dphilips

Since swapping tires on my XOXO from 1.8s + fenders to 2.2s it's been seeing more dirt use. It's a really great mixed surface bike;I knew that before but the tire change really brings that to the foreground.

So I've made a few more changes to embrace that - changing the crank from 34/48 to a 30/46 (VO 50.4 crankset), and the 32t cassette for a 34t (still 7 speed). The RD was changed to a silver Altus RD-M310, mostly because it's silver but also because it tucks up a bit higher than the Acera I had on there.

I changed the Shimano indexed DT shifters for some used Rivendell Silver DT shifters - no more "clunk" on rear shifts, just smooth and silent (when I get it right).

An old Avocet touring saddle, found on a Motobecane Nomade that was being trashed, has so far turned out to be a good fit on this bike but I'll need more miles on it to know for sure.

The Carradice Barley saddle bag was moved to my townie and replaced with a handlebar bag of similar capacity - freeing up the saddle and making it easy to shift weight over the rear tire on trail downhills (important with the steep angles on this bike).

jadmt

did a metric century on the trumpster today. should have did a real century as it was such a nice day.

streetsurfer

Biding my time…

jadmt

I have been switching back and forth between the RTP's, the 1.75" paselas and 1.5 panaracer tservs. I have about 2000 miles on the bike and switch tires every couple hundred miles or so and I gotta say if I could only run one set it would probably be the Tservs. If I had to do it over I would probably order the 1.8 rene herse tires instead if the rtp's. one thing you are going to want to do is get an internal cammed skewer like a shimano xt as the ones they come with allowed the rear wheel to slip in the drop outs no matter how tight they were. it has not happened since using an xt skewer. I was hoping to get a 100 miler in before the weather got too cold but not sure if that will happen now as it got cold and wet here in a hurry.

streetsurfer

Hey! I appreciate your feedback about the tires. I’ve got an antelope (1.8”) coming for the front, thinking I’d try a mixed set.

Earlier on, I grabbed a set of hex head skewers for this bike. Having switched over to them on others, I have their q/r levers of the closed sort on hand. Thanks for the heads up on those.

jadmt

~2000 miles and the Box two chain was already worn out. Chain was cleaned and lubed every 100 miles or so and never in mud or wet conditions. Hopefully the Shimano XT chain will last a bit longer.

Rooney 

I'd call about 2000 miles acceptable for a chain's lifespan.

Krov9

Just curious, were there any other brands or lineups that combined 26" (559) wheelsize with road-ish geometry?

tricky 

Besides the XO and XOXO, some brands used 26" wheels for their small frames. Rivendell Atlantis, Surly Long Haul Trucker, and the super expensive Rene Herse steel 80th anniversary bikes come to mind.

noobinsf 

I think this is one of the things that made Grant Petersen stand out at the time, and why he is considered so influential. Not many examples out there, certainly not previous to the XO bikes.

jadmt

Either the crank or bottom bracket has shifted. There never was much clearance but now there is zero between the chain stay and chain ring. Handsome says they have not seen that before and one set up like mine in their shop is close but not nicking the paint.

beicster 

Did you tighten the crank down before this happened? Have you checked to see if the non drive side crank has moved further away from the chainstay?

jadmt

No and non drive side has more clearance but don't know if it always has been that way. I just installed a new chain and noticed there was no gap at the stay

beicster 

Is there any extra drag when you spin the crank? I can't imagine that the bottom bracket spindle could shift without there being an issue with drag. I would probably tap on the non drive side crank with a rubber mallet where it attaches to the bottom bracket to see if it shifts any. Also, does it rub on the full circumference of the chain ring or just in a spot? Could you have bent the ring?

jadmt

it is all the way around, it is a narrow wide chainring and every fat tooth rubs, the chainring is not bent. Handsome is sending a new bb and crankset and i will send the old ones back.

beicster 

I am glad they are making good on it. Let us know what it looks like when you take the old one out.

jadmt

Handsome sent a new crank and bb and looks much better.

heytchap

that’s pretty good service from them.

sorry I’ve been MIA, I’ve been consumed by a few other bikes and hobbies - MTB and coffee/espresso.

mstateglfr 

Looks like multiple problems on a budget bike that really shouldnt be issues. At least the company was responsive to one of the issues.

streetsurfer

But here are a few pics to tide us over. Back by spring, this one hopes.

jadmt

looks good. how does the bar end mirror work for you? Also is your rear wheel perfectly centered between the chainstays? ie is the rim exactly the same distance from the stays on each side?

streetsurfer

A few more with added doo-dads.

streetsurfer

Thank you! The mirror works for me. Riding a Paso sort of has a similar position. I placed mirrors below the bars on a can-am I streeted as well.
First glance, a lot of people had wondered then also, if I could see out of it them mounted so low.

Fortunately, my wheel is and has stayed centered but I’ve only 20 or so miles on it so far.





(photo assist by my lovely wife)

I went to these hex head skewers. The kickstand tab stays on the bike between frame and skewer end cap. It shifted once and the wheel went left in front a tad but that has been corrected, the stand dialed in, and a little more torque added. Nothing shifted in my low side fall.

jadmt

So I don't mean shifting in the drop outs I mean here? what are these measurements on your bike? thanks.

streetsurfer

Sorry, pictures are difficult to show the actual angles or distances, but I’m glad to help. I hope the pics help some. I show the right stay to brake surface as .980”
I show left stay to brake surface as .880”
There is a one-hundred thousandths difference.

If this helps any, my chain line seems
straightest between fourth gear and fifth gear. There is a slight cant to the right at the rear in four
A sight left cant in fifth.


4th

5th


While the wheel shows a bit of left offset by stay to rim measurements where you indicated, I don’t know that it’s not proper, in order to account for the gear cluster and wheel dish or tire to chain clearance. On mine it doesn’t seem to mess with the actual tread being centered.

Eyeing this up now, I wonder if the wider rtp might rub chain in 11.I haven’t looked down at chain alignment while riding yet. I’ll get this on the stand after a follow up and doctors approval to be more active.

These rear alignment issues, and wheel building aren’t areas that I have had to delve into before, but I am eager and willing.

Judging by the tire alone, the center of tread still seems to align with the center of the seat post, the bolt in the chain stay brace, the center of the bolt in the seat stay cross brace/brake hanger, the brake cable housing stop/hanger and the center of roller hanger on the straddle cable.

How large of a difference have you noticed? Iirc you had one set of wheels redone? Do you still have a greater offset than the .100” I’m seeing, or thereabouts?





Seems centered to frame center.

I’m using a tamper marker for two reasons: To show what I’ve gone over so far To monitor for any loosening or shifting.


When more mobile, I’ll check the seat stay distances to rim. What I may be picking up is .050” difference in the cross sections/widths of the two chain stays…the chain sode being seemingly a touch flatter inboard. So take that into account as part of the 1/10” diff here, perhaps.