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Racer 100x on the way...now the build

1K views 14 replies 6 participants last post by  1speed_Mike 
#1 ·
Just finished ordering a Racer 100x ano blue w/ swinger 3 way over lunch...now the wait, thanks to Kman for helping me see the light and not order a Blur.

So as I day dream about my first ride I need to get down to the business of build kit. I would like to utilize what I can of the existing parts with the intention of updating at a later date with the exception of seatpost, front deraileur and bottom braket which are more frame specific. My goal is two fold durable yet light.

The following are the components available to me from my current bike, minus the fork, all are in nearly new condition.

Bottom Bracket: XTR '02
Brake Levers: XTR '02
Rear Brakes: XTR '02
Front Brakes: XTR '02
Cables: XTR '02
Cassette: Ultegra
Chain: Sram PC89
Crankset: XTR '02 or Race Face LP
Derlr (Front) XTR '02
Derlr (Rear) XTR '02
Fork: Skareb Super 100mm '04
Frame Titus Racer X
Handlebar: Easton EC70
Headset: Chris King
Pedals: Crank Bros Egg Beater S
Seat Apside Ti
Seatpost: Thompson
Shifters: XTR M952 w/o Display
Stem: Syntace F99
Tire (Front) Python Air Light
Tire (Rear): Python Air Light
Tubes: Latex
Wheelset: Mavic Crossmax

Given this build what would you change off the bat to help on the weight side of things. Utlimately I would like to go back to a Sram drivetrain. Would I be better served to do so now and sell of my current parts or should I wait to switch to Sram stuff until later down the trail?

All your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks a ton...Sam
 
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#2 ·
Not sure I would change a Damn thing!

I tell you what, all of your parts listed look like they fit the build you are looking for.
The only thing I would "consider" changing (and I don't know the weight of yours) is your wheelset.

I bet the wheelset is a bit heavy, would consider getting a custom build to be much lighter.

Since I had a positive part in your decision here are my final specs: I finished putting the cables on last night, heading to the shop after work to get the star nut pressed in the fork, mount some tires and cut the brake cable and should be out for a ride this weekend:

Bottom Bracket: 04 FSA Platinum Ti ISIS
Brakes: 04 Hope Mono Minis
Shifter Cables: Avid Full jackets
Cassette: Shimano XT 11-32
Chain: Sram PC99
Crankset: 04 SRAM Carbon Teams
Derlr (Front) XT
Derlr (Rear) Sram XO
Fork: 04 Fox F100RLT
Frame Titus Racer X100
Handlebar: Maxm Riser
Headset: Chris King
Pedals: Crank Bros Egg Beater S
Seat Flite TT (SLR when I can get one for less than $40)
Seatpost: Maxm
Shifters: Sram XO
Stem: Titec Ti
Tire (Front) IRC Serac's (Nokon NBX Lite 2.1's when the become available)
Tubes: Latex
Wheelset: King ISO, Mavic 3.1ust rims, Sapim CX-Ray spokes, Alloy Nipples)

Funny thing is the components are pretty much top of the line, but the bike will end up being heavy for me.......guessing about 24.5lbs

KMan
Post a review of how it rides when you get some time in on it!

Tsunami said:
Just finished ordering a Racer 100x ano blue w/ swinger 3 way over lunch...now the wait, thanks to Kman for helping me see the light and not order a Blur.

So as I day dream about my first ride I need to get down to the business of build kit. I would like to utilize what I can of the existing parts with the intention of updating at a later date with the exception of seatpost, front deraileur and bottom braket which are more frame specific. My goal is two fold durable yet light.

The following are the components available to me from my current bike, minus the fork, all are in nearly new condition.

