BluesDawg

Just to help we with a visual reference as I wait for my frame to be delivered, what is your full inseam length (PBH, not pants leg) and what length of exposed seat post do you have?

rgconner

PBH is 33.5. exposed is 6 3/4 ish. Not a lot exposed, really.

I have 165 cranks, so take that into consideration.

BluesDawg

Thanks. So I'd expect just a bit under 8" exposed post.

stanion

What do you think about the weight of the MCD? I'm guessing around 24 pounds (which is a fine weight for me, if I'm correct).

JWK

Great looking bike, and I'm seriously considering a frame for a spring ride. I can't make it out *perfectly*, but it seems the front dérailleur cable and the rear brake cable both go down the downtube. Is this correct? Only the rear brake cable goes along the top tube? So now you can use a bottom pull front dérailleur, yes?

I like this. This could really be the bike I've been searching out for the way I ride and my geometry preferences. Let us know how the bike handles and feels as you get to ride it more! Congrats!!

rgconner

Rear cable goes along the bottom, the top tube is the rear derailleur, and front derailleur goes along top tube, so bottom pull is a go.

It handles really well. Gets a little squirrelly in the back over 35 mph, but that does not happen very often, just long descents and may be the tires.* Very stable at normal speeds, can eat on the bike no problem, probable could add/remove a light jacket too.

Tires make a huge difference on road feel and handling. With 28's on, it handles like a road bike, but also has very little cush... like a road bike.

Have done a metric on it a few months ago and was not sore at all.

Doing a full century tomorrow... that will be the acid test.
*

BluesDawg

Here's my Olive Oil MCD.


013 by Benny Watson, on Flickr

rgconner

Century Update:
I bailed at 62 miles rest stop because of 25 mph gusts and a route that took us down a busy road with no shoulder and a nasty metal guardrail. Honestly, they should have reversed the course and had us do that section FIRST, when it was quiet for both crosswinds and cars.

But I felt pretty good, and no contact point pain, numbness or back issues. As I sat around waiting for my wife to come get me, I heard a lot of the riders complaining about sore this and numb that. So definitely a comfy bike!

Averaged 14.2 miles per hour, which considering the winds was doing pretty good.

mongol777

Mine is finally done. Got the frame couple of weeks ago, remainder of the parts came last week, only fenders left to install (they are in the mail, Honjo 62mm in black from SimWorks). Did not decide on the rack/bags yet. Love the bike, build below was just under 23lbs with tubes, runs tubeless now. 53cm, I call it Mr PeptoBismol (great match to my pink All-City Mr Pink). Very comfortable, fast to accelerate, keeps the speed without much effort, climbing is good sitting or out of saddle, handling is predictable and not slow, just right. I run 40psi at the back and 35 in the front.
46/34 Ultegra 6800 cranks, Ultegra CX70 FD, Ultegra RX 8000 RD, SRAM 11-36 cassette, 105 5800 brifters.

trailangel

Nice!

mongol777

Thank you!

JWK

How are you managing to put 62mm fenders on your bike? I thought 50 was the max for the mcd.

mongol777

Will figure out when they arrive 😀 I did measure and they should fit plus I saw BMC Road+ with the same fenders. Little bending may be required, especially around FD and chainstay yok but should be OK.
Inside distance between fork legs and between seatstays is around 70mm

JWK

Holy moly. That changes everything for me. One of the biggest reasons I was looking for other options was the post on the BMC site stating that "50mm fenders fit just fine". I assumed the MCD would be the same, and I assumed that meant that 50mm was the max or near the max. I want tires 40mm - 44mm and I want fenders that would give good coverage. That would be a minimum of 55mm for fenders and preferably 60mm.

Please let me know how the fenders fit, what finagling you had to do, etc. What tires do you have on there now? Great build! Congrats.

mongol777

Sure, I will post update when they are installed. Right now I have Panaracers GK SK, they measure to actual ~42 and change on 19mm internal width rims. Plan is to get ~45-40mm tire eventually - I'll have to see how much space I will have under fenders.
Mike's guidance on fenders is likely based on tested and safe and with no mods to the fenders which is the right thing to do for manufacturer. Your FD type will also play a role - I really like CX70, works just fine with 11s and does not get in the way so I expect may be little pinch on the fender.

mongol777

Here is Road+ build with 62mm Honjos - https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=234134 (have to register to see the pics)
Attaching screenshot

JWK

Oh, right.....I see now. I never thought about the front dérailleur. That is probably a problem if I use the Sugino triple I was considering. That triple with a 10 speed 12-30 is perfect for me for everyday, go anywhere riding (lots of hills). Back to the drawing board...

gus6464

So looking at the MCD and the new Road+ frames I can't help but notice the similarities between the frames and the Breadwinner G-Road. Now I know the G-Roads are custom geometry bikes with a bit fancier steel (Columbus Spirit) but the weights are not that vastly different. The welds on the Black Mountain frames look just as good with the fork being of same design with same mounts for stuff. We talking a $2400 premium for what exactly other than custom geometry?

mongol777

I think you will be OK with triple. I'll make sure to post detailed pic once fenders are on

pbass

I live in SoCal but was just up north last weekend and visited BMC. I REALLY want an MCD now!

mstateglfr 

MUSA.
One is made in Portland and the other is made in Taiwan.

The forks look similar, but breadwinner's fork is made by a local builder in Portland, has the salsa 3 bolt mounts, and I'm guessing is 853 steel.

With breadwinner you get custom geometry, presumably lighter tubing, nicer looking dropouts, more paint options, design around 650 wheels, and more fork mounts.
Black Mountain gives you tubing that is still quality(heat treated 8/5/8) and 4 bottle mounts for a lot less money.


Not disagreeing with what I assume is your overall point- that the MCD is a really good value compared to the Groad, but there are differences that some may find important enough to want a Groad.

The welds on my canti black mountain are excellent looking, agree there too.
...but I don't love the limited MCD colors...and it's just olive oil in my size. That alone could push someone away and towards another frame.

gus6464

Breadwinner is Columbus spirit which is not in the same league as 853. It's mid tier at best.

mstateglfr 

Everything I've ever seen is that Spirit is their 'highest' level of non stainless. It comes in .75/.45/.75 and .6/.4/.6 buttings...im really not sure when that would be called 'mid-tier'.
It has the same tensile strength range as 853 and S3.

Admittedly I haven't ridden Spirit tubing and almost for sure never will. Don't need anything that thin and its probably not best for any frame I would ever use. Zona range(1 step under Spirit) is where I exist. Point is- I haven't built a bike with Spirit or even ridden one so all I know is what ive read. If reality is different and its actually 'mid-level' then thats a surprise, but ok then. Guess that kinda sucks though since my Zona road bike will then be 'low level'.
Oh well.


https://www.henryjames.com/columbus-p...son-chart.html
https://www.henryjames.com/bike-tech-...loy-specs.html
https://www.strongframes.com/tubing-information/

gus6464

Strange because other charts I've seen put spirit as having a little lower tensile strength than 753.

And this is how I thought Reynolds is categorized.

853 High-end
753 mid
531/631 low

BluesDawg

I would not hesitate to call or email Mike Varley with any questions like this. He has very helpful with any questions I've had with both of the frames I got from him, both before and after the sale. For example, when I asked him about stem and spacers needed to get the fit dimensions I wanted for my Monster Cross frame in 2012, he mocked one up on his work stand and sent me pictures.