Finally finished 'er up this past weekend. Looks real nice in person :
SPECS :
Knolly Chilcotin Med / Raw
Rear Shock : Cane Creek DB Air CS
Fork : Bos DeVille 160mm Tapered ; 20mm axle
Headset : Cane Creek zero stack upper w/red and blue CC interlock spacers
Brakes : Hope Tech 3 w/E4 calipers (blue bore caps, blue reach and adjust screws)
Brake Lines : Hope Steel Braided
Rotors : Hope floating 183mm front and rear (red inner)
Stem : Thomson 70mm with 10 deg. rise
Bars : Easton Havoc Carbon 750mm
Grips : Lizard Skin Petey [gray]
Seatpost : KS-Lev 100mm
Seat : SDG ti rails.
Seatpost Collar : Hope Dropper, Red
Deraileurs Front and Rear : Shimano XTR w/med. cage
Cranks / BB : Shimano XTR Trail 2X
Pedals : Shimano XT Clipless
Shift / Dropper Housing : Jagwire titanium [close match to steel braided b.lines]
Wheels : e-thirteen TSR-Race; 23mm inner width
Tires : Continental Trail King 2.2 UST with Orange Sealer
BUILD NOTES : I went with the Jagwire Titanium kits for housing because it's a close match for the Steel-Braided Brake lines, both of which end up being somewhat 'transparent' in terms of esthetic presence upon the 'Raw' frame. On my last Knolly, I was never happy with the black housing because it sticks out like a sore thumb on anything but a black frame. With the Steel-Braided and Jag Titanium-look housing the entire bike looks a lot cleaner and refined because the lines 'blend in' with the frame. I also went back to 2X. I often times do rides that are 8 plus hours long, and with the 1X I had for a while I was never happy, and I mean never.... Either I'd have it set up great for super steep climbs, or for faster downs, but for me, the loss of gears along with super smooth up and down shifts is just a no go for me.
I also went with the Bos 160mm tapered because of its smooth / stiff / plush ride, as well as the long maintenance intervals and stiffness. 160mm is, for me, the perfect solution for general all-mountain trail riding, which is what I mostly do. I very rarely ride at bike parks.
I put a fair amount of thought into cable running, and it paid off. The cable routing looks really nice and came out really really nice. I could have saved some weight on the Brakes by going with something else, but the 'feel' of Hope Brakes is just something you get used to and I will never use any other Brand of Brakes. On the wheels, I took a chance and went with the E-Thirteen TRS-Race wheelset. I know they initially got some bad reviews when they first started making them, but they claim to have sorted out the initial issues and plus I got them for a steal and they are super nice in person and very very light and stiff too. I went with a KS-Lev just because of its non-moving cable as well as the thumb-remote. But just to cover my ass, I have a second one which is brand new in the box just in case the current one dies and I need to send it in. This bike is a major step up from my Delirium in terms of weight savings. Can't wait to take it to Moab and Fruita. Headed there soon.