Thursday, June 11, 2020

On One Inbred: To Stubborn To Die

The On One Inbred circa 2006
Okay folks, if you are a long time reader of this blog, you know the story of this bike goes back.......like waaaaay back! This was a bike I had, really liked, got rid of, wished I had back, never thought I'd see again, and ended up getting it back! That almost never happens.

It is a bike that has some special meaning to me for a couple of reasons. I used it on my first attempt at the very first Dirty Kanza 200 in 2006. I also used it in 2007 when I was part of a team of 4 at a 12 hour MTB event which our team won. (Never mind we were the only 4 man team entered into the 12 hour event!)

The bike rode like a really nice steel framed bike should- smooooove! Yes, that is a technical term, and I am sorry if it leaves you baffled, but there is no other way to describe this in the English language. <==HA!

Anyway, one ting led to another. I got the reviewing gigs, parts and bike were piling up. The Inbred wasn't getting used. A co-worker expressed interest in it and purchased it from me with the caveat that I had first dibs on it if it were to be sold by him. Of course, he loved the bike. Why wouldn't he? It was great. He passed it on to his brother, and then it fell out of my reckoning. You can read a bit about that, and what happened to the original fork here.

The bike that replaced the Inbred was my OS Bikes Blackbuck, so I did well with that! At least it wasn't a downgrade, and arguably, it was a better bike, being single speed specific, which I was more into. Still am, actually. This '05 Inbred was a "compromise" bike. Neither single speed nor geared, it had provisions for both things.

This is myself at the first DK200. Image by the late Joel Dyke
So, back then I figured I had done the right thing, but that Inbred haunted me. I still liked the way it rode a lot. Then I had the chance to get into a single speed specific rendition of the Inbred a few years later. I thought, I hoped that it would be the same bike. That smooth riding machine that I used to have, only now in single speed specific form.

Well, despite the fact that the "Inbred the 2nd" rode really well as a single speed, it wasn't that bike that I remembered. It was stiffer, and well.......different. I still have it, by the way, and it works well for what it is, but it wasn't what I had remembered from the original bike.

But then it didn't matter, really. I mean, I wasn't ever going to see that original bike again. I had moved on anyway. I was into 'gravel bikes' now. Not MTB. "Real" gravel bikes weren't like that original On One Inbred. We had 'adventure warts' and carbon forks, and decent, well thought out gravel bike geometry. What in the heck would I do with that old Inbred anyway? I didn't need another single speed, much less another single speed mountain bike. I already have some of those!

But it was my second 29"er, and I am sentimental and all that. Bad things when you like stuff like bicycles and guitars! So, I knew that if my old co-worker ever rang me up and said that the ol' Inbred was up for sale that I'd likely bite the bullet and pay whatever price it was going to be to get it back. Whatever the condition of it was at the time. Scary thought, but probably true.

Then one day about four years ago.......
Maybe some of you long time readers will remember that in May of 2016 I came into work at my old job and there was my old Inbred! Sitting on my bench, partially built up! What?!! Well, the guy I sold it to had gotten it back from his brother and remembered that I still wanted first dibs on it. But instead of having me buy it, he just gifted it to me! I was blown away by his gesture, and still am.

The only bad thing? No fork, and these were bikes designed around 80mm travel suspension forks. Somewhat like early 90's MTB's designed around 63mm travel forks, these early 29"ers really don't like longer forks. So, the project sat stuck in nuetral. But......I had the old bike back! 

There was a carbon fork for this bike with an aluminum crown, but I sold it as well, since I had zero use for it with no Inbred to put it on. (The SS specific Inbred was 100mm travel compatible) Then the OG steel fork came back, but it was battered and beaten until cracked. No good! Again, you can read all about that here.

The Inbred as it sits now in 2020.


Obviously, the carbon fork got bought back, and so I was able to reassemble the bike. I decided against going with a single speed in the end since, as I said above, I really don't need that bike. I did go with a sort of Fargo-ish build, since the 18" Inbred was a tad on the short side for me anyway. That plays perfectly into a drop bar build, and so that's what I did. It is a hodge-podge of parts that I had about. The controls and handle bar were take-offs from my old Gen 2 Fargo. The set up comes from the 2015 attempt of the DK200- A ten speed Gevenalle shifter on a 9 speed cassette. Yes- that is not supposed to work and don't try it. I only have ridden about a thousand miles with it that way. That's all! Anyway, that will get changed soon as I have a ten speed cassette coming available from another bike I own. The wheels were originally some Velocity hoops laced to Velocity hubs, but I did not like that set of wheels. So, I sold them. These wheels are the take-offs from the (Trek) Sawyer I have. The front shifter is a bar-con friction shifter. Brakes are ancient Avid BB-7's.

This bike will be getting that aforementioned cassette, new red bar tape, and then it should be good to go. This wheel and tire combination seems to suit the bike far better than the older one, so I have high hopes that this set up will end up being the one I stick with. These new Tearavail Ehline 2.3"ers on the wheels are pretty fast and feel great. Much, much better than the WTB Rangers I tried before. The Sawyer's old wheels, a Deore hubbed Bontrager Duster set up, are merely workmanlike and nothing special, so maybe, if I end up sticking with this for the foreseeable future, I will upgrade.

