Building up a bike wasn’t a reality for me as much as a little as a couple of months ago. Riding alone for several years, I didn’t have anyone to show me the ropes. That said, I sure felt empowered after finishing the KHS DJ300 build. Just like He-Man, I guess. Not to mention the $150 or so saved in labor fees alone. Take hope you technically challenged people…if I can do it, so can a monkey. All you need is the right tools and a little know-how.
Front view
First, special thanks to KHS bikes for providing the beautiful matte black DJ300 frame and the seatpost. Also thanks go to Blackspire for providing the DSX C4 chainguide, the 500 DH stem, and Mr. Chunkie platforms.
I ran into a problem with the cranks rubbing against the chainguide inner plate bolts but Vince Calvillo of KHS and Aaron of Blackspire both helped me figure out the problem. Turns out I had a 113mm bottom bracket spindle and needed a 118mm. Problem solved! Aaron at Blackspire is a really down-to-earth guy and was really patient with me(even when he didn’t know I was with this site, I might add). Turns out two of the chainring bolts were faulty so Aaron is sending out a set of new ones. Just like that. Yes! So, I suppose the build is not completely finished, but you get the picture.
Rear non-drive side
Also thanks to RL and Moe for donating various parts like the DirtyDog rotors, brake calipers, Tag Wheels, saddle and shifter. I haven’t weighed the bike yet but it’s a hefty beast, mostly because of the bombproof wheels.
Drive-side
Here’s the final spec on the bike:
-KHS DJ300 Med frame(with adjustable dropouts)
-Manitou six fork
-Cane Creek Tank headset/Funn Full Bore Riser Bar
-Velo flanged grips
-Blackspire 500 DH stem(25.4)
-Avid 5 levers
-Tektro mech disc brakes
-Shimano Deore shifter/Shimano XT rear derailleur
-Tag FRX5 Wheelset(DT Swiss Hubs)
-FSA Gravity Cranks/Truvativ GigaPipe DH Bottom Bracket
-Blackspire Mr. Chunkie pedals
-DirtDog skull rotors
-Specialized 2.1s
-Bontranger saddle
-SRAM PC-951 chain
I’ve never had the pleasure of riding a dirt jump specific bike but it certainly feels compact and flickable. The only thing I had to be careful with was making sure the cables had enough room for bar spins. Check. Just don’t see any of the parts on the bike breaking anytime soon but it’ll be fun trying to. Check back in for a review of how it rides.
