My El Guapo Build

So, the time has come to say goodbye to my trusty Marin Rocky Ridge hard-tail and move on to the realms of full bounce.  As I write this I currently don't have a fully built bike since I have stripped down the Marin for parts and to sell off the frame, plus I still have a BMW to get rid of.  I haven't failed to be astonished at what price I'm getting for my BMW compared to what I need to spend on a bike.  The car's going for £750, which will only cover the cost of the frame and brakes!  However, the bike will cost less to run and I've got the wife's car to use when she's at work (i.e. to transport me to the Surrey Hills!)

Hafi from Birmingham is picking up the car this afternoon which is good.  I was scouring ebay on Sunday and came across some superstar AM490 wheels on switch hubs for £114 including postage which seems like a bit of a steal.  I was originally planning to go for some Easton Havoc wheels which were half price on Chain Reaction Cycles at £365 but since the car is selling for less than I wanted, I've had to cut back.  The superstar wheels have good write-ups anyway so we'll see how they go, if they break I'll replace them.

On the suspension front, I managed to get a set of Fox 36 Float R's for £469.99 from ebay brand new.  They were without a box but they're in the original wrapper with the fox barcode on it so are brand new.  They look pretty sweet, I'll try them as they are for now but if I find I need more adjustment I might get them upgraded with an RLC or RC2 damper fitted when a major service is needed.  I'm not sure whether my riding will warrant all the extra adjustment though since I never even used the lockout on the Rockshox Revelations on the Marin.

I'm going to take some photos of what I've got already and upload them soon, especially when I get the El Guapo frame ordered.


19.7.12


Hello again!  I have taken delivery of my Superstar AM490 wheelset today which was exciting.  I've added some pictures today, including the Fox 36 forks attached to the wheels.  The only annoying thing that I have found is in fitting the forks.  I used to have a Rockshox Revelation front fork, the maxle light on there was a lot simpler to do up and remove, there's three different things to tighten and adjust on the 36's.  I think it'll be fine when I get a bike rack and rarely have to remove the wheel but it's an annoying thing to have to faff around with. 


Had a message from on-one telling me to expect my frame in the next two days which is good.  Apparently I'll get a text message with a one hour time slot for delivery which would be excellent service, I'll keep this updated with how it goes.  I've also had a message from Merlin Cycles letting me know that my bottom bracket and Hayes Stroker Trails have been dispatched.  Superstar Components have just sent me an e-mail as well to say that my stem, bar, grip lock rings, headset, rear quick release and seat post clamp are on their way. 


I really rate Superstar for their quick delivery, communication and free Haribos in the packet!  I've used them in the past which is why I've used them for many of the components.  I can't afford things like Hope and Race Face and I like to try and match the components so Superstar were the way forward for me.  If there's a problem with anything then I can swap it out at a later date, however I'm yet to have a problem with anything I've ordered from them in the past.


Frame etc to arrive next!

20.07.12

Oooh, look what arrived today!

Very excited!  I'm impressed with the build quality, the welds look good and there's plenty of grease on the bearings.  The laser etched graphics are nice too, no stickers to peel off and easy to put protective patches on.

I'm going to get the headset pressed by my local bike shop, Quest Adventure in Worthing.  I would do the mallet and wood trick but having never fitted a headset I'd rather leave that to the pros.  

I also received some other goodies today....

Superstar being their usual efficient selves.  A mistake on my part however being that I ordered the wrong size seat clamp, so I've ordered a replacement.  I'll chuck the other one on ebay.  Whilst I was putting in another order I decided to get the 10mm hub adapter for my rear wheel and a 10mm quick release skewer too.  May as well get close to the 20mm hub on the front, and since some of the other bikes I looked at had 12mm axles it would be nice to try and get close, and keep the rear nice and stiff.

Having had a look at the bike, I need to decide which shock position to run first.  One is for a more linear curve whereas the other is for a more progressive curve.  It's come preset in the progressive position which I think will suit my riding more so I'll try it and see how it goes.

Can I resist getting the mallet and piece of wood out....