Sold the Pinnacle and got a shiny used SID. So this beauty has finally atarted being built. Bought in 2021 June so well over two years. Thankfully it's not a Sonder though so hopefully the excellent warranty offered by SC won't let me down in case it's any manufacturing faults.


Bottom bracket in and SIDs on. Have a 12 speed crankset at 650g so that'll have to do with an 11 speed drivetrain (unless I can be bothered swapped chainrings over). Stem, I'm not sure but it might have to be the PRO xc type as opposed to the heavier Thomson or HAVOC. 120mm of travel. Bars are waiting and can plug straight into the stem.

Wheels, thanks to our Allen I have em but couldn't be doing with that gaffer/gorilla tape. So will need to order some more Tesa tape to get em up and running... Got 2.2 inch tyres to go at both ends but the forks are Boost so should take a good 2.6. Problem with the 2.2 tyres is that the weels are rather wide (35mm internal I think) so the 2.2 might be a stretch.

That's all for now. New pic coming once some more parts are on. Hopefully won't be long so I don't start suffering mtb withdrawal symptoms!

Looks nice and hopefully you'll get to try it out before too long.
Well done with your fund raising

Thanks Teaman. Managed to order a dropper for less than £150 by Crank Bros (online, EU bikeshop but needed to do a minimal order of €160) so that can go on in not too long.

Apparently they're very good (not that there's much choice at 27.2

Looking quite lush, I cannot wait to see the finished bike :D

Shaf, there are standard tables for matching the width of the tyre to the rim width. Do a search for ETRTO charts.

I've seen figures suggesting tyre to rim width ideal ratio of 1.8 - 1 so a 35mm rim's best fit is: 35 * 1.8 = 63mm; 63/25.4 = 2.48"

Of course then you need to ensure that such a tyre would fit in the frame with enough clearance. On my Mk1 Solaris I can *just* fit a 2.8" 650b tyre but mud does accumulate. Subsequent versions have room for a full 3" 650b wheel/tyre combo.

Thanks Bob. In that case (unless the 2.2 miraculously stretches over the rear wheel - gap suggested by SC is 2.4 max) as the internal is actually 41mm it'll have to be a 2.4 at the rear and a 2.6 upfront (for now) in the boost fork.

Internal dropper Highline XC by CrankBros ordered frok europe. Hopefully no extra taxes to pay when it arrives.

Watching with interest as I have the same frame (in XL and a better colour ) bought specifically to create a "UK gravel bike" ie rigid, Jones bars, 2.2 Ikons to cope with the majority of UK trails.

I tried it down some of the techy local stuff once and did not get far! It was not the tool for the job (or maybe I'm old and frightened nowadays), hence my interest as to whether a sus fork and dropper change it's character markedly.

It's comfortably under 10kg naked, although I will admit to breaking the yoke at the top of the seatpost recently so might have gone a little too light there.

Dyffers wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 12:46 pm Watching with interest as I have the same frame (in XL and a better colour ) bought specifically to create a "UK gravel bike" ie rigid, Jones bars, 2.2 Ikons to cope with the majority of UK trails.

I tried it down some of the techy local stuff once and did not get far! It was not the tool for the job (or maybe I'm old and frightened nowadays), hence my interest as to whether a sus fork and dropper change it's character markedly.

It's comfortably under 10kg naked, although I will admit to breaking the yoke at the top of the seatpost recently so might have gone a little too light there.

SC Highball DorsetDivide23 small.jpg

Very very nice Dyffers. Agreed, you have the better colour scheme. Them Trav Prongs I had to go on, but ended up sold!!

Since we're Highball brothers, you can have the Brand X (if it fits the bill for your other frame) which is a 31.6... for... £35

Posted (I should kick myself... but won't).

I do like your build dyffers, and i'm coming to the same conclusion about a uk gravel bike being a lightweight flat bar mtb, is best for me. As a former local, what techy bits do you mean?

Build is looking good shaf, it'll be a capable and light bike when done! I'm off to have another look at the chinese Airwolf frames that rip-off the Highball geometry...

Airwolf. Used to love that (and fhe game on Amstrad) when we was 12 or 10. Thinking about a Mt Zoom thru axle to save another 35g upfront. 35g lost, £25 spent. Seems reasonable.

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 1:45 pm Thinking about a Mt Zoom thru axle to save another 35g upfront. 35g lost, £25 spent. Seems reasonable.

Wasn't there a rule about no more than £1 spent per gram lost?