Bottom Bracket: XTR '02
Brake Levers: XTR '02
Rear Brakes: XTR '02
Front Brakes: XTR '02
Cables: XTR '02
Cassette: Ultegra
Chain: Sram PC89
Crankset: XTR '02 or Race Face LP
Derlr (Front) XTR '02
Derlr (Rear) XTR '02
Fork: Skareb Super 100mm '04
Frame Titus Racer X
Handlebar: Easton EC70
Headset: Chris King
Pedals: Crank Bros Egg Beater S
Seat Apside Ti
Seatpost: Thompson
Shifters: XTR M952 w/o Display
Stem: Syntace F99
Tire (Front) Python Air Light
Tire (Rear): Python Air Light
Tubes: Latex
Wheelset: Mavic Crossmax

Given this build what would you change off the bat to help on the weight side of things. Utlimately I would like to go back to a Sram drivetrain. Would I be better served to do so now and sell of my current parts or should I wait to switch to Sram stuff until later down the trail?

All your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks a ton...Sam
 
#3 ·
Tsunami said:
Given this build what would you change off the bat to help on the weight side of things. Utlimately I would like to go back to a Sram drivetrain. Would I be better served to do so now and sell of my current parts or should I wait to switch to Sram stuff until later down the trail?

All your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks a ton...Sam
Unless you are unhappy with any of the above parts, I would say that I'd agree with KMan. There is no other place on your bike that could save you a noticeable amount of weight except your tires and wheels. If you are riding Seracs--especially if they are the UST version--you might look into other options (as I see you're already considering the NBXs). Looks like it will be a great bike! Post pics for us when it's done...
 
#4 ·
I recently ordered a Ti Racer-X 100 and it's about 4 weeks away, so I can relate with your agony.

When spec'ing my bike, I was also looking for durability and lightweight. Here's what I went with:

Bottom Bracket: FSA Platinum Pro Ti ISIS
Brakes Levers: Hope Mono Mini
Cables: SRAM
Cassette: SRAM PG-990 11-32
Chain: SRAM PC99
Crankset: FSA Carbon Pro Team
Derlr (Front) XTR
Derlr (Rear) SRAM XO (med cage)
Fork: Fox F100X
Frame Titus Racer X 100, Ti
Handlebar: Easton EC70 MonkeyLite XC
Headset: Chris King
Pedals: Shimano 959
Seat SLR
Seatpost: Maxm MX-27
Shifters: SRAM XO
Stem: FSA XC-115
Tire (Front) Python Air Light
Tire (Rear): Python Air Light
Tubes: 1.5-1.9
Wheelset: King ISO laced to Mavic 717 with DT Supercomps

Using *real* weights, I've calculated the bike to be close to 24.5 - 25.0 lbs, which isn't too bad considering it's a 100mm FS-XC bike.
 
#5 ·
It will definitely be worth the wait. Looks like a nice build. A few comments though. You should seriously consider going to disc. Once you try them, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. They allow you to rider faster with more control. There are plenty of lightweight options with the Magura Martas (my choice), Hope Mono Minis, Forumlas ect. It's a miniumal weight gain over XTR levers and brakes. I'm not too keen on the Mavic wheels. They just didn't hold up well for me at all. The low spoke count and fancy proprietary parts don't help either. I'm a big fan of handbuilt 32 hole Chris King wheels. I really like the M95x series XTR cranks. You might be able to loose a few grams if you can find an older M950 needle bearing bb. These are about 185g and last forever if installed properly. For the RX, you'll want a 112.5mm (and no spacers). You could loose a few more grams with a Maxm handlebar. I understand new frame, new brakes, new wheels and new parts add up to a lot $$$$ though and you'll have a sweeeeet ride as it is. Definitely post pics and ride report when you get it.
 
