Eclat. Nice graphic design, nice products.

Here’s a list of mods with weights and budget all up is just over $1k (scary how $10 here $20 there adds up!):

Frame (2978g)
SASO carbon fork (815g)
FSA Pig DH-Pro Headset 1-1/8 (205g)
Amoeba carbon spacers (10g)
Controltech scandium bar (114g)
Ritchey 2008 WCS Grips (52g)
Syntace Stem (98g)
Shimano Hone Crankset/bb (918g)
VP 196 pedals (260g)
Fire Eye Single Speed kit (85g)
Sette Single Speed Tensioner (110g)
Shimano HG50 chain (338g)
Maxlite 310 (320g)
Tubes flyweight x 2 (100g/tube)
Avid BB7 (697g)
Shimano XTR levers (166g)
A2Z disc brake convertor (100g)
Tioga MC Lite Saddle (200g)
FSA SL-K carbon seatpost (240g)
Tranz X seatpost bolt M6x45mm (15g)
Seatpost shim (12g)
Sette Skewers (109g)
Weinmann Bull Disc front (1080g)
Sun Ditch Witch Deore hub rear (1335g)
—————————————————–
FINAL WEIGHT: 10.4Kg

I like the idea of being in the 9kg’s, a lighter wheelset will do it. A wheelset and a Ti frame will see me in the 8kg’s!

The flat pedals and brakes to come but are listed above. The wheelset isn’t THAT heavy. The frame turns out to be pretty heavy but it is chromoly afterall. The headset is heavy, I could save 100g with a Chris King, or lighter FSA. I’m tempted to get an ultralight Ti frame, but I’m nostalgic about the Hardrock. It’s got character unlike some Chinese Brand-X Ti frame, something romantic about it :)

PS: Also got the A2Z rear disc brake mount on the bike (the Hardrock frame was not made for disc brakes on the rear). Looks like it just might work!

Oh wow. Bring it on!!!

ControlTech Scandium Flat Bar: 114g
FSA SL-K carbon seatpost: 240g
Current build weight: 9.36kg

Looks like once I put the brakes on I’ll have failed my mission to stay in the 9kg’s. It’s amazing how little things add up (weight and money wise!).

More parts for the SS! Sexy as Syntace 99 stem (98g) came in the mail today and the guys at the local bike store cut my carbon fork steerer down a little. The Shimano M520 SPD clipless pedals came off my new Giant Reign. The Maxxis Maxlite 310 (310g/each in comparisson to the 760g/each Larse TT’s) came in too so I fitted them along with the super light tubes (one of them popped on fitting too, hmmm. Scary!). Currently sitting at 8.8kg with the heavy down hill wheelset.

Australia Post is working today as I got my XTR levers as well as my carbon fibre fork today for the single speed project. Have to say, it’s amazingly light and damn sexy! It’s actually made in Taiwan and rebranded as a White Brothers product to the USA (of-course for 3 times the price). I paid $173 for it off eBay. Can’t wait to get this gear on the single speed!

Jing and I went to Loftus Oval this morning to test the new Reign. We ran into a friendly guy (Anthony) in the carpark, who seemed to be excitedly waiting for some bikers to come along, cool that he too had a Giant (a new Trance) which funnily enough he also had never ridden and he just bought it from my local bike store in Maroubra Junction.

All in all the bike did really well, some of the climbs I just had to walk up but the bike really shines on downhills, it’s so confidence inspiring. The single track at Loftus is awesome and the bit I loved the most, shame it’s so short. Looking forward to joining MWG on some Blue Mountains stuff and also trying Manly Dam. More pics here.

OK, so I finally caved in (bit of pressure from Jing, who actually spotted the bike for me) and bought myself a NEW bike today.

It’s a 2007 Giant Reign 1 which was worth $3000 new and was on a run-out sale at Cranks in North Sydney (still on their site now). I ended up bargaining it down (it’s the Asian in me) to $1800 cycle away.

Despite initially wanting a hardtail I knew I had to give full suspension a go and it was between the 2008 Scott Genius MC-40 or the Reign. The Scott small felt way too big for me and the lowest I could get it down to was $2350. I did a lot of research on the Reign which is much loved all over the world. 6 inches of travel (that’s massive) a good all round all mountain bike, great for downhills, great for climbing too. I was sold.

Riding it feels pretty strange, it’s very plush, bobs up and down when peddaling out of the seat, but then you realise you didn’t have to get out of the seat, even going off a gutter is surreal as you can sit down and not even feel it. I’m 100% sure it’ll be amazing on the rough stuff.

Tomorrow I’ll hit the national park, or Manly Dam in it and take some pics! Here’s a great clip showing off the suspension at work. Here’s the spec sheet.

Edit: just took some pics.

Spent the day catching up with the JDMyard boys which were busy dropping a B18C (yo) into a customer car. Safety first (notice the use of a seat belt to lift and drop the engine!) ah got to love grass roots backyard mechanics!

Jing came over last night with his toys, namely a Specialized P3 dirt jump bike, a Scott Scale 40 and a Kona Stinky downhill frame. We got busy taking everything apart to weight stuff. Weights can be found here. I went for a ride today on the Scale and I love it, it’s so rigid, light (11kg’s) and fast, if anything it even turns a little too fast but I’m sure it’s something I could get used to. Gears are a luxury too after riding up my hilly area on a single speed. Hmmm, the brain continues to debate about what bike to build next.