Another TMS Silex 26!

[Daan]

Unfortunately broke my Hex last week, so was on the lookout for a new frame to swap my parts to. Not that much choice, especially not on short notice: Inspired came through with an offer for another Hex frameset, but decided to go for the TMS. Shipping was fast from France, so here it is already!

One short and wet ride in, rear end feels surprisingly solid. Front is a bit flexier than the Hex. Feels really good on the rear wheel, also seems slightly easier to turn/spin on the rear than the Hex. Bunny hop needs slightly different timing/input. Need to give it some proper time and tuning, but so far I like it. Hope it lasts as long as my old Ozonys, as in, unbreakable, even by me

[Swoofty]

Looks nice! Good to hear a comparison to the Hex. I wish it had a tapered headtube so you could run the better alloy forks and probably stiffen up the front as well. Maybe someday TMS will make a perfect bike. Let us know how you get on with it.

[onzatpro09]

That looks mega good and only makes me even more excited to build mine! I've had it sat half built for a couple of months now, just waiting for rims to arrive. After spending years on Arcades and having a Silex 24, I'm hoping the 26 should be what I'm after!

[Tharun Shiv]

23 hours ago, Daan said:

Unfortunately broke my Hex last week, so was on the lookout for a new frame to swap my parts to. Not that much choice, especially not on short notice: Inspired came through with an offer for another Hex frameset, but decided to go for the TMS. Shipping was fast from France, so here it is already!

One short and wet ride in, rear end feels surprisingly solid. Front is a bit flexier than the Hex. Feels really good on the rear wheel, also seems slightly easier to turn/spin on the rear than the Hex. Bunny hop needs slightly different timing/input. Need to give it some proper time and tuning, but so far I like it. Hope it lasts as long as my old Ozonys, as in, unbreakable, even by me

Awesome build, looks clean! 

I felt the exact way with how it rides too, the read end feels really nice and stable on the backwheel. Should last longer aswell being steel, so that's one + point!

And do you mind sharing what happened with the hex? In the sense where and how it broke, curious to see where it failed!

Edited December 11, 2022 by Tharun Shiv

[Daan]

15 hours ago, onzatpro09 said:

That looks mega good and only makes me even more excited to build mine! I've had it sat half built for a couple of months now, just waiting for rims to arrive. After spending years on Arcades and having a Silex 24, I'm hoping the 26 should be what I'm after!

Thanks man! Be curious to hear your thoughts on the 24 v 26. I came from a 24" Ozonys street trials machine myself, and really had to adjust to the mega flexyness of 26" bikes. Much more relaxed on the rear wheel though, and also a bit less cramped on the bike (not too short myself). Though nowhere near as much room as on my friend's 26" comp bike. However, that bike feels as if it will last only two rides under me

14 hours ago, Tharun Shiv said:

Awesome build, looks clean! 

I felt the exact way with how it rides too, the read end feels really nice and stable on the backwheel. Should last longer aswell being steel, so that's one + point!

And do you mind sharing what happened with the hex? In the sense where and how it broke, curious to see where it failed!

Thanks! Don't really know if it will last longer with it being steel, the Hex was gusseted like mad, huge welds too. The Silex looks super sleek and slim in comparison. I don't really know about the fork, disc mount looks a bit fragile and on a whole seems a bit less thought out than the frame (whoever thought it was a good idea to weld a cable guide on the inside of the fork exactly where the edge of the tyre sits? Pretty useless, even without a cable clipped in it rubs on my tyre). Anyways, time will tell. Let us know how you get on with yours!

