So, some may recognize me as the OP who was asking advice regarding my first 29er build, and I got some good responses, some of which I will certainly be using in the near future. You may also recall that I found an ENTIRE build kit ($425) for the $75 frame I got off craigslist. So............here she is!



This is total 29er kool-aid for 500 clams. The ride is different, and well, the same really as a 26er. It rolls amazingly and it absolutely burns nice singletrack downhill! My thoughts on positioning were WAY off though...I set it up to be as similar to the proportions of my old 26" bike, which was just wrong. I will definitely be putting some wider bars (the 560mm bars I stuck on there were horrid) which didn't lend itself to "flicking" very easily. And the inverted stem put me too far down in the front. Half-way through the ride, I flipped the stem back to the "normal" position and that was a HUGE improvement. I need to get an air pump for the shock as well to dial it in as it's a bit too soft. For some reason, I thought the Tora had a spring vs. air, until I unscrewed the top cap to find a schraeder valve under it! So, all said, definitely a deal and in no way a "$500" bike! So the Boulder bike swap is coming up next month....I'm pretty sure I know what I'll be shopping for.

Impressive man, I love ground-up budget builds. Provides a very personal integration into (what I consider) what should be a very personal sport.

I dig.

Thanks, I appreciate you line of thought as well. I think I'm definitely going to have fun with this one.

That looks likes like a fantastic bike for $500. Good job on the build.

Looks awesome to my eye! Mad,MAD props,Brother!

Thanks for the props all. One thing I didn't mention in the first post is this, someone in a separate thread suggested using a larger diameter rotor (i.e. 180 vs. the stock 160mm) yes yes yes yes................yes. Once the stockers got the "new" off them, they worked well...but not that well (or at least as well as I'd liked). I also think that a 2x9 will be the way to go as this bike evolves over time. Plus, I think they have better aesthetics...but of course, that's completely personal. I think the only other thing is to just shave weight here and there as the opportunities arise.

Nice, gotta love it when you get a steal like that .

Good stuff! That's a great build for that kind of money. Enjoy the new ride.

Where do you get the build-kit for $425?

I found it on craigslist....it wasn't bought through a shop or anything. I simply just stumbled right over it.

Sweet ride and stellar deal!