# BenFenner's 2017 Surly Troll



## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

Table of Contents:
*
1) Introduction

2) Up-to-date parts and price record

3) New Surly Troll frame and fork arrive
4) New drivetrain components arrive
5) New frame bearing components arrive
6) New wheels arrive
7) New bottom bracket socket arrives
8) New rear cassette tools arrive
9) New chain and tool arrives
10) New grips arrive
11) New headset spacers arrive
12) New tires and tubes arrive
13) New ¼" torque wrench arrives
14) New handlebars arrive
15) Incorrect 148mm rear axles arrives
16) New stem arrives
17) New saddle arrives
18) New seat post arrives

19) Complete parts layout

20) Mount tubes and tires to wheels
21) Install brake rotors
21) Install rear cassette
22) Install headset
23) Diagnose incorrect rear axle
24) Install bottom bracket
25) Install crankset and front chainring
26) Install pedals
27) Second incorrect rear axles arrives
28) Correct rear axle arrives
29) Correct medium-cage rear derailleur arrives
30) Install rear shifter and derailleur
31) Install chain
32) Shorten seat post
33) Unbox remaining brake components
34) Shorten handlebars and test-fit grips
35) New front post-to-IS-mount caliper adapters arrive
36) Modify front caliper adapter for clearance
37) Debadge frame
38) Weigh bike
39) Future plans
39) New bike lock arrives

*


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

Introduction:

2017 Surly Troll









Follow me while I build the trail bike of my dreams.

I'm replacing the 1997 Trek 820 in my signature with essentially the same bike, but with modern components. The idea was to maintain the narrow tire, narrow handlebar, 26" geometry, rigid frame ethos; but move away from the grip-shift and 3×7 setup in favor of trigger shifting and a glorious 1×11 configuration.

Modern components like disc brakes and other fun things will be a bonus.

When I started this project, I had no idea if it would even be possible. So I created an account here and made a thread to discuss my options.
You can read through that, and see why I settled on the Troll frame if you'd like:
Help me find frame and fork for 26" rigid build.

This build will take some time for me to get through, so sit back and enjoy the ride. Expect lots of pictures, and a detailed breakdown of the parts and prices.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

Up-to-date parts and price record:

$594.00 | New old-stock small Surly Troll frame and fork (Link)
$37.99 | Race Face Chester composite pedals (Link)
$62.49 | Shimano Deore XT 11-speed medium-cage rear derailleur (Link)
$105.00 | SRAM NX Eagle Dub crankset with 170mm arms and X-Sync 2 DM 32-tooth narrow-wide steel chainring (Link)
$124.99 | SRAM GX 11-speed cassette with 10-42-tooth spread (Link)
$38.99 | Shimano XT Deore 11-speed rear shifter (Link)
$55.80 | Cane Creek 40 headset for EC34/28.6 upper and EC34/30 lower (black) (Link)
$32.99 | SRAM Dub english-threaded bottom bracket with 68mm/73mm shell (Link)
$204.00 | 26-inch wheel set with disc brakes, 9x100 QR front, 12x142 rear with SRAM XD drive (Link)
$47.72 | Wippermann Connex 11-speed chain (Link)
$9.99 | Herrmans Cuadro 22×130mm double-locking bike grips (Link)
$4.38 | MonkeyJack 1-1/8" × 50mm headset spacer (×2) (Link)
$8.29 | ODIER 6-piece 1-1/8" headset spacers in 2mm, 3mm, 5mm, and 10mm (×3) (Link)
$128.00 | Maxxis Ikon 26×2.20" tire (×2) (Link)
$13.97 | UltraCycle 26×2.20-2.50" inner-tube with presta valve (×3) (Link)
$27.48 | Shimano SLX Deore 6-bolt 160mm brake rotor (×2) (Link)
$39.09 | Shimano Alivio hydraulic disc brake lever (left, front), hose (1,000mm), and caliper (Link)
$39.09 | Shimano Alivio hydraulic disc brake lever (right, rear), hose (1,700mm), and caliper (Link)
$34.95 | Ritchey Comp Flat 2X Mountain Bar 31.8mm handlebars with ±5mm rise, 9° sweep, and 720mm width (black) (Link)
$14.99 | FOMTOR 90mm×45° stem for 1-1/8" fork tube and 31.8mm handlebars (Link)
$29.37 | Charge Spoon Cro-Mo saddle (brown) (Link)
$30.95 | Race Face Ride 27.2×375mm seat post (black) (Link)
$35.64 | Surly 12×142/148mm rear thru axle (Link)
$15.07 | Juscycling post-to-IS-mount caliper adapter (for a 160mm front rotor or a 140mm rear rotor) (Link)
---------------

Total: *$1,735.24*



Up-to-date tools and price record:

$18.97 | Zconmotarich 45.5mm 24-point socket for SRAM Dub BSA30 bottom brackets (Link)
$27.95 | Park Tool 12-speed chain whip (Link)
$12.00 | IceToolz rear cassette lockring socket with 5mm guide pin (Link)
$9.80 | Oumers universal bike chain tool (Link)
$3.49 | Park Tool tire lever set (Link)
$42.75 | TEKTON ¼"-drive torque wrench (Link)
$19.98 | RIGID Model 101 pipe cutter (¼" to 1-1/8") (Link)
---------------

Total: *$134.94*


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New Surly Troll frame and fork arrive* | Album

After figuring out this was the frame I wanted in late 2018, I called up Surly to get advice about ordering one. They let me know there were a few 2017 frames left at a discount if I wanted to save some money. The 2017 frames were the first Trolls with the new non-suspension-corrected frame (which was a must-have for me). The 2017 frames were also a better color, so that all worked out perfectly for me and I called my LBS to have them order me one.

