# SnowRider 2.0 Build thread



## David C (May 25, 2011)

Heya, this will be my third year of full winter commute and I'd like to share with you the (re)build of my winter bike, the SnowRider, version 2.0.

A bit of story first. I lived in Montreal, Canada and I go to college since late 2009. It's when I start commuting and since it's only 2.5 km away from home, it's fun to commute even during winter. Our winter are regular winter, not worst then other places (lot of snow and cold temp), but it's the fact that I'm commuting in town that really get the point. Snow is nice and clean. Add a lot of car exhaust, oil spills, chemicals and good old black ice and your nice snow is now a giant field of ink-like permanent stain, oily wet mud and verglas rockgarden.

So here's my answer to this artificial nature : full suspension bike with fenders, bullet proof build and basic mechanic.

The original SnowRider was a blast. Nothing could stop that bike to get me to school or anywhere I wanted and still ask for more.

Now I want to make it even better. How ?


By adding a fully sealed cable&housing brake/rd system.
By dropping some weight and make it even more efficient.
By protecting the fork's seals better.
By optimizing the suspension by using the exact spring rate I need.
By giving it a brand new paint job and complete rebuild of every single parts.

So here's the specs :

Frame : Alu front triangle and steel rear triangle, swing arm pivot
Fork : RockShox Dart 2 80mm with dust boot, preload adjust only
Rear Shock : DNM coil shock with rebound adjust, 7.5x2 and 500x2 steel spring, rubber cover to seal shock body
Crank : Modified Shimano generic crankset, now 32-42-outer bash, 170mm alu arms
BB : Shimano sealed cartridge, JIS with hex head sealed bolts
Pedals : 9/16 Platforms, loose bearings
Chain : KMC 8 speed chain
Cassette : Shimano HG 7 speed
RD : Shimano Tourney with oversized pulleys
FD : None
Rear hub : Shimano Deore LX, 135mm
Rear rim : Campagnolo
Rear brake : Kool-Stop V-brakes pads with mud wiper design
Rear fender : Attached to the rear triangle, full size
Rear axle : 10mm QR with bolt on head instead of skewer
Seat post, saddle and seat clamp : Generic alu post and clamp, Cr-Mo rails
Stem : Generic alu stem, 2 bolts
Bar : Generic steel bars, small sweep back
Grips : Generic rubber grip
Brake levers : front alu, rear integrated with shifter
Shifter : 8 speed Shimano with integrated brake lever and gear indicator
Headset : 1 1/8 standard bearing crowns
Steerer spacers : Carbon fiber
Front brakes : V-brakes with regular MTB pads
Front wheel : 100mm hub with Sun large 26" rim
Front axle : 9mm QR with bolt on head instead of skewer
Front fender : Topeak Defender clip-on fender
Tires : Specific front/rear tires, 26x1.95, tubes
Cables : Full housing everywhere, and sealed levers, shifters and brake line system

So that's pretty much all. Hope you didn't read the whole list 

I'll be posting pics soon. I'm currently waiting on paint for repainting the rear triangle.

Weight should be under 40 pounds. Durability should be a hassle free winter.

I'd literally shower the whole bike with hot water every time I would have ride in dirty snow, to make sure all the chemicals go away and then I'd take it down in the basement, let it dry for the night, relube chain, wipe off frame and parts then just ride again the usual 5 km. Once a week I would lube the cables and about every ride or so clean the fork stanchions.

This bike is not a $3000 one, it's heavy, it's equipped with low end parts and basic drive train and has withstand a full winter without a single problem. This is the SnowRider.

David

Attached are pics from the first build and during last winter. And did I mentioned it fit in a suit case ?


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## BrianMc (Jan 5, 2010)

Aren't you a little late getting this started? I remember no snow until Decemeber 6 one year in Ottawa, but that was a new record for lateness. 

I know it is heavier, but have you considered a IGH for the drive train? I take it the foam and wire ties stilll let water and salt into the suspension fork? I have seen small diameter bellows like seals for hydraulic cylinders like the ends of rack and pinion steering racks or valves. Maybe from a small car?

BrianMc


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

BrianMc said:


> Aren't you a little late getting this started? I remember no snow until Decemeber 6 one year in Ottawa, but that was a new record for lateness.
> 
> I know it is heavier, but have you considered a IGH for the drive train? I take it the foam and wire ties stilll let water and salt into the suspension fork? I have seen small diameter bellows like seals for hydraulic cylinders like the ends of rack and pinion steering racks or valves. Maybe from a small car?
> 
> BrianMc


I'm a bit late, but I still have a few weeks.

