 Outdoor Shape: How To's You read about building the dream bike in the latest issue of Hooked. Well, two bikes just didn’t seem like enough for you gear heads. Here we present two more dream bikes—and the equipment you need to put them together. |
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Fork: Marzocchi All-Mountain 1, $769; 661-257-6630; www.marzocchi.com
- With five-plus inches of travel (adjustable from 130mm to 150mm), this adjustable fork leans toward the freeride end of the all-mountain spectrum, complete with coil-spring damping in one leg and air in the other. Plus, it locks out in a compressed state for an optimal climbing position.
Wheels: Sun/Ringle Disc-O-Tek, $480; 888-476-7467; www.sunrims.com
Tires: Specialized Roll X Pro D2, $74/pair; 877-808-8154; www.specialized.com
Brakes: Avid Juicy 5 disc, $360; 312-664-8800; www.sram.com
- A lightweight hydraulic system with excellent modulation, a superb feel on the lever, and generous stopping power
Shifters: SRAM X.9 Trigger Shifters, $110; www.sram.com
- SRAM’s shifting performance hits a new height this year, threatening Shimano’s near-monopolistic dominance. The Trigger system uses thumb shifting for both levers, so your fingers can stay focused on the brakes.
Front Derailleur: Shimano XTR, $98; www.shimano.com
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X.9, $90
Headset: FSA Orbit Xtreme Pro, $100; 425-488-8653; www.fullspeedahead.com
Cranks/BB: Race Face X-Type Atlas, $349; 604-527-9996; www.raceface.com
- A beefed-up crank, bottom bracket, and chain ring system designed for all-mountain abuse.
Cassette: SRAM PowerGlide 990 11-34, $67
Handlebar: FSA K-Force Carbon XC, $110
- This carbon fiber/Kevlar bar weighs only 210 grams, complete with a one-inch rise, and features reinforced zones for brake levers and bar ends.
Stem: FSA OS-140, $90
Saddle: Specialized Rival, $100
Seatpost: Easton EA70, $80, 800-991-0070; www.eastonbike.com
Pedals: Crank Brothers Mallet M, $140; 949-464-9916; www.crankbrothers.com
- This two-sided pedal with four-sided entry delivers when clipping in on sketchy descents.
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Road: Dream Ride
Frame/Fork: Look KG 486 (53cm)/Look HSC 5, $3,200; www.lookcyclesusa.com
- The unique shaping of the tubes balances lateral stiffness, which is essential to power transfer and stability, with the vertical compliancy of carbon fiber. The foil-shaped seat and top tubes provide aerodynamics, and aluminum lugs hold the 3.4-pound frame together.
Headset: Look Integrated (included)
Wheels: Easton Tempest II Alloy, $800; www.eastonbike.com
- This set of aero-style aluminum wheels weighs just 1,500 grams.
Tires: Vredestein Fortezza TriComp, $55 each; www.vredesteinusa.com
Shifters/Levers: Shimano Dura-Ace 10 Speed, $431; 949-951-5003; www.shimano.com
- The shifting is butter-smooth to the point that you barely realize you’ve shifted, save for the change in gear ratio. You can’t upshift several gears at a time (as you might want to in a sprint), but the brake hoods offer a more cradled position for your hands.
Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace, $252 (pair)
Derailleurs (front and rear): Shimano Dura-Ace, $92 front, $129 rear
Cranks/BB: Shimano Dura-Ace 53/39t, $460
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace 11-23t, $162
Handlebar: Easton Equipe Pro Bend, $200
Stem: Easton EC70 Carbon, $180
Saddle: Fizik Arione, $125; www.fizik.com
Seatpost: Look Ergopost 2 Ti/Carbon, $220
Pedals: Look KEO Carbon (cro-moly axle), $220
The Shop
Three essentials that will transform your garage into a bike shop.
Park PCS-1 Home Mechanic Repair Stand
$150; 651-777-6868; www.parktool.com
When you get serious about being your own mechanic, a quality stand makes repairs much easier than balancing your bike on the ground. Park’s PCS-1 takes all the features from its line of pro stands and incorporates them into a great home stand. A spring-loaded clamp securely holds bike tubes up to 41mm and rotates 360 degrees so you can get at all the hard to reach places on your ride. Height can be adjusted from 54 to 72 inches with ease, thanks to a telescoping tube equipped with a quick-release collar. The legs of the stand are evenly-spaced and provide a stable base. The entire unit folds down for easy storage when you’re done with the tune-up.
Park Advance Mechanic Tool Kit AK-32
Being prepared for anything can save you big bucks after a big crash. The Advance Mechanic Tool Kit AK-32 has everything you need for almost every major and minor repair from brake adjustments to headset overhauls. Packaged in a tough box, this 32-piece collection (click here for complete tool list) has professional quality tools ranging from basic tools (allen keys, wrenches) to more specialized gear (such as a bottom bracket tool). Ride (and wreck) your bike enough and you’ll soon find a use for nearly every piece in this thorough home mechanic’s set.
Planetbike ST Steel Floor Pump $36; 866-256-8510; www.planetbike.com
Floor pumps are one of those items you rarely think about unless, of course, they break five minutes before your big ride. Investing in a dependable pump gives peace of mind to one of the more critical tools in your home garage. Planetbike’s reliable ST pump is sturdy, easy to use, and has all the essential pump features. A duel-head Autovalve fits both Schrader and Presta valve tubes and the pump body is made of durable steel, an upgrade from crack-prone plastic. The color-coded PSI gauge is easy to read and measures from 0-160 PSI. A contoured handle makes pumping more comfortable for your hands and the padded steel base allows you to use both feet to stabilize the pump while you are inflating. Add to that Planetbike’s lifetime gurantee and it’s easy to see why this is the best selling floor pump in the USA.
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