It’s been a busy day! Just finished taking photos of my new build and promised to share more with everyone who DM’d me. A lot of people are asking why I didn’t just go with a carbon frame and build it up. Here’s why:
- I was very lucky—many of these parts were handed down from my brother. He owns a bike shop in Indiana, offered me steep discounts, and even gave me parts from his personal bin.
- I have no intentions of becoming a pro rider.
- I saved a lot of money. A build like this would normally come out closer to $5,000, but I only spent about $500 on the rest of the parts after buying the bike complete for $1,999.
- Honestly, compared to an Epic 8, I can’t tell much difference between carbon and aluminum.
This build comes in around 23.5 pounds, and for anyone who thinks it’s stupid to put these parts on an aluminum frame, you’re missing out. Don’t fall into the bike marketing trap that carbon is always better….that’s just not true.
If you want to save money, I highly recommend the Specialized Chisel. I’m really looking forward to riding the Maah Daah Hey, Lutsen 99er, and the Iceman 2026!
by FunMoney1046