[IH8Rice]

after not riding XC/AM for almost 12 years, i finally got a bike. i was nervous on which size to get since whenever i think of a XL bike, i think of a giant's bike like my old XL Bullit.
at 6'2", the bike fits me perfect. im very pleased on it's size and geometry. going to shred some trails tomorrow after work

specs:
2012 SC Butcher w/ a RP23 Kashima
'06 36 Talas 150mm
EX729 on CK 135mm hub/EX823 on Hadley 20mm
RF Atlas FR 165mm cranks w/ CK BB
MRP Mini G2 w/ E13 32t ring
Sram PG950 11-34
X9 gripshift/X9 rear der.
Hayes HFX9 brakes
High Roller 2.35/Mobster 2.1
WTB rocket saddle on Thomson post
Deity D30 bars
Azonic stem
33lbs

 

[chillindrdude]

very nice...still debating my AM/enduro bike options

 

[Polandspring88]

Nice! Thing looks pretty rockin. I'd recommend looking into a lighter wheel build if possible, that 729 and 823 are pretty heavy, the bike will ride noticably faster and more responsive with a little less mass.

 

[mrbigisbudgood]

Welcome to the APP club.

 

[captainspauldin]

Looks sharp.

 

[dump]

33lbs

That's going to make you strong!

But nice bike for sure

 

[HAB]

Nice front brake.


Bike looks good. Can't go wrong with the black, black and black color scheme.

 

[IH8Rice]

That's going to make you strong!

But nice bike for sure

thanks.
yeah, theres nothing really super light on the bike but with the few upgrades planned, ill drop almost 2lbs. i wanted something burly since im pretty hard on bikes and everything i have on it meets that requirement.

Nice front brake.


Bike looks good. Can't go wrong with the black, black and black color scheme.

the 160 front adapter i have doesnt fit my Hayes caliper for some reason. im just going to use the 203 rotor i was using previously since i have that adapter.

im also glad it did come out all black too

 

[HAB]

I've got about 10 160mm front adapters in my basement doing nothing. Want one?

 

[IH8Rice]

I've got about 10 160mm front adapters in my basement doing nothing. Want one?

can you please take a pic of one of them? i have a slew of adapters here too but not sure which one will work since only 1 is marked. the one i figured would work says 160F/140R....it doesnt
if i dont have the adapter, id love to snap one from you. thanks

 

[HAB]

Yeah I'll go dig a couple out and snap a pic in a minute.

 

[IH8Rice]

Yeah I'll go dig a couple out and snap a pic in a minute.

killer, thanks

 

[golgiaparatus]

That's friggin sweet... but an uphill bike?

 

[jonKranked]

That's friggin sweet... but an uphill bike?

it will go uphill. how well it will go uphill will be determined by the rider

 

[jonKranked]

seems like a fairly similar build to my old sx trail. i think mine might have weighed an extra point or 2. it'll go uphill alright. slowly but surely lol.

 

[IH8Rice]

i got the power to get up the hills...just not the cardio

 

[jonKranked]

i got the power to get up the hills...just not the cardio

it'll come in time. this summer i finally got back to the point where i am able to power up climbs again and then not have to stop at the top.

 

[-BB-]

Nice front brake.


Bike looks good. Can't go wrong with the black, black and black color scheme.

Well since he is only riding it uphill it shouldn't matter.

 

[mcoomer]

That's friggin sweet... but an uphill bike?

I know, right. I was hoping for something that rolled uphill on its own so all you had to do was concentrate on what trick to throw down next. I guess they'd call that an uphill moto.

 

[IH8Rice]

mmm dropper seat post is just what this thing needed

 

[nyhc00]

compared to the original pic, this looks sick!!

 

[HAB]

Dropper posts are the bestest things ever.


You might want to shorten the cable a little, that's going to be a huge loop when it's dropped.

 

[IH8Rice]

You might want to shorten the cable a little, that's going to be a huge loop when it's dropped.

any shorter and it wont reach the bars. the stock cable/housing is just long enough right now

the loop isnt too bad when fully dropped. this is a 5" drop post afterall

 

[amishmatt]

So, ride report? How do you like it so far?

