Modified Schwinn Taff Comp - Making a Walmart bike Trail Capable - Project Taff Comp

Mountain bikes from Walmart help get riders into cycling and also expand access to bikes due to their budget conscious pricing. In this video I modify a Schwinn Taff Comp to make it a fully trail capable mountain bike.
Comment below with your thoughts on the Taff Comp and how this new Project Taff Comp is equipped and if you agree with my observations.
See the Taff Comp at Walmart - goto.walmart.c...
Parts used on this bike:
Grips - amzn.to/3hU2wGy
Pedals - amzn.to/3MRpbSa
Handlebars - amzn.to/3J9VNEw
Stem - amzn.to/3tPRw2i
Headset - amzn.to/366tEPS
Brakes - amzn.to/3J1W63W
Brakes w/rotors - amzn.to/34AJAto
Fork - amzn.to/3t2jY23
Wheelset - amzn.to/3KyLxFV
Dropper Post - amzn.to/3KupcJA
L-Twoo Groupset - www.ebay.com/i...
Check out the links below for KevCentral Merch and great bike parts:
✅ Buy a Shirt - kevcentral.store
✅ Stickers - www.ebay.com/u...
✅ Bike Parts - www.amazon.com...
☑️ Patreon - / kevcentral
☑️ Twitter - / kevcentral
note: this channel may earn a small commission from purchases made through the links above. For example: as an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This video is NOT sponsored. The content is my own opinions based on my experience with the product(s.) I do not allow pre-approval or scripting of my reviews.
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Music credits:
What True Self, Feels Bogus, Let's Watch Jason X by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommon...
Source: chriszabriskie....
Artist: chriszabriskie....
Mario Bava Sleeps In a Little Later Than He Expected To by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommon...
Source: chriszabriskie....
Artist: chriszabriskie....

[@jajahgadis]

You are my hero. I'm so tired of the mtb gear snobs with their $600 budget wheelsets.

[@lamonttucker2842]

Thank you mr. Kev Central I have been waiting and like usual you do not disappoint thank you thank you thank you thank you God bless you keep up the good work

[@derekneumann]

My daughter is about to get hooked up with a Specialized Rockhopper Sport 27.5 in Satin Slate/Cool Grey... she just doesn't know it yet!!

[@Jacob99174]

Run-on sentence king is back! Lol Love your vids

[@KevCentral]

Run-on sentences? Where?

[@rrh5000]

I bought this bike, and have enjoyed it so far. One note however. I bout these same Cycle deal wheelset and the rear spacing is 135mm. I noticed it was a little small when I Installed it, but just clamped it down. After watching your other video with all the specs on this bike I realized the spacing is actually 142mm. So far I haven't had any issues, but might be worth noting

[@AK-oz4ew]

Right! What you see is 135mm QR spacing vs 142mm QR boost spacing. The manufacturers use same tooling that they have for thru axle 142 frames, so we get 142 QR lol. The proper way apparently is to get thru axle hub wheel which is 148 mm (not 142mm), and use it with 9mm QR end caps. Like you said it can be clamped down 7mm, frame has flex, with that it may not be proper way.

[@raylaux8295]

@@AK-oz4ew 141 boost QR not 142. 142 TA with adapters or a rare 141 boost hub.

[@EBikeBuilder_]

The seat tube on my Taff Comp was unbelievably tight as well Kev. I opened 3 of them, and all of them had that same issue 🙃

[@FedoraQuilava87Music]

The paint chipping makes me wonder if these new Schwinn's will do what the 90s ones do. The paint just chips itself away over the years. Great vid Kev!

[@creasefold1986]

Love to see you do a DIY ebike build. From start to finish, bet you could make a dozzy

[@Todd66]

I just built my Schwinn Traxion into a mid drive ebike. It’s a blast. I put too much $ into it. Lol 203mm hydraulic disc brakes (shimano stx), 52V mid drive, 21ah battery, lights…so much fun. It would be cool to see a full on ebike build

[@gpmedia1]

I'd love a crossover event with another channel to have an ebike build off. Maybe against the Wolftooth guys.

[@EBikeBuilder_]

Bafang BBS02 750w mid drive !!

[@gpmedia1]

@@EBikeBuilder_ how about some crazy front and rear 750 to 1000 w dual drive with high end full suspension, fat tires and wireless rear derailleur.