The Surly Troll bikes traditionally come in one color for the year, with a black frame always offered as a secondary option if you're building from scratch like I am.

When I ordered the frame in late 2018, a sort of light pea soup green was the color they were offering. However the 2017 frames were a maroon color you'll see below.

At first I wasn't excited about either color, but I figured maroon would be better than that green/yellow they had for 2018. I figured I would paint the frame white, or maybe white and green...

While picking up the bike, the shop owner really loved the color and hoped I wouldn't paint it. After paying a lot more attention to common MTB colors, I began to realize this maroon I had was actually one of the better colors available. I really haven't seen many bikes I like the color of, so this maroon grew on me very quickly. The bike shop owner's enthusiasm for the color really helped me open my eyes and turn me around on it. 

I'm 5' 7" and prefer a smaller bike all things considered, so I went with the small frame. It matches my existing Trek 820 in the main dimensions almost exactly, which is perfect.

As you'll see in the images, I removed all of the stickers from the frame, and plan to completely debadge it before I'm finished.

I feel like I've written too much already, so here are the specs, pricing, and pics.
Oh, and I'm only attaching a few pics for each post. You can find the entire album of pictures linked at the top of each post.

Parts:
$594.00 | 2017 Surly Troll frame and fork in maroon, size small | Outspokin Bicycles


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

With the frame in hand, I can now begin putting together a list of components I want to use. As always, I will be taking my sweet time researching the crap out of components and settling on the perfect stuff for my needs. You can look forward to those updates in the near future.
If I get really stumped about something, I will make a separate thread for it and link it back here.


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## wightweenie26er (Sep 28, 2017)

Will be watching this build


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

Welcome aboard, it's nice to have you. 

I'll say, having dealt with such an ancient bike for so long, I know whatever I do this bike will weigh a lot less. But other than picking simple and efficient components, I'm not going nuts about counting grams. I didn't even weigh the frame on it's own, which seems odd for me now that I think about it.

I will be weighing my old bike and this new one for comparison. So we can all look forward to that at least.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New drivetrain components arrive* | Album

*Pedals*
Everyone loves the affordable Chesters, so that made things easy. I'm sure I'll be happy with them. I grabbed some in black. I thought I might do light grey accents on the bike, but that's a tough color to find in most components, so I am going with black for pretty much everything. It should go well with the maroon frame.

*Rear Derailleur*
I wanted something of good quality, excellent shift feel, and obviously designed to handle 11-speed cassettes. I did my best researching the options and settled on the Shimano XT Deore unit.
I'm not sure how this happened, but the rear derailleur I ordered was the wrong one. I needed the medium-cage unit (RD-M8000-GS), but got the long-cage (RD-M8000-SGS) by accident. I'll need to exchange that soon.

*Rear Cassette*
The rear cassette was a complicated decision to make. I'm sure anyone else building a bike or a 1×11 setup has gone through the same process. I started out calculating the narrowest ratio spread that I'd be happy with, using my old bike as a guide. My old 3×7 setup was actually a 2×7 because the largest chainring was toast, and it wouldn't take much to be able to have a wider spread of ratios than that setup.
I also wanted to keep weight in mind, since some of the lesser expensive options are really heavy, and spending a little bit more can save some real weight here.
I was a bit picky about the steps between ratios as well. A lot of cassettes have a decent tooth spread until that lowest sprocket which is just WAY out there as some granny/climbing ratio. I didn't want that if I could avoid it.
Obviously budget was a concern as well.

With all of those considerations, I went with the SRAM NX 11-speed cassette (XG-1150) pictured below. The small 10-tooth sprocket on this cassette requires the more compact XD drive, so I was juggling that factor as well. In the end it seemed worth it.

If you're interested, the sprockets progress from smallest-to-largest like so: 10→12→14→16→18→21→24→28→32→36→42
Those correlate to a tooth jump spec of: 2→2→2→2→3→3→4→4→4→6

*Crankset and Chainring*
Finally, the crankset was another involved process, maybe even more-so than the rear cassette. I had a lot of options, and they are very closely tied to the bottom bracket I choose. It also dictated the chainrings I'd be able to use, so I needed to take that into account more than anything else. For the gear ratio spread to nicely straddle my old setup (with a lower and higher gear available) I wanted a 32-tooth chainring. I wanted it to have narrow-wide teeth obviously, and I wanted it to be steel for longevity if I could manage to find that.
So I actually solicited the forum for advice about what to do while staying within a decent budget. This went VERY well, and you can read the short thread here: Recommend budget bottom bracket and crankset for my 1x build. 

I'm pretty much waiting for all of the parts to arrive before I open anything up and take pictures, so it's just images of boxes and part numbers right now.

Parts:
$37.99 | Race Face Chester composite pedals (black) | PD16CHEBLK | Jenson USA
return | Shimano XT Deore rear derailleur (long-cage; need to exchange for medium-cage) | RD-M8000-SGS | Jenson USA
$105.00 | SRAM NX Eagle Dub crankset with 170mm arms (black) and X-Sync 2 DM 32-tooth narrow-wide steel chainring (black) | 00.6118.525.001 | Jenson USA
$124.99 | SRAM GX 11-speed cassette with 10-42-tooth spread | XG-1150 | Jenson USA


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## ColonelSanders (Jan 15, 2018)

BenFenner said:


> *Rear Derailleur*
> I'm not sure how this happened, but the rear derailleur I ordered was the wrong one. I needed the medium-cage unit (RD-M8000-GS), but got the long-cage (RD-M8000-SGS) by accident. I'll need to exchange that soon.


What happens if you use the long-cage derailleur?

Does it not shift as smoothly?


