Building an xc race bike on a budget

Hi all,

Happy New year to you for a start…

Now then, one of the club’s I’m riding with is toying with putting an entry in for a 24 hour race as a team.

I’ve got an on one whippet with carbon bars cranks and a mix of sram xx kit and xtr brakes plus x0 carbon cranks.

I’m thinking I can pinch the finishing kit brakes and drivetrain off of it and put it on a lightweight 29 rolling chassis to make a relatively competitive xc race bike… in thinking smaller wheels really are a disadvantage hence wanting to change it. I’ve been hankering after a 29er for a while anyway so this is a perfect excuse.

So on a budget, say £1000 whats the best frame/fork/wheel combo I could go for? Dont mind buying used bits if they are good condition.

Any thoughts?

Just ride the whippet?

They’re really not that much of a disadvantage, unless you’re going to be fighting for the podium, and even then I doubt your wheel size will be the thing that puts you in 2nd place

If it’s a thinly veiled case of ‘
I just want a new bike’ then crack on 😉

Yes I do really just want to buy a new bike… this race is just an excuse.

What wheels and fork do you have on the whippet? I’d maybe look at at 27.5 carbon frame like this

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/cube-reaction-gtc-pro-27.5-frame-carbon-n-flashred-581008

I’ve got 650b wheels on it at the min. Stans crest on pro11s with 2.0 maxxis tubeless tyres. Lightcycles carbon rigid fork.

As above, grab a light carbon 29er cube XC frame (1300g or less) in the sales (£300), then a used fox 32 for £2-300 and spend the rest of the budget on a lightweight set of wheels.

Cube frame

Carbon 650b frame and a decent suspension fork. You’re probably looking at a 10kg bike there.

What 24 hour race?

New fox 32 stepcast 80mm forks: €280!![/url] 😯

Or some 100mm ones for €270[/url] 🙂

It may be worth looking second hand? Im not sure im ready to sell yet but i was thinking of putting my full carbon HT, sram x1, xt brakes with quaxar rotors, Rebas, AC race wheels and kcnc / mt zoom bits for £1k ish.

Its a race ready HT, there are others selling.

Kryton… What frame have you built that around?

Jonnyboi.. no idea, its being banded around as an idea at the min with no details as of yet

Definitely go 2nd hand. Kryton’s would be spot on.

Chilled76 -google Vitus Rapide 2016 – it’s that bike with the above upgrades.

Thing is, I’ve taken part in team races where a XC FS 29er was perfect, or a 650b HT, or even a mid travel 26er would have been great

Jonnyboi.. as I’ve said I really just want to change to a 29er hardtail and have a budget of about a grand to build something as light as possible. I’m thinking the donor parts from the other one is the best way.

The race is just an excuse.

I bought a Cube carbon frame and Fox 32 forks on eBay, bought new XTR 1×11 (barring 2nd hand cranks) and SRAM Level brakes, cockpit stuff eBay again & swapped my 650b wheels for same in 29 with a mate, this cost me about a grand to build. Comes in at circa 10kg on my cheapo luggage scales. (Now I’ve swapped the Thomson dropper for a carbon post it’s a bit lighter.)

Jonnyboi.. as I’ve said I really just want to change to a 29er hardtail and have a budget of about a grand to build something as light as possible. I’m thinking the donor parts from the other one is the best way.

The race is just an excuse.

In that case I would get a cube carbon 29er frame from zee Germans, get some new stans crest mk3 in the superstar new year sale. (Use code xd22 for discount) Sell your old wheels and frame, see what parts fit and what don’t then you’ll know how much you can spend on a fork and replacement parts/bling

Or maybe these wheels which you’ll get at 50% off it you move quick (NY18)

https://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/electro-alpine-trail-wheelset-colour-edition.htm

That’s a 1750g wheelset for £200 and a 1150g carbon frame for £300

Friend of mine back in the UK has just done the same ^^^^^ but a full suss 29er frame. Planned to have RS Reba forks, XT group, hope wheels. All bought new. Would have cost under £1400 iirc and about 11 kilos.

Except her other half kept upgrading on the sly.
So now it’s over £2k and under 10 kilos. 😆

Fresh looking Reba fork on eBay at £90 ATM.

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rockshox-Reba-RL-29-forks-/192414461527

You can travel mod rebas in about 20 mins. Just need a twenty quid air spring. Again the Germans are your friend here

Yeah, I’m selling those rebas, and I also have a carbon cube frame that I was about to put on there. Email me if you are interested in either. 17.5 inch frame.

Dan

mattbee:

I bought a Cube carbon frame

I’am a mountain biker and bike mostly a Calibre Bossnut right now – but saw follwing, maybe interesting for you:

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/search?currency=1&delivery_country=48&q=cube+frame

Some Carbon Cube frames for extremely low budget…
Crazy winter sales prices!
The shop “bike-discount”: one of the shops I use since years.
No problems so far.

Frame-sale in above shop:
aluminium frames down to 75 Euros
carbon frames down to 200 Euros?
Crazy.

Hi
I have a 18” carbon 29er frame for sale
1300g

Sory for adding to the barrage of people flogging their wares but I’m currently selling this on fleabay…..
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162821043300?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2648

It builds up to a very competent XC race bike. With extra cash you could build up some carbon wheels for it and have VARY competent XC race bike 😀

If you at all serious you will want a 29er. The basic premise of swapping is sound but the multitude of standards will make it hard. There are some great Trek procalibre models that look ready to race for quite cheap.

The bike discount sale seems irrelevant unless you ride a 23″ frame

Bike discount had loads of small and medium frames on before Xmas.

Bike discount had loads of small and medium frames on before Xmas.

@ghostlymachine-bloke:

saw this as well. Is still the case.
Recently bought a nice fork for one of my old hardtails – possible that I change my plans and buy one of these frames for this fork…? Not sure yet.

@adsh – bloke:

The bike discount sale seems irrelevant unless you ride a 23″ frame

Mmmhhh. There are many frames on sale. All sizes.

Bit difficult so to check the geo of these frames. All what I saw so far: not really “long & slack”…

All what I saw so far: not really “long & slack”…

good thing the OP wants an XC race bike then. 😉