it to The Lumberyard last night. I think I'm going to have to cave in and try running the bars forward of vertical a bit. Just too bunched up on the bike...

It was fun, but I was wobbling around the "bunny slope" pump track o' tabletops, getting schooled by everybody including the four year old on the Skuut.

One of the most fun things may actually have been the "manual trainer" they have: A dirt jumper set up on a rear stand so it can pivot around its rear axle, with a tether on the front wheel so you can't loop out completely. That's a trip!

Wish I had pictures, but you've seen the bike, and all you have to do is imagine it at an indoor bike park with a doughy guy looking really awkward on it. I only detract from its intrinsic awesomeness.