RNAV

I picked up a LeMond Poprad disc frame and I need help with my first gravel build. The previous owner "opened up the guides" to run hydraulic discs. My background is exclusively rim-brake road bikes, so I know absolutely nothing about disc brakes. I'm hoping y'all can help educate me.

End goal is Sram hydro 2x11 group, carbon fork, tubeless wheels. I'm trying to keep this budget-friendly.

Initial questions:
1. What kind of brakes does this frame take? Post mount? Flat Mount? I'm lost here.
2. What carbon fork should I get? The frame clears 700x35 tires, so I don't need anything with super wide clearance. I assume I need a 1 x 1/8 straight steerer?
3. What kind of disc wheels should I get?
4. What size rotors?

I sincerely appreciate any help you can lend.

tyrion

Looks like IS mount ("industry standard").

160mm is most common for that kind of bike. If you're light, you can get 140mm. Or you can get 140mm in the rear and 160mm in the front. IS mount disc brakes require an adapter that connects those 2 holes on the frame to the calipers. There are various adapters for various size rotors. (A little tricky here - an adapter for a 140mm rear rotor is the same adapter you'd use for a 160mm front rotor. https://www.paulcomp.com/shop/compon.../disc-adapter/ )

You don't have to get an IS mount fork, but it might be convenient. Personally, I wouldn't make that a requirement for a fork - IS mount is somewhat old, most new forks come with flat mount.

DorkDisk

Those older frames probably run 130mm disc hubs, which are harder to source now

mstateglfr 

Some 1 1/8 steerer carbon fork options-
- fyxation sparta
- soma
- ritchey
- whiskey

these brands have straight steerer forks. Some are full Carbon and others have a metal steerer.

RNAV

Thank you all for your help.

What about wheels? I assume I need QR wheels, and can't use any through axle wheels (don't even really know what those are)?

DorkDisk

Yes, QR. And probably 130mm spacing

mstateglfr 

Give a price range for there to be any use when it comes to wheels.
$450 means a nice set of wheels for some and that price means entry level junk to others.
No reason to have lots of suggestions that dont apply.

Oh, and what is the rear dropout spacing?

RNAV

Fair point. I'd like to be ~$300. Rear spacing is 130.

shoota 

I would have ZERO reservations spreading the dropouts to 135mm so you can buy any modern QR tubeless wheelset out there.

IS mount to post or flat mount adapter for the rear brake. Whatever standard your new fork uses for the front brake.

Match the rotor size to whatever you wind up needing with the brake/adapters front/rear.

Go 1X unless you have a specific reason not to.

Use a Shimano crank instead of a SRAM crank unless you have a specific reason not to.

Rogerogeroge

I have the exact frame. Used it many years with a 3x9 setup as my gravel grinder, but now it's got the original 2x10 105 that came on it.

(1) Others have already answered, IS mount.
(2) Not sure what to tell you here, I have my OEM fork - but make sure what you get has the cx-specific axle-to-crown measurement of around 400mm.
(4) 160mm. I have Avid BB7 on my setup but regardless, you want 160mm. It looks like for the rear brake housing routing, you'll need a ziptie on the left chainstay and maybe a couple elsewhere as you said they 'opened up the guides'.

It's a great riding bike. I probably have 5k miles on mine, over half off-road.

chas58

I agree with shoota - +5mm is nothing for a steel frame. I'd just get standard 135mm rear wheels.

For your front fork - you really need to know the offset and fork to crown. Any changes in this is going to change how the bike handles, as it is directly related to the bike's trail (stability). That said, a few MM (<5mm) isn't gonna be a huge change.

DorkDisk

That frame looks easy to spread, for sure, with no chainstay bridge. Personally I've spread a few frames with no issues, but never one with disk brakes. However, post mount adaptors do have a bit of lateral adjustment.

RNAV

Thanks all for the input. Regarding cold setting the frame, is that something you'd recommend I take to a frame builder (there's one local to me), or just do it myself?

mstateglfr 

If a builder does it, the spreading will be even and the dropouts will be realigned exactly. That will cost money.
if you do it, the spreading will most likely be even, but perhaps not exact, and the dropouts will not be aligned as exactly. That will be free.

Totally depends on what you want to do for whatever the builder charges.

shoota 

I take mine to the lbs and they do it with tools, align the dropouts (you should do this anyway before building the bike), and they only charge like $20 or something. The whole process takes less than 30 minutes.

mk_iii

I’ve had an poprad since 2007ish and it’s been through quite a few iterations. Every once in a while I do a search on poprad builds and came across this thread.

I had similar questions/issues over the iterations so wondering what you settled with.

Current iteration is:

• Ritchey carbon fork
• Campag SR11 groupset except for TRP cable disc brakes
• Campag zonda disc wheels
• Thompson cockpit and seatpost
• Self-cold-set rear stays

Just took her out for a ride yesterday. It’s been a while but when I do I realize I still love this bike!