The majority of bikes we test come with a solid selection of parts that get the job done; however, sometimes “good enough” just isn’t good enough. I began sourcing parts to build the bike of my dreams—one that could shred as hard as I think I do when my head hits the pillow. My project started around the idea of building a bike with a Shimano XTR 12-speed drivetrain. This alone proved to be a difficult task, considering the system wasn’t widely available until sometime after the drivetrain was released. I then reached out to our good friends at Pivot who graciously offered up a Mach 6 carbon frame. It features 155mm of dw-link suspension and 27.5-inch wheels to suit the playful attitude I was looking to achieve.

OneUp Components came on board, supplying a handlebar and stem combo and a long-travel dropper post. Fox sent out a Factory Series fork to ensure performance requirements were met, and a custom pair of WeAreOne wheels with Industry Nine hubs was built by Razz Wheels. Those wheels were then wrapped in Maxxis rubber and filled with Orange Seal tire sealant. No longer will I wait till my eyes are closed to ride this dream machine, because it’s alive and ready for singletrack.