Mountain Biking - Building My Mountainbike

Picked up the frame today.

http://www.webxpressions.com.au/sintesi.jpg

It has Easton Elite tubing.

The seat looks like it was made for the bike ... damn perfect.

I am getting Sid Race 2003 forks (same weight as frame) and full XTR ensemble (brakes, derailleurs, cranks, bottom bracket, levers, etc).

Hubs and Headset will be Chris King with Thompson seatpost and Stem. Rims will be Mavic

Gonna go all out and build a light ass bike, then destroy it first ride (probably) Its going to take me about 6 months to afford it all.

Wheee

Nice one mate. Looks like you have a good project on the go there? What sort of budget are you looking at to finish it all?

I notice from the picture, the left chainstay is slight bent, and the bb threads are stripped. Just kidding?:D

Enjoy it.

The only thing missing is the dropout which is being machined by hand to suit the frame from an original.

The problem with Sintesi is that they never made Dropouts for aftermarket sale (when one is damaged) so the LBS had to salvage them from sale frames.

Mine was the last frame, so he is getting 10 machined up (same grade alloy as original, and identical design) and giving them to me.

If 10 dropouts dont outlast the frame, then something is wrong.

Just a thought related to that....

Why is it that the bike shop tries to sell you a deraileur dropout for what you can have 10 made for at a machine shop?

:confused:

You'll have a very, very nice bike when finished. Good luck.

I must say, though, that the frame builder forgot to put the rear shock on, and those pivot points look a little stiff to me.:)

And don't forget our other member, puolulla.

He can be your saddle consultant. He's the official saddle guru, on account he knows exactly what to get, and where to get it.:D

Well, the saddle is a Bontrager Racelite (or Racelite Bontrager), its almost as though it was designed for that exact frame and paint job.

So if he can find more, of exactly the same, I will take 5 of them, because the LBS said this was the last one, and he is unable to get them anymore.

Actually, this was the LBS managers project bike 4 years ago, the basic stuff I am buying is actually the project he never even started, so everything is brand new, he just never had the time, and eventually forgot about it.

So alot of the gear I am getting is matching up perfectly to the frame.

The only thing of his project I am not getting is the Spinergy wheels ... they are WAY too poser for me, and I am not trying to pose, I want a bike as absolutely light as possible, and the Spinergy's are just WAY too garish (though ligter than my Chris King + Mavic wheels, I am trading off weight in this respect because I just plain dont like the look of the Spinergy's).

Originally posted by Scooby Snax
Just a thought related to that....

Why is it that the bike shop tries to sell you a deraileur dropout for what you can have 10 made for at a machine shop?

:confused:
Is this just relating to me, or to everyone ?

The dropouts are costing about $5us to make each based off Sintesi's blueprint. So $50us is a small price to pay to get rid of a 4 year old frame.

Even though its 4 years old, it still comes with Sintesi's 8 year warranty from date of sale (not date of purchase from wholesaler)

It was purchased from the wholesaler for $1400au ($1700au retail) and it was slashed to $600au to get it out of the door. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time.

It was purchased from the wholesaler for $1400au ($1700au retail) and it was slashed to $600au to get it out of the door. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time.

Let me understand this right. Did you get everything for $600au? If that's the case, then you scored from what I see, one amazing deal there.

That bike's Big Pimpin'

8 year warranty on Easton Elite tubes? Hell yeah you got a deal.

A wee tad Jealous, I
BK

why you are saying that about easton elite tubes? arent they durable?

Nice X Wing P1,

How light are you hoping to get the bike? Sounds like a great project bike, looking foward to seeing the final build :)

Cheers

Rich

why you are saying that about easton elite tubes? arent they durable?

I have no personal experience on that matter, but Easton tube-built racing frames usually don't get warrantied for more than 3 yrs. That being said, I know there are C-dale and Klein frames out there (proprietary Alum. tubes) that have been getting hammered for over 10 years.

BK

Rich, as light as possible without sacrificing durability.

Some things will be heavy (Chris King Hubs) while the frame/forks will be as light as possible (2.9lbs each)

I will get it in under 20lbs ... hopefully under 15lbs.

it is EXTREMELY hard to get it under 20lbs...i've got an elite frame as well (18.5") that i built up from scratch. here's the parts so far...

-XTR Shifter/brakelever, rr. derailleur, vbrakes, 8spd Ti cassette
-XT fr. derailleur
-Raceface Turbine LP cranks
-Raceface rings w/ aluminum bolts and al. granny
-Raceface Ti bottom bracket
-Raceface Realseal headset
-Mavic CrossMax (non-tubeless)
-Control Tech Ti skewers
-ultralight tubes, IRC mythos 1.95 fr./Continental Doublefighter (both kevlar)
-Syncros hinged stem
-Easton monkey lite carbon handlebar
-Easton CT2 carbon seatpost
-ODI lockgrips (heavier than foam)
-Flite Ti saddle
-Sachs PC91 chain
-Rock Shox SID 100

This complete setup makes my bike 21.5 lbs (according to a scale legal for trade) and nothing on it is 'exotic.' This costed about $3000 bux altogether (canadian dollars). i think it's close to 5000 if i paid retail for all of it (Crossmax wheels are $1300 cnd.)

it was just under 21lbs before when i had a first gen SID ('98 model).

as you can see..it's tough to get it light without breaking the bank and going for exotic (ie: morati Ti cranks and Ti bolts)

good luck w/ your build up though..it's going to be a beautiful bike! :beer:

Sounds like a nice bike Mash,

I have trimmed down my Kona to a 20.5lbs bike, but that's with rigid Pace carbon forks.

As you said, I think alot of money has to be spent to get a bike sub 20lbs.

Cheers

Rich

Thanks rich..yah, i love it..more valued because i built it up from a frame only.

What kind of frame do you have? must be a Ti or Scandium frame. i know i can lose some more weight if i go back to a SID Race and change the frame even (to a scandium)..that would hopefully be hovering around the 20lbs mark w/ my parts and foam grips and flat bar.

:beer:

Hmmm, good points there.

I will just build it with the parts I want, if it doesnt come in under 20lb's then so be it.

I dont intend to be an anal weight weenie ;)

So far its at 6lb's with frame, forks, and headset. Wheels I am guessing will be 3 lb's each so thats 12lb's with wheels.

The ensemble, cranks, bottom bracket, handlebar, cables, etc etc etc will all add up to the final weight, so we will just have to see how it pans out.