Notices
Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling Do you enjoy centuries, double centuries, brevets, randonnees, and 24-hour time trials? Share ride reports, and exchange training, equipment, and nutrition information specific to long distance cycling. This isn't for tours, this is for endurance events cycling

Building a rando bike - where to focus the money?

Old 07-17-18, 11:15 AM
  #1  
Chesterton
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 197

Bikes: 1975 Raleigh Sports, Cycles Toussaint Velo Routier, Yuba Mundo, Raleigh Sports (1970)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 34 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times in 4 Posts
Building a rando bike - where to focus the money?

I am planning to build up a new bike for randonneuring (formal brevets and just "long rides") from a frameset, most likely either the Soma Grand Randonneur or Cycles Toussaint Velo Routier, depending on availability. I currently ride an old (1990) Schwinn World Sport that I bought for $250 and while it has been quite good to me (I successfully did a 200K brevet on it), there are a bunch of things I'd like to do differently on a purpose-built bike:
  • handlebar bag (I am jealous of my ride buddies being able to rummage in their bags on the go), which leads me to wanting to give low-trail geometry a try
  • wide supple tires (650Bx42) and fenders
  • generator hub lighting
  • lower gearing for hills (preferably sub 1:1)
So in working on a build list I'm wondering where it's really worth spending a lot of money, and where one can get by with less expensive parts. My gut instinct is to spend on the "interface points". So I'm OK spending a lot on handlebars, Brooks B17 saddle, tires (probably Compass Babyshoe Pass), but where can one best save money on a bike like this? For a lot of the individual parts, the price difference for the high end doesn't seem that much more than the mid-range, but when added together for the whole bike it all adds up and suddenly you're at a $4,000 bike, and at that point I wonder if I should just buy a custom bike!

E.g., is it worth paying $100 for Pacenti Brevet rims vs $70 for Velo Orange rims? $285 for the SON generator hub vs $125 for Shutter Precision? Rear hubs, cassettes, bottom bracket - can one get away with buying low-end here? I'm looking at Microshift for derailleurs; my friends quite like their SunXCD derailleurs which I believe are just rebranded Microshift.

Oh, one other question regarding drivetrain: is 10-speed still considered a big jump in price and complexity over 9-speed? Sheldon Brown's page on cassette strongly discourages 10-speed cassettes on touring type bikes, but I wonder if that's a little outdated now. My current bike has a 7-speed cassette and I can't say I've felt deprived for sprockets, so if 9-speed is significantly cheaper and less of a hassle to adjust and run, I'd as soon go with that. The front will probably be the Velo Orange 46/30 double crankset.

Thanks!
Chesterton is offline  
Old 07-17-18, 12:31 PM
  #2  
Bandera
~>~
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: TX Hill Country
Posts: 5,932
Mentioned: 87 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1112 Post(s)
Liked 180 Times in 119 Posts
Since the frame-set is the "heart" of the machine, the only "component" not changed during the service life of the bike, and determines ride, handling, wheel-set size, brake type and accessory fitting being very precise in choosing for the best fit possible of two viable choices is where I'd start. If you are perfectly happy, or not, with the sizing in all dimensions of your current machine measure everything from ST, TT, wheelbase and on and compare to the grid of details listed for your two candidates. The one that is closest to a frame-set that you already like to ride, or one that seems to address the issues you trying to improve, may be the best choice in a toss-up over specs, weight and price. Bit n bobs can be a running experiment but well fitted frame-set will be the reliable structure to hang them on.

-Bandera
Bandera is offline  
Old 07-17-18, 03:08 PM
  #3  
clasher
Senior Member
 
clasher's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Kitchener, ON
Posts: 2,737
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 147 Times in 102 Posts
If the Schwinn World sports fits well and you like it well enough have you thought about upgrading it? It's a decent chromo frame, just like the soma and toussaint are. Here's one person's take on it. I was really happy riding 700x32mm tires for my first season of randonneuring. Might be able to fit fenders and 32mm tires on the schwinn. Your bike also might work well for a 650B conversion if you wanna run the 42mm or wider tires and have room for fenders. The classic and vintage forum here has a huge thread about that kind of stuff, You might also be able to find a good deal on some basic 650B wheels. Rebuilding the front with a generator hub wouldn't be too difficult if you want that too.

I don't ride any bikes with low-trail but I use a dill pickle handlebar bag and it works well on any bike I've put it... and I've tried 4 different bikes over 4 seasons on rando rides and still not sure what I really want from a rando bike. I like to carry my clothes in a saddlebag since I have to stop to change anyway, and a smaller handlebar bag keeps me from overpacking.

