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Show us your gravel/cross bike...

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Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational) This has to be the most physically intense sport ever invented. It's high speed bicycle racing on a short off road course or riding the off pavement rides on gravel like : "Unbound Gravel". We also have a dedicated Racing forum for the Cyclocross Hard Core Racers.

Show us your gravel/cross bike...

Old 03-02-21, 09:19 PM
  #4901  
zen_
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Originally Posted by DorkDisk
Thank you both, its a nice bike and I'm digging it so far.

I guess I'm not used to a touring based framed, as I find the rear a bit harsh, even compared to my Tange 2 road bike with 28mm tires. Riding seated transmitted more bumps than I ever remember. The weight is 23lbs 15oz with pedals so its acceptable so its not too piggish.

Perhaps "pig" was a bit harsh.


Trek 750 gravel conversion
That's a really sharp looking bike. How well do the mini v-brakes work with STI levers?
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Old 03-03-21, 06:17 AM
  #4902  
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Originally Posted by zen_
That's a really sharp looking bike. How well do the mini v-brakes work with STI levers?
So, Sora R3000 levers with TRP 8.4 mini V's. I was expecting a lot more bite to be honest after hearing all the "on/off" stories. I don't feel that to be the case at all; these don't have the same bite as proper long Vs, the pad to rim distance is very tight, and the fender clearance on the 38s is a bit tight - all well documented. Braking is much better than with calipers on the hoods but not what I was expecting. Overall, they're adequate if the drawbacks are tolerable. Quality control was a bit lacking as one pad holder's allen head was not broached properly. I also think they are overpriced for what they are but oh well. My background is with MTBs so have been on cantis in the 90s, switched to V's in 95 and then discs in 99. I haven't taken this thing off road yet
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Old 03-03-21, 11:30 AM
  #4903  
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Originally Posted by DorkDisk
So, Sora R3000 levers with TRP 8.4 mini V's. I was expecting a lot more bite to be honest after hearing all the "on/off" stories. I don't feel that to be the case at all; these don't have the same bite as proper long Vs, the pad to rim distance is very tight, and the fender clearance on the 38s is a bit tight - all well documented. Braking is much better than with calipers on the hoods but not what I was expecting. Overall, they're adequate if the drawbacks are tolerable. Quality control was a bit lacking as one pad holder's allen head was not broached properly. I also think they are overpriced for what they are but oh well. My background is with MTBs so have been on cantis in the 90s, switched to V's in 95 and then discs in 99. I haven't taken this thing off road yet
I gone and done this conversion twice - I'm pretty pleased with how mini v-brakes match up with road levers.

On one bike I have Sensah shifters/brakes pulling 80mm mini v-brakes, and on the other I have Claris shifters/brakes pulling 84mm mini v-brakes - both feel alright to me. If you can set the pads close to the rim (like 1.5 mm away), the pull and bite feel should be pretty great. If it's not, maybe you have to lose the fenders to set the pads a tiny bit closer?
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Old 03-03-21, 03:49 PM
  #4904  
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My spouse has an All-City Macho Man. It has 700c wheels and mini-V brakes (made by Paul) and Shimano 105 levers. I haven't ridden her bike extensively but my impression is excellent. She is happy with the brakes, and she has very weak hands. She thinks the brakes on my bike "don't work" because she can't work them.
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Old 03-03-21, 04:07 PM
  #4905  
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After another day of commuting, it seems like the pads took a bit to wear in. It doesn't help that I've been wearing 2 layers of gloves this whole time. Braking is good.
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Old 03-03-21, 09:59 PM
  #4906  
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Nice morning ride around Independence, TX
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Old 03-04-21, 12:57 PM
  #4907  
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Originally Posted by green123

Nice morning ride around Independence, TX
That looks amazing. Can you show us a better pic of the 'cockpit' ? For the life of me, I can't figure out what's going on there, and google searches haven't come up with anything! :-) Nice bike!
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Old 03-04-21, 02:57 PM
  #4908  
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You're looking for the Canyon Hoverbar

https://www.bikeradar.com/features/s...new-hover-bar/
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Old 03-04-21, 05:12 PM
  #4909  
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Thanks!
See the post above, it shows the biplane handlebars. It's pretty comfortable and I got used to it quickly.
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Old 03-04-21, 06:39 PM
  #4910  
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Found a new 2017 Bombtrack Hook 2 steel frame and built it up with some new wheels and my older 6700 triple groupset + mech discs. One ride down done, and I am enjoying the wider rubber compared to my road bikes. Nice and comfortable. Not the lightest bike though @11kg.

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Old 03-04-21, 08:01 PM
  #4911  
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Originally Posted by esarhaddon
Found a new 2017 Bombtrack Hook 2 steel frame and built it up with some new wheels and my older 6700 triple groupset + mech discs. One ride down done, and I am enjoying the wider rubber compared to my road bikes. Nice and comfortable. Not the lightest bike though @11kg.

