“Do-It-All” Bike Build Guide
Brakes
Brake choice for your “do-it-all†bike shouldn’t be as difficult as some of your other part choices. The brake you’ll want to select should have enough power and modulation for the riding you’ll be doing without going over budget or sacrificing performance. Many of the mid-level products offered on the market today work very well in a wide range of conditions and should be very good at delivering top performance in most situations.
When selecting your brakes you’ll want to make sure you pick a suitable rotor package that gives you the best modulation, cooling, and weight that you’re after. Most riders will opt for a larger 203mm or 180mm disc up front with a smaller disc in the rear. Discussing this decision in detail is beyond the scope of this article but we’d be happy to talk about the topic in our forums.
- Avid Juicy 7 – The Avid Juicy series is a great all-around brake with some great features. The Juicy Seven is a proven product and would be our preferred pick from Avid for a “do-it-all” bike. If you are on a budget the Juicy 5 should be able to handle itself well.
Formula K24 – The Formula K24 is one of our favorite brakes. With excellent modulation and lever feel as well as light weight the K24 is hard to beat. It has more than enough power for serious downhill use as well as lighter trail use.
- Hope Mono M4 – The venerable Mono M4 from Hope is a great brake with good stopping power. 4 piston caliper and positive lever feel with very minimal brake fade make this product a top choice by many riders.
- Shimano Saint - Shimano’s Saint brake is a great brake for the money. The brakes have plenty of power and offer great modulation. They don’t weigh a lot and won’t empty your wallet either.
Cockpit
The cockpit of your bike is one of the most personally specific areas on your bike. Everyone has different preferences in regards to length, width, depth, and feel of what the cockpit should be like. You’ll want to assess the type of riding you’ll be doing in order to decide which parts will work out for you best in most situations and can be easily adjusted if need be for different types of riding.
Grips
We suggest running lock-on grips for builds due to their ease and installation and removal as well as their non-slip grip on the bar. Most grips have a slight bit of a difference in their feel between lock-on and non-lock-on versions. Be sure to use a grip that you’re comfortable with that offers the gripping diameter and texture you desire.
- ODI Rogue Lock-on – the Rogue is an ODI product that is heavily purchased. It has a larger diameter which works well for bigger hands and is decently cushioned. It can be found as a lock-on version or standard.
- ODI Ruffian Lock-on – the Ruffian is a widely used product with lots of grip. It has a thinner diameter that many grips on the market and can be found in lock-on or standard.
Oury Lock-on – Oury’s grip has been around for quite some time. It has a meaty grip pattern and a medium diameter thickness. Oury grips can be found at just about any shop and come in various colors. You can get them in lock-on or standard configuration.
Handlebar
When selecting a handlebar some of your biggest concerns will be selecting the correct bar rise, sweep, and width. By selecting a rise that isn’t too low you’ll be able to have more control over the front end. Width is an important concern. These days many riders are trying to get their bars as wide as possible. For riders with smaller width shoulders some trimming may need to done for the correct width. In general a wider width bar will allow for a more stable platform and more leverage.
- Easton EA70 – The EA70 has a very dependable history and low weight. With low, mid, and high rises in both 25.4 and 31.8mm diameter, the EA70 can work for just about anybody.
Syncros Bulk – The Bulk is available in a white or black finish made from either 7075 or 2014 aluminum. 20mm and 40mm rises are available but a 31.8mm clamp size is your only option.
- Truvativ Team – The Team is Truvativ’s top of the line OS aluminum riser bar. Coming in at a relatively low weight and available in multiple widths (640, 680, 710mm) and rises (25, 35, 50mm) the Team is an easy choice.
Headset
When selecting a headset you’ll want to pick a model with features that will make it last and perform at its best. Sealed bearings and rubber o-rings help keep the grit and grime out of your headset and deteriorating performance. Some headsets offer deeper cups in order to prevent headset ovalization but can be harder to remove or require frame preparation and are often not really necessary.
Chris King – Does anything even need to be said about this headset? Tried and true, it is a proven headset. King offers a great warranty, smooth bearings, they’re the benchmark for headsets.