I recently bought the B&M Eyro as a back-up light but have been impressed at how long it lasts (I got 12 hours out of a charge) and the light it puts out... not comparable to the highest end B&M lights but adequate for most night riding. The battery B&M tail light lasts really long on a pair of AAA batteries. Using a dropbag on a 600 or 1200, you could buy two or three Eyro lights for the cost of one of the high-end B&M lights and have them charged in the bag ready to swap out, or you could charge the light during the day with a battery pack, since they just slide out of the mount. Carrying two lights is a good idea and some rando rides now require a backup of some kind. I might go this way in the future.

For close to the cost of a VO crank and sunXCD rear derailleur you can pick up a complete sora groupset with an 11-34 cassette which gets you to 1:1 but you might be able to swap the cassette to an 12-36 for slightly lower gearing without having to buy a wolftooth or anything fancy, sometimes just a longer b-screw will do the trick. Another crank worth looking into is the various FSA adventure cranksets, I think they make 46/30 cranks that are under a 100$... the tempo is the square taper model.

For a frame like the soma or toussaint I think the VO or soma rims are fine. The Pacenti are lighter but then I'd want to build a 32 or 28 spoke wheel with them so to get the weight down even a bit more... and if weight were the primary concern with my build I would be starting off with a lighter frame than either the soma or toussaint. Same goes for the rest of the stuff, it seems to me that shimano gears shift pretty well across the entire range of groups and steel cassettes all last just as long, the higher end ones use aluminum carriers to cut weight so that increases the cost. Hollow chainrings and arms shave weight on the higher end groupsets as well things like carbon levers and whatnot.

Personally if I were set on building a soma I'd be using a sora groupset and those ebay wheels (I would stress relieve and lubricate the spoke threads), probably possible to get the full build done for under 2000$
clasher is offline  
Old 07-17-18, 03:53 PM
  #4  
Chesterton
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 197

Bikes: 1975 Raleigh Sports, Cycles Toussaint Velo Routier, Yuba Mundo, Raleigh Sports (1970)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 34 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times in 4 Posts
I agree that fit is all-important. The World Sports fits me pretty well I think, although to be honest I don't have much to compare it to. It's the only road bike I've owned, and I didn't really do anything except put the B17 in roughly the middle of the rails and ride. But I made it through the 200K without any significant discomfort afterwards except the aforementioned ulnar nerve injury in my left hand. It's entirely possible the fit could be better, but I feel like it's served me well enough. I've taken a bunch of measurements and definitely will use those as a comparison point for a new frame. The Soma frame has that slightly dropped/sloping top tube which complicates the comparison.

Clasher, I have definitely thought about just upgrading the components on the current frame, but it has a lot of limitations for where I want to go with the build. I have 27"x32mm Paselas on it now, and when they are new they are rubbing the rear brake bridge, with absolutely no room for anything wider or for fenders. There's no rack mount braze-ons, although I guess one could use p-clamps. In order to get the gearing I'd want, the entire drivetrain would need to be replaced, along with the wheels and brakes if going to 650B, and at that point what's another $500 for a lighter frame that has the clearance and mounting points for the equipment I want to run?

I think for wheels (and everything else, really) sturdiness and reliability is more important than weight. I weigh about 230 lbs and although I'm not rough with my bikes I think I'd be looking at 36 spoke wheels front and back. I have a history of breaking rear spokes on the Schwinn (perhaps just because they are 28 years old and possibly poor quality metal to begin with) and at least with 36 spokes I can still make it back home with a broken spoke or two. I'm hoping a new wheel won't have that problem, though.

I'll look into the Sora groupset. My friend rides a Soma GR and has the Velo Orange crankset and is quite happy with it but I'm open to all options. I'm biased towards a "classic" aesthetic and so the black crankset doesn't do a lot for me from that angle but I admit that's a personal foible.

