A new thing that I’m doing with this set of wheels on my MTB build is to go tubeless. Tubeless MTB wheels are the latest cool trend with many advantages over tubes, including decreased weight and the ability to run lower p.s.i. I’ve never investigated tubeless until now, and I was not prepared for a couple of nuances in the setup.
First, the tires are a bitch to get on the rims. They go on tight, taking a lot of force to get the final bead on the rim. You need to put sealant into the rim/tire. I didn’t do that initially and was rue to take the tire off again to put the sealant in. After some investigation, I found Stan’s Sealand Injector. After I got the sealant and the injector my next bit of learning was that I needed a way to remove the core of the Presta valve. Stan’s is more than happy to sell you one of these too, but I got might off with my fingers and the help of pliers. Sealer injected, air pumped in, and ready to go.
The other snafu I had was related to the PNW Components dropper post and loam lever. I thought I ordered a MatchMaker compatible lever, but it appears that I got the version with a clamp. I want the clean look of the MatchMaker, so I’ve contacted PNW Components to get an exchange ready.
I finally purchased my saddle. I like the Specialized Romin Evo Comp on my road bike, so it seems like a no brainer to get the same saddle here.
Putting the seat post and the saddle together and mounting on the bike presented a problem — I think I’m taller than I am — it was too big. Sitting on the seat with the suspension set correctly would mean that I could not touch the ground. So, another return to PNW Components. I’ve also asked them for a recommendation on the correct seat post to exchange with it.
I finally ordered and recieved the derailler. Getting the final bits of the drive train put together has been difficult due to supply issues. It seems that SRAM GX drivetrain is in hot demand. The store I ordered my pedals from canceled my order for the SRAM GX shifter. I’m now trying to order the shifter from my LBS. They have given me a 2-week delivery date.
The pedals are nothing really special, but I did want dual sided SPD clip-less.
The only components left are the shifter and the chain.
My budget was around $4,000 and my costs so far are at $3,932, so I’m doing pretty good. I’ve never really had a weight goal in mind, but I currently expect to weigh in at 12,533 grams or 27.63 lbs. In comparison, the production bike close to what I’m building is the Scott Spark. It costs $3,000 and wieghts 27.12 lbs. I would say that I spent a bit more on the Manitou shocks.
Next up, I’m going to try to get the bottom bracket and crank installed.