- FSA Pig DH Pro - this is one of the most heavily purchased heavy duty headsets on the market. It works well and is very affordable. The weight isn’t as nice as other options but you can’t have everything at this price.
- Hope - Hope’s headset features rubber sealed stainless steel cartridge type bearings and uses additional o-ring seals in the cups. This headset comes with the Head Doctor in order to do away with the normal star nut.
Saddle
Saddle selection is a very personal choice. Everyone is shaped a little different when it comes to that end of the world. The best suggestion is try to sit on as many saddles as you can to see what you think feels best.
- Funn SkinnyRL – Funn’s Skinny RL has some different colorways that make it stand out from the crowd. With 7mm CroMo rails and Funn FX material the Skinny RL is going to be strong and durable.
SDG I Beam Bel Air SL – SDG’s I Beam system is loved by many riders. Its incredible adjustibility and relative low weight and cost make it a great choice. The Bel Air has ample padding and a nice shape. If you’re interested in getting the cushiest ride the ST model has more padding and the FX version is designed to add more flex to the saddle.
- WTB Laser V – WTB’s saddles are some of the best on the market. The Laser V has the traditional shape many are used to with a less expensive price tag than the Rocket V.
Seatpost
Seatpost selection should be a pretty easy choice. Most seatposts work fairly well and offer ample adjustibility. Getting a seatpost that you can adjust to a proper angle easily can sometimes be difficult. Two bolt designed seatposts are recommended.
- Easton Havoc – The Havoc is Easton’s Freeride and All-Mountain oriented seatpost with the ability to secure 7 and 8mm saddle rails. Ranging in size from 27.2 to 31.6mm with 10mm offset and 7075 construction, the Havoc is a saddle ready for most situations.
SDG I Beam – The I Beam system is one of, if not, the most adjustable saddle and seatpost combinations on the market. Made from 2014 aluminum in a range of sizes from 25.4mm to 31.8mm the I Beam seatpost is a nice choice with a great price tag.
- Thomson Elite – This is the defacto seatpost for those that want one of the best on the market. Great clamp design, lightweight yet very strong, tons of precision adjustibility, and 100% American made.
Seatpost collar
For your seatpost collar choice you’ll want to decide how often you’ll be changing your seatpost height. Highly versatile rigs will want to have a QR in order to lower or raise the seatpost for the proper amount of leg extension. Bolt type seatpost collars are sleeker and weigh less but you’ll lose the ease of adjustibility.
QR
DKG fliplock – The DKG is a slick looking QR with a great pedigree. I like the version from DKG vs Salsa’s because it doesn’t have logo’s all over it. It is available in a large range of sizes with black and silver colorways.
- Hope – Hope’s QR is well designed and functions perfectly. If you’re looking for color matching opportunities the Hope is your ticket with a rainbow of possibilities. It is available in a range of sizes and is easy to purchase.
Bolt
- Hope – For those that don’t want a QR but still like clean design with color options.
Problem Solver – Cheap and unobtrusive, the Problem solver clamp will get the job done.
- Woodman Deathgrip – Forged construction and color options abound, the Deathgrip is a nice seatpost clamp.
Stem
There are many quality stem choices available on the market. Many manufacturers have various angles and lengths for each model they sell. How tall and how long your stem is can greatly effect how your bike handles. Consulting some bike fit documentation should give you a good gauge on the specifications of the stem you should choose.
- Race Face Diabolus – The highly regarded Diabolus stem is built to be used rough. Available in 25.4mm and 31.8mm handlebar clamp with 1 1/8th and 1.5†steerer options the Diabolus has many possibilities.
Thomson Elite – Thomson offers a large range of lengths and rises as well as 25.4 and 31.8mm clamp sizes. The one piece design and the myriad of other technical features makes choosing Thomson an easy decision.
- Truvativ Holzfeller – Truvativ’s top stem has great features like CNC’d construction to keep the weight down and burly looks. You can get the stem for 1 1/8th or 1.5†steerer tubes but only 31.8mm clamp diameter.
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