Don't be shy - show us your rig and let us praise it!


Some rules: at least one photo is obligatory! Also, please write at least short description of the setup so we can discuss it and ask you some questions (which can be useful for people building or upgrading their Balfas).

This topic is for 2Steps, Belair, Minuteman, Wooly Bully, Bobonum and NR users! If you have a BB7, please submit it in this topic.


For description, you can use this template if you want:

New wheels, brakes, handlebars, stem, seatpost, cranks blah blah blah





The BlackSpire seatpost is long enough to get me up to the woods, and sinks low enough into the frame for me to get really silly.

2.5" DH tyres on hardtails rule

Hope 6Pot Ti brakes enough for ya?

Frame is a long - 23" top tube if measure horizontal. BlackSpire seatpost is a mahooosive 425mm long and is not even at full extension to suit my long legged 5'11". It took some research to find a post this long... and two bent Roox posts . The BlackSpire is 6 months old and shows no signs of bendage (touch wood ).

Diabolus cranks are probably overkill but they were so cheap as to be nearly free

The Pike forks have blown up a few times on big landings even after I changed to a firm spring . I'm now running the "Push" upgrade and I'm back on a Medium spring and enjoying the performance ... must be the heavy langings to flat

It's a really solid feeling bike with this set up and really happy with it. I doubt I''ll manage to break it but that won't stop me trying

Gratuitous in use shot



I have other bikes but this is my workhorse which see's most of my stupid local forest action and almost never gets cleaned. Roll it out of the garage, ride it out hard, quick wipe with an oily rag, shove in garage, repeat. Local forest is a bike-breaker and my bikes have evolved to get tougher after breaking many frames and parts over the last 18 years of riding. I bit the bullet this year with new wheels and hand me down brakes from my big bike... I wish I had put better brakes on this years ago.

I love this awesome bike.


Frame: Balfa Minuteman – Large (long)
Fork: RockShox Pike Team with medium Spring and Push Upgrade
Rear shock: NA

Cockpit:
Handlebar: RaceFace Diabolus
Grips: Yeti Lock-on
Barends: Doh!
Stem: Cheap 50mm stem
Headset: Hope
Seat: WTB
Seatpost: BlackSpire 425mm humungous
Seatpost clamp: Hope

Drivetrain:
Cranks: RaceFace Diabolus
Bottom Bracket: Hope Stainless Steel
Sprocket: 22 and 32 with Bash
Chain: Sedis
Casette: Shimano XT 11-34
Pedals: XT SPD
Chain device: NA
Rear derailleur: XT
Shifter: XT

Wheelset:
Hubs: Hope Hoops
Spokes: Yes
Rims: Stans Flow
Tyres: Michelin Comp 16 (or Mud3 on the back)
Tube: No-tubes

Brakeset
Calipers: Hope Mono 6ti
Levers: Hope Mono 6ti
Cables: Standard
Brake fluid: Yes
Pads: Standard


Weight: Guess – 34 lbs?

Edit - Actual - 34lbs

Great bike for what i do, endure the climbs for fun on the downhill, its in training for next years mega avalanche. Awesome fact that it is handbuilt in a small workshop and not mass produced in a sweat shop. As far as i know i have the only one in Ireland so Vive la Difference

Frame: Balfa 2step FR
Fork: RockShox Lyrik U-Turn
Rear shock: Fox Vanilla RL

Cockpit:
Handlebar: Dabomb Big Stick
Grips: Funn Lock on
Barends:
Stem: Titec, soon to be replaced with a thomson x4
Headset: FSA
Seat: Charge Spoon
Seatpost: Planet X - to be replaced with Thomson
Seatpost clamp:

Drivetrain:
Cranks: Shimano LX
Bottom Bracket: Shimano
Sprocket: 22, 32, 42
Chain: Shimano Dura ace
Casette: Shimano XT 11-34
Pedals: Shimano clipless
Chain device: NA
Rear derailleur: XT
Shifter: XT

Wheelset:
Hubs: Hope bulb rear DMR front with Hope bigun bearings
Spokes: DT Swiss Double Butted
Rims: Mavic 325 rear 321 front
Tyres: Depending on trails and weather Maxxis Swampthings in the wet, Maxxis High Rollers in the dry
Tube: Black and round

Brakeset
Brakes: Hope Mono mini with Mono 6 ti saw rotors 203 front 183 rear

bon voila ma nouvelle ride cette année, toujours mon bon vieux cadre Balfa...mais avec tout la transmission neuve et quelque extra...

peinture..........: de la cacan tremclad vert lime+du clear (beau bon pas cher)
sticker............: tous fait main, découper couleur par couleur dans du vinyl
frame.............: Balfa 2 step hd, triangle arrière de 2step dh.
fourche..........: Marzocchi 66 rc3, stanchion de ata.
amortisseur.....: fox dhx 5.
guidon............: one bmx racing (rare).
potence..........: Race face diabolus.
headset..........: Ritchey wcs logic.
shifter............: Sram x9.
dérailleur.........: Sram x9 medium.
cassette.........: Sram pg 990.
chaine............: Sram pc 991, power link.
pédalier...........: Truvativ holzfeller 170mm.
boitier pédalier.: Truvativ howitzer.
plateau...........: e13, 37 dents
guide chaine....: Mrp system 1
pédales...........: Crankbrothers 5050xx.
moyeux arr......: Hadley sdh r 1.3. 10mm axle.
moyeux av.......: Formula 20mm.
rims................: Alexrims dx32.
pneus.............: Maxxis hookworms 2.5".
freins..............: hayes mag dh 8", hope stainless cables, razorrock level.
tige de selle.....: no name 27.2.
selle...............: daredevil.
spécial............: Klaxon airzound, métal tank, cornet modifier droit.

Hey everyone,
pretty new here. my bike aint nothing special, i call it my budget bomber as i try to use free/cheap parts to get it ridable as i rescued it with just rims tires and frame fork and handlebars.
.243 racing neck and bars
salsa 3 tooth up front
zoom fork
swift arrive rims
bontrager 2.75 tires
mechanical disk up front and cantilever pad brakes up front.
its a work in progress and i hope to get some rides in this summer.


photo before the fork and brake change

Good base is always most important and with Minuteman frame you're good to go building a nice classic I'd go for parts from the same time - like 2002-2003 Marzocchi, etc. (those parts gets seriously cheap these days) and update it with some modern solutions, like wide bars, lightweight chain device, up-to-date tyres and so on