I have some Mt Zoom stuff, including the carbon post and alloy stem on the Highball and a 12mm thru axle in my Mason road bike. All works fine with the caveat that as mentioned above I managed to break the seatpost when I missed the pedal clip and came down heavy on the saddle. XC Racer sent me the seatppost parts gratis and quickly, which made me think they might have had a few go like that...

faustus wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 1:20 pm As a former local, what techy bits do you mean?

Went to Puddletown Forest with my mate and our kids. WE both had a go at some of the old trails we knew, nothing particularly bad, and he had to be talked out of one of the drops on his gravel bike. Oh to be young again.

faustus wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 1:20 pm I'm off to have another look at the chinese Airwolf frames that rip-off the Highball geometry...

I've had more than one direct-from-china carbon item, including a Flyxii CX frameset and a Hylix fork that's on my Ibis conversion. I don't like the look of Airwolf though.

Hate wrapping frames, but couldn't risk the carbon scraping!

3m tape in 50mm x 1m arrived yesterday (or this am) so off to work. Not enough of it but thankfully SC include a sheet of protection tape/tabs.



Couldn't decide where to go and used some iPA mixed with water to help positioning ended up wrapping under the down tube, around the top tube at the front for a TT bag. Some strips inside the rear behind and around the BB. Hopefully it protects against any tyre rub. A couple of strips around the top of the seattube.

Think I did a good job and no bubbles!

Hmmmm, though I'm trying to cut down any excess spending, I reckon I needs some more 3M tape for the headtube.



I got the see through version, but maybe the one on a white background so you know which way rouns itsgoing on during the stencil process.

CrankBros dropper arrived. Hopefully a significant upgrade but I mainly needed it for the 27.2 diameter...

Outgoing (redundant, for now) 150mm or 125mmBrand X dropper = 618g
Incoming CrankBros 125mm Gravel/XC = 468g

Happy with that and worth the wait. God Willing it lasts a long, ling time with many happy drops!

Looks Lush mate

Finally getting finished as I've the NYM300 on Saturday.


Looked pile this the other day but then relishing the rear wheel and broken nipples!!


Thankfully I wasn't a total idiot and getting back from work today I've removed them nasty alloy spokes and it'll get a good old straightening tomorrow.

Thanks to Jon for sending me a few bits as backup and especially the sealant and tubeless slugs. Managed to find a spare olive/barb so that shouldn't slow me down tomorrow.

Watch this space, could this be the longest bike build in history!! Let's hope it finishes (the build) and then works God Willing.

Oh, and the claim to fame. I removed that nasty RS Maxle axle tripe. If anyone wants it, lemme know. The SIDS now have a Fox thru axle which I've finally removed the red cover from (it's an Asian thing... we sometimes keep the cover on sofa sets for years and it makes me very angry when I see it done!! ).

Silly bike update. Stu at NYM300 has been messaged that I'll be riding but most likely not with the group start!

Front brakes on. Before that rear wheel fully rebuilt with proper spokes then new tubeless tape, sealant and all that jazz. Front Shimano brake attached after some fettling with various adaptors and Avid bendy washers (you know what I means).

Juma (Friday prayers) done and then needed to go to funeral of mates dad. Got back and removed the little cover under the downtube. I was hoping it would be a big opening for the internal cables, but it's a 4cm hole. Better than nothing.

Lots of exploring to get the rear brake hose threaded through but in the end I had to noose it with an old inner cable. Then... Then, I pinned the barb into the end of the hose in prep for it to go back into lever.

But, all the fighting it home, meant I had thrown the barb and other washer/thread thingy. Thankfully I founds it and now it's started raining!!

Bike done (ThanksGod).
11.5kg as it is! Must be the forks as I weighed in the spoke nipples oh and that rear tyre weighs almost 1300g!



Thread closed. Best go ride the silly thing.

Good job .. looks great! Hope the shakedown ride is going well. I have an itch for a light fast XC bike these days and that looks light and fast

Thanks James. Not on the shakedown ride yet. That was just window shopping. I'll pop down to Screw fix with it to grab some more 3m electrical tape. The things we do to make our bikes look ugly!

Looking good and really capable!

Must have been a long build, that grass has grown long

Looks great, liking that

Something special about jumping onto a lightweight hardtail, feels like all the energy is going somewhere

Thanks you lot. Yes, the frigging grass. I winded up getting her lawnmower (Flymo obviously) out and chopping it. Did try to remind that 'had it been my petrol one you told me to get rid of' but that's as far as I got

Can't win 'with er'...