Savings plan for a new bike....

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bing!

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I am gladly gainfully employed again. Woot woot! And to celebrate, I just opened a new bike savings account. I already put in a good chunk to start with and I'm trying to outline a plan with a target date of Winter 2014. Sales are best just after Xmas :)

Seems like, whatever I do, the bike is going to end up between 5500 and 6500. Changing up the frame will reduce the total by a grand, at the most, and that is the hardest thing to do. Changing frames means changing the bike. The frame is the essence of the build, ergo choosing a frame will not be based on price.

Have decided to nix carbon rims. I kinda believe what this guy says.... http://www.pinkbike.com/news/To-the-Point-Bill-Shook-on-Wheel-Building-and-Wide-Rims.html "Aluminum and carbon fiber are good rim choices. I like aluminum for mountain bike applications because aluminum is “ductile,” meaning it will bend without breaking. This is great for MTB because you hit things when you ride and sometimes you hit things very hard that can cause rim damage. Aluminum is forgiving and it is better priced for riders to replace them when they have a mishap."

So here's the plan. Where can I improve it? Building only saves me about 600 bucks (on a good day) on upgrades on a complete. Primarily, dropper, carbon bars, wide rims and tires. Its tempting to buy complete as usual. Getting the fork I want, either a Zokes 350 or the Pike, is a big motivator to a build up. Prices are conservative and not the lowest out there.

Mach 6 frame with Float X

[TD="align: right"]3000
RS Pike Fork 27.5
Schwalbe Magic Mary x2
DT Swiss 350
Stans Flow Ex Rims
XT Derailleur Rear
XT Shifter set
XT Front Derailleur
XT Rear Cassette
Press Fit 92
RS Reverb
Saddle
Thomson Carbon Bar
Thomson Stem
Grips
XT Brakeset
XT Rotors
Carbon Paste
Headset
XT crank200

[TD="align: right"]1000[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]150[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]270[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]200[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]80[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]120[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]50[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]60[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]55[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]380[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]100[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]150[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]90[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]30[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]240[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]100[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]20[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]100[/TD]

[TD="align: right"]6395[/TD]
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Found a few new/like new Pikes for around $700ish:

http://m.pinkbike.com/buysell/1561791/

Also, how much carbon paste are you getting? You only need a little and they sell em for about $4.

If you negotiate hard enough my guess is that you can get the frame for around $2700ish.

Sounds like a solid build - good luck you have plenty of time to find deals between now and Dec.
 
I know how you can save on a dropper and a Pike. I also recommend a Race Face Turbine crank over an XT. I made that switch and loved it. RF bottom bracket has much less drag, and RF rings are top notch.
 
go xo1 and find used or take off parts..... I would never pay full retail on stuff.... i found new 2014 fox take off talas 160 for my 650b nomad I'm building up for 500, chris king hubs and ztrs for 750, u can find xt stuff cheap on ebay or clist just gotta be patient about watching and waiting for the right time to buy..... jenson has good deals on xt and xtr stuff... and so on.... plus most bike shops will give u 15 percent off if u buy a frame from them and plan on building it up
 
I just sold my old rig today, and I have until October before my Achilles heals so I have some time to do the same exercise. I'm 6'3" so I actually fit a 29er, so I'm not looking at the exact same bikes, but similar thinking..I don't know what kind of input you were asking for but here are some random thoughts:

about your shopping list---how about spokes and cables?

Agree that that's the price range for a build, any time I try to get my build below $6K one of my "non-negotiables" has to be negotiated. The 2015s will likely have a bunch more completes featuring the Pike, so that issue might go away by waiting. The big brands are getting pretty good at speccing sharp, progressive completes like the Altitude Rally Edition or the Trance SX. You have to swap stems and bars regardless of what you get so that's just part of the cost of ownership.
 
I think you are way off on your wheel costs Bing, unless you have a secret supplier. That wheel build will cost you at least $400 per, even if you are lacing them up yourself. You estimated them at $470 for the pair.

Best of luck for the project. PM me for some ideas on how to cut costs.

PS - Here's a complete build with RS Pike and 90% of your spec for under 6k:
http://www.artscyclery.com/mountain...y=1&bike=PVM6CF&intense_kit=KITM6XT&x=46&y=10

Note that you can swap out the parts using the pull down menus for each component. Also have to add $130 for your tires.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
herzalot said:
I know how you can save on a dropper and a Pike. I also recommend a Race Face Turbine crank over an XT. I made that switch and loved it. RF bottom bracket has much less drag, and RF rings are top notch.
Click to expand...

Hrz might have a crank for sale, used often, only pedal struck once....Hope this isn't too soon Hrz...
 
herzalot said:
I know how you can save on a dropper and a Pike. I also recommend a Race Face Turbine crank over an XT. I made that switch and loved it. RF bottom bracket has much less drag, and RF rings are top notch.
Click to expand...

I had an Atlas on my last bike and those chainrings were as refined as a rusty hammer compared to the XT crank I had before. Of course, Turbine is not Atlas. I've got maybe an hour's time on a Turbine via The Path demo with Rocky. I walked away thinking it wouldn't make or break a deal on a complete bike, but because of my Atlas experience I'm prejudiced, so I didn't think I'd ever pick it on purpose. That said, there are probably deals to be had on Race Face takeoffs at your local Rocky Mountain dealer, and I would run that crank for the right price.
 
Danimal said:
Hrz might have a crank for sale, used often, only pedal struck once....Hope this isn't too soon Hrz...
Click to expand...

Actually matching pedal strikes. I hit the right one about two months before my last crash which resulted in a pretty hard fall onto my right side and bruised ribs to go with it (I was with Tweasol that time). That's one way I know what happened on my last fall. I believe I have now learned my lesson about pedaling too soon out of turns with a low bottom bracket. Perhaps I'll get 160mm crank arms... that should help my climbing, right?

Sorry - thread derail. Ummmmm, yeah - can't wait to see Bing's final product!
 
bing! said:
I am gladly gainfully employed again. Woot woot! And to celebrate, I just opened a new bike savings account. I already put in a good chunk to start with and I'm trying to outline a plan with a target date of Winter 2014. Sales are best just after Xmas :)

Seems like, whatever I do, the bike is going to end up between 5500 and 6500.
Click to expand...


Um, Winter 2014 just passed.

Also, you just got a job and are saving for a $6000 bike? must be some job, congratulations!
 
SeanC said:
Um, Winter 2014 just passed.

Also, you just got a job and are saving for a $6000 bike? must be some job, congratulations!
Click to expand...

Thanks. 100 bucks a week plus my seed money will get me my 2014 Xmas gift.
 
Ribble is selling their SLX,XT and XTR group sets for really cheap. And theres no VAT that you have to pay, and the exchange rate is pretty good.
 
I am in the preliminary new bike stage as well. But one of my options is to wait on warranty for my old frame that I just broke and go ahead with upgrading my Yelli to a Pike and a custom front wheel (currently has F Open Bath 100mm, before Fox started going downhill). Part of my consideration is similar to yours with respect tot he Pike. I did a lot of reasearch and right now I am going to get a XFusion34 Trace 120. For the following reasons:

Going from a 9mm QR and straight steerer with a huge wedge crown race, to a 34 stancion, 15 QR and tapered steerer with a better crown race, is likely to capture nearly all of the benefits of going to a new fork for me than spending $400 more on the Pike. I am also uncomfortable with going from a 100 to a 150mm (Pike dual) on a hard tail, that's a ridiculous adjustment for me.

So I am going Xfusion trace 120 and spending the additional money on a custom built front wheel...
 

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