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

The long-cage derailleur is designed for 2× and 3× setups, with multiple chainrings. Those types of setups require longer chains to be able to accommodate all of the different sprocket size combinations, and more extreme chain line angles. Those setups have larger extremes of chain length to deal with, so the derailleur cage needs to be able to take up more slack in those setups. That's what the larger cages are designed to do, handle a bigger range of chain slack.
On a 1× setup, in theory, the larger-than-needed derailleur would work fine, and shift just as well. It would just mean you'd need to have a slightly longer chain than you otherwise would be able to run (to wrap through the larger cage), and even then you wouldn't ever be utilizing much of the ability for the cage to take up slack, since you wouldn't have much slack to take up to begin with. Potentially you could also have to deal with the larger cage extending down toward the ground, leaving you a little less ground clearance for the cage. Those large cages really stretch down when fully extended.

So, all in all, it should work just fine with a large cage. But you can run a shorter chain, save some grams (chain and cage), and gain ground clearance to help avoid damaging the rear derailleur or hanger if you run the optimally small cage.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New frame bearing components arrive* | Album

*Rear Shifter*
This is not frame bearing component, but I'm lumping it in with this update since it is on the receipt.
There's nothing fancy here, or at least I thought so. Just a quality Shimano XT Deore unit to go with the rear derailleur of the same make/model. As it turns out, this thing is excellent. I love the ability to shift 2-up or 4-down when asked for.

*Headset*
There is not much to the headset. I just needed one that would fit. While there is a cheaper option available from Cane Creek, I spent a little more to gain a bit of quality. Obviously Surly's excellent documentation for the frame comes into play here, and throughout the entire build.

*Bottom Bracket*
This is where the research for the crankset and bottom bracket comes together. Again, you can read about that here: Recommend budget bottom bracket and crankset for my 1x build.
I wanted something simple, good, and affordable. I really like the simplicity of the SRAM Dub setup I settled on.

It took a bit of time measuring and counting, but I figured out what tool I'd need to torque this thing in. It takes a 24-slot 45.5mm socket. I'll have to get one of those soon. Actually, I'll be needing to acquire a bunch of tools, as I only have automotive mechanical tools right now. I'll post the tool updates too.

Parts:
$38.99 | Shimano XT Deore 11-speed rear shifter | SL-M8000-R | Jenson USA
$55.80 | Cane Creek 40 headset for EC34/28.6 upper and EC34/30 lower (black) | BAA0068K | Jenson USA
$32.99 | SRAM Dub english-threaded bottom bracket with 68mm/73mm shell | 00.6418.015.000 | Jenson USA


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New wheels arrive* | Album

To order wheels, I had to decide if I wanted disc brakes or not. I figured I should embrace the modern trend and go for the discs. It would make for a cleaner look, and parts would be easier to deal with IMO (other than having to deal with hydraulics, which I don't love).

Obviously I'm going with 26" units (actually 22" in diameter or so), and I wanted to keep things relatively narrow to match the ethos of my previous bike. From memory I believe that bike had a ~20mm bead seat and 1.95" wide tires. I did make some concessions to modern mountain biking and went a little bit wider with a ~23mm bead seat for the wheels (planning on 2.20" tires).

The rear wheel was damaged a little in shipping. One end of the hub poked out of the box and got beat up. It's basically cosmetic, so I'll paint the scratches black and move on with my life.

I don't know who Pure is, or anything about the quality of their components, but I'm happy with the wheels. I did remove the stickers from the rims quickly after they arrived. 

As a side note, I had no idea how expensive wheels would and could be when I started building this bike. Had I had any idea, I would have probably never attempted this build. I would have figured out something off-the-shelf to buy, or who knows what...
After seeing the high prices for wheel sets, and not really finding the specs I wanted anyway, I took my desired specs to my LBS and let them quote me on a set just so I would have some place to start from price-wise. They quoted me something like $725 for a "budget" set they could have built for me, but sets went up from there. :eekster:
That was just out of the question, so I looked into building my own wheels. I got familiar with the lacing techniques and everything I'd need. I priced out components and feel like I did a good job keeping the price more obtainable. I forget what I ended up with a price for hubs, spokes, and rims, but it was maybe somewhere in the $350 range? I don't know... It was do-able.
But while researching building my own wheels, I found the amazing prices and customization of wheels at Bicycle Wheel Warehouse. I believe it is run by two bike enthusiasts out of an apartment or something, and they can have extremely long lead times for deliveries because demand for their pricing outstripped supply by a lot. I'm not sure why they don't raise their prices, but I'm not complaining!
Obviously I'm not getting super-quality components, but I'm not picky about wheels and just need something round right now.
I found a set of surplus wheels on sale, used a 15% coupon code, and was STILL able to spec the set exactly to my needs, including color. As far as I'm concerned, this company was my savior, and basically made this bike possible. 

*Front wheel*
The Surly Troll frame has 10 × 100mm front hub spacing, which is a little confusing. I confirmed with a phone call to Surly that a normal 9 × 100mm quick-release setup is going to work just fine (but it can also accept the older 10mm threaded axles). The front wheel came with a 9 × 100 QR, so I'm all set for my front axle.

*Rear wheel*
If you recall the cassette I got, you'll know I'm also going to need an XD drive for the rear.
The Surly Troll frame can accept a wide range of rear hubs with its 145mm static spacing. The frame is steel, so it can pinch down a little to accommodate typical 142mm hubs, and bend out a little to accept 148mm "boost" setups. It will also do older 10 × 135mm threaded setups with the provided spacers.
I went with the widest non-boost configuration to avoid spacers and take advantage of the 12mm axle, landing me with a 12 × 142mm configuration.
The rear wheel didn't come with an axle, and neither did the frame, so I'm going to order a through-axle with the appropriate specs.

