Build: Dialledbikes Alpine 853-- Part 2

Started the build, mmmm something just seems to be missing.


Oops! Steel frame--- totally forgot about corrosion proofing. Alright, out with the fork and apply the usual............

...that bashguard just grows on me. Who says cheap can't be cool. Heavy but the looks of it absolutely rocks.

Bar change...Round 10!.
...crank "up" time
Brakes neeeeeeeeeeeext.
                     Easy enuf.

Strange, but the seat clamp actually was the thing that took awhile up till now. Didn't want to rip up the nice thick paintwork which probably was the cause of the clamp refusing to slide down easy. 15 mins, finally figure out a way----- slick lube and one good dose of surgical palm slam finally did the sucker in.

pretty nice combo but still, the colors are just so "un-me"
















to be continued....


Fast forward...many rides and binges later, back to the build...

The part I still have reservation over as to whether it will really work after months of back and forth email and resulting in the manufacturer redesigning a whole new axle just for my hub. pretty cool huh. Not every day I can claim to have the one and only hub of its kind in the world.

"Ok spin, spin damn it. Don't back pedal when I let go of the crank! "
Whew...nice, a bit stiff but everything is just new inside.

SLX compo isn't really my cuppa but for once the bulgy looky fits on this bike better....ok justifying my cheapness again...its 30 bucks off an XT mid cage.

Little silver bits to match up the rest of the parts.

If someone still hasn't got it by now...
All the shiny black silver and green, thats military parade colors. Frame color is that of my former unit's head dress.

Hmmm... let's see if there is an inconspicuous spot to stick a tiny silver airborne wing.

And the saddle? Guess its finally time to break out my  stash of bargain saddles. This one is special, heavy as hell but one of those items I gotten on my first ever online spree.

Matches the 853 decal pretty well eh!

 1 x front dee and a pair of Point One Podiums by tomorrow...and this sucker is ready to roll


4:42 am this morning...
Yup 2010 Podiums up , few touch up here and there, temp switch to 65mm stem till the 90mm Nukeproof arrives next week... all ready to roll out on Sun morn


 ...in between

There are always occasion to visit the LBS and catch up with friends there...
Can't pass up the used brakes which I snapped up for a song but there is usually a price to pay...they came with rounded philip head screws.

I really didnt care for grinding off especially when what it held down is a piece of flimsy plastic cap which would hardly be replaceable around here.

Who would I trust for such a job... yea there is a ridiculous ton of LBS on this small island but there's only 1 bike "Doctor" I'll go to for such jobs.... 

 "Screw" the philip heads-- Hex bolts

What's more... with 2 good friends wrenching around the place (one covered in yellow paint that day and Bear pictured here forever familiar with his mumbling hillbilly tone...), my choice of shops to hang out has just gotten narrower :D














1st Ride... definitely felt a little short and low just like I was trashing around a bit the night before. Put it side by side with a On-One 456 custom 14" small-- and the 16" Alpine TT is shorter! The 160mm Van I tried on it before when Jeremy built it up definitely felt much more "right" than the noodly 140mm PIKE on it right now.