By Ben Ellis, Team UbikeTV.

For sometime now the biggest thing in mountain biking these days has become…you guessed it short-travel full suspension frames. Not many people out there are still looking for that 12lb, 9inch travel huck everything machine. Well what are they looking for? Essentially they are looking for a do everything frame, the general public of mountain bikers cannot afford a downhill bike, a cross country bike, a dirt jump bike, and an all mountain bike. So naturally we look for the best one. But what is the best one? There is no possible way to decide this, but when I thought hey maybe its time I build one of these do everything bikes, maybe I can help you decide, or at least sway your opinion.

Frame – When looking into what frame I wanted to get, I was mostly looking at the price tag, something that didn’t break the bank, but was loaded with tech, awesome geo, and aesthetics. After looking at a few different frames, I needed to decide how much travel I was looking to get. I wanted something of a small capable downhill bike, but also a light all mountain rig, 165mm travel seemed like my best option. Low and behold Devinci had just released the bike I was looking for, The Hectik. 7.2lb frame with shock, 165mm rear travel, true horst link, long wheel base, 10x135 rear, with a great stand-over for a medium frame. I loved the frame design so I decided to roll with it. 

Fork – Originally I had the idea to put a Boxxer WC on it, but couldn’t find one in time, so I put my old Boxxer Race on it. I decided I wanted to build it up as a strict Ontario downhill bike. But I also wanted to try it out single crown so I bought a 2007 Fox 36 Talas rc2. So now that I have two forks for two different styles of riding, I think that’s more than enough gear in the front suspension department. 

Shock – The frame came with what seems like the only option I would have looked at anyway, the Fox DHX 5.0 Air. Just 435 grams and more adjustments than a geek like me can possibly handle. (Bottom out resistance, Propedal 2 settings, Air spring pressure valve, Adjustable tuning range via schraeder valve, and rebound adjust.) 

Cockpit – I like long handle bars more than I like Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream, which anybody that is a fan of that flavor can tell I must be crazy. I felt compelled to go with Sunline V3 handlebars (710mm) because Mr. Bontrager says “Cheap, light, strong, pick two.” I say Sunline V3 cheap, light, and strong. The grips are animal Edwin’s; I have no time for lock-on grips, plus these are very comfy. The saddle and seat post combo is a light but cheap one, right at the 60 dollar mark. I purchased a Zion 350mm, 31.6, 352 grams, paired with a Supercross Sammy Cools Ti/Carbon saddle; I don’t spend a lot of time in the saddle so I got something that is light and uncomfortable. Pedals are what I am picky about the most; I demand good stiff flat pedals with customizable pins, and guess who came out with the pedal I was looking for…Kona. The Kona Wah Wah pedal is exactly what I was looking for 484 grams, right on par with some of the other expensive pedals out there but still has a price that won’t make you cheap out on other components. It features a narrow platform that gives you extra crank arm millimeters, replaceable pins, and a tough paint coat. 

 

Drivetrain – I happen to have a crush on shimano and e.thirteen, so deciding on my drivetrain was particularly easy. I went with XT cranks, Light Guide 1 (RPM Orange), 105 Mech, Ultegra cassette, Sram Attack shifter, and a Sram PC-991 chain. The XT cranks are very light and very stiff, that’s why I chose them. The LG1 has become a mandatory on every bike that I build up with gears. 105 derailleur is something I just had lying around along with the shifter and chain. The casseteshimano cassettes and will choose them over Sram any day, they are lighter, they have better quality materials, and they are much more shiny! 
is different, I really like

Brakes – Shimano XT 2008 group all the way! These things are fan-friggen-tastic! They weigh next to nothing; they have 20% more braking power than previous shimano brakes, infinite lever adjustment, they are better than anything I have tried to date. But we will see how they hold up after a year of very rough abuse. I’ll be using Hope two piece floating rotors with them.  

here are some updated pictures

Big thanks to:

Ubiketv.com – You guys are doing a great thing, a truly selfless organization, really bringing up the mountain biking industry name!

Devinci Cycles – Thank you very much for the frame, I love it and I can’t wait to race on it! 

E.thirteen Components – Thanks for the guide, you guys make the best guides I have ever run and you only keep improving, a young company but better than any out there! 

Fox Suspension – The best and most mature suspension company around.