This adventure of seeking to get a new bicycle began around 2019, I had been using it for around 10 years. the same bike and it was time for a change, so I started looking for different models of bike brands, some I liked them and others not so much, until in one of my searches I came across the Trifox bikes website, while I was looking at the models available at that time was the one that caught my attention, it was the X16 model, I really like it and its range of colors I loved it, I liked the blue chameleon color, so that model was the one I chose to be my new bicycle, I began to think in how I was going to assemble it, one option was to use the same parts that the bike I was using already had or put all the new components. This is how time passed and little by little I was looking for components to put on it and I began to make a budget to save.

This is how time passed and little by little I was looking for components to put on it and I began to make a budget to save.

At a certain point, I was about to buy the X16 frame but by chance I had to wait a little longer, not knowing what that wait would be to choose my dream bike.

Sometime later, when I entered the Trifox Bike page, I saw that they had added a new road frame model, the X18, and when I saw it, I knew that this would actually be the chosen one, although they only had matte black and black with silver. This is how time passed and sometimes I forgot the project of a new bicycle and other times I went back to the Trifox page to see the X18 and see the options it had and imagine what kinds o components to build it with.

It was not until 2021 that I took my project for a new bicycle seriously, I knew that the model that I really wanted over other brands was the X18, I analyzed the pros and cons, from the components that my bike had only some would be compatible to the reality that the wheels would necessarily have to be new since now they would have to be for disc brakes.

Once all the possibilities were analyzed, I began to look for the components with which I would assemble it, throughout 2021, I dedicated myself to searching what brake discs would I put on it, what gear group and what brand would they be, the seat, the handlebars and especially the rims, the latter were the ones that I focus on looking for the most since I knew that they would be an important part for the assembly of the bicycle.

It was by February 2022 that I finally decided to take the step that would start it all, if I'm not mistaken I made my purchase on February 7 of 2022, I was undecided between the matte black color or the black with silver and in the end I ordered the black with silver.

I remember that a week passed and I did not have an email confirming any movement of the shipment of the package or that it was in preparation, so I sent an email to ask what was happening, the treatment I received was very kind and they notified me that the package was already ready to be sent, but there was a small problem with the airline since flights to Mexico were suspended, so they gave me the option to cancel the purchase and return the money or the other would be to send it by ship but it would take 40 days to arrive, I decided that there was no problem waiting 40 days to receive it, I had already been planning this for a few years, there was no problem in waiting another 40 days.

During this waiting time, I dedicated myself to looking for the handlebars and the brake calipers, I looked for the handlebars were integrated handlebars, and I already had in mind that the wiring of the X18 would be internal, so I looked for the handlebar to make it compatible with the internal wiring, so I found one that I loved, a Ryet Aero, it was just what I was looking for, it was an integrated handlebar and could be used for external or internal wiring, I decided that the brake calipers were by cable, since I had no intention of getting an electronic and hydraulic group since my goal was to make the bike as light as possible.

By April 2022 it was a Wednesday that my X18 finally arrived, I was super happy, and I took it out of the box and began to assemble it with what came in the box, my surprise was when I put the metal ring that goes on the fork bearings and placed the base of the spacers, the base was very high, above the curve of the frame and I thought I had put it together wrong, but I kept trying but if the problem was with the metal ring, it was very high, contact the Trifox service and send photos of what was happening and indeed, the ring was very high, they told me that it should be 6.5 millimeters high so I measured it and the height was 8 millimeters, really because of the distance between China and Mexico it was really difficult to make a change of part, at that time the only option was to look for someone who could get the part down and for a while I searched without success, the bike was beautiful and I wouldn't give up to leave it like that after waiting so long.



After about 15 days, and not finding someone who could lower the piece, I had a moment of enlightenment, I told myself -what am I doing? If I could create the piece myself, there was no one to look for, I was capable of creating it through 3D printing, so I got to work, I took measurements of the piece and made the plans directly on the computer, once the correct specifications of the piece were obtained, I made the 3D model and proceeded to look for someone to do the printing, luckily I found someone who was dedicated to 3D printing right here where I live in Fresnillo Zacatecas and he recommended me the material with which the piece could be printed and so it was done, once with the printed piece in my hands I did the test and it was perfect, it was returned in this project and with renewed spirits and create a new version of the ring with the largest space for the cables and to be able to pass the cables with greater ease.

