1989 Kirk Revolution - Vintage Mountain Bike Rebuild - Part 2 - The Ride

[@markbudd8432]

Those yellow cables look so cool with the blue frame ! Amazing how such a small detail can make a difference to the overall "look". As always a great video monkeyshred. Please keep them coming..

[@MonkeyShred]

Thanks Mark. I always find it a bit daunting picking bright coloured cables but I think it suits the bike in this case.

[@ganimed1976]

That strange feeling while driving the Kirk could be a result of the fact that its head tube is not supension cerrected. When the frame was made in 1989 suspension forks were not yet common on MTB's. In 1989 Paul Turners Rock Shox RS1 prototypes and Doug Bradburys Manitou 1 were only ridden by some pro riders like Greg Herbold, John Tomac and a hand full of other drivers. These forks had only 35-50mm of suspension travel. The head tubes of the most MTB's of this time were simply not designed for suspension forks in terms of frame geometry. I suppose that could be the explanation for the strange handling of the bike. But it looks great. I like these old Kirk Mag bikes. They are so oldschool :)

[@VegasCyclingFreak]

That's an odd duck but I can appreciate the forward thinking behind it

[@timetravelfilms727]

12:25 I hate hills - feel for you there! Been there done that!

[@cybereye2]

Interesting MTB. Thanks again for sharing your work. Being a newcomer to MTB I’m learning a lot from you.

[@MonkeyShred]

I like the old stuff. They're fun bikes!

[@cybereye2]

Me too. I’ve a 99 GT Backwoods hardtail and a 2000 GT XC 4000 idrive

[@StephenHartleyBrundrett]

My god I miss my 94 Marin Bobcat Trail 🤦 if I ever seen one full of Stx I'm buying it as it might be my old bike 👌🙏 Just come in from building my 2012 Polygon Helios 800x watching this memories keep flooding back 🤪

[@lonefoxbushcraft]

Have these bikes got major flaws like flexing frame ?

[@stanleywintergoose7906]

Good work.....

[@MonkeyShred]

Thanks

[@wavespeech1973]

I had a Proflex that felt strange, it was the twisting motion through the Girvin forks, and then when the slight twist 'let go' it would twang and resonate down the frame, and the longer stem exacerbated it. Hold the front wheel in your knees and twist the bars, then release your knees and see if you get a twang. I didn't get on with it and I sold that bike.

[@vernerjuliussen2071]

Love the video. Not the most loved frame in the world, bu easely one of the coolest.🤩🤙 Just ordered a Kirk Revolution frame now, but know it's missing the seat post. Do you remember the diameter for the one you mounted (26,8mm or maybe 27,0mm)?? And was it easy to find head set for the 1-1/8" fork tube? I think my has a rigid fork with threaded tube, but want to replace it with a suspention fork.

[@ch4580]

I had 3 of these in my family, and I was responsible for 2 of them being returned... first was up in Thetford. A very average jump out of a bomb-hole, and there was a ‘snap’. When I got home and did a little ‘slalom’ wobble it was like being on Jelly. So I don’t think a problem with the frame. Until you snap it... I think there’s something down the column that breaks away or maybe it’s a crack through a section. All 3 of our bikes did this, and I guess that’s why we got them for £230 complete (with terrible wheels and cheap components). I wish it had been a good bike

[@MonkeyShred]

Yeh that's exactly how this one felt. It's a wall ornament now...

[@BruceChastain]

cool bike for sure. did you ever find out if there was anything wrong with the frame? I would guess you're just not used to it, I've had that feeling myself sometimes on bikes that are a lot different than what I'm used to.

[@MonkeyShred]

I had a quick look over after the ride but couldn't see anything.

[@vivianaspillaga5233]

How much should I sell my Kirk frame?

[@KaneBear1]

Nice bild :) ohh the Deore DX Pedals, i want thoose to my Full GT Karakoram Deore DX build.

[@MonkeyShred]

Honestly, check out Marcin on ebay. He's likely to have a set. msccyclingtechniques & msccyclingtechniques2 are his shops. That's where I found mine.

[@carbonsuicidemtb1583]

With an aheadset that fork has to be 1992, and yes, the lowers on the fork are real carbon fibre tubes, they used to make the stachions out of carbon but with a chrome finish that was adopted from the printing industry, great build, I keep finding Kirk's for sale, it's good some have lasted so well, I'd forgotten how much they flex, that's just normal (if disconcerting)

[@MonkeyShred]

Oh that's interesting. Hadn't realised they were proper CF. It is looking like I dated it wrong though. It should have originally had a threaded headset, the ahead was just to fit the fork.

[@carbonsuicidemtb1583]

@@MonkeyShred oh ok, I had the original pace rigid forks with the Reynolds 531 legs, it probably shipped with that crown, if you do service them, look inside the stantions to see if they are carbon, they are elastomer spring as far as remember, no real oil damping, they are easy to service, perhaps new elastomers would make the forks work better, they harden over time

[@tomdavidebsworth]

I have 4 Kirk Revolutions. They Al seem to have that flex in the frame it doesn't feel good to start with but I think and believe it is a characteristic of the cast frame. Can anyone help confirm that? Cheers guys. MonkeyShed we love you..... 🌹

[@perkristianeriksen8095]

Yes my Kirk Limited first edition also have this craysy wobble going on in the frame.

[@lonefoxbushcraft]

I'm worried about the frame tho mate in future

[@paddykelly3095]

Strange front brake set up that is

[@jamesowen418]

All the Pace forks were like that. If you think about it, the forward rotation of the wheel helps push the brake onto the rim, supposedly better braking power.

[@paddykelly3095]

Love this knowledge cheers mate

[@KThxsBy]

15:26 oof that tree.

[@MonkeyShred]

Ahhhh miles away from it 😉

[@dansharpie]

frame flex

[@lonefoxbushcraft]

Just got one off eBay but 160 but gud condition al original ill post video next week on here

[@MyMegaJOKER2]

Did you get it? Would love to hear your findings. I think his problems were mainly due to the fork. As he mentioned his other Kirk was fine. I have one as well and no problems. Wouldn't recommend going off track though

[@mrtroom2]

First comment!

[@greengrass9572]

I think this bike was first launched in 92 not 89.

[@MonkeyShred]

From what I've seen, Kirk began around 87, first with a road bike. My other Revolution is dated 91 from the components and I've seen others date similar. This one is dated 89 from the three components it had. It's possible that a company would have 3 year old Shimano gear lying around and use that in 92 but I'd like to think they'd keep up with the times and use current components.

[@greengrass9572]

@@MonkeyShred or its possible that a previous owner replaced the originals with older parts.

[@greengrass9572]

I got one new in 92 at Halfords and it was presented to me as a new launch with glossy brochures and they boasted it was unbreakable.

[@MonkeyShred]

True too! I'll have to do a bit more digging.