#6 ·
Homebrew said:
It will definitely be worth the wait. Looks like a nice build. A few comments though. You should seriously consider going to disc. Once you try them, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. They allow you to rider faster with more control. There are plenty of lightweight options with the Magura Martas (my choice), Hope Mono Minis, Forumlas ect. It's a miniumal weight gain over XTR levers and brakes. I'm not too keen on the Mavic wheels. They just didn't hold up well for me at all. The low spoke count and fancy proprietary parts don't help either. I'm a big fan of handbuilt 32 hole Chris King wheels. I really like the M95x series XTR cranks. You might be able to loose a few grams if you can find an older M950 needle bearing bb. These are about 185g and last forever if installed properly. For the RX, you'll want a 112.5mm (and no spacers). You could loose a few more grams with a Maxm handlebar. I understand new frame, new brakes, new wheels and new parts add up to a lot $$$$ though and you'll have a sweeeeet ride as it is. Definitely post pics and ride report when you get it.
I agree 100%....I've been racing on discs for ~6-7 yrs and have gone through numerous brakes: 2 sets of Hope C2 Pros, Hope Minis, Hope Mono Minis (currently using), Formula B4s, Formula B4 SLs, Formula B4 SL+ (currently using) and Shimano XTR/XT. I'm just a disc brake junky! Once you go discs, you'll never go back. The feel, the modulation, the power, the control in nasty conditions, etc. make discs so much nicer than V's.

I also agree about the Mavic wheels. I had the original set of Crossmax wheels and had several issues with them. These issues taught me a valuable lesson: go with a set of custom built wheels over system wheels. Custom wheels are (generally) cheaper, lighter, easier to replace broken spokes, etc.

Yes, Crossmax wheels do look very, very nice, but that's about the only positive I'll give them. I've seen way too many busted spokes, trashed rims, etc. on Crossmax (which could happen to a custom wheel, too), but the cost, wait, etc., associated with replacing a Crossmax spoke and rim just aren't worth it, IMHO.

Personally, I'm going with a set of King ISO hubs laced to Mavic 717 rims with DT Supercomp spokes, as built by Mike Garcia at OddsandEndos.com. Not the lightest build, but I'm looking for something reasonably light (these will be less than 1650g/set -- actual weight) and will be durable. Plus, spokes, rims, etc., are readily available at any LBS at a fraction of the cost.
 
#7 · (Edited)
What made you change your mind about the Blur?

Tsunami said:
thanks to Kman for helping me see the light and not order a Blur.
I'm trying to decide between the same two bikes (RX100 vs. Blur). I remember that after your initial test rides, you preferred the ride of the Blur. What changed your mind? Did you get a chance to ride the RX100 with a larger volume shock?
 
#8 ·
Originally I was not very impressed with the ride of the Racer X and I have come to realize this was due in large part because of the shock, standard fox, and it being poorly setup. Thanks to Kman’s questioning my original impressions I decided to seek additional opinions and an opportunity for another ride on a spv equipped Racer X. Unfortunately I was unable to find a Racer X to ride. But I came to my conclusion as follows.

My test ride impressions:

First I loved the stiffness of the Racer X and was somewhat discouraged by the loose feel of the Blur’s rear end when I really putting the screws to it.

However I was disappointed when I was unable to utilize all of the Racer X’s travel which was suddenly relegating it to a “long travel soft tail” with the weight penalty of added pivots. The Blur on the other hand was a plush bike that gave me the impression that you would never use all the travel just because there was so much back there. This observation alone had me ruling out the X. After all if I was going to jump into the Full suspension world I wanted all the benefits.

When Kman questioned me on why I was no longer considering the X, which has been my dream bike for sometime, it got me to thinking about the two frames in great depth. It became more obvious that my major disappoint in the Racer X was not in the frame design but simply the spec’d shock. Several X/Hammerhead riders have posted on the marketed improvements in suspension usability and characteristics upon installing an spv, propedal, or PUSHed shock. Which to me was the only missing link on the X I road. This also led me to question my choosing a Blur which raised a few more concerns.

The Blur was a great bike but a Racing platform it was not. Instead it is a trail bike that can be raced evident in the geometry and overall bike feel. The Racer X on the other hand is a thoroughbred and I knew deep down I wanted a bike that was fast first and plush second.

Secondly, I was not impressed by tire clearance on the Blur nor the mud buildup issues on the rear pivots. I do not ride a lot in the mud but when I do it is thick and sticky which reportedly is not very friendly to the Blur rider. Note my concern was not so much with pivot durability but with sheer ride ability is such conditions, plus not a big fan of those DIY fenders.