I though about a IGH, but too expensive for me and for what I need.

The foam was to protect the fork paint from impacts and crashes. The neoprene covers for the stanchions were primary to reduce the amount of dirt and slush blasting directly on the stanchions, but I'll still need to wipe off the wipers and stanchions, because dirt kind of build up since it's not real sealed. I'll put some rubber dust boot on this year and see hoe it goes.

And that last part about hydraulic cylinders, I don't have a clue on what you mean.

Thanks


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

Geez I have ridden a 27 lbs Rocky Mountain Element (XTR build).

No fenders.... since 2005...in Calgary, snow cold chinook, snow cold chinook...so lots of salty mush...

Go with sealed cartridge bearings if possible....

Check out disc brakes....

I use XTR cables (not full length) I get 1.5 to 2 years out of them.

Check out Enduro seals for the forks..

Oh yeah and studs could save your life..


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

jeffscott said:


> Geez I have ridden a 27 lbs Rocky Mountain Element (XTR build).
> 
> No fenders.... since 2005...in Calgary, snow cold chinook, snow cold chinook...so lots of salty mush...
> 
> ...


Please note that this build is for winter commute and not much to rip off trails... And it's about a $200 build. I prefer saving my money for real trail riding in the nice weather. And this bike won't be any worst then your pricey RM... Unless you daily commute on your XTR build FS bike in dirty chemical packed slush...

Fenders are to save my clothes from being trashed from all the dirt, since I'm going to school, not going to ride a trail. Please remember I'm not going out on trails.

Sealed cartridge bearings would be great, but again I'm not buying new stuff, I'm using second hand parts and rebuilding some to make them work the way I want for cheap.

I would love disc brakes and wish the only brakes I used were disc, but I would then need a new front wheel, a new brake kit and my frame doesn't take disc and I don't want to waste money into another frame just for disc. Plus in that sort of commute, brake system is a one shot deal, so I don't want to spend hours of cleaning disc brakes and spending more money on parts. But I would love disc brakes.

Geez, 1.5 to 2 years out of XTR cables ? Not that they are XTR, but maybe a full housing would get them up to more ? Standard cables with non full housing are shot after a winter.

My fork seals are still good. Thanks anyway.

Stud could do more damage then good, since I ride on pavement with cars. peoples and iced pavement only happen a few times a year. I though about it and decided I don't need them for my own commute path and distance.

Thanks,

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

So here's some (almost) live pics of the rear triangle paint process.

I had it sanded and polished most of it, but instead of having raw steel graphics on black frame, I'm going for airbrushed graphics on black frame.

First coat. Waiting for it to dry. Sorry for exposing all my basement junk 

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Second coat. Gotta wait 48 hours now, then I'll do some touch up and then apply the graphics package.

Meanwhile I'm gonna give the crankset a clear coat and clean the frame's pivot and the cassette. I should received my cables and housing anytime now, (in XTR grey color if someone mind) and then I'll proceed to the bike assembly.

Chain is already cleaned up, the cockpit is waiting next to it.

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

A bit of crank work from earlier this month.

And some brake post. Sandblasted and painted plus a clear coat.

Gold bolts for swag 

David


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## SGP495 (Jun 21, 2011)

That crank looks sick !! Can't wait to see the final version of your SnowRider!!


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

Nice thread. I have to rebuild my 29er for winter commuter duty in the next week or two, and will be taking a similar approach. For summer it's a rigid singlespeed. For winter it's staying rigid, but I'm changing the whole drivetrain over to 1x8 with old acera cranks and a square taper bb, an alivo shifter, a deore or atlus rear derailleur (I've got both in the parts bin) and a sunrace cassette. I like disk brakes and studs for the winter, though.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Build is doing well. Crankset is done and drying over the night. Pics tomorrow 

But here's some color bits for tonight 

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

jeffscott said:


> Geez I have ridden a 27 lbs Rocky Mountain Element (*XTR build*) since 2005 in Calgary


Did you said XTR ?

Here's my new 2012 XTR crank. In Special Limited Pimp Edition. Gold and Purple.


