My 1st build - Yeti ARC (picture and details)

newbie_biker

Yeti ARC

Chris King headset (with lifetime warranty)
Salsa seat clamp
Thomson Seatpost
Shimano XT bottom bracket
Weight = 1.5kg

wowtaylor

I like the way the seat stays and chain stays are made.

paulneenan76

This was a great choice. A very nice and light XC frame. Get some nice 100mm SIDS or Rebas on it and your laughing. Will be very good for your local area.

Happy building.

Paul

newbie_biker

Here is the donor bike which is a 2009 Boardman HT Team, everything on it is like new and I picked it up for £400. Once the parts have been taken off and put on the Yeti I want to sell the frame and try make a little money back.



Parts that will be donated to the Yeti are:

Rock Shox Reba SL forks
SRAM X7 rear mechs
SRAM X7 front mech (3 X 9)
SRAM X7 Shifters
Avid Juicy 5 brakes
Ritchey Pro Handlebars
Ritchey Pro Hoops
Carbon fibre bottlecage

Hopefully I will be picking up a new saddle soon and changing the tyres to a pair of Scawalbe Racing Ralph.

Tintin rize

Look like a good job mate

paulneenan76

Blimey pedalworks are better than i would expect - Free frame build/swop - you lucky man.

I'm not knocking your build but personally, I would have ridden the Boardman for a while and eased myself back in to riding again (unless the Boardman doesn't fit or the frame is damaged of course) as its a good frame with good spec.
Each to their own of course

Oh and the only poor review I ever saw on the 456 was MBUK'S, which was confused and contradicted their previous review. Incidentally, you've purchased an XC hardtail and an XC hardtail frame (though it is slack), whereas the 456 you previously considered is something different altogether.

I look forward to seeing it built and seeing you out on the trails soon. Charge spoon and On Ones big nose are great saddles under £30. Not sure the Ralph's would be my 1st choice for the conditions you'll be riding though.

Paul

newbie_biker

paulneenan76 wrote:

Blimey pedalworks are better than i would expect - Free frame build/swop - you lucky man.

I'm not knocking your build but personally, I would have ridden the Boardman for a while and eased myself back in to riding again (unless the Boardman doesn't fit or the frame is damaged of course) as its a good frame with good spec.

I look forward to seeing it built and seeing you out on the trails soon. Charge spoon and On Ones big nose are great saddles under £30. Not sure the Ralph's would be my 1st choice for the conditions you'll be riding though.

Paul

Yeah, they are top lads. Very helpful and and easy to talk to.

I am riding the Boardman until payment for the Yeti is finished, then I will move the parts over. Personally, I don't see the need to stockpile a bunch of parts for it, It also gives some more time to look around and consider other options.

Someone else recommended the Charge Spoon as well as yourself so I'm going to look into it, I'm not completely sold on the Ralphs yet, there are other choices and I'm also considering the Nobby Nic, Rocket Ron and Maxxis Swamp thing tyres. There are so many to choose from it just boggles the mind!

supersonic

Interestingly the Boardman may be no heavier a frame ;-)

newbie_biker

supersonic wrote:

Interestingly the Boardman may be no heavier a frame ;-)

Maybe, but I'm still going to stick with my Yeti, it's more exclusive than the Boardman. Lots of people have had Boardmans here but how many can claim they have a Yeti?

Btw Super, loving the stealth looking Zaskar. How much did that set you back?

Chunkers1980

Is that something you really want to claim?

How they ride is a much more important.

Still you do have a CK headset, that'll make it ride much better.

newbie_biker

Chunkers1980 wrote:

Is that something you really want to claim?

How they ride is a much more important.

Still you do have a CK headset, that'll make it ride much better.

Hopefully at the end of it all it should be a great ride, the CK headset is just one aspect of the ride and I need to make sure it doesn't have the little niggles the Boardman came with like sticky brakes which decreased roll, the dropouts at the back didn't feel aligned and going to have the cables looked at to make sure it shifts efficiently. Still, nothing seems to be corroded or worn out on the Boardman and almost every single part looks new so can't complain.

Anonymous

Nice Yeti defo has potential

newbie_biker

raceface gt wrote:

Nice Yeti defo has potential

Thanks man. Your Spesh is very nice btw, I'm sure that colour turns heads.

newbie_biker

Been thinking about what I want to upgrade once all the parts have been fitted to the Yeti and I decided some nice rims are going to be next, luckily everything on the Boardman I purchased is in good condition so I pretty sure I can sell the existing rims.

These are what I have my eye on next.



Hope Pro 2/Mavic XM719

cat_with_no_tail

Why on earth would you want to put such heavy wheels on a (relatively) lightweight XC frame?

You know those wheels will probably be much the same weight as the ones you're taking off the boardman right? If not a bit heavier.

