Author Topic: Bike Build  (Read 5370 times)

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Offline OUWxGuesser

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Bike Build
« on: June 12, 2011, 11:16:19 PM »
With the dissertation draft finished... things are slowly coming to a close which means only one thing... fewer days till a new bike!  Might be able to swing it later this summer, however, next spring might be a better estimate depending on the cost which is TBD and other expenses (graduation ain't cheap!). To summarize, I would rather wait if saving a bit more = much better build.

Tentative details
Frame/Fork: Salsa Vaya... and probably stick with their stuff for the stem/bars/headset.
Brakes: Avid BB7 Disc

Drivetrain...?

Any personal opinions on SRAM vs. Shimano?   Looking at perhaps Apex/rival from SRAM or 105/Ultegra.  If Apex is adequate, I'd probably just go with the Salsa build which includes these components...  when plunking down a wad of cash, however, it seems more fun to spec it out yourself and at least build it a bit better. 

Saddle?  Are Brooks that awesome?  Many seem to swear by them...


Wheels: Haven't gotten to this bridge yet, but I'll probably opt for getting a second (lighter) set for thinner tires and strictly on-road adventures.



Offline Plantains

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Re: Bike Build
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2011, 06:45:44 PM »
With the dissertation draft finished... things are slowly coming to a close which means only one thing... fewer days till a new bike!  Might be able to swing it later this summer, however, next spring might be a better estimate depending on the cost which is TBD and other expenses (graduation ain't cheap!). To summarize, I would rather wait if saving a bit more = much better build.

Tentative details
Frame/Fork: Salsa Vaya... and probably stick with their stuff for the stem/bars/headset.
Brakes: Avid BB7 Disc

Drivetrain...?

Any personal opinions on SRAM vs. Shimano?   Looking at perhaps Apex/rival from SRAM or 105/Ultegra.  If Apex is adequate, I'd probably just go with the Salsa build which includes these components...  when plunking down a wad of cash, however, it seems more fun to spec it out yourself and at least build it a bit better. 

Saddle?  Are Brooks that awesome?  Many seem to swear by them...


Wheels: Haven't gotten to this bridge yet, but I'll probably opt for getting a second (lighter) set for thinner tires and strictly on-road adventures.

You have a couple of things to consider.

1. In terms of sram vs. shimano. There's no question that Sram caught Shimano with their pants down. And if you do a search on here, you'll find a thread specifically dedicated to why Dura-Ace 7900 is completely pointless. THOUGH, that's not really your market... but you should be aware that it tends to trickle down.

Knowing that, the things you should be looking at are price to weight/functionality. If Sram Apex is adequate for your needs, (which I'm sure I could guess because you post enough, but I don't believe you've specified) then I would consider it, as I, as well as nearly everyone on the team is currently riding Sram for a reason. However, you'll also notice if you search for this topic, that I rode and RACED a 105 9-speed gruppo for like 7 years or something and it was excellent. It was well taken care of, but it was fully utilized and expected to perform in all cases in all conditions, and it did so flawlessly or with very little complaining. So I would personally give 105 a hard look as well. Moving into the rival vs. Ultegra though... I think I'd say go Sram.

To add to all of that, the next big thing to consider is how the ergonomics are. This... in all honesty is one of the biggest factors in any bike shop selling any specific brand of groupset with any bicycle. I can sell Campy, or Sram, or Shimano, or damn... even Suntour to anyone. But if it doesn't "feel good" then they won't like it, and thats a bad bike fit (and a part of the fit often overlooked). So GO to a bicycle shop and TRY some of the componentry, and FEEL how it fits in your hand, and know what adjustments can and can not be made (most have reach adjustments now).

2. The only people that "swear by" any type of saddle are dolts. A saddle that fits me might not fit you, and even if it does, it might not feel as good. I DO in fact own (I think 3 brooks saddles now? (its a long story)) and I do enjoy at least 2 of them (though I haven't ridden the 3rd yet). But a saddle is a very specific thing. I would highly recommend having your ischial tuberosities measured (your sit bones) and that you read this article on seats and saddles. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

3. Wheels. Things to consider with wheels are certainly weight and aerodynamics. In ND for on road riding, aeroD is almost ALWAYS going to trump weight. If you shrink the frontal area of a frameset by 4%, that's equivalent to dropping almost an 800 gram weight off of the whole bike. And in ND, there aren't any hills, so there's no real reason to care too much about weight unless you're going to be doing a dedicated sprinter role in a race.

Next, and forgive me if I'm wrong or out of line, but I think I remember you being a Clydesdale rider. If that's the case you should look at wheels that are specific for that. TBPH though, I think I would recommend riding with the wheels that you have until the lust of the bicycle wears off, and then get some wheels (maybe towards the end of the season) off of ebay, because you'll see TONS of crazy deals from sponsored riders off loading their seasons haul.

Lastly, for training, resistance is good. For racing, resistance is bad. So if you're just going to be cruising around doing training, having extra weight/drag/friction isn't bad... it's good, it just sucks. But in terms of comfort, you may want to consider running a 25mm tire on your wheels instead of the "standard" 23mm tires. That will help provide more cushioning while you get used to your seat.

Oh... and if you get a brooks or any raw leather saddle. The proofide goes on the BOTTOM UNFINISHED surface of the saddle. Not on the top part. ie... the leather treatment should never touch your butt.

