Okay, so aside from the seatpost, there were a few other major issues to immediately resolve:
Cockpit, tires and pedals.
Let's start with the cockpit.
I knew finding exactly the right stem (an ahead Powerband, or something else fitting and/or interesting, with a decent amount of rise) would be tough, expensive and potentially take forever. Likewise getting my hands on a WTB flat bar.
Now, I could, and still may, order something custom from Steve, but that's a financial commitment too far right now, and it wouldn't solve the immediate issue of getting the bike on the road/trails ASAP. Which would have to happen in order to even know the kind of length and rise stem I'd ideally need in the first place. So I started looking out for anything decent that would be a good starting off point...
Enter
@benjabbi! Who very graciously sent a black Bontrager-designed Titec number my way, along with a M950 compatible bottom bracket. Something else I needed in order to install the M950 chainset that Nick had included with the bike.
I'd purchased a set of bargain XC Pro levers as part of the Team Issue build plan, but hadn't used them, and so those went on as well, along with the M950 shifters.
Now, it takes a lot out of my OCD to ignore this weird Suntour/Shimano mix, but the main thing is that it all works. And surprisingly well, too!
I threw all that on the faded old Hyperlite, switched the brakes over to UK/moto style, and slipped on some of the hexagonal WTB trail grips with the newer, uglier logo, while I waited to source an original set. And, for a little added touch, a nice old WTB stem cap:
Along with the cheap Kalloy seatpost, a Suntour/Ringle mashup seatpost QR, and a set of Terra One's I borrowed from a friend who didn't get on with them on his Wicked, I needed some pedals. So, in breaking with tradition and in keeping with the parts bin special this initial build was fast becoming, I purchased a set of MKS XC-III bear traps in a nice titanium finish. The color went nicely with the fork lowers and the chainrings, and seeing as how they're Suntour-esque they didn't feel entirely out of place, despite being a brand new component.
And with all that, I was almost ready to finish setting everything else up.
At this point I took the opportunity to teach myself how to setup the Togglecam, and play around with the Speedmaster Canti's. Those work surprisingly well. Or they did! (More on that later).
As for the Togglecam, everything you've ever heard or read is completely true. It's an amazing piece of design, and it's going to be next to impossible to feel satisfied with any other brake after this. Honestly, it's not hyperbole in the slightest, Charlie's rollercam design is otherworldly. The man should be a m/billionaire, and it's criminal that's simply not the case.
One of the nice things about getting this bike trail-ready for the first time, was that the friend I mentioned earlier happened to plan a trip to LA last month, and was able to be there to help me get the last few things dialed in in-person. This is still really his bike, so it meant a lot he was with me on the last few steps, and there for the inaugural ride too.
We threw on the chain the bike had come with, indexed the gears as best we could given it was way too short, and, finally, I was able to take her out for a spin...
It was 5pm, the sun was setting; we had just enough time to make it up and down the canyon near my house, so there was no time for any photos.
After the initial climb, we had a little road sprint, and then you cut through the Mt. Washington neighborhood streets to join a "secret" downhill fire road that snakes around the backside of the canyon before shooting you out onto another downhill trail. I ride this route all the time, so was feeling both confident and excited to finally be on the bike I've dreamt about for so long.
It turns out, a little too confident, as, hammering down that fireroad as fast as I could, I hit the brakes on the final corner, and....
BOOM!
The rear tire exploded like a gunshot.
So, the one thing I learned right away is that rollercams and their variants pull the brake pads upwards as well as in, and they're so powerful that even the tiniest amount of rub can be catastrophic. Luckily no injury occurred, but I did have to sheepishly push the bike all the way home!
You'll have to take my word for how the bike looked and rode at that time.
Afterwards, I readjusted the pads correctly, ordered myself some replacement tires, and threw on an old Smoke I had lying around to keep the riding going in the meantime. Which was when I learned the next couple of things:
The tire blowout caused alignment issues to the rear rim, so much so that after getting it trued at the LBS I was told that, in fact, that whole wheel would need to be rebuilt.
Sigh.
(I can still ride it, and I do, but I just have to take it easy.)
Luckily there's a chap online right now selling a cache of NOS Powerbeam rims, so two were quickly ordered and in fact arrived here just the other day.
The wheel rebuild will happen shortly, at which point I'll take the time to put a fresh chain, brake, and gear cables on the bike, and dial in the gearing.
One last note for now: M950. This is the most modern group I have ever ridden, and it feels like a problematic gateway drug! I never really liked how this group looked; for me it signaled the beginning of the end of what interests me aesthetically from Shimano, but boy does it ride superbly. And that's with a chain that won't make the full gear range, and cables that are who-knows-how-old!
I'm worried for all my future bikes now...
Anyway, a long, wordy post, I know. But I'll treat everyone who cares to a bunch of photos over the weekend.
There's just a couple of further issues to cover/resolve along the way...
: )
