Your latest bike purchase?

[jdricks]

@TwoWheelsDC 162155 wrote:

New bike came on Wednesday, but had to go out of town Thursday and didn’t have time to get everything fully set up. This is a GT Grade X, with SRAM 1X drivetrain and HRD brakes.

The gearing came as 40t 11-28, with a sub-Rival crank and Rival 1 RD, so I swapped in the Rival 42t crank from my old bike, along with my Stages power meter. The wheelset that came with the bike got moved to my old bike, and now this has my Easton tubeless setup with new Schwalbe G-Ones. I also moved over the cassette from my old bike which is 11-36, so the new bike has the gearing that I’ve gotten used to.

What ended up forcing me to wait until today to finish was waiting for the Easton QR>Thru Axle conversion kit. Glad I had the foresight to buy a convertible wheelset! I also got a thru axle>QR converter for the generic wheelset that came with the bike, which is now mounted on my old bike.

Nice bike! Congrats. My brother owns one and he loves it.

[ab20854]

Does anyone ride the Felt Verza Speed? If so, which one?

[hozn]

I feel a bit conflicted about this purchase. $60 is a lot for a tire, but especially if the profits are funding Jan Heine crackpot science. I’m only half serious; he’s done a lot to get people to reconsider old assumptions and there’s no arguing about the comfort of riding some supple fat tires. Should be fun. I was tempted to get the 44mm Snoqualmies, but these stand a chance of fitting under my 45mm fenders when I winterize the bike.

I hope the ride is commensurate with the price.

[ian74]

@hozn 165057 wrote:

I feel a bit conflicted about this purchase. $60 is a lot for a tire, but especially if the profits are funding Jan Heine crackpot science. I’m only half serious; he’s done a lot to get people to reconsider old assumptions and there’s no arguing about the comfort of riding some supple fat tires. Should be fun. I was tempted to get the 44mm Snoqualmies, but these stand a chance of fitting under my 45mm fenders when I winterize the bike.

I hope the ride is commensurate with the price.

Let me know what you think of them, I’ve been curious about them for some time. I hesitate as they offer almost no protection against flats. I’ve been riding Panaracer Pasella 38s (on my second set) for the last year, so these could be a nice change. I was also thinking about the Soma Shikoro tires for my next round of tires. There’s more choices than ever for plush tires.

[hozn]

@ian74 165132 wrote:

Let me know what you think of them, I’ve been curious about them for some time. I hesitate as they offer almost no protection against flats. I’ve been riding Panaracer Pasella 38s (on my second set) for the last year, so these could be a nice change. I was also thinking about the Soma Shikoro tires for my next round of tires. There’s more choices than ever for plush tires.

Yeah, I definitely hear that these aren’t great at flat protection. I’m hoping the tubeless (sealant) helps there. My plan is just to ride them on solo rides for awhile (while I figure out how well they do in practice), so I’m not “that guy”.

I was also tempted to buy these: http://www.somafab.com/archives/product/supple-vitesse-sl-700c-x-48-tire-tubeless-ready

But (1) they’re even more expensive and (2) it’s probably really pushing my luck to get a 700x48mm tire to fit, though 650bx48 made it look like a 700×48 might possibly work too. Maybe I can pick up a used one (or another cheaper 48mm tire) somewhere to just check frame clearance. The 27.5x48mm was a lot more fun than I was expecting, but I’d like to avoid another wheel size.

[LhasaCM]

Saturday’s 40* States ride was the debut of my new commuter (and every other type of ride) bike. It’s a Rose Activa. I got it to replace my Breezer Beltway 8 whose bottom bracket was starting to get to me (it was a weird externally bearing ecccentric, so was very creaky), as was the rear hub. Since the majority of my mileage is with a trailercycle attached, I wanted something that had a bit more range, and with the whole drive train a bit more solid and able to cope with the load I put on it, without getting into eBike territory since this still is my one and only bike for all occasions. Here it is sitting in our garage (before I put the car back in).

