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Building an adventure bike

Old 11-22-15, 06:55 PM
  #1  
ricohman
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Building an adventure bike

In 2008 I bought a brand new Rocky Mountain Sherpa 30. 853 Reynolds tube set and 36 spoke wheels, tubus racks ect.
Due to other cycling and non-cycling commitments (racing, cross and kids) I never got around to touring on it.
I used it for commuting then it hung in the garage. But times have changed and I would like to get back to the dirt/gravel and trails for some 3-7 day trips.
This bike is like brand new. The only change is the Trekking crankset from the road triple. It curently has a 9spd setup. After seeing the new Trek 920 I realized the Sherpa has clearance for at least 2 inch tires and I would like to make it trail worthy.
What I would like to do is:
- 50mm tires
- 10 speed cassette
- dura ace bar end shifters or 10spd shifters

This seems pretty simple. I have read that the 10 speed cassette will work fine with the hub and that the current long cage deore xt RD will also work. The questions I have are about the bar end shifters. Are they even compatible with a triple crank? Perhaps I should ditch the triple and go with a cross crank?
I think this RD is reverse shifting, but its been so long since I rode it I cant remember. Will this cause grief for the shifter swap?"



Already have this installed.
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Old 11-22-15, 07:30 PM
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Seems like a pretty nice bike as-is. Larger tires makes sense. What advantage do you expect to gain from one additional gear in back?
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Old 11-22-15, 07:44 PM
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you can get 10 speed bar ends but I'm with dsbrantjr; what's the pay off to one extra gear in the back?
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Old 11-22-15, 08:41 PM
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First, yes, Shimano 10-speed barend shifters work fine with a triple crank. In fact, I have one bike set up that way. Second, I agree that spend a lot of money for one additional speed is not a good use of resources until the 9-speed components need to be replaced.

That said, Nashbar has Dura Ace 7900 10-speed barend shifters for $50 right now. (Shimano Dura-Ace 7900 10-Speed Bar End Shifters ) So, with a Tiagra or 105 10-speed cassette and a lower line Shimano or SRAM chain you can do the upgrade for less than $100.
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Old 11-22-15, 09:16 PM
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I want to get away from these shifters as I can't use my bar bag.
I figured since a 10 speed cassette will fit right on and I can use my RD I thought might as well go all in. But keeping the 9spd makes sense. Can I buy 9 spd shifters with internal cable routing?
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Old 11-23-15, 05:43 AM
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For touring and off road, bar ends have an advantage over brifters as to simplicity and ruggedness, and if the ones you choose are, or can be set for, friction (rear, most fronts are friction only anyway) then they can be used even if the indexing gets fouled up, such as by striking the derailleur on a stick or rock on the trail. I'd stay away from internal routing brifters for touring, also for durability reasons; the tight cable routing tends to cause frayed inner wires.

9 speed chains are said to be stronger/longer lasting than 10 speed, also an advantage for touring.
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Old 11-23-15, 08:44 AM
  #7  
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Agreed - I would stay away from 10 speed for extended tours.
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Old 11-23-15, 09:33 AM
  #8  
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Originally Posted by dsbrantjr
For touring and off road, bar ends have an advantage over brifters as to simplicity and ruggedness, and if the ones you choose are, or can be set for, friction (rear, most fronts are friction only anyway) then they can be used even if the indexing gets fouled up, such as by striking the derailleur on a stick or rock on the trail. I'd stay away from internal routing brifters for touring, also for durability reasons; the tight cable routing tends to cause frayed inner wires.

9 speed chains are said to be stronger/longer lasting than 10 speed, also an advantage for touring.
In theory, maybe. In practice, having a friction function is mostly useless and unnecessary. Even mountain bikes no longer come with a friction option...and haven't for the better part of 25 years.

I do agree that there is no real advantage of adding an extra gear.

