Mountain Biking - Project MTB

Hi all,

Im new to this forum. Currently working as a bike mechanic in an outdoor retailer.
Just bought myself a new MTB to do a project on, its a Diamondback Peak HD. Also bought Shimano Deore XT cranksets, Deore XT shifters, Deore XT front and rear derailleurs, Deore XT cassette and Deore XT chain. Also fitted Shimano hydraulic Disc Brakes.
With regards to the frame Ive purchased a stickerbomb album from amazon and I am going to stickerbomb the whole frame, I know its a bit of a marmite thing to do but I love the look!.
The bike is currently sitting as a frame with just forks and a headset on it so hopefully ill be starting the project tomorrow night, not sure when it will be finished but ill keep updating frequently.
The disc brakes that are on it at the moment are just standard shimanos as far as im aware but payday is next week so i might upgrade these to the new Deore XTs as Ive read a few reviews and the new system sounds pretty good.
Looking to upgrade the forks aswell at some point but im going to do a bit of shopping around first to see what i fancy.
Will hopefully have some pictures up soon.

Cheers for reading,
Gary* :thumb:

Welcome to BikeForums. Are you in the UK?

I really like XT stuff. Good choice. Let us know how you go for wheels/tires/fork/etc..

Which sticker bomb are you getting?

Not sure what you are trying to get out of the bike, the Diamondback is a very low end bike, and sticking XT on it won't make it much better; buying a complete new bike will be far better value for money rather than buying parts individually, especally if you are looking at new forks, even taking into account the parts you have already bought.

^ I don't know about all that. There doesn't tend to be That much difference in frames these days unless you go really cheap or really expensive. His DB should be a decent MTB geometry aluminum frame. Take that and throw a bunch of good(XT in this case) parts at it and a decent fork and you'll have a nice bike. I agree that he may have gotten there cheaper by buying a bike that comes with nicer parts to start with rather than buying them separately, but perhaps he's getting parts much cheaper due to working at the shop or something. Who knows. In any case, I think it'll be a nice bike in the end with the nice components.

I think subtle differences in frames are important. I doubt he's getting XT discounts working for some "rei / Dicks" type of place.

*shrug* I used to be able to get discounts on all sorts of Shimano stuff, from fishing reals to bike parts when I worked at a marina. Unfortunately I wasn't into mtbing then.

XT components are solid! The good thing about parts is you can always move them to a new frame. Frame specs are a big part of making the bike work for you. I bought a bike with a Great Review, only to learn that the top tube was long for my body type. I ended up getting more dirt on me than I like. Turns out for me, a slighty smaller frame allows me to move back and forth and stay more stable.

The important thing is that you are getting onto the bike and have a hook up for parts! Get sweaty and post some pictures.

I think subtle differences in frames are important.
Agreed..especially when talking about MTBs. Even though a lot of frames from different manufacturers are made in the same building, it doesn't mean they all ride the same.

The Diamondback Peak is a pretty lowend bike to be hanging XT bits off of.

hi guys sorry for slow replies been busy. I understand what everyone is saying about the DB frame but I already have the same bike with standard kit and the frame seems solid enough plus I got it for pennies, also I got major discount on the XT parts I got everything at cost price with my staff discount so I got the mechs chain shifters and cassette for £195 so I can't complain. Probably could have spent a bit more on a better bike from a shop but it would have worked out more expensive without discounts and it wouldn't be as fun as building my own bike. The sticker bomb is finished so I'm going to key and lacquer it tomorrow, will get pics up ASAP. Thanks for all the replies guys + and - all opinions are respected. happy riding :thumb:

Sounds awesome to me. If the frame fits you well and is solid enough for the riding you want to do and you put the whole thing together for a price you otherwise couldn't afford, I don't see any problem with that. Also, Love Glasgow. I have some friends that live there and Scotland is one of my favorite places.

Exactly the way i see it too, scotland is good...if your not from here lol i hate it!...small update about the project, the frame is going into a professional body shop to get laquered at the end of this week (my mate is going to do it for free). Also its payday on thursday so ill be shopping around, not sure what to buy though, looking at either new wheels or brakes, has to be 1 or the other because of money as im needing to put cash away this month to buy new forks next month. Been onto chain reaction cycles and was looking at getting front and rear wheels made up with mavic rims, DT Swiss spokes and nipples and deore xt hubs so either going to be them or the deore xt brakes and ice tech discs. Will definetley get pictures up at the end of the week when the laquering is finished.

Few pictures for now from mid stickerbomb...all you marmite lovers enjoy ;)
233918

233917
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Marmite?

Isn't that some kind of spread for makin' sandwiches?

Marmite?

Isn't that some kind of spread for makin' sandwiches?

Haha indeed it is...famous for people either completely lovin it or absolutely hatin on it...sticker bombs are the same you'll either love it or hate it!

Ignore the naysayers here, Hunter -- putting together a bike that YOU want, the WAY you want, is the ultimate TREAT! It does not MATTER whether it makes 'sound financial sense' -- it's not like you're doing it for the resale value!

Five years ago, I put almost $2K into a Jamis Dakar XLT 1.0 frame -- which would have cost me about $1400 if I bought it complete. The thing about that is, I got the bike EXACTLY the way I wanted, because NO bike company chooses parts like I do. Now, with a cracked frame, I can have the same experience with another frame for half the cost, because so many parts will transfer over!

If bikes and riding were all about 'the best for the money', we'd all be on Walfart's singlespeeds.....

Ignore the naysayers here, Hunter -- putting together a bike that YOU want, the WAY you want, is the ultimate TREAT! It does not MATTER whether it makes 'sound financial sense' -- it's not like you're doing it for the resale value!

Five years ago, I put almost $2K into a Jamis Dakar XLT 1.0 frame -- which would have cost me about $1400 if I bought it complete. The thing about that is, I got the bike EXACTLY the way I wanted, because NO bike company chooses parts like I do. Now, with a cracked frame, I can have the same experience with another frame for half the cost, because so many parts will transfer over!

If bikes and riding were all about 'the best for the money', we'd all be on Walfart's singlespeeds.....

Amen. Lol That whole reply is exactly the reason I'm doing the project and I can't wait till it is finished!

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Hi everyone sorry there was no updates on this!, been really busy with things. the bike has been built up and is ready to cycle but unfortunetly im not going to be able to use it as plans have changed and i need cash! £££! so im forced to try to sell it :( HARD TIMES!!!!!, This bike has been built with brand new parts and has never been ridden it is completely mint!, Im not looking to make any money on it i just want back the money i put into it which was £680, if anyone is interested in such a fantastic and unique one off bike please dont hesitate to contact me and we can hopefully arrange for it to go to a good home! Cheers for all the interest in the build at the start!!! happy riding, Gary

Great looking bike, sticker bomb worked out well. this isn't the proper place to sell a bike. Find the Thread for selling a bike. Being located on that island "over there," you might try local specific listings.