I finally built up the gravel bike.
I used 7-speed drivetrain components, as I thought they would be more reliable in the hash condition that grave races e.g. Trans Iowa offers, because of the larger cog spacing. I also happened to like the looks of the older Shimano components...
The crankset is a used Sugino triple cranksets that I got from eBay (as most other parts are). I only need 42T at most on this bike, so I went with 2 chainrings (Rivendell-style). I used this crankset for TIV9 (2013) on a different bike (Soma Double Cross) and it worked great, so I was saving it for this bike.
I like Wipperman chains, as they seem to last longer in my experience. Also I clean chains off the bike often, so their re-usuable connecting link comes handy.
Yokozuna's housings are much stiffer than other brands', so installation is a bit harder (but not really). Once installed, they should create less frictions.
Fizik's bar tapes are the best I know, but I will deeply regret that I chose white my "gravel" bike.
The handlebar, stem, and seatpost are all Nitto, and they are the amazingly beautiful. I am used to Compagnolo's brake hoods, so put similarly-shaped Cane Creek SCR5. The campy-style cable release pins are especially handy. I immediately noticed, though, that Cane Creek's brake hoods feels less comfortable on my hand (firmer and tiny bit bigger).
| Drivetrain | |
|---|---|
| Crankset: | Sugino XD2 Triple Crankset with 2 chainrings + Salsa Chainguard |
| Bottom Bracket: | Shimano |
| Front Derailleur: | Shimano Deore XT FD-736 |
| Rear Derailleur: | Shimano Deore XT RD-M737 |
| Cog: | SASH 7 Speed 13/32 |
| Cables and Hosing: | Yokozuna Reaction |
| Chain: | Wipperman 8SX |
| Pedals: | Crank Brothers Eggbeater |
I used 7-speed drivetrain components, as I thought they would be more reliable in the hash condition that grave races e.g. Trans Iowa offers, because of the larger cog spacing. I also happened to like the looks of the older Shimano components...
The crankset is a used Sugino triple cranksets that I got from eBay (as most other parts are). I only need 42T at most on this bike, so I went with 2 chainrings (Rivendell-style). I used this crankset for TIV9 (2013) on a different bike (Soma Double Cross) and it worked great, so I was saving it for this bike.
I like Wipperman chains, as they seem to last longer in my experience. Also I clean chains off the bike often, so their re-usuable connecting link comes handy.
Yokozuna's housings are much stiffer than other brands', so installation is a bit harder (but not really). Once installed, they should create less frictions.
Fizik's bar tapes are the best I know, but I will deeply regret that I chose white my "gravel" bike.
| Cockpit | |
|---|---|
| Headset: | Chris King GripNut |
| Brakes: | Paul Touring Canti |
| Brakes: | Paul Touring Canti |
| Brake Levers: | Cane Creek SCR5 |
| Shifters: | Shimano 600 SL-6400 |
| Stem: | Nitto Pearl 80mm |
| Handlebar: | Nitto Dirtdrop RM-013 48cm |
| Handlebar Tape: | Fizik Performance Tacky Bar Tape (3mm) |
The handlebar, stem, and seatpost are all Nitto, and they are the amazingly beautiful. I am used to Compagnolo's brake hoods, so put similarly-shaped Cane Creek SCR5. The campy-style cable release pins are especially handy. I immediately noticed, though, that Cane Creek's brake hoods feels less comfortable on my hand (firmer and tiny bit bigger).
| Brakes | |
|---|---|
| Brakes: | Paul Touring Cantilever Brakes |
People have different opinions about Canti vs Disc for gravel bikes, but I followed suggestions by Guitar Ted (http://g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/2012/10/gravel-bikes-canti-or-disc.html) and Ari, and went with canti's. I don't use wide-profile canti brakes, as they are much weaker than the narrow profile brakes (in general) and has a narrow range of adjustment (http://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2012/08/breaking-it-down-grand-cru-cantilever.html). Rim brakes give me more options when I want to swap wheels, too.
| Seat | |
|---|---|
| Saddle: | Brooks B-17 Flyer |
| Seatpost: | Nitto S-65 27.2mm 250mm |
B-17 Flyer is the most comfortable saddle I have used. When I did TIV9, I was on this saddle for 28hours or so and didn't have any problems. It's one of the parts that I would like to swap out in the future to cut the weight, but for now it stays on the bike.
| Wheels | |
|---|---|
| Hubs: | Phil Wood 32h |
| Rims: | Hed Belgium 32h |
| Tires: | Clement X'Plor MSO 120TPI (40mm) |
The wheelset is an odd ball: a strange mix of modern and classic looks, but functionally, they work great. With 32H spokes (straight 14 gauge, too), they are definitely over-built for me but whenever I hit a pothole, rock, etc, I appreciate that I have bombproof wheels. The Phil Wood takes 7-speed freewheel, not a cassette, and pretty much symmetrical -- I used to firmly believe that the symmetrically-built rear wheels are better (not so much now). The hubs feel so unnecessarily heavy, but it gives me a sense of security. These wheels are also in the list of potential parts to be swapped in the future, if I want to cut the weight. (A wheel builder at HED told me my wheelset is definitely overbuilt ("they will last for your life") and I could go with 20H/24H spokes even for Trans Iowa.)
Clement MSO is supposed to be one of the best gravel tires according to, again, Guitar Ted (http://g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/2012/03/box-o-goodness-part-ii.html) and Ari. So I followed their suggestions. I have tried a few other tires -- Challenge Gravel Grinder, WTB Nano 40C, Schwalbe Marathon Mondial, and Explore (discontinued for a long time). I am not really educated enough to tell the difference between the tires but I tend to agree. I am liking WTB Nano, too, though.
| Accessories | |
|---|---|
| Fenders: | Velo Orange 700c Zeppelin 52mm |
| Bottle Cages: | King Stainless Steel Cage |
The fenders are only for the late Fall/early Spring rides (and the photos). They look great and (hopefully) will keep my feet (and bike) dry, clean and warm when the roads get nasty. They are pretty sturdy but get noisy if I go to local trails (Green Lakes, Morgan Hill, etc).