Last edited by Chesterton; 07-17-18 at 07:51 PM.
Chesterton is offline  
Old 07-17-18, 04:05 PM
  #5  
Tourist in MSN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,112

Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3426 Post(s)
Liked 1,441 Times in 1,122 Posts
I posted some comments on a second stem for a handle bar bag mount at this link:
https://www.bikeforums.net/19930025-post28.html
Tourist in MSN is offline  
Old 07-17-18, 04:28 PM
  #6  
kingston 
Jedi Master
 
kingston's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Lake Forest, IL
Posts: 3,724

Bikes: https://stinkston.blogspot.com/p/my-bikes.html

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1759 Post(s)
Liked 488 Times in 313 Posts
If I were going for low trail on a budget I'd just get the DIY Velo Routier and be done with it. They've already picked all the components with pretty good bang for the buck. As others have mentioned, you're starting with a pretty heavy frame to begin with so there's no reason to go nuts on the parts, and as you have already figured out, it's pretty easy to get into the big-money range when you start adding up a bunch of nice components that you're hanging on a pretty cheap frame.

Aside from the aesthetics (which is reason enough) I would never consider putting sora on a GR frame because I can't stand riding a compact crank on long rides, but that's probably just me. Nobody else seems to mind very much.

I would also recommend against going with dynamo lighting too soon now that battery lights are so good. You can always get that later if you find yourself doing a lot of 400's and longer.

10 speed vs. 9 speed depends mostly on what shifters you want. DT or bar-end I don't think it makes much difference as long as it works with your shifters. With brifters the group will dictate the number of gears.
kingston is offline  
Old 07-17-18, 08:50 PM
  #7  
Chesterton
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 197

Bikes: 1975 Raleigh Sports, Cycles Toussaint Velo Routier, Yuba Mundo, Raleigh Sports (1970)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 34 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times in 4 Posts
Originally Posted by kingston
If I were going for low trail on a budget I'd just get the DIY Velo Routier and be done with it. They've already picked all the components with pretty good bang for the buck. As others have mentioned, you're starting with a pretty heavy frame to begin with so there's no reason to go nuts on the parts, and as you have already figured out, it's pretty easy to get into the big-money range when you start adding up a bunch of nice components that you're hanging on a pretty cheap frame.

Aside from the aesthetics (which is reason enough) I would never consider putting sora on a GR frame because I can't stand riding a compact crank on long rides, but that's probably just me. Nobody else seems to mind very much.

I would also recommend against going with dynamo lighting too soon now that battery lights are so good. You can always get that later if you find yourself doing a lot of 400's and longer.

10 speed vs. 9 speed depends mostly on what shifters you want. DT or bar-end I don't think it makes much difference as long as it works with your shifters. With brifters the group will dictate the number of gears.
I looked at that kit and the price is really good for what it includes! I would still end up swapping out the handlebars, tires, and maybe fenders if I go up a size in tires, but even so I think it's probably a bargain. I actually wonder if that "Luxe" crankset is the exact same one as the Velo Orange. It certainly looks similar and has the same size rings and everything.

But is a 32 spoke rear wheel going to be sufficient for a heavier rider?

Probably going with bar ends, definitely not brifters. I'm just unsure if 10-speeds is going to be too finicky, especially given that the 11-36 cassette includes in the Velo Routier package technically exceeds the capacity of the Microshift rear derailleur. (I suppose it's OK if you are careful not to cross-chain.)

Dynamo lights: I have a Sturmey Archer generator hub on my Pashley commuter and not having to ever worry about recharging batteries is really liberating. It's probably less important on a road bike where I'm not going to be riding daily in the winter, but even so a lot of my rides start before dawn so as to not consume the whole day, and not having to worry about lighting is attractive. Still, I suppose that could always be a later upgrade.

Last edited by Chesterton; 07-17-18 at 08:53 PM.
Chesterton is offline  
Old 07-17-18, 09:07 PM
  #8  
clasher
Senior Member
 
clasher's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Kitchener, ON
Posts: 2,737
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 147 Times in 102 Posts
Ya, after seeing that Velo Routier kit I would suggest just going that route too, buying all the small bits like seatpost collars, headsets, cables and housings does tend to add up if you have to do it all at a retail level. The crank in that kit is probably made in the same factory as the VO crank and it's got the microshift stuff which is pretty solid from what I've heard about it. I've read the paris-moto tires aren't a long-wearing tire so you can upgrade to compass tires after a few months of riding. The wheels in that kit are 32 spoke wheels but if you take them to a shop with a good wheel builder and get them stress-relieved, re-trued, and evenly tensioned they should be worry-free for a lot of miles. I've done about 10,000km on a pair of 24 spoke wheels, including my first 1200 and only had one spoke break on the front wheel and I didn't have to DNF the ride because of it... just got out the spoke wrench and took most of the wobble out. I'm 210 right now and was heavier when I did the 1200... and they were 28mm tires on those wheels so a 650B with wider tires should be better protected.
clasher is offline  
Old 07-18-18, 09:21 AM
  #9  
Tourist in MSN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,112

Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3426 Post(s)
Liked 1,441 Times in 1,122 Posts
A good dynohub does not cost that much more than a regular hub when you build a wheel, but if making an upgrade later to include a dynohub that upgrade will include new spokes, possibly a wheel build charge, often the decision is made to just get a new rim then too, etc. And that is before you invest in the lighting. I think that if there is even a remote chance that you would want a dynohub later, get it now.

I am making this comment from a touring and not from a rando perspective, batteries can certainly do the job for lighting on rando rides. But on bike tours I am extremely happy to be able to charge up batteries from the dynohub, etc.

I bought my first dynohub in 2013 when I built up another touring bike, since then have bought a few more dynohubs.
Tourist in MSN is offline  
Old 07-18-18, 10:09 AM
  #10  
clasher
Senior Member
 
clasher's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Kitchener, ON
Posts: 2,737
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 147 Times in 102 Posts
I dunno that one even needs a dynamo light for riding 400 or 600K rides... for less than the price of a dynamo hub one could get a pair of B&M eyro headlights from Germany and be able to run them at high power... that would be enough to make it through a summer 400K if one rode all night... that would also get one through a 600 since there's usually not two nights. For a 1200 another Eyro in the dropbag and some battery packs could recharge all the lights during the day. Many riders seem to make due with battery lights these days and the tech seems to be improving all the time. I do like my dynamo hub but I am on the fence about building another wheelset for my latest rando bike and am gonna try just using the Eyro next time I do a 400. Buying a dynamo light that has the USB charger built in is even more expensive and some people have reported issues with the rain and plugs so my preference with that is to keep the charger and phone/gps in the bar bag safe from water.
clasher is offline  
Old 07-18-18, 10:32 AM
  #11  
rhm
multimodal commuter
 
rhm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,852

Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...

Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1908 Post(s)
Liked 574 Times in 339 Posts
I love dynamo hubs, and I strongly dislike batteries. So while @clasher may be right, I vote dynamo hub. The SP hubs are quite nice.

As for rims, I have no experience with the Soma Weymouth rims, nor the Velo Orange ones. I recently got a pair of the Pacenti ones, and they are really nice. I am a cheapskate by nature, and have no regrets about those rims. Unbuilding my old wheels and rebuilding them with the new rims only took a couple hours. My Pari-Moto tires seat much better on the new rims than they did on the old ones (which were Velocity Synergy or some such name).

The thing about rear wheels, and the heavier rider, is that the wheel has to be severely dished to make room for a cassette with 8 or more cogs. This means a lot of tension on the right side spokes, and a lot less on the left side spokes. On a wheel that isn't dished (such as with a Rohloff hub) 32 spokes is plenty, even on a tandem. Some rear rims are offset, so the spokes are left of center, which evens out the tension a bit. There are also wheels that use more spokes on the right side than on the left. Such tricks make for a stronger wheel. But as for 32 or 36 spokes, I think it's ridiculous to worry about the weight of four spokes. Go with 36, or 40 if you can find a 40h hub and rims. Why not?
__________________
www.rhmsaddles.com.
rhm is offline  
Old 07-18-18, 11:22 AM
  #12  
kingston 
Jedi Master
 
kingston's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Lake Forest, IL
Posts: 3,724

Bikes: https://stinkston.blogspot.com/p/my-bikes.html

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1759 Post(s)
Liked 488 Times in 313 Posts
I spent around $200 on a new wheel with SP hub and an Edelux II headlight on my long-distance bike this year, which I think as about as inexpensive as you can do it. I found some good deals on the parts from German on-line retailers and built the wheel myself.

My previous setup was the ~$50 B&M IXON IQ Premium with a fork-crown mount which I think is the best battery powered brevet headlight. Runs on rechargeable AA batteries so you never run out of power. 4 AAs will last all night if you switch between low and high to save power. 2 sets of 4 will last all night on high. I could get through a 1,200k on 2 or 3 sets of batteries.

If the question is where to focus money on a rando bike, dynamo lighting is not a lot of bang for the buck IMO since the lighting is no better and I never really ever had a situation where I ran out of batteries with my previous setup. Of course like many things it comes down to personal preference and whether or not it's worth it to you. I like having dynamo lighting but could easily live without it. The only time I need my lights to last more than a few hours is when I ride a 600k straight through.