Parts:
$204.00 | "Down Hill - Gravity Pro" 26-inch wheel set with disc brakes, 9x100 QR front, 12x142 rear with SRAM XD drive | 29530-26 | Bicycle Wheel Warehouse


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New bottom bracket socket arrives* | Album

Bear with me while I get through some boring tool purchases.

Here is the socket I got to tighten the bottom bracket with my ½" drive torque wrench. I have misgivings about ordering cheap Chinese garbage, but this seemed to be good quality, and I'm pinching pennies right now where I can. I'm seeing this available right now on AliExpress for ~$16 and the exact same thing anodized gold on Sportisfuture for ~$58. The mind boggles.

Tools:
$18.97 | Zconmotarich 45.5mm 24-point socket for SRAM Dub BSA30 bottom brackets | no part number | Amazon


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New rear cassette tools arrive* | Album

Sorry, another tool update.

I'm really trying to balance quality with cost for all of these tools. This time there didn't seem to be a chain whip of better value than the Park tool. I got the thinnest one available just in case I build a 12-speed bike some day in the future. I did manage to save a bit going with the IceToolz lockring socket. I don't think the guide pin matters for my situation, so I got the narrower pin for more compatibility.

Tools:
$27.95 | Park Tool 12-speed chain whip | SR-12 | Amazon
$12.00 | IceToolz rear cassette lockring socket with 5mm guide pin | 90C1 | Amazon


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New chain and tool arrive* | Album

It's chain time.
I spent a long time researching and wavering on my choice of chain. Mainly because I figured I would get some ~$12 11-speed chain and be done with it, but I found there are just so many good options if I'm willing to spend a bit more. In the end, I went all the way to the top and grabbed a Wippermann Connex chain. Their master link design is excellent, the quality/reliability/longevity seems to be insane, and supposedly the shift feel is some of the best. I didn't go for the full stainless steel design, but settled on their second-best option (which just so happens to be available in fun color combo).
I was prepared to splurge and pay ~$80 for this chain, but lucked out and found it for much cheaper.
I feel like this is easily the highest quality component going on this bike.

I settled on the Oumers chain tool because, like the other tools I've purchased, it seemed like the best value for a quality tool.

Parts:
$47.72 | Wippermann Connex 11-speed chain (black and gold) | 11sB | Amazon

Tools:
$9.80 | Oumers universal bike chain tool | BAS48/M3040 | Amazon


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New grips arrive* | Album

The grips came in. I'm still playing the value game here. I wanted grips with dual clamps, a similar (large-block) style to my old set, and a price I can live with. I'm very happy with my decision.

(The chain wear indicator came free with the Connex chain shown in the previous post.)

Parts:
$9.99 | Herrmans Cuadro 22×130mm double-locking bike grips | DD24B | Amazon


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New headset spacers arrive* | Album

All right, this is the last update for a bit. I have some other things to take care of, so I'll get back to the bike albums in a bit.

For the headset spacers, I knew I would need a lot of height to get me where I want to be. And even then, I'll still need a pretty good rise from the stem. Take a look at the Trek 820 linked in my signature that I'm trying to reproduce, and you'll see what I mean. Sure, I could buy a bigger bike, but I like my small frame stuff.
To this end, I just bought a couple huge spacers, and a pack of assorted smaller sizes, and decided to figure out what I really needed when assembling the bike.

Luckily the Troll fork has a good bit of length to the headset tube. I think I'll be taking advantage of all of it.

I knew I wanted black, and I knew I wanted something inexpensive. If they happen to be different outside diameters I guess I will stack them like a pyramid if I have to. =/

Parts:
$4.38 | MonkeyJack 1-1/8" × 50mm headset spacer (black) (×2) | no part number | Amazon
$8.29 | ODIER 6-piece 1-1/8" headset spacers in 2mm, 3mm, 5mm, and 10mm (×3) (black) | no part number | Amazon


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New tires and tubes arrive* | Album

I picked up 3 tubes just to have one extra. I'm still riding the Trek 820 in my signature and it needed a new tube recently, so extra tubes are on my mind. This was the first repair it has needed in 16 years. :lol:
I went with presta valves because I had no choice. The holes in my wheels for the valve stems are too narrow for shrader valves. I'm not sure which I would have chosen if I weren't forced into presta. I'm on the fence about it.

That's actually why I picked up the tire levers. I won't need them for assembly of this bike, but I'll need them to repair my other one, and later on down the road for repairs on this bike. I really like this set, and plan to get another for a travel repair kit.

Tire selection was easy, since even the most expensive tires I could find were relatively affordable. I settled on the Maxxis offerings pretty quickly after my research. Then it was a matter of deciding between something aggressive, or something less aggressive. I know whatever I get will be miles better than what I'm currently running, so I settled on the less aggressive XC-style Ikon offering. They are lighter than the more aggressive offerings, and would work better on the paved stuff I sometimes ride. Interestingly enough, they are their most expensive tire (from what I saw).

I'm not sure if it is obvious by now or not, but I'm actively trying to make my trails harder. Nothing in my area can stress me on my current bike, let alone a full-squish bike with bulldozer tires. The trails around me get a bit more exciting rocking a rigid frame and thin/hybrid tires. Even then I'm always hunting for harder stuff. 
This also keeps my wife and I in closer proximity while we ride. 

Parts:
$128.00 | Maxxis Ikon 26×2.20" tire (×2) | TB72385000 | Jenson USA
$13.97 | UltraCycle 26×2.20-2.50" inner-tube with presta valve (×3) | no part number | Jenson USA

Tools:
$3.49 | Park Tool tire lever set | TL-1.2 | Jenson USA


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New ¼" torque wrench arrives* | Album

One more boring tool update before we get to the parts again.
I don't feel the need for this thing, other than for the brake rotors. I have no idea how to hand-tighten those just yet, so I basically got this wrench just for the brake rotors. I feel stupid about it already, so no need to get on me about it. 