The Hex broke on the rear disc mount, right where the weld is and where the reinforced part ends. It must have been cracked slightly there for a while, and then completely failed when I bunny hopped up a wall. Never noticed it unfortunately, hard to notice too with it being below the weld and with the dark frame colour, so the break was quite spectacular. Frame was three years old. Used it quite a bit, reckon 2 rides a week on average. Never expected it to fail though, since that Ozonys lasted six years (with even worse technique ), and was still in one piece when I replaced it with the Hex. Here's a pic:

[Tharun Shiv]

3 hours ago, Daan said:

Thanks man! Be curious to hear your thoughts on the 24 v 26. I came from a 24" Ozonys street trials machine myself, and really had to adjust to the mega flexyness of 26" bikes. Much more relaxed on the rear wheel though, and also a bit less cramped on the bike (not too short myself). Though nowhere near as much room as on my friend's 26" comp bike. However, that bike feels as if it will last only two rides under me

Thanks! Don't really know if it will last longer with it being steel, the Hex was gusseted like mad, huge welds too. The Silex looks super sleek and slim in comparison. I don't really know about the fork, disc mount looks a bit fragile and on a whole seems a bit less thought out than the frame (whoever thought it was a good idea to weld a cable guide on the inside of the fork exactly where the edge of the tyre sits? Pretty useless, even without a cable clipped in it rubs on my tyre). Anyways, time will tell. Let us know how you get on with yours!

The Hex broke on the rear disc mount, right where the weld is and where the reinforced part ends. It must have been cracked slightly there for a while, and then completely failed when I bunny hopped up a wall. Never noticed it unfortunately, hard to notice too with it being below the weld and with the dark frame colour, so the break was quite spectacular. Frame was three years old. Used it quite a bit, reckon 2 rides a week on average. Never expected it to fail though, since that Ozonys lasted six years (with even worse technique ), and was still in one piece when I replaced it with the Hex. Here's a pic:

Wow, now that's a proper broken frame haven't seen a inspired like that in a while!

Usually steel frames do look quite skinny and sleek like the arcade for example and i rode a steel DJ bike as my trials bike for years and it kept up quite well with a 203mm rotor aswell so i have a lot of trust in steel haha, but yeah we'll see how it goes in a while. I agree with the cable guide mount, it's pretty dumb to place it there but the fork was initially made for the 24" silex i suppose and they slapped it on the 26" aswell, so maybe they didn't consider that? I used a thin black ziptie to maintain the cable and that seems to work fine.

[The Dark Knight]

Nice to see another TMS in the group and another lover of steel frames! 

 

[The Dark Knight]

My bike hasn't arrived yet but for the front brake cable, I've ordered one of these velcro straps instead of using a ziptie: https://www.sourcebmx.com/products/wethepeople-cable-holder-strap?variant=20033441366127&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=UK+-+Shopping+(UK)&utm_content=Wethepeople+Cable+Holder+Strap&gclid=CjwKCAiAv9ucBhBXEiwA6N8nYKYA8rHm82ZrCsxbaQC8XepXurEGbyW7JkgOxfG10OXZNyglvOhtNBoCL9wQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&currency=gbp

[Mark W]

4 hours ago, Daan said:

(whoever thought it was a good idea to weld a cable guide on the inside of the fork exactly where the edge of the tyre sits? Pretty useless, even without a cable clipped in it rubs on my tyre)

It's also a stress riser. I've seen forks break at the cable guide before, and it's the reason that Trialtech and Inspired forks don't have them. There is some pressure from some riders to have them on forks to give a 'cleaner' look though, so I can see why some brands do it.

Hope you enjoy the new bike in any case, must be quite a change!

[Daan]

Cheers guys. Unfortunately broke my wrist badly yesterday testing out the TMS, in the most stupid manner, mistiming a simple 180 off a low bank. I'm out for a good while, so will only looking at my bike the coming months

[Tharun Shiv]

43 minutes ago, Daan said:

Cheers guys. Unfortunately broke my wrist badly yesterday testing out the TMS, in the most stupid manner, mistiming a simple 180 off a low bank. I'm out for a good while, so will only looking at my bike the coming months

That's sad to hear, sounds pretty bad. :/ Wishing you a fast recovery! 