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15444[/ATTACH]

I opted for the Rose because, once I settled on getting a Pinion gearbox (I started looking at a Rohloff as an upgrade for my Alfine 8 – but then got smitten by this), it was the most affordable and most accessible option of the various companies that sell Pinion bikes, even with the cost of shipping it from overseas. It was probably 2 months of obsessive research/reading reviews/watching reviews/etc., and literally looking on the websites of every company listed on the Pinion website (relying heavily on Google translate) before I made the decision. I still need to fiddle with a few things to get the fit just right (maybe change the stem length if the microadjust isn’t enough), but fortunately, I picked the right size

All in all – it was about 2 weeks from placing the order to the bike shipping, and it arrived 2 days after it left the shipping center in Germany. There really wasn’t much assembly involved – rotate stem and adjust handlebars and seatpost, ensure everything is properly torqued, install the pedals, and add air for a usable bike. One minor issue with the purchase – while they got my other substitutions right, they did not heed my request to swap the standard tires (2 inch wide Schwalbe Mondials) for something slightly less suitable for off-road and slightly lower rolling resistance (e.g., 1.6 inch Marathon Supremes). Since I did not want to attempt the 50 States on the Mondials, I got some 1.5 inch Panaracers from Bike Rack just before they closed Friday, which I’ll probably keep on for the foreseeable future. As a result, there’s a bit too much fender clearance right now for my liking, so that may be an upcoming weekend’s project. I also need to look at replacing the front thru-axle or front rack since, as currently setup, I cannot remove the front wheel without also disconnecting the front rack (the “handle” can’t turn because the rack is in the way).

* I only made it to 40 before the guilt from my daughter for being gone so long (and driving my wife crazy) was sufficient to convince my tired legs to throw in the towel before the rest of the hills of NW. I’m hoping to finish on Wednesday so then I can wear the t-shirt honestly (since it just says that one rode the 50 states; it says nothing about how long it took over how many different rides).

[streetsmarts]

@LhasaCM 165153 wrote:

Saturday’s 40* States ride was the debut of my new commuter (and every other type of ride) bike. It’s a Rose Activa. I got it to replace my Breezer Beltway 8 whose bottom bracket was starting to get to me (it was a weird externally bearing ecccentric, so was very creaky), as was the rear hub. Since the majority of my mileage is with a trailercycle attached, I wanted something that had a bit more range, and with the whole drive train a bit more solid and able to cope with the load I put on it, without getting into eBike territory since this still is my one and only bike for all occasions. Here it is sitting in our garage (before I put the car back in).

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15444[/ATTACH]

I opted for the Rose because, once I settled on getting a Pinion gearbox (I started looking at a Rohloff as an upgrade for my Alfine 8 – but then got smitten by this), it was the most affordable and most accessible option of the various companies that sell Pinion bikes, even with the cost of shipping it from overseas. It was probably 2 months of obsessive research/reading reviews/watching reviews/etc., and literally looking on the websites of every company listed on the Pinion website (relying heavily on Google translate) before I made the decision. I still need to fiddle with a few things to get the fit just right (maybe change the stem length if the microadjust isn’t enough), but fortunately, I picked the right size

All in all – it was about 2 weeks from placing the order to the bike shipping, and it arrived 2 days after it left the shipping center in Germany. There really wasn’t much assembly involved – rotate stem and adjust handlebars and seatpost, ensure everything is properly torqued, install the pedals, and add air for a usable bike. One minor issue with the purchase – while they got my other substitutions right, they did not heed my request to swap the standard tires (2 inch wide Schwalbe Mondials) for something slightly less suitable for off-road and slightly lower rolling resistance (e.g., 1.6 inch Marathon Supremes). Since I did not want to attempt the 50 States on the Mondials, I got some 1.5 inch Panaracers from Bike Rack just before they closed Friday, which I’ll probably keep on for the foreseeable future. As a result, there’s a bit too much fender clearance right now for my liking, so that may be an upcoