RaptoBike Mid Racer

[nessbike]

Hi Ricky,

I use 160 mm rotors on all my bikes (recumbent and mtb) - never had a problem pulling up, and have had to back down from 80+km/h on the odd descent. Rear brake cable is a tandem (3000mm) but the rest are standard. Rear is just marginally longer than standard brake cable on my current setup. Back brake is a little spongy as it is a full housing run (there are no stops on the frame) - also this is only running Avid BB5s (I prefer the BB7 - slightly bigger pad surface and more fine tunable) so perhaps not the feel I'm used to but it still pulls up OK.

Cheers

Alex

[william]

Hey!

Nice bike there Alex.
I may be wrong but you may be one of the lucky ones that has been able to secure a "high" racer frame from Arnold. I think I was lucky when I got my low racer frame as he shipped it in the few days after order. I'm sure he could sell a boatload if he cold get them built faster.

Handling is still the best I have ridden and if I was going to do another build I may consider a Shimano 11 speed internal hub, maybe, as it would simplify the chain line. I still love the power of the front disc brakes and watch this space as you will start seeing more on road bikes too.

Bottom bracket width size 107/113/118 etc refers to the axle end to end. This is necessary to get alignment of the chainrings with the drive idler.
68mm is the English standard of the bottom bracket width. If you buy a kit take your boom to a bike shop to get the threads chased before you put the bearing cups in. Mine had clamp marks on the threads making the cups too tight for my liking.

william

[nessbike]

Hi William,
yes, the mid racers are in demand - mine was slated for shipment a few days after order, but........... we'll be polite and say the order must have fallen on the workshop floor or behind the couch ... (or was bumped for a local order - I noticed the same colour frame kit parked by the track at the pics from the WHPVA champs!)The frames are actually being built in Taiwan, so volume isn't a problem if you need it - I think part of the hold up was that when I visited Arnold last year he was shipping the raw unpainted frames back from Taiwan and getting them painted in the Netherlands - probably something to do with the ultimate company of origin label.
The other drive option you might want to try is a Sram 3 x 9. I'm running that now on the performer FWD with a 20" wheel and that has solved all the multi chainwheel crossover issues and gives a much smoother run. The only tip is to get maximum downhill rolling speed you need to flick the hub back to 2 as that is the internal gear with the least drag (from memory almost 1:1). Otherwise its nice to have the full run of the cluster - across all three internal gears - handy for keeping the speed up in rolling terrain.
A lot of the problems are clearly to do with the twisting and the short chain to idler run from a small wheel and longer derraillier. I haven't noticed it is an issue with a bigger drive wheel on the mid racer at all - even with a full road triple setup. I guess the longer chain run (for the bigger wheel) puts less turning stress through the chain between the return idler and the last jockey wheel and so the shift stays clean?

Watch this space - still need to do some serious hill climbing to really test out the gear range.
Cheers Alex

[}SkOrPn--7]

Alex was that a deliberate decision on your part to order the frame with V- brake bosses or didn't you know you could have these removed during the ordering process since you have equipped it with disk brakes?

Ricky

[nessbike]

Hi Ricky,

it was a deliberate decision - allowed for maximum options on wheel configuration with the setup.
Cheers Alex

[Vimes]

William Please check your in box

[william]

Ricky,
I ordered mine without the brake bosses for the clean look but in hindsight if you have them you have options as Alex stated and also a place for bolting accessories for that epic ride.

william.