Regarding the wheels, I'm a 36 spoke kind of guy myself, but I wouldn't hesitate to use the wheels in the CTVR kit. I would tension and true as @clasher recommends. Recommend learning to do it yourself. It's not that hard. Easier with a truing stand, but you can get by without one. Plenty of resources online to teach yourself how to do it.
kingston is offline  
Old 07-18-18, 01:52 PM
  #13  
clasher
Senior Member
 
clasher's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Kitchener, ON
Posts: 2,737
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 147 Times in 102 Posts
I like my dynohubs (have 3 of them!) but they are a "nice to have" for me, rather than a "need to have" when it comes to brevets... but I like them best on my commuter. I think the best value is adding some good battery lights to the velo-routier kit. You'd still be well under 2,000$ by the time all is said and done... if you wear out the tires you can keep the used front as a spare when you buy new compass ones. The nice thing about keeping the toussaint bike together as a whole is that it'd be easier to sell if you want to move to a custom or go in a different direction after a year or two of randonneuring.
clasher is offline  
Old 07-18-18, 02:25 PM
  #14  
Chesterton
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 197

Bikes: 1975 Raleigh Sports, Cycles Toussaint Velo Routier, Yuba Mundo, Raleigh Sports (1970)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 34 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times in 4 Posts
I'm really warming to the idea of the Velo Routier kit. I'm confident enough with my mechanical skills to feel comfortable putting a bike together (with a couple things I'll have a shop do, like press the headset), but not so confident yet at choosing the right parts without any compatibility blunders. I can always add dynamo lights later and upgrade the wheels at the same time if necessary. I don't see myself doing anything longer than a 300K in the immediate future anyway.

A friend of mine has a VR in the 60cm size that seems like the right size for me. I'll take it for a test ride this week and then contact the guys at Cycles Toussaint, I guess.
Chesterton is offline  
Old 07-18-18, 02:28 PM
  #15  
Bandera
~>~
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: TX Hill Country
Posts: 5,932
Mentioned: 87 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1112 Post(s)
Liked 180 Times in 119 Posts
A very nice tough in the VR build kit is to include a Bell, gotta love that.....

-Bandera
Bandera is offline  
Old 07-18-18, 02:36 PM
  #16  
kingston 
Jedi Master
 
kingston's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Lake Forest, IL
Posts: 3,724

Bikes: https://stinkston.blogspot.com/p/my-bikes.html

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1759 Post(s)
Liked 488 Times in 313 Posts
Originally Posted by Chesterton
...I can always add dynamo lights later and upgrade the wheels at the same time if necessary. I don't see myself doing anything longer than a 300K in the immediate future anyway...
If you're fast enough you don't even need lights on a 300k.

Originally Posted by Chesterton
...A friend of mine has a VR in the 60cm size that seems like the right size for me. I'll take it for a test ride this week and then contact the guys at Cycles Toussaint, I guess.
There was a review of the VR in BQ a while ago. Jan had nice things to say about it for what it is. You could spend 10x more and probably not be any faster or more comfortable. You will miss out on "planing" whatever that is.
kingston is offline  
Old 07-18-18, 02:54 PM
  #17  
Chesterton
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 197

Bikes: 1975 Raleigh Sports, Cycles Toussaint Velo Routier, Yuba Mundo, Raleigh Sports (1970)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 34 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times in 4 Posts
Originally Posted by kingston
If you're fast enough you don't even need lights on a 300k.


There was a review of the VR in BQ a while ago. Jan had nice things to say about it for what it is. You could spend 10x more and probably not be any faster or more comfortable. You will miss out on "planing" whatever that is.
Yeah, well, I did my 200K in 11:59, so I'm pretty sure I'm going to need lights for a 300K! Maybe with more practice I'll be better about minimizing stops.

I actually borrowed the BQ back issues from another friend yesterday and read that review (along with the Soma Grand Randonneur review from the same year). I think the VR review was more favorable than the Soma, although both were pretty good (for budget bikes). Planing... I keep hoping that as a heavier rider on a bigger bike I will be more likely to get some flex out of it, but maybe there's more to planing than just flex? Who knows, it's all vaguely mystical sounding to me.
Chesterton is offline  
Old 07-18-18, 03:08 PM
  #18  
kingston 
Jedi Master
 
kingston's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Lake Forest, IL
Posts: 3,724

Bikes: https://stinkston.blogspot.com/p/my-bikes.html

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1759 Post(s)
Liked 488 Times in 313 Posts
Originally Posted by Chesterton
Yeah, well, I did my 200K in 11:59, so I'm pretty sure I'm going to need lights for a 300K! Maybe with more practice I'll be better about minimizing stops.
It's not a race. The only important thing is that you finished under the time limit, but yes. you're going to need lights for a 300k.

