Thoughts on the 29′er
The partially-complete 29'er frameset.
So I’m at the stage where I’m starting to contemplate the finishing touches on the 29′er. The front triangle is together, the chainstays are attached, and the seatstays are the next piece, which will leave only the small details. Obviously, dual bottle cage mounts, plus hardware in case I decide to make it a multi-speed bike (unlikely).
I had been thinking about a third bottle cage mount, under the down tube. That’s something you normally see only on touring frames, and on a mountain bike, would result in a water bottle that’s covered by mud and dirt. Yuck. Not happening.
The bridges between the seatstays and chainstays need to be bent, cut/mitered, and installed. I’ll probably do an arc between the left seatstay and chainstay to resist the torque from the disc brake caliper. Straight tubes would be easier, but I think the aesthetic would annoy the piss out of me.
The big thing on this is going to be the brake cable routing. For the front, I want to route the cable into the the fork — through the top of the right blade and out the back of the left. I’ll need to pick Paul’s brain on this one, because it’s tricky. Also tricky is the plan for the rear brake — I’d like to go in through the top tube and out through the left seat stay.
Happily, I’ve already decided on a paint scheme. I need to get some masks ordered up, very soon. Like next week.
Looks attractive, please keep us updated.
Nobody ever seems to *use* the third waterbottle mounts, especially these days when camelbacks are so common.