tonybrown5
Retro Guru
Now completed I thought I’d post up my Saracen build for all to see. Whilst I also own a stunning Litespeed Obed and a Pace RC200 F8 both of there were cheating as I bought them complete. The Saracen is built pretty much to my spec but with a number of OEM parts.
I started looking for a nice early steel frame middle of last year and this Kili XTR Elite frame cropped up in pretty good condition for a 93 steel frame. Yes it has a few age related scuffs on the paint (I call it patina) and a couple of the decals are just starting to lift on the edges but the frame itself is mint. No dents or worse, rust. I loved the ribbed downtube and from memory back in the day it was up there with some of the nicest riding steel frames available.
I’ve tried to keep it reasonably period but with a few personal touches here and there. New it would have been full M900 XTR with RC35s and I’ve stuck with most of this.
To start with I had a lot of trouble finding the forks and settled for a set of VGC Judy SLs in yellow, in all honesty I still really think they suit the frame as per the pics but then a set of excellent RC35s came up and it had to be done on this bike.
I also couldn’t decide between the flat NOS Bontrager bars you see or the club roost risers, settled flat for now but may change for comfort reasons later on.
Crankset, I always loved Cooks E-cranks and these highly polished examples were a steal. I’ve tried to keep the level of anodising reasonably low, bar some bullseye jockey wheels and a grafton fat finger straddle. All of these are personal items to me as I saved long and hard for these little bits on my bikes back in the day and so are just slight nods to my past rides.
Anyway, full spec below and some pics;
Frame: 1993 18” Saracen Kili XTR Elite
Fork: 1993 Pace RC35
Headset: Chris King
Stem: Marin Lite (looking for a silver control tech)
Handlebar: Bontrager race lite
Grips: NOS Onza Porci Paws
Barends: N/A
Brakes: M900 XTR
Brake Pads: Ritchey kool Stops
Brake Cables: Shimano
Cantilever cable hangers: NA Front – Grafton Fat Finger rear
Brake Levers: M900XTR
Shifters: M900 XTR
Front Derailleur: M900 XTR
Rear Derailleur: M900 XTR with red Bullseye Jockey wheels
Derailleur Cables: Shimano
Cassette: Shimano
Chain: SRAM
Cranks: Cooks Bros E-Cranks
Crank Bolts: SRP
Chainrings: Specialities – 44/34/22
Chainring bolts: Generic
Bottom Bracket: UN71
Pedals: Currently DX SPD
Hub Skewers: NOS American Classic
Rims: Araya 400 Pro
Hubs: M900 XTR
Tyres: Panaracer Fire XC Pro
Saddle: Flite recreation – Nubuk suede
Seatpost: Kalloy
Seatpost Binder: Salsa
Weight: 23.5lb
I started looking for a nice early steel frame middle of last year and this Kili XTR Elite frame cropped up in pretty good condition for a 93 steel frame. Yes it has a few age related scuffs on the paint (I call it patina) and a couple of the decals are just starting to lift on the edges but the frame itself is mint. No dents or worse, rust. I loved the ribbed downtube and from memory back in the day it was up there with some of the nicest riding steel frames available.
I’ve tried to keep it reasonably period but with a few personal touches here and there. New it would have been full M900 XTR with RC35s and I’ve stuck with most of this.
To start with I had a lot of trouble finding the forks and settled for a set of VGC Judy SLs in yellow, in all honesty I still really think they suit the frame as per the pics but then a set of excellent RC35s came up and it had to be done on this bike.
I also couldn’t decide between the flat NOS Bontrager bars you see or the club roost risers, settled flat for now but may change for comfort reasons later on.
Crankset, I always loved Cooks E-cranks and these highly polished examples were a steal. I’ve tried to keep the level of anodising reasonably low, bar some bullseye jockey wheels and a grafton fat finger straddle. All of these are personal items to me as I saved long and hard for these little bits on my bikes back in the day and so are just slight nods to my past rides.
Anyway, full spec below and some pics;
Frame: 1993 18” Saracen Kili XTR Elite
Fork: 1993 Pace RC35
Headset: Chris King
Stem: Marin Lite (looking for a silver control tech)
Handlebar: Bontrager race lite
Grips: NOS Onza Porci Paws
Barends: N/A
Brakes: M900 XTR
Brake Pads: Ritchey kool Stops
Brake Cables: Shimano
Cantilever cable hangers: NA Front – Grafton Fat Finger rear
Brake Levers: M900XTR
Shifters: M900 XTR
Front Derailleur: M900 XTR
Rear Derailleur: M900 XTR with red Bullseye Jockey wheels
Derailleur Cables: Shimano
Cassette: Shimano
Chain: SRAM
Cranks: Cooks Bros E-Cranks
Crank Bolts: SRP
Chainrings: Specialities – 44/34/22
Chainring bolts: Generic
Bottom Bracket: UN71
Pedals: Currently DX SPD
Hub Skewers: NOS American Classic
Rims: Araya 400 Pro
Hubs: M900 XTR
Tyres: Panaracer Fire XC Pro
Saddle: Flite recreation – Nubuk suede
Seatpost: Kalloy
Seatpost Binder: Salsa
Weight: 23.5lb
