Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => Topic started by: LittleWheelsandBig on 11 March, 2018, 03:53:57 pm
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HK's Condor cyclocross commuter bike is at the end of its life and she is looking for a replacement. The current frontrunner is a Kinesis Tripster AT frame but I am concerned that the bottom bracket is a bit high and have no idea what components to fit. She is short, likes light bikes and dislikes monster cassette cogs. Single chainring groups are not an option; almost everything else is up for grabs. The bike needs to be able to mount a rear pannier rack and proper mudguards. Suggestions?
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Tripster AT will take full mudguards and rear rack, the problem you may have is wheels as it requires 12x100 and 12x142 Thru Axles. Some hubs can be converted from QRs, many can’t.
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We'll be going for all new kit, so building or buying wheels to suit. She'll want to use it as a foul-weather audax bike too.
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anything with an Alfine
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Her foul-weather commuter is a converted MTB with Alfine 11. She was wanting derailleurs and a little more speed for this bike.
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Someone I know who bought a Ti version of the Tripster a while ago for rides involving a mix of on and off road now uses it for everything, including commuting. He doesn't use a rack though (and doesn't always have mudguards either).
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Pinnacle Arkose 3. Light-ish, available in small sizes with more BB drop than the Tripster AT, full carbon fork, compact double, hydraulic brakes and guard & rack mounts. :thumbsup: I expect you'd want to change the wheels but everything else looks pretty good.
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Whyte Suffolk, Specilized Diverge, Pinnacle Arkose 4, GT Grade
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With HK,s love of campag, this is not going to be easy
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She went Shimano Ultegra triple for her trike and Campag have systematically removed pretty much any reason to chose it over Shimano, so that isn't a problem anymore. I expect we'll end up at 105 or Ultegra level, which unfortunately means 11sp. Hydraulic disk brakes are a possibility but she is unconvinced about electronic shifting.
Threaded BBs are a must (no creaking) and we don't want dubiously reliable components like Specialized's Future Shock or orphan component standards. There is no need to stay under any arbitrary price limit but the cost:benefit ratio of Ti frames is unlikely to be justified.
We'll be fitting a dynohub wheel to whatever she gets and will use through axles with disk brakes. We'll almost certainly swap the LH crank for something 5mm shorter.
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Fair light Faran?
At the top of my list for a do it all DF bike, can't remember offhand if its qr or through axle.
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Disc brakes! thats blasphemy lol
Personally I would be tempted to get something totally different to what you have had for so long and suggest a Genesis Datum. (and yes I read the BB thing but if you are going disc brakes, just go the whole hog and they were fine on the TCR).
2pedalz were clearing out stock and I think had some smalls. Also check Rutland Cycles.
Otherwise the Pinnacle ones from Evans seem to be good vfm.
link to genesis deals
http://www.2pedalz.com/fantastic-genesis-savings.html
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The Pinnacle Arkose 3 Women looks to be close to the mark. Many of the others have unthreaded bottom brackets or a fork QR or their smallest size is too big for HK.
https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-arkose-3-2018-womens-adventure-road-bike-EV306250
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Why not another Condor frame? The Bivio is still available and the fratello (disc) may also suit. They can be light(ish) with careful component choice.
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The Pinnacle Arkose 3 Women looks to be close to the mark. Many of the others have unthreaded bottom brackets or a fork QR or their smallest size is too big for HK.
https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-arkose-3-2018-womens-adventure-road-bike-EV306250
:thumbsup: What do I win? :smug:
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If HK likes your suggestion, a free beer is on the cards. She does like the Mike Hall link with Kinesis though.
I'm not sure what advantage there is in choosing another Condor. The Fratello uses a fork QR and the Bivio seems expensive for what it is.
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Pinnacle Arkose 3. Light-ish, available in small sizes with more BB drop than the Tripster AT, full carbon fork, compact double, hydraulic brakes and guard & rack mounts. :thumbsup: I expect you'd want to change the wheels but everything else looks pretty good.
I've got one of those as a winter/off-road beast. I like it, though it's not light, if that's an issue, and it's quite upright. I believe the current model comes with a 48/32 chainset, rather than the 50/34 that mine (2016 version) has - I wish mine had the super-compact, but never mind. Threaded BB was a factor in my choice, as were hydraulic discs.
