A new Element

[Obi-Juan]

I've never owned a full-suspension bike. I've tried them, raced them, enjoyed them... but I've always owned hardtails.

My current MTB riding area is very rural. Tractors create deep ruts in the rainy winter, and cows deepen them. When summer comes and the mud dries, it's horrible to ride.
So the decision was clear: either a 29er or a full suspension. Big wheels give me vertigo, so the solution was made.

Oh! Yes, that's right!
There was another option: a full suspension 29er....Really, George?

 

[Obi-Juan]

Rocky Mountain is one of my favorite brands, and I think I had the perfect choice for a full-suspension cross-country bike: its iconic Element, which I think is exactly what I need for my style and needs.
You'll quickly find a blue frame, an Element T.O. 1999
GORGEOUS!!!

The stars sometimes align perfectly, and some fantastic accessories for their manufacture appeared. I started the process of bringing everything home.

 

[Obi-Juan]

But just as I was starting to talk about the frame, another Element appeared, very far from my house.
It was a fabulous cherry color and in good condition. The price was very reasonable, although it was built with components that were useless to me.
It was an SC, and I had no information about it. I started investigating and came across this forum.
In a thread (which I've lost; I imagine it will appear someday), someone with extensive knowledge of the brand had detailed information about the colors and materials used according to the different years. According to what they indicated, the version they had seen in the ad was from 2002.

Well, that seems like a good year to me, very close to 1999.
This negotiation was very long. I started in November and finished on January 13th. I was 1,200 km away in France, so I couldn't get there, so I urgently sent a courier.
Well, when I arrived, it was already at home waiting for me.
Wow! Without a doubt, that cherry color is much prettier than the blue one (although my idea was to buy both frames and make one with a "V" and the other with discs).
And then I thought: can you make something "classic" with post-2000 disc brakes?

 

[Obi-Juan]

So, what did 2000 bring us?
Well, Octalink/ISIS and its subsequent evolution to integrated axles, the popularization of high-end carbon components, the standardization of discs, matrix aluminum...
Many things had already begun in the late 90s, and some "traditional" brands disappeared, while others coexisted with new ones. Others were renewed...
Well, let's look for emblematic pieces from the early 2000s.

First, remove all the frame protectors. It was perfect thanks to those protectors, but damn, it took two weeks of cleaning sticky residue from the vinyl.

 

[Obi-Juan]

Well, some cranks I loved from the 2000s are the Storck Power Arms, although I ended up saving them for another occasion because the Race Face Next LP are magnificent, so beautiful with their 5 hollow arms. I also think Race Face and Rocky Mountain should be made together. It's a shame the screen printing took a couple of months. I managed to get the decals done, and I assure you it wasn't easy since they're so small. Sticking them on was also difficult.
For the chainring, I think the Carbon Ti is ideal, as it's a brand that's bursting onto the scene in the new millennium. It's their carbon/titanium version. I don't think they make it anymore, only in carbon/aluminum. It doesn't matter, it's been with me for over 20 years, and I've grown very fond of it.

I had several options for the bottom bracket: Stronglight Twister TI, FSA Ti, American Classic.
In the end, I decided on a Token. They were a brand that was very popular in the early 2000s and then faded away. But they had fantastic Tiramic bearings, the best option for using ceramic bearings with reduced raceway wear. They also had replacement bearings, so I could service them ipso facto.

 

[Obi-Juan]

As I mentioned, the frame took many days to remove the glue, but in the end it turned out beautiful, and with a Wurth cleaner I managed to make it shine again.
To clean it properly, the best thing was to disassemble it and then service the shock.
In addition, I bought all the titanium hardware from the Spanish brand Lowde, which, if I remember correctly, started manufacturing around the beginning of 2000, so it's doing very well for its time. By the way, the hardware is vacuum-packed! I love it!

 

[Obi-Juan]

Another thing I want to build is a sub-10 bike with vintage gear.
The bike weighed a little over 12 kg with Reba, XT/XTR, and Crossmax.

Well, the handlebars are beautiful Answer Hyperlites and the stem is Syntace, I think it's in keeping with the era.
I have absolutely no doubt about the brakes: the Hope Mini Monos.
The best brakes I've ever had. They might be older than 2010, I don't know exactly, but they're fabulous; they stop like a charm, they're light, and maintenance is a no-brainer.
And oh my, how beautiful they are!
The option with the carbon lever is the one I have. I suppose the aluminum ones are somewhere in storage, but I don't know where, nor do I want to waste time looking for them.

I have obtained everything necessary to get them ready but one clamp was broken and I had to replicate it in a machining center. Honestly, it turned out great. It wasn't cheap, but it was perfect.

The floating discs are the first ones that Hope released, in Gun Metal, stored away for 20 years waiting for their moment to be released on some bicycle.



I must have gained at least 1 kg here.

 

[Obi-Juan]

For wheels, my favorite hubs are Hugi 240. Stan's rims came out in the 2000s, so we're leaving the classic Mavics aside for a bit and going for new brands. Crest, a true classic within the Stan's range.
I've used Veloplugs, one of those inventions that brought us the new millennium and never went anywhere. Well, I've used them before and I'm sure I'll use them again in the future. I like them, and they have their advantages and disadvantages. Of course, the best thing is that the bottom of the rim tape doesn't move with use; the Veloplug is always in place. The weight is good; the bad thing is that they cause punctures, and the rest are disadvantages.

But if there's one thing that profoundly marks the beginning of the new millennium, it's the fabulous Sram XO.
The scourge that Shimano didn't see coming. After years of litigation and cheating, Shimano didn't weaken SRAM; on the contrary, it engineered the birth of a sales monster. It defeated Mavic, it destroyed Campagnolo, it beat Suntour... but it couldn't defeat a manufacturer of nylon twist grips.

It was so impressive that Shimano ended up copying that aggressive, visually light, robust, and truly lightweight rear derailleur design.
Its performance is insulting to the competition, basically perfect. All the 900/9.0 experiments were necessary to get to this point.
Yes, I love the XO. A lot, a lot.
Especially because it gives me the right to choose. I don't have to stick with just one thing. There's competition, I can choose!
And the front derailleur? XTR, logically, couldn't be any other way.

 

[Obi-Juan]

And now the fork.
All the builds I see on this bike use Marzochi in white.
I've always been a Manitou fan, and the R-Seven is a great model for me. I have 4.
So I started recovering a MRD in Candy Red. It's from 2008, but what can I do? It's the right one for me. Once again, the Wurth cleaner has been a great help, reviving the colors.
The decals were done on silver vinyl to give it more authenticity.
I definitely think it's the right color.

 

[Obi-Juan]