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Let's see your KM builds

632K views 2K replies 430 participants last post by  Dry Pivots 
#1 ·
I'm about ready to order my Dark Black Karate Monkey frame and have been building it up on paper. I couldn't find any one thread with a lot of KM pictures on it, so if you don't mind post up some pics so I can get some ideas. Descriptions too if you want.

Thanks!
 
#1,052 · (Edited)
KM Suburban

Monster cross? More like suburban cross. This bike is just fine crossing fields or ascending the berms of the local landscape and has a fantastic grip on wet roads. I thought the Big apples would give a more supple ride but perhaps they need to be broken in a bit - still only about 50 miles on this bike. Running 40PSI for now.
I am really impressed with the TRP Spyre brakes. I have had Tektro Lyra and Avid BB7 and these have the best feel and operation IMHO.
The gearing is just right and I have no want for more in fact I could go a bit smaller in the front chainring but I will probably go to a less tall studded tire for winter commuting and that will change the effective gearing

Bicycle tire Wheel Tire Bicycle wheel rim Bicycle wheel
Tire Wheel Bicycle tire Bicycle wheel Bicycle wheel rim

Surly KM frame (new 2015)
Salsa Woodchipper 2 handlebars
Fizik Arione saddle
SRAM X9 10sp rear
36-11 SRAM cassette
Race Face Turbine 38t narrow/wide cranks
SRAM Rival brake shifter R
SRAM CX brake lever L
TRP road disc brakes
Schwalbe 2.35 Big Apples or
Kenda 2.1 Small Block Eight
 
#1,053 ·
Minty Fresh!

My wife's KM 1x10

Bicycle tire Tire Bicycle frame Wheel Bicycle wheel
Bicycle tire Bicycle frame Tire Wheel Bicycle wheel rim
Bicycle tire Bicycle frame Tire Wheel Bicycle wheel
Bicycle tire Wheel Bicycle wheel rim Mode of transport Bicycle part


Pretty basic bike.

1x10 Deore comps
Deore disc brakes
700x41 Knard tires (same as I have been using)

This is my first build, as in I built it myself. It wasn't that bad, some of the frame prep was a PITA and I had some issues with the headset. I think the top of the head tube is a little out of round. I had a hell of a time getting the race to go in, and once it was, you could tell it wasn't perfectly round. It is what it is, not much of a fix for that and the bearing spins freely in there. I think it will be OK, but just an added headache of putting your own stuff together.
 
#1,072 ·
#1,061 ·
Here's mine:
SS setup
ENO rear hub (powder coated white, so it's an actual white White hub)
Surly front hub
Built my own wheels around Stan's Flow rims
Race Face crank with Blackspire 34T ring
Rear White bros. freewheel cog 20T
Front riser bar and DH stem for added pedal torquing stiffness
Gravity dropper post - best accessory ever!!
VP flats
Whipperman chain. Basically indestructible. Might outlast the bike.
RockShox Reba front fork with broken lockout. 100mm or so of travel.
XTR Trail brakes for those loooooong downhill runs.
Not super light, but rides like a dream - great geometry!
Bicycle tire Bicycle frame Tire Bicycle wheel Wheel
 
#1,063 ·
18" Husker Blu Karate Monkey frameset (2008)
Cane Creek S2 headset
Deore crankset w/36t chainring
Surly 18t SS cog
Deore V-brakes
Race Face Respond handlebar
Oury lock-on grips
Velocity Dyad rims
High flange touring hubs (wheels built by Rich Lesnik of Rivendell Bicycle Works)
40mm Schwalbe Dureme tires (I plan to replace them with Maxxis 2.1" Torches)
Generic seatpost, saddle, stem and pedals.

 
#1,085 ·
KM fat tire roadbike

@ciux
Nice bike, very similar to how I run mine, two modes, both with drop bars. I love the fat tire road bike. Recently I bypassed a group of slow movers by dropping off the path and ridding along a grassy, sloped ridge. My 60mm Big Apple tires held fast without digging in! I also love how they smooth out the ride on rough surfaces (which in reality is roads/paths).
 
#1,086 ·
@ciux
Nice bike, very similar to how I run mine, two modes, both with drop bars. I love the fat tire road bike. Recently I bypassed a group of slow movers by dropping off the path and ridding along a grassy, sloped ridge. My 60mm Big Apple tires held fast without digging in! I also love how they smooth out the ride on rough surfaces (which in reality is roads/paths).
In my road version there aren't mounted big apple but marathon supreme 2.0.
Next tires will are the big apple too.

What about your rims inner weight.
Mine are 19mm, do you think are they good for 2.35 big apple or it is better wider rims?
 
#1,092 ·
after trying a set of continental mountain king 2.4's and discovering the rear tire rubbed on the 19 tooth gear of the dos enos i went back to the maxxis ardent 2.4 and since i recently put a dirt wizard rear/knard front combo on the krampus i had a chronicle in pretty good shape so i slapped that on the front...

running a blackspire 32t chainring with a white industries dos enos 17/19 and the ardent/chronicle combo of velocity blunt 35's...
Bicycle tire Tire Bicycle frame Wheel Bicycle wheel
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really liking the new dos enos 17/19,previously had a dos enos 20/22 but i had stopped using the 22 tooth and the 20 tooth while fine on the trails was maddeningly slow on the road...the 17 tooth is just about perfect for the commute to the trails,except on longer hills of course,and the 19 is just that little bit faster on the trails...already set a dozen personal records on the trails and a nasty road climb...
 
#1,093 ·
after trying a set of continental mountain king 2.4's and discovering the rear tire rubbed on the 19 tooth gear of the dos enos i went back to the maxxis ardent 2.4 and since i recently put a dirt wizard rear/knard front combo on the krampus i had a chronicle in pretty good shape so i slapped that on the front...

running a blackspire 32t chainring with a white industries dos enos 17/19 and the ardent/chronicle combo of velocity blunt 35's...

really liking the new dos enos 17/19,previously had a dos enos 20/22 but i had stopped using the 22 tooth and the 20 tooth while fine on the trails was maddeningly slow on the road...the 17 tooth is just about perfect for the commute to the trails,except on longer hills of course,and the 19 is just that little bit faster on the trails...already set a dozen personal records on the trails and a nasty road climb...
I had the Ardent 2.4/Blunt 35 combo in the past. Very nice, but also heavy for me. You're a monster for pushing that around. I'm back to Crest and Ikon 2.35's.
 
#1,094 ·
i admit the 17 tooth gear is still kicking my ass on the hills...but sadly the karate monkey even set up like this is still my lightest bike...not sad really,since its a badass piece of steel...and worth it for me to drag around that big front tire since my 50 year old bones arent too fond of the abuse of riding full rigid bikes some days...and i admit theres a certain satisfaction to grabbing strava top 10s when you know the other people on the list are on full squish carbon fiber for the most part...
 
#1,096 ·
yeah,the white industries stuff is really well made,used the 20/22 for over a year and never a problem...
in this particular setup the bike comp,which doesnt have a setting for a 29er+ tire so take it with a grain of salt,says im going 16.4 mph pedaling at a sane cadence on the road,so its made the commute to the trails much less an exercise in coasting.i am spending more time climbing out of the saddle,but a few more weeks to get used to the gear and i should hopefully be more able to keep it spinning...
 
#1,098 ·
what? the rock hard skinny racing saddle not uncomfortable enough?should i maybe drive some cactus spines through it and wear a hair shirt while i ride? lol

you would have been happy watching me climb sol canyon road last week,i never sat down for more than a few seconds once i got past the water tank,that 17 tooth had me grunting by the last 100 feet of climbing...
 
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