[@EBikeBuilder_]

@@gpmedia1 not sure about that for his first build? and it's a budget channel, ha ha. I'm not a big hub motor guy. Dual hub motors sounds like a great way to drain batteries. By the time you get 2 hub motors on a bike and 2 batteries shes gonna be a heavy girl

[@bobbybecker80]

Always enjoy your builds, but three friends, former runners, were looking for their first mountain bike and the best bang for the buck IMO was the Trek Marlin 7 @ about $1K. Coincidentally in the same ballpark as this build. They love the bikes so far.

[@KevCentral]

Marlin 7 is a good bike

[@dominicszorentini3009]

Fyi in the future the rockhopper elite is 1100 and has a rockshox air fork. I work at a bike shop that is both a trek and specialized dealer, and the rockhopper elite is well worth the extra 80 bucks.

[@bobbybecker80]

@@dominicszorentini3009 To each his own. The Shimano cassette and brakes made it a no brainer for me.

[@chrisjones7281]

The Trek Marlin is a good bike. I had one which I upgraded quite a bit. The argument for the schwinn better geometry and tapered head tube. The geometry of the frame is more important than what parts come on it😎

[@dominicszorentini3009]

@@bobbybecker80 on a bike of that level the sunrace cassette with a Shimano drivetrain makes little difference, and this is more personal opinion, but I like levels better than mt200s. But I consider an air fork to be the most important part. A marlin 8 is where I say to aim in the marlin series, and some people just can't stomach the 1400

[@thewizard8476]

KEV,great video, on my taff comp i put a manitou fork, jgbike crank 32t oval chainring, koozer hubs, and adventX and I love it, climbs like a goat and it handles anything.

[@jasonjavelin]

Didn’t get the notification for this video for some reason but glad it’s out! Bummer on the LTwoo but super awesome to everything else worked out. Also holy cow that wheel set is a deal! I am going to have to check those out

[@johnmills837]

L-TWOO T8s is now on the Taff Comp, replacing the ProRush. The L-TWOO works and has a clutch.

[@The_RC_Dude]

Great video Kev, as usual, I’m marveling at how much “bike” and components you manage to get out of these budget bikes, while on a budget! This is certainly better that just about any bike you can buy for $700, there are like 2 bikes for that price that have a 1x8 (Vitus Nucleus) and a 1x11 (Polygon Xtrada 6), only like one that I can think of has a pan air fork too (Nucleus), but no hikes to my knowledge have a dropper for $700 or less (other than the Axum DP), let alone also have a 1x11 (albeit with a bad mech) AND an air fork! Keep us updated on that budget air fork, I’m interested, as it’s cheap, seems to be of reasonable quality, and looks to be better than the Balany/ZTZ/other rebrands/knockoffs (I watched your video on those forks!)!

[@chairmanmeow8388]

You have to buy the bike as well as the 700 for parts.

[@The_RC_Dude]

@@chairmanmeow8388 Oh, I remembered that then Taff Comp was included in the $700, apparently not! Still, the Taff is $348, which will still put the whole build a hair under $1050.

[@bicibucuresti]

@@The_RC_Dude if you factor in quality, work value and overall setup, you can get significantly better stuff for 1100 USD. Maybe not a dropper post included but Deore or SLX 11-speed full, plus Shimano disk brakes, a decent brand fork etc. I have around 20 bikes (none new) and tinker a lot but my bikes stay below 200 USD value, parts included; for 1K you can get much better "package" value compared to buying parts, and a reasonable warranty to top it up.

[@dennislarosajr7320]

I have 2.35 and 2.3 on my sx 19 wheels. Had them for 2 years so far and no issues.

[@SlowDelSol]

That’s the limit for 19mm internal width but 2.3s are just fine for these type of XC bikes.

[@joeyhebert9881]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Thanks for posting.

[@Graeleaf]

I have been waiting to see what you did with the Taff! Looks awesome!

[@Todd66]

I am digging the color scheme. Blue is my fav color, but that red is poppin on my iPad. I like the bike.

[@VladOnEarth]

AFAIS the bottom line here is: 1) either buy a good standalone frame and do a full DIY build, or 2) buy a very decent capable ready to go bike for same $1100 + save a lot of time and probably get a good warrant and original shimano components on all the bike.

[@mrljgibson]

Or buy an older frame, buy second hand hardly used quality parts, build your own wheels, and get a better bike for less. Thats how I built my Voodoo Bizango 29er, Voodoo Hoodoo, and Ibis Mojo, bikes.

