Gravel bike? Humbug, Scotland needs proper All Terrain bikes

[jimo746]

Re:

Well, you're making more progress than I am with my Gravel-esque bike build
I'm also begrudging spending money, and begrudging using any nice bits on it in case I don't like it after all which leaves me with slim pickings at the moment... Yet still I ordered some new brakes :facepalm:

1x1 wheelset looks great on the bike, shame they're a bit too wide, but I look forward to seeing what you come up with instead

 

[clubby]

Re: Re:

I'm also begrudging spending money, and begrudging using any nice bits on it

Spoken like a true Yorkshireman who lives in Aberdeen.

 

[epicyclo]

Borrowed a back wheel with the slightly wider Weinmann concave rims. I like them because they're pretty. (Ignore the horrible geary hub, I'll be putting something nicer on it)



The rim looks good but not enough clearance with the Super Moto tyre. Its 60mm blows out to 65mm at 25psi on that rim. I'd use it that way on the road, but it's too tight a clearance for the places I'd take it.



That's disappointing because there's a set of those rims on eBay right now. It was a right hassle removing the old tyre though - there's no central well for the bead to drop into, so it's a very careful job - or brutal if you're impatient. The Super Moto went on and came back off reasonably easily though.

 

[velomaniac]

Re:

Since your already modding the bike beyond what it was meant to do why not pinch the chainstay a bit narrower with a vice where it rubs the tyre. Bearing in mind I built a home bodged fat bike in the distant past using an old Claud Butler mtb I placed a rod in the hollow chainstays already have and then squeezed the lot in a vice to free up more clearance.
If your worried that might weaken the stay I'm sure you could improvise strengthening.

 

[epicyclo]

Re: Re:

Since your already modding the bike beyond what it was meant to do why not pinch the chainstay a bit narrower with a vice where it rubs the tyre...

I did think about doing that, but then I realised it's only to allow another couple of mm of tyre width and there's already over 60mm, so I'll leave that idea alone for now.

A friend kindly gave me a nice shiny 36 hole Campag hub for the front wheel, but I'm going to give it back. I remember one of those breaking at the flange about 50 odd years ago, and I suspect the treatment it would get may inspire this rather delicate looking thing to do the same - not because of my ossum skilz but because there's a lot more load going into it with a 60mm tyre..

Instead I'm going to steal the S-A hub off the front of the wife's bike. (I'll rebuild the wheel with an anodised hub, so she won't mind).

In the meantime, I've weakened and ordered a new rear hub. Sturmey-Archer make a flip/flop 130mm OLD in nice shiny alloy with the requisite 36 holes.

Went to the lbs to get spokes, and as usual when trying to buy spokes locally, not quite enough. So I'm now proud possessor of 27 spokes with which to build a 36 hole wheel.

So the wheel question is now settled, just have to build them.

Well one question - jimo will appreciate it - do I stick a fixed cog on one side of the hub, or run 2 freewheels?

 

[clubby]

Re: Re:

Well one question - jimo will appreciate it - do I stick a fixed cog on one side of the hub, or run 2 freewheels?

I tried that once. Ended up nearly knackering my vulnerables one too many times and swapped the wheel round on the side of the road. Thankfully I’d remembered a box spanner for getting the wheel off.

Fixed cogs only have two places in cycling. Track bikes and the junk pile!

Apart from that mad idea, the bikes looking good Epicyclo.
Pretty sure I could swap my wife’s bike and she wouldn’t notice, never mind change a hub.

 

[velomaniac]

As a rider of fixed gear bikes on and off road an attendee of one world fixed gear championship and one of 3 participants on fixie in European single speed championship in Belgium I would have to disagree Clubby. Incidentally the only Belgian on a fixie in the SSEC won the fixie classification which might be construed a fix

Fixed gear just needs practice, a degree of constraint and a total disregard for sensible!

 

[clubby]

Re:

Nah, fixed is just for people without the balance to ride a unicycle.

 

[velomaniac]

Re:

So that means I am one step closer to riding a unicycle than you are, cheers

 

[Captain Stupido]

Looking good man! You're giving me ideas for my similar Dawes...