That blue is real nice. My steel gravel bike weighs about the same but should be around 1.5lbs lighter with new wheels
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Old 03-04-21, 08:30 PM
  #4912  
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The old:




The new (mostly set up):

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Old 03-04-21, 10:17 PM
  #4913  
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Originally Posted by franswa
That blue is real nice. My steel gravel bike weighs about the same but should be around 1.5lbs lighter with new wheels
The blue was probably more than half of the reason I purchased the frame when I saw it. Measuring the weights before I built the bike up, the bare frame was 2.35 kg(!), the fork is 0.53 kg and the wheels themselves are 2.01 kg, so it all adds up pretty quickly!
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Old 03-05-21, 08:23 AM
  #4914  
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Originally Posted by DorkDisk
Trek 750 gravel conversion
That bike looks awesome, my wife has a 750 that she never rides with the same paint job. I want to soup it up for her with nice components...but it would just sit in the basement with nice components instead of the medicore stuff on there right now.

Anyways, what Stem is that? That's a 1-1/8" fork, right?
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Old 03-05-21, 12:05 PM
  #4915  
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Picked this up yesterday, really happy with it, tires on order and then going tubeless.

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Old 03-05-21, 12:21 PM
  #4916  
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Originally Posted by covpride
Picked this up yesterday, really happy with it, tires on order and then going tubeless.

Wow! That color combo is sick! Congrats!
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Old 03-05-21, 12:27 PM
  #4917  
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Thanks, love it for sure!
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Old 03-05-21, 04:07 PM
  #4918  
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Originally Posted by Phatman
That bike looks awesome, my wife has a 750 that she never rides with the same paint job. I want to soup it up for her with nice components...but it would just sit in the basement with nice components instead of the medicore stuff on there right now.

Anyways, what Stem is that? That's a 1-1/8" fork, right?
Thanks, its a Nitto UI-12. this rig has a 1" headset.

Wives deserve nice bikes, that's the way I see it. Even if they don't ride them much.
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Old 03-08-21, 02:23 AM
  #4919  
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Originally Posted by zen_
That's a really sharp looking bike. How well do the mini v-brakes work with STI levers?



This Vortex CX bike was one of several I have built with STI shifters and mini-V brakes.

It is CRITICAL to install some kind of inline barrel adjustment.

They work fine. I found that quality pads and JagWire Road Pro cables and housing made a real difference.

I did many 1000s of commuting KMs on an old hybrid drop bar conversion, mini V brakes and sti levers (10-speed Tiagra), no problems. They work well assuming you are happy with tyre and mudguard clearance. You can’t run a balloon tyre, the clearance isn’t there.
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Old 03-08-21, 02:40 AM
  #4920  
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This was the commuter.
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Old 03-08-21, 10:23 AM
  #4921  
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Originally Posted by Barchettaman

... with STI shifters and mini-V brakes.
It is CRITICAL to install some kind of inline barrel adjustment.
meh not really -- I just use trial and error.

I set the pads wherever looks good, then try the lever. If the pull feel isn't right, mark the cable/pinch bolt location with a Sharpie, move it a mm or two, and try the lever again. It only takes a few minutes/ tries before the clearance/lever pull is just right.
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Old 03-08-21, 11:05 AM
  #4922  
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Originally Posted by mikehuangsd
meh not really -- I just use trial and error.

I set the pads wherever looks good, then try the lever. If the pull feel isn't right, mark the cable/pinch bolt location with a Sharpie, move it a mm or two, and try the lever again. It only takes a few minutes/ tries before the clearance/lever pull is just right.
I‘m sure there’s a decent reason for making things more difficult than they need to be, but I can’t think of one just at the moment.
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Old 03-08-21, 08:20 PM
  #4923  
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Originally Posted by Barchettaman
I‘m sure there’s a decent reason for making things more difficult than they need to be, but I can’t think of one just at the moment.
Some of us have so much experience doing things the old ways that we don't find them inconvenient. I've probably adjusted a thousand Weinmann center-pull calipers. A 1mm difference in adjustment at the cable is an appreciable change. I got used to the very iterative trial and error of loosening the pinch bolt, moving the cable 1mm, tightening. Sometimes to do it, I had to remove a brake shoe every iteration. It's not something I recommend to others, but I can do it just fine.
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Old 03-09-21, 05:42 AM
  #4924  
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For V-brakes I found these ‘pipe adjusters’ easily the best, much better than the ones that go inline in the housing. They were only £2 I think.
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Old 03-10-21, 02:02 PM
  #4925  
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2021 Giant Revolt Advanced 3
Added a PRO Discover bar & stem, and a Power2Max NG Eco crankset/power meter. Would like to switch to Di2, but that's impossible at the moment. Maybe when the supply chains aren't so ridiculous. Also going to switch out these heavy Giant PR-2 wheels.
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