And that brings the Inbred back to life and into 2020. If you'd have asked me about this bike in 2015, I would have laughed. It's been a long road back for the ol' thing. Guess I got lucky to even have a second go at it.

16 comments:

MG said...

Whoa… Nice work on the transformation! That thing looks great and I bet it's a smooth roller on the road.

Rydn9ers said...

The picture from DK is a little blurry but is that a naked face GT?

Guitar Ted said...

@MG - Thanks Brother!

@Rydn9ers - Yep! A rare shaved G-Ted image!

Unknown said...

Hey Ted,

I have the exact same frame from 05 and I'm trying to add a few gears on it. Had a Shimano Nexus, but blew it out. What did you use for your derail hanger. I contacted the US rep and they don't make em anymore and kinda laughed at the fact that I still had this frame hanging around. Any insight would be huuuge! Thank you in advance for any specs!
-Colorado Mike

Guitar Ted said...

@Unknown - This bike came with all the bits to make it geared or single speed. So that derailleur hangar was part of the original purchase.

I doubt Wheels Manufacturing makes one but if anyone did, it would be them.

Have you tried Planet Bike UK? They would have been the ones to have spares.

Bonzo said...

I 're-commisioned' my Inbred 29er (mk1) over this very weekend as I needed to fill a void left by inexplicably selling my Stooge mk4 last week. Original Fleagle bars, Inbred stem (I think its a 70mm) and the optional carbon forks (still have the original white steel forks on the shelf almost brand new). I haven't ridden a single speed in years and certainly not in this retro (steep) geometry!

I took it around my regular plantation loop yesterday and rode it the quicker than I have on any other bike since I slung it, unloved, in the corner of the garage all those years ago, while I tried other more modern bikes.

Probably my all time favourite bike and I'm so happy I still have it and have rediscovered it.

I'd post a photo but I dont know how to load it.

All the best from across the pond Ted.

Bonzo

Guitar Ted said...

@Bonzo - Thank you! Nice to know that I am not the only one that has a certain fondness for the old Inbred.

Bonzo said...

Not at all Ted. I've mentioned to my kids that when I pop my clogs my wish is that this simple, cheap and huge fun bike remains in the family. I've got two lads and one bike so they'll have to sort out the logistics themselves :-)

Also, just spotted that you have the hose guides on the top of the tube, whereas mine are directly underneath. Odd.

Ooh, another also. You don't by any chance happen to have the geometry charts for this frame/bike knocking around do you? I cant seem to find them online anywhere. I know I could measure some tubes, but not sure I'd get the angles right.

Cheers mate

Bonz

Guitar Ted said...

@Bonzo - Excellent! I hope the two offspring do not decide to saw the poor Inbred in half so that they each can share in it!

You know, I do not know that I ever saw a geometry chart for this bike. I bought it off a sales rep who was off-loading it as the distributor in the US decided to drop On One/Planet Bike at that time. So I got it for a song on the spot, as it were.

I'll have to do some digging to see if I mention the geometry in this blog somewhere.

Bonzo said...

I asked the question on the Singletrack forum and got most of the info there (along with a link to the archive On-One page from where I originally bought my bike (£499 at the time)

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2006-on-one-inbred-29er-geometry-where-will-i-find-it/

Bonz

Guitar Ted said...

@Bonzo - Awesome! Thank you!

none said...

Hi guys, realize I'm replying to a year old thread but hope that Ted or others may reply. I also have a first gen Inbred... Got in on the original order when I was living abroad in Germany. Now that I've moved up to discs and tubeless for my gravel bikes I was thinking of upgrading the inbred with hydraulic discs and a tubeless wheel set. I'm still pretty clueless when it comes to that stuff and this is an older bike as well. Can anyone recommend what's the best approach to putting on some newer parts with regards to spacing, adapters, etc? Still keeping it as a single speed tho!

Guitar Ted said...

@none - The OG Inbred had a standard threaded bottom bracket, 135mm OD quick release rear wheel, 100mm OD quick release front wheel, 1 1/8th steer tube compatibility, 27.2mm seat post compatibility, and IS standard mount disc brake compatibility front and rear.

Modern BOOST wheels WILL NOT work, through axle hubs WILL NOT work (UNLESS they have conversion caps and are compatible with 100/135 spacing), tapered steer tube forks WILL NOT work, and flat mount calipers *might be* adaptable to that frame IF you can find the right adapters. Older MTB calipers usually can be adapted to that frame/fork.

This frame is getting on in age so basically you want 2000's vintage parts which probably will fit that frame/fork just fine. It's when you get into stuff made in the last ten years where you might start running into dead ends.

Good luck!

none said...

Thanks for replying Ted. I didn't remember to refresh to see it! Seems there is a small selection of new tubeless 130 fr and 135 rr 29er wheel sets out there. Assume I could run an IS to post mount brake adapter? If so, what can I run rotors front and rear...180 and 160? Thanks again for your time and help! I rode her again this past weekend and it's one of my favorite bikes ever.

Guitar Ted said...

@ none - Yeas, 180 Frt/160 R is what I used to run on mine. Should work great.

none said...

Great and thank you again!