[@bennybouken]

ltwoos arent bad though

[@AK-oz4ew]

@@mrljgibson The issue is most of guys do not know what "older frame" to buy and will end up with rim brakes and no rear derailleur hanger

[@mrljgibson]

@@AK-oz4ew Well if they need to know there is always 'Zen and the art of mountain bike maintenance'

[@michaelbrinks8089]

If you spray some #2 closed cell expandable foam insulation in the handle bars and cap the ends (or frame) it'll make them much stronger. You couldn't DIY spray the frame & cap the ends of every tube but if frame makers filled the insides during manufacturing the result would be a much stiffer/ridged, stronger frame.

[@KevCentral]

Interesting. Thanks for the comment

[@jamessayers253]

I like the color scheme. 👍🏻

[@almostawesomewithwill9251]

Great video as always. Would be great if you had a sort of trail rating for what it can handle over all. Meaning like what kind of durability, jump ability and up / down hill ability. I think the most important to me is the jump ability just simply do to the impending danger should a part like the front fork bottom out or simply break. I know your not big into jumps but perhaps you know some one that can take it for a more rough ride to push it to its limits and see if it holds up.

[@TheWrigle]

I would be pretty nervous to take $17 pedals or $30 cranks off any jump of consequence. Would be nice to see these parts ridden a bit harder though. The trails showed here seem much more mellow than most of the blue trails here in Utah.

[@robinrai4973]

Always Advent X or Deore I say, cheap enough and really really great performance and durability

[@davefoley2825]

I did the same when it was available for $124. Even if it gets stripped down to just the frame, that price for a decent frame is good. I went with a "Captain America" theme on it, as I build my bikes based on the frame colors... So red and blue everything. I kept original brakes, original front wheel, and original drivetrain. That derailleur worked well with a 11-42 8 speed cassette. Cheap air fork, ixf crankset... Looks and performs like a bike sold for much more than i have put into it.

[@timesup6386]

The Acolyte rear derailleur with the Advent X 11-48T and shifter works FYI.

[@LeaveNoTrashBehind]

I have a Schwinn as well, almost as nice as this. Schwinn makes great bike's, that's only if you modify them correctly.

[@harrygrimley4352]

Good looking bike. Thanks for sharing this with us. Interesting

[@TheNationalTrails]

Nice! Looks like a great kit, fit, and feel for your area... and Mount Everest!

[@5gvaccinator343]

Amazing content! Very few people in the US bother to review aliexpess parts. But people actually consider buying from it. Cause everything is so expensive these days. And it seem like a viable option Personally I gave up on a Chinese parts after a few unsuccessful purchases. 10 speed ltwoo derailleur disintegrated after a bit of mud got stuck to it. Not just broke, but disintegrated completely. Id rather pay twice as much for a deore groupset that would serve me many years. Also these cheap air forks are completely unserviceable. I guess you're supposed to throw it away once it fails. You can buy amazing Manitou markhor or x fusion forks for 100-150$ more. Or even something like rochshox Judy silver which is just 50$ more but miles better in quality than this Chinese e waste.

[@timesup6386]

L-TWOO is sending out their new group set T series to select KZbinrs to review. Any thoughts of getting a new review? Does the bike now have a better derailleur?

[@Wireman134]

L-TWOO T8 comes on the newer Schwinn Taff Comp. For your $ Acolyte with the Advent X cassette and shifter is better.

[@hamldna]

Quick question? Is the rear wheel 142 or 135 spacing. Your link for the wheelset shows 135 rear and 100 front. Yes I know this vide is older and the linked item could've been changed. Lol. Thanks in advance.

[@frank9301]

Love the build, minus the ltwoo! Great color scheme! Looks sharp! Just put the same grips on my bike. Laffed atthe wonder woman reference! Great job!

[@andrewa.3304]

Ice color combo! Love your videos

[@nagak112]

Nice Project Kev barring the L-T Woes. Was considering the AX12 but will keep away from them now.

[@timmuwallace7644]

Very good video and very informative on upgrades.

[@ricardorodriguezsaucedo1422]

Kev, can you do an update on this bike? I got one but I'm debating whether to return it or not

[@gabiejae3616]

L-Twoo (el-too) is quite known here in the Philippines. People usually go for this brand to upgrade their budget bikes. Some say the A7 and AX models are good but personally I haven't tried them. The brand, if I'm right, is owned by an employee that used to work for sram, so I guess the company does have experience in making drive trains. The brand imo is decent, I wonder how it would compare to other derailers like Sensah

[@racerx8410712]

I find silly that they don't recommend going over a 2.1 tire on that rim. You should really have 2.4 on the front of that thing. I have a hardtail with similar rims and 2.2-2.4 Crosskings and it is an awesome setup! They are great tires! I don't know what the ID of your wheels is but I have a set of 29x3 Knards mounted on 21mm ID rims. Not only do I guarantee it will work but it will make that bike even better. Oh and less chance for pinch flats.