I absolutely love the fact that it seems like you have decided that the best way to fix a few teething problems with the Boardman is to get a heavier frame and heavier wheels. I'd not say that an alloy frames HT Yeti is any more "exclusive" than a boardman. It's certainly more expensive though.

WindyG

Is this build based on looks or performance?

newbie_biker

Cat With No Tail wrote:

Why on earth would you want to put such heavy wheels on a (relatively) lightweight XC frame?

You know those wheels will probably be much the same weight as the ones you're taking off the boardman right? If not a bit heavier.

I absolutely love the fact that it seems like you have decided that the best way to fix a few teething problems with the Boardman is to get a heavier frame and heavier wheels. I'd not say that an alloy frames HT Yeti is any more "exclusive" than a boardman. It's certainly more expensive though.

Well I've been told it's my last day and after today I'm going to get laid off so I'm going to have to dock this showboat, I'll come back and chat to ya'all after I've wallowed in some self pity.

paulneenan76

That's terrible news. Best of luck.

cat_with_no_tail

On the bright side, the Boardman is the better bike anyway.

70\ʹspenguin

Cat With No Tail wrote:

On the bright side, the Boardman is the better bike anyway.

Im not sure about "better" but its certainly not worth the upgrade. Im sorry about the job. If you can take the yeti back to the shop then do so. Providing all is ok with the boardman, you have a perfectly capable bike. They may be from halfords but they are superb. Ive ridden the pro ht and couldnt believe how nice it was. The yeti is basically swapping like for like. It gives you no advantage over the boardman really aside from a more desirable name (debatable). The geometry means you dont have any more scope to play around with suspension like you would with the 456, for example.

Reading up on basic maintenance will fix your sticking callipers and cables.

Oh and as for the CK headset......only buy that shit when you have nothing left to upgrade on your bike and are simply desperate to spend cash on it as there is nothing else to get!

Something like this http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/HSFSOMX/fsa ... mx_headset would have been perfect at a fraction of the cost.

I hope things turn out ok for you. Best of luck.

newbie_biker

Thank you everyone for your kind words, I felt very crappy about things yesterday but starting to think maybe it's not so bad anyway. Now I'll have to upgrade the parts on my Boardman when I really need to.

70\'sPenguin wrote:

If you can take the yeti back to the shop then do so. Providing all is ok with the boardman, you have a perfectly capable bike. They may be from halfords but they are superb.

Oh and as for the CK headset......only buy that shoot when you have nothing left to upgrade on your bike and are simply desperate to spend cash on it as there is nothing else to get!

Something like this http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/HSFSOMX/fsa ... mx_headset would have been perfect at a fraction of the cost.

I hope things turn out ok for you. Best of luck.

Thanks Penguin. I can get my money back for the Yeti and the Boardman is in excellent condition with no major defects to compain about, only those little very minor things I illustrated earlier.

The CK came as standard on the Yeti and Boardman has a FSA one similar to that which you provided a link to. I have bought a Charge Spoon saddle since the Boardman saddle has caused me a great deal of pain.

paulneenan76

The number 1 thing about mountain biking isn't upgrading, buying bling and worthless bits you don't need, or trying to get something better than what others have got or grand plans for a bike build or swop. Those things are in no way as important as actually riding the thing!! Getting fitter, exploring your local trails, meeting new like-minded people on group rides, improving your skills to increase your enjoyment, are the basis of what it's all about.

So you can't build up a Yeti - you've got a nice Boardman, at a nice price, and it'll be more bike than you will need for a fair while.

Get out and enjoy what you've got and you'll soon forget about the other stuff.

Good luck on the trails and in finding a new role.

newbie_biker

paulneenan76 wrote:

Good luck on the trails and in finding a new role.

Thank you Paul.

I'm kinda happy I've been liberated from that old job, I bent over backwards for those guys which they never seemed to acknowledge. I recently took the steps to start a new project to help my local community, I have had severe Epilepsy for 16 years and there isn't any support/awareness groups in or around my area so I met with a representative from a national charity called Epilepsy Action after being hospitalized on threes seperate occasions this past August and hopefully will be starting the first group here in Luton.

It means now I can finally channel my energy into something I'm passionate about.

The bike was mainly to keep in shape and also a mode of transport since I got license revoked in 2010 after I was hospitalized and DVLA said I was a danger to myself and others on the road.

When I made the decision of purchasing the Boardman I had no intention of upgrading but I don't know, somehow things just got a bit out of control lol. We're all on here because we're addicted to bikes don't forget so I'm sure others have been down that same road!

Overall, it is what it is.

supersonic

newbie_biker wrote:

supersonic wrote:

Interestingly the Boardman may be no heavier a frame ;-)

Maybe, but I'm still going to stick with my Yeti, it's more exclusive than the Boardman. Lots of people have had Boardmans here but how many can claim they have a Yeti?

Btw Super, loving the stealth looking Zaskar. How much did that set you back?

Bought the Zaskar frame in 2008 for £600, which at the time was as cheap as carbon got really.