29er

[michaels]

i couldn't really find a tire i liked so i went with the exiwolf. if i don't like it i'll just buy two news ones. not really a big deal, but i'll be in varying terrain and it looks like it'll hook up pretty nicely with all the tread/knob pattern.

the components from price point:
WTB Exiwolf 29er Folding Tire 29x2.3
$39.99 each (20% off from $50)

Price Point Tube 29er
3.49 each. presta valve
Shimano M756 W/ Mavic TN719 29er Wheelset
$239 (31% off from $350)

Sette Single Speed Conversion Kit
$12 (52% off from $25)
it comes with 2 cogs 16T and 18T ( i'll start with the 18T and 36T chainring) i plan to buy a 32T chainring later on to run 32/18 when i get good at the 2:1 ratio. plus it was uber cheap)

total from pricepoint with shipping $360.

Flat Top Handle Bar 710mm wide x 9 degree black
$58 with shipping. (if i'm not gonna get the one nine might as well have something Niner!)

 

[michaels]

from Nashbar:
Crank Brothers Smarty Mountain Bike Pedals BLUE
$19.99 (67% off from $60)
i needed something with a small platform for around town or else i would've just gotten egg beaters.

Nashbar Mechanical Discs
$69.99 (46% off from $130)

i might be forgetting something but i don't think so. i'm gotta buy some new shorts and a jersey or two, but other than that i'm pretty happy with what i got. i'll post build pics and what i think when i get all the stuff in. probably will have it built by next wednesday and plan on testing it immediately in birmingham where i'll be next week visiting my parents.


total cost was around $1450, give or take a few bucks. i literally saved hundreds of dollars, getting most everything at least 20%-40% off, some more than that too. had i purchased everything full price i would have spent almost $1,900. i'm pretty happy right now.

 

[Cackalak Han]

AWESOME CHOICE!! That's the exact same bike I've got. Vassago actually featured mine on their site on the Jabberwocky page (it's the green one). Good luck with the build. One thing you'll notice is the longer chain stays. On climbs, I had to move my weight back a tad bit to get better traction. Then, last week, I got an 80mm stem (down from 100mm stem) and it's spot on. I much prefer this geo to the Redline Monocog I had. Rode through some tight switchbacks last week with no problems. Now, I'm trying to convert to tubeless---trial and error process. But it's better than picking out numerous goat heads and patching tubes.

 

[michaels]

AWESOME CHOICE!! That's the exact same bike I've got. Vassago actually featured mine on their site on the Jabberwocky page (it's the green one). Good luck with the build. One thing you'll notice is the longer chain stays. On climbs, I had to move my weight back a tad bit to get better traction. Then, last week, I got an 80mm stem (down from 100mm stem) and it's spot on. I much prefer this geo to the Redline Monocog I had. Rode through some tight switchbacks last week with no problems. Now, I'm trying to convert to tubeless---trial and error process. But it's better than picking out numerous goat heads and patching tubes.

thanks! if you remember i pm'ed you and notice that you're p_nut on mtbr. i just lurk there though. i used your build as a guideline, but as you can see strayed away from it a bit. i wanted the panaracer tires but they were on backorder.

 

[Cackalak Han]

Oh, yeah, I remember now. As far as the tires go, I wasn't overly impressed with the Rampages as a rear tire. The front is good, though. I just ordered Geax Saguaro's from Bike29.com (awesome service, price and ship time) to use in the rear, so we'll see how that goes.

Are you really going to run 36x18? That's a pretty tall gear, but maybe where you're at, it's not too hilly. 32x18 or 32x20 is a good place to start, IMO. I'm in the Rockies, so I'm currently at 33x21.

 

[Cackalak Han]

Also, just FYI, Nashbar is having a sale of 20% off on any single item. That means you can score an XT crankset for $160. Sell the rings for $50, buy a Surly ring for $30. You've then got an awesome crank for a sweet price.

 

[jmacjgm]

Good choice with the Jabber. I ride a Karated Monkey single speed; was thinking about getting a Jabber for the #2 but went with a custom instead.
Never been a fan of Niner brand; seems like their rear dropouts are too weak and break often. I know Niner fixes it but I'd rather have a stronger frame.

 

[michaels]

Oh, yeah, I remember now. As far as the tires go, I wasn't overly impressed with the Rampages as a rear tire. The front is good, though. I just ordered Geax Saguaro's from Bike29.com (awesome service, price and ship time) to use in the rear, so we'll see how that goes.

Are you really going to run 36x18? That's a pretty tall gear, but maybe where you're at, it's not too hilly. 32x18 or 32x20 is a good place to start, IMO. I'm in the Rockies, so I'm currently at 33x21.

Ya not too hilly. i'm in auburn, al... everything is pretty flat. enough to get a good workout but a typical trail here is half up half down, both ways( you turn around and do the trail backwards to get back to the truck) and it fluctuates maybe 200 or so feet in elevation of the whole course of the trail.

oak mtn outside birmingha, al is where i'll really test it. 9 miles up 9 miles down. goes up maybe 1000 ft IF that? not too bad. i'm gonna get a 32T chainring later on, but i'll be mostly using this as an urban/rural assault bike so i may actually run 36/16 during the week and 36/18 when on the trails.

i'm not in the rockies or anything so a steady cadance at ~13 mph is doable with the 2:1 ratio here.

 

[michaels]

Also, just FYI, Nashbar is having a sale of 20% off on any single item. That means you can score an XT crankset for $160. Sell the rings for $50, buy a Surly ring for $30. You've then got an awesome crank for a sweet price.

AH! i KNOW. i'm missed the sale by one day and they already shipped my stuff out to use the coupon code. but i'm pretty excited about my raceface crankset. it looks like a pretty good deal that i got (over $130 off MSRP) i could still get a surly ring or the like and slap it on this baby. i REALLY want to experiment with my gears for the varying terrain. my only complaint is i'm goign to europe from jan-may and won't be able to take this bad boy with me.

 

[Cackalak Han]

Just FYI, I rode the Geax Saguaro's today and it was night/day difference from the Rampages. I was getting some rear tire slip up steeper climbs, but with the Saguaro's, pretty much eliminated. If the Rampages don't work out for you, try them out. Although, I'm not sure how they'd do in mud, which I'm sure you encounter more than I do.

 

[slowtwitch]

That Q Ball frame/fork blows Niner.. or any other asian made frame/fork out of the water.

As for brakes, I used to be a bb7 fan, but no more. *Nothing* can touch a nice full hydro setup. The hydro apsect is really what makes discs so sweet. Why add the pitfalls of cables/housing to the equation? Slowly, but surely, you'll need to pull harder and harder to stop, and then there's cable stretch, housing compression, etc. On long rides, my bb7's lever feel totally changes from the start of the ride to the end.. constantly having to mess with the pad adjustment (it's also difficult to get a consistant crisp lever feel w/out rotor rub). The red plastic deal on the back is also prone to melting/degradation, and eventually doesn't hold the position of the fixed pad which means rubbing.


Test ride a bike with Shimano full hydros.. take it on a long ride if possible. You'll get 100% performance with consistant light lever pressure all the time with the pads retracting precisely all the time.

-Mike

 

[Lostmanifesto]

All I ride and race are 29ers now. My main bike is a Specialized Sworks Carbon Stumpjumper and my SS is a 29er Stumpjumper SS. I race both bikes and love them. The geometry is awesome!

Previously I had a Niner Air9 and loved it. I converted it to SS for a short time and worked great. I was going to stick with Niner but Specialized ended up in my lap.