[@dominicszorentini3009]

As someone who has put 2.35 on bontrager mustang 19mm iw rims it is not advisable you get a lot of tire sqirm. I just built a new front wheel with the old xxx alloy rims 21iw with a 2.25 and it feels much better. If you have 19mm rims go 2.2 max or you will get a lot of tire sqirm

[@racerx8410712]

@@dominicszorentini3009 Ok a couple questions: 1. What kind of bike are you on? Hardtail, Full Sus? 2. What kind of rider/riding do you do? Are you Casual Carl or Rippin Rod? 3. What kind of pressures do you like to run? Also what kind of tires? Soft or hard? I certainly would not dismiss your point, but I would counter both that there are a lot of variables to consider and again in my experience yes tire squirm can be an issue but what I've found is that tire pressure is really important the wider you go. TPI and how hard you ride also really matter. I myself push hard at times but our local trails are pretty tame. I can see where some of the more hardcore riders are going to notice small differences in tire flex. I myself love trail but I am a mixed bag rider and have to ride through city to get to the trail and this thin to fat tire application was really born out of making a bike that cover urban ground quickly and still handle a fair level of trail action. I came to find, by accident that a bigger tire on a narrow rim made for a more pronounced center profile and thus less rolling resistance and much more nimble handling. This applies in the trails as well. This setup style is also counter to wide tires on wide rims, which in the more extreme applications can result in a very square tire profile which is slower and less responsive especially when pressures are reduced. As I mentioned before my most extreme combo is a set 29x3.0 Surly Knards mounted on 21mm ID rims and as you could imagine the tire is like a tube it's so round! But it's such an incredible setup! That set is actually a 29er conversion set for my fat bike (150-197 spacing) for the summer. I set it them up last year and I was blown away by just how capable the bike is. It just eats up everything! It's so fast and maneuverable. My fat is carbon with a Lauf fork, so pressure wise I try to strike a balance between fast and cush. I think I do 20 up front and 18 rear but I can go several pounds lower and still retain good handling. For my winter set I built a set of wheels with 26" Surly 50mm Rabbit Hole rims. Mounted are 5" Terrene Johnny Five studded, which again gives that rounded profile and again quicker more agile bike but also more air pressure range before handling goes straight out the door. If you want to check out my bikes, I'm on IG @racerx8410712. I've been doing this for about three years now. Again, I agree with your point but want to explore more of the nuance of the topic! Looking forward to your response!

[@dominicszorentini3009]

@@racerx8410712 I appreciate Your points and experience, and the fact that you actually know what you are talking about. Additionally nothing you stated is wrong, yes and there are a lot of variables. I race xc on my Superfly hardtail. I have Vittoria mezcals on the 19mm wheelset, and run 23 in the front and 20 in the rear. I agree that increasing pressures can reduce squirm, but it also reduces grip significantly when using an xc oriented tread, which is what most big box builds I see use. If you you were running a butcher or a dhf I could see tire sqirm being less of an issue, but that is not the case most of the time. The extra 20-30 bucks that the cycling deal wheelset with i25 rims cost is well worth it.

[@johnsonjay60]

I ran those cranks on a jamis in red in 2019. Sold that bike he still rides it🤙

[@AK-oz4ew]

Ken, I have a question. I belive that have stated that Schwinn Taff Comp has 142 mm QR boost rear hub originally. This wheelset - QR is 135mm I believe. Did you get a true axle hub with QR ends, or 135 mm fits after all? Thank you so much in advance!

[@johnmills837]

Added spacers

[@AK-oz4ew]

@@johnmills837 What spacers? You can put QR ends into TA axle, but you can't convert 135mm QR to 141mm QR

[@bigtrucklittlerv7969]

Still waiting on Kev for this. But I suspect he got 15mm x 100mm TA and 12mm x 142mm TA wheel set and got adapters. That wouldn't stress the rear triangle.

[@johnmills837]

He used 135 QR wheels and squeezed the dropouts in. I bought a 142 TA and used adapters for the axle and rotor.

[@gpmedia1]

I'd love to drop in this Reba fork and see if you could ever ride Lutu again. Nice build and great review.