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

David C said:


> Did you said XTR ?
> 
> Here's my new 2012 XTR crank. In Special Limited Pimp Edition. Gold and Purple.


Hah yes I did say XTR....

But the crank and the BB are actually XT.....yours looks good...mine looks old.


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

David C said:


> Please note that this build is for winter commute and not much to rip off trails... And it's about a $200 build. I prefer saving my money for real trail riding in the nice weather.I ride the same bike for both to save money And this bike won't be any worst then your pricey RM... Unless you daily commute on your XTR build FS bike in dirty chemical packed slush...Certainly was last year...so far no snow
> 
> Fenders are to save my clothes from being trashed from all the dirt, since I'm going to school, not going to ride a trail. Please remember I'm not going out on trails.
> Gave up on fenders cause they packed with snow and broke when cold
> ...


Hey your just learning....second year right?


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

jeffscott said:


> Hey your just learning....second year right?


I'm learning new stuff everyday :thumbsup:

And this will be my third year of full winter riding.

First one was fun. We almost didn't had any snow compared to previous years. I crashed twice, one when I try to get over a snow ramp left by the city's bulldozers on the side of the street, my front wheel just got stuck in the half-hard snow and I lost momentum and fail on the side. No damage or harms, just funny ****. Second one was when I had to do a panic stop to avoid collision with a pedestrian crossing on the red light. He got scared to death, I ended up locking both wheels, my bar made a 90° to the right and I went OTB. Luckily, I had expected the upcoming situation, so I was kinda prepared to throw myself over the bars to add a bit to the show  In fact, it was right in front of the college and I wanted to show those stoopid girls that crossing on a red light ain't gonna get them any advantages. I didn't hurt myself and they wasn't any cars following, so I just got up, pick up the bike, do a quick alignment of the stem and rode off. They were pissed off because they thought I could really have injured myself (they're clueless about bikes anyways) and that they didn't even saw me coming when they crossed on the red light... I was like LMFAO and they were like OMG.

Second year I only lost balance once, an unexpected slat of ice had me slip my rear wheel while going down a street when I was turning right to stop and cross at the intersection. I ended up on my side with my jeans all wet from the dirty slush  No damages or harms again.

And thanks. I worked hard for that sweet XTR crankset 

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

So I did received my cable and housing kit two days ago. I've ordered 2 kits, the other one for my brother's '96 GT Timberline FS that he'll run for his first ever winter commute and biking. We've start installing the new cables and housing this morning on his bike and we did pretty good so far. I had to stop before it was done to go to my class ( stoopid class  ) but we did the rd setup and almost finished the brakes too. I'll post pics this evening once it's done. I'm currently working on a fully (well, nothing 100% sealed could be made anyways in this universe lol) sealed cables and housing system. Because if we can prevent any contamination of the cables and housing, it means full working condition for the whole winter. I think it's really worth it to spend a bit more time perfecting a sealed installation then having to deal with corrosion and sticky/corroded cables and housing over the winter.

Then I'll still have to sand a part of my rear triangle to do a bit of touch up for the paint and then I'm gonna do the graphics 

Snow is not on radar for at least another week, but I'm kind of concerned about being ready to slay the first snow :thumbsup:

David


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

David C said:


>


David, what guard is that and how does it attach?

I want to build up a dinglespeed at some point, and am on the lookout for a guard that wouldn't need super-long chainring bolts.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

newfangled said:


> David, what guard is that and how does it attach?
> 
> I want to build up a dinglespeed at some point, and am on the lookout for a guard that wouldn't need super-long chainring bolts.


Hi,

It's simply a basic pant-saver bash from Shimano touring components. It's hold by 4 screws to the middle chainring. You can probably get one form your lbs for like $10. But its main purpose is to prevent your pant to get dirty form the chain or stuck in the crank. Mostly seen on rental bikes or cruisers or hybrids bikes, and also low-end bikes, such as wallgoose or shitcwnns. IMO you'll be better off a BBG bash setup and a triple crank spider and a middle chainring. Mine is a riveted chainrings and arm, no big deal. Still has XTR doh 



















David


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

^ thanks, I figured it was one of the cheap ones. I've got a couple of those, and a couple of "actual" bashguards and I only use them to keep my pants clean.  If I ever do my dinglespeed it will be a beater bike, so the cheap kind would be perfect, but they're hard to find.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

newfangled said:


> ^ thanks, I figured it was one of the cheap ones. I've got a couple of those, and a couple of "actual" bashguards and I only use them to keep my pants clean.  If I ever do my dinglespeed it will be a beater bike, so the cheap kind would be perfect, but they're hard to find.


