What did you just buy for your gravel bike?
08-04-19, 11:01 AM
#501
nothing to see here
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The original clip is sitting in a field near the start line of the Red Clay Ramble bike race in Eatonton, Georgia.
I'm going to chop the protruding end off two of the bolts to use with the Hope RX4 calipers which still are not installed on the bike. Using the spacer for 160 mm rotors vs OEM 140 mm rotors makes installing these calipers a bit more interesting than just bolting them on. One of two bolts on each caliper bottom out in the mounting hole and so two of these will be sacrificed to see if I can get it to work.
Ironically enough, I will not need the clips if the bolts work. Parts were cheap enough and working on the bike is one third of the fun.
As an aside, A-Main cycling has a nice selection of small parts and $1.99 flat rate shipping for anything which fits inside of a small padded envelope.
-Tim-
I'm going to chop the protruding end off two of the bolts to use with the Hope RX4 calipers which still are not installed on the bike. Using the spacer for 160 mm rotors vs OEM 140 mm rotors makes installing these calipers a bit more interesting than just bolting them on. One of two bolts on each caliper bottom out in the mounting hole and so two of these will be sacrificed to see if I can get it to work.
Ironically enough, I will not need the clips if the bolts work. Parts were cheap enough and working on the bike is one third of the fun.
As an aside, A-Main cycling has a nice selection of small parts and $1.99 flat rate shipping for anything which fits inside of a small padded envelope.
-Tim-
08-04-19, 01:25 PM
#502
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Voler grav bibs
Got a nice pair with cargo pockets in the back of bib. Comfy seem ok
08-04-19, 06:54 PM
#503
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Picked up a force 1 crank so I can run a smaller front chain ring. Went from a 40t to a 34t on the front. Not as slow as I thought it was going to be but will still be throwing on the 42t when I get back from my trip.
08-05-19, 07:10 PM
#504
Senior Member
Got my new rubber on. 42’s feel like riding balloons.
Getting the beads to seat in 115 degree weather was near impossible. The sealant and soapy water would dry almost immediately before I could even get the compressor hooked up.
Getting the beads to seat in 115 degree weather was near impossible. The sealant and soapy water would dry almost immediately before I could even get the compressor hooked up.
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08-05-19, 09:10 PM
#505
- Soli Deo Gloria -
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Good to see you are working on installing the new Hope RX4 calipers. I really like mine even though the pads are still a bit noisy. Just an observation here but I was under the impression that the flat mount versions of the RX4 were set up to run 160mm rotors without use of adapters. Is your fame spec'd out for 140mm rotors?
The bolt which attaches the spacer to the caliper bottoms out in the blind mounting holes on the Hope calipers. I tried to find shorter bolts at several different stores but they are either cheap steel, the head is too large or some other issue. I'm just going to chop the nub off the Shimano bolts and use those.
The fact that the hope pads are not finned is a concern. I really like the idea of finned pads. We shall see.
-Tim-
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08-07-19, 10:38 AM
#507
Very Slow Rider
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Portland Design Works Fenders
Didn't just buy but just mounted PDW fenders - not sure if fenders are a thing in gravel biking but these are very sturdy and flexible. I commute on my bike too
08-07-19, 02:00 PM
#508
Senior Member
I've been looking to use the top tube cage bosses on my gravel bike and I've finally found a tiny top tube bag that bolts straight onto them.
It's a Silca Speed Capsule TT Direct Mount bag and it is a real funky shape. Not very practical, but enough for me.
I can fit a bunch of keys, my small iPhone 7 with a case, some money and one small energy bar. It is very, very small.
It's a Silca Speed Capsule TT Direct Mount bag and it is a real funky shape. Not very practical, but enough for me.
I can fit a bunch of keys, my small iPhone 7 with a case, some money and one small energy bar. It is very, very small.
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08-07-19, 03:13 PM
#509
- Soli Deo Gloria -
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Are you kidding? That bag looks nice.
Bonus points for color matching the frame.
The only thing missing from that bike is a nice coating of dirt.
Bonus points for color matching the frame.
The only thing missing from that bike is a nice coating of dirt.
08-07-19, 03:37 PM
#510
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46/36 crankset.
