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Tempted to the dark side - GT Ultrabox 2!

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Mikku:
I know "steel is real" and we all cut our teeth on hi-ten steel or 4130 but sometimes you just have see how the other half lives. I already race an aluminium Crupi frame with carbon Answer forks but recently an unexpected opportunity arose to take a bigger step into unchartered territory and pick up a carbon race frame. Not just any carbon frame, but one of those opinion-dividing frames that occasionally causes a stir. Am snowed under with work at the moment but here's a sneak peak of what I drove home with yesterday!! More pics and story to follow at the weekend, if not before. :daumenhoch:

Mikku:
Pumped up the tyres and took it for a maiden spin around the rice fields this evening! :daumenhoch:

Mikku:
So here are some more pics of my new toy! It's an interesting bike for sure. Based on a 2010 frame, the third and final year of UB2 production, it has a real mixed bag of components. The padded seat and assorted accessories (cyclocomputer, drink-holder, lights and lock) came off straight away but as you can see, it has some decent race parts, some road (Rotor 3DF) cranks and some mtb parts (by Canadian company Chromag and PRO bikegear)! Judging by the marks on everything, the bike has been well-used, presumably on the race track, at least in the early years of its life. It then passed hands and out of the race scene, last being used by the wife of the owner a recycle business, who decided to sell it after realising that she didn't like cruising around on it. Which is where I stepped in. :daumenhoch:

Apart from the rarity of the frame, what also attracted me were the race parts, including Renthal bars, Elevn forks and stem, and some well-worn but still straight Sun Envy rims which are laced to some Profile Elite hubs. The front spins forever and the back still has that distinctive sound from the cassette. I dare say that the latter could do with an overhaul but I'll leave that for another day. In the meantime, I'm going to break the bike down, clean it all up then take it from there. The Chromag bashguard will be coming off. The Izumi chain may be salvageable but I'll see after I've taken it off and cleaned it. Those non-stock (Smith and Mitas) frame decals on the non-drive side have got to go, though I'm hoping that the finish underneath won't have faded or otherwise be damaged by me removing them. Talking of Mitas, I had never heard of the brand until I investigated the tyres some more. Originally made by Czech company Rubena, the Speedo LTs are race-specific tyres with the LT standing for Czech Elite rider Lucas Tamme, who supposedly had a hand in developing them. In 2015/16 Rubena were then rebranded as Mitas, which explains the sticker.

After the clean up, the plan is to take the bike to the track and see how it goes. I can already feel how nimble it is just hooning around the rice fields but obviously the track is a different matter. If it's too short and/or stiff for my liking, then I may have to move it on but if not, I can start to think about what parts to use and what to swap out. The mtb parts can stay on there for the moment but I'm really not sure about that Rotor crankset! Since the chainring is a 43T, and therefore too small for me anyway, if I decide to keep the bike then I'll probably change the whole set-up to something more appropriate. On the plus side, it's certainly something you don't see everyday on a bmx, which I guess is in keeping with the frame! :coolsmiley:

Picklez:
Wow, way out of my knowledge base and wacky as heck, only part I remotely recognised was the Renthals  :LolLolLolLol:.  Will follow your updates with interest though Mick, especially keen to hear your feedback on how it handles on the track, re flex/rigidity etc.  :daumenhoch:

HUTCHMAN:
Welcome to the UB club buddy  fistblump  good score  :daumenhoch:

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