Ask out your lbs. And a lot of used bikes have them too. You might be able to get a full used town bike with one for $10.

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Ok, so I had touch ups to do on the frame. I'm gonna sand down the area now.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Sanding done. Now lets paint.

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Touch ups done. Now let dry for 48 hours and then apply the graphics.

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Well I'll take that back about snow... I just had the first frosty rain coming down last night and this morning it's 1 degree below freezing point. So now I'm even more in a hurry to get this done...

But we'll see how it goes.

Hep, here's a pic of my first winter on a cheap bike. I had a blast on this. It was heavy as hell, but it made it through the winter, but let's said it wasn't as good as my SnowRider and it needed a real complete overhaul and that fork was a pos. But it was still fun 

David


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## jollynut (Apr 5, 2011)

That is epic.


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## SGP495 (Jun 21, 2011)

The helmet looks even more epic.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

*Here's a quick look at different color schemes*

For the graphic package. Just playing around, trying to find the perfect match. I like the red/white version pretty good.

The gold and purple colors would be pearl/metallic colors. The kaki is ultra-flat camo color.

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

*Omg !*

Here's the snow !

Aww... My SnowRider still has some work to do before being ready...

I have to remove/clean/reinstall the cassette, change the rear rim to one more v-brake friendly, get the graphics painted, clean the frame's pivot, service the fork to install dust boots, install the fork, shock, brakes, build it back, route the cables and seal the system, tune the rd, and then test ride it. I had some personal home improvement projects going on lately, so I had to delate the build for almost a week 

I took my brother's GT Timberline hardtail this morning since he decided to walk instead of ride to get to school. Luckily, we had his bike done first for the winter, so I made it 

I'll get the cassette tool tomorrow and plan to get the whole thing done by next monday.

:thumbsup:

David

Pic !!


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

David C said:


> I'll get the cassette tool tomorrow and plan to get the whole thing done by next monday.


Good deal! Hope you still have nasty roads by then so you can try out your new build 
It would be a bummer to have to wait for the next snow!


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## SGP495 (Jun 21, 2011)

I was like wtf at first, where did all this snow come from then I realized it's a boat 

nice boat:thumbsup:


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Got the decals done and now currently painting them. First coat.

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Double post.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Second and third coat.

Now going for the red.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Three coats of transparent red over the pearl white. Now time for the clear coat.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

**** the **** the damn ****ing ****

The ****ing paint got a bad grip and didn't stick right :madman: ! ****ing ****.


:madman:


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Alright, so I clear-coated the dropouts, waxed the frame with NuFinish and now the rear triangle is done.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

V-brakes installed.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Here's a look of yesterday's ride with my brother's GT Timberline. Plus a look of this morning snow condition.

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

So I took a short session this morning before class and start the build.

Got the frame together, installed the crank and rd, seat post, cleaned the head tube and I'll get the cassette tool this afternoon to remove and clean the cassette, then also lace a wider rim to the rear wheel.

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

I did continue the build this evening.

I went to get the cassette tool and removed the cassette. Took it all apart for a full cleaning and put it back together with a bit of white grease between each cogs/spacers and on the freehub body and locking treads to prevent any seize.

I decided not to change the rear rim since I found some pads to fit it better then the previous ones I had. And I went big with a 2.3 tire at max 45psi.

Installed the rear wheel, centered it with the frame, installed and properly sized the chain.

Looks good so far. I've been trashing my trail bike into that ****ing dirty snow/slush today and will have to do it again tomorrow. My SnowRider will be ready by Sunday evening. I got class from 8 to 6 on mondays and thuedays with only 50 minutes lunch break. Gotta haul my ass nice and smooth since I'll be in a hurry for every single day next week. Only 2 weeks left for the semester.

Alright. Picture time.

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Moar pics.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

And that's all for tonight.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Alright guys. I know I didn't post since Thursday, but I had a lot of stuff going on. So Friday right after school I got my trail bike (that I was using for my commute) down in the basement and removed the fork and rear shock to install on my SnowRider. Once everything will be done, I'm gonna do a full rebuild of that bike too.

