Members' bikes

[ElyDave]

Mostly mechanically complete, physically set up so I can remove the fork and take to the LBS for steerer cutting and star nut setting. Cockpit is about 20mm shorter than the Giant roadbike, deliberately so to give me a more relaxed/less stretched position.  Just sitting on it feels very comfy.

Tyres also now have sealant in them, again much easier than I was expecting.



You may note that there is no FD.  I hang my head in shame  . I bought a non OEM FD clamp, which I did not notice was imperfectly round. Despite paying strict attention to the torque limite, I now have a dint in my otherwise pristine seat tube, and a new Shimano clamp on order.

Here's the huge pile of packaging generated by building a bike, not including the boxes all the bits came in

[ElyDave]

Mechanically complete 

Fork back from LBS today from steerer cutting , reassembled front end. Set up FD (those new 7000 series are so much easier to set up), tweaked brakes and checked over the drive train.
Quick ride half a mile up and down the road, gear changes nice and crisp, but brakes need to bed in a bit I think.  I also need to tweak the handlebar tilt a bit.

I wasn't anticipating it being ready for this week, I'm now wondering if I can get a couple of bottle cages installed and take it out for tomorrow's ride.

[perpetual dan]

That looks like it’ll be a lot of fun

[Cudzoziemiec]

Very nice! Bottle cages, fork cages, a couple of bags and ready for adventure...

[ElyDave]

Very nice! Bottle cages, fork cages, a couple of bags and ready for adventure...

Fork cages OK, point weirdly backwards, but will fit.

Tailfin rack is not playing nicely with my panniers (cheapo from Sport Pursuit, for shopping), and obscure rear light, so I am currently delving into the world of
1) front racks for panniers, cargo cages on the tailfin
b) ortleib, city roller pannniers, other £££ ortleibs
iii) saying "fuck it" and opening the bottle of fino

[Cudzoziemiec]

Isn't Tailfin meant to work with its own panniers? Which I expect are equally as expensive as Ortliebs!

[ElyDave]

even more so

Ortlieb City Rollers are available from £75 per pair vs Tailfin's £109 each

[Oscar's dad]

even more so

Ortlieb City Rollers are available from £75 per pair vs Tailfin's £109 each

One of the Mid-Essex crew, psyclist, has some Tailfin gear, and I've seen others using it.  I get that it's expensive but it does look nice.  The thing I don't like about trad panniers, including Ortlieb is that they can partially disattach themselves when you do a bit of COR.  What I like about Tailfin stuff and bikepacking bags in general is that this is far less likely to happen.

[ElyDave]

I don't see the Tailfin panniers as having in anyway a better attachment.  I think my cheapo's were cheap for a reason 

[ravenbait]

I've just ordered a Tailfin, primarily because it will cope with the tiny amount of available seat post on N+1.

Did you get the 3rd party adapters?

Sam

[ElyDave]

Yes I did, whilst they work at the top-end, the legs are much thicker than a standard rack and differently profiled - I'm going to have to fiddle around trying to space the hooks to stand further out, or go to market.

Go to market could be either change panniers, or a new low-rider front rack and move the cargo cages to the legs of the tailfin

[ElyDave]

So here's the issue

1) Front fork cages - too close to the wheel or not?  They mount pointing backwards rather than on the outer edge of the fork leg





2) Panniers

Obscure the rear light mount.  Pannier length = 40cm, Tailfin leg length = 32cm to the bottom of the rubberised section, hooks at the top edge of the pannier.







So options are
1) cargo cages onto Tailfin, buy a lowrider rack and use panniers on the front
2) cargo cages stay on the front, buy a pannier that is not too long
3) 1+2

[Cudzoziemiec]

I think the fork bag is empty in the photos? Once you've got stuff in it, it should -- might -- take on more of a regular shape. Can you tighten the straps to cinch it more closely into the cage? And tuck that strap end away...

As for the rear light, would it not be better on the seat post or under the saddle rails? Assuming there's no way of mounting it on the rack itself, which would always be my first choice.

[ElyDave]

No rack mount for the light, not on a Tailfin, though I might be able to come up with something.  It's a special Fairlight mount intended to use one of the rack/mudguard mounts  https://fairlightcycles.com/product/dynamo-rear-light-mount-drive-side-retail-stock/

The fork pack has my usual saddlebag stuffed in their but it's by no means full.

Don't you just love it when parts won't play 

[ravenbait]

I take it you don't have the AP20 trunk top bag?

I'd probably look to put smaller panniers on there, tbh. But I have a full set of Ortlieb front and back rollers already.