I saved a good bit of money by going with the TEKTON solution over the Park Tool option (I've been converting my automotive tools from Craftsman to Tekton anyway). After using it I would probably recommend spending the extra money for the Park Tool or other torque wrench simply so you can get one with whole-number newton-meter graduations on it. It's pretty annoying having to convert from N·m to in·lbs, or try to lock the wrench to some fractional position of N·m. Some people might not care, but if you're going to get a torque wrench for bike use, you might as well get one that is graduated for N·m from the get-go, not converted from in·lbs. It is a big price jump though, so it's a tough call.

Tools:
$42.75 | TEKTON ¼"-drive torque wrench (10-150 in·lbs and 1.1-16.9 N·m) | TRQ21101 | Amazon


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New brake components arrive* | Album

Brake rotors were simple. I just got good-value items in the largest diameter I can fit in the rear on this frame (which is 160mm). The frame will accept 160, 180, and 203mm up front, but I brake sparingly and evenly, with no need to go larger up front.

The brake levers/calipers were a slightly harder decision. There are so many options out there, and such a huge pricing spread. One comment from a forum member stuck with me during my research. It was something like "disc brake setups have gotten so good, even the dirt-cheap Shimano offering is adequate for many". That sealed the deal for me, and allowed me to purchase the bottom-dollar Shimano stuff. Coming from rim brakes I'm sure it will be an improvement. I also just do not use them very much. I don't ask a lot of my brakes, so I'm giving these a try. If they don't work out, I can always upgrade them.

Parts:
$27.48 | Shimano SLX Deore 6-bolt 160mm brake rotor (×2) | SM-RT66 | Jenson USA
$39.09 | Shimano Alivio hydraulic disc brake lever (left, front), hose (1,000mm), and caliper | BL-MT201 | Jenson USA
$39.09 | Shimano Alivio hydraulic disc brake lever (right, rear), hose (1,700mm), and caliper | BL-MT201 | Jenson USA


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New handlebars arrive* | Album

For the handlebars, I was trying again to match what I'm used to and know I'm comfortable with. This meant narrow, with little or no rise, and a minor sweep.
Figuring I could cut down the width of whatever I got, I focused on the lack of rise and small amount of sweep, ending up with the Ritchey Comp unit you see below.
My old bike has a 590mm bar from grip-cap to grip-cap. :eekster: I plan to run something very close to that, but allow a little concession to modern MTB geometry and the insanely wide bars people run. I will probably end up somewhere in the low 600s. We'll see. 

Parts:
$34.95 | Ritchey Comp Flat 2X Mountain Bar 31.8mm handlebars with ±5mm rise, 9° sweep, and 720mm width (black) | 30435317024 | Jenson USA


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Incorrect 148mm rear axles arrives* | Album

I measured the rear wheel at 142mm wide at the hub (see image above with measurement) so I figured I need a 142mm thru-axle for the rear.
I ordered one, and it came. I even labeled the box with the measurements.

As you can obviously see, I ordered the wrong axle and a 148mm unit arrived. I won't find out until I go to assemble the bike, so hang tight for that update.
(Since I won't be using this part, I will list the price below but it won't be added to the master price list above in post #3.)

Parts:
$16.99 | Shimano 12×148mm rear thru-axle | SM-AX56-B | Jenson USA


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New stem arrives* | Album

I had to go to the corners of the Internet, and dust off some cobwebs to find a stem that would help me match the setup on my old bike. I mainly needed as much rise as I could get. I could have used riser bars instead, but this is the choice I made. This is the least favorite component I'll be putting on this bike. I don't like the logo on it, nor do I like that is seems to just have way more material than it needs (it is heavy). Functionally, I wish it had a window in the front clamp.
Oh well, it will do for now. Maybe one day I will figure something else out.

Parts:
$14.99 | FOMTOR 90mm×45° stem for 1-1/8" fork tube and 31.8mm handlebars | no part number | Amazon


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New saddle arrives* | Album

Like most things on this build, I was looking for a value item. While looking at some of the cheaper saddles, I came across the Charge offerings. I really like their stuff (remind me of Converse All Stars with their simple and bold color offerings), and while at first the search was budget oriented, it soon became a matter of picking which color of Charge saddle I wanted. They have a bunch of fun options, and while I loved the white or baby blue units, I felt a natural leather color would go better with the frame color. Essentially everything on the bike is black except for the frame, the gold chain pins, and now this brown saddle.

Hopefully I find it comfortable, and I'm expecting it to top the bike off aesthetically.

If you looked closely at the receipt from the brakes, handlebars, and rear axle you will see I placed an order for this saddle with Jenson USA at the same time. As it turns out, I waited a few months for it to arrive, but they were out of stock for a long time. Eventually I ordered one from Amazon and then canceled the item with Jenson USA.

Parts:
$29.37 | Charge Spoon Cro-Mo saddle (brown) | no part number | Amazon


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New seat post arrives* | Album

I wanted a black seat post with good quality and it should be as short as possible. I have a small frame, and I keep my seat very low for decents. One of these days I'll get a dropper post, but for now I am remaining static.
All of the really inexpensive seat posts seemed to be garbage quality, so I spent the money for a good unit.
I got the shortest post that I reasonably could, but I might have to cut this one down anyway.

I'm not sure why the part number seems to indicate the post is 350mm long, but everywhere else it claims 375mm. And even then, it might be taller and 375mm is the max height you can achieve after insertion into the frame? I didn't care enough to measure mine, so just do your own research.

