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My Stolen Humble Bike, R.I.P
I used to ride a 16" 1997 Voodoo Bokor purchased for about $1800 new. It was my commuter, my weekend warrior, and my race bike. Handbuilt in the USA before Voodoo production was moved offshore, my chameleon has weathered abuse and 18,811 miles off-road and road riding in 15 states. Unfortunately it was stolen on January 10, 2006, serial number BK9702140. I am now building its replacement... It was a solid ride and performed well under all conditions. The frame geometry favored quick turns and could be a little sketchy under technical and fast terrain. I put a longer Fox F80x fork which brought the steering under control. The ride was stiff due to the aluminum frame, Thomson stem, and Thomson seatpost. Voodoo was a small American company started by mountain bike racer Joe Murray. Production was later outsourced to Taiwan, and finally the company went "bankrupt." Actually, Voodoo continued selling in Asia and Europe, maintaining a presence at the Eurobike bike show. In 2004 Voodoo returned to the United States, sold by the the U.S. distributor BTI. My major concern was that rear derailleur hangers were unavailable, but derailleurhanger.com has replacements. Most hardtail bikes these days are very good and have changed little in terms of design since the late 1990s. Carbon frames have emerged, longer travel forks, and bigger tires are the main differences. Compact frames remain popular. Voodoo quietly faded away and appears on the "Vintage" boards at MTBR, but my bike lives today in some thief's hands! History of Mechanical Problems 1997: Broken chain during a leisurely ride during the first week of use (repaired with a few M90 Sedis links); 1998: one Profile bar end broke when it caught on a fence, stopping me from about 15 mph; one broken spoke/sheared nipple; 1999: bent rear rim due to another racer riding over the wheel; worn out Gore Ride-On brake and shifter cables, Avocet 45 cycle computer broke at 5200 miles; 2000: two broken Gore Ride-On rear derailleur cable replaced under warranty, worn out chain, cassette, and front middle chainring; Avocet 45 cycle computer croaked at 7000 miles; 2001: Replaced rear derailleur with STX. 2002: Replaced banged up headset with Ritchey WCS. Replaced rear derailleur with Shimano XT. 2004: Worn right shifter replaced with SRAM X.9. I am a light rider (about 60 kg). Everything else is wear and tear consumption. Build Specifications
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