Custom Cysco 29er Build-up

[Bigred15]

I've been delaying posting this up until he started working on it. But Richie Moore (Cysco Cycles; owner/builder) is starting the bike TODAY!!! What am I getting built? A steel framed hardtail 29er race bike. My plan was to dialog the entire process step by step until completion. There weren't many pictures to take during the sizing process, so I'll just explain that to you. I will update this thread with pictures as the process proceeds.

Step #1 Deciding to build a custom bike

Without boring you with the minute details of my decision, I will just hit on the bullet points.

• My long legs and short torso made it hard to fit on standard sized bikes, mediums were too small larges were too big.
  
• Of the two bikes that fit, one was too slack and the other too stiff in the rear.
  
• Most of the component specs left much to be desired, which would have required me to spend more money.

Step #2 Ordering the frame

In order to buy a Cysco, you need to work with one of his dealers. Harpeth Bicycles in Franklin, TN is such a dealer, as is Owen's Cyclery in Hixson, TN. There is another dealer in Atlanta, but I do not know their name. Since I race for Harpeth Bicycles, my decision was easy. First up was talking to Fred Cothren about what kind of bike I wanted. Cysco Cycles allows you to choose from three metals, steel, stainless steel, and titanium. Since I wanted to keep my bike below a certain price point and still not compromise too much on the build kit, I chose steel. Since the bike was to replace last year's ill-fitting race bike, I chose a race oriented geometry. There are several other options available such as twisted tubes, over sized head tubes and sliders for the rear drop outs. Wanting to keep weight and price down, I chose to forgo sliders and twisted tubes and since I was not going to run a tapered fork or a Lefty, I went with a standard head tube. The standard frames come your choice of paint color and Cysco stickers, however you can spend as much as you want here. If you want an incredibly complex paint job all you have to do is pay for it. I indulged a bit here and went for painted Cysco lettering. The frame will be gloss black with blue lettering to match my headset and hubs(more on that in a minute).

Step #3 Choosing a build kit

Again, this is a custom bike, so you can spend as much as you want here. I spent my money wisely so I could get the parts I wanted in certain areas, like fork and wheelset. See below for the build kit:

Fork: Fox F29 32 RLC 100 15QR w/Kashima Coating (Indulgence here)
Wheelset: Not Tubes Crest 29er w/DT Swiss Super Comp spokes laced to blue Chris King hubs (My other indulgence)
Skewers: 15QR front, Fun Bolts rear
Front Der: SRAM X9 2x10
Rear Der: SRAM X9 mid-cage black
Shifters: SRAM X9 2x10
Chain: SRAM PC-1091R
Cassette: Shimano XT 11-36 (Carryover from old bike)
Brakes: Avid Elixir X0 160mm F/R (Got a REALLY good deal on these)
Cranks/BB: SRAM X9 39x26 GXP (I might go ahead and get a King BB on this)
Pedals: Shimano XT Race
Headset: Chris King 1 1/8" NoThreadset Blue
Handlebar: Specialized S-Works Prowess Carbon Flatbar 680mm (Carryover from old bike)
Seat Post: Thomson Elite Layback 27.2
Stem: Thomson Elite 90mm
Saddle: WTB Silverado SLT Black
Grips: Crankbrothers Cobalt Foam Lock-on
Front Tire: Maxxis Aspen 29x2.1 (Some courses will require that I run an Ignitor instead)
Rear Tire: Maxxis Aspen 29x2.1

Step #4 Talking with Richie

Richie speaks with all of his clients personally. If you live near Chattanooga, you may be able to speak with him face-to-face. I spoke with him over the phone this time. The point of this call is to get info on your riding style, what you want the bike to ride like, and verify that everything is correct. We talked about geometry, component spec, and other things in great detail. Don't worry if you don't know a lot about bike geometry. We spoke indepth about that because it is something that I know a lot about. You can just tell Richie how you want the bike to ride and he is very good at taking what you say and giving you what you want. After you speak with him, he will draft up a proposed frame design and send it to the bike shop. At this point, you will work with the Fred to make changes to the proposed design or leave it as is. Bike ended up with these dimensions:

Effective Top Tube: 595mm
Chainstay: 445mm
Seat Tube: 480mm
Seat Tube Angle: 73
Head Tube Angle: 70.5

Step #5 The build

That is the process that started this morning. I am way excited. More to come.

[rsutton1223]

I can't wait to see how this one comes out. Keep us updated.

[Bigred15]

She's just pieces now, but it's starting to take shape. Those with sharp eyes will not the twisted tubes. Richie called me this morning and asked if I wanted twisted tubes free of charge. He had started to build an XL bike for a show, but never finished it and the tubes were just sitting there. It didn't take me very long to say yes. If you are curious, the metal being used is OX Platinum.



Richie is working fast on this one. It's off to paint next.

[Jigger]

Nice!! Mind me asking the bottom line on a build like this?

[Bigred15]

Prices are available on his website, but a steel frame starts at $1800, stainless is $2500, and titanium is $3250. Twisted steel tubes normally run $100 a piece. Painted lettering, like I am getting, instead of stickers costs another $100. Retail for my frame would be $2100. After the build kit, retail price would end up being around $4300-$4500.

[wahoo]

Looking pretty sweet so far, can't wait to see the finished product.

[Bigred15]

Going to paint today!!! He added braces in the seat/chain stays, added cable runs, and prepped the metal for the paint shop.

[Kris W. Jones]

Those twisted tubes look awesome!

[Bigred15]

It's back from paint!!! Right now its being shipped to Nashville to get put together. My main concern with paint was that the blue was going to be too bright. I wanted a dark blue and that is what I got.

[Kris W. Jones]

Looks great!