Parts:
$30.95 | Race Face Ride 27.2×375mm seat post (black) | SP12RX27.2X350BLK | Amazon


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Complete parts layout* | Album

Well, here we are. All of the parts have arrived, and it's time to begin assembly. 

I resisted the urge to install anything until I had all of the parts, solely for this photo-op. 

In truth, I still have the wrong size rear derailleur cage (have large, need medium) and I still have the wrong rear axle. Look for those two correct parts to come in as I assemble the bike, and add them to the price/parts list. The price listed below is what I have into the bike right now, but it will go up ~$100 as I order the other bits I need.

Parts:
$1,622.04 | See parts list in post #3 for details.

(Very high resolution image to show detail. Click here or the image to see larger.)


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Mount tubes and tires to wheels* | Album

The assembly begins!
Not much to say here, but making quick progress.
I got the rim tape and tire direction correct. I bet I was supposed to line up the tire label with the valve stem or something. Whoops.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Install brake rotors* | Album

Not much to say here either.
I got the rotor direction correct, applied a little extra medium thread-locker, and torqued to the top end of the 2-4 N·m spec.
Knowing my habits, I'm sure I wiped them down with brake cleaner afterward.

While I was in the area, I took this opportunity to paint over the scratches the rear hub experienced during shipping.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Install rear cassette* | Album

Assembly is flying now. There's not much to say about this, except that (if you're interested) the sprockets progress from smallest-to-largest like so: 10→12→14→16→18→21→24→28→32→36→42
Those correlate to a tooth jump spec of: 2→2→2→2→3→3→4→4→4→6

So many of these 11 and 12-speed cassettes have a huge 10+ jump at the end. I wanted to avoid that, and was happy to find this rare SRAM offering fit the bill.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Install headset* | Album

This is where having automotive tools really helped. 

I did mess this up a little. The lower bearing race that presses down onto the fork should sit flush with the flange there. It was already on very tight by the time I realized I should have filed down that area. I wasn't going to pull it off, so I just got it as low as I could. There was some paint and maybe some welding flashing preventing the race from moving down completely. This left a very small gap (1mm or less) between the headset and the flange that leaves the race a bit unsupported, and could let a little grime in. I filled the gap with grease and will just have to keep an eye on it when I wash the bike. 

Lesson learned for my next build.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Diagnose incorrect rear axle* | Album

As mentioned earlier, I tried to order a 142mm rear axle, but ordered the 148mm unit instead.
I went to install the rear wheel assembly and found out the rear axle I had was too long. Only then did I look closely at the package to see that it was the longer of the two axles. I'm not sure how I messed that up, but here we are.

Feeling very curious about this whole situation, I measured the rear part of the frame from flange-to-flange and it was ~155.75mm. You would think even a 148mm rear axle would be able to do the trick. But when I then compared that measurement to the 148mm rear axle I found out that the axle is actually more like ~160mm from clamp-to-clamp. Don't even get me started on the "Length 177" marking on the axle itself. That is no-doubt the total length (in mm), and is rightfully ignored when trying to come up with proper fitment.

It looks like I need a shorter axle, and if my measuring and math is good, shorter by 6mm should be just about right. So I went ahead and ordered the 142mm rear axle, which is part number SM-AX56 (the longer 148mm unit is SM-AX56-B).


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Install bottom bracket* | Album

I made quick work of this. There are a couple spacers provided to allow for different geometries and chain-lines. I used the 4.5mm spacer as was called for by the instructions.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Install crankset and front chainring* | Album

With the bottom bracket installed, the crankset was next. I have zero experience with this stuff, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I am extremely happy with this SRAM Dub solution. It seems to accommodate all sorts of setups, while maintaining an impressive level of simplicity and seemingly low mass. Not to mention it was my least expensive option. I _highly_ recommend it.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Install pedals* | Album

7 pics for a pedal install? Welcome to _my_ world.


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## wightweenie26er (Sep 28, 2017)

enjoyable thread. Love building from new.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

Thanks mate. 
I think I'll have some pics of the whole bike here up in a bit, minus the cockpit stuff. Just waiting on that damn rear axle.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Second incorrect rear axles arrives* | Album

If you've been following along with the rear axle saga, I first bought what I thought was a 142mm axle, but was actually a 148mm axle. It obviously ended up being too long. Measuring the frame from flang-to-flange (~155.75mm) confirmed that an axle ~6mm shorter should do the trick, so I ordered a new axle, this time a real 142mm unit.

Well, that didn't end up working either. :skep:

The axle was basically 155.75mm from clamp-to-clamp but when measuring things I totally forgot to take into account the Surly Troll frame and how the rear is designed to expand to handle boost setups, and pinch in some to clamp down on a non-boost setup. So measuring from flange-to-flange on the frame got me the wrong measurement. I still needed an even shorter rear axle to pinch things down enough.

I don't know of any shorter 12mm axles, so I called Surly's great customer service line to get some advice.

Apparently Surly has a proprietary 12×142/148mm rear axle that can tighten down even shorter than the 155.75mm provided by the normal 142mm axles (as well as open up wide enough for 148mm axles). This special axle is required because of how flexible/configurable Surly's frame is in the rear. I wish this were somehow communicated better in their literature, or the frame specs, but here we are.

I called up my LBS one more time to order the correct rear axle. :madman:

(I ordered the 148mm axle so long ago that I'm stuck with it. This 142mm axle was ordered very recently though, so I was able to return it for a full refund. Since I got a refund and won't be using this part, I will list the price below but it won't be added to the master price list above in post #3.)

