[plummet]

For several years now I have been building the ultimate practical one bike rule them all for me and here it is.

What do I mean by "ultimate practical"?
Some parts are competitively priced parts, some where second hand, some I have gone for top shelf.
So it could be more ultimate if I threw a money tree at it. This is the practical cost version.

What is that bike?
The bike is a 2017/18 Rocky Mountain Slayer. Why? its 165mm full carbon reasonably slack and very light.

What is the spec? and why?
Fox 36 factory 180mm
Push 11-6 custom tune with 2 dh tunes. Supper plush supple tune for chasing mountain goat track steep and bike park firmer to take g outs smash burms and trops.
Renthal carbon bar and stem
One up 180mm dropper
XT 11 speed drivetrain and brakes with sunrace 11-50 cassette.
Btlos 32mm inner carbon wheels built to dt swiss 350 hubs
Chinese enzo pedals.
ODI grips.
2.5 minion exo casing max grip front
2.6 specialized purgatory rear.

Weight 13.95kg.

With this bike I can do everything from smash dh runs, punch big gaps to pedal all day pack country epics to hike abike mountain goat tracks to even race the occasional XC (i got third in my division) and do easy rides with the family. Its very light for its travel. Pedals equally as good as a 130mm bikes. Is lively and chuckable yet can handle the jandle in the gnar In some instances it weighs less and pedals better the! Then when i turn the bike down hill..... oh freaken ye freaken ha!! what a machine.


For me this is the ultimate one bike to rule them all. It does everything well. I think key to success of this bike is the fact that its light by comparison to its enduro brothers and has a light wheel set which gives lower rotating weight than a standard enduro build. It can fly with the 130mm of a pedal fest guys and lead the pack down than stupid black run!!!!

Share your ultimate practical build and explain why.

 

[Loll]

I have similar set up of a bike. Under 30 pounds. I used it like a bmx, but also an uphill machine for strava time trial.

I had coil for a while but the propedal lock out comes in handy.

 

[plummet]

I have similar set up of a bike. Under 30 pounds. I used it like a bmx, but also an uphill machine for strava time trial.

I had coil for a while but the propedal lock out comes in handy.

Nice. I refuse to use lock outs or propedal, I typically forget to switch them over on the down.

 

[jay_paradox]

Nice. I refuse to use lock outs or propedal, I typically forget to switch them over on the down.

Same deal for me. I never remember my lockout. Therefore I’ve stopped bothering with using it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[EatsDirt]

I dunno if this is the my ultimate one bike ruler… but I know it’s not holding me back in any regard for trails I prefer to ride.

Patrol
Stout parts

Saddle dropped slightly for dorky photo op.

 

[cookieMonster]

Honestly I don’t think it’s possible for me to have one bike that does it all. If it’s too close to the middle, it’ll be too much bike or too little bike at either end of the spectrum. I’m very happy with just two bikes — a 180mm plow bike and a Kona Honzo ESD.

My ESD is probably the closest I’ve ever had to a do it all bike. I have cleaned all of our rowdiest trails, but I also do 30+ mile backcountry rides on it. Some of the rowdy lines though— I’ve ridden only once on the ESD just to prove to myself that I could do it — but I’m not doing them again, haha. That’s where the other bike comes in. If I wanted to go faster in an XC setting, I’d get a second, carbon wheelset and run 2.3 XC rubber — and it’d be a pretty fast bike for that. I don’t really care about being the fastest on climbs and flats though— so one wheelset with 2.5s or 2.6s does the job for me.

 

[Sanchofula]

I build at least one ultimate practical bike every year, or at least that’s what I tell myself … my wife knows better 😆

 

[Mudguard]

Go little wheels and save some weight.
170mm and 30lbs
Not sure it would win any XC race. Unless I was the only entrant.

 

[Shark]

Good looking bikes.
Bike tech is pretty amazing these days.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[phantoj]

I'm embarrassed to show my bike because it's probably too big for me, and it's probably too much bike, and it probably wasn't ethically sourced...

 

[Mac_89]

I use my Megatower for everything from midweek XC fitness rides to all mountain to park. Geometry is fairly conservative for a modern enduro bike so it feels comfortable riding everywhere and it pedals really well thanks to the linkage design.

Is it the "ultimate practical one bike to rule them all"? Depends on what you like to ride and how you ride. I tend to winch up climbs at my own pace and then bomb the descents, so it's perfect for me.

