sort of OT: A 650b MTB build (Tracer 275)

[jchasse]

I thought I’d post this in case anyone else is thinking about a Tracer 275 as a (relatively) lightweight trail bike build. Or just for other bike geeks...

Seems like all of our local rides, from in-town stuff to big high country rides, follow the same recipe – starting from the trailhead, climb. Then climb some more. When you become hypoxic and are about to forsake mountain biking, you reverse course, and descend.

We’ve got absolutely great riding, but you want a bike that can go uphill and down.

So anyway, I’m replacing this (note the custom chainstay protector :D):

[jchasse]

I rode and loved a Ventana for 11 yrs, and finally updated to a 2010 Turner 5.Spot. It’s a great bike. But for whatever reason, I never connected with it. When I got the Spot, I really thought a lot about the 650b Ventana El Bastardo, but wanted to try a more “modern” suspension, so went for the DW Link Spot.

Like I said, for whatever reason, the Turner's never really clicked for me. I rode a 26 inch Intense Carbine, and liked it more than the Turner, so I’m working with a great local shop (Pedal the Peaks) to build up a Tracer 275. (I would have done a 27.5 Carbine, but really want to try a bike that's been designed from the ground up for 650b...)

The frame was ordered a few weeks ago, and parts are starting to trickle in. I’m pretty psyched about it…here’s what we’ve got so far.

[jchasse]

I’m a little obsessed with bike stuff (hard to believe here), so I’m weighing parts just for the hell of it. My hope is that I can build the Tracer to come in at or under the weight of the 5.Spot (26.85lbs as pictured, with cage, pedals etc), but without any stupid lite parts. I doubt it’ll be possible, but wish me luck (this 34mm Monster Fork is a bit of a heifer).

Here’s the build spec so far:

Enve 650b XC wheels, laced to DT Swiss 240 hubs with DT Aerolite bladed spokes (Not sure bladed spokes are necessary on a mountain bike, particularly as slow as I'm going. I had to go with these hubs – you’ll understand why later). Weights with Gorilla tape “rim strips” and tubeless valves (no skewers, brake hardware etc):
Front – 690g
Rear – 770g

Fox 34 Talas 650b fork - 120/160mm travel (uncut steerer) - 4.64 lbs

Thomson 100mm stem: 160g

Tune QR seatpost collar: too light to register on my bike scale…seriously.

Stay tuned - more to come.

[HenryA]

Wow on the wheels.
Wow!

[jchasse]

This seems to be taking forever.

As of yesterday I had everything…except the frame and drivetrain. The frame was pre-ordered as soon as Intense was taking orders, and was supposed to be among the first batch shipped. But apparently, the first frames ended up going toward the complete bike orders (presumably to help Intense get the build kits out of the shop). So I had to wait for a later batch. Then, the batch of Black Chrome frames mine was in got screwed up somehow, and they all have to be stripped and re-finished…ugh. So it’ll probably be late next week before the frame ships.

In the meantime, here is what I’ve got so far, and actual weights for everything:

Fox 34 Talas fork (120-160mm) = 4.64lbs (2,105g)
Enve XC wheels w/ DT240 hubs and CX-Ray spokes . (with rim tape – no valves, skewers or rotors):
Front =690g
Rear = 770g

Wheels with mounted Nobby Nics (w/ valves, sealant – still no skewers or rotors)
Front = 1,520g
Rear = 1,610g

Eriksen Ti Seatpost w/ hardware = 235g
King Headset w/ crown race, star nut = 188g
Tune Seat Collar = 31g
King Ti Cage = 28g
XTR Trail brakes – levers, calipers, hoses – no rotors = 530g
Thomson Stem – 100mm/0-degree = 166g
ODI Lock-on grips = 108g
Time ATAC carbon pedals (from old bike) = 340g
WTB SST saddle (from old bike) = 225g

[jchasse]

More goodies arrived today.

