256 build by Jake

[Jake]

How does the frame ride?

Because of some back problems I have only done some short rides but it feels light and nimble.
Lots of grip when climbing in loose sand  with 1.6 Bar front and rear.
I have to get used to the 70 cm wide handlebar.. I came from 62 cm
I didn't have to get used to 1x10 ,  32 x 11/36 at all, I came from 22/32/44 x 11/32

[Jake]

some pictures:

[Carbon_Dude]

Very nice pictures of your IP-256!

[jonxmack]

Dropper seatpost

IMO they're not worth it on an XC bike. I've ridden one piece of trail ever that could have done with a dropper post, and typically that was a few weeks after I sold it. Even then I survived just fine without it, I think they have their place but I imagine a lot of the time people don't even find themselves using them.

[Jake]

I am in South Africa 4 months a year and on a lot of  trails there it is very nice to have a dropper seatpost.
Even in the Netherlands there are some trails that are more fun with a dropper imho.

[MTNRCKT]

Sweet set up, man! Gott do something about that chainstay protector though. Or at least the white zip ties 

As for the dropper - Don't underestimate how often some people use them. I personally don't have one but two of my riding buddies do and they use them constantly and swear they wouldn't own another bike without them. And that's doing mostly pure cross country riding. It just depends on the rider and their riding style imo. The weight penalty is what gets me, even though I'd prob never notice it. Maybe more of a mental thing but I love a light bike.

[carbonazza]

In addition the dropper provide some cushion for the shocks too.
At least the one I have on my Cannondale Rush.
It is an old one, you down/up with a small lever below the saddle. Like a desk chair.

[325racer]

Weight penalty for a dropper isn't as much as you think.  Mine is .3lbs heavier than my Thomson post.  That is including similar seats on both.  I have a bell that weighs .5lbs.  My saddlebag and pump each weigh more than that.

That said, on my upcoming 057 build, Im just doing a straight carbon post.  At least to start.

[Jake]

My 256 is still doing very wel I shaved off a few grams with 2 Extralite axles:



The rear axle is a little bit to short unfortunately, probablybecause  the Iplay dropouts are quite thick but I will keep an eye on it.

I want to get it even lighter , any suggestions?

My stem /handlebar combo weighs 310 gr...I weigh about 83 kg and only do xc ,no drops no jumps so I don't need AM.

[JohnnyNT]

In fact there are a lot of places to drop weight. Formula R! (Racing) brakes would be one place. Switch Chainring to Absolute Black spiderless design for better stifness and some less weight too. With pedals it depends if you are fan of Eggbeater, even if not there are some lighter options (Exustar Ti models come to mind). When it comes to cockpit, I'm not an expert when it comes stems of that length but some nice models like Ritchey C260 or KCNC SC Wing start from 80mm. Seatpost isn't a lightest one as well ..


Edit: If you have loads of cash you can go Clavivula with crank

[cmh]

...With pedals it depends if you are fan of Eggbeater,

If you're looking for Eggbeater cranks and wanna go with the 11s, check out Crank Brothers' trade-in program.  They offer any of their "normal" pedals for $60 with trade-in of any old pedals, but you can also get the Eggbeater 11s through trade-in for $250.  That's quite a bit better than the normal $450, even if it is still pretty shocking for a set of pedals. You have to call them directly to do that, though. (this is all assuming they are still doing the trade-in program)

Edit: If you have loads of cash you can go Clavivula with crank

Short of that, I've been really impressed with the Race Face Next SL's so far. Saved almost a pound over XTs on my wife's bike. Only notable downside is the tooth profile of the spiderless narrow-wide chainring isn't as agressive as Wolf Tooth and so we had some chain dropping issues. Looks like that was due to a Shadow Plus derailleur that needed maintenance, but still, I'll be very happy when Wolf Tooth releases their spiderless rings for the Race Face Cinch standard. They just had a teaser image on their Facebook page for it as well.

[brmeyer135]

Somebody on here, bought an integrated stem/handlebar combo that they said weighed 210g...as an option.
Look at some other foam grips coming in at 20ish grams.

[RS VR6]

Nice looking bike Jake! 

[Jake]

I fitted fatter tires:
Dirt wizards 29x3.0 in front fits my Reba only just
RaR 2.35 in the back fits only just

I am a bit slower on the road but the wider tires are very nice on the trails I ride which have a lot of dry sand in summer.
The 3.0 front is very nice, gives me some confidence where needed and the 2.35 back is nice in the sandy climbs.

I ordered a Rock Shox Reverb Stealth, more about that in a week!

[RS VR6]

I see you also added a Tune Speedneedle...and some flat pedals?