reserved

Going to use this thread to document my IP-256SL build. Plan is to use it for 24 hour team xc races and it will probably form the basis of my first attempts at cyclocross before sorting out my CX bike. Bike will be largely built with 2nd hand Ebay sourced parts.

Ordered 20th September. I'm based in the UK.

Frame is a 21" IP-256SL. It arrived in UK customs on 25/9/2014. Customs charge was a very reasonable £37 inc the Post Offices £13 fee. Finally picked it up on 14/10/2014.

Wheels are the 35mm (30mm internal) hook less which will run DT Swiss 350 hubs. Rims have arrived but 1 of the hubs got lost (sent to Vietnam apparently) in the post so awaiting replacement). Rims were delivered 30/9/2014, 10 days to my door is pretty impressive!

Drive train will be SRAM X1 (weight of rear cassette is quite interesting!). Sourced X1 kit from Ebay, new straight off of a bike.

Braking is Shimano XTR BR-M988 Trail. Sourced nearly new off of Ebay. XTR RT99 180mm Rotors up front (Bargain from Merlin @ £40 for 2!) and XT RT86 Ice-Tec 160mm at rear.

Front suspension RS Sid XX world cup. New unused off of Ebay. Only worry about this is that it is 120mm travel not 100mm.

Have added build spreadsheet.

Hi Chap,
I am down Devon and slowly putting together a pile of parts before pushing the button on an IP-256SL with a BSA/English bottom bracket, personally I would steer clear of a BB30 type bottom bracket for MTB use in the UK.

If going single speed at the front you can pick up a complete X1 groupset off of ebay for £350 new (I did).

I found doing a spread sheet with a list of the required components means I can remember what I still need to find.

Good luck!

Mike

Okay, pretty much settled on the 256 sl. I'm 6'3" (189cm) so do I want a flat handlebar or a riser? Given the 256 sl is pretty much the same geometry as the Scott Scale 900 RC I figured that the Ritchey Carbon WCS 2XT shape Flat / 9deg / 700 mm as fitted to the Scott should be a pretty good choice, do any of the Chinese factories produce a bar to the same geometry as the Ritchey? Not looking for a "fake" but rather a direct purchase of similar geometry (if you can see what I mean!)

Meant to add, bike will be used mainly for XC endurance team racing.

Cheers,

Mike

Anyone got a favorite chiner seatpost? Reasons for liking it over other ones?

Think I am going to go with 256-sl from xmi so just trying to settle on the "accessories"

Don't forget X1.

Think I am correct in saying chain rings are interchangeable between XO1 and X1 but the XX1 uses a different BCD. The X1 1400 has a removable spider that can be replaced with the XX1 spider allowing you to use the XX1 rings.

Picked up a lightly cosmetically scuffed alloy armed X1 1400 off of ebay (someone wanted to switch to the carbon armed version on their Orange Five RS) for peanuts, really happy!

Seem to be lots of reports of the pedal inserts de-bonding in the carbon arms which is why I went for the alloy version.

Sorry didn't explain it very well, my 12 months of recent experience is with a road / cyclocross bike so not really relevant but I guess I could look up the geometry of the two bikes I rode at the race, I definitely preferred the old 26er Alu hardtail over the 27.5 full sus (although set a better lap time on the FS after taking some advice from team mates, could just roll over most of the roots as the course got more cut up) my understanding is that a 29er is even more capable at just "rolling over" stuff?