Got to start with a frame and not just any frame. Every piece of this build serves a specific purpose. The goal was to build a bike that can tackle most situations without being too overweight, low maintenance and mid to upper quality components. I went with a steel hard tail frame for all those reasons. Fairly inexpensive but solid. No rear suspension to worry about.
Bicycle standards are ridiculous. They change about as often as computers. My bike was considered obsolete before I even started. However I knew what I wanted and Im stubborn. Pressed a few parts in. Fortunately I spent a good amount of timing with research so everything lined up.
First major obstacle was the fork. I was determined to have a specific fork but they dont make them anymore. New forks that could work are unreasonably expensive. Easily half the price of the total build. It was winter so I had time to look around. Eventually I found a reasonably priced lightly used fork that fit all my criteria. I was close to giving up and changing my plans, glad I didnt have to.
Starting to look like a real bike. The wheelset was another big decision. So many variations, sizes, price, etc. Again I had a pretty keen idea as to what I wanted and exercised my patience. Holiday close outs and end of year sales provided most of my components.
Spring is near so it was time to finish it up. For the most part things went well, until I got to the tires. One of the recent changes in bicycles is tubeless rims and tires. I took a risk and thought it would be cool. Immediately I hated them. Most regular tubed tires are easy to change out and service when in the need for a repair. These tubeless tires were harder to mount than motorcycle tires. Say I did get them on and I get a flat when riding, there was no way Id be doing trailside repair. Perhaps my tires and rims were a mismatch but the experience was enough to scare me back to the old tried and true system.
99% finished project. All that is left is to shorten the brake lines and tune the drivetrain. Havent taken it for a test ride yet however Im pretty excited. It'll be fun to ride a one of a kind bike as there will be no others out on the trail. The experience comes at a price though, as my total tally exceeded what a new factory bike with similar components would cost. I didnt build it to save money though. Building is all about the experience and do I love it.
