New Bike Day!

When Bri and I were on vacation in California, I found a crazy deal on a Specialized AWOL frame back home. As soon as we got back, I polished up the ole Trek and put her up on Craigslist.  I slowly started building this frame up, and I'll admit that I went a little crazy over the tiny details.

I picked up a set of Salsa Cowchipper bars from my good buds at Loose Nuts Cycles. I decided I wanted to use spent shotgun shells for the bar plugs. I went to Stoddard's Shooting Range to see if they had any spent 12 gauge shells, but they had none available. They were super helpful, and set me up with my own shotgun to shoot. 5 rounds later, I had my bar plugs and was ready to go.

I went with a Thomson seatpost and stem, there really was no other option to consider. Thomson makes the best bike parts, and they are a Georgia based company!

When I first started plannIng this build, I had a few products I wanted to try for the first time.  One of my favorite newer products is the ESI R.C.T. bar tape.  It is a 100% silicone bar tape with no adhesives.  It feels just like their Chunky mountain bike grips, and went on super easy.  When riding off-road, it has been amazing!

I added a Mash SF donut top cap for a little touch of flair.  The other product I was super excited about was the Spurcycle bell. While they aren't cheap, they really are worth it. Designed and manufactured in America, it is an item that I know I will have for life.

For the drivetrain, I did a full Sram Force1 hydraulic spec. I matched a 42 tooth chainring with an 11-36 cassette.  It gives plenty of climbing gears, while still having some sprint gearing.  Matched with Sram's centerline 160mm rotors, the brakes are some of the best I've ever ridden.

For the wheels, I got a pair of Stan's NoTubes Grail Pro wheels.  I added a set of the new Teravail Cannonball 700x38 tires, which have been incredible in gravel.  The detail I went the craziest over, were the wheel decals.  The stock decals are red and white, and were just too busy with how sleek the rest of the bike looked.  I found a company from Sweden called Slik Graphics, who made the custom decals. After ordering and going through the design process, it only took about a week for them to arrive. I highly recommend them for any custom decal work.

The bike came together beautifully, and I am head over heels with the ride.  I took it out for a 60 mile maiden voyage, with a ton of climbing and some off road sections.  The bike is stable, but still can be nimble and really shred off road. I can't wait for long days on fire roads and gravel paths. Next up, I am getting frame and seat bags for multi day bike trips.  This build truly was a labor of love, and I'm eager to see where it can take me.