I won’t pretend for a second to be the arbiter of what qualifies as a frankenbike. I mean, it does seem to me we could probably agree on a few qualities. A frankenbike certainly won’t be a stock build. It probably won’t be optimized for the absolute best performance. It likely won’t be min-maxed, though I’d expect to see the old something old, something new, something borrowed, something anodized-purple. I expect at least a couple of component choices would leave me scratching my head even. It probably has some easter eggs bolted on.
When I was originally putting together my NSMB series ‘Min-Max Your Mountain Bike‘ my first plan was to write about frankenbikes instead. It’s a passion of mine. But where there are a plethora of obvious opportunities to talk about min-maxing used bikes, trying to define what qualifies as a mix-matched machine is more challenging. Maybe there’s a drivetrain from Y2K paired with the latest less-common top-end suspension from Formula or Öhlins? A near-new bike with a pair of 1998 Hayes Mag brakes? A Mountain Cycle Moho repurposed as a 650B gravel rig with SRAM AXS. I feel like all that stuff is probably out there, but how to track it down?
As I eagerly prepare to get back into some relaxed trail riding, I’ll be doing it on a multi-speed full suspension bike rather than my single speed. With my Waltworks V2 fully dialed just the way it is I’m also planning to use my Rift Zone to test products for NSMB – like Manitou’s Magic Toothpick that I was in the midst of reviewing when my injury happened, and a cool Cane Creek Air (IL) teardown project I just started with SuspensionWerx – and to explore an eccentric mix of spec ideas. How low is too low? How slack is too slack? Like My Yeti SB104 BBR project that shared a bunch of parts, it’s made for fun (and it’s going to be less terrifying in action).
I’m not going to say too much more at this point. It’s a work in progress that’ll likely see its first pedal around the neighbourhood next week. Can’t wait to get it dirty – but first I have to get it done. If you’re curious, here are a few photos and captions:
