Featured Bike: Sette “Eldorado” Monster Cross Bike

Sette “Eldorado” Monster Cross Bike

“The Sette brand started in 2004. At that time, Sette began to develop and design quality parts and accessories. Sette’s mission today as it was in the beginning; to provide customers with outstanding cycling products at great values.”

Unfortunately, the company’s website is a bit lacking in information. Moving along…

This is the Sette Monster CX rig of K-Dogg, complete with big tire (tyre) clearance, front shock and drop handlebars. Built for safety and comfort, he sought a bike that could assist him with traversing the more technical terrain commonly seen at gravel and UltraCX events in Georgia, North Carolina, West Virginia, etc. Such a bike doesn’t exist in the marketplace, dictating the need for a custom project bike.

Built with the assistance of JOM, the project began life as a Sette Razzo SC carbon fiber mountain bike frame, obtained for a very cheap price from a Gainesville, Florida local. Cheap and K-Dogg are synonymous 🙂 The “Eldorado” as K-Dogg calls it, reminds him of a 1960 – 1961 Cadillac Eldorado – envisage safety (not by 2015 standards), power and comfort. Cadillac aficionados may argue the 1959 is the best year of the “finned” cars, but we digress.

The “Eldorado” instills confidence in K-Dogg, which is the whole point of constructing this bike. We’re hoping it will instill confidence in his descending skills, which will be tested aboard the rig later in 2015.

K-Dogg’s “Eldorado” Monster Cross Bike

Frame: Sette Razzo SC “Super Carbon” construction, size Medium.
Fork: Fox Float 29er with Kashima stanchion treatment, thru axle.
Headset: FSA 1 1/8 to 1 1/4″.
Seatpost: Thomson Elite 27.2mm x 400mm.
Saddle: Fizik Arione.
Wheelset: American Classic Race 29’er – read the Gravel Cyclist review HERE.
Tyres: Specialized Renegade 1.8″, configured tubeless.
Handlebars: Specialized aluminium road, 42cm centre to centre.
Stem: Syntace Flat Force, 77mm.
Shifters: Shimano Ultegra 6600 10 speed shifters.
Derailleurs: Shimano Ultegra 6700 mid cage rear, Shimano XT top pull front.
Crankset: Shimano XTR, 172.5mm with 40 / 28 chainrings.
Bottom Bracket: Shimano XTR, 73mm external cup.
Pedals: Xpedo CXR (under review by the G.C. crew).
Cassette: Shimano / SRAM 11-23, 11-26 or 11-32 10 speed, depending on terrain.
Brakes: TRP Spyre mechanical calipers with Hope 160mm floating rotors.
Bottle Cages: King Cage Titanium.

More about the bike:

• The bike weighs a shade under 22lbs, which is very respectable considering there are no uber lightweight parts on this bike.
• The Fox float shock has three settings – Climb, Trail and Descend. “Climb” is the equivalent of being locked out, although as is the nature with suspension forks, there is no true lockout. A small amount of bob / movement can be expected.