Well I ended up buying the Small. At 5’-10” it seemed odd that a small would fit so well, but the more I ride it, the more I know I made the right choice in size.

I did replace the stock 700mm bar with a 750mm Answer Pro Taper CF bar I had on another bike. It is a 20mm rise which means I don’t need so many spacers under the stem. Stuck my 13 year old Gravity Dropper post on it, and took off the reflectors and dork disk. After a few cold rides with some metal pedals, I bought a set of Chromag Synth composite pedals.

I am really quite happy with the bike. The only thing I see myself upgrading are the tires. These are very heavy and - unlike the rims - not tubeless compatible. I am eying a set of 45NTH Vanhelgas to set up tubeless. Between the tires themselves and the tubeless conversion, I’ll be saving almost 3lbs of tire/tube weight, or 2.5lbs if you factor in the sealant. I am not a weight weenie, but 2-3 lbs tire weight makes a noticeable difference.

For those who care, the bike stock was around 36lbs (with pedals), and is about the same now (the weight gain of the Dropper post must have been offset by the CF Handlebar). That is 6lbs heavier than my 5.5” FS All Mt bike (Turner 5-Spot), but I really don’t care. For me, it is not about going fast, but rather going at all.