I bought a bike!
Back in Australia, back in the day, I had a Specialized P3 which I used for some downhill riding. I sold that eventually in San Francisco, after years of not really using it (it’s not a practical city-bike, and I didn’t have easy access to get out and mountain bike with it). When I moved to New York I bought a Cannondale Bad Boy 9, which was a much better choice for in the city. Fast forward a few years, and living in Denver means I’m close to mountains and a bunch of world-class downhill riding. In 2016 I picked up a Motobecane Boris X9 fatbike, which was fun, but pretty impractical.
Ever since getting the Boris, I’ve been itching to get a “real” bike and get back out there. With a fat tax return coming my way, I was feeling cashed up and spendy, so last weekend I jumped on Craigslist (again), and found myself a sweet bike. I managed to get around and see it the next day, and bought it on the spot.
The bike is a Specialized Enduro Comp29/6 Fattie, with a bunch of modifications. I bought it from a guy who works in a bike shop, so he’d built it up, but never actually ridden it on a trail, so it’s brand new. Here’s an attempt at a breakdown of the modifications.
| Stock | Mine | |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Chain | SRAM PC-1110, 11-speed w/PowerLink | |
| Crankset | RaceFace Aeffect, 6000-series alloy, 24mm spindle, 52mm chainline, 28T | SRAM Eagle GX 32t chainring |
| Shift Levers | SRAM NX, 11-speed, trigger | |
| Cassette | SRAM XG-1150, 11-speed, 10-42t | SRAM Eagle GX, 10-50t |
| Rear Derailleur | SRAM GX, long cage, 11-speed | |
| Suspension | ||
| Fork | RockShox Yari 29/27.5+, Solo Air, rebound & compression adjust, 15x110mm Maxle Ultimate thru-axle, 160mm travel | 170 MRP ramp control |
| Rear Shock | RockShox Monarch Plus, Rx All-Mountain Tune, AUTOSAG, rebound and 3-position compression adjust, 216x57mm | Rear link changed to 2018 flip-chip system, configured in low setting |
| Wheels | ||
| Front Hub | Specialized disc, alloy, sealed cartridge bearings,15x110mm thru-axle, 24h | |
| Rear Hub | Specialized disc, alloy, sealed cartridge bearings, 12x148mm thru-axle, 28h | |
| Inner Tubes | 29×1.75/2.4″”, 60mm Presta valve | Tubeless |
| Spokes | DT Swiss Industry, stainless, 3x, 2.0″” | |
| Rims | Roval Traverse 29, hookless alloy, 29mm inner width, 24/28h, tubeless ready | DT Swiss m1700 29″, 54t star ratchet |
| Front Tire | Butcher, GRID casing, 29×2.3″, 60TPI, Aramid folding bead, 2Bliss Ready | Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5×29 |
| Rear Tire | Slaughter, GRID casing, 29×2.3″, 60TPI, Aramid folding bead, 2Bliss Ready | Maxxis Ardent 2.4×29 |
| Cockpit | ||
| Saddle | Body Geometry Henge Comp, hollow Cr-Mo rails, 143mm | |
| Seatpost | Command Post IRcc, 12 position micro-height adjustable, alien head design, bottom mount cable routing, remote adjust SRL lever, 30.9mm, S: 100mm, M/L/XL: 125mm travel | |
| Stem | Specialized Trail, 3D forged alloy, 4-bolt, 6-degree rise | Truvativ 50mm |
| Handlebars | Specialized DH, 6061 alloy, 6-degree upsweep, 8-degree backsweep, 27mm rise, 780mm width | |
| Grips | Specialized Sip Grip, half-waffle, S/M: regular thickness, L/XL: XL thicknessBRAKES | |
| Brakes | ||
| Front Brake | SRAM Guide R, hydraulic disc, organic pads, Guide S4 4-piston caliper, 200mm rotor | TRP Quadiem (TRP splined rotor) |
| Rear Brake | SRAM Guide R, hydraulic disc, organic pads, Guide S4 4-piston caliper, 180mm rotorACCESSORIES | TRP Quadiem (TRP splined rotor) |
| Accessories | ||
| Pedals | Resin Test Ride w/toe clipsFRAMESET | OneUp Poly |
| Tools | OneUp EDC | |
| Frameset | ||
| Seat Binder | Specialized, alloy, 2-bolt, 27.2mm | |
| Frame | M5 alloy, X-wing layout, All-Mountain Geometry, threaded BB, internal cable routing, ManFu link, oversized pivot bearings, 12x148mm dropouts, replaceable derailleur hanger, 165mm of travel |
I’ve already had it out for a couple of rides, and am getting used to bigger wheels, lots of suspension, a dropper post (love it!), and a long wheelbase (awesome for bridging gaps, less awesome for tight turns). Overall I’m stoked to be able to get out there and ride the beautiful Colorado countryside.