08-07-19, 07:55 PM
#512
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08-08-19, 10:34 AM
#513
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I've been looking to use the top tube cage bosses on my gravel bike and I've finally found a tiny top tube bag that bolts straight onto them.
It's a Silca Speed Capsule TT Direct Mount bag and it is a real funky shape. Not very practical, but enough for me.
I can fit a bunch of keys, my small iPhone 7 with a case, some money and one small energy bar. It is very, very small.
It's a Silca Speed Capsule TT Direct Mount bag and it is a real funky shape. Not very practical, but enough for me.
I can fit a bunch of keys, my small iPhone 7 with a case, some money and one small energy bar. It is very, very small.
08-09-19, 12:37 AM
#514
Senior Member
@davei1980 I don’t know if it’s associated with Norco. Blue seem to have a history in competition bikes based on the little research that I did when I bought my Blue Prosecco.
From my perspective it’s a relatively unknown brand. I bought that bike from a U.K. supplier for an almost 50% discount. It’s a lot of bike for the money. However, the manufacturer has zero presence here and I’ve not been able to successfully contact Blue on social media either.
I was not able to register my Blue bike on their website for warranty support as you can only do so if you’re in the USA.
Thus, it’s high risk for me but the components on the bikes are fairly standard components and also very well selected components, which is why I went for it.
So from my point of view, the bike itself is great but I have not been able to get manufacturer support for answers to questions.
From my perspective it’s a relatively unknown brand. I bought that bike from a U.K. supplier for an almost 50% discount. It’s a lot of bike for the money. However, the manufacturer has zero presence here and I’ve not been able to successfully contact Blue on social media either.
I was not able to register my Blue bike on their website for warranty support as you can only do so if you’re in the USA.
Thus, it’s high risk for me but the components on the bikes are fairly standard components and also very well selected components, which is why I went for it.
So from my point of view, the bike itself is great but I have not been able to get manufacturer support for answers to questions.
08-09-19, 08:43 AM
#515
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@davei1980 I don’t know if it’s associated with Norco. Blue seem to have a history in competition bikes based on the little research that I did when I bought my Blue Prosecco.
From my perspective it’s a relatively unknown brand. I bought that bike from a U.K. supplier for an almost 50% discount. It’s a lot of bike for the money. However, the manufacturer has zero presence here and I’ve not been able to successfully contact Blue on social media either.
I was not able to register my Blue bike on their website for warranty support as you can only do so if you’re in the USA.
Thus, it’s high risk for me but the components on the bikes are fairly standard components and also very well selected components, which is why I went for it.
So from my point of view, the bike itself is great but I have not been able to get manufacturer support for answers to questions.
From my perspective it’s a relatively unknown brand. I bought that bike from a U.K. supplier for an almost 50% discount. It’s a lot of bike for the money. However, the manufacturer has zero presence here and I’ve not been able to successfully contact Blue on social media either.
I was not able to register my Blue bike on their website for warranty support as you can only do so if you’re in the USA.
Thus, it’s high risk for me but the components on the bikes are fairly standard components and also very well selected components, which is why I went for it.
So from my point of view, the bike itself is great but I have not been able to get manufacturer support for answers to questions.
08-09-19, 10:14 AM
#516
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@davei1980 I don’t know if it’s associated with Norco. Blue seem to have a history in competition bikes based on the little research that I did when I bought my Blue Prosecco.
From my perspective it’s a relatively unknown brand. I bought that bike from a U.K. supplier for an almost 50% discount. It’s a lot of bike for the money. However, the manufacturer has zero presence here and I’ve not been able to successfully contact Blue on social media either.
I was not able to register my Blue bike on their website for warranty support as you can only do so if you’re in the USA.
Thus, it’s high risk for me but the components on the bikes are fairly standard components and also very well selected components, which is why I went for it.
So from my point of view, the bike itself is great but I have not been able to get manufacturer support for answers to questions.
From my perspective it’s a relatively unknown brand. I bought that bike from a U.K. supplier for an almost 50% discount. It’s a lot of bike for the money. However, the manufacturer has zero presence here and I’ve not been able to successfully contact Blue on social media either.
I was not able to register my Blue bike on their website for warranty support as you can only do so if you’re in the USA.
