Our first batch of deep mud from motorbike abused trail had both bikes clearances tested. No problem up front from the rigid forks on both bikes, the swift has a lovely mud shelf cross brace between the chain stays while the mud just falls through on the open Pace. The swift gains marks back on the  seat-stays, tons of space there, a nice gap on the 2.1 tyres.  The RC129′s swoopy hourglass tubes look superb when following, but they tuck in close to the tyre. Winter use will certainly strip of the paint there as it cleans the tyre of mud and gravel. You could use the slideouts to drag the wheel back 12mm if using gears, but this would ruin the shortish chain stay length possible at 437mm (range 443mm +/- 6mm)

No Shelf - mud only on chainstays

Shelf collects mud and forces it into cogs

Daves Medium frame is recommended for riders up to 6 foot, and you have to say the frame looks compact compared to most garden gate looking 29er’s, giving way more stand over height.  The 600mm Top tube length is ample to use a 70mm stem. the important angles are head tube at a nippy 71.5 deg with 73,5 deg seat tube.

A word about the Swift frame, it’s no Pegasus both angles at 72 should work for me and it’s a nice ride but I just find it too firm and the initial impression when riding it for the first time in a while is how tall the front end appears. I’ve messed around with different seat posts and stems with no answer. Put it this way, it’s not staying in the quiver.

Classic Chrome and sldeouts

Having briefly ridden the RC129 before, I was keen to give it a good test. It was an ideal chance to compare as me and Dave seem to be exactly the same dimensions.  We sized them up trying to work out the minute differences, The Pace noticeably putting the rider further forward over the BB and being much shorter at the rear as the Swift has 450mm chain stays.

Riding we swopped after nailing sections of different trails and then swapped back to re-compare. First time on the Pace for me was on a downhill fast man-made bermed section. The initial reaction was strange, I seemed to have to put way more steering input into leaning over, I was so confused that we measured our handlebar widths, which were identical. there’s no doubt the Pace has quick steering, but you don’t really steer on berms anyway, this seemed to indicate the higher riding position of the swift. Being further off the ground meant less body lean than the more compact Pace…I think.

This seemed to be confirmed in a race through a tight FNSS  section of wooded singletrack I have ridden many times. The Rc129 was lightning quick dancing through the trees, considering I was on a bike I had ridden for about 30 minutes it was ace. I flew through there drifting the Racing Ralphs with ease, it felt so good. So much so that at the end I waited quite a while for Dave and even questioned if he had fallen off.

What was it about this bike that made it feel so right, so comfortable compared to the fellow steel framed Swift. Could it just be down to the design; the swoopy tubes and the  quality 853 Reynolds tubing. There’s a section of rocky track that wears me down regularly, I was keen to compare here and was so amazed at the two bikes differences. we swapped several times and both convinced ourselves it must be down to the tyres. the swift had the carbon Niner fork, which feels great on the Pegasus, so it had to be. We swapped wheels on both bikes, no difference! I then let some air out of the Swifts front tyre convinced it must be that  (found out afterwards it was down to 19PSI) still no appreciable difference.

In a nutshell I didn’t want to give the Pace back, it just felt so right. it sure condemned the Swift, it’s just not for me. No bullshit the medium RC129 frame with a 70mm stem felt like it had been made around me. It confirms that 71-72 deg seat tubes angles suit me. It was a joy to ride, climbs well, corners telepathically at times and looks classical. It’s a shame it only has room for one bottle and I’m still not a fan of the rear brake and gear cable routing, but those could be changed, it’s only steel.

The swift is heavy, but the Pace RC129 is certainly no light weight coming in at 2.62 KG. That’s a whopping 1Kg (2,2 lbs) heavier than the Pegasus, but if you want things to last…
Thing is though it’s not a true race bike,  that’s a whopping double the weight of  a carbon Giant XTC O model. Which at a claimed 1300g frame with angles of 71 head 72.5 seat and a chain stay of 17.3 (439.4) and TT 23.4 (594) definitely needs a test ride. This could be the one, but then it could be a stiff as dodo and feel shit. the search goes on.

Superb crisp 100 mile ride

Mindfully of the harsher rear end than the Pegasus the USE carbon post and WTB SST were called on. Getting unusually silly with the tape measure and spirit level I noted all dimensions as a neutral starting point, I wanted to understand what effect the changes had.

Needing a bike for some long bike packing epics what better test than to go out and crank some miles. CX tyre mode on the Stans Alpha wheels and 101 road miles later I was smiling. I can honestly say that’s one of the most comfortable long rides I’ve done for some time, the front end kick up having two effects. A higher front end (at 20mm sag) meant less pressure on the hands and shoulders, the 71 deg seat angle seemed to have the impact of placing me in just the right spot in comparison to the bottom bracket. Good news for epics but what about when you throw corners and lumps into the mix.