[@KevCentral]

I have better forks, but they don’t cost $105 😁

[@lamonttucker2842]

Ready to ride

[@Travelakad]

L-TWOO is pronounced as "L 2". It's a popular choice of budget drivetrain here in the Philippines. The brand is more commonly used in the hybrid side of the community wherein MTB's are used mostly on paved roads where their parts doesn't experience much abuse. Their shifters are decent, but their drivetrain components are poor quality. This is why Shimano/L-TWOO setups are common here just to save on money; using L-TWOO shifters with Shimano Derailleurs.

[@SlowDelSol]

That’s super interesting man. Mind sharing some of the common derailleurs used?

[@Travelakad]

@@SlowDelSol The common setup is the L-TWOO A7 shifter paired with a Deore derailleur to get you up to 10 speed. You save a small amount since L-TWOO shifters are very cheap compared to a Deore shifter. L-TWOO released two kinds of ratios here. The 1:1 which is SRAM compatible and 2:1 which is Shimano compatible. I find that funny because they almost expected that people would pass on their derailleurs and find better ones. LOL! Currently, L-TWOO has the "Elite" line which can take big ratio cassettes starting from 9-speed. L-TWOO's marketing here is that it's founder is supposedly an ex SRAM engineer or something. L-TWOO has a fair amount of followers here that believe on the product, mostly road going MTB riders. But the popular consensus from the MTB community is that L-TWOO parts are fine if you'll use your bike to get from point A to point B (with mostly flat roads). But once you get more adventurous with your ride is where the brand fails.

[@ethannguyen621]

OGs will remember that stem being on the mirax finiss for a whole 3 seconds

[@jmswilliams70]

i suspect that the reason why some of these cheaper 29er bikes have clearance problems is because they were designed around 27.5 wheels and since 29 is selling right now they just threw a 29 wheelset on.

[@ronjroutdoors1980]

Exactly what I was thinking. Considering buying one for a mullet build or 27.5 build.

[@jmswilliams70]

@@ronjroutdoors1980 i bought a used genesis icline which is cheap walmart 29er and put 27.5 by 2.8 tires on it and it's working out pretty well.

[@ronjroutdoors1980]

@@jmswilliams70 nice!

[@bibasik7]

I thought the Taff Comp had non-standard wide rear dropouts. How did you get a standard wheelset on it?

[@timesup6386]

He squeezed it to OLD 135mm. The OLD on this and many Schwinns is 141 QR or Boost. I have adapted a 142 TA rear Origin8 M3100 using a 142mm 12 to 10mm adapter axle ($20) and a 3mm rotor spacer. Got the NOS Ryde Trace 25mm wheel set for $140 shipped from a ebay seller. Cyclingdeal raised their price on his wheel set after he posted this video.

[@jass.714]

I do use the Ltwoo A7 (10 speed version) for a while now, and I have no issue so far, my friends use them too. They also experience the same issue as yours but they had it fixed by changing the shifter Cables.

[@KevCentral]

Thanks for sharing

[@jass.714]

@@KevCentral Thanks you as well dude for giving ideas for people like me that are on a very tight budget.

[@joshhoward6223]

That is a good looking bike!

[@mrupholsteryman]

Curious...what was the total weight on this?

[@jonlavigne3270]

You should try the new Box wide range 8 and 9 speed stuff. I've sorta given up on fixing up my mtb, I can't even afford to replace the tires. I bought a big BMX bike last summer and then had to get spinal surgery after a single ride. I gotta try to ride that again once the WV weather sucks less.

[@KevCentral]

Check my Project Boundary video. Pretty sure that’s the one I used the wide-range Box on

[@BobbyHalowell]

Link to the cranks please

[@arichardofalltrades6770]

Not sure how cable adjustments are the fault of the derailleur. Are you sure a cable end cap wasn't moving, or something similar to that? Just a thought. But it is cool how you improve the performance of a bike so much on such a low budget. Always enjoy the content.

[@KevCentral]

Thanks, and positive the cable isn’t slipping.

[@MrLouDoo]

Kev, have you tried bleeding those blooke brakes yet? I have those on one of my Axum's and I can't figure out which bleed kit works for these..

[@clive1248]

Great video lots of good information thank you bike looking good shame about the derailleur

[@gregnowak2492]

I have the 11-speed LTWOO setup on my regular Taff. So far, so good for me! The rear cassette is 11-46T.

