DiscoverThat - Journal: Bike build

Bits

The last part that I needed arrived today.

The Covid-19 pandemic has made getting bike parts a little hit and miss.

I had no trouble getting the rear wheel I wanted but finding somewhere with stock of the matching front Hope Fortus 26 wheel with a black hub, took me a couple of weeks.

I have a box of bits destined to go on the bike.

I've been cleaning parts as I go. Silicone oil is not much of a cleaning agent but leaves a very shiny finish on most things and tends to stop dirt sticking. I have made sure that I have not got any of it on surfaces that I will need to stick something to in the future.

Forks

The plan for today's job was to fit the forks.

I grease all the moving parts.

I've left the steerer tube at the length it was, for the time being. Once I've ridden it a few times I'm fairly confident I'll cut that down a bit.

The forks are now fitted.

I reused the Giant branded top cover to the FSA headset. I swapped the old rubber seals with the new ones.

Brakes

With the handlebars fitted I could run the brake hoses and fit the brakes.

The front forks are SR Suntour Aion 35 (E45). They have post mounts already sized for 180mm disc rotors.

The rear mounts on the frame are sized for 160mm rotors but I am fitting 180mm front and rear. Therefore I needed to fit a spacer on the rear calliper mount. The Shimano adapters are sold for the front mount but, at least on Giant Trance's, those same adapters are also used on the rear mounts.

I bled the brakes. Typically instructions say to rotate the levers so the bleed port is uppermost but I think rotating the whole bike makes the hoses face more up hill. Better for bleeding.