[Mark W]

5 hours ago, Daan said:

Cheers guys. Unfortunately broke my wrist badly yesterday testing out the TMS, in the most stupid manner, mistiming a simple 180 off a low bank. I'm out for a good while, so will only looking at my bike the coming months

Sorry to hear that Daan! Hopefully the recovery goes well.

[Daan]

Thanks! Still amazed how such a slow and simple crash can cause this much damage. Surgery on Monday, fingers crossed!

[Swoofty]

Sad news indeed. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[The Dark Knight]

Sorry to hear about the wrist, heal up soon, take care

[La Bourde]

Heal up soon! Fingers crossed for the surgery.

Edited December 14, 2022 by La Bourde

[Tharun Shiv]

On 12/13/2022 at 8:57 PM, Daan said:

Thanks! Still amazed how such a slow and simple crash can cause this much damage. Surgery on Monday, fingers crossed!

How's the wrist doing Dan? Hope to see you back on the bike soon!

[Daan]

5 hours ago, Tharun Shiv said:

How's the wrist doing Dan? Hope to see you back on the bike soon!

Slowly getting better, thanks man! Was cleared by the surgeon last week, he told me I could use it to the full again. Range of motion isn't quite there yet, certain movements feel pretty uncomfortable, and especially strength has decreased dramatically. My arm is about half the size that it was, pull up and push up reps have decimated and feel very tough. So still a ways to go there.

Gave it a go on the bike as well last week, which felt good but also tough. Good is the wrist held up pretty well, harder to swallow was that everything felt extremely wooden, and front wheel moves felt near impossible as my hand tended to misplace itself on the brake lever and collapse, even wearing one of those fancy Mobius braces. Also, mentally definitely not there yet. Still, felt good to start with my comeback

[onzatpro09]

On 12/12/2022 at 9:35 AM, Daan said:

Thanks man! Be curious to hear your thoughts on the 24 v 26. I came from a 24" Ozonys street trials machine myself, and really had to adjust to the mega flexyness of 26" bikes. Much more relaxed on the rear wheel though, and also a bit less cramped on the bike (not too short myself). Though nowhere near as much room as on my friend's 26" comp bike. However, that bike feels as if it will last only two rides under me

So I've finally got it built and have ridden it for about a fortnight. First thing is obvious - It's waaaaay less twitchy and nimble than what I remember of the 24. Feels easier once on the rear wheel, although certainly a bit more effort to get the front up, plus bunnyhops haven't quite clicked for me the same way they did on the 24. That said, I have had a good break from streety bikes so it could just be that. Manuals feel a little less easy with the bike being that bit more relaxed, but I'm sure I'll adjust.

Where it does shine is in it's ability to actually be ridden pretty trialsy if you want to. It's fairly obvious that it's no comp bike, however compared to the 24", static moves are a breeze. I've only briefly ridden a Hex, but the slightly higher BB if certainly noticeable (and prefered for me), plus the steep head angle does make it feel a little more fun.

In the last couple of years I have got way more into the seatless stuff after a good 5 or 6 years on streety bikes, but I find that overall it's a really good compromise with a 90x35 stem. Have been contemplating an 80x40 to liven it up a bit, but I do like the balance of where it is right now. Currently really enjoying riding it though and haven't touched my Crewkerz for about a month! 

Also, silent brakes feel soooooooo nice after an antisocially loud dual rim brake bike 

[Tharun Shiv]

On 2/20/2023 at 3:18 PM, Daan said:

Slowly getting better, thanks man! Was cleared by the surgeon last week, he told me I could use it to the full again. Range of motion isn't quite there yet, certain movements feel pretty uncomfortable, and especially strength has decreased dramatically. My arm is about half the size that it was, pull up and push up reps have decimated and feel very tough. So still a ways to go there.

