Bakkersma wrote:
> Dear Kirk owners,
>
> By accident I own a kirk frame and I woulld to make a new bike out of
> it. I prefer to stay close to the original, so I need some advise reagarding the parts which were
> used on the frame (brand type) some general specs and preferably some tips about what to do
> and what certainly not to do.
>
> What kind of bolts, grease, material of connecting parts like Bottom Bracket, seat pipe,
> steering head.
>
> So basically everything there's to know about a Kirk MTB.
>
Well, like any make of bike, there were Kirks and there were Kirks... the quality of the group set
depended on how much you paid. It it an MTB - they did road bikes too. On the road frame the "chain
stays" run from botom bracket to rear wheel, on the MTB frame they run from about halfway up the
"seat tube" to the rear wheel.
The most important thing to remember is not to let anything steel touch the frame. If you look at
it, you see that the frame is fitted with aluminium bushes where any bolts or other steel parts are
fitted. If steel comes in to direct contact with the frame it will corrode.
There should be a special gear hanger too. If the rear mech gets a serious knock, the hanger will
break rather than cause any damage to the frame.
My Kirk is a long way from standard now (in fact, I've converted to a trike) and I can't really
remember what the original parts were... except that it had a Biopace chain set.
They're a good bike (don't believe all the silly stories people will try and tell you about them) -
a very rigid frame that's pleasant to ride. Mine gave many thousands of miles service. I took it off
the road when the replacement chain, chainwheels, cassette, bottom bracket and tyres were all needed
at more or less the same time, and it worked out cheaper to buy a new bike. Then, because it was
looking sad and neglected, I brought it back to life as a trike.
--
Andrew Pattle