So before installing the fork, I serviced it and checked the oil. I had new oil in about a month ago and the oil was still very nice and no dirt/contamination. Which means the seals are still good to go :thumbsup:

I then tried to fit a rubber dust boot, but it lacks on the anchorage point to the lowers. So I dropped the idea and decided to stick with my external neoprene covers. I did install a 28mm ID rubber o-ring on the right stanchion to help me set the SAG easier afterward.

I then installed the fork and set up the cockpit, then the front wheel and new brake pads. The old ones still had about 10% life left in them after more then 1.5 year later of constant service. Then installed the rear brake pads.

Next was the new cables and housing. I got some Jagwire generic cable and housing kit that included 2.5m of brake housing and 2m of derailleur housing, front and rear brake cables, many pinch-less plastic ferrules for both housing type, crimps and spacers to prevent the cable from rubbing against the frame. All for $13 shipped to my door in the color of my choice. I choose XTR grey color 
Probably not the best at all and maybe not even real Jagwire RipCord or Hyper, but for the price it's a great deal and I'll have to get new cables&housing anyways for the next winter so why waste my money on more expensive stuff ? We'll see how it goes.

So I set-up the front brake, lube the cable and did a nice little setup with some shrink-wrap to cover the exposed cable and then added the rubber noodle. For the rear brake, I had to saw the 2 cables stops on the frame to run my full housing. Cut myself too. Gotta spill some blood to make it work  then run the housing and added shrink-wrap to where the housing was rubbing on the frame or sharp edges to prevent damages to the housing. I then did a personal mod to the routing to allow the suspension to work without affecting the housing length or position to the brake, so no brake jack from the suspension movement when riding 

Then lube the cable and seal it.

By then it was already 11 PM. So time to stop. The only things missing are the rd cable&housing, installing the pedals and both fenders, tuning the suspension and then sealing down the rear shock with a old inner tube to get this build done . Approximate weight at this exact point was around 35.5 pounds. Not bad at all. Oh yeah, I also installed the rear reflector and used a old inner tube to cover and protect the drive-side chain stay.

Some pics and more to come tomorrow.

David


Mobile upload by |) /\ \/ | |)


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Build is done !

Just in time for tomorrow. I start class at 8 the morning, so I hope everything will run smooth and nothing to tune anymore. It's already 11h30 here, so I couldn't go for a test ride and even if I would, it's raining outside and I don't wanna go out in the rain in the middle of the night, so I'll soak the bike tomorrow morning.

I'll get the final weight and nice pictures tomorrow. Now I gotta go get some rest because I have class from 8 to 6 tomorrow and Tuesday, so I have to be top shape to get productive as I only have 2 weeks left to the semester.

Weather is rain for next two days, snow on Wednesday and moar snow after !

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

First run this morning.

I need a longer seat post, and maybe a shorter stem. Front brake is breaking in, same for the rear.

The fork feels smooth after servicing it. The swing arm really soak up bumps and drops of the pavement, better then the rocker link. Feels a bit more heavy then the trail bike due to the bigger rear tire and slacker geo, but keeps momentum better, which is a plus when riding on loose terrain such as snow. Shifting is smooth and silent. I was running on the big ring, 42, but may switch to the smaller one (32) later if I get too much rolling resistance in the snow.

It was raining yesterday, so I got a bunch of gravel and dirt ink on my rear end, not snow, but at least I can call it "mud" 

I'll grab a rear fender soon to save my backpack from transforming into a mud bucket. I was think about the Topeak Defender RX. Any experience with it guys ?

I'll try to get good pictures tonight, as I'll be back after 6, so I will have to operate with the flash, but at least I'll have pictures. Not that I have a bad camera (Nikon D7000), but I would have preferred the sun light to enhance the colors and get a sharp picture. Best light is around 12h-13h30, unfortunately I'm always in class at that time, but what can I do 

Cheers !

David


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## SGP495 (Jun 21, 2011)

David C said:


> Best light is around 12h-13h30, unfortunately I'm always in class at that time, but what can I do
> 
> Cheers !
> 
> David


Well, you can skip school. Just an idea, doesn't mean you have to do it


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## Shayne (Jan 14, 2004)

Nice that the retail of that Atek rim (not wheel) was probably equal to the retail of the bike you started with.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Shayne said:


> Nice that the retail of that Atek rim (not wheel) was probably equal to the retail of the bike you started with.