Gave it a go on the bike as well last week, which felt good but also tough. Good is the wrist held up pretty well, harder to swallow was that everything felt extremely wooden, and front wheel moves felt near impossible as my hand tended to misplace itself on the brake lever and collapse, even wearing one of those fancy Mobius braces. Also, mentally definitely not there yet. Still, felt good to start with my comeback

Glad to hear you're doing better, that seemed like a pretty fast recovery!

 

5 hours ago, onzatpro09 said:

 but I find that overall it's a really good compromise with a 90x35 stem. Have been contemplating an 80x40 to liven it up a bit, but I do like the balance of where it is right now. 

I'm contemplating on if i should try a 110×35° stem, the 90×35 feels comfortable for me but i think a little extra height and length should help, or maybe it's too much. (I'm 5'8 btw and preferably ride in a more trialsy way) 

Edited February 21, 2023 by Tharun Shiv

[Daan]

1 hour ago, Tharun Shiv said:

Glad to hear you're doing better, that seemed like a pretty fast recovery!

I'm contemplating on if i should try a 110×35° stem, the 90×35 feels comfortable for me but i think a little extra height and length should help, or maybe it's too much. (I'm 5'8 btw and preferably ride in a more trialsy way) 

Haha well, every day of not being able to do any sports is a day too many Good thing it happened in winter though!

How are you running your bars, rolled forwards a bit? I'm using a 80x25 stem myself, bars about vertical, feels pretty good at 187 cm. Though I don't seem to be all that sensitive to small changes on a bike.

Loving the silver rims @onzatpro09. How do you find those Schwalbe tyres?

[Tharun Shiv]

17 hours ago, Daan said:

Haha well, every day of not being able to do any sports is a day too many Good thing it happened in winter though!

How are you running your bars, rolled forwards a bit? I'm using a 80x25 stem myself, bars about vertical, feels pretty good at 187 cm. Though I don't seem to be all that sensitive to small changes on a bike.

Loving the silver rims @onzatpro09. How do you find those Schwalbe tyres?

A Christmas gift maybe? Lol

I'm running my bars quite vertical aswell, rolled front never feels right. It's just that whenever i ride something for a while a tinkering demon in my head says it's time for some change haha.

[onzatpro09]

On 2/21/2023 at 2:49 PM, Tharun Shiv said:

I'm contemplating on if i should try a 110×35° stem, the 90×35 feels comfortable for me but i think a little extra height and length should help, or maybe it's too much. (I'm 5'8 btw and preferably ride in a more trialsy way) 

I initially built it with a 110x35 as that's what I've had on my 24s. I found the bike really spacious, but overall really didn't get on with it. Could barely pull the front up and was worried the bike wasn't for me. Swapped it out for the 90mm after 1 ride and was a game changer for me. I'm 5'11"/6' for comparison. Certainly worth a go though as you may enjoy it for your style of riding

On 2/21/2023 at 4:02 PM, Daan said:

Loving the silver rims @onzatpro09. How do you find those Schwalbe tyres?

Cheers! I've got on quite well with them so far. I love pivoty moves and low rolling resistance tyres, so these work well. I've not had any blatant issues with lack of grip that I feel other tyres would have prevented, so overall would recommend. The rear is set up tubeless with a Rimpact insert at 45psi and has worked really well, although I feel you certainly want the insert. I do have a pair of Racing Ralphs to try at some point too which should be interesting.

[Daan]

Have you tried the 35°x110 mm stem yet @Tharun Shiv ? I actually misremembered, my current stem is 20x70, so same reach as a 35x90 but about 3 cm lower. My Hex had a good deal more stackers with this same stem, and bunny hops remain a bit awkward on the TMS, so think I could use some more height. Figure I might as well try 110 right away with my 187 cm, but on the other hand, that's not very street

Edit: went ahead and ordered the 110 stem, lets see how we get on!

Edited March 17, 2023 by Daan

[Daan]

So, tried the 110 mm for one ride, don't like it too much. Front end is a bit too high for my liking. Going to put a regular 90 mm one on now, like everyone else