What are you all riding? This is where we find out! You send us your submissions, and then we cast our judgemental expert lustful eyes over them and bring them to the world to ooh and ahh over. We’re picking the prettiest, the most curious, and the ones with a good story for you to appraise, praise, and maybe look wistfully at.
This week we opened our inbox to titanium and umlauts – our attention was caught. And then those tyres. We’re in. At least, we’re in for drooling. Would we want the responsibility of keeping this clean and shiny? Hmm… let’s get a closer look, hear from Javi about his choices, and then you can decide.
Why this bike?
I’ve always wanted a Titanium bike. Since those Merlins and Kona Hei-heis from the 90’s, I’ve felt the desire for this precious metal. After going through all the available materials (steel, alu, carbon) I finally managed to get one. I guess the white porc’s are part of that nostalgia from the 90’s too!!
I have a thing about Shimano. I don’t like it. Their products are awesome, but I just don’t like it. That causes issues when building bikes, mostly financial problems. Never been a fan of big, massive corporations so I tend to go for smaller, niche, almost artisanal brands. I have a soft spot for German technology and engineering, which makes things even harder (thanks, Brexit).
Why a hardtail? Simplicity. I’ve had FS bikes, and really enjoyed them. But a HT is going back to the basics (again, nostalgia from past times). Plus, they’re the best bikes for Scottish dust.
Javi’s Pässila Ramäkkä Specification
- Frame: Pässila Ramäkkä
- Fork: Intend Edge 160mm
- Shock: My legs
- Suspension Set Up: I’m about 79 kgs all geared up. Air pressure: 67 psi. Compression quite open, I like it soft as butter. Quick rebound. My set up is very personal, I like my forks to be fast response and springy.
- Wheels: Tune King & Kong hubs. Tune Trailrider rims.
- Tyres: Onza Porcupine 27.5 Marmite Edition.
- Tyre Inserts: Nah…..I’m using tubeless in the front tyre and a Schalbe posh tube in the rear.
- Chainset: Chain is a SRAM Eagle XX1. EeWings cranks because Ti. And a nice Ka Engineering Sharktooth chainring.
- Rear Mech: SRAM Eagle AXS. Once you go wireless there’s no coming back. Gamechanger.
- Shifters: Zirbel WE01 connected to a SRAM Blipbox. Looks neat, and work great!!
- Cassette: SRAM Eagle. Massive big cog because I’m getting old, but I’m still too young for an electric motorcycle.
- Brakes: Trickstuff Piccola. Hopp carbon levers. German engineering. Expensive, pretty, powerful. A bit like an Audi.
- Bars & Stem: Rust components Ti flatbar, 760mm. In the 90’s all bars were flat (except if you were John Tomac). Stem is an Intend Grace Trail. Again, German technology meets aesthetics and funcionality. 2 bolts, another memory from the 90’s.
- Grips: ESI racer’s edge. I need push-in grips rather than lock-on because of the cables from the shifters. Quite happy with these ones. I may try the slightly chunkier version of them in the future.
- Seatpost: RockShox Reverb AXS. Again, wireless is the way forward. I just hope they are working on smaller batteries.
- Saddle: SQlab 611 Sqantara. German engineering for your bum. They’re not cheap, and look weird, but when you get to a certain age, you just want a comfy saddle……
- Accessories: Keeping it to the minimum. No mudguards or bags. Rear thru axle is Titanium from Infinity, a company from Ukraine.
- Size and Weight: Large. No idea about the weight. Feels light. Rides great.
At the moment, I’m not planning any upgrades. But I’ve said that before, too many times. Everything on this bike has been carefully selected by me. It is very personalised to my liking. Most people hate it because of the tyres, but aesthetics apart, the Onzas work really well and have been a nice surprise.
This is my only bike at the moment. At times I’ve owned 3 or 4 bikes, but this one is a bike for everything. Lots of love in the building, which now I’m getting back on the trails.
Are you full of lust and envy at all those niche components? Or does the white colour scheme make you feel slightly anxious, like a white hallway carpet? Head to the comments!
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that is a beautiful bike. i hope it brings you lots of pleasure.
Stunning build. Dread to think what the final build cost would be! Tyres are indeed marmite (not for me) but don’t let that take away what is the best build, for me, so far.
That’s one nice build!!!
Great looking bike from an interesting build.
Not planning any upgrades!! What could possibly need upgrading on it?
It’s the trickest bike I’ve seen all year
That’s a very, very trick build, and a lovely looking bike! Fascinated by the electric shifting, my biggest concern obviously is just how long does a charge last?
My only changes would be carbon rise bars, and an SDG I-Beam post and saddle, because I know they work for me, especially the saddle! I love the inverted forks, always fancied a set of forks like that.
Errrrrr….. am I the only one thinks it looks totally out of whack with those angles and stretched out wheelbase?!
Fascinated by the shifters – so much cooler and less obvious than the AXS paddles. Lovely bike – its got me thinking…………
Correct way to spell the name is actually Pässilä Rämäkkä. Not very catchy I guess but very Finnish. But never mind, what a nice bike!