Thus, it’s high risk for me but the components on the bikes are fairly standard components and also very well selected components, which is why I went for it.
So from my point of view, the bike itself is great but I have not been able to get manufacturer support for answers to questions.
08-09-19, 11:49 AM
#518
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
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08-09-19, 11:54 AM
#519
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Got it about three weeks ago. Total accident. It's the red Apex 1 model. It's the first time I've used a 1X setup and I liked it so much I decided to take the hydro Ultegra off the Topstone, make it 1X (42T Oval Wolftooth, 11-42), and put it on the Warbird. I'll put the Apex 1 on the Topstone and sell it.
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2019 Salsa Warbird
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2019 Salsa Warbird
08-09-19, 12:30 PM
#522
Sunshine
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Got it about three weeks ago. Total accident. It's the red Apex 1 model. It's the first time I've used a 1X setup and I liked it so much I decided to take the hydro Ultegra off the Topstone, make it 1X (42T Oval Wolftooth, 11-42), and put it on the Warbird. I'll put the Apex 1 on the Topstone and sell it.
I hope to have an accident like this someday!
Nice castoff bits(DA + wolftooth) for the soon to be sold Cdale.
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08-10-19, 03:16 AM
#523
Senior Member
Replaced a rear Thunder Burt 2.1" with a Maxxlite One70 2.0". Very cushy and a bit faster for the rear. Setup very easy with Orange Seal Endurance.
08-10-19, 07:35 PM
#524
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Panaracer Gravel Kings SK 700x50mm.
I love them but they are the hardest tires to mount I've ever mounted.
08-10-19, 08:57 PM
#525
Senior Member
Got around to mounting the new cockpit pieces, but haven't cabled it up yet...
Just came in the last couple days, new rear derailleur and cassette.
The new derailleur (Alivio T4000) looks similar to the old one (Alivio M360), but has more wrap.
The new cassette is 11-32 8-speed, whereas the old cassette was 11-28 7-speed. Besides the added 32-tooth big cog, the cogs are exactly the same between them, so my 1.5-step-plus-granny gearing scheme will still work fine.
The tricky part will be chain clearance. Right now in small-big, the upper run of the chain rubs the fender, and the lower run of the chain might ever-so-slightly brush the tire. I've got a ton of room between the small cog and the dropout, so I might be able to shove a super-thin spacer inboard of the cassette, if the lockring is still able to get good thread engagement. I guess it probably wouldn't be a big deal to file a tiny amount of material off the fender either.
Alternately, a compelling fix might be to switch to a narrower BB spindle, but overcompensate for the spindle narrowness by throwing a spacer on the drive side of the BB. I could solve all chain clearance problems and reduce the bike's probably-too-large q-factor with one stone. Win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win? Maybe.
If I can make this work, my low gear will drop to 19.5" without sacrificing the monster 113" top-end, and I'll have tightly-spaced gearing all the way from 35" to 96". Basically 18 or 19 unique useful ratios. Glorious.
Just came in the last couple days, new rear derailleur and cassette.
The new derailleur (Alivio T4000) looks similar to the old one (Alivio M360), but has more wrap.
The new cassette is 11-32 8-speed, whereas the old cassette was 11-28 7-speed. Besides the added 32-tooth big cog, the cogs are exactly the same between them, so my 1.5-step-plus-granny gearing scheme will still work fine.
The tricky part will be chain clearance. Right now in small-big, the upper run of the chain rubs the fender, and the lower run of the chain might ever-so-slightly brush the tire. I've got a ton of room between the small cog and the dropout, so I might be able to shove a super-thin spacer inboard of the cassette, if the lockring is still able to get good thread engagement. I guess it probably wouldn't be a big deal to file a tiny amount of material off the fender either.
Alternately, a compelling fix might be to switch to a narrower BB spindle, but overcompensate for the spindle narrowness by throwing a spacer on the drive side of the BB. I could solve all chain clearance problems and reduce the bike's probably-too-large q-factor with one stone. Win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win? Maybe.
If I can make this work, my low gear will drop to 19.5" without sacrificing the monster 113" top-end, and I'll have tightly-spaced gearing all the way from 35" to 96". Basically 18 or 19 unique useful ratios. Glorious.
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