not long to go... well that was a joke
I did finally get all the parts though, so I might be out and riding it tomorrow if I get time!
A few things have changed, but lack of time has meant I haven't been taking pics and updating this thread.
I found some great condition suntour XC pro thumbies at an unbeatable price, so have decided to stick with 8 speed. Why I can't just make my mind up before starting I don't know, but then half the fun is just taking a build as it comes and seeing what it ends up like!
My early avid mechanical disc brake exploded and I lost bits all over the place (I'm still find them occasionally!), so I ordered a new one, 2012 model, which arrived this morning.
Got a sunrace 12-28 cassette from the LBS too, and changed the goldtec chainring for an FSA which looks a lot better and is slightly thinner, so I don't need to find washers to space out the inner. Swapped the inner from a 26t middleburn to a 24t, since I'm only going to 28 on the back and not 32 (or was it 34?).
It's all built, I just need to swap out the saddle, and adjust the front brake!
I will be getting another stem too, but the deda newton road stem actually looks pretty good, I'd be leaving it on if it wasn't cracked.
so fingers crossed, pics tomorrow (but having said that, I'll be lucky to get it done this side of xmas!)