Some more actual weights for the geeks:

XX1 Crank w 32t ring = 564g (no BB)
XX1 Rear der. = 241g
XX1 Cassette = 267g
XX1 Chain (uncut, w/ quick conect link) = 251g
XX1 Shifter w/ cable and clamp (no housing) = 122g
Spare 30t chainring = 38g

we're gettin' close now...just need the Enve handlebar...and a frame!

[jchasse]

This cassette is a work of machined art. I'm a little worried about durability of that big aluminum cog, but it's a pretty cool piece of hardware.

[coylifut]

I'm really interested to see how that thing rides. i'm not an early adopter, so i ordered a Specialized FSR EVO 29er for the year. Maybe i'll go 650b fully once they become more available.

[JayBay]

Great looking build so far. I want to hear your review on the xx1 stuff once you get some miles on it.

[jchasse]

Haverhill? I spent a semester at NECC. :)

[JayBay]

Ha! Small world! There are a couple fun trails around the lake right next to the school.

[pcxmbfj]

Nice build!

You going rizer or flat sweep back bar?

You got the Enve ordered?

[jchasse]

Nice build!

You going rizer or flat sweep back bar?

You got the Enve ordered?

Rizer. It's odered, and should be here soon.

[oldpotatoe]

I’m a little obsessed with bike stuff (hard to believe here), so I’m weighing parts just for the hell of it. My hope is that I can build the Tracer to come in at or under the weight of the 5.Spot (26.85lbs as pictured, with cage, pedals etc), but without any stupid lite parts. I doubt it’ll be possible, but wish me luck (this 34mm Monster Fork is a bit of a heifer).

Here’s the build spec so far:

Enve 650b XC wheels, laced to DT Swiss 240 hubs with DT Aerolite bladed spokes (Not sure bladed spokes are necessary on a mountain bike, particularly as slow as I'm going. I had to go with these hubs – you’ll understand why later). Weights with Gorilla tape “rim strips” and tubeless valves (no skewers, brake hardware etc):
Front – 690g
Rear – 770g

Fox 34 Talas 650b fork - 120/160mm travel (uncut steerer) - 4.64 lbs

Thomson 100mm stem: 160g

Tune QR seatpost collar: too light to register on my bike scale…seriously.

Stay tuned - more to come.

At least they are 32h, the wheels. 'May' want somebody tie and solder the spokes or on a disc, 'may' be a little flexy.

[oldpotatoe]

This cassette is a work of machined art. I'm a little worried about durability of that big aluminum cog, but it's a pretty cool piece of hardware.

And this-

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/product-components/2013-sram-xx1-x-dome-cassette-32058.22.1.html

I thought SuperRecord was expensive.

[witcombusa]

I’m a little obsessed with bike stuff (hard to believe here), so I’m weighing parts just for the hell of it. My hope is that I can build the Tracer to come in at or under the weight of the 5.Spot (26.85lbs as pictured, with cage, pedals etc), but without any stupid lite parts. I doubt it’ll be possible, but wish me luck (this 34mm Monster Fork is a bit of a heifer).

Here’s the build spec so far:

Enve 650b XC wheels, laced to DT Swiss 240 hubs with DT Aerolite bladed spokes (Not sure bladed spokes are necessary on a mountain bike, particularly as slow as I'm going. I had to go with these hubs – you’ll understand why later). Weights with Gorilla tape “rim strips” and tubeless valves (no skewers, brake hardware etc):
Front – 690g
Rear – 770g

Fox 34 Talas 650b fork - 120/160mm travel (uncut steerer) - 4.64 lbs

Thomson 100mm stem: 160g

Tune QR seatpost collar: too light to register on my bike scale…seriously.

Stay tuned - more to come.

The fact that you are weighing everything only shows me you've got your priorities wrong....:no:

[crownjewelwl]

The fact that you are weighing everything only shows me you've got your priorities wrong....:no:

what's wrong with weighing components for fun? clearly he's not obsessed with it cuz he's certainly not using any stupid light parts (other than the tune seat clamp!)

a 28lb full suss bike ain't no weight weenie rig...just sayin'

[rice rocket]

Cool, keep us posted!

