Delilah

VERY nice! The Head Doc will be a perfect match to the Grip Docs

Thanks Look695 and CarbonDual29er @ Look695: I have the Blackburns (2 of them) on my other bike too (since March, I think) - they're great. I've never lost a bottle, but it is still easy to get your drink out IMHO the Birzman carbon cages (CWC sells them) are just as good and much cheaper, but their not quite as pretty. The Birzmans are really good if you have a smaller frame and want to add a second cage on the seat-tube (obviously not on a duallie) - they allow a greater degree of side entry.

It's official: just ordered a set of Hope Grip Doctors in red (of course)

LOL!!!!!!! The Karvers' soles are not as thick as they look on pictures. They sides kind of curve around the shoe (does that make sense?) which protects the upper and keeps feet dry if you have to hoof it through water or mud. The soles are not hard at all. They are really comfy to walk in. By stiffness I mean that there is just not a lot of flex - something which would have detracted from pedalling efficiency.

Off topic (apologies Catgirl): @Patches: Your avvie is messing with my brain. When I look at it carefully, it is a cool pic of you wearing a full-face helmet BUT when I just catch a glimpse of it, this is what my brain registers: I sure hope it is not a sign of serious pathology!

Fizik Vesta!

Hi Catgirl Believe me, the FiveTen Karvers are the only way to go! Don't waste your money on skate shoes - the soles are nowhere near stiff enough for cycling. You're feet will not only get really tired, but they will also fly off the pedals when you go over obstacles. Also don't buy a pair of FiveTen women's hiking shoes. They may be prettier, but they don't have stiff soles either. The men are spoilt with many different FiveTen styles. For us it's only Karvers. The good news is that they do look better on than by themselves If you wear a small size (like 5) they're really darned cute, in a chunky sort of way. They seem to be true to size, if you need to order online just go with the size you normally wear in casual shoes. With the Karvers and good platforms I have never had my feet come off the pedals on any terrain. If you want lighter platforms, look at Blackspire Sub4s - they are sub 400g. Mine are 375g for the set. You might want to replace the stock pins with longer ones. Not many people around here like Crank Brothers, but I've been very happy with my 5050 3s for over a year now. They are extremely grippy and look great. Use the recommended type of Loctite when first installing the traction pins and you won't lose any (the most common complaint with 5050s). Enjoy your platforms!

Sorry, I missed the question earlier. This guy is heavy for a TallboyC at 12.1kg. It is not the frame's fault, but rather due to some of the components I chose. The fork is about 300g heavier than a 100mm travel Reba, the bar-ends (coming off) are 175g, one could probably save 100g per tyre if opting for something more weight-conscious than 2.35 NNs, the flat pedals weigh in at 375g for the set so not really a major contributor. Being incredibly averse to punctures, I also put 120ml Stan's sealant in each tyre. A weight-weenie could shave at least 1kg off this build without even breaking a sweat. Thank you very much! (Also for the many helpful posts)

Thanks Tjokkits, but I have to confess that most of the knowledge was gained from this forum and all the kind people who gave input in this thread. Thanks hubbers for helping me build my dream bike. The saddle is a Fizik Vesta Kium

Thank you ...and done! I never bring a new bike home without first insuring it against everything - accident, theft, fire, riots, war, alien invasion - and for any location or whilst travelling

Yep, the flats are just my personal preference. I don't expect everyone to like flats. It puzzles me than many people expect everyone to like clipless.

Ooooh, I will! He is super-plush, yet playful. This is my first duallie and what a treat! Never thought rear sus could make a bike so much more comfy and still not have much of an impact on pedalling. Oh, my first XTR bits too. Anyone who says an average rider won't feel the difference when upgrading to XTR must be drunk. The shifting is INCREDIBLE! So smooth and immediate. Cannot say the crank feels that much different, but it sure looks good The 2013 SLX brakes are definitely better than 2012 XT. More powerful too, despite 160mm rotors - nearly had a little incident when I stopped to get off and the bike came to a standstill quicker than anticipated

Dit is ja The good news is that the 2 x Fox setup is so plush, and the bars so comfy, I did not feel the need to use the bar-ends at all. So, I probably will replace them with Hope plugs soon. A good time would be when I have the steerer cut down to final height.

Got him late Monday afternoon It has been crazy busy at work, so only managed a very short testride yesterday after work. Planning a nice outing for the weekend

AAAAAAaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The courier didn't show up with the kit - no Tallboy for the weekend. I cry.

Yeah, bikes do look better without bar ends, can't argue with that! Maybe I'll lose them after more HTFU. Right now, I like bar ends because you can move your hands to an alternative position on long rides. A change is as good as a holiday and all that

Preview time! My apologies for the bad pic, it was cramped quarters! Okay, so the cables aren't quite done and he is wearing a temporary rear wheel. Also, the stem is most likely too high right now - I want to get a feel for the bike before deciding on final height and whether or not to cut the steerer any shorter. PS: The Hope seatclamp doesn't fit, it is too wide. Sticking with the SC clamp that came with the frame.

And it has!

Maybe I didn't have any to begin with? LOL! Not patient at all - going out of my mind with anticipation! (And not really concentrating at work! - Don't tell my boss!) The conversion is the only thing holding up the build. We're waiting for delivery. The build has to be finished by this weekend, it just HAS to!!! The brake hose will be changed to Jagwire when an adapter kit becomes available for 2013 Shimano.

LOL!!! Thank you kindly I have eggbeaters too - they're in the kitchen

Sias, you've been to Dingo's haven't you? I was wondering how long the "missing" pedals would go unnoticed! Not wanting to unchain another clipless/platform debate, I accidentally forgot to mention the pedals on purpose Here they are: http://www.singletrackworld.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2011/04/IMG_8433-640x426.jpg And no, before someone asks, I don't ride with running shoes! These are very comfy and grippy: http://www.wigglestatic.com/images/fiveten-wmn-karver-11-zoom.jpg

I left the kit search up to the LBS - will phone them in a bit to hear if they've found one.

Hey G, IIRC all Hope Pro II Evo rear hubs, except the 150mm, can be interconverted using conversion kits. I ordered the hubs long before deciding to build a DS. They were supposed to go on my Storm - hence the QR rear. The wheelset was hijacked for this build and that is why the rear hub needs a conversion kit. If you ordered yours 12x142, you should get 12x142

Hey Splat, thanks for the links. Hope are very fast in replying to tech queries. They confirmed what I suspected. The kit I have is for Hope Pro 2, which is an older model of the Hope Pro 2 Evo. It is the X12, not 135mm as it fits the frame just fine. It just does not fit the hub properly. Damn. Oh well, I'm entitled to at least one noob mistake on this build, right? Anyone who wants the kit for their older rear hub is welcome to have it free of charge - just pay shipping costs.

Yeah, I think this bike will be named Murphy. I suspect the kit is for an older model Hope hub. Was there a plain Pro 2? Without Evo in the name? The description on CRC is not very detailed, but I should have checked more carefully. As for the Jagwire kit, I hope LBS to be mistaken.