[@KevCentral]

Thanks for sharing

[@more_beans_mr_taggart4057]

I thought this bike had 141qr spacing. You're using a 135 wheel?

[@mrljgibson]

Now there's a company logo 'Even cheaper than Fukas!' 🤣

[@SlimPickins_07]

I've got L-twoo R9 controls and front derailleur on my gravel bike, shimano on the back. Works great, but I'm glad I dont have their rear derailleur lol

[@lamonttucker2842]

Kev, can we turn the Taft cup into an e bike in budget? 70 years old and ready thrive.

[@victorvannatter312]

That was really good. But I’m curious how this works. Or what you consider upgrading. This is a completely new bike build from scratch from what I can tell. How is this making a bike capable? There’s nothing from the original bike besides a frame. Thanks

[@TheDatingGame]

Did you have to take any links out of the 11 speed chain when you installed this configuration?

[@MartinAston00]

Can I buy this one ! ?? LoL.. I know you do the “Giveaways”…but I’m not a very lucky guy. I just love what you’ve done to the discount bikes ! So, knowing I’ll highly unlike win a giveaway.. Can I just buy a KevCentral original ? I’m still fairly new to the sport , but I’ve gotten quite good in last 6Mo. and now I’m obsessed. I have an ok cheap bike though.. but I am not that educated on parts.

[@madblunted]

box or advent are my only goto budget drivetrain.

[@davidcrowson4745]

That's a sweet ride 👍 well done sir , go with the Shimano deore on the derailleur. You want be disappointed.

[@Bengy22]

Do you think a Mongoose Ledge x2 will have too small a frame for a 6'3" rider? Axum L fits me well, if only schwinn would come out with a Axum full suspension! (Maybe you can let them know to get on it ;) )

[@eugene44569]

No ledge x2 way to small for people over 6 feet. Get a sisku d7 casue that comes In a size XL

[@EBikeBuilder_]

You’re gonna need a large sized bike. I’m 5’11 and even the large bikes are sometimes small ish. Don’t fall for their sizing guide on the product description

[@Bengy22]

@@eugene44569 Thanks for the advice, unfortunately my initial budget falls well below the $1700 asking price of the d7 otherwise it looks to be a great bike, think I will stick to my axum for now!

[@Graeleaf]

I just finished my Ledge X2 build. I made it into a wicked X/C whip. I am 6'1", and it fits me perfectly.

[@Graeleaf]

When you upgrade the suspension to air, it raises the bike up a little bit. I am running a 130mm fork and a 165mm by 35mm shock.

[@nelsonvazquez5493]

Kev, did you try the zrace chain that came with the LT-woo?

[@xaviermann9963]

You did not put a link to the Meijun XT crankset

[@peterramirez2746]

You should find out what the cable pull is on the shifter so you can use a clutched derailleur if possible if it's a 1-1 pull you can use Microshit AdventX, Sram Eagle SX to XX1,XO1, ANY Shimano from Deore-4120 no clutch so cheap or 5120 to XTR-9100 all clutched

[@jase6709]

Are the cheapest Amazon parts really upgrades? 🤔

[@mrljgibson]

Well before lockdown I built up a Voodoo Bizango 2011/2012 frame with new wheels using Shimano rear and Novatec front hub with Mavic rims, and then picked up a new set of Rockshox Judy silver forks off someone local who bought a new bike and decided to upgrade everything on his bike, he even threw in the Bontrager front wheel and disk rotor and some other parts for my parts bin. I snapped on a Shimano Zee shifter setup and then a Magura MT5 front and MT4 rear brake. Total cost for my entire build was about $520, so this kind of project with overpriced Chinese parts seems a touch dumb.

[@KevCentral]

Congrats on the build. The problem with your logic is that you assume everyone could find someone willing to dispense of new and/or free parts on a regular basis. I once had someone sell me a $3000 computer for $50. Should I expect that to happen again reliably? No. Any expectation of such would be “a touch dumb.” 😉

[@879doogie]

Great video. If you were going to replace the L-TWoo derailleur, what brand would you use?

[@marcialrecht9156]

try to shorten the cable hose of the shifter cable

[@chadgoring1526]

You were to do a hydroform vs xr pro shootout ... still waiting to see it

[@KevCentral]

That became less relevant when the Hydroform was discontinued - and at one point the XR Pro had disappeared. The XR is back, but the Hydro is still in limbo.

[@chadgoring1526]

@@KevCentral yea I realized but I love my hydroform and how it's built

[@lamonttucker2842]

😂❤ Mister kev central what ebay do you recommend from Schwin.