Regarding the assembly. Pressing a headset is not that hard. Jensen and CRC have a generic headset press for around sixty bucks. I have used a nashbar branded version of the same tool for half a dozen headsets, or you could get one of the fancy threaded rods on ebay for twelve bucks that would probably work just fine if you take your time to make sure everything is greased and straight as you press it in one cup at a time. Again, plenty of videos on youtube to show you how to do it.
kingston is offline  
Old 07-18-18, 03:16 PM
  #19  
clasher
Senior Member
 
clasher's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Kitchener, ON
Posts: 2,737
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 147 Times in 102 Posts
I dunno if Buffalo has a bike co-op but they might help you press a headset for nothing and also have space to book/rent to do the work.
clasher is offline  
Old 07-18-18, 03:27 PM
  #20  
Chesterton
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 197

Bikes: 1975 Raleigh Sports, Cycles Toussaint Velo Routier, Yuba Mundo, Raleigh Sports (1970)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 34 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times in 4 Posts
Originally Posted by clasher
I dunno if Buffalo has a bike co-op but they might help you press a headset for nothing and also have space to book/rent to do the work.
Yes indeed, in fact I was there last night (using their headset wrenches to remove the silly reflector brackets from my bike). I'm not sure if they have a proper headset press, but probably. I'll have to ask! Not sure if they have facing tools for the headset and bottom bracket, though (although perhaps that's not really necessary on a frame like this?).
Chesterton is offline  
Old 07-18-18, 03:40 PM
  #21  
Bandera
~>~
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: TX Hill Country
Posts: 5,932
Mentioned: 87 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1112 Post(s)
Liked 180 Times in 119 Posts
Originally Posted by Chesterton
Not sure if they have facing tools for the headset and bottom bracket, though (although perhaps that's not really necessary on a frame like this?).
Coming from an Old School shop having the head tube & the BB shell faced on a new steel frame-set assures proper alignment, adjustment and low component wear over the lifetime of the frame-set.
I still have frames that I prepped that way, and checked alignment on a flat table/fork jig, that are still in service >40 years on.
One is the FG conversion that I ride for LD that has always had rock solid handling on lousy surfaces at pace, precise alignment and prep were time/effort well spent once long ago that still pay off today.
Finding an old school shop or co-op w/ the tools and technique to use them is worth the effort/$ up front before assembly IMHO.

Have fun, nice project.

-Bandera
Bandera is offline  
Old 07-18-18, 04:21 PM
  #22  
kingston 
Jedi Master
 
kingston's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Lake Forest, IL
Posts: 3,724

Bikes: https://stinkston.blogspot.com/p/my-bikes.html

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1759 Post(s)
Liked 488 Times in 313 Posts
Although it never hurts to chase and face, my guess is that TC preps the frame for assembly on the DIY kit. You can ask them. I also don't think is as big of a deal with a cartridge square taper bb as with the old cup and cone bb.
kingston is offline  
Old 07-19-18, 07:01 AM
  #23  
kingston 
Jedi Master
 
kingston's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Lake Forest, IL
Posts: 3,724

Bikes: https://stinkston.blogspot.com/p/my-bikes.html

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1759 Post(s)
Liked 488 Times in 313 Posts
Jan has an interesting blogpost today on tire widths. I take everything he says about tires with a grain of salt since his entire premise is based on $80 tires that you can only get from him.
kingston is offline  
Old 07-19-18, 07:53 AM
  #24  
clasher
Senior Member
 
clasher's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Kitchener, ON
Posts: 2,737
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 147 Times in 102 Posts
There's a lot of other tires that are pretty supple now, the Paris-moto that come with that velo-routier are pretty supple and they're made by Panaracer too. I have a pair waiting for me to build a 650b wheelset so I don't know how they ride.
clasher is offline  
Old 07-19-18, 09:27 AM
  #25  
pdlamb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: northern Deep South
Posts: 8,844

Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2575 Post(s)
Liked 1,900 Times in 1,192 Posts
Originally Posted by kingston
Jan has an interesting blogpost today on tire widths. I take everything he says about tires with a grain of salt since his entire premise is based on $80 tires that you can only get from him.
Sometimes the ad writer/editor almost has me. I wouldn't mind so much dropping some $$ to try those tires, but I keep wondering, how do they last when comparing with other similar size tires on similar (paved) roads?
pdlamb is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.