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If HK likes your suggestion, a free beer is on the cards. She does like the Mike Hall link with Kinesis though.
:thumbsup: Mike rode a Genesis Datum at some point too, IIRC.
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I expect we'll end up at 105 or Ultegra level, which unfortunately means 11sp.
Don't rule out Tiagra - it's a perfectly good option if you'd rather stick with 10-speed.
(I had the original Tiagra on a bike some years ago and it was a bit agricultural but the latest iteration is pretty much as slick as 105.)
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I expect we'll end up at 105 or Ultegra level, which unfortunately means 11sp.
Don't rule out Tiagra - it's a perfectly good option if you'd rather stick with 10-speed.
(I had the original Tiagra on a bike some years ago and it was a bit agricultural but the latest iteration is pretty much as slick as 105.)
Isn't the latest Tiagra 10 speed on the same pull ratio's as 11 speed though meaning you're restricted to certain cassettes?
Edit: this might be codswallop but I do recall there's something odd about it.
Further edit: No, cassettes are compatible it's the new Tiagra levers you can't match to the old 10 speed 105 etc mechs or vice versa. Ruddy shimano.
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What about Planet X's London Road?
Very versatile.
I love mine.
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What about Planet X's London Road?
Very versatile.
I love mine.
I'd agree with all 3 lines of that, hard to beat for the frame and forks price.
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We're not interested in a QR-compatible fork when combined with disk brakes, which eliminates the London Road (and several previous suggestions).
Current Tiagra looks to be an orphan gear system.
HK is happy enough with a commuter bike weight under 11kg, so she isn't looking for a UCI weightweenie machine.
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How about the Tifosi Cavazzo? It comes in a variety of different builds for different uses - all with the same frame.
This is the commuter spec version:
http://www.chickencyclekit.co.uk/show_product.php?cat=1&p=10950
Point taken about Tiagra being an orphan groupset though, which would rule out this option - although you could buy the frameset and build it to your own spec.
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Interesting. We'll see whether HK is keen on a plastic frame for commuting.
Edit: It seems not. Metal only and she is still favouring the Kinesis.
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We're not interested in a QR-compatible fork when combined with disk brakes, which eliminates the London Road (and several previous suggestions).
Fairy nuff, I can see why from a performance POV, what concerns me about thru-axles is the number of "standards", including three(?) different thread pitches on the same sized axles.
Current Tiagra looks to be an orphan gear system.
Agreed
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How short is short?
My wife is Very Short and so she's now riding a small Soma Buena Vista mixte with 26" wheels. No disks but all-up weight is well under 10kg for a steel frame bike (and that's with mudguards, tiagra and 35mm bomb-proof tyres).
My next commuter might be a Raleigh RXS. 12mm through axles, hydro disks, nice aggressive position, frame designed for a belt drive, 9kg, £570. Only drawbacks - 1 gear, and UK import taxes.
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How can you have UK import taxes on a Raleigh? :demon:
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How can you have UK import taxes on a Raleigh? :demon:
Because they don't sell the model in the UK, despite it being ideal for UK use :facepalm:
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I understand that, I'm just gobsmacked that this is the situation with an iconic British brand.
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Raleigh USA and Raleigh UK became completely separate businesses decades ago.
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It looks like the young lady will be commuting on a dropbar Tripster AL with Hunt dynamo wheels, Shimano 105 hydraulic brake STIs, SunXCD 46/30t cranks and Velo Orange rear rack. Something for me to piece together over the next month or so. No doubt she'll use it for some brevets as well.
Well that is a sod. The correct size and colour is out of stock until July and one of the THREE frames they will be bringing in has already been sold. Talk about a small volume item.
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She recently put a deposit down at Pearson's for a tiny Tripster AT frame from the next shipment. They were quite keen on a fitting session beforehand but it is unlikely that HK needs that.
Already acquired
SunXCD 46/30 cranks with 170/165 lengths to compensate for leg lengths
UN74 BB
To be swapped from her Condor
SPDs
C17S saddle
Cyo headlight
Toplight Flat and battery mudguard taillights
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Is it too late to recommend the Islabikes grown up range?
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Is it too late to recommend the Islabikes grown up range?
Too late, money has been laid on the table.
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Frame/ forks picked up, some parts ordered. Wheels will be a little while yet and some other components to be mulled over a while longer before choosing.