[@willardbuchanan9122]

Like that bike that is nice great job ❤️

[@pentiuman]

Very pretty. I mean, blootiful!

[@karljay7473]

No link or the Meijun ZK-01 crank set? Can't seem to find it on eBay.

[@fmz-4618]

I would say this look better than my Orbea Mx

[@bagera3005]

if you still have GT Men's Aggressor Pro Mountain Bike id love to see project out of that i have seen 2 in my city mode to ebikes

[@summerbaez820]

Is there drilled holes for a rack in the back?

[@curiosityredpill7030]

If it’s not too much to ask can you put the link in the description to the parts

[@KevCentral]

Links are in the description

[@1982pantro]

You forgot the crank case

[@chriswillis2891]

Hello sir, I’m a big fan of your Channel. I had a question for you. I’m a big guy, and I was wondering do you think the Schwinn Axum is worth it or should I try and save up to obtain an older trek marlin 6…. Not rich over here and trying to get a MTB to begin my weight loss journey. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!! Once again love your Chanel and grateful for what you do!

[@KevCentral]

Thanks. Define “big guy.” The Axum is rated for riders up to 250lbs

[@TheHadzihajdarevic]

Lutu fork visually reminds me on Marzocchi Bomber Z2 fork... right? :-) not sure about performance :-)

[@gquintanilla18]

Hey Kev great vid as always😊. Got a question what adapter did you use to convert straight steer to the tapered ? Thanks again

[@KevCentral]

Hello. I think I have a link down in the description. It is a Jessica headset

[@gquintanilla18]

Is it the 44-55? I want to order I just bought the bike and I am gathering my materials . 😊

[@johnmills837]

@@gquintanilla18 44-56mm is what the Schwinn's have.

[@Wireman134]

Look a little closer @ 2:37

[@dougfromsoanierana]

Nice job. At the same time, I’m wondering what you could have done with decent used parts (sourced on ebay at reasonable prices) on this frame. Or Vice versa: Have you through about taking decent older used MTB frames and building them up with the parts you listed here?

[@KevCentral]

The problem with that is it would be easy to buy something with issues not known at the time of buying. Used car dealers have their reputation for a reason 😁. Plus, at least in my area, used bike prices can be as high as their cost new - and there isn’t a plentiful supply.

[@jazzculllen001]

I'm 5'6" 30" inseam -- do you think the Taff/Taff Comp will fit? The medium Axum DP is out of stock, $150 more, and still pretty big. The Taff Comp seems like a big upgrade over the AL Comp for $100 but the 27.5 wheels seem better for us shorties.

[@KevCentral]

I would think the Taff comp would be too tall, but seek out a store that has one and try it out

[@jazzculllen001]

@@KevCentral Do you think the medium Axum DP would fit? I'd be willing to wait for back in stock since the Taff doesn't have sizes.

[@THEGARNERCOLLECTIVE]

Looks nice but the hand grips look like oil has gone on it with the blue lol.

[@Wile-E-Coyote_Super_Genius]

Nice build, the bike looks great. How are these inexpensive air forks holding up over time? I understand you get what you pay for but am curious if they start getting noisy and or sloppy?

[@thiosemicarbizidebenzoylal2921]

They hold up fine if you dont use them like downhill forks. No you dont get what you pay for in cycling, because many western brands have been equaled or surpassed for much cheaper.

[@KevCentral]

Gosh knows how many budget air forks I’ve ridden over the past few years. Easily over a dozen. Of those I’ve only had one that was outright defective and one that I eventually started leaking - which also happens to high end forks; which is why the expensive ones require regular service and have kits for service. For my modestly average riding abilities they (budget air forks) have worked great. Would I use them for jumps or aggressive downhill riding? No, but they work for my average near-daily rides on trails that are root covered and more demanding that they look on camera.

[@jehd2954]

@@KevCentral Good to hear. I’m not a hard rider but was considering one to take up some of the shoulder shock on my ALX. I like running higher pressure for control and less rolling resistance but the bumps are tough on the shoulders, but Ive read mixed reviews on the Balony/Bucklos shocks. Thanks for the reply.

[@Jennslife09]

Love all your videos! Could you kindly give me any information on your rear bontrager wheel on your 2021 Axum dp? I went to my Trek bike shop and they said they have nothing that would fit my Axum dp 😢 That is the last thing I need to upgrade. I have their line comp 30 upfront and would like a matching one for the rear 😀.

