Some assembly required...

[kbekus]

Yeah, so that whole COVID-19 thing was a touch annoying, made it rather difficult to source a frame... no stock left in Aus and none likely to get here until July at the earliest... I ended up purchasing a frame from an online shop in the USA and after a couple of hiccups and a 3 month wait at the LA US Postal Service warehouse it arrived a couple of days ago.

Turns out I might have a bit of work ahead of me.....best get to it. An idea had germinated in my mind late last year to ride the Munda Biddi trail this spring and yeah, sure I could have done it on one of the bikes I already owned, but pfff, where's the fun in that? So let's get a bikepacking bike built. I've gone for a Surly Karate Monkey because I really do prefer to ride MTB even if it's over a 1000km gravel grind. Specs as follows:

Frame - Surly Karate Monkey, wet clay, medium
Rear shock - ummm
Front shock/fork - Surly rigid, 15mm axle
Handlebars - Confucious somethingorother
Stem - not yet settled, I'll try a few. Ultimately hopefully a Thompson
Headset - Chris King slate grey
Grips - Ergo cork thingies
Saddle - Fabric scoop
Seatpost - Thompson
Front brake - XT
Rear brake -XT
Cranks - XT single chainring, 32 I think
Chainguide - nope
Chain - XT 12 speed
Pedals - dunno yet
Front derailleur - GTFOOH
Rear derailleur - XT
Front shifter - begone foul demon
Rear shifter - XT 12 speed
Cassette - XT 12 speed, 10-51
Front hub - SP PD8X dynamo hub
Rear hub - Hope 148mm boost microspline
Front rim - Raceface AC 35mm internal, 27.5"
Rear rim - Raceface ARC 35mm internal, 27.5"
Spokes - DT Swiss double butt
Nipples - DT Swiss 12mm
Tyres - Maxxis Chronicle 27.5x3.0
Tubes - liquid, gooey ones
Total weight - I'll tell you if I ever get this built.

so yeah. best get on with it then.

 

[ashes_mtb]

I've only done half the Munda, but I'd much rather do it on a mtb.

 

[beeb]

Keen to see this built up, should be a nice rig. I know little of plus-bikes, but is it typical to run a 35mm ID tyre on a 3.0" tyre? I'm sure they will mount up and work, but it's a narrower rim than I anticipated...

Love that colour by the way! Suits the Surly's no fuss attitude.

 

[kbekus]

Yeah I think a 35mm internal width is probably at the lower end... possibly should have gone 40mm. The reason I went 35mm was that I don't ever think I'll go bigger than a 3.0 tyre and might even try a 2.8 on the rear if I can be bothered.

 

[rockmoose]

I'm running 40's for my 2.8's. Threw a 2.6 minion ss on, just to see if I could. It runs great, doesn't square off too much, which is what I was anticipating.

You will have a lovely, plush rear with the 3.0.

Sent from my SM-A205YN using Tapatalk

 

[kbekus]

thanks rockmoose... I reckon my rear is pretty plush as it is though not so sure it's lovely

 

[rockmoose]

Plushies need loving too.

Sent from my SM-A205YN using Tapatalk

 

[kbekus]

Update, I thought I'd have had more of it done by now... story of my life

Used the wrong tool to press in the top steerer bearing cup , bearing is now a tiny bit crunchy.... I also totally overlooked the need to order brake adapters... who on earth makes a frame in 2020 with IS fit points?

 

[creaky]

who on earth makes a frame in 2020 with IS fit points?

Surly?

Surly makes you surly.

 

[Tubbsy]

I also totally overlooked the need to order brake adapters... who on earth makes a frame in 2020 with IS fit points?

I've got a few sitting around if you need. Can check over the weekend.

 

[kbekus]

I've got a few sitting around if you need. Can check over the weekend.

cheers man, that's cool... I need a few other bits and pieces anyway so a quick order from Pushys will sort it out.

 

[leitch]

who on earth makes a frame in 2020 with IS fit points?

Still the easiest solution for caliper fitment with horizontal dropouts.

 

[kbekus]

Holy shit even I'm impressed at how good of a procrastinator I am, but I finally finished putting this together this morning... cut the brake lines and hooked them up then bled them (wow I wish I'd learned years ago that the syringes with the red plunger seals are for mineral oil)... checked that all bolts were tight enough then took it for a spin around the block to bed the brakes and check things out. It feels a bit weird riding on these 3.0 tyres at 18psi and I need to go for a decent ride to tune the bar and seat heights, but yeah, it's done. Time to change the thread title to "Don't come knocking, I'm spanking the Monkey"

 

[kbekus]

The rough cost breakdown of the project was something like this:

Frame: medium Karate Monkey frame from Pro-Bike USA. ~$1450 landed
Groupset: XT 1x12 speed from Merlin UK: ~$1000 shipped
everything else: from a combo of Bike-Components.de and Bike24, all up about $1200 shipped

not bad given Commuter Cycles have their SLX Monkey for $4200 even they even have stock (I don't think they do). I enjoyed the build but should really add my self to the f-wit thread for using the wrong die when pressing the top steering cup - I put pressure on the bearing rather than the cup and it's a tiny bit notchy now... I'll likely punch it out and send it away to get the bearing replaced when I can be fucked. I also managed to assemble the cassette incorrectly on the hub and only noticed when shifting into certain gears wasn't good.... there are 2 spacers in the XT cassette and they're different thicknesses therefore are not interchangeable. booo.

I had the SP PD8-X on hand from a previous bike, I'll also re-use a K-lite front light. Now to sort out bags and maybe try an overnight trip...