Final touches
Black Cook Cranks have always been my preference but finding ones in decent condition without breaking the bank did not seem possible perusing eBay the last year or so. As a result I purchased a set with the finish so far gone polishing only made sense. I love the polished version above but had to try my hand at a rattle can black paint job with white decals (let's see how the paint holds up). I posted a question elsewhere on RB about which chainring colour is better: silver or black? Much back and forth (thanks to all for the feedback). While black on black looks great I think silver on black suits the build better.
The other final touch: a repro Syncros Cattlehead top cap in aluminum with Ti bolt compared to the later (stock) plastic version. I think it looks much better, thanks SRP!
Build:
FRAME: Cannondale 3.0 Series mountain (18”) - 3 lb 8 oz
FORK: Cannondale Pepperoni (1 lb 12oz – 797g)
WHEELS: Front - 806g, Rear - 941g
- HUBS: Shimano Deore LX FH-M560 (rear) & Bontrager Comp II (front)
- RIMS: Araya RM-400 Pro 32H Rear, Bontrager Maverick 28H Front
- SKEWERS: Titanium (generic) (45g)
REAR DERAILLEUR: Shimano XTR RD-M950 (231g)
FRONT DERAILLEUR: Shimano Deore XT FD-M730 (113g)
CHAIN: KMC (291g)
CRANKSET: Cook Bros Racing RSR 176mm 46/36/24 (611g)
CRANK BOLTS: Syncros Crank-O-Matic (21g)
BOTTOM BRACKET: Syncros Titanium 68 X 108mm (160g)
REAR COGS: Shimano (13-23, 7spd) (251g)
REDALS: Wellgo M111 (229g)
BRAKE LEVERS: Avid Speed Dial Ultimate Titanium (128g)
BRAKE CALIPERS: Machine Tech Zero-Flex Cantilever (145g X 2)
SHIFTERS: Shimano Deore XT SL-M732 Thumbshifts (189g)
HANDLEBAR: Syncros Hardcore (140g)
SEATPOST: Syncros Hardcore 27.2 mm (243g)
TIRES: Innova Pro X-bobcat 26 X 1.95 (616g)
TUBES: (252g)
GRIPS: Ritchey WCS Truegrip (46g)
CABLES & BOLTS: (214g)
Total Weight: 19lb 8oz
),trying out an M950 RD, I think it suits the build and shifts smoother than anything I've tried previously. Apart for these changes I swapped the straddle cable hangers to a charcoal grey version.
