"My 1992 M2 “metal matrix” S-Works. When I acquired this light and stiff aluminum mountain bike frame, I felt compelled to build it in the performance and speed driven way in which it demanded. Of course that starts with the best looking mountain bike groupset ever made by Shimano: first generation XTR, M900 series. The silver and blue, the curves and design everything about this groupset was elegant. You might notice I have a particular fascination with brakes and hubs. The XTR canti brakes with these salmon pads had incredible stopping power. You might not notice, but the brakes are actually front and rear specific. I definitely didn’t notice on my initial set up, and they stopped so well already, I was a bit too lazy to swap them around.

The part of this build I was so excited to try was the first edition of the Answer Manitou suspension fork. A dead simple design, aimed to add just enough comfort without all of the flexing and twisting of other suspension forks. I was eager to try this out since the carbon FSX fork on my S-Works Steel feels like a wet noodle when navigating the rocky New England terrain. So eager in fact, immediately after finishing the build I threw the bike in the back of my truck and in the middle of winter drove the nearest trails for a first ride. Some of you might’ve realized by now that Manitou forks are not designed for cold weather riding. The rubber elastomers that provide the suspension turn hard as a rock and leave you with a heavy and flexi rigid fork.

Unfortunately, the aggressive fit and introduction of other bikes to my collection meant that this bike never got the love it deserved. I’ve since taken its parts for other projects and the frame is listed for sale."

- Jackson