Ever since i had my On-one 456 I’ve had a soft spot for steel all mountain hard tails. When sold it to buy a full suspension Specialized I’ve kind of missed it. I dont know why i have this weakness for these kind of mountain bikes. Perhaps it is the feeling of old school Going back to basic kind of thing. Or perhaps it’s just that they are badass.
When Surly announced that they were bringing back their Instigator but this time with 26+ tires and 140 mm fork i put up my full susser for sale. This was the bike I’ve been waiting for. I got the frame last summer but the project had been on ice for the whole winter. Yesterday it was finally finished.
I got the last parts and stolen some stuff from my poor Mukluk to get it ready.
Drivetrain. Shimano Zee cranks with Superstar w/n 32 chain ring. XT cassette Slx derailer. Both upgraded with OneUp 42 cog and rad cage.
Chris King headset, Thomson stem and Easton Havoc bars. XT breaks. One thing on the Shimano breaks. They are awesome! Super easy to fit. Did not even had to bleed after cutting the cabels. Me like!
When buying the Instigstor ready built it comes with a Fox fork. I like Rock Shox so i went for the 140 mm Revelation 27.5. The Dirt Wizards got plety of room. They’re sitting on 40 mm Alex rims, bomb proof!
Regarding dropper post i wanted the best. I’ve had problems with droppers before so i went for Thomson Elit dropper. However i’m having some problems with that. Digging it to that and will follow up in future blog posts.
I love the neat little remote.
I can’t wait to hit the trails with this beast. I love my fat bike but when going more agressive it’s a bit bumpy.
The Superstar saddle is not only super cool it is also quite comfy.
I’ve just rolled it for about an hour. I will be back with full review in a few week when I’ve got some dirt on it.
Bike life in Swedish Lapland 
Nice… Similar looking geometry to my Genesis Alpitude.
Thanks Tim. It rides like a dream.
Reblogged this on DROP THE POST MTB GROUP.
Great build!
Thanks man. My first Surly. 🙂
Wow. She looks nasty!
She sure is! 🙂
Rasta spacer – finishes it up well
Sure does. Ride yah bike! 🙂
Sick ride man!
What size frame did you end up going with? how does it fit you?
Thanks! 🙂 It’s a medium.
How are the Dirt Wizards on the Alex DX32 rims? I’m looking at rims to use with the Dirt Wizards, but also with the ability to run smaller tires – and the leading options I see right now are the DX32 and the Velocity Dually.
I love the Alex DM18 rims I have right now – but they’re clearly too small for really wide tires. On my 2.35 Panaracer Rampage tires, the outside edges of the lugs still have flash on them after hundreds of miles on the trails!
Hi. The Dirt Widards works like a charm on DX 32. I even run tubeless rear. 🙂