I've opted for one with pannier mounts just because I figured it was better to have them and not need them and need them but not have them. I can see it's going to be fun getting everything to work.

Sam

[ElyDave]

I take it you don't have the AP20 trunk top bag?

I'd probably look to put smaller panniers on there, tbh. But I have a full set of Ortlieb front and back rollers already.

I've opted for one with pannier mounts just because I figured it was better to have them and not need them and need them but not have them. I can see it's going to be fun getting everything to work.

Sam

Can you do me a favour and measure the distance from the bottom of your panniers to the top of the mounting hooks, and also let me know capacity and specific model?

I don't have the Tailfin Trunk Bag as I already had a carradice rack bag that I can use on the tailfin.

[ravenbait]

Stuck in a meeting right now, but will do after.

Sam

[ravenbait]

They are front roller classic. Distance from top of hook to base of pannier is 320mm. Distance from the underside of the hook, where it would meet the rail, and the bottom of the pannier is 305mm.

These are an old model, which you can't get any more, but I think the current Sport Roller is basically the same bag with a better hook mount, and they are 12.5l each.

Sam

[Paul H]

If you're going down the new pannier route, then the Orlieb Gravel are worth a look, a lot like the Front Roller except they stick out less.
Though if you're spending money, rather than utilising what you already have, and you've already bought into the Tailfin concept, I don't know why you'd bother trying to mix and match when there's a whole system designed to go together.

[ElyDave]

If you're going down the new pannier route, then the Orlieb Gravel are worth a look, a lot like the Front Roller except they stick out less.
Though if you're spending money, rather than utilising what you already have, and you've already bought into the Tailfin concept, I don't know why you'd bother trying to mix and match when there's a whole system designed to go together.

As above, though I could afford it £110 each vs £95 per pair - if the Ortleibs fit, why would I spend twice the price - unless you think Tailfin are double the value? Are you also suggesting I ditch my Carradice, ditch my Planet X cargo cages for what Fairlight suggest? Seems somewhat wasteful.

[ElyDave]

They are front roller classic. Distance from top of hook to base of pannier is 320mm. Distance from the underside of the hook, where it would meet the rail, and the bottom of the pannier is 305mm.

These are an old model, which you can't get any more, but I think the current Sport Roller is basically the same bag with a better hook mount, and they are 12.5l each.

Sam

Thanks, very helpful, I think would fit, looked at the Gravel bags as well, I think similar size

[Paul H]

If you're going down the new pannier route, then the Orlieb Gravel are worth a look, a lot like the Front Roller except they stick out less.
Though if you're spending money, rather than utilising what you already have, and you've already bought into the Tailfin concept, I don't know why you'd bother trying to mix and match when there's a whole system designed to go together.

As above, though I could afford it £110 each vs £95 per pair - if the Ortleibs fit, why would I spend twice the price - unless you think Tailfin are double the value? Are you also suggesting I ditch my Carradice, ditch my Planet X cargo cages for what Fairlight suggest? Seems somewhat wasteful.

I'm chucking ideas in the hat, not spending my own money. 
If I bought the Ortliebs and they weren't quite perfect, which I don't think they will be, then sometime down the road I'd probably swap them for the Tailfin, that would be wasteful.   

[TimC]

My £100 turbo bike after its annual fettling and token ride on the road...

[ravenbait]

They are front roller classic. Distance from top of hook to base of pannier is 320mm. Distance from the underside of the hook, where it would meet the rail, and the bottom of the pannier is 305mm.

These are an old model, which you can't get any more, but I think the current Sport Roller is basically the same bag with a better hook mount, and they are 12.5l each.

Sam

Thanks, very helpful, I think would fit, looked at the Gravel bags as well, I think similar size

I would offer to measure the gap of the bottom hook, but I don't know if it's the same on the new ones. I won't get my tailfin until late August, so I can't give it a go for you.

Sam

[Andrew Br]

No rack mount for the light, not on a Tailfin,

That is one of the most irritating things about the Tailfin.
I have the crap and expensive light mount (top tip: avoid !) on my AP20 rack bag but if you want to leave the bag behind, you have to find somewhere else to put a light on the bike. It'd be much better if they made a decent mount for the rack itself.

I currently use the Tailfin rack and bag on my non-eyeletted bike occasionally with a pair of the Tailfin 5l mini-panniers. It's a good system for CC touring and not too bad for shopping. The ease with which you can remove the panniers or bag is great.
For a while I used the rack on the "shopping bike" with my Ortliebs. It was OK but I went back to using the conventional rack because it made the bike feel a little more stable when it was loaded.