Originally Posted by ricohman
I want to get away from these shifters as I can't use my bar bag.
I figured since a 10 speed cassette will fit right on and I can use my RD I thought might as well go all in. But keeping the 9spd makes sense. Can I buy 9 spd shifters with internal cable routing?
I don't see why you can't use a handlebar bag with STI shifters. I've been doing it since around 2003 without problems. I have shoved my cables around the outside of the bike like this



or this



or you can replace a section of the cable with a v-brake noodle like this



I used to use the noodles but found that just cramming the bag into place works just as well.
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Old 11-23-15, 09:44 AM
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its a long winter I want to do something what shall i do till spring kind of question ..

I read 9 speed bar end shifters are most reliable in Friction mode..

how about 8 speed instead of 10 .. its the gear Ratios that move the bike.. the increasing number of "speeds" is to sell them.

Last edited by fietsbob; 11-23-15 at 09:47 AM.
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Old 11-23-15, 09:56 AM
  #10  
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If it were my bike I'd "upgrade" to 8-speed and bar-end shifters. Or just keep what you have until it fails. Your crank and derailers should work fine with whatever bar-end shifters you decide to use, as long as the chain and cassette match the number of speeds as the shifters.

Originally Posted by ricohman
After seeing the new Trek 920 I realized the Sherpa has clearance for at least 2 inch tires and I would like to make it trail worthy.
Are you sure about that? It doesn't look like it to me, but I'm just guessing based on the photos.
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Old 11-23-15, 10:06 AM
  #11  
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What is an "adventure" bike? I thought it was a bike to ride on roads (gravel and otherwise), not single track. Why the 50's? That sounds more like a compromise tire choice made to compensate for an overly harsh ride quality (mostly due to the steel fork).

Can you fit fenders with the 50's? Fenders take a lot of space in-between the stays but they would be very welcome on a muddy tour.

As far as using bar-ends goes... Sounds like a reason to spend money, not that there's anything wrong with that! I just don't think a handlebar bag is sufficient justification for a gearing change.

If you're looking for a worthwhile upgrade, I'd take a close look at the brakes. Touring bikes, IMHO, should have very good brakes. The Tektro Oryk might be OK but I suspect you could do a lot better.

Last edited by cale; 11-23-15 at 10:09 AM.
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Old 11-23-15, 10:36 AM
  #12  
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BTW, cross posting in mechanics and touring isn't very nice.
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Old 11-23-15, 10:48 AM
  #13  
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I'll disagree. Since you're buying shifters why not go 10 speed for just the cost of a cassette and chain.
Specially since the 10 speed components are usually cheaper than 9 speed.
Put a 105 12-27 on for most riding, 12-32 for the tough stuff.
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Old 11-23-15, 08:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Slash5
I'll disagree. Since you're buying shifters why not go 10 speed for just the cost of a cassette and chain.
Specially since the 10 speed components are usually cheaper than 9 speed.
Put a 105 12-27 on for most riding, 12-32 for the tough stuff.
That's the thing. 10 speed components are cheaper than 9spd.
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Old 11-23-15, 08:23 PM
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I know 1.9 inch 29er tires will fit without fenders, as I mounted some a few years ago. I realize fenders are great but they can also get packed so full of mud that the bike won't move.
I guess a set of bar shifters with hidden cables would do the trick up front. I really don't need the bar ends and separate brakes but what I need and want are two different things. But I wanted bar ends on this bike when I bought it new and going to 10spd at the same time is minimal cost as all I think I need is the cassette, chain and shifters.
Will the rising RD be compatible with newer shimano 10spd 5703 shifters?
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Old 11-23-15, 08:29 PM
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Here is where I want to spend some time riding.





Last edited by ricohman; 11-23-15 at 08:35 PM.
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Old 11-23-15, 08:34 PM
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Originally Posted by cale
BTW, cross posting in mechanics and touring isn't very nice.
I realize that cross posting is troublesome and redundant. But I left it as it is because some touring riders simply have no mechanical advice to offer.
However these same riders can offer a plethora on info on camping and cooking and riding ect.
And I don't want to buy parts twice so sorry about the cross post.
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Old 11-23-15, 09:48 PM
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I have some 9 speed bar ends but I need 10s so PM me if you want to work out a trade.
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Old 11-24-15, 12:04 AM
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Originally Posted by ricohman
I want to get away from these shifters as I can't use my bar bag.
I figured since a 10 speed cassette will fit right on and I can use my RD I thought might as well go all in. But keeping the 9spd makes sense. Can I buy 9 spd shifters with internal cable routing?
Internal cable routing is one of the things I don't like with Shimano's 700 10 speed series (105 5700, Ultegra 6700...). It makes shifting a bit problematic. Shimano 10 speed road stuff shifts rather poorly compared to 8 and even 9 speed. I recently switched back from 10 to 8 speed at the back - never regretted.

