Simon Morton is a radio and television presenter based in Wellington, New Zealand who bowed recently to peer pressure from his friends and decided to join their long travel hard tail gang. He wanted his new bike to be comfortable, and to handle long days in the saddle as well as cope with the more tech/steep local tracks. After settling on the Ti Honzo, Simon moved bits and pieces from other bikes. The result is a modest build with splashes of class. “This bike is light, fast, super precise, yet has flex and softness (the opposite of the rider!) I’ve never experience in a hard tail.”

All Photos: chainslapmag.com

Tried and true… These XT pedals and cranks have seen their share of chainrings!

Tubes on tubes.

“Always Reliable” has been written about Shimano XT brakes so many times, and there is a reason, they are!

Chris King head-sets always add a touch of class.

Puts a Pike on it.