 

[fuzz_muffin]

2019/2020 slayer 27.5
Big and burly at 180 with DH case tyres. Coil is good fun. I pedal it every everywhere. But no stupid weight for weight sake, e.g. Running a lyrik.

Currently the my only proper MTB right now, had a hardtail for a while that I loved, might go that again too.

Wheelies great, boosts high, plows hard. What more would you want?!

 

[MatLax00]

Nice. I refuse to use lock outs or propedal, I typically forget to switch them over on the down.

That's why you get a shock with a remote, keep the front open and when you feel something's wrong you don't need to stop to unlock the rear.

 

[Sparticus]

I don't have an "only" bike (rather, 2 bikes -- 140 and 163mms) but I just stopped by to say that I won't own a bike with suspension that needs to be locked out. I never -- ever -- lock out my suspension, never want to, never want to need to. With a well designed & executed bike, there's no need to mess with suspension platform switches for going either up or down.

Well, maybe if you're XC racing...
=sParty

 

[NWA_Tre]

I'm embarrassed to show my bike because it's probably too big for me, and it's probably too much bike, and it probably wasn't ethically sourced...

That's ok. You probably don't have a modern-enough riding style, either...

 

[NWA_Tre]

Honestly I don’t think it’s possible for me to have one bike that does it all. If it’s too close to the middle, it’ll be too much bike or too little bike at either end of the spectrum. I’m very happy with just two bikes — a 180mm plow bike and a Kona Honzo ESD.

My ESD is probably the closest I’ve ever had to a do it all bike. I have cleaned all of our rowdiest trails, but I also do 30+ mile backcountry rides on it. Some of the rowdy lines though— I’ve ridden only once on the ESD just to prove to myself that I could do it — but I’m not doing them again, haha. That’s where the other bike comes in. If I wanted to go faster in an XC setting, I’d get a second, carbon wheelset and run 2.3 XC rubber — and it’d be a pretty fast bike for that. I don’t really care about being the fastest on climbs and flats though— so one wheelset with 2.5s or 2.6s does the job for me.
View attachment 1953144

are you at 150mm or less? Zeroing in on the ESD, I think...

 

[TylerVernon]

Mach 6 carbon v3, 155mm/160mm
Manitou Mezzer/Mara Pro/Mcleod
White Industries/Carbonfan 30mm/32mm rims.
2nd Wheelset Dt350/Carbonfan rims
Full XTR 9000, Oneup chainring.
Two water bottles in the frame.
29.5lbs.

Pedals amazing. The harder you push it on the trail, the better it feels.

 

[WhatsUpcountry]

Honestly I don’t think it’s possible for me to have one bike that does it all. If it’s too close to the middle, it’ll be too much bike or too little bike at either end of the spectrum. I’m very happy with just two bikes — a 180mm plow bike and a Kona Honzo ESD.

My ESD is probably the closest I’ve ever had to a do it all bike. I have cleaned all of our rowdiest trails, but I also do 30+ mile backcountry rides on it. Some of the rowdy lines though— I’ve ridden only once on the ESD just to prove to myself that I could do it — but I’m not doing them again, haha. That’s where the other bike comes in. If I wanted to go faster in an XC setting, I’d get a second, carbon wheelset and run 2.3 XC rubber — and it’d be a pretty fast bike for that. I don’t really care about being the fastest on climbs and flats though— so one wheelset with 2.5s or 2.6s does the job for me.

Yeah I think I'm your side of this one, I have a steel Honzo (not esd) that would be what I would pick if I needed to have only one bike. It won't be the fastest downhill and requires more work but it is fun to ride on all but the steepest and chunkiest trails where I would be nervous on just about any bike. Contrast that with my 150mm travel bike that requires a downhill grade to start pushing limits & having fun.

 

[FrankS29]

For me, it’s my Ibis Ripley V4.

Put a DVO Sapphire fork and DVO Topaz shock on it because it was far more adjustable than the Fox that was on it before and allowed the bike to hit higher speeds and chunk with more confidence and stability with the ability to firm it up when needed.

Mostly XT 12 speed drivetrain with an X01 AXS controller and derailleur and a Reverb AXS 170mm dropper. I have two sets of I9 Enduro Hydra wheels, one set with Dissector/Dissector and another set with Minion DHF/Rekon so that I can swap them around depending on conditions and trails.

 

[plummet]

Is it the "ultimate practical one bike to rule them all"? Depends on what you like to ride and how you ride. I tend to winch up climbs at my own pace and then bomb the descents, so it's perfect for me.

View attachment 1953163

View attachment 1953164

View attachment 1953165

If its perfect you then yes it is!