Thanks for the guidance
pinholecam ! Some last questions and replies to your comments! Thanks in advance
Which size are you using for the frame? I am 1.71 in height - I reckon the 17" is the one I should go for?
>> I am only 1.6m, and 17" is actually a bit big for me, but still ok. Yeah, I think the 17" frame should be good for you.
<<<great.
I also read Foldingtales site - I am concerned about rolling it feel more comfortable the option of being able to push short distances during touring as lugging doesnt sound good. so your solution is to use velcro or elastic band to hold it in place in case i use drop bars? Straight bars does quite cut it - would using bull bars help?
>> Then just go for drop bars. My suggestion for straight bars was for maximum fold size and ease of pushing after fold.
<<< Yes but I guess I have to compromise fold size as i think dropbar offers relief in headwinds. Do you reckon having adjustable stem like Richey 4 axis stem will help with the fold/rolling?
Also from folding tales - their respective builds were around 9kg and am hoping to keep the weight to sub 10kg with the gravel tires - do you reckon its even plausible since they used the road bike frame while you are using the 650b frame?
>> I also thought that the bike frames were the same in weight, but now, in hindsight, I think the 650b frame is heavier, so I have doubts on a sub 10kg build.
<<<Ok let me see if I can least get it to around 10 - 10.5 without pedal and accessories, but I am hoping it will at least lighter than the Montague Crosstown.
Is the Changebike have enough eyelets for touring gear?
>> Rear rack is fine. (I have one mounted on my bike). Front rack will depend on the fork you get. No option for fenders afaik (need to improvise if needed )
<<<Noted! I reckon that when I eventually tour you would have already taken to the road (iceland or somewhere exciting no doubt) and that will help figure out how to get my gear setup.
Is the LBS you built the bike Bike Stop? Anyone I should look for or mention that you recommended me?
>> Yes, Bike Stop. I'm a regular customer and they know this bike for sure. They helped setup another bike for another customer as well.
<<<Great!
For the respective parts, did you buy online or can the shop purchase them?
I bought most stuff online due to my weird (in SG terms) setup. Local SRAM is "we don't have all these except for Force and Red" (so I brought my business elsewhere... )
I am aiming for the most versatile, all rounder bike (silly I know but I really dont have the luxury of space to store my wife bike, my bike plus kids bike indoors in my apartment), would you reckon if I should go all roadbike drivetrain or MTB drivetrain. What is the drawbacks?
>> My quest for such a bike came down to the conclusion that there wasn't one, if you want to go toe to toe with similarly fit peers who are on their road bikes, and yet have a fast/convenient fold.
The ChangeBike 650b can hold its own if you are smart/cunning on the drafting and leadout at the final moments of the ending points of a ride. But if you want to be the guy who demolishes everyone straight out in a run (eg. like a stretch of TMCR or LCK or Mandai climb ), then its just not that type of bike and asking too much of it.
My quest did lead me to the N=1 if I discounted heavy loaded touring and easy fold/unfold.
Here :
<<<I am realistic and I don't intend this to be leading a peloton or this bike being on par with a dedicated race road bike (recognise that's not realistic), but just to get a versatile bike as possible, and in the long group rides able to hang in a group ride and dropped without resorting to mashing the pedals (in the worst case swopping over a set of carbon wheels with 28mm tyres if i have to). Given my space conditions i can realistically only have one bike (hence my Montague clone) and have been weighing and contemplating a Birdy 20" (since i could eventually tour with it when this pandemic is over) but I noticed many foldie riders eventually moved back up to full size bike to get more gear inches and stability into the ride as they become stronger riders. I value a foldie for multimodal transport, touring and regularly take my child to different/further locations (Ubin, Coney Island), or eventually pack several bikes in the boot in our mini SUV without resorting to a rack.
That said I am a little curious though on the reason behind the titanium breakaway build - since you only just finished your ChangeBike build.
I am asking because for the drivetrain, you are using MTB crank and "road" DR and shifters with 1X11, do you reckon is that enough gears?
>> Its not the gears are not high enough, but rather, the gear spacing especially at the top end is too widely spaced.
The SRAM 10-42 cassette is 10-12-14t..... At fast speeds, the muscle 'shock' of transitioning from 14 > 12 > 10 is just too much when other riders surge.
If you value long individual efforts (as 'proof' of your ride ability), then you ease into the gear change and reel in any other rider over the course of a ride.
<<<Fair point. I don't need this to be a race bike - if i did I would have taken the 700c ChangeBike. I managed to keep up with the group over 50Km on my heavy MTB bike with knobby tyres, so shedding almost half of the weight should allow me to keep up as we aim to go for RTI (I just dont want to stress out my legs and enjoy the journey a little more).
Like you this bike will
serve as a 'road bike' for riding in road group rides so I need high gears so i dont get dropped (least easily - my friends are mostly roadies as i mentioned) but also need enough grannie low gears for hill climbs for touring so i have questions on your setup - do you feel its enough gears low and high? Or should I aim for 2X11 drivetrain or is that not possible.
>> 2x is not possible. Ultimately, its a MTB frame and they don't take 2x (rubs the chainstay )
Its also limited to 42T for the chainring.
For my 44T, I had to shim it on the drive side a bit more to clear it from the chainstay.
This affects the Q, and not everyone likes that.
My setup 44T with 10-42t works for light tours and local rides.
For loaded touring, I'd go for 38t with 10-42t (at the minimum) or even 34t
<<<forgive my ignorance but not quite sure what "shim it" means or how it affects the Q. I would love to get to 44T for the chainring but i would similarly probably drop to 38T when I go on longer tours since I dont need the top end gear inches then.
I saw that the max chainring is 44T - that is probably because you are running
Shimano XT as crank? Could you advise why you went with a MTB crank?
>> as above; You can also get a SRAM MTB crank, but they are hard to get new locally.
I definitely want this Cassette - Sram Cassette XG-1150 10-42 for the 10T so i have high enough gear inches (based on my calculations your setup should have least 120 - 125), but that is the reason for the SRAM rival RD and STI levers?
>> SRAM 10-42T needs a XD compatible hub.
Since its road bars, it will have to be Rival, since Force and Red are electronic and 12sp and expensive.
The even less common option (locally) is Microshift Advent. ( a FB friend has that setup on his Change bike)
Shimano, you are limited to 11t as smallest unless its the latest XT, XTR, but then you are stuck with trigger shifters.[/QUOTE]
<<<I read your previous threads and realised you had spent a lot of time hunting for the SRAM parts - would it be possible to share the links of the online distributors that you purchased the SRAM parts like the Rival shifters? Based on your experience I dont want to patronise the local SRAM distributor if they are not service oriented. Seems to be based on your feedback I should not be overly concerned about the fork, saddle, post, stem, wheelsets, tyres or dropbar.
<<<last questions before i take the proverbial plunge - What are your verdict/thoughts on your brakes, I am aiming for 38mm 650 tyres, whats your sense from your 42mm tyres? What do sort of budgets should i put aside for entire build?
Thanks for being so generous with your time and experience in your build. Much appreciated but I feel convinced this is the ideal bike for my quirky needs/constraints.