A few days later the handlebars and brake calipers arrived, so I mounted them on the bike to get another surprise that the handlebars were not compatible with the spacers that came from the factory with the x18, they were big, but I did not worry since that opened new doors to more ideas and now the objective was to create spacers completely customized to fit the frame and handlebars, I worked using the spacers that came from the factory and the ones that came with the new handlebar as a base to create new ones, create the plans on the computer with their corresponding measurements and they were ordered to be printed, they were a success, they fit perfectly and they managed to make the handlebars completely compatible with the frame, from there I generated another 4 more prototypes of spacers to improve the design until reaching the final model.



Since then, throughout the year 2022 I was working on this project, I knew what I wanted and how I wanted it, I wanted a bicycle that nobody had, a single model, something that had never been seen before that shined by itself, I started to make a new design in the painting for the painting, I made several designs with different colors, until reaching the yellow and black color, it was the chosen one, it fulfilled what I was looking for, it was elegant, it emitted a lot of presence and it shone by itself, with the selected colors I made some design proposals for the painting, but I wanted to see it applied to the bike to be able to observe it in more detail and have a clear idea of how it would look in the end, so I made a model in 3D of the bicycle frame and I placed the designs, until reaching the final design, bright yellow with matte black and letters in glossy black, this final design I knew would be unique and with the modifications I had made to the handlebar system it made it a unique bike that no one would really have, this led me to name my bike the X18 Ultimate. Given that there would be no one like it and it would be the culmination of all my efforts in this project, my Dream Build.

During the year 2022 each month I bought parts that I previously selected for the bicycle, the changes select the Sram brand and opt for Sram Force 22 mechanical since that I could no longer find Sram red, another month the seat was ordered, the chain in gold color and the sprocket in 11/25 configuration, for another month the tires were ordered, the brake discs in 140 mm, shift and brake cables with Teflon coating and all the hardware of the components in gold, including the handlebar tape in yellow, and after comparing several rim models, choose to buy ones from the EliteWheels brand of 50 mm for 6-bolt disc brake.

The year flew by and by September 2022 the only thing I needed was the crankset and to have the bike painted, I started looking first for who could do the paint job and after an arduous investigation I found who could make my vision come true, a carbon fiber bicycle repair business located in Puebla, Mexico, I contacted them and told them about the idea I had and they told me that it was possible to achieve it, and by the end of October, I sent the bicycle to Puebla in the same box in which it had arrived.



During the wait I dedicated myself to looking for the crankset, this time I wanted it to be from the Sram Red range and I was able to get it with a 53/39 chainring configuration and it came from Spain for By mid-November, everything was ready and all that remained was for the bike to return with new paint.

By mid-December the bicycle returned, with the paint design as I had imagined it, now everything was complete to start assembling it, for days I carried out assembly tests to see how it would look, and until the beginning of January 2023 I proceeded to assemble it.

During its assembly I discovered another small detail, this time in the hole of the fork tube through which the cable sheath passes, which was that the bevels of the hole did not allow it to slide well the cable sheath since they did not have a profile for it to slide well, but I took care of that myself using a drill bit wrapped in sandpaper I did the profiling and it was perfect the cable sheath slid smoothly.

It was my first time running wires inside a bike frame so I had to do a method to hold the handlebars with a broomstick and a chair to get the wires through. without problems, until it was complete and functional, resulting in a Trifox X18 bike like no other in the world.

It was an adventure that I enjoyed month by month, acquiring each component and visualizing how it would look at the end, the whole year 2022 until reaching a dream come true, In the short time that I've been using it, I can say that the bike is great, I haven't had any problems, it's completely safe and extremely light for a disc brake bike.



I am very happy and pleased with her and with the quality offered by her entire Trifox team, from her customer service to her products, I know that during the process there were small details but that did not affect my experience at all, in fact they motivated me to solve and improve them and it serves as a tool for you to improve the products even more, I am very grateful that you liked it the result I achieve with a model of their bikes, maybe in the future someone else can achieve what I did and build the dream bike.