Parts:
$25.70 | Shimano 12×142mm rear thru-axle | SM-AX56 | Amazon


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

Nice.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Correct rear axle arrives* | Album

Finally, a rear axle that is going to work! If you've been following along with the rear axle saga, I recently found out that I need to order one from Surly to get the correct part. The proprietary unit from Surly goes down to ~149mm which is ~6mm shorter than the typical 142mm thru-axle and just what I need to pinch down the rear of the frame to meet and clamp onto the 142mm rear hub I have.

It's slightly annoying that this is not a quick-release axle, but I see why that's just not possible for this kind of configurability.

Now that the rear is sorted, I can move on to the front stuff next. 

Parts:
$35.64 | Surly 12×142/148mm rear thru axle | HU0134 | Outspokin Bicycles


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Install fork, headset spacer, stem, and handlebars* | Album

It's starting to look like a bike now! 

Out of all of the headset spacers I bought, I ended up using just one of the 50mm units. It maxed out the height of the fork tube. I didn't cut it at all, and I couldn't fit more than a couple more millimeters of spacer if I wanted to. I know it looks a bit silly, especially with the high-riser stem, but that's just how I'm going to roll.
It's the super-wide handlebars that look insane to me. :lol:

Next up are the remaining drivetrain components.

Oh, by the way, I looked up pictures of this frame/color a while back and there aren't many. The few out there that I could find all seemed to show the frame as basically red. :skep:
I think my pictures are the best out there showing what the frame/color actually looks like. :thumbsup:


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Correct medium-cage rear derailleur arrives* | Album

I exchanged the long-cage rear derailleur I got a while back for the correct medium-cage unit. I don't seem to have the receipt for that, so I modified the one for the long-cage unit to satisfy my OCD.

This is the final component I needed to get the rest of the drivetrain installed, so that's up next.

(I think I need to purchase one more thing and then we'll know the total cost of the bike.)

Parts:
$62.49 | Shimano Deore XT 11-speed medium-cage rear derailleur | RD-M8000-GS | Jenson USA


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Install rear shifter and derailleur* | Album

From my research I expected this to be a smooth setup, but I had no idea how many operating modes this shifter had. It will up-shift one or two ratios at a time, and can downshift anywhere from one to four ratios at a time! I am in love.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Install chain* | Album

Things are really moving now. I took out 4 half(?) links to get the chain length right. The chain tool I picked up is working great. I really like it.

I plan to run the factory lubricant for as long as it lasts. If history serves me, I may never need to clean or re-lube it. However, I'm taking better care of my bikes now, so I might do it every ~5 years or so. 

Look at that sexy chain.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Shorten seat post* | Album

Well, the shortest seat post I could find wasn't short enough. To get the saddle where I want it, the post will need to be shortened 30mm.
I updated the minimum insertion length while I was at it. I painted the raw edge, too.

I started this build 9 months back. I picked up a pipe cutter when the frame arrived expecting to need to cut the fork tube. Since I never needed to cut the fork tube, we're seeing the pipe cutter here for the first time. I used some files to clean things up as well.

Tools:
$19.98 | RIGID Model 101 pipe cutter (¼" to 1-1/8") | 40617 | Amazon


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Unbox remaining brake components* | Album

This was supposed to be an update about installing the brake calipers and levers. However, I ran into a snag. It seems the rear caliper will mount up with the proprietary mounting adapter provided by Surly (required for their ultra-compatible rear setup). However, the front caliper (identical 74mm bolt-spacing as the rear caliper) would not mount to the fork. I puzzled about this for a while, and then decided to ask the hive mind. I posted about my quandary in the long-running Surly Troll thread.

You can find the exact post (#1,783) here: Anyone have pics of a front brake caliper that shows how it mounts to the Surly Troll fork?

I was mainly asking for a picture of what someone's front caliper setup looked like on a Surly Troll fork. I was given good information about the different styles of caliper mounts (post-mount versus IS-mount versus flat-mount) and with those terms I was able to figure out which calipers I had (post-mount) and which caliper the Troll fork was expecting (IS-mount). With that knowledge in hand, I set out to order the appropriate adapter. Sit tight for that update soon.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Shorten handlebars and test-fit grips* | Album

While I'm waiting for the brake caliper adapter to arrive, I got to messing with the handlebars. I know this is going to be controversial, but I really like my narrow bars. I never knew how narrow my old bars were, so I measured them to give myself an idea of how much to cut off my new bars. As it turns out, my old bars (with grips on!) are 590mm wide! :lol:

The new handlebars I have are 720mm, and I decided to cut 50mm off each end to result in a 620mm bar. I figured I would go a little bit wider to appease the modern MTB gods.  With the grips on, the total length is 630mm. A full 40mm wider than my old set! :lol:

(Sorry the images below aren't in any good order. I tried to put them in the correct order, but the forum had other ideas.)


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## austink26 (Jun 24, 2019)

Cool build thread. Do you intentionally have the bars rolled back for a reason? With them at that angle, the upsweep is becoming back sweep and the back sweep is becoming down sweep. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

austink26 said:


> Cool build thread. Do you intentionally have the bars rolled back for a reason? With them at that angle, the upsweep is becoming back sweep and the back sweep is becoming down sweep.


Thanks for the kind words Austin.

It's interesting you mention the sweep of the bars. I never really thought about them being installed incorrectly until now. I see what you're saying though.
It was not intentional. It was simply an attempt to replicate my Trek 820 setup (also pictured) which I find very comfortable. Maybe that bike had the bars on wrong as well?

I feel like at some point I thought about having the rise take the bars up as you describe, but I thought that might put my wrists and an odd inward angle, so I never even tried it that way.

However you're giving me second thoughts. I will admit when I ride the bike for long periods I wish the grips were further away from me. I always end up resting my wrists on the grip instead of my palms. Something I never found myself doing on the Trek. I will probably rotate the bars for my next ride and give it a shot!