Please ask if you have other questions, or need any clarification.
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Offline Plantains

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Re: Bike Build
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2011, 06:46:11 PM »
Sorry... one more. Why did you settle with a Salsa, and why that model?

lol and ALSO! I'm sure you're aware, but Avid is part of Sram. So there's that to think about. But you'll be in a niche market if you're looking for a disc compatible 700c lightweight or aero wheelset that has an ISO disc mount. But you might now that 29ers are taking over...
« Last Edit: June 13, 2011, 06:51:34 PM by Plantains »
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Offline OUWxGuesser

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Re: Bike Build
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2011, 09:43:51 PM »
Quote
Why did you settle with a Salsa, and why that model?

I want a more relaxed touring rig and something capable of going on gravel/light offroad. Not really looking for a dedicated racing rig.  It has plenty of braze-ons so it can be pretty versatile whether I want to tote the lil-one around or do some touring.  Essentially, I want a bike for the 30+ miles adventures that are tedious on my current bike. Disc brakes will be handy for poor weather.

I did get to see some frames when I was in Fargo and they looked pretty solid.  One of the guys at Paramount took me to the back to see his Salsa "Fargo" rig so that's a reassuring sign. The Fargo is also an option, but I feel the geometry is too close to my current bike. The Vaya is a bit more road oriented.  All of the online feedback I have seen is positive. Given their more relaxed geometries I'm not too worried about fit... SBS said they can always sell something on the floor if I wasn't completely happy with it.   I looked for similar frames online from other manufacturers (Kona, Jamis, etc.), but none really caught my eye.

Quote
Next, and forgive me if I'm wrong or out of line, but I think I remember you being a Clydesdale rider. If that's the case you should look at wheels that are specific for that.

Hah, yep! My idea of lighter weight is probably way off from what is considered light for racing.  Regardless of the rim, I imagine it should be ~32 spoke to handle my build. If I was going to get two wheelsets.. one for offroad and one for on-road, I figured I would just try and save some weight to make the bike zippier.  Rotational weight should be the most important factor for that.   I think the standard wheelset comes with ~38-40mm tires so 25 would be a big improvement. 

 If I get two wheelsets at the same time, it gets tucked into one toy purchase and looks more reasonable to the wife ;)

Offline Plantains

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Re: Bike Build
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2011, 10:08:56 PM »
Before you go thinking that 32 spokes is the way to go... take a look at this as well: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html#spokes

But yeah... if you have a bicycle that is an on road/off road bicycle, having 2 wheelsets is really nice because you won't have to swap tires. But if you plan on doing that, you'd need 2 sets of rotors, and another cassette as well. Not to mention you'd need to make sure all the offsets line up properly.

Did you have any wheelsets that you were looking at? I don't really shop the road disc market too much, so I don't really know whats out there?
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Offline OUWxGuesser

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Re: Bike Build
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2011, 08:50:53 AM »
Quote
Before you go thinking that 32 spokes is the way to go...

Hmmm something like 28/36 would make more sense.  In that case, it might be better to build a wheelset. I haven't seen too many options for mixing up the spoke count. 

Edit: lots of options from Velocity.  Will investigate further.
« Last Edit: June 14, 2011, 09:09:12 AM by OUWxGuesser »

Offline Plantains

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Re: Bike Build
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2011, 05:48:06 PM »
Typically the prices here are hard to beat...

http://www.bicyclewheelwarehouse.com/
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Offline OUWxGuesser

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Re: Bike Build
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2011, 09:58:05 PM »
Wow. Nice prices... the rims on clearance make me want to finally upgrade the current bike to disc.

I specced out a custom set of Velocity Deep-Vs (clyde-approved!) at peterwhitecycles.com,  looks like ~$311 for  32f/36r  prior to picking out hubs which wasn't clear on the site.

Offline Plantains

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Re: Bike Build
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2011, 08:17:31 PM »
Deep v's are bombproof. You should shop ebay for wheels as well...
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Re: Bike Build
« Reply #9 on: June 26, 2011, 10:08:29 PM »
The hub spacing is 135 so it takes a mountain hub giving you all kinds of disc choices. I've know a lot of Vaya riders and for my two cents I like something like a XT hub laced to a Salsa Delgado rim, it ends up being durable wheelset and with a 22mm rim width it works well is a wide range of tire width. It isn't aero but the design and purpose of the Vaya isn't exactly aero either. The Apex is probably a good parts group for the Vaya since even a light build is about 20 pounds and it is made to be ridden loaded the gearing range of the Apex group suits the the intended use of the Vaya. Although if you go with that part group you'd be better off just getting the complete. I've know several people that run Rival and are pretty happy with it on that frame as well.

Offline Sal Atticum

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Re: Bike Build
« Reply #10 on: June 27, 2011, 07:32:39 PM »
Whoa . . . two Teds?
JUST EXTRA POLISH. I DO SOME WORK WITH EXCELL SO I KEEP THE CAPS LOCK ON :-P

Offline OUWxGuesser

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Re: Bike Build
« Reply #11 on: June 27, 2011, 09:10:17 PM »
Ted Squared?   

I'm waiting to hear back from Nick at SBS...  I think we figured it would probably be cheaper to buy the complete and then upgrade a few of the components. 

We'll see! 

Offline OUWxGuesser

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Re: Bike Build
« Reply #12 on: August 16, 2011, 01:14:23 PM »
Finally located a frameset.  Hard as heck to locate.   Waiting for it to be delivered so it can be built up.  Yeehaw!

 

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