SE Racing Stout 29″er: Out Of The Box
October 19th, 2007 by Guitar Ted
This begins our test and review of the 2007 SE Racing Stout 29″er. In this post we will give you our first visual impressions and take on the bike and it’s spec. We will also detail any geometry information or technical information that is pertinent. Next, we will give our first ride impressions. That should be in a week or so.
The Stout 29″er is now put together after popping it “out of the box”, and I’ll have to say up front, the name matches what I see. Burly, strong, and simple are the things I thought as I assembled the bike. Let’s take a closer look….
The frame is made from aluminum alloy- “6061 Certified Aluminum” is what the frame sticker says. The frame is matched up to a SE Racing “Landing Gear” 29″er fork in CroMoly. All this is painted in a nice medium gray hue. Kind of primer like, only shiny. I noted that the decals were not under the clear coat in traditional BMX style. The head tube gussets look to be welded on quite well and there are full cable stops so you can outfit the Stout with a geared drive train if you so desire. Notice the integrated headset, (barely visible to the upper right in the photo) which is a Cane Creek licensed VP unit.
Of course, we’re not going to run the Stout with gears, not yet anyway! For now we’ll be turning these RPM “El Toro” cranks with a 32 tooth chain wheel. The cranks have an Isis interface bottom bracket. The cranks also have steel inserts at the pedal interface and are outfitted with Welgo alloy flat pedals. (We’ll switch out to clipless for our test) The rear cog is a simple stamped 18 tooth steel single speed cog. This gear should be about perfect for our trails. In a more mountainous area, a larger rear cog, like a 20 tooth, might be a better choice. Everything is put into motion by a KMC chain.
Here’s a look at the simple, burly drop out area. The derailluer hangar is pierced by the axle and fits around the underneath side of the drop out to prevent it from spinning around when you loosen or tighten the axle nut. A simple chain tensioner does the duty of keeping the chain tight. The rear wheel has a 9 speed compatable freehub with a single speed spacer kit. The rims are Alex DM 18’s that are rim brake compatible with a machined brake track. 36 spokes connect the rim to each nutted axle hub.
Here’s a shot that shows how large a diameter the seat stays are on the frame. You can also see the Tektro linear pull brakes that are actuated by Tektro levers which remind me a lot of some of the old “CNC craze” era brake levers. They pull cable through some Jagwire “Slick 5.0″ cable housing which gives the brakes a nice feel at the lever. The bars, stem, and seat post are all SE Racing branded aluminum pieces. The saddle is a Velo saddle branded with the SE Racing logo as well. Everything rolls on Maxxis Ignitor tires which are nice to see on a bike at this price.
Overall I felt that the spec was really good considering the $470.00 asking price. I particularly liked the tires, as mentioned, and the crank set/bottom bracket. 36 spoke wheels, which are not common on 29″ers, was also a welcome sight. The controls aren’t flashy or noteworthy, but look to be well made and should get the job done. Everything went together well and functioned as it should out of the box. I would only note that I will have to throw in an extra tool in my kit now in case of a flat tire! I haven’t had a nutted axle bike since I was a teenager, in a galaxy far, far away.
Here are the numbers for those of you that are into such things:
SE Racing Stout 29″er (19″ size tested)
Top Tube: 24.5″
Head Tube Angle: 72 degrees
Seat Tube Angle: 73 degrees
Chain Stay Length: 17.5″ (with wheel set all the way forward in the drop outs)
Bottom Bracket Height: 11.9″
Listed Weight: 26.5lbs
Actual Weight: 27.0lbs (With pedals installed, ready to ride)
Stay tuned for a ride report soon!
What is RSS?
Get our articles in your inbox:
I like the 36 spoke wheels, cassette hub, derailleur hanger, bolt on wheels, and gear cable stops.
You could run it SS or geared with the same rear wheel.
Nice long top tube and steep head angle too.
Though I am not a pro, the ride felt a lot like the XXIX, though harsher(alu), and the 32×18 was good for the flatsnot to good for uphill, I could do quite a bit more/better with the 33×20 XXIX.
I want to point out that it is a 2007 model being tested.
For 2008 the color is green and there is disk brake tabs.
Really cool bike!
GUSSET MANIA THIS SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY! You’ll pay for the whole seat but you’ll ONLY NEED THE EDGE!
Kids seats still only 5 BUCKS!
Dirt: Ever consider decaf?
I think that SE Racing, being a BMX company and all, might just be a bit sensitive to the whole head tube ripping off the frame thing, maybe………just a guess. I don’t mind them.
Hey, I’m putting together a replacement bike blogs website and would love to get you on there. Go to http://www.bikeblogcollection.com and submit your blog, I’ll get you on the front page.
Thanks!
I have a few questions on this bike. I think it’s awesome, btw. What is the country of origin, Taiwan or China? And, I assume the tire is a steel bead??? Sounds trivial, but I’m about to buy one, so just wanted to check.
Steve: Yes on China. The tires I haven’t been able to determine yet, although I am not aware of any wire beaded Ignitors. I’ll have to pull one off here and get back to you on that.
Aw, man, you don’t have to do all that. Thanks for all the info. I think I’m going to like it. Peace.
I went ahead on this one, folks. Darn fine machine. My wife says it’s pretty.
sorry but 27lbs for a SS, why bother?
professed: Okay, show me a lighter alternative for $470.00 or less, then we’ll talk.
Professed-
Technically the Stout is 26lbs 5oz.
the XXIX is 26lbs 11oz, for $800 and got rave reviews from almost everyone.
Also as stated before it has everything needed to convert it to a a 1x drive train, say if ones muscles can’t handle it.
Actually it has everything to make it a healthy 2×9. I think the price is just swell for what I got. Nothing’s going to be perfect for under 5 bills. Plus, my wife says it’s pretty.
26 yrs of single life and even I know there is no arguing with the wife.
GT - good point and agreed.
But hills and enjoyment would be mutually exclusive with this as a SS - unless you are 85kg+ and capable of a continuous power output to rival Stuart O’Grady !