I just recently finished building my winter project bike: a Sette Reken aluminum hardtail.  While my full suspension bike was certainly plush by comparison, I never got used to the tail bobbing of the rear suspension.  Plus the bike had some issues I could just never quite solve, so I decided to go back to a hardtail.  Aside from being a good learning experience, it would also be cheaper to salvage as many parts from the old bike as possible.

The frame was surprisingly cheap, it is a “house brand” frame from Pricepoint and only ran $90 on sale.  Its basic, but solid, and quite light at around 4.5 lbs.  I had hoped to salvage the wheels, fork, drivetrain, and headset.  I intended from the start to replace the brakes on the advice of a local bike mechanic.  Also planned to replace the usual wear parts such as stem, handlebar, and seatpost – they were getting old and it is recommended such parts be replace every few years at least – especially if used heavily.

After tearing the old bike down I found a few problems with that plan.  The headset was actually the wrong size, not to mention the bearings were trashed – gotta replace it.  The bottom bracket – looked questionable and considering its age, definitely due for replacement.  Finally the front and rear derailers had to go – the rear turned out to be bent and the front was the wrong size.  Technically I could have shimmed it to work but I didn’t want to half-ass it.

Aside from those mishaps which only required a few extra trips to the bike shop, the process went pretty well.  Its really not as dificult as you might think.  Only a few specialized tools were required for installing the bottom bracket and cranks.  Otherwise its mainly allen wrenches, screwdrivers, and wire cutters.  I still have trouble perfecting the rear derailer adjustment, which is quite frustrating.

Well here’s my component list:

• Sette Reken frame – 6061 aluminum
• Fox F100X Fork – 100mm travel with inertial lockout
• Easton EA50 aluminum bar and stem
• Avid Juicy 5 hydraulic brakes
• Shimano XTR rapidfire shifters with XT front and rear derailers
• Specilaized ergonomic grips
• Race Face Evolve XC Crank
• Mavic X223 wheels with Shimano XT hubs