Argon18 Dark matter: Retirement Build

[prebsy]

After many years of racing of mixing it up as a cat 1 I decided to say goodbye to that crit life. Consider this the retirement bike, the quiver killer, this is me going all Kerouac or whatever other expression is necessary.

A ton of reasons why I really liked this bike as a do it all solution. I was between this and the exploro but couldn't swallow the price tag for a complete build with a bunch of components I didn't actually want.

Current setup is with 38 gravel grinders but in the future I'll have 700c wheels with road tires (28-32) and 650b wheels with 2.XX for the fun stuff. Residing in a city makes owning a dedicated MTB a bit foolish but an extra wheelset is all you need to have a blast.

I really wanted a 2x so I could do plenty of road riding along with single track and some light duty touring.

Many upgrades and modifications are on the way, so stay tuned.


(First ride: Clopper lake Gaithersburg MD)

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[Orbital]

Love this bike. It’s one I’m hoping to add by the end of summer.

[prebsy]

A couple weeks on loving it so far but damn portly at 9.1kg

Changes so far:
Easton ec70ax 40cm handlebars
Kalloy Uno 120 -17
Tesa cloth tape
Specialized power saddle

It's currently in road mode but I'll be using it for a light tour at the end of April. I want to swap out the compact for a subcompact. I can't decide between a set of absolute black rings and an ec90sl with the 1 piece 46/30 rings


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[fa63]

Looks great; is that size M or L? I have one on order, but I was told they are not available until the end of the month. I am in between sizes; 183 cm tall with 85 cm inseam. Curious to hear what size you went with and how tall you are.

Also, how does it ride in roadie mode? I plan to have this as my only bike, but haven't seen too many real life reviews.

[prebsy]

This is the medium. I'm 183cm, saddle height just under 75cm. Honestly it feels great as a road bike. I'm still trying to line up the correct 650 wheels to do the off road stuff.

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[fa63]

Great, thanks. My saddle height is closer to 77 cm, but I think the M frame with the +15mm headset cover and a 120 mm stem will work well for me.

Keep us posted on the 650b wheels; I am also curious if the frame/fork will take a 50mm tire in 650b configuration.

[prebsy]

Finally got the 650b wheels. 2.0 inch tire fits well but I wouldn't go bigger in the rear.

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[fa63]

Looks great, thanks for sharing!

I actually just got mine in as well; I went with the size L in the end. Based on my short rides so far it feels like it will be a fun bike!