Surly 'Karate Monkey' 29er bike with Chris King/Hope/Mavic bits

Surly 'Karate Monkey'

For sale: my beloved Karate Monkey!

I bought this custom spec'd bike six months ago and it has been amazing. I'm only selling as I've enjoyed the 29er experience so much that I'm trading this and my 26" Inbred in and getting another race-lite 29er.

The spec is as follows:

Frame: Surly 'Karate Monkey' (Large/Black)
Forks: Manitou 'Minute 29er'
Headset: Chris King
Bottom Bracket: Hope
Chainset: Shimano 'LX'
Shifters/Mechs: Shimano 'SLX'
Wheels: Mavic TN719 rims/Bontrager hubs (recently serviced and trued)
Brakes: Shimano 'SLX' (new pads)
Bars/Stem: You've a choice of either straights (Easton 'EA50's) or risers (also EA50's with a Raceface XC stem) - it's your choice.
Tyres: Maxxis 'Ardents' (plenty of life left)

Here's what Surly have to say:

29" wheels, as you may know, deliver greater traction than 26" wheels; they smooth out terrain more effectively, hold inertia well, and in general they fit taller riders better than 26" wheeled bikes. When it was introduced, the Karate Monkey was one of the first (the first?) production 29’ers. Not only did the Monkey put the 29" platform in front of a lot of people, it did so at a price within reach of many a bike nerd. Back then there were only about three tire options! Since then 29-inch has become a full-blown category, with entire bike companies dedicated to the platform.

Even now, however, the Karate Monkey continues to amaze people even though it’s nearly the same  as when it was introduced: our own custom 4130 CroMoly steel tubing make the frame and fork, butted  where it matters to provide a durable yet resilient ride. The seat tube is curved forward, allowing the rear wheel to tuck under, shortening the wheelbase and increasing rear wheel traction. The crank height provides plenty of ground clearance. The rear “dropouts” are horizontal rear-load style, but with a derailleur hanger. Hmmm, tricky. We offer the complete bike version of the Karate Monkey as a singlespeed but you could turn  it into a geared bike if you wanted. Or monster cross it. Fixed-gear off-road it. The Karate Monkey sticks  to trail like peanut butter to a dog’s mouth. It rides great. That’s not just us talking, that’s what we hear  from customers. You’ll see.

It's in great condition (just the usual signs of everyday use) and I've very recently replaced the brake-pads (1 ride since), cables, chain and had the wheels serviced/trued recently.

Note: Delivery (by me!) might be possible in/around the London/Wales/Leicester area as I'll be travelling to/from/between those areas a lot in the next two weeks otherwise postage costs are listed above. Postage is also an option but would need to be discussed/calculated after the sale (at cost price).