Yeah, I have a thingy for older high end components who haven't saw much use and still outperforms today's entry-level stuff, plus you can often get them for cheap. I had a XTR (M950 if I remember right) rear hub, 135x10, no disc, laced to a cheap rim, HG cassette, for just $5 from a guy who was clearing out old stock... For some people, a wheel is a wheel. As long as it work, it's good enough for them. That rim Atek is something like a '97, same for the LX hub and probably the same for the HG 7 spd cassette. That XTR hub is now on my brother's '96 GT Timberline, along with a SLX rd from the same era. The GT frame is still in very good shape, I just had to clean the frame, sand down the rusted areas and where the clear coat was cracked/scratched then apply a new clear coat of Dupli-Color Automotive wheel paint, the High Performance Rim paint in clear color, let it dry for 10mins and then heat it up with a heat gun till it melt a bit, let cold down for the night and you get a factory like clear coat finish, with pretty much the same durability and all the scratches lefts by the sanding are gone and you get a super nice paint job again, because it was only the clear coat that was scratched, not the paint under it :thumbsup:



SGP495 said:


> Well, you can skip school. Just an idea, doesn't mean you have to do it


Well, my class just ended right now, so I'm heading back home now. But I only have 2 weeks left 

David


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

*New pics are here !*

Here's some shots I did last evening. Got about 10 km on it so far and everything looks fine. Front brake is break in, rear one is close, I've set the seat post higher and feels better now.

I got the official weight for the bike as pictured below. 36.8 pounds. Still missing the rear fender (~200 gr) and reflectors on the front wheel. I managed to keep it under the 40lbs mark.

Removed the granny ring, rear fender and bolts, a few chain links, new full housing setup is in fact lighter then the old housing and ferules, drill the rear triangle's cable stops, cut the ones on the front triangle, used less wheel reflectors, removed the dust boot from the seat post, removed an assload of dried mud in the handle bar (idk how it got there, I got that bar used anyway), and a few small thingy.

But I used a bigger rear tire, a o-ring on the fork's stanchion, a bit more hardware on the brake posts, new brake pads (  ), a bit heavier rear shock coil spring, piece of inner tube to protect the chain stay and a few zip-ties over the frame for the housing.

I'll get the rear mud-guard tomorrow, as the shop's close at 6 and I can't be there in time.

Pics !


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## ultraspontane (May 26, 2011)

Workhorse...


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Alright, so this morning there's snow, sun and my SnowRider. After a quick wipe off and lining the chain and cables from a 10 days straight commuting, I'm ready to officially break the ice with the first snow ride of my new build !

Let's rip it off !

David


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## SGP495 (Jun 21, 2011)

War snow


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

*After 2 weeks of daily commute...*

Moar pics !!!


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

And even moar pix !!

Drifts and more recent ones I got...


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Here's the official SnowRider 2.0 poster :


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Well, time to update on the ride.

So far, I made front and rear tires DIY studs. Got 2 flats on the front wheel because of the screws (studs) heads moving too much when I was braking and jumping the bike. But now's that winter is pretty much over here (lol), I'll swap back normal tires.

I had to change the chain because the old one was stretch out. I've put another old one I had and no problem. The first one was not giving any problem either, but I didn't want to take chances to wear down my XTR crank  so another KMC on.

Then I added a mud flap to protect the rear shock. I've also crashed a few times. Feels good to go back into learning the hard way  Broke my front fender mount, but Topeak was really nice and is sending me a new one under warranty 

Other then that, I'm pretty much happy with the build. I have to say that however this winter really suck, not much snow, not cold, etc... Full squish isn't the best thing to do for a winter commuter bike, but for a 5 km round commute in downtown, I'll say the comfort is worth the weight and less pedaling friendly geo. But for longer commute, HT is definitively the way to go (with a big bouncy fork  )

The Dart 2 fork is performing flawlessly. I think I have isolated the problem of the fork freezing... I think this fork as alloy lowers, not magnesium, and this is why the lowers contracted more under cold temp then magnesium one, which make the bushing lot more tighter on the stanchions.

Difference between $5 brake pads and $10 ones : Same braking power, but not quiet. But I live with it.

So, that's pretty much it... Sad thing is I'm probably be building back my trail bike and store the SnowRider 2.0 sooner than planned, since it's already like spring time here...

Pics :


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Moar pix


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

And once cleaned !


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