People Who Have been Here a While: What Has Changed on Your Rig(s)?
01-09-20, 03:24 PM
#26
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
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Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
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I'm most curious about the frame sizes on both bikes, and your inseam length. I recently picked up a 20.5"/52cm Marin San Rafael, with the intent of a drop bar gravel conversion. But, at 6'1" and a 32" pants inseam, the top tube might be too high for me. 34" starts getting to sensitive areas...
The blue frame is a 61T with a sloping top tube. Total guess- the standover is 32".
My cycling inseam(different from pants) is about 37". Not positive.
Ive found that if a frame's stack, reach, and bottom bracket drop work for me, then the frame fits. I dont consider standover height as I dont stand over the frame on both feet. When I stand over a frame at a stoplight, its with 1 foot on the ground and 1 foot clipped in, which means the bike is leaning at an angle and the standover is effectively lower than when the frame is vertical.
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01-09-20, 03:36 PM
#27
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SW Ohio
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Sorry, i missed this until just now. Im 83.6% sure that the nut goes on the right fork blade(right side when facing forward on the bike so the fork is in front of you). I will take a look tonight and snap some pics of the components that go together, but i am pretty sure the nut goes over the canti post, then the spring goes on, next there is a plastic cover to keep junk out of the sprint, and last the canti brake goes onto the post and is connected to the spring. I dont remember there being anything additional.
01-09-20, 03:45 PM
#28
Senior Member
01-09-20, 03:53 PM
#29
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
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Bikes: 1986 KHS Fiero, 1989 Trek 950, 1990 Trek 7000, 1991 Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo, 1992 Trek 1400, 1997 Cannondale CAD2 R300, 1998 Cannondale CAD2 R200, 2002 Marin San Rafael, 2006 Cannondale CAAD8 R1000, 2010 Performance Access XCL9R
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The red frame is a 65cm with almost totally level top tube. The standover is somewhere around 36".
The blue frame is a 61T with a sloping top tube. Total guess- the standover is 32".
My cycling inseam(different from pants) is about 37". Not positive.
Ive found that if a frame's stack, reach, and bottom bracket drop work for me, then the frame fits. I dont consider standover height as I dont stand over the frame on both feet. When I stand over a frame at a stoplight, its with 1 foot on the ground and 1 foot clipped in, which means the bike is leaning at an angle and the standover is effectively lower than when the frame is vertical.
The blue frame is a 61T with a sloping top tube. Total guess- the standover is 32".
My cycling inseam(different from pants) is about 37". Not positive.
Ive found that if a frame's stack, reach, and bottom bracket drop work for me, then the frame fits. I dont consider standover height as I dont stand over the frame on both feet. When I stand over a frame at a stoplight, its with 1 foot on the ground and 1 foot clipped in, which means the bike is leaning at an angle and the standover is effectively lower than when the frame is vertical.
01-09-20, 04:48 PM
#30
Chases Dogs for Sport
What has changed? Literally everything. Multiple times. An account of the changes would be far too long for this forum. Perhaps it would be better if I described the things that have long-term longevity across multiple gravel bikes:
- Di2. I have a 10-year history with Di2, but in "Muddy Kanza" (was it the 2015 DK200?), Di2 proved to me that I shouldn't have anything else on a gravel bike. Literally everyone I talked with who had cable shifters in the DK mud had shifting problems. With Di2, every shift was crisp, quick, and trouble-free.
- Salsa Cowchipper bars. I occasionally think of going to a bar with less sweep, but I come to my senses before actually buying anything. (I'm going to an ENVE aero bar on my road bike -- and the ENVE ROAD bar has 12* of sweep!) Comfy. No hand numbness, even after 8 straight hours in the drops.
- Niner RDO stem and seatpost. Not too stiff. Not too flexy. Just right.
- Mavic Allroad Pro Disc wheels. Light. Bomb-proof. Easily mount tubed or tubeless. Very low maintenance and they never fail.
- Thru axles. In Muddy Kanza, at the bottom of an extremely rocky, high speed, bunched pack descent into a creek bottom, my QR-equipped rear wheel separated itself from the rest of the bike. Almost all bikes were QR then but, after the race, I immediately went in search of a bike with a rear thru axle.
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01-09-20, 07:50 PM
#31
With a mighty wind
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I have a very good but older Tallerico road bike. I put 28mm tubeless tires on it and took it on some really crazy stuff for a pure hearted road bike.
So getting a dedicated gravel bike was a major change. In the year and a half I've had it.
-switched to Gravelking over Maxxis Ramblers due to durability and color options
-Older seat to Fabric to Specialized. Still not sure I'm satisfied.
-Replaced the Campy BB with an IRD for chain line issues.
That's about it. It's the sort of bike that I'll eventually replace with an all carbon racer.
So getting a dedicated gravel bike was a major change. In the year and a half I've had it.
-switched to Gravelking over Maxxis Ramblers due to durability and color options
-Older seat to Fabric to Specialized. Still not sure I'm satisfied.
-Replaced the Campy BB with an IRD for chain line issues.
That's about it. It's the sort of bike that I'll eventually replace with an all carbon racer.
01-10-20, 06:50 PM
#33
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
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Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
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Thanks for your response about this. Yes, if you could check it tonight to see if there is anything special about it, I would appreciate it. On my canti post, when I tighten the allen head bold to secure the caliper arm, there is slop in there. It appears that I a supposed to take a thin cone wrench and tension a nut on the backside of one of the caliper arms counterclockwise to snug up the caliper arm and sufficiently tension the spring but it seems the canti post is too long.
01-11-20, 04:50 PM
#34
Senior Member
Gearing: Went from a 42t chainring with 11-42t cassette to a 38t chainring and 10-42t cassette. Got about 10% more low-end with no change on the top end.
Seatpost: Had a cheap 1 bolt carbon eBay seatpost that couldn't keep the saddle secured. Changed it out for an aluminum Salsa one which while 100g heavier is way more solid.
Tires: My 650x48mm grave Kings measured out to 51mm which left very little clearance at the chainstays which made me nervous. Switched them out for Rene Herse Juniper Ridge (knobby 48mm which measured out to 47mm).
Saddle: Still in progress. Started with a Fabric Scoop, then tried a Fabric Line and now have a Bontrager Aeolus on the way.
Seatpost: Had a cheap 1 bolt carbon eBay seatpost that couldn't keep the saddle secured. Changed it out for an aluminum Salsa one which while 100g heavier is way more solid.
Tires: My 650x48mm grave Kings measured out to 51mm which left very little clearance at the chainstays which made me nervous. Switched them out for Rene Herse Juniper Ridge (knobby 48mm which measured out to 47mm).
Saddle: Still in progress. Started with a Fabric Scoop, then tried a Fabric Line and now have a Bontrager Aeolus on the way.
01-14-20, 07:13 PM
#35
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Join Date: Dec 2015
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Bikes: Kona Kahuna DL Drop Bar - Sensah SRX Pro 1x11 (2012 Frame), Giant Toughroad GX 1 - Shimano Road Hydro + SLX 1x10 (2018), Diamondback Sync'r - SRAM NX 1x12 (2020)
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Does changing bikes count?
Also I started going 1x as of recent. Went from a 2x9 to 1x9. Will go up to 1x11 once winter is near over with
Also I started going 1x as of recent. Went from a 2x9 to 1x9. Will go up to 1x11 once winter is near over with
01-25-20, 08:07 PM
#36
Senior Member
I'd never heard of Fairlight, but that's a great looking bike. How do you compare its ride to the BMC? Asking as a former 62cm BMC MC owner.
Biggest change is a new frame and fork, which meant new wheels and brakes.
- Went from a quality generic OS steel frame and fork to branded quality shaped steel frame with tapered steerer carbon fork.
- Handlebars changed. Used to have Origin8 Gary OS Sweep bars and now have Salsa Cowchipper.
- Brakes were late 80s SunTour XC cantis to Juintech disc.
- Wheels went from quick release 105 5800 hubs laced to H+son Archetype rims, to thruaxle H+son Hydra rims laced to Bitex hubs.
- Clement MSO 40mm tires with tubes were replaced with WTB Resolute tubeless.
- Changed the 105 5800 RD to an Ultegra RX clutch.
Thoughts on changes-
- I dont find the 44mm head tube and tapered carbon fork to be too stiff. I also didnt find the 1 1/8 steerer and steel fork on my old bike to be too flexy. I think too much is made of front end stiffness- both bikes track just fine and feel safe at speed on loose road. Geometry of the bike is, to me, more important for what someone likes or dislikes. I wanted to try current tech(carbon fork and tapered steerer) and it works fine, but older standard works fine too.
- The Cowchipper bars are much nicer than the Gary OS Sweep bars. I like how the hoods sit on the Cowchipper- it provides more comfort when I ride on the ramps and hoods compared to the Gary OS Sweep.
- My brakes stop me either way. I dont think about the brakes at all and thats how I prefer it. I wanted to try current tech(disc brakes) and they work fine, but my 30 year old brakes worked fine in all conditions I rode too.
- I love the wheels- they are 350g lighter than my old wheels and have been reliable.
- I like the Resolute tires a lot. They are light, a good size, and roll well. I struggled with a hole that wouldnt seal and had to patch it from the inside so that was frustrating, but its part of the learning curve.
- The clutch RD has reduced chain slap, so thats good.
Some changes have made me happier and some changes have been a wash. I like my new frame because it has more paved road geometry(lower trail, steeper angles, and more bb drop) than my old frame and that is what I currently want in a gravel bike. My old gravel frame is now rocking 3x9 and is used to commute(rare days when I can) and for the occasional weekend camping trip with my kids.
The change in some components was gradual so much of my old build is on my current build- cages, shifters and brake levers, spacers, saddle, seat post, stem, cassette, chain, crank, pedals.
- Went from a quality generic OS steel frame and fork to branded quality shaped steel frame with tapered steerer carbon fork.
- Handlebars changed. Used to have Origin8 Gary OS Sweep bars and now have Salsa Cowchipper.
- Brakes were late 80s SunTour XC cantis to Juintech disc.
- Wheels went from quick release 105 5800 hubs laced to H+son Archetype rims, to thruaxle H+son Hydra rims laced to Bitex hubs.
- Clement MSO 40mm tires with tubes were replaced with WTB Resolute tubeless.
- Changed the 105 5800 RD to an Ultegra RX clutch.
Thoughts on changes-
- I dont find the 44mm head tube and tapered carbon fork to be too stiff. I also didnt find the 1 1/8 steerer and steel fork on my old bike to be too flexy. I think too much is made of front end stiffness- both bikes track just fine and feel safe at speed on loose road. Geometry of the bike is, to me, more important for what someone likes or dislikes. I wanted to try current tech(carbon fork and tapered steerer) and it works fine, but older standard works fine too.
- The Cowchipper bars are much nicer than the Gary OS Sweep bars. I like how the hoods sit on the Cowchipper- it provides more comfort when I ride on the ramps and hoods compared to the Gary OS Sweep.
- My brakes stop me either way. I dont think about the brakes at all and thats how I prefer it. I wanted to try current tech(disc brakes) and they work fine, but my 30 year old brakes worked fine in all conditions I rode too.
- I love the wheels- they are 350g lighter than my old wheels and have been reliable.
- I like the Resolute tires a lot. They are light, a good size, and roll well. I struggled with a hole that wouldnt seal and had to patch it from the inside so that was frustrating, but its part of the learning curve.
- The clutch RD has reduced chain slap, so thats good.
Some changes have made me happier and some changes have been a wash. I like my new frame because it has more paved road geometry(lower trail, steeper angles, and more bb drop) than my old frame and that is what I currently want in a gravel bike. My old gravel frame is now rocking 3x9 and is used to commute(rare days when I can) and for the occasional weekend camping trip with my kids.
The change in some components was gradual so much of my old build is on my current build- cages, shifters and brake levers, spacers, saddle, seat post, stem, cassette, chain, crank, pedals.
01-25-20, 10:10 PM
#37
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
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Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
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The geometry of the fairlight is more classic road geometey for sure.
I know the fairlight has a stiffer front end, but I never complained about the Black Mountain being noodle or wavering, so I certainly didnt need it to be stiffer. At the same time, I dont mind it being stiffer.
I wanted to try disc brakes, a carbon fork, thru axles, etc. Having done so- it's all fine. My old bike was also all fine.
I do like the geometry of the fairlight more for gravel- I am not fast but I like to pretend I am and it gives me that feeling.
I love both frames and have the Black Mountain built up for commuting/weekend touring/riding around with family.
01-26-20, 10:21 AM
#38
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Same bike (Fuji Sportif Disc). Numerous tires have changed, gone from 11-32 to 11-34 to 11-36 cassette and STI shifters to Gevenalle shifters.
01-27-20, 05:32 PM
#39
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- Di2. I have a 10-year history with Di2, but in "Muddy Kanza" (was it the 2015 DK200?), Di2 proved to me that I shouldn't have anything else on a gravel bike. Literally everyone I talked with who had cable shifters in the DK mud had shifting problems. With Di2, every shift was crisp, quick, and trouble-free.
For what it's worth, my experience with Di2 is much shorter than yours, but it has proved perfectly reliable in some pretty nasty conditions.