Thirdly from a fit aspect the X just fits better. Now I could have made the Blur work but it would have meant tweaking with stem and saddle positions that are at the extremes of the spectrum.

Last there was something about riding a Titus that just kept calling my name. To me the name represent great people and great bikes, as does Santa Cruz, but to top it off it is a little more exotic than the Santa Cruz in these parts.

All said both bike are great, but I think the Titus is going to better serve my needs and desires. Plus it has been an itch for a long time and I needed to scratch it.

80’s yesterday…30’s and snowing today…great day for a ride if you ask a Montanan.

Choosing a new ride is the fun part waiting is what sucks….

Sam
 
#9 ·
I'm going to try and take mine out tomorrow..I'll post a brief review

Well thought out purchase.
I need to finish up a few small items tonight and should be able to take the RX100 on tomorrows ride. If I do, I will follow-up on this thread with a brief description of the ride with the Swinger 3-way.

KMan
 
#10 · (Edited)
Good choice! I did a full review of the RacerX before purchasing one and I was very outspoken about how I loved the stiffness of the frame and overall balance of the ride compared to any other FS bike I had ever ridden. I was also very outspoken about how disappointed I was with the lack of plush feel with the Fox shock. For me, there is no reason to buy an FS bike if you can't run it plush AND get good power transfer without excessive bobbing. The X had the bobbing part down, but seriously lacked the plush ride even of my then current, modified Giant NRS (100mm rocker arms with stock SID shock). I still purchased the RacerX because--despite this issue--it was still one of the most solid and best balanced bikes (hardtail or FS) that I'd ever ridden, but I was never 100% satisfied with it for this very reason.

I even talked to Titus about this and asked them how it might ride with a different shock. They were very insistent at the time that the Fox was the best shock for the bike. In the end, I think that I was right because PedalAZ posted a ride report only a few months later stating that he had ridden a new "prototype" RacerX that featured the new Manitou shock that we all know now is the current SPV 3-Way that you can purchase with an X today. He had commented on how much smoother and plusher he felt the ride was, yet he never mentioned that any of the positive characteristics of the frame had been altered in the slightest...

Glad to see that the Manitou (and the 5th Element that inspired it), and the new Pro-Pedal Fox shocks, are now standard choices for this great frame.
 
#11 ·
Tsunami said:
The Blur on the other hand was a plush bike that gave me the impression that you would never use all the travel just because there was so much back there. This observation alone had me ruling out the X.
Thanks for the info. It sounds like you've given this as much thought as I have. However, it does sound like we are looking at these two bikes from opposite directions. It sounds like you are looking for a race bike that can be trail ridden. I''m looking for a trail bike that can be raced. With that in mind, I'm having a hard time shaking the idea that I might really like the additional plushness of the Blur.

How would you compare the pedaling performance of the two bikes? Did you think the Blur pedaled as well as the RX? In reading the reviews of the Blur, this has been the hardest thing to put into perspective. Most all rave about how "efficient" the Blur feels. But, I'm not sure if this really should be qualified with "for a bike that feels this plush" (i.e. has 4.5" of travel), or if it really can go head to head with shorter travel bikes like the RX during a standing sprint. What was your take on this?

Well, thanks again for the info. I hope you enjoy your new bike!
 
#12 ·
Regarding the efficiency of the Blur vs. Racer X I think some of the raving about the Blur is attributed to the fact when the suspension is working it feels like a 6+ travel bike however under power it pedals like a short travel bike.

I guess my point is if it did not feel so plush in the back I think people would feel as though it was no more efficient than the current bread of XC FS bikes. Do not be fooled into thinking the VPP design pedal sans BOB if this were 100% true people would not be specing SPV shocks. Some would argue that experienced BOB on the VPP is do in large part to setup as they are designed to sag 30%+ in their travel. Many people have used conventional sag rule of 15% and experience increased shock movement however properly setup movement is still there be it reduced. This said a minimum amount of movement is necessary as that is what gives you a good tracking rear end that bites into the trail better than the Hardtail.

