[Rik]

G'day... i'm a newb here, just fitting in (thats a story for a different thread though)

Anyway, i just got a job at a bike shop, and need a new bike, so, i'm building up a "dream bike" that will be the ultimate ride, since i've got cash and discounts now

heres what i have planned so far:
GT Zaskar Race frame (warehouse clearance, less than wholesale price )
Mavic Crossride wheels (can get them at almost cost, and they're almost as light as my brothers heliums )
Magura HS33 brakes (they're sittin in the shop, so why not)
and probably a mix of LX and XT bits

but, what i'm wondering is....
what forks would you guys reccomend? i'm looking for something light, to suit the bike, but tough enough to take a beating in XC from my unfit fatness (i'm about 90kgs now, 20kgs overweight compared to when i was racing)
are SID XC's any good? or can i do better?

and, any suggestions for really light components that will last a while? i'm thinking easton carbon bars, can get them cheap, but what else are some good XC bits that'd suit a bike like this?


i know, lx spec isnt that good (well sorta), i see most American magazine reviewers wont settle for less than XTR, but hey, i'm 18 and usually ride stx spec stuff, and things are alot more $$ here in Aus, so LX is pretty good for my level of riding, xt is great, and xtr is the stuff of wet dreams

cheers guys, any input welcome

 

[RideMonkey]

Isnt it fun to spec a new bike

My 2 cents:

I don't like GT frames. I have one. I really dislike the frame geometry. Very tall seat tube/head tube and short top tube results in a big bike with little standover height. The steer tube angle seems steep, and the front wheel always wants to wash out on the slightest oversteer. There are a lot of people here on RM that love the Zaskar, I'm just not one of them.

Mavic Wheels: go for it. I love mine. Lx components are good enough, XT are great. I have had ver good luck with carbon bars. I had a pair for 5 years that I crashed on many times, and finally just creased them this year.

As for a fork: thats easy! Marzocchi Atom Race. There is no better fork in terms of performance and durability. I have had 3 over the years and I love them!! They are probably 3/4 to 1 pound heavier than the SID, but worth every ounce.

Hope that helps!

 

[Freak]

hmmm...let's see here...a fork....how about a Manitou Black!!!???

I have one and it works like a charm!!! No problems with it....Heck I like it so much I'm getting a 2nd one...one for my girlfriend and one for me!!!...

 

[Rik]

Originally posted by ridemonkey
Isnt it fun to spec a new bike
I don't like GT frames. I have one. I really dislike the frame geometry.

ahh i love it, could spend every day making up bikes on paper, pricing it all, then budgeting how long i'd have to save


but as for GT's, i love them, had 4 gt's over my life, the past 2 have had spot-on geometry for me, almost opposite to what you described

both were 18in frames (c-c) with a 22.5in top tube, and a short headtube
and for my height/riding position, that put me right where i want to be, stretched out a bit, but with my weight slightly back (with a high-ish stem) that made for a bike that was easy to manual/wheely at any speed, could easily loft over jumps/ledges and do a bit of trials work on
it was great to buy an alu gt frame to replace my aging cromo one, and to find it had EXACTLY the same geometry as my other bike

and the 2k1 line of gt's have really long top tubes for their frame size, the 18in frame has a 23.5tt now, from what i read, so they've changed their style a bit more again
anyway, i'll look in on the forks you guys suggested
thanks once again

 

[Freak]

good luck with building your bike and also....

WELCOME TO RIDEMONKEY!!!

 

[The Toninator]

i also liked the the gt's ride.

 

[Ian F]

Your other parts choices look fine to me. The nice thing about Shimano stuff is the lower lines work almost the same as the higher lines, just with a bit more weight and a tad less durability in some components.

For a fork, I would go with a Marzocchi. If you're on a budget, look for a leftover X-fly or Super Fly. Very reasonable weight and with Marzocchi strength. The action tends to be a bit stiff and is probably not the greatest "all-around" fork, but I like my Super Fly for XC racing, which is about all I use it for. I also don't fiddle with the adjustments very much - just get on and go!

 

[Rik]

2 things i'm looking at...
a set of decent cranks, and decent forks
i've seen specials for 2001 SID XC's, and might consider manitou mars super's, they both seem reasonably priced

right now, i'm goin for superlight stuff, gunna try and make this MTB lighter than a road bike.... i guess i can sacrifice a bit of performance for grams (i know, i know, your thinking 'what a jerk" but, this is a bike built for light weight and racing speed)

i dont intend on hammering it offroad, i hardly hit the dirt anymore, i wanna build it to be an ultralight commuting bike that i can get fit on, and once fit, start racing with it (i'm gettin a dirt jump bike for my silliness, so this one will be taken care of)
even sorted out some 1" mtb slicks now they're fast