My opinion on speed number:

How many speeds? - Bike Gremlin

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Old 11-24-15, 01:52 AM
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Do you really expect to be out on the dirt trails, or are you just rebuilding the bike which you have hardly used for the last 7 years.

Day trips, or extended tours?

If you had NOS (new pull) Ultegra or Dura Ace shifters, I might take them off and trade them for the equivalent shifters of your choice. I assume those are Tiagra class. Not without value, but not extremely valuable either.

The 10 & 11 speed chains are supposed to be just as durable as the older ones. Has that been verified with independent testing?

I think the XTR M9000 is supposed to work with 8/9/10 speed freehubs. But, it is a HUGE cassette. Maybe others could be coerced to work too.

Personally I have a lot of 9 speed stuff, but I would consider a 10s or 11s upgrade if other components were being replaced at the same time.
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Old 11-24-15, 07:58 AM
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As mentioned in post 4, the 10 speed bar ends from Nashbar at $50 are a great deal. If you go that way, you have a choice of cable routing. Either completely under the tape or with only a few inches wrapped along the drops. The few inches wrapped will probably shift better and will clear many handlebar bags. Tektro and Cane Creek both have nice brake levers.
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Old 11-24-15, 11:58 AM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
In practice, having a friction function is mostly useless and unnecessary.
Annnd no elaboration.

OP - If you want the da barends go for it; as mentioned above it makes for a less expensive conversion. Friction mode is smooth as butter and very doable with a 10sp cassette. In practice, you have the option of running friction if your indexing adjustments go wonky on the road and you'd rather wait until you're stopped to fix it.

If you want the extra cog, go for it as well. Do you need it? No, but by the same logic you don't need to tour so that's pretty much moot. Pragmatically, you have more cogs to play around with if, say, you like your 9sp range and want to put a very large rear cog on the bottom end (albeit, this may also require lengthening the chain and changing the derailleur).

As for the cable routing option - I have mine routed with 3 sharp bends from the shifters to the first cable stops and have noticed no difference in shift quality from my previous setup with lesser angles.

Do what you want man.

Originally Posted by HillRider
I agree that a friction option for barend or downtube rear shifting is not a necessity these days. No one offers a friction option on brifters and they aren't even as reliable as barends. I disagree that friction shifting on a 9 or 10-speed cassette is easily doable. For every time you manage a "buttery smooth" shift, you will also have several times when you hit the wrong cog.
No one offers brifters with integrated tire levers so therefore tire levers are also not a necessity. Right.
The 10sp friction learning curve is small, particularly if you are already accustomed to the lever travel per cog from barend indexing. It's just a matter of giving it more than a block or two before giving up. Over shooting with indexing also happens, so I'm not quite sure why that fits in the picture at all, especially considering the close ratios of 10sp road cassettes.

Last edited by jfowler85; 11-24-15 at 01:36 PM.
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Old 11-24-15, 12:25 PM
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Originally Posted by jfowler85
Annnd no elaboration.

OP - If you want the da bar ends go for it; as mentioned above it makes for a less expensive conversion. Friction mode is smooth as butter and very doable with a 10sp cassette. In practice, you have the option of running friction if your indexing adjustments go wonky on the road and you'd rather wait until you're stopped to fix it.
I agree that a friction option for barend or downtube rear shifting is not a necessity these days. No one offers a friction option on brifters and they aren't even as reliable as barends. I disagree that friction shifting on a 9 or 10-speed cassette is easily doable. For every time you manage a "buttery smooth" shift, you will also have several times when you hit the wrong cog.
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