All said hands down in my opinion the X is going to be the fastest of the two when it comes to a pedaling course/trail. The Blur would certainly have the edge if you found yourself DHing more than climbing. However my thought is that with a properly setup SPV shock I should be able to bridge the gap between the two bikes and suddenly I have the pedaling speed/efficiency of the X with a more compliant rear end that can now compete with the Blur type plushness. On the other hand I do not see the Blur being as easily manipulated to match the X’s characteristics, as it was designed with trail riding first and foremost and the geometry is not consistent with a fast handling race oriented bike.

I think it is important to note too that one of the most talked about and loved bikes on these forums is the HH 100x which was clearly designed to be trail bike first and yet it is in essence an X with some straight gage tubing and ability to handle more travel in the front. That alone tells me the X can handle both avenues equally well. Additionally, I would suggest that you look at what genres your other bike cover and try not to double up. More specifically, if I am right, you have a Turner XCE which can is a very capable trail bike that is known for its plushness. Further you have mentioned having the funds available to keep it and get a second bike. Under these circumstances I would hands down pick the X and build it with racing in mind. Reality is if you buy another trail bike that is raceable you will be wondering what the other side of the fence is like.

When it is all said and done…winning a race comes down to the motor inside. I have been beaten by guys with equipment that was a joke and have beaten guys with bikes that only I would dream of.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes…Sam
 
#13 ·
Discs it is

Well I have been rolling the v's or dics question in my head for sometime and today I called and requested the bossless rear end on my X....guess that means I am going disc.

Much of my decision came down to the fact I really want to have no regrets with this bike as I am already loosing the battle with the SO. If only she understood my needs :D ...actually my SO is my biggest fan.

That said as I am playing the weight game, looks like I am going to go with either the Marta's or the Formulas with the nod most likely going to the Martas. I used to ride the HS-33 rim Hydros. and loved them.

Thanks for smacking some sense in to me :D
 
#14 ·
Good choice...

after switching from v-s to disc a few years back I have always said to myself and others that I would always use disc brakes - even if my trail conditions were always bone dry. Disc just have better power, modulation and take less effort to squeeze so in the long run your hands feel fresher. They are a bit heavier than V's but worth the penalty in my mind. Funny thing is every person I know that has switched to disc says it was a good move from V's. I have yet to meet a person that has switched to disc and regretted it.

KMan
 
#15 ·
Tsunami said:
Well I have been rolling the v's or dics question in my head for sometime and today I called and requested the bossless rear end on my X....guess that means I am going disc.

Much of my decision came down to the fact I really want to have no regrets with this bike as I am already loosing the battle with the SO. If only she understood my needs :D ...actually my SO is my biggest fan.

That said as I am playing the weight game, looks like I am going to go with either the Marta's or the Formulas with the nod most likely going to the Martas. I used to ride the HS-33 rim Hydros. and loved them.

Thanks for smacking some sense in to me :D
You won't regret it. I love my discs and can't imagine not using them.

As for Magura vs Formula, I love my Formulas. I was also a long-time Magura Raceline D rider, so I can appreciate your comments about sticking with Magura.

The Formulas have the best modulation of any brake I've owned/tried...and I've owned/tried a lot of brakes.

I've never ridden on set of Magura Martas, but they do get great reviews. But, a buddy of mine (FritZman) had problems with his Martas and ultimately, gave up on them. He couldn't get over the pumping-up issues and unpredictability the brakes suffered.

Each company backs their brakes with some of the best customer service in the Biz, so you should be OK either way.

With each ride, I'm becoming more and more impressed with the Hope Mono Minis. They are becoming more and more powerful with each ride...truly 1 finger. In typical Hope style, the brakes are beautifully CNC'd and built-to-last and only 770g/set.
 
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