log in
register

Indulge me + any other luddites – What ‘gravel’ frameset with rim brakes?

  • Creator
    Topic
  • February 18, 2018 at 7:26 pm #28154
    IanEdward

    My brief for a perfect frameset at the moment is basically:

    Take an ‘endurance’ road bike (i.e. light, fast, but upright for desk jockeys wanting to do centuries)

    Add large tyres, ideally 35s.

    Add mudguards

    Add rim brakes, mini-vs/cantis probably for clearance around tyres and guards.

    Such frames do exist, for example my current singlespeed commuter (Charge Plug, no gears though) and the Gunnar Crosshairs. The Kinesis 4s comes close but I’m suspicious of how big a tyre you could get in there with a calliper and mudguards. Edit: Forgot to mention the Van Nicholas Amazon Touring – Ti with canti brake mounts.

    I’ve spoken to one custom framebuilder so far (Shand) and they basically couldn’t do a canti frame for me, he didn’t explain why (I admitted early on I was still window shopping) but I guess it means setting up a new jig or ordering new tubes specific to canti-brake frames.

    Lots of CX bikes on the market obviously but the bottom brackets are typically a lot higher than a road bike, and the geometry usually a lot more aggressive.

    Likewise lots of tourers, but they’re heavier, stiffer etc (I had a lovely Salsa Vaya for a while, just always rode ‘dead’ when ridden as a road bike).

    Anyway, anyone aware of any other examples?

    Ta

    https://www.pedalroom.com/p/gunnar-crosshair-19035_1.jpg

    Gunnar Crosshairs

    https://activesport.co/WebRoot/Store5/Shops/80c85f8f-7a95-4b1c-9c30-e64b314f3f2e/55C8/C3C3/C631/6304/389D/0A48/350B/0781/1.jpg

    Charge Plug (the pink fixation is just a coincidence, honest!)

  • Creator
    Topic
Viewing 15 replies - 16 through 30 (of 31 total)
1 2 3
  • Author
    Replies
  • February 20, 2018 at 7:43 pm #912721
    0
    Johnny5

    Seven RedSky. Available in

    Seven RedSky. Available in steel and titanium models. Clearance for 32c and fenders.

     

    http://www.sevencycles.com/blog/redsky-the-ultimate-in-versatile-performance/

     

    https://www.sevencycles.com/bikes/bike-detail.php?model=redsky

    February 20, 2018 at 7:40 pm #912719
    0
    IanEdward

    Hmm, now I’m confused! Love

    Hmm, now I’m confused! Love the idea of the Cross Check, and it’s half the price of the other options. Shame they’re not doing the dream tangerine colour any more!

    But if I’m looking at bikes that weight I’m probably straying back into touring territory again…

    February 20, 2018 at 4:26 pm #912717
    0
    mrml

    Surly Cross Check, if you’re

    Surly Cross Check, if you’re not too worried about weight.  

    February 20, 2018 at 4:14 pm #912715
    0
    Boatsie

    That’s the bike I like.
    That’s the bike I like.
    GT with a 9 speed Sora. (Has discs though)
    Never ridden 1. Ridden GT before and loved them.
    If girlfriend comes to stay we’ll be shopping to suit her and that beast pleases my eye plus having recently taken fondness to bibi car, part of the half yearly running cost of the car transformed into a bike budget which included a box of 9 speed close ratio casettes. Don’t know if the GT heavy, I bet it’s lighter than my build though and I think they look awesome especially when someone else cleaning all those triangles.
    Lol

    http://www.gtbicycles.com/aus_en/2018/bikes/pavement/grade-sora

    February 19, 2018 at 9:04 pm #912713
    0
    Ratfink

    Not for sale in the UK  but

    Not for sale in the UK  but they do ship internationally.

    http://www.rodbikes.com/images/gallery/gallery.php?id=340

    February 19, 2018 at 8:45 pm #912711
    0
    kil0ran
    IanEdward wrote:
    Something up with your discs?

    More like something up with my ears, think I’ve just got a much lower tolerance to squeeky brakes than everyone else. Rim brakes = silent and all the power I’ve ever needed, I don’t even seem to go through pads or rims all that fast.

    Obviously just not riding far enough or fast enough!

    SimonE, thanks I contributed to that thread but Kil0ran wasn’t thinking big enough, he only wanted 28mm tyres!

    BTWin 100

    Ha, that’s genius, would never have found that. Strip the components and the scaffold tube fork, replace with a carbon/alloy Radon fork for £80 and build up with your groupset of choice, could be a neat wee bike for less than a thousand…

    Or spend a little more for the Triban 500. Lovely matt red paintjob (or black if you prefer) and carbon fork. Don’t think you’ll get really big tyres  plus guards in there though – clearance is a little tight around the chainstay bridge. Decathlon guy I spoke to said 28s + guards were a no go but I’m yet to be convinced.