 

[IH8Rice]

the bike actually climbs a lot better then i expected...especially with the hew RP23 and it's "climb" mode/pro pedal. after adding the dropper post, it now comes in at 34lbs even but the weight isnt noticeable at all.
my first ride sucked hardcore only because i havent ridden XC/AM in well over a decade. but now that ive been riding it a lot more and i actually remember how to climb, the bike is extremely enjoyable, especially with the dropper post! i found that i need to have the post fairly high for my long legs on the climbs but on the descents, its more of a nut javelin without it dropped low. with the seat slammed, it feels like a mini DH bike. it handles the drops and roots better then i could have imagined. i felt right at home on the bike as soon as i first threw my leg over it. i was a bit nervous to getting a XL frame but now that ive actually ridden it, a L frame would be WAY too small for me at 6'2".
i had never properly ridden an air shock, but the Kashima coated RP23 w/ "adaptive logic" is ultra plush and it feels bottomless on the bike. even new, there is almost ZERO stiction on the shock. im running a bit more air pressure then recommended to get proper sag and not bottom out all the time, but it thankfully does not feel harsh and the pro pedal actually works.
im still trying to dial in my stem length now. i thought my 65mm was okay but my hands/wrists become numb on longer rides. thankfully we have a bunch of stem lengths in the shop to help customers out.

my future (see soon) parts upgrade include a lighter wheelset. my current CK/729 rear and Hadley/823 front comes in at 2600grams, which is pretty damn heavy for a AM wheelset. the I9 Enduro or AM wheelset and Easton Haven wheels are on my radar. all three choices will save me b/w 750-950 grams which is huge. im kind of used to a high engagement hub on this bike, so i was leaning towards the I9's. but i dont like proprietary spokes. i have used Hadley 36pt hubs for 10+ years, so if i got the Easton's, i dont think id really miss the super high engagement hubs to be honest.
i would also like a new fork to replace my 36 Talas R 150mm but sending it to Push would be about $350 cheaper then a new 160mm 36 Talas or Float. the new Talas or Float would save me close to 1lb though.

 

[HAB]

For what it's worth I'd recommend doing a custom wheel build with normal spokes and whatnot. My current favorite setup would be Hadleys on DT EX500 rims with DT Supercomps. Should be about 1850g IIRC.

 

[IH8Rice]

For what it's worth I'd recommend doing a custom wheel build with normal spokes and whatnot. My current favorite setup would be Hadleys on DT EX500 rims with DT Supercomps. Should be about 1850g IIRC.

all of my wheels have always been custom but i dont think i can a wheelset down 750-950 grams with my CK and Hadley hubs that i have. both current wheels are already using DT Supercomp DB spokes.
ive been a big fan of Sun-Ringle rims for many years now (aside from my sponsorship ) and their EQ27 rim do interest me. by switching to these rims, id save only roughly 422 grams....still a big difference, but not 750-950 grams....thoughts?

 

[HAB]

Yeah ok. I'm actually running the EQ 31s on Hadleys on my DH bike, so far so good.


If you want to do lighter hubs, DT 240s are awesome. Super light, super durable, just a little spendy. You can upgrade the engagement to I think 36pt, still not massive but good enough. That said, since they're so small in diameter, hub weight doesn't matter near as much as rim weight does. Just going to lighter rims will make a huge difference. I actually think the Havens or I9 AMs are maybe a little too light for you. They're good wheels but between the fact that you've got a DH background and are a bigger guy they might be a little on the flimsy side. For my money I'd way rather have something burly and a couple hundred grams heavier than the other way around. FWIW Stan's Flows/ DT 500s etc are the lightest rims I'm really interested in running on my AM bike and I'm only like 165#.

 

[IH8Rice]

If you want to do lighter hubs, DT 240s are awesome. Super light, super durable, just a little spendy.
I actually think the Havens or I9 AMs are maybe a little too light for you. They're good wheels but between the fact that you've got a DH background and are a bigger guy they might be a little on the flimsy side. For my money I'd way rather have something burly and a couple hundred grams heavier than the other way around.

the 240's are actually pretty damn expensive, even at my cost for such a low engagement hub. plus ive heard more mixed reviews about their durability with bigger guys like myself.
i was hesitant about I9's AM rims/wheels, so i was leaning towards their 28mm Enduro wheels/rims which should be a bit burlier....but still 800 grams lighter then my current setup
i only know one person with the Havens but he has the carbon version so its not a fair comparison. they were more of a "price point" wheelset compared to the I9's.
with what i can probably sell my current wheelset for, most high end wheel sets are on my my radar

 

[HAB]

I'd have no hesitation about the I9 Enduros. Very comparable to the DT EX500s, Stan's Flows, etc.