Finally got the build completed and took it out for a ride yesterday...unfortunately on gravel due to a lot of recent rain. While I wasn't able to pedal on miles of singletrack I did manage hit a few short rocky descents and climbs along with some wet roots and the bike handled it all very well (I set 3 new PRs without even trying). On these features the bike felt very secure and the rear wheel really planted, I'm coming from a hardtail so this is one of the riding aspects I was looking forward to in a full suspension bike. On the gravel trails it felt exactly like how an XC bike should feel, quick and snappy.
On that point, based on current categorization the Riot is an XC bike, however when compared to my 2014 Specialized Crave with its 71.5 degree headtube angle, to me the Lexon Riot felt down right "Downcountry" with its 68 degree HTA and longer fork travel (120mm vs 100mm).
My build is a couple pounds heavier than what I was shooting for weighing in at 27 pounds, than the targeted 25 pounds. However I don't think this will be too much of hinderance for the trails I ride along with the 2-4 races per year I compete in (CAT 2 middle of the pack). I've never been overly concerned with weight, I like having a dropper post and BIG flat pedals, therefore if I wanted to shed some weight I could, change out the seat post, pedals, go with carbon rims, etc. For now I think I'm set. By the way, I ended up mounting the new Mavic rear wheel and e13 cassette, the DT Swiss rear wheel that I was planning on using during the winter needs some new bearings in the hub.
Below are all of the components:
Frame: Lexon Riot 10
Shock: Rockshox Monarch RL - Purchased with the frame
Fork: Rockshox Reba 120mm travel with Charger 2 damper - I upgraded the internals on old 100mm Reba
Wheels: Mavic Crossmax (142mm rear with spacers to conform to boost)- The wheels are a warranty replacement and Mavic wouldn't upgrade it to boost, the new front wheel hasn't been mounted yet but fits the fork without any need for spacers
Tires: F - Maxxis Ardent / R - Continental CrossKing - I like this set up, Ardent grips the corners well and the CrossKing is very efficient, good traction and rolls well.
Cassette: e*13 11 speed, 9x46 - New and doubtful I'll be using the 9t cog too much, but the 46t granny gear is nice
Crank and Chainring: Sram dub 32t (non-boost) - This pairs well with the non-boost rear wheel, drivetrain shifting is spot on. (Never used before, I had purchased it for my old bike)
Pedals: Pedaling Innovations Catalyst (I like big flat pedals, my 5/10 shoes really stick to these pedals) and from my old bike
Shifter: Sram GX 11 speed - From my old bike
Derailleur: Sram GX 11 Speed - From my old bike
Dropper Seat Post: PNW Loam 150mm travel - New
Dropper lever: Wolftooth - From my old bike
Saddle: Fizik Gobi M5 - From my old bike
Handlebars: Nukeproof Horizon (carbon) - New, 780mm seems a little wide but want to ride them for awhile before making any adjustments
Stem: Ragley 50mm - New, It seems to be the right length
Brakes & Rotors: Shimano Deore (older reservoir version) F - 180mm, R - 160mm - From my old bike
Grips: ODI waffle (old) - Switching up to PNW loam grips once they arrive
Cables: Jagwire - Also used the Jagwire foam in the downtube to keep the cables and brake hose from rattling
Wrap: Ride Wrap Covered - Help protect the frame from scratches along with some mastic tape in a couple of spots
Final thoughts, I'm pleased with Lexon Riot. I've always done my own bike maintenance, but building a bike from the ground up was quite an experience and took a lot of patience. The challenging part was using some old bike parts for the build and figuring out how to make them fit the latest standards. Also, be prepared to buy the necessary tools if you don't already own them: torque wrench, headset press, brake line cable cutter and barb driver are the tools that I purchased during the build. I'm going to need to get a bearing press sometime as well for future maintenance.
I have named my bike...The Rocket!
Many thanks to this site and those who contribute, I don't think I could have researched, purchased and built a mountain bike without Chinertown.com.