    I think your best bet is to hit eBay/Gumtree for something with cantis if you want 32mm+

    e.g. Salsa La Cruz Ti

    https://salsacycles.com/bikes/archive/la_cruz_ti_2011

     

    February 19, 2018 at 7:49 pm #912709
    0
    IanEdward

    Quote:

    Something up with your discs?

    More like something up with my ears, think I’ve just got a much lower tolerance to squeeky brakes than everyone else. Rim brakes = silent and all the power I’ve ever needed, I don’t even seem to go through pads or rims all that fast.

    Obviously just not riding far enough or fast enough!

    SimonE, thanks I contributed to that thread but Kil0ran wasn’t thinking big enough, he only wanted 28mm tyres!

    BTWin 100

    Ha, that’s genius, would never have found that. Strip the components and the scaffold tube fork, replace with a carbon/alloy Radon fork for £80 and build up with your groupset of choice, could be a neat wee bike for less than a thousand…

    February 19, 2018 at 7:44 pm #912707
    0
    Anonymous

    Johnnystorm wrote:

    Johnnystorm wrote:
    Something up with your discs? My commuter has BB7s and according to strava have been on the same cables/pads/discs for at least 7500 miles.

     

    February 19, 2018 at 7:07 pm #912705
    0
    Johnnystorm

    Something up with your discs?
    Something up with your discs?

    My commuter has BB7s and according to strava have been on the same cables/pads/discs for at least 7500 miles.

    February 19, 2018 at 6:16 pm #912703
    0
    Stef Marazzi

    The Btwin 100? Isn’t it
    The Btwin 100? Isn’t it exactly this? A rim braked Gravel bike? There’s some hilarious videos on YouTube of what it can do

    February 19, 2018 at 3:06 pm #912701
    0
    Simon E

    This recent discussion might

    This recent discussion might be relevant:

    http://road.cc/content/forum/235579-rim-brakes-28mm-tyres-and-mudguards-frame-recommendation

    February 19, 2018 at 1:35 pm #912699
    0
    Anonymous

    2009 Spesh sirrus carbon ltd,

    2009 Spesh sirrus carbon ltd,  I’ve just finished buyng all the bits, frameset was NOS from bike shop in Bath.

    Has mudguard AND rack mounts and space for 38mm tyres underneath.

    There’s a NOS one on the bay of e ATM

    February 19, 2018 at 12:50 pm #912697
    0
    alansmurphy

    My number 1 bike is full

    My number 1 bike is full carbon rim braked (dry days) and my commuter was a Specialized Allez Claris disc (which i fell out of love with), I purchased a GT AL disc for wet rides which was much closer to my best than communter.

     

    I have now fully winterised the Spec commuter, full guards, secondary brake levers and 13-34 on the cassette. Did 50 miles on it yesterday and loved it – those mucky country lanes were aweome, only bothered going round 50% of the potholes and spinny enough for the big hills in spite of the weight. In fact, at a time of year where interval training and PRs are essentially off the agenda on most of our roads, maybe a heavier bike makes sense – just wait til I hit the carbon đŸ™‚

     

    My ramblings are essentially so you can consider a heavier frame.  

    February 19, 2018 at 8:47 am #912695
    0
    IanEdward

    Oof! Now you’re asking!

    Oof! Now you’re asking!

    Probably 75% road riding, but on manky winter backroads with all the associated potholes and field run-off, 25% gravel rides (i.e. when my Garmin leads me down a farm track I thought was a road when plotting the route!).

    Terrain would ideally be hilly as I can make it, and distance could be anything between 50km and 150km I guess, which is why I’m looking for something with gears as experience has taught me I’m not quite man enough for 150km of hills on my singlespeed.

    I guess actually speed isn’t so important, it’s more for winter miles and I’ve been perfectly happy on my 10kg commuter, perhaps I should be considering touring bikes again…

    Pretty well wedded to rim brakes. I know exactly what you mean about the world of possibilities but there seems to be some wierd quirk in my riding style, weight, speed or something which renders most disc brakes a high maintenance, noisy and largely underwhelming prospect on my bikes. I actually own a disc brake bike at the moment and will only take it out when I really have to, and it’s guaranteed to be dry. Meanwhile my rim braked commuter just keeps on trucking along. 

    I’m sure with a lot of experimentation and money I could find a set of disc brakes that works the way I want them to (i.e. silently) but it just seems easier to find the perfect rim braked frame!

    February 19, 2018 at 7:15 am #912693
    0
    Argos74

    2 questions:

    2 questions:

    • What’s the intended useage of the bike in terms of distance, terrain and speed? (If multiuse – say road riding, touring, gravel rides, commuting – what % for each)
    • How wedded are you to rim brakes? Considering disc brakes opens up a whole world of possibilities.
  • Author
    Replies
Viewing 15 replies - 16 through 30 (of 31 total)
1 2 3
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.