Introducing the Steinerdesign Porsche bike. This build tops every other build in terms of complexity, test of patience and tenacity and every other inconvenience you can think about. It has been 9 months since I acquired it and as you can see, it is not fully completed. Those brake hoses still needs to be cut to size but before I can do that, I need to wait for the Magura specific mineral oil to arrive from the UK first. So, was it worth all the sweat, tears and curses? Look at the bike. What do you think? As the builder, my answer is a big YES. The bike is gorgeous and that's the only word I can think of to describe it. It has all the right lines, stance, presence and I am sure, a great ride on the road or trail. Putting it together really tested the limit of my patience.
The first problem I had to deal with was a deep cut at the chain stay area where chainsuck normally occurs. Although it did not affect the structural integrity of the frame, I wanted the base to be as perfect as possible. So, off to the welders and when it came back, I had to slowly file off the lump of aluminum so that it was level. This was a painstakingly slow process as I did not want to overdo it and send the frame back to the welders. A second welding will affect the structural integrity due to the high heat. Finally, after weeks of work, the repaired area looked good enough and blend in nicely with the rest of the frame.
Next came the painting. 7 coats of plastidip were needed to give the coverage and evenness. Each can of plastidip was $25, so you can work out the maths. This is no small bike. The tubes are massive and suck up paint like nobody business. The painting took almost a week to complete because I wanted to make sure each coat dries completely before applying the next layer.
The front suspension was another issue I had to deal with. Unlike the usual suspension fork, the Votec fork had many moving parts. Moving one piece has an impact on another. Therefore, you can imagine the amount of back and forth adjustments needed just to fit the handlebars.
The Votec fork is a real piece of art. While it was a real pain to do all the adjustments but once that is done, the results speak for itself.
The bike is essentially a Porsche Bike S but I wanted to give some recognition to the person who designed and build it. His name is Jurgen Steiner. You should see his bikes at steinerdesign.net. They all look nothing like the stuff that comes from Taiwan or China.
Syntace handle bars were specifically used because they are about one of the few that would fit the Votec fork and its weird arrangement.
A tribute and recognition to Jurgen for making a great bike way back in 1992.
This is a Colnago Sugino crankset. Its an old-school square tapered crankset but unless you can touch and feel it, you have to believe me when I say how light and beautifully crafted it is. Any other crank would look out of place.
The SACHS Plasma transmission system is completely unlike the usual Shimano stuff. Patience is highly recommended when tuning it because it is so raw. Smoothness was not a word in SACHS dictionary in those days. However, looking at the pictures, you will not think that these things are over 20 years old. Best of all, they are still working.
The Kore seat post uses the I-beam system. The color of the seat was specially selected to represent the color of a real Porsche seat in a Porsche.
And here it is, all done. Some minor tweaks and adjustments are still required but the bike is ready to hit the road.
If you are observant enough, you would have noticed that the bike has changed dramatically.
First up, the crank is a single Zee 36T. The Sugino crank just refused to work with the SACHS Plasma front derailleur. So, all the SACHS parts were removed and replaced with Shimano Zee components.
The bike now runs on a 1 x 10 drivetrain. Simple but effective.
The Magura HS33 brakes remains after the hoses were cut to its proper length.
The Shimano Zee 10 speed shifter. Very sweet.
Proper length brake hoses.
Shimano Zee 36T crank is a great piece of machinery. The MRP chain guide adds a nice touch to the front drivetrain. It also covered up the clamp mark left behind by the SACHS front derailleur.
Shimano Zee 10 speed rear derailleur mated to a Shimano HG 10 speed cassette. The rims have also been replaced with Mavic rims with Shimano Deore XT hubs front and rear. Original specifications:
| Frame & Fork | |
| Frame Construction | TIG-welded |
| Frame Tubing Material | SAE 7020 aluminum |
| Fork Brand & Model | Votec GS III |
| Fork Material | Aluminum, double triple-clamp crown |
| Rear Shock | Not applicable |
| Components | |
| Component Group | Sachs Neos |
| Brakeset | Magura Hydraulic HS22 brakes, Magura Hydrostop levers |
| Shift Levers | Sachs Power Grip Extreme |
| Front Derailleur | Sachs Neos, top-pull/clamp-on 35.0mm |
| Rear Derailleur | Sachs Neos |
| Crankset | Sachs Neos, 24/34/44 teeth |
| Pedals | Victor VP-105 clipless |
| Bottom Bracket | KSS, 110mm spindle |
| BB Shell Width | 68mm English |
| Rear Cogs | 8-speed, 12 - 32 teeth |
| Chain | Sachs SC-M55, 1/2 x 3/32" |
| Seatpost | Tranz X Humpert, 31.8mm diameter |
| Saddle | Selle Italia Expedia |
| Handlebar | Aluminum |
| Handlebar Extensions | Aluminum |
| Handlebar Stem | Aluminum |
| Headset | 1 1/8" threadless aluminum |
| Wheels | |
| Hubs | Sachs Neos |
| Rims | Rigida DP25, 32-hole |
| Tires | 26 x 2.00" Continental Leader Pro kevlar |
| Spoke Brand | DT stainless steel, 2.0mm double-butted |
| Spoke Nipples | Brass nipples |
