The C Files: Calgary Cycle Custom Builds - Episode 1

Here at Calgary Cycle one of our favorite things to do (other than riding, hanging out & drinking beer of course!) has got to be building tricked-out custom bikes! Rarely do we sell a stock bike right off of the floor; We’re always happy to accommodate changes, part swaps and any kind of customization that our customers desire. We do pride ourselves on having the ability to conceive and produce some seriously whizzy & cool custom rides and we wanted to share that with the Pinkbike community. I’m sure that all of you out there, regardless of whether you ride a DH, DJ, FR, AM or XC bike can appreciate a stellar build when you see one!

This is a story of what we do here at Calgary Cycle, read on to find out all about our 2009 Ibis Mojo SL custom build and to find out how you can vote on what our next custom build will be.It’s about that time of year around the shop where things are a little slow and we find ourselves sick and tired of stocking shelves, sweeping the floors and twiddling our thumbs… We’ve watched the entire Earthed Series, all of the Collective films and NWD 1-9 and we’re itchin’ to do something fun!

It’s also about that time of the year when I need to start thinking about what I’ll be riding for the upcoming season. I knew that I wanted a lightweight All Mountain machine that I could ride the snot out of and be confident with the build- the logical choice was the 2009 Ibis Mojo SL. With the frame sporting a Fox RP23 and weighing in an impressive 5.29lbs I knew that this was definitely a quality choice. So I called up my good buddies down at Ibis and they sent a Large SL, equipped with the new Lopes link and some sweet blue ano hardware.



Working in a shop definitely has its perks when it comes to sourcing bits and pieces for your new bike and I was fortunate enough to get my hands on some killer parts like the 2009 Fox 32 Float 15mmQR, the brand spankin’ new Chris King MTB BB and a set of Avid Juicy Ultimates in white! The icing on the cake came when the good folks at Industry Nine sorted me out with a custom Enduro Wheelset built on DT XRC330 carbon rims! Not only are they the stiffest, smoothest and radest wheelset out there- they are also purple…and kids, in case you haven’t heard- “purple is the new black”.


Keeping with the carbon theme I picked out the Shimano XTR Shadow rear derailleur (comes with a carbon cage), an Easton Monkeylite SL OS bar and the Fizik Aliante saddle with a carbon shell and carbon wrapped rails. For all of you skeptics out there who haven’t quite warmed up to the idea of carbon taking over the Mountain Bike world, it’s time to step into 2009 where carbon is becoming the new standard for AM and XC, even Jet fighters and Formula1 cars are made out of this stuff! Soon, it may even be the prominent material in making the DH rigs that win World Cups!


I gathered up other various XTR bits including a crankset, shifters, front derailleur, chain and cassette. The Shimano people have definitely got the XTR grouppo dialed and it’s always my first choice when building a new bike- It’s light, precise and crisp feeling- just how I like it!


I finished the build off with a bombproof Thompson Masterpiece seatpost and X4 stem, some Schwable Rocket Ron Tires, Bontrager Race Xlite tubes and a Gore cable/housing set. For the purpose of the build we used the foam Bontrager Race Xlite grips… but for the purpose of riding functionality I swapped them out to a set of sweet Lizard Skin Peaty Lock-Ons.


I tend to get a little antsy when my new bikes are being built but our boy band-reject mechanic David had it under control. That boy builds a mean bike!


The final touch to the bike was a set of my good ol’ XTR pedals that just keep going and going and going… At last, my dream bike was built! While I was getting my fit done on the new ride I noticed that the handlebar I had originally chosen was too narrow and I opted to swap it out for an Easton Monkeylite OS bar in a 685mm width. The final weight of the SL (with the foam grips and no pedals) was an impressive 22.86 lbs. Add on the pedals and a set of lock ons and you’ve got a final weight of 23.8 lbs. So this bike could have been lighter… but durability and reliability were more of a concern than weight in the end. Being a 185lbs. rider I wanted a bike that would feel solid underneath me as I ripped up the singletrack.


So there you have it folks, my dream build has come to life. Once the snow melts away and the ice disappears I’ll be out on the trails with my new ride. Stay tuned for a mid-season review and my take on how this bike handles the Rockies.


In the meantime, to keep us busy we need you to help us decide on our next custom build for the C Files - Episode 2. Go to calgarycycle.com, check out “The C Files” poll for your chance to pick which bike you’d like to see pimped out. We’re going to be building a full on DH race rig and here’s your choices for frames:

1.2009 Trek Session 88
2.2009 Evil Revolt
3.2009 Santa Cruz V10
4.2009 Yeti 303R

Check back soon for The C Files: Calgary Cycle Custom Builds - Episode 2 which will be airing sometime in Mid-March.

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