[RidesAlot]

Hello,

Best of luck on the hunt for N+1! Here is a link to look at Kona's, just for the heck of it. I own a couple of them and am happy, though I most likely will buy something else for my cyclocross'er. They make a couple version's of steel and aluminum along with the CF.

http://konaworld.com/bikes_road.cfm

some great suggestions already.

Cary

 

[cybersnow]

Hey RidesAlot, thanks. I did go look at the Kona line and that started me thinking. Last summer I built a Salsa Fargo into a flat bar mountain bike. While I am running 2.25 inch tires, the wheel spec says I should be able to go all the way down to 35mm tires. If I go to a drop bar, adjust stem length,and replace the shimano setup with a SRAM X1 10-42, I think I might have a perfectly good multi surface/gravel bike. In fact, I could leave the wider tires on for a while and just purchase a pair of 700c wheels with narrower tires. It seems like I could do the switch to drop bars for about $450 and replace the wheel set later for about another $600-$700. Which seeems a lot cheaper than buying a new bike.

Thoughts?

 

[i12ride]

Depends on what bike floats your boat...I'd think you could score many a nice used road bike on pink or somewhere similar. You're talking over a grand in conversion and I think you could score something really good that was already set up the way you want for that kinda coin. Keep the flat bar mtb for messy conditions rides.

 

[cybersnow]

Not sure what “pink” is, but not many good deals on Craigs List locally.

 

[rola643]

Maybe a typo, maybe pin bike
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/

 

[cybersnow]

That worked, thanks. But a decent bike is still around $1500 used, I will start watching the bikes though before I do anything drastic.

 

[i12ride]

OK, I thought the bike in pinkbike was implied....sorry. I guess decent is objective. I would have thought decent on there woulda been a bit less. $1500 on there should net you a more than decent bike, more like a really nice one......but I don't spend any time on that site. Full DuraAce carbon spectacular 12lb will still be more I suppose.

 

[cybersnow]

The pink bike glitch was in my head, guess I am not as knowledgeable as I should be. I was looking for a metal frame in 52 cm with 105 or better and able to take 38mm or wider tires. Didn’t find any great candidates the first time I looked, but prices do not include shipping. The last time I boxed and ground shipped a bike through UPS it cost me in the $300 range. But I will help looking. Thanks.

 

[i12ride]

Yeah, I try to look for closer ones that I could drive and pick up because of the shipping thing, like you said.

 

[cybersnow]

Ok, I have a potential buyer for my Trek DS E bike, so have decided to go build a gravel/adventure bike. I need a metal frame, size ~52cm, disc brakes, with provisions for rack and fenders, max tire width ~ 45 mm. Any pop to mind?

 

[i12ride]

Fuji Tread 1.0 pops into my mind for some reason....................

 

[cybersnow]

I looked at the Fuji at my local PB shop. It looks good, but I didn’t like the cables running across the top bar. I also saw the Jamis adventure bike. Anyone have experience with them?

 

[i12ride]

I could see top tube cable routing being an issue for more than just a day bike. I covered the bare stretches of cable up there with 2 pieces of housing cut just long enough to fit. Disc line was already covered all the way.

Bags hanging inside triangle unaffected and top tube/stem bag would just sit on the housing but I hear where you're coming from tho. I have bikes with cables all different ways. I don't like bottom tube routed stuff when offroad bike because all the crap from front wheel spraying them. Not that big of an issue for road(ish) bikes tho. Happy hunting...........

 

[cybersnow]

Went to my LBS and rode several adventure and gravel bikes. While the short rides were fun, I am not sure a 4 hour plus ride would be very comfortable. I felt very leaned over and lots of weight on the wrists. Since I want to do some multi day rides this summer, I think I need to consider a touring type bike. Will take a run over to the local performance bike shop since they are the prime in this area for Fuji and a couple of others.

 

[jajonesstl]

ok, I have decided to add a road type bike to my stable. Use will be mostly road but some dirt and gravel. I would like a steel, titanium or aluminum frame, disc brakes and at least a Shimano 105 gearset, but not stuck on shimano. I would like to be able to have a tire range from the mid 20s to mid 30s depending on the ride. I think a road race type bike might be too aggressive and would like more of an endurance geometry as I will also use it for light touring. I really don’t understand the difference between a gravel, endurance or cyclocross bike. Any suggestions?

My wife and I love our Synapse frames. Her 2018 has more tire clearance my 2017. Mine came with 25's her's with 28's. I am more limited as to what I can install. They are very comfortable. I upgraded the wheels on both bikes to DT Swiss and am glad I did. I was heavier when I bought my bike and I was breaking spokes. I thought the ride on teh original wheels was fine, but it is more enjoyable and more comfortable with the upgraded wheels.

 

[RidesAlot]

"A lot of weight on the wrists" is a seat position fit symptom. If you love a bike you test, don't use this to cull it from the list. I had to move my seat forward for the larger rings I am running. It went right to the hands. A tilt change from -3* to -1* nose down cured it. Simple as that.

When you love that new bike of yours, your fitness will change, so always consider that too. Best of luck on the search!

 

[rola643]

^ Weight on the wrist is also a sign of a weak(er) core not supporting your trunk. Working your core strength and using your core will help alleviate some of that as well. Just another contributing factor in a puzzle like that.

 

[superj]

or, if you get a recumbent, you will never worry about wrist and core stuff anymore.

and you can put wide tires with disks

 

[rola643]

I have a friend who went through this type of fit up in Maryland, I think it was Spin Doctor. It I really can’t remember. Quite a long time and pretty expensive from what I recall

 

[RidesAlot]

Zwift, tools handy, experiment, note changes and feedback. It is not hard to perfect your fit, which is always changing.