Derek works at one of the premier local bike shops,
Absolute Bikes, the shop I last wrenched at some years back before starting into this whole frame building mess. He's a 6'2" climber who came to me riding an ill fitting mid nineties Ibis Mojo. A cool bike no doubt, but the fit on those old California racer steeds just doesn't work out too well. His request was a bike that could still climb to the top of the mountain but that gave him more confidence on the descents. So here it is: 100-120mm 650B, dedicated geared, semi-short rear end with a tall head tube to match some long legs. This bike was an absolute pleasure to build from the drawing on...a very smart bike. I wouldn't mind one myself. The color is canyon copper and its getting the full Chris King package with Race Face/XT 2x10 gearing on Velocity Blunt rims.
I haven't seen the finished product yet, but I talked with Derek today and he just went on and on about it (this was also confirmed by his co-workers). Enjoy your new bike Derek. Can't wait to throw a leg over for a bit.
--Richard