northwind
22-09-08, 12:55 AM
Goodbye old bike... It was showing its age, and I weighed up the costs of fixing all the little niggles, then looked at doing the upgrades I wanted to do, and it didn't make any sense to keep the old one, so, I just picked up a newer model...
No, not the SV! It's still ace. This:
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i264/Northwindlowlander/IMG_0549.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i264/Northwindlowlander/IMG_0551.jpg
Nice Gumtree find, £220 for a 50-mile and 6-month old bike that sells for £400 new. It's an 08 model Carrera Kraken, fairly weighty but overall pretty nice. It's barely even run in, and in lovely condition, I've put more marks and mud on it in the last 2 days than the last owner managed.
It's a world away from my 1992 Carrera Krakatoa! Weighs less too despite the suspension, and I'm just realising just how worn out some parts of the old one were. And these brakes! I know Tektro are a budget brand but compared to my knackered old deore v brakes it's incredible, stoppy machine... Never ridden a bike with pneumatic disc brakes before. And the fork is good enough, seems a wee bit overdamped but overall good- it's got a remote lockout too. I'm having to relearn how to ride offroad a bit, because the old one was really unforgiving and had to be carefully managed, while this one is a bit less precise but will bounce over anything with a bit of pace.
Smiley face! Spent hours this last week in the local park and up and down a nearby eroded dirt trail, rediscovering old spots, loving it. My leg's not really quite up to it but it's coming along nicely, I don't have the power or coordination for steep climbs but I'm hoping that'll come back with time.
Plans for the bike... Well, you know there'll be mod plans. I don't have much to spend, but it's very front-endy, I've nearly been over the front twice when it's decided to dive on a branch instead of going over, where I know my antique rigid would have just gone over. And the handlebars are a bit weird, they look upside down in fact but they're not. I think the previous owner might have swapped them left-right. So I think a shorter new stem and a set of monkeybars will be the first mod, and a bit more mud protection. Don't like the pedals much, I like non-binding toeclips (not spuds, I fall off too much) And I might have to inflict road tyres on the poor thing :rolleyes:
Now to fit an engine and a GSXR front end! Loving this thing, it's very much entry-level but to me it's like a bike from the future :smt002
No, not the SV! It's still ace. This:
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i264/Northwindlowlander/IMG_0549.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i264/Northwindlowlander/IMG_0551.jpg
Nice Gumtree find, £220 for a 50-mile and 6-month old bike that sells for £400 new. It's an 08 model Carrera Kraken, fairly weighty but overall pretty nice. It's barely even run in, and in lovely condition, I've put more marks and mud on it in the last 2 days than the last owner managed.
It's a world away from my 1992 Carrera Krakatoa! Weighs less too despite the suspension, and I'm just realising just how worn out some parts of the old one were. And these brakes! I know Tektro are a budget brand but compared to my knackered old deore v brakes it's incredible, stoppy machine... Never ridden a bike with pneumatic disc brakes before. And the fork is good enough, seems a wee bit overdamped but overall good- it's got a remote lockout too. I'm having to relearn how to ride offroad a bit, because the old one was really unforgiving and had to be carefully managed, while this one is a bit less precise but will bounce over anything with a bit of pace.
Smiley face! Spent hours this last week in the local park and up and down a nearby eroded dirt trail, rediscovering old spots, loving it. My leg's not really quite up to it but it's coming along nicely, I don't have the power or coordination for steep climbs but I'm hoping that'll come back with time.
Plans for the bike... Well, you know there'll be mod plans. I don't have much to spend, but it's very front-endy, I've nearly been over the front twice when it's decided to dive on a branch instead of going over, where I know my antique rigid would have just gone over. And the handlebars are a bit weird, they look upside down in fact but they're not. I think the previous owner might have swapped them left-right. So I think a shorter new stem and a set of monkeybars will be the first mod, and a bit more mud protection. Don't like the pedals much, I like non-binding toeclips (not spuds, I fall off too much) And I might have to inflict road tyres on the poor thing :rolleyes:
Now to fit an engine and a GSXR front end! Loving this thing, it's very much entry-level but to me it's like a bike from the future :smt002