Lessons from my first frame build.
1) Marino bikes I cannot say enough good things about. If you’re on the fence I’d highly recommend it. I sent my proposed geo and got they discussed it all with me before finalizing. Order to showing up on my door was a hair over a month.
2) Aliexpress for parts is hit or miss. I was told research good reputable Aliexpress stores in the forums. Mechanical parts are usually pretty genuine but chains and cassettes are usually counterfeit or “bait and switch” (if you look at the list of parts they won’t say “Shimano” and a part# and they’ll use that to say they were “never advertising they’d be Shimano”.) That 100% tracked and I got a knockoff bottom bracket and cassette. Oh well, my bank considers that still a fraud and did the chargeback. Between the chargeback, buying from JensonUSA and the Aliexpress savings I came out well ahead for an XT/SLX mixed drivetrain. (Fork is a Mazocchi Z2 I got on a Jenson USA sale post Xmas)
3) I should have splurged a bit more on wheels and gone with an m6100 Deore parts. But I had a REI gift card for Christmas and they only had Shimano MT620 wheels in my price range available at the time.
4) Unethical pro tip. For things you’d only need once like a headset press, crown race setter or a star nut setter…well Amazon doesn’t know if you only use the tool exactly one time and put it perfectly back in the packaging….
5) Make sure you double check the brake part number so you’re actually buying 4 piston brakes. 4 piston calipers are now on my to buy list. That was on me.
6) In terms of cost for a generalist trail hardtail with XT components I ended up at around $2000. So I think I’m well ahead a similarly specced complete bike. Most hard tails in the general range are $750-100 for a frame which is $200 more than I paid Marino. But even if I bought a larger brand frame, for an XT build level you’re looking at $3000 or more for a complete bike.
7) I specced my frame as a clone of a Neuhaus Solstice. I went back and forth between that and their downcountry Hummingbird. I’m super happy I did the former. 130mm is perfect travel for this. I’m happy I didn’t go full “hardcore hardtail” with like a super slack front and 150mmm travel. I was recommended that high travel on a hardtail is a square peg in a round hole and not worth it over a full suspension. That seems to track.
8) Tires are Specialized Butcher/Eliminator. Ethical pro tip, Specialized extends their pro discount to military vets so I got the set cheaper than even one Maxxis tire would be. That said, I should have gone with faster rolling. Either double Eliminator or an Eliminator/Ground control. The Butcher is an anchor for a general Trail build.
9) They say never get top of the line or near so bike components because they will permanently ruin you. Shimano XT is *really* good and smooth compared to the stuff on other bikes I’ve owned, especially the shifter. I have a budget gravel bike with Microshift drivetrain that’s going to be *really* hard for me to want to ride.
by ResidentNarwhal