(It seems I have a thing about getting bars rotated incorrectly. Someone mentioned a similar issue with my wife's bike.)


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New front post-to-IS-mount caliper adapters arrive* | Album

I only needed one, but the inexpensive units I chose (not absolute bottom-dollar though) came in a pack of two. I should be able to mount the front caliper now, and finish this bike!

*This is the final part I needed to buy for this bike, which means now I know exactly how much this bike cost to build.*
You can see all of the parts and their cost listed in post #3 of this thread.
The total parts bill for this bike came out to *$1,735.24*.
The total tools that I needed to buy ended up being $134.94.

I have to say, getting back into MTBing I never thought I'd be spending this kind of money on a bike. And beginning this build with a ~$600 frame I thought I was going to be able to come in around $1,200. Having never done this before, I see I was completely naïve. The wheels really sent things higher than I expected, and everything else just really added up.
I'm happy with where I ended up, I'm just also quite surprised.

Parts:
$15.07 | Juscycling post-to-IS-mount caliper adapter (for a 160mm front rotor or a 140mm rear rotor) | no part number | Amazon


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Modify front caliper adapter for clearance* | Album

Nothing can be simple, can it?

The brackets could be to blame, but I'm pretty sure the caliper shape was just not designed with this type of bracketry in mind.
You'll see best in the 4th picture below where the caliper contacts the adapter. I'm not about to file down these calipers, so I got to filing down the bracket some.
I know it's a little close to the mounting hole, but there's nothing I can do about it.

I took off as much material as I dared. You'll notice in the last picture that I am about a micrometer away from full clearance.

At that point I mounted things up and noticed the brake pads could stand to be moved outward about a millimeter or so. I put some small washers (not pictured) between the caliper and bracket to move the caliper outward to place the pads perfectly on the rotor. This also gave me all of the clearance I needed for the bracket (and more). 

On to the next thing!

What's the next thing?

I think that's it?! I think this is the last thing I needed to install. With all of the parts on the bike, I can bed in the brakes and take the thing for a spin! 

I'll be right back!


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Debadge frame* | Album

After bedding in the brakes, I took the bike back in to remove some flair.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Weigh bike* | Album

The moment of truth, in some ways.
To make sure I had some reference, I weighed my wife's new hardtail, and weighed my old rigid Trek. They both clocked in at 30.6 pounds.

My new Troll ended up a relatively svelte *26.8 pounds*. 

I'm quite happy with that. I don't know how that compares to actual light bikes, but it is a huge improvement for me and I'm enjoying every bit of it.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*Future plans*

With the last update finished, I'm basically finished building the bike. I am realizing now that I never took any good pictures of the finished product! I guess I was just too excited to start riding it. 
I've taken the bike on a few rides, so I'll wash it off and take some glamor shots for all of you when I get the time. Look for those pics sometime soonish. =/

In the mean time, I'll let you know about the future plans.

1) When building the bike I shortened the cable for the shifter very nicely, but the hydraulic lines for the brakes are a different story. I have not yet shortened those to my liking. I sort of waiting to figure out which set of bleeding tools I want to buy, and find some time to do the job.

2) I have a water bottle and cage, but I think I'd like a frame bag to carry a bike lock, a small set of tools, and a few other bits. I think I have one in mind. This is where getting a non-suspension corrected frame really was important. The amount of space for a frame bag on a small frame is already limited. It would be almost nonexistent if this frame were designed for a suspension fork.

3) One day maybe I'll get a dropper post. I have two in mind that I'm considering. The OneUp unit would be the budget solution (seems they've come out with a version 2 since I've done my research), and the Bike Yolk Reverb would be my preference if money is not a factor. We'll see if I go with one eventually.
I think my wife could use one more than I can. She has her saddle raised for max efficiency (I'm comfortable with mine a lot lower) and she struggles on the downhills because of it. If anyone gets one, it'll probably be her first.


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

*New bike lock arrives* | Album

I know I'm supposed to be washing my bike and taking completed pictures of it for this thread. I'll get there.

My wife and I have figured out we'd like to ride to a sandwich shop or similar once in a while and have our bikes locked up. I know the amount of security in a lock is basically about how much weight you're willing to carry. And I guess in some ways how much money you're willing to spend. Well apaprently we're willing to carry around ~6 pounds of chain and spend ~$85. :thumbsup:

Parts:
$85.93 | Kryptonite Evolution 10mm chain bike lock | 1090 | Amazon


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## tdipaul (Oct 13, 2017)

Great build Ben, and well documented at that. 

I wanna build the same bike now!


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## Mr.Keo (Oct 31, 2020)

Sub'd


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

Boy, it's been a while since I posted anything here. I still have the pics of the bike to post, and some new acquisitions to go over.
I still need to shorten the hydraulic brake lines, but have the stuff for that on hand.
I will get around to posting updates eventually.


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## rockcrusher (Aug 28, 2003)

This is a serious nerd out. How does it ride? Want to see some in action photos or at least see it dirty! Update when you can!


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## BenFenner (Jul 21, 2018)

Sorry for the super-late reply. I still need to post finished pics of the bike, and shorten the brake lines. But I will get to it (I have laready taken the pics, just need to get around to other stuff first).

The bike rides perfectly IMO. It is like a dream. I mean, it is harsh and jittery. It's not like riding on a cloud like full-squish. But it is light, direct, maneuverable, and does exactly what I want it to when I ask it to. The shifting and generally the 1x11 setup is everything I hoped it would be. That's the biggest upgrade for me compared to my previous bike. I can't say I'd do anything differently. Although maybe one day I'll do a dropper post and possibly machine down some of the excess material on the cheapo stem.

I plan to start pulling our toddler with it, so we'll see how that goes.


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