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Dynohub will handle
Dynohub will handle completely unlit country roads at 20mph. Make sure you can mount the light at the fork crown. B&M Cyo Premium will do the job. Order from Germany, much cheaper than buying here
Hydro discs probably a good idea too, and look to ride 28-30mm tyres, that’s one thing that has really moved on whilst you were awayCold not really an issue as
Cold not really an issue as thermals and oversocks will handle that. The main issue in the morning is riding through grass/undergrowth that’s sopping wet with dew, particularly this time of year. Feet soaked within minutes.
A “proper” CX bike will have
A “proper” CX bike will have a shorter wheelbase and more agressive/racy geo compared to a gravel bike. Might also not have as much tyre clearance as the UCI limit for competition tyres is 33mmDefinitely +1 for the bike
Definitely +1 for the bike fit because then you can really search out the manufacturers who cater for your physique.
The problem is that when they shrink bikes they often mess up the geo – a head tube can only go so short before downtube and toptube merge
Light as possible on the frame plus aero wheels would be my vote. Fundamentally you will expend more effort going fast on the flat than a standard or heavy rider because you’ll be more affected by the wind. My riding buddy is 5-7, and wiry (chiropractor) – he leaves me for dead on the climbs and I lose him on descents/flat
It depends.
It depends.
It might be as simple as getting a thru axle to QR converter. Something like this:
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nukeproof-conversion-kit-qr-rear/rp-prod34779 (there’s a 15mm version too)
It’ll add a little weight over an endcap conversion but it much less faff. I had something similar for my Exposure dynohub which converted it from 15mm to a standard QR.
There are cheaper options on eBay, for ease of use look for the ones with tiny rubber O-rings as these help retain the axle in the hub when you remove the wheel. Particularly welcome for that inevitable wet November evening puncture
Worth measuring the OLD of the hub and the rear spacing of the destination frame if you can – it should be 135mm but might be 142
Seeing as you’re 10-speed
Seeing as you’re 10-speed there’s a 12-30 Ultegra 6700 cassette option which might be a good bet. Or SRAM do a something-30 cassette which may also work.
Which generation 105 are we talking about? I’m assuming 5700? It will be etched on the underside of the rear derailleur (on the silver lower half of the link).
Whilst a 30T cassette is probably out of spec for your derailleur it might work – even if not it’s not an expensive upgrade. You could do cassette and long cage (GS) derailleur for £50 and don’t need any special tools.
As to wheels you’re really looking at £250 minimum for a decent upgrade. Vision Team 35 is a good starting point, if you’re really using your 52 then the aero benefit will be worth it.
(Just looked for the above and this is an absolute steal of deal – £205 including tyres!) – https://www.vanillabikes.com/products/vision-team-35-comp-road-clincher-wheels-tyre-tube-bundle?variant=15431790526558&dfw_tracker=977-15431790526558&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7aTdi5vJ5AIVFODtCh04YApNEAQYASABEgL92vD_BwE)
It’s also quite a good time to be buying secondhand wheels and that will really extend your budget.
Used Hunts go for around £200 on eBay. Or look into handbuilt new by Spa Cycles or Malcolm at CycleClinic – https://thecycleclinic.co.uk/collections/road-rim-brake-wheelsets – I’m guessing there are local builders of good quality wheels near you too. On eBay you often find good factory-fit wheelsets that have been taken off new frames and replaced with higher spec wheels. Bontrager & Giant factory wheelsets are pretty good, plentiful, and good value.
JRA & Pacenti get consistently good reviews on this site too and look good value but not exactly cheap.
Moving to 11 speed is non trivial – you’d need to upgrade your shifters which are expensive parts.Oh, since we’re here…
I might wait a little and invest in better wheels. Any advice on what would be the best step up on a budget? This might give me te chance to access a11 speed cassette too.
True, I overlooked this. I don’t even think getting one extra gear will make such a difference. Sure it will be more comfortable and smooth but might not be worth the investment.
Any good 10 speed wheels I can look into as a future upgrade?
All 11-speed wheels (with Shimano Road hubs) are backwards compatible with 10 speed, you usually just need a spacer, which often comes with them.
You can’t *officially*
You can’t *officially* replace the 34 in the 50/34 with a 32, because Shimano road derailleurs can only handle a drop of 16T (50-34=16). Having said that, it might work fine, possibly just a slower/heavier shift.
The SRAM cassette option will work, as long as your derailleur is the long cage (GS) version – which it should be if you’re already running an 11-34 cassette. I thought Shimano already did an 36T cassette option? Announced recently with the GRX groupset?
The other option you have is to swap the chainset for a 46/30 or 48/32 – options from Miche (Graff) and FSA (Tempo Adventure) available will work with your existing front mech, or you can go down the Shimano GRX route which will also require a GRX derailleur. The Graff works with your existing Hollowtech BB but is the most expensive of the three options. I went with the FSA Tempo Adventure.
Yep, I’ve used gel pads
Yep, I’ve used gel pads rather than double wrapping, just in the place where my hands rest most often (this can vary from bike to bike so it tends to be something to do once you’ve ridden for a while and worked out where that is.
Problem solved about the brake caliper, it being an easily available BR-8070…Concerning the 27t sprocket: can anyone advise where to buy one? It would be for the Ultegra 11speed 11/34 cassette…
Thanks!
Not many places sell part cassettes but SJS Cycles do – https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/cassette-spares-shimano/
I don’t see it on their list but they can probably source it. Just need to know which series the cassette is (R8000?) – then look up the exploded view on si.shimano.com for that particular model, it will give you the Shimano part number.
If it is R8000 then this is the part number – it’s the final cluster (27-30-34) of the cassette that’s sold as a unit. Might end up being cheaper to buy a whole new cassette.
Y1WH98030
Thanks all, good thread.
Thanks all, good thread.
All about looking ahead and planning routes, and expecting to fall off. And the transition in riding style from onroad to offroad.
Might consider going tubeless but that’s quite a big outlay – new rims and tyres needed.
Thanks all. Yep, front-end
Thanks all. Yep, front-end washout is the main issue. And gorse is an unpleasant place to land.
I can deal with the back end being (dare I say it) squirrelly but it feels like any steering input will just cause the front end to tuck.
Seems like looking ahead and planning the right line to take is the key, as I’m as wide as I can go on the tyres and don’t fancy running low pressures as most of the riding is road and compact gravel.
GravelKing SK or one of the
GravelKing SK or one of the Schwalbe gravel options.
Reckon you’d easily squeeze 30mm tyres in there, possibly 32mm depending on rim profile.
I find Amazon completely
I find Amazon completely impossible to use for pretty much anything cycling-related. So difficult to find the right product. And yes, pricing rarely competitive with the dedicated online storefronts.
That particular one is a third-party seller, and they’re the only ones offering it for sale.
I often wonder how some of this stuff gets consigned to certain sellers – I saw a car dealership offering KTM framesets for sale once, and a household furnishings seller knocking out Di2 cabling cheaper than either Evans or Wiggle.
At a stretch (pun intended)
At a stretch (pun intended) you can use silicone plumbers/electrical tape. Plenty of colours, sticks to itself, durable, easy to apply and remove. But based on some of the prices in this thread, probably more expensive than real bar tape.
