Fargo 2014 Build
Here's my build yall: 2014 home build with a Chinese carbon fork. It's done getting towards 1000 miles over the winter and it is ridiculously good. I ride up hills, down hills, on trails, on rocks, through streams, and frequently a mixture of all of the above and it handles these conditions with aplomb. I run standard Maxxis crossmarks (tubeless with Stan's sealant) which aren't the best for Scottish trails but I enjoy a bit of sliding around, so it works for me. They are rapid on hardpack and tarmac and combined with the mega light Arch EX/DT swiss 340 combo these wheels are about as light as my road bike winter wheels.
I went with Dura ace bar end shifters because they are bomb proof and I can dismantle and fix them at will (not that there is anything inside them to break). SRAM brifters work great, but I've had 2 sets of rival front shifter paddles snap on me within 12 months which is unacceptable, and the pinion gear in the rear shifter erodes with grit giving them a nominal life of about a year of real riding before the inevitable progressive/catastrophic loss of down shifting. Shimano brifters are more solid, but below ultegra stop working effectively after about a year in my experience.
Full build details:
XT chainset 42:28
SLX cassette 11:36
XT shadow 9 rear derailleur (Road 10 speed has the same pull as Mountain 9 speed with shimano)
XT front mech
Dura Ace 10 speed bar end shiters
Chinese carbon front fork (£120, nearly identical to the Whisky through bolt front fork and has taken a beating and continues to work flawlessly:BARGAIN)
ZTR arch ex on DT Swiss 340 hubs
Avid BB7 discs
Cane creek SCR-5 levers
Woodchipper bar
WTB Pure V saddle
Total weight: 11.3 kg