I'm back again, this time with a possible 3rd build.  First was an XMIPlay 29er, second was an eBay 14" 26er for my son (who has now outgrown - that'll be #4 probably in a few months), but now with a commuter build.

Right before the end of the year, I applied & got accepted for what would best be described as my DREAM JOB - doing exactly what I love, and the best part is it's a 6-mile commute from my home.  The build bug started to rear it's head as soon as I hit the "APPLY FOR THIS JOB" button 

I live in Southeast Michigan, and as such, can only commute by bike about 6 months in the year.  Additionally, I'll probably only be able to ride one or two days a week due to personal obligations.  That said, I enjoy the building process and this will be my one-and-only "Non-Trail" bike.

I'm currently evaluating the following components, and would appreciate another set or two of eyes to ensure I'm not getting into problems:

• XMCarbonSpeed CS-GR029 frame, UD Matte, 54cm
• XMCarbonSpeed NSS-GCX28 rims w/ Novatec Hubs & Sapim CX-Ray spokes
• SRAM Rival 1 42T Crankset
• SRAM Rival 22 Brifters
• SRAM PG-1130 11-36T 11-speed cassette
• Avid BB7 Road mechanical disc brakes
• SRAM Rival 1 Type 2.1 medium-cage rear derailleur
• FSA Cockpit
• Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires (had good success with them before)

I have never worked with SRAM components, so this will be new to me.  Also, this will be my first non-MTB build.

It's unlikely a 27.5 will fit.  I'll try and take some pictures this week, but with a 26x2.2 Nobby Nic, there was only about 0.5" clearance at the cranks.

Sorry for the delay in following up - actually had to get it operational to give you an answer (I have ZERO luck with tubeless setups).

Sorry for the lack of updates - when we haven't been super busy, the weather's been junk.  So far, we've been limited to rides around the neighborhood without any trail rides.

As for the frame, it's okay.  My issue that I thought was resolved with the new headset was only partially resolved.  The upper cup in the frame is too big, so there's still a minor wobble.  I have to figure out a way to homebrew a shim setup (pop can or something).

Frame is a 14", and I went with 165mm cranks.  He was 4'8" back in March.  Cranks are a little on the long side, but I knew that was a risk we'd take.  Reach is great, though, and I have a short stem so I can change that out as needed as he grows.

I gave up on trying to get the BB7's adjusted, and considering it's my kid's life on the line, I felt better upgrading him to some SLX hydraulics.  For now, I haven't shortened the 1700mm long rear hose, so I just looped it around the stem.  I also need to install the remote lockout on the Reba.

Just going through this with my son's 26er build.  You want an integrated, tapered.  I just got this - http://goo.gl/NIolzN

Something to consider - Chinese New Year is February 8th.  Not sure what the norm is as far as holiday/time off is considered.

Here's where we're at.  Brakes are 100%.  Cockpit is 100%.  Drivetrain cables are 50%.  I did figure out that the entry points at the frame had stops, so it ended up being identical to my IP-057 there.  I'm going to use the long-sleeved Jagwire "stops" where the cables exit at the downtube, some of the rubber "rub resist" sleeves and some 3M tape and I think we'll be good.  I also have to figure out how the remote lockout operates - I installed everything on the bars, then saw the remote in the box o' parts.

Here's the weight/cost status too.  We're changing seats - I found a youth-sized seat from J&R bikes that is half the weight, so we should be pretty close to under 20 pounds, although I feel like I'm missing something in that list.



And here's a shot of where the bare cables exit the frame - you can already see where the wear point will be.

Compared to my XMIPlay bike, this was lightspeed (no fault of Peter).  About a week from order to it being at my door, and that includes a mis-ship across the state.  So far, so good. 

To compare quality, I would put this bike a little bit below my IP-057, but not by much.  There are some small blemishes in the paint that are only visible from 6" away.  I was at first worried about the rear caliper mounts and the gunk that was in them (thinking I was going to have to go buy a tap to re-cut the threads), but the caliper bolted in no problem.  Headset provided was unbranded, almost identical to the Neco that came with my bike that has been flawless so far.  Bottom Bracket was a hefty, all-metal BB92 that I'm using as a spare because my gruppo (XT) came with one at half the weight.  My gruppo also came with a standard BSA bracket that now will be a spare for my bike.

I was really worried about installing the press-fit BB, but with liberal amounts of grease and a home-brew press (all-thread + nuts + wood blocks), it went in straight.  I don't have a current picture of where I'm at with the build, but bottom bracket & cranks are installed, the fork/headset/bars are installed, tires/wheels are done (tubeless on the first try!) and next step is cabling.  I could use some help here -

This bike is made for external rear brake cabling and semi-internal derailleur cabling (both cables exit at the bottom bracket).  My help needed is what to do I do with the front derailleur cable where it exits the frame right in front of the BB, and re-enters behind it, going back up into the frame for down-swing?  Do I just sheath the cable at the downtube exit?  Do I try and find one of those plastic cable spacers that sit underneath the BB?