Author Topic: picking bits for a new bike  (Read 8083 times)

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #25 on: 24 October, 2019, 06:25:14 pm »
I’ve had both STIs and bar ends break on me (though the bar ends were easier to bodge for a bit). My biggest complaint was that the STI shifting was uncomfortable, while bar ends felt easy to push. Things may have improved, so I’ll give some a test ride. (At a shop I would buy from if I like the bike.)

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #26 on: 24 October, 2019, 06:26:40 pm »
The problem isn't STIs, it's drop handlebars.  STIs are merely a symptom.   :P

:D
I’ve got a Brooks bum and drop bar arms.

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #27 on: 24 October, 2019, 10:00:51 pm »
I bought a Cube Nuroad Race gravel bike, and recommend it. Good points(AFAIK) hydraulic brakes, Shimano 11 speed R 7000 series gears. Aluminum frame takes up to 40mm tyres. Eyelets for mudguards and four point rack. Bombproof build. Cost. I negotiated a discount£1180. Very nice to ride. A good bike for its design brief ie covering a lot of bases fairly well. As I'm from North Herts, the 50:34_11:32 gear ratios are fine. The "latest2020" model his available with a 46:30 chainring. A better bet for hillier areas. Hope this helps.

vorsprung

  • Opposites Attract
    • Audaxing
Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #28 on: 25 October, 2019, 09:55:39 am »
You should spec your bike to be nice to ride rather than worrying about mythical failure modes all the time.  Apart from the shifting awesomeness, most drop bars are also designed to mate to STI levers these days, so it's easiest to get a comfortable hand position.  Go for them, they're the best  :)

So apart from my shite Campag 2007 Centaur shifters which broke in a couple of years, other STI breakages have been a 10 speed LH 105 which broke twice, one time during LEL and a 2nd hand Ultegra which I assume just wore out after a long life of abuse

I do keep spares in the box in the garage deliberately because there will be failures of this sort in the future

But that's no reason to not use STI.  I like the shape of them and they make the layout of what you've got to control the bike neater.  I also have a couple of bikes with bar-end levers and brake only levers.  It's all good and I see STI vs. bar end as diversity

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #29 on: 25 October, 2019, 10:27:15 am »
For anyone losing sleep over the possibility of a STI lever failure while out in the wilderness, or even half way round any ride you want to complete - Carry a friction lever with a cable and you can sleep easy.  It's easier to fit to a frame with bosses, otherwise you need a band on version and you may have to customise that if it's an OS tube, either way it probably takes less time to fit and adjust than it does to fix a puncture.

vorsprung

  • Opposites Attract
    • Audaxing
Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #30 on: 25 October, 2019, 10:36:37 am »
The problem isn't STIs, it's drop handlebars.  STIs are merely a symptom.   :P
And lo, it came to pass that drop handlebars conquer'd the earth.   All velocipedes everywhere sagged at their bar ends.  And this was good
(Book of Sheldon, Ch2 v12)


Karla

  • car(e) free
    • Lost Byway - around the world by bike
Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #31 on: 25 October, 2019, 11:37:05 am »
^^Brucey doesn't like STIs because he's a mechanic …..

Mechanics earn their living by doing this kind of thing. IME they are usually so busy trying to make ends meet that they don't have time to drink cups of tea or post here come to that.  I spend quite a lot of my time messing about with bikes -often other people's- but I don't earn a living at it.

This is really concerning.  You don't get paid for this?  :o  Someone is taking you for a ride, you should seek legal and financial advice immediately

Quote
Punctures of any kind and tyre rips that need a boot/tube are 'mythical failure modes' too, until they happen. Honestly I think so many people ride in or near suburbs, near railways or with the (wifey-driven) sag wagon only a phone call away, that they forget the rest of the world isn't like that. I have had all kinds of things happen in odd places and 'having stuff that you can fix' is quite a high priority -certainly higher than any 'marginal gains' crap-    if you ride (or live in) such places.

I'm fairly sure Dan isn't planning to ride to Antarctica any time soon?  For anywhere else, most bike tourists are ludicrously overspecced - including you by the sounds of it.

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #32 on: 25 October, 2019, 11:52:11 am »

I'm fairly sure Dan isn't planning to ride to Antarctica any the soon?

True. England for now, Scotland soon, Europe I hope. Mostly on my own.
If I get steel it isn’t because I can get it welded in some far flung place. But if one approach is more easily fixed (for a dangerous failure mode) than another then that’s an advantage when I weigh them up - not the only factor, but in there.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #33 on: 25 October, 2019, 12:41:54 pm »
Drop bars and STIs?  I can count on less than one hand the number of times in the last 2 years I've used the drops.

My next bike will be specced with flat bars with bar-ends and a rohloff
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #34 on: 25 October, 2019, 01:16:53 pm »
I'm fairly sure Dan isn't planning to ride to Antarctica any the soon?

You definitely don't want STIs for Antarctica.  They'd look silly on the USS bars.

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #35 on: 25 October, 2019, 08:54:47 pm »
Drop bars and STIs?  I can count on less than one hand the number of times in the last 2 years I've used the drops.

My next bike will be specced with flat bars with bar-ends and a rohloff

I thought you were going to suggest flat bars with bar end shifters for a moment :D

The inbred I’m selling is partly the product of me trying that. Still for sale if you’re looking for n+1 ... not a rohloff but easy enough to convert ;)

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #36 on: 25 October, 2019, 11:34:33 pm »
.................

Frame choice, I think these would all work (give or take finding my size - standover 785mm max, effective top tube 560mm give or take):
Alpkit Sonder Camio Al

Not sure there's any available, they were discounting them last month, which made me wonder if there's a new model on the way.
If it's still on the shortlist the V3 Sonder Camino is now available as a bike and I understand it'll be available as a frameset shortly. I don't know what the differences to the V2 are, but Alpkit are helpful enough if you ring or email and ask.  They also do hire bikes if you wanted to try before buying, the hire cost is refunded if you buy.

fuaran

  • rothair gasta
Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #37 on: 26 October, 2019, 12:15:52 am »
If it's still on the shortlist the V3 Sonder Camino is now available as a bike and I understand it'll be available as a frameset shortly. I don't know what the differences to the V2 are, but Alpkit are helpful enough if you ring or email and ask.  They also do hire bikes if you wanted to try before buying, the hire cost is refunded if you buy.
Looks like the V3 is thru axles front and rear, flat mount disc brakes, and a bit more tyre clearance. And more mounts for racks and bottle cages? And a nice mint green colour.
The GRX 1x11 build looks good (I'm not convinced about SRAM).

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #38 on: 26 October, 2019, 08:06:35 am »
Drop bars and STIs?  I can count on less than one hand the number of times in the last 2 years I've used the drops.

My next bike will be specced with flat bars with bar-ends and a rohloff

I thought you were going to suggest flat bars with bar end shifters for a moment :D

The inbred I’m selling is partly the product of me trying that. Still for sale if you’re looking for n+1 ... not a rohloff but easy enough to convert ;)

See the Folders thread, Airnimal are just up the road from me and I fancy one of those with 26" wheels to bung in the car when I'm doing UK work. All depends of course on payout from my SMIDSY last year. Current road bike would then be given over to turbo duties.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #39 on: 10 November, 2019, 10:51:58 am »
A quick update, as you were all so helpful with suggestions above...

I've had a ride round the bike shop carpark on a Tripster AT, with SRAM gears. Very nice. The shifters felt comfortable to use, once i got the idea of pushing further for the other direction. But, I really don't think that 1* gears work for the range of uses I'm after. I'd end up compromised on either "quicker" road rides or rough hills, or both.

I had a go on current Shimano Tiagra shifters in a shop. I still don't like the ergonomics of pushing the brake lever over - it just doesn't suit my hands as well as the alternatives.

I also had a go on some electronic shifters at the Rouler Classic. They make a lot of sense for ergonomics, and the SRAM ones I tried had batteries that could realistically be carried as a spare. But they're deeply spendy so really not an option yet!

I think that puts me back into cable discs. Digging about on the forum, I spotted some positive comments about the Juin Tech brakes, which are cable operated by hydraulic in the brake - and sound fairly easy to adjust. So I've added them to the shortlist.

I had a go at pricing up the bits for building based on the tripster, XT gears and moderate shiny other bits. It came to a little more than I want to spend. Which makes the next thing good news :)

And, today I see that the new version Sonder is available as a frame. So I might pop them an email about chainlines and whether they're interested in a non-standard build.

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #40 on: 28 November, 2019, 09:01:20 pm »
Are you sorted yet?
Sonder have some ex demo bikes for sale, including Camino V2. They're at the Hathersage shop and not on the website so you'd need to give them a ring.
Source - Alpkit on facebook

Phil W

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #41 on: 30 November, 2019, 11:59:55 am »
re 'road' parts vs MTB parts.


FWIW I'd prefer something like kellys take offs rather than bar-end shifters.  If you are thinking of Deore XT 10s rear mech then I'm not sure what shifter you would use; IIRC microshift might make a Bar End shifter that is compatible but they might be the only ones who do.

The Dura Ace 10 speed bar ends work flawlessly with the XT 10 speed rear mech. It's what I have on my road bike, no special fettling to get it to work, and I haven't had to adjust since I built the bike up 16 months ago.

Phil W

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #42 on: 30 November, 2019, 12:01:42 pm »
My full sus mountain bike from 2004 was 12kg.  Really not that much difference, depending on frame, fork, and components.

Phil W

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #43 on: 30 November, 2019, 12:23:10 pm »
I finished building my recumbent last Sunday. I'm running XT hydraulic on it. Fitting it including cutting and fitting the hose wasn't too hard at all. The XT hydraulic brakes worked out cheaper than Trp Spyre. I'd forgotten how great hydraulic brakes feel compared to cable.

In the 16 years I've run hydraulic brakes on mtn bikes I've (or my friends)  never had it fail. The first bike with Giant one brand ones, they were prone to overheating on long off road descents.  But the ones since then have solved this problem, and that's going back more than 10 years. Bleeding was only necessary about once every 18 months or so.

In theory you could have a nasty crash and rip the hoses out or damage them. But that never happened on any of the mtn bikes my friends or I rode, and we had some pretty interesting offs.

So yes hydraulics have failure modes, but I'd consider it reliable enough if not in the back of beyond. Besides you could always carry spare hose pre cut with fittings and 50mL of mineral oil if going to back if beyond. Having recently cut and fitted hoses, and added mineral oil, bleed brakes etc. it's not as hard as you might think.

I'm certainly happy enough with reliability to put it on a bike I'll be using on most of my future audaxes and long tours.


Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #44 on: 01 December, 2019, 08:42:48 pm »
I'm at the about to order some bits stage :) (give or take double checking with Mrs Dan)

I came to the conclusion that some of my ideas were getting a bit spendy given that I need to take cashflow in mind a bit.

So, my current plan is:
 - Sonder v3, wheels and a couple of other bits from Alpkit, on cycle to work. Only real downside to that is that I'll have to sort my own bottom bracket and headset out.
 - Don't sell my inbred, but strip the gears, saddle and pedals off it. They're SLX, not quite the groupset I'd have picked for this, but covers the range I want well enough and would cost as much to buy new as I was being offered for the bike. Then I can try selling the frame, forks, wheels, brakes from that separately.
 - Then microshift 10 speed bar ends, Juin Tech F1 brakes and some bike shop vouchers for Christmas for the remaining bits and pieces :)

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #45 on: 01 December, 2019, 09:04:26 pm »

In the 16 years I've run hydraulic brakes on mtn bikes I've (or my friends)  never had it fail. The first bike with Giant one brand ones, they were prone to overheating on long off road descents.  But the ones since then have solved this problem, and that's going back more than 10 years. Bleeding was only necessary about once every 18 months or so.

In theory you could have a nasty crash and rip the hoses out or damage them. But that never happened on any of the mtn bikes my friends or I rode, and we had some pretty interesting offs.

So yes hydraulics have failure modes, but I'd consider it reliable enough if not in the back of beyond. Besides you could always carry spare hose pre cut with fittings and 50mL of mineral oil if going to back if beyond. Having recently cut and fitted hoses, and added mineral oil, bleed brakes etc. it's not as hard as you might think.

I'm still looking at the cable brakes, though currently favouring the Juin Tech F1.

The original Avid hydros on the inbred were a menace. Constantly rubbing and needing faffed with. Their Shimano replacements were much better, so I'm willing to believe good hydraulic brakes exist. I did also meet someone that'd pulled a hose from their brake on the south downs way once. But I've seen many people with working brakes. So :shrug:

I still think a fix in the back of beyond would be harder than with a cable. But my main sticking point now is that I can't seem to find hydraulic drop-bar lever - brake combinations without the spend of the integrated shift (which I don't like).

I may, of course, change my mind and find myself changing this in the future!



bludger

  • Randonneur and bargain hunter
Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #46 on: 01 December, 2019, 09:16:31 pm »
I try to not wade into the whole hydro 'debate' but a few years ago I was out MTBing with the dad on a hot day, and the rear brake seized up seemingly because of the heat. We tried to leak some fluid out but the rub persisted. Ended up taking the rotor off and stuffing an old train ticket between the blocks before carefully riding home on the roads if I remember rightly...
YACF touring/audax bargain basement:
https://bit.ly/2Xg8pRD



Ban cars.

fuaran

  • rothair gasta
Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #47 on: 01 December, 2019, 09:29:37 pm »
But my main sticking point now is that I can't seem to find hydraulic drop-bar lever - brake combinations without the spend of the integrated shift (which I don't like).
TRP Hylex are one option. Though not exactly cheap.

Maybe cheaper to get a pair of Shimano hydraulic STI levers with discs, even if you don't actually use the gear shifting part of the lever. eg RS505 for £200/pair. https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-rs505-hydraulic-disc-brake-set-stis-rs505-flat-mount-calipers-11-speed-89846.html

Or maybe you could find a 1x11 groupset, and just use a pair of 'left hand' levers.

Phil W

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #48 on: 01 December, 2019, 09:32:27 pm »

I still think a fix in the back of beyond would be harder than with a cable. But my main sticking point now is that I can't seem to find hydraulic drop-bar lever - brake combinations without the spend of the integrated shift (which I don't like).

Sure, it'll take longer, about 15 mins if you carry a pre cut spare hose with fittings already on it, and the small amount of mineral oil required.

Phil W

Re: picking bits for a new bike
« Reply #49 on: 01 December, 2019, 09:38:29 pm »
I try to not wade into the whole hydro 'debate' but a few years ago I was out MTBing with the dad on a hot day, and the rear brake seized up seemingly because of the heat. We tried to leak some fluid out but the rub persisted. Ended up taking the rotor off and stuffing an old train ticket between the blocks before carefully riding home on the roads if I remember rightly...

It wouldn't have been the ambient temperature as an increase of 20C would only lead to an expansion of the oil volume of about 0.7%. Something else must gave been going on.