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Just back from the shakedown/hunt the annoying click ride with this one:
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/7915/46626694795_5d593cc6e1_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/7915/46626694795_5d593cc6e1_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2e3eZUX ]IMG_20190405_100804[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/155851253@N05/ ]Martin Hutchinson[/url], on Flickr
Orbea Occam AM Carbon, 140mm each end. Fox Float Evol and Xfusion Sweep HLR, DT Swiss EX1501/XM1501 Spline, SLX crankset/derailleur, Sunrace 11-46 with 32t oval up front.
Frame courtesy of the classifieds, most other bits from my Flare.
Have to say I'm pretty impressed so far. Probably well over a kilo lighter than the Flare, certainly a lot easier to shoulder it for hike-a-bikes. Slightly shorter wheelbase/shorter stays, just wants to manual up and pop off everything.
Plus I can get a bottle inside the frame, which is a bonus.
Yeah, nice that matey.
Like that Martin. Be interesting how different it is to mine. Apart from the 10mm of travel, it looks identical!
I hope you haven’t got one of those Ardent’s on the front!
Apart from the 10mm of travel, it looks identical!
Mine is a little stealthier than yours...
I hope you haven’t got one of those Ardent’s on the front!
No, it's only on the back because I shredded my XR3 in the Lakes. It's rubbish!
Yeah mine is a bit shouty. Easy to find in a dark shed tho 🙂
Ardents, not very fast, not very grippy. Not one of Maxxis’s better tyres! Hope to get out on mine again this weekend but it’s very wet here. Might have to drag the bike out that has two mudguards..
How did it compare to the Flare then? Other than being lighter?
Might all be my imagination, but always felt a bit stretched out on the Flare, so was probably a tad too long for me. That made my steering a bit lazy, something I really noticed when flicking the front end around in between rocks today.
Need to adjust saddle/bar/grip position again on the Occam and sort out suspension settings too (everything on middle setting today). Fork was making a noise like an injured animal every time I pulled on the bars, so rebound is probably a bit slow.
I’ve got a DVO shock on mine. After one ride, I’m borrowing my mate’s shockwiz. Anything wit two air valves is too complicated for this bear of little brain.
Even after I’d plugged the numbers into the ‘spreadsheet of infinite macros’ which established it was pretty close is geo to my RipMo, it feels quite different. Shorter for a start. Quicker steering as well. Always hard to tell one ride in - especially as I was feeling very ropey.
Next weekend we’re off to Llangollen and then Coed to ride the Beast. Llangollen loop is proper rocky and the beast is always fun on a FS bike so should know more after that.