I started on an aluminum model and my eyes were instantly opened into a new way of riding. After a year on that bike and working a bunch of overtime I spoiled myself on the CR build you see here and sold the aluminum model to a friend. I bought it stock with plans to spec it into my dream version of the bike. As a museum exhibition designer, aesthetics and color relationships play a huge role in my daily life. The bike looked sick as is of course, but why not add a bit of personality and play up the poppy color of the frame. I went full 1993 Charlotte Hornets jersey and paired purple I9 spokes and Hope Brakes to the teal frame. Boom! Perfect. I chose companies like I9 and Hope for their manufacturing quality and dependability, Tenet because of they’re WA locals, plus their bar design and crash replacement are second to none. The Lyrik is an obvious choice but I increased the travel to 170mm to up the stack height a bit and add a little extra buffer when things get steep and gnarly. The coil shock became a thing after riding with Rich Soffar (his dream build here) and he sang its praises. Thanks to Matt Telmosse at Polka Dot Jersey and Mike Howse at The Shock Howse for the guidance and hook up with the Ohlins. It has created a whole new beast. I left the Reverb stock because it seems to work just fine. The drivetrain has remained stock so I don’t have to worry about costly replacements in case they get sheared off during a crash. I can crash often. Maxxis tires, OneUp pedals, and ODI grips because duh…they rock. Otherwise its stickered up and stem capped from fellow bike buds.