On with the bigger tyres, exact same setup, just a swap to the DT wheels shod in Ardent/Crossmax hoops, then off on our regular Tue night nightride with the guys. I have to admit i didnt have much energy on this ride which does tend to sway feelings but at no time did the bike feel lacking in the handling dept round some tight wooded circuits.  I even liked the front end feel, Boy it’s still a tad harsh but then it was frozen solid at – 4 degs and it does now seem to want to have fun. Pulling up over roots and log jumps is now at least do-able. More test rides needed when I’m a bit fresher and can push it, but I’m in a better frame of mind that I now have a bike for my long distance plans for 2012. details soon!

After musing over the ideas of an ideal frame, look what surfaced yesterday; The 2012 Kona Raijin.

Kona Raijin prototype

Built by Lynskey if it maintains the traditions of Kona, long top tube, good clearances I initially thought it could be on the wanted list.  On closer inspection the geometry at 69.5-degree head  appears slack to the Pegasus 72, with the 74-degree seat angle giving more tyre clearnce but again not comparable to the 72.5 of the Peg.  It has a 12.2in (310mm) bottom bracket height. unfortunately looks more burly than XC.

Pro’s – 44mm headtube and designed for 100mm fork with external headrace (don’t like internal); solid chainring plate on the chainstays. Sliding dropouts, which look like the weakness of the TD-1 design have been strengthened with a central brace. Post mount rear brake is good.

Cons’s – BB30 which reduces overall stiffness of the BB area and the mudshelf, weight at 150g more than TD-1, that slack front end, and being picky the damn  ugly kink in the downtube!

On the subject of Frame building, check this out old Skool Elevated stays. The whole site is interesting insight in having any crazy ideas you have brought to life in an actual one off frame by XACD

The TD-1 only exisited because the Pegasus failed, and the TD-1 never elevated above the roll of stand in, it’s no suprise that neither bike will remain on sale long into 2012.
The Pegasus is a fantastic bike, I love riding and racing it, but that makes its flaws even more heart braking, I don’t want to ride anything else. Problems, well: The clearance for the chainrings is poor, those that run it singlespeed will never notice, but mainly it just isn’t going to last! it’s proved too fragile. Another owners comments!

An example - This is NOT my frame

As I’ve found out the hard way, using a 32T ring and or/a granny ring are just not worth the risk; this compromise is no problem for general rides, but for more long distance epics with hard climbing the lack of granny ring just breeds leg fatigue. The frames just crack, Titanium frame for life, that’s a myth, Ti suffers work fatigue like any other metal, but the attrition rate for the Nevi built frames brings the design or manufacture into question.

The ride of the Pegasus is superb, so much it makes the TD-1 feel like a plank, is this down to just too much give in the lightweight tubes? I don’t think so as some of the cracks seen are in strange places. Nevi built their frames in an argon cabinet to reduce the risk of contamination, but how much attention did they show to preventing overheating while welding. I’m no expert but all the pictures I ever saw were of whole bikes being welded in one go. Can’t have been easy in heavy gloves and such restricted environment. This makes interesting reading on the need for top techniques.

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/articles/index.php?page=article120.html
A new replacement Pegasus has been made for one Singular rider by a German firm, it will be interesting to see how he gets on with it.

It’s not the TD-1′s fault it was designed for head down fast riding on a short fork. It does this well, the steering is razor sharp but as a consequence to me its harsh and just no fun. With all your weight forward its a bitch to pull up, old skool riding that no-one wants to go back too. This makes it quite good as a flat barred road bike, and as ChainReactioncycles have discounted them right down to clear they are a bargain Ti frame for that in anyones book. I doubt if you’ll see a replacement as Ragley have lost their mentor who has returned to On-One.

The TD-1 didn’t get re-sold as its value just evaporated, not a popular concept. It had uses mainly due to the fantastic chainstay design, that solid lump of Ti the “Finger Bridge” cures both the Pegasus tyre and chainring clearance issues in one fell swoop. Also trying it out with the longer Niner fork for long distance bivy rides, it worked. I didnt get battered on 200 miles of rutted hard tracks, more give and less weight on the hands, and the slower handling slack front end didn’t matter. If only the two frames good points could be combined………….mmmm

The complete lack of faith in the Pegasus has led me to seriously consider a custom made frame to my requirements. The dimensions and angles of the Pegasus with a solid chainstay plate like the finger-bridge, room for the latest trick forks which only seem to come in tapered design, and a quality build. One man has been found who can produce what looks like a superb product,  but can I regain confidence in lightweight Ti frames.

Custom builds don’t come cheap, but Ti is a bike for life…….isn’t it, I’d settle for 10 years.

For now A Singular Swift is filling the roll of winter mud plugger, chucked together and saving the life of the Pegasus, not how I envisaged it. I’m back to stumbling over too many bikes in the garage again…grrr.

Pace 129 and TD-1 figure highly, guess thats the fact they are in the Chain Reaction sale, the FSA Bottom bracket bearings figure every week as they are such a wierd size.