[@KevCentral]

They don’t know their own inventory very well, because that’s an off the shelf Bontrager wheel. I’ll see if I can get the part number from my local bike shop.

[@Jennslife09]

@@KevCentral omg that would be fantastic 🥰

[@MLGxBXRxPRO]

Another great vid kev. You have inspired me to upgrade my nishiki colorado. Is there any way possible to upgrade the horrible fork it comes with i have pretty much put every upgrade possible expect a good fork.

[@KevCentral]

The issue is the combo of thru axel, straight steerer and the wide tires. I haven’t looked in a while, but when I did in the past I couldn’t find anything

[@3clubforever]

Rock shox Judy 27.5 on eBay with straight steerer. Under $200 and a fantastic air fork. Also, if you have a through axel front wheel, an adapter to quick release is available on eBay for $15

[@MLGxBXRxPRO]

@@KevCentral ive also looked far and wide but havent really found anything. If you ever come across any way to upgrade the colorado's fork to a decent air fork please let me know i have a bit of spare cash to spend on it 😂😂

[@KevCentral]

I think the only real way (barring finding the fork that apparently is a complete 🦄) would be to use a lower headset that adapts for an external taper. Once a tapered fork is viable there are options that would work.

[@brandonzm1122]

Hey Kev, I can only find the sx19 wheels in 135qr or 142 thru axle. Can you please share which rear wheel you are using and what adapters/parts you used to make this work on the 141qr frame? Thank you

[@ronjroutdoors1980]

You may have to consider using thru axle to qr adapters.

[@jacklo325]

I wonder the durability of the lutu fork...always feel they are questionable....now what about the good old nishiki colorado and hyper carbon x 29?

[@KevCentral]

Yeah, that’s always the ? with all the Bolany-class forks

[@aniketaggarwal5775]

Hi kev. I’m from canada. Can you suggest me a hybrid bike under 400-500CAD? I want to use it to go to gym and use for short commutes. I really want good looks of the bike. Thanks

[@KevCentral]

Hello. You have more options at the Walmart up there than we do here, so my list probably wouldn’t be as good as what you have access to

[@cjcox1480]

The Hyper Carbon X can take a tapered fork. Time to revisit…

[@harrygreen4220]

Does that derailleur have a clutch?

[@KevCentral]

Sorta. This is their marketing jargon: “AX11 11s Rear Derailleurs Carbon Cage Mega Enhanced damping technology to effectively reduce chain jitter”

[@theshonen8899]

LT-WOO is complete chinese garbage. I went through three replacements before giving up. You can get a strong, reliable, Taiwanese microShift Acolyte groupset for less than $80. There's absolutely no reason whatsoever to go with a cheap chinese brand for drivetrains.

[@KevCentral]

Thanks for sharing

[@SonjaTheDork]

On the road front, there is the brand Sensah who have shown to be decent entry level parts, but I've not had experience with the CRX mtb parts. Taiwan will almost always have a better selection of decent parts but there are a few mainland names that have proven themselves.

[@dominicszorentini3009]

I work at my local lbs, and have installed a few acolyte groupsets and all we had was one broken shifter.

[@dylanmajoos1861]

A quick question, is a 1x setup with a 7 speed mega range suitable for average riding and climbing?

[@KevCentral]

If you’re asking about the Shimano megarange, it’s better than the 14-28t but still not the super easy climbs of the newer wider range kits

[@BrokeLogic]

Anyone have a link for the crankset?

[@Bpierce13]

Just be cautious with the sx19’s… I cracked mine at the seam. Nothing a bit of JB weld and duct tape couldn’t fix though

[@KevCentral]

Lol. I don’t know about the JB and Duct tape, but thanks for sharing. I think I have them on 6-7 bikes and I’ve had no problems so far - but thanks for the heads up on your experience.

[@rupertonewbill1417]

unfortunately the taff comp isnt available in alaska and no shipping options. sad day

[@KevCentral]

Wow. Thanks for sharing

[@icthus13]

I’m seeing shimano MT-200 brakes on reputable sites for $80 total for front & rear…I’d buy those over no-name brakes.

[@KevCentral]

Nothing wrong with that unless there is a budget constraint that makes the difference between $50 (cost of the brakes without the rotor kit) and $80 a big deal.

[@cliffhanger639]

I’m 5’9” and going to get back into riding do you think 29” or a bike with 27.5” wheels would be better?

[@KevCentral]

5’9” you can go either way