I'm building a 650b myself, hardtail though. And yes witcomb, I have my priorities all wrong and mine will be a weightweenie build. ;)

[jchasse]

At least they are 32h, the wheels. 'May' want somebody tie and solder the spokes or on a disc, 'may' be a little flexy.

By all acounts I've heard, including 2 guys from my shop riding them, the Enve wheels (even the XC version) are mighty stiff, so I think I'll be ok.

[jchasse]

And this-

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/product-components/2013-sram-xx1-x-dome-cassette-32058.22.1.html

I thought SuperRecord was expensive.

I hear you, that's why I mentioned the concern about durability. But the entire group was less expensive than XTR. The crank's pretty reasonable (only one ring), and I'm only buying one shifter and no front derailleur. I'm also not paying MSRP.

[jchasse]

The fact that you are weighing everything only shows me you've got your priorities wrong....:no:

Enlighten me. I do a lot of sustained climbing, lots at elevation. As long as i'm not using stupid light parts (meaning **** that's gonna break or not work properly), every ounce I can shed helps.

[crownjewelwl]

By all acounts I've heard, including 2 guys from my shop riding them, the Enve wheels (even the XC version) are mighty stiff, so I think I'll be ok.

i have 28h enve 29er rims...they are STIFF

[witcombusa]

what's wrong with weighing components for fun? clearly he's not obsessed with it cuz he's certainly not using any stupid light parts (other than the tune seat clamp!)

a 28lb full suss bike ain't no weight weenie rig...just sayin'

What is "fun" about weighing components? You pick them to do a specific job and meet a price point. They weigh what they weigh.

Someone should come up with some "lightweight" water to carry on their rides......you'd have to fight them off with a stick :banana:

[witcombusa]

Enlighten me. I do a lot of sustained climbing, lots at elevation. As long as i'm not using stupid light parts (meaning **** that's gonna break or not work properly), every ounce I can shed helps.

whatever helps you sleep nights.

Are you under 6% body fat yet? Carry water, spares or tools? Ever get mud on your bike?
Sorry but bike weight just don't matter in the real world.

[jchasse]

whatever helps you sleep nights.

Are you under 6% body fat yet? Carry water, spares or tools? Ever get mud on your bike?
Sorry but bike weight just don't matter in the real world.

OK dude, different strokes...

I rode yesterday on a 30.5 lb rig, and did the same ride a few days before on a 26lb bike. The difference I felt was in my head...:confused: (PS-sadly, my body fat was the same both days, so the only difference there was to feel was bike weight)

I actually hear what youre saying, but I'm going to build this bike with the best stuff I can reasonably afford. I bought the stuff before I weighed it. What your'e saying is that me wanting to know the weights of the parts I already have tells you my piorities are wrong...mmkay. Crap, I'm putting a 4 1/2 lb fork on the bike - I clearly didn't choose it because it's light. On "priorities", how many offroad miles and how many feet of climbing above 7,000ft have you done this week? :)

[old fat man]

i just sold my 27.5'd Ibis Mojo SL. It was a fun bike though I had limited time to ride it (life!). The Sram 1x10 drivetrain really pissed me off though. The cassette bent repeatedly, the brakes were always needing attention, and the shifting action got rougher and rougher throughout each ride, constantly needing attention. At least you got brakes that will work. Regarding the X11, or whatever it's called, I'd ditch that while it's new and stick with a Shimano XT drivetrain.

[Jack Brunk]

OK dude, different strokes...

I rode yesterday on a 30.5 lb rig, and did the same ride a few days before on a 26lb bike. The difference i felt was in my head...:confused:

I actually hear what youre saying, but I'm going to build this bike with the best stuff I can reasonably afford. I bought the stuff before I weighed it. What your'e saying is that me wanting to know how much the parts I already have weigh tels you my piorities are wrong...mkay. Crap, I'm putting a 4 1/2 lb fork on the bike - I clearly didn't choose it because it's light. On "priorities", how many offroad miles and how many feet of climbing above 7,000ft have you done this week? :)

I think your build looks terrific. You will be blown away by the enve wheels. I have a few thousand miles on one of my sets and haven't needed to do squat to them. I know a couple of guys on the 1x11 and they really like it. Oh and you don't need to justify anything you do to anybody here.
I guess I don't understand why people come to a topic and bag on the OP.

[witcombusa]

OK dude, different strokes...

I rode yesterday on a 30.5 lb rig, and did the same ride a few days before on a 26lb bike. The difference i felt was in my head...:confused:

I actually hear what youre saying, but I'm going to build this bike with the best stuff I can reasonably afford. I bought the stuff before I weighed it. What your'e saying is that me wanting to know how much the parts I already have weigh tels you my piorities are wrong...mkay. Crap, I'm putting a 4 1/2 lb fork on the bike - I clearly didn't choose it because it's light. On "priorities", how many offroad miles and how many feet of climbing above 7,000ft have you done this week? :)

I actually do a fair bit of climbing when I'm out in CO. Narrow guage rail beds and County dirt roads mostly. Yes, well above 7k. Never on a mtb, but on my Ritchey BA Cross. Sorry, can't tell you what it weighs though...

[jchasse]

I actually do a fair bit of climbing when I'm out in CO. Narrow guage rail beds and County dirt roads mostly. Yes, well above 7k. Never on a mtb, but on my Ritchey BA Cross. Sorry, can't tell you what it weighs though...

Sorry, I know what all of my bikes weigh. Think what you want...

By the way, I packed up my wife and kid, left our friends, family and everyone we knew to come here a few years ago from New England. We've never been happier and I can ride some of the best singletrack on the planet any day I feel like it, without ever getting in a car. My wife (who was NOT a rider) now rides more than I do! I think my priorities are just fine :banana:

[gdw]

Very nice and thanks for posting the weights. Your setup and emphasis on lightweight components makes sense for the area you ride.

witcombusa - Please stop trolling the MTB threads. It's pretty obvious you have nothing positive to add to the discussion.

[jchasse]

The cassette bent repeatedly

That's my bigest fear. I'm not a big guy, though, so we'll see how it goes. I still have the XTR stuff from the Turner if the XX1 experiment falis.

[jh_on_the_cape]

ack! I mean 'phew!', you sold it.

i just sold my 27.5'd Ibis Mojo SL. It was a fun bike though I had limited time to ride it (life!). The Sram 1x10 drivetrain really pissed me off though. The cassette bent repeatedly, the brakes were always needing attention, and the shifting action got rougher and rougher throughout each ride, constantly needing attention. At least you got brakes that will work. Regarding the X11, or whatever it's called, I'd ditch that while it's new and stick with a Shimano XT drivetrain.

[jh_on_the_cape]

That move takes balls. I think about it, although I am too invested in MA at this point.

The build looks awesome. I have a horst link spot and put a 650b on the front and it was an improvement.
Did you consider the Turner 650b bike (burner)?
Try putting that new 650b front wheel on your spot, it should fit through the regular fox fork. I think the rear wheel might fit in the DWlink spot, too? worth a try. It would be cool to ride a 650b spot while you wait, then your tracer and see how it compares.

those enve wheels look zippy.

while i do not weight bike parts because my bike is just not light and I do not have the extra $$ to lighten it up, I have ridden light bikes on vacations... you can feel it. Esp. the wheels.

Please keep posting updates. Hopefully the frame arrives before the snow.

Sorry, I know what all of my bikes weigh. Think what you want...

By the way, I packed up my wife and kid, left our friends, family and everyone we knew to come here a few years ago from New England. We've never been happier and I can ride some of the best singletrack on the planet any day I feel like it, without ever getting in a car. My wife (who was NOT a rider) now rides more than I do! I think my priorities are just fine :banana:

[crownjewelwl]

What is "fun" about weighing components? You pick them to do a specific job and meet a price point. They weigh what they weigh.

Someone should come up with some "lightweight" water to carry on their rides......you'd have to fight them off with a stick :banana:

i also weigh myself before and after dropping a deuce

[jchasse]

JH, I thought about trying the 650B wheels on the Turner. But the rear hub has the XX1 specific free hub body, and I sold the Turner frame and fork just in time to pay for the SRAM drive train stuff.

[jchasse]

That move takes balls. I think about it, although I am too invested in MA at this point.

Don't be too sure. We were both in our 40s and owned a nice house in a great town. And we didn't know anyone here before we moved.

It did really help that our daughter was only a month old (so no school/friend ties), and my wife and I both work remotely, so no job changes were necessary.

I do get a lot of people who ask me (mainly when I'm traveling) - "so you could have moved anywhere...why did you pick THERE!?" If they're not cyclists, fly fishermen, climbers or river rats, they absolutely can not comprehend it.

[BCS]

Congrats! The Tracer 275 is on my birthday wishlist. I am surprised that you did not spec a dropper post, especially living in Colorado

[witcombusa]

Very nice and thanks for posting the weights. Your setup and emphasis on lightweight components makes sense for the area you ride.

witcombusa - Please stop trolling the MTB threads. It's pretty obvious you have nothing positive to add to the discussion.

I don't discriminate. It applies equally to all bikes....

[oldpotatoe]

By all acounts I've heard, including 2 guys from my shop riding them, the Enve wheels (even the XC version) are mighty stiff, so I think I'll be ok.

Probably but the stress of the discs, not riding them. Spokes look like Comps tho..small pic...helps to have a carbon rim..

I think 650b/27.5s is a great idea, BTW-Best of both worlds with regard to advantages of 29er or 26er...

[jchasse]

I am surprised that you did not spec a dropper post, especially living in Colorado

I did, sort of. But the Tracer is set up for pretty slick internal routing of the dropper cable. So I'm waiting for new KS LEV Integra post that's coming, so I can take advantage of the internal routing. I'm using the Eriksen off of the old bike in the meantime.

[jchasse]

Probably but the stress of the discs, not riding them. Spokes look like Comps tho..small pic...helps to have a carbon rim..

I think 650b/27.5s is a great idea, BTW-Best of both worlds with regard to advantages of 29er or 26er...

My wheels were laced up by Enve - pretty sure they are DT Aerolite spokes (they're either Aerolites or CX-Rays). So far, so good for the poeple I know who have been riding them.

[Neves]

Nice, build so far. I saw your thread over on mtbr as well. I'm lusting (saving) after a Intense as well. I'd love to throw a leg over the 275, but it would be more bike than I need for the trails I normally ride.

[MrDangerPants]

My wheels were laced up by Enve - pretty sure they are DT Aerolite spokes (they're either Aerolites or CX-Rays). So far, so good for the poeple I know who have been riding them.

I'm riding a similar set, ENVE 650B AM/Chris King, that was built up at ENVE with DT spokes. Had them for a few months now with no problems. :) They used to lace them up with Sapim CX-Ray spokes but switched to DT at some point.

Anyway, nice looking build.

[jh_on_the_cape]

Sounds like you were both enthusiastic about it, which is key. And lacking for me.
I have been riding in Durango. Not only are the trails amazing, but all the locals I met were super nice in so many ways. I spent a summer riding all the big spots in CO, and Durango had some of the nicest people.

Don't be too sure. We were both in our 40s and owned a nice house in a great town. And we didn't know anyone here before we moved.

It did really help that our daughter was only a month old (so no school/friend ties), and my wife and I both work remotely, so no job changes were necessary.

I do get a lot of people who ask me (mainly when I'm traveling) - "so you could have moved anywhere...why did you pick THERE!?" If they're not cyclists, fly fishermen, climbers or river rats, they absolutely can not comprehend it.

[jchasse]

Finally got it nearly finished. Still playing with position, and waiting for the Enve Riser bar, but otherwise good to go.

27.96 lbs as pictured...

[jh_on_the_cape]

Wow. Looks like it would be 5 pounds.
Bet it rips.

[crownjewelwl]

that is super sweet!! ride it in good health

my lbs is picking up intense...hope to demo one soon...like the ethos of the brand