Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

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!
 
#1,063 ·
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.

 
#1,082 ·
My KM Build

Didn't realize there was a club. This is my favorite bike.

Touring mode:



Mountain Biking Mode (no rack or aerobars):



Au natural:



I went with Sram X-9 and Sun Ringle/XT wheels, 36 spoke for loaded touring. Had a blast bikepacking with it up in NH. Can't wait to try bikepacking with a bit less weight (my girlfriend came too, and she hasn't got room in the frame for a framepack).

It's just such a fun bike. Whippy and fun, like a big BMX bike. I'm building up new wheels this season to cut a bunch of weight, and I think I will probably go with wider rims so I can play around with a 3-inch tire in the front.

I know the rack looks high, but it was rock-solid under load. I sat in the aerobars for some harrowing descents up by Mt. Grace and Keane, and felt completely safe even without a brake nearby.
 
#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
Bicycle tire Bicycle wheel Tire Wheel Bicycle wheel rim


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...
 
#1,100 ·
nope,when i installed it i did just to find the middle ground for both wheel positions,but otherwise theres no adjustment to make when i switch gears...i mean aside from using the tugnut to adjust the chain tension...and i took one link pair out of the chain,and that has been sort of a pain since the tugnut i generally need to swap which hole the axle is running through when i change gears,but with this setup for some reason,no doubt something about the mysteries of single speed gear ratios,the tugnut is maxed out almost in its adjustment range,i think with a 33 tooth up front that wouldnt be true,but at that point i think a 32 up front and a dos enos 16/18 would be slightly easier to keep spinning...
 
#1,102 ·
'09 KM handed over to me by my cousin's husband in colorado after he tore his knee up...

stem, bars, saddle and wheels switched over from my solo one along with my mismatched paul love levers.

i'm thinking of putting my recon silver on it but i'm not sure if i want to add the three pounds.
 

Attachments

#1,103 ·
Sweet! The bottom "Wilderness" photo could be in a Surly add! whoever took that has a good eye because bikes are hard to photograph well.

I have a blue KM from the same era. Aesthetically speaking, I prefer the old style without the brace bar between the top-tube and seat-tube. I only ride my KM on pavement and right now I'm hurting for some really good street tires like Jan Heine sells in every size except 700 x 50.
 
Top