A few months ago, we were approached by a customer interested in doing a custom frame up build for him. After a detailed conversation, we all determined that he knew what he wanted and we were excited to take this project on! In the following weeks, we discussed wants, needs and explored how this bike would be used. We conversed about available parts and how they would be best used to meet needs and budget requirements. After it was all said and done, this bike was a culmination of years of adventure and experience on other bikes!

The bike of choice for the build? 2017 Surly ECR (http://surlybikes.com/bikes/ecr)

Below is some information on how this bike is outfitted by the factory…

Drivetrain
Crankset: Surly O.D. 22/36t
Bottom Bracket: Surly Enduro
Front Derailleur: Shimano SLX FD-M676D
Rear Derailleur: Shimano DeoreLX RD-T670 SGS 10 Speed
Cog or Cogset: Shimano HG50-10, 10 Speed, 11-36t
Chain: KMC X10

Components
Headset: Cane Creek, 40 Series
Brakes: Avid BB7, HS Rotors, 180/160mm front & rear
Brake Levers: Avid FR-5
Shifters: Microshift SL-M10, 10 Speed
Stem: Kalloy AS-025N, 31.8, 4 bolt
Handlebar: Jones Loop, 710mm, Anodized
Saddle: Velo VL2155, Steel Rail
Seatpost: Kalloy SP-342
Extras: Velo lock on grips. Surly stainless seatpost collar. 14g DT Swiss Spokes.

Wheels
Front Hub: Surly Ultra New Disc, 32h. 6-bolt disc.
Rear Hub: Shimano FH-M525. 32h Disc.
Rims: Surly Rabbit Hole, 29+
Spokes: DT Swiss Comp, 2.0/1.8 Black spokes/Silver brass nipples
Tires: Surly Knard 29×3.0″, 27 tpi

So, instead of buying the bike stock, riding for a while and upgrading over time, our customer wanted to skip the upgrades and save some money! We purchased a frame direct from Surly and started gathering parts. Below is what we came up with…

Drivetrain
Crankset: RaceFace Turbine
Bottom Bracket: RaceFace Cinch
Front Derailleur: N/A
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X01, 10 speed
Cog or Cogset: Sunrace, 11-42t
Chain: SRAM PC-1051

Components
Headset: Cane Creek, 40 Series
Brakes: Shimano XT M8000 Hydraulic, 180mm/160mm front & rear
Brake Levers: Shimano XT
Shifters: SRAM X01 Trigger Shifters
Stem: Thomson Elite
Handlebar: Jones Loop 710mm, Aluminum
Saddle: Brooks (customer already owned)
Seatpost: Cane Creek Thudbuster
Pedals: Crank Brothers Candy 2 (customer already owned)
Extras: ESI Locking Grips (long, extra chunky). Salsa Seatpost Clamp. Surly Tubes. Sun Ringle Rim Strips.

Wheels
Front Hub: Surly Ultra New Disc, 32h. 6-bolt disc.
Rear Hub: Shimano FH-M525. 32h Disc.
Rims: Surly Rabbit Hole, 29+
Spokes: DT Swiss Comp, 2.0/1.8 Black spokes/Silver brass nipples
Tires: Maxxis Chronicle 29×3.0″ 120tpi (tubless ready)

Overall, we were very happy with the build and so far our customer is too! If you are interested in doing a custom build, stop by the shop one day and we’ll be happy to talk. Want to build a Surly? We just so happen to have an Instigator 2.0 frame (Medium – Trans Am Gold) in stock and are going to start a custom build this winter unless you get to it first…