Delilah

Lefties are awesome except for price and when you need to have them serviced. With Fox or Rock Shox my LBS can service the fork, a Lefty has to be sent away. Oh, and of course limited (and heavier) hub options...

G, with the build colour you have in mind, you also have the option of a white Fox Float which would be much less weighty...

Hi G, this is the 29er Fox 32 Talas 120 RLC Fit with tapered steerer and 15mm thru-axle You should see the paint-job on this thing - hot! The paint is slightly pearlescent matt black. It almost looks textured, but is completely smooth to the touch. It is true, no aftermarket paint job would have looked this good. The Kashima is darned sexy too!

Another piece of the puzzle just arrived: 1798g with uncut steerer. A bit hefty, but not as bad as the trail-specific 29er Reba RLT Ti.

+1 Although I prefer carbon bikes, I've dreamed of building a brushed alu bike with an "industrial" look. That housing might work, but perhaps the current braided "sterling silver" offering would be even better.

Thanks for the info. Those prices are unreal. Nice one Silverback!

http://www.pachd.com/free-images/household-images/rubber-bands-02.jpg

It is soooo purdy! Can you blame me?

I'm sorry V There is a tiny bit of orange peeking through if you look carefully. But one does not show all the bits and details in one go. One must leave a little something something for later...

I would not be surprised if the QR frame was sold to some other unsuspecting customer.

TheV

NO way! Really?

I considered maaaaaany things!

LOL! Yeah, we're not exactly spoilt for choice in Potchefstroom! It's either the 4x4 track or district roads Anything else entails a drive.

Aaaah, TheV's sage advice. The XT and SLX brakes are basically the same thing when run with Ice-tech rotors. Also, he couldn't find stock of XT brakes in black. The first ride will probably be at our local 4x4 track. Could drive somewhere nice, but who has the patience to do that when you just want to go ride!!!

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the helpful advice that you've all put into this build. That be true

Ta-daaaaa! A big thumbs up for TheV: awesome service and advice, super prices, goods as promised, fast delivery. Couldn't be happier

Mmmmmmm... nicely packaged.

A little something was delivered to my office before lunch: What could it be? EDIT: Looks like a printer, but I didn't order one...

Yeeesssss, but according to Stephen, you are only allowed to use a downtube protector I think that is what he meant by "undercarriage" of the bike?

They sold me a frame they claimed to have in stock, but then sent an older model. I would have thought twice about forking over the cash if I had known I'd be waiting a month to get the frame. So no, I'm not at all sure that I will have warm and fuzzy feelings for CWC ever again.

Now got a call back from Stephen at Dragons Sports. He says their frames arrived from Taiwan 2 1/2 weeks ago, but they are still waiting for shocks from the USA. (Wonder where Dubai came in???) He blames airline freight congestion for the delay. I asked about warranty and clear-coat. He says anything except a stick-on protector for the undercarriage will void the warranty. Anything like a full-cover frame-protection kit is also not allowed because the adhesive may react with the carbon/resin if it is done on such a large scale

Just got off the phone with Gavylyn (spelling?) at Dragons Sports. The delay really is on their side. They really are waiting for shocks. He says they were waiting for a shipment from the USA and now waiting for a shipment from Dubai (???) and that the transport strikes have caused an additional delay. Not sure if I buy the last bit. If they're waiting for a shipment from abroad, what do local matters have to do with it? Anyway, no shocks before next week at the earliest.

Well, on Friday they promised to contact the suppliers again Monday and to get back to me. So yesterday I got tired of waiting and sent an e-mail at lunchtime. By 3 I decided to call them. The news? Well now they will no longer be getting shocks in this week. Only next week. They keep moving the delivery date further and further away! Anyway, I asked that they send the frame today and the shock if/when it ever does arrive. Maybe I'll just be the first person on this planet to ride a hardtail Tallboy? Metal rod and a few bolts + nuts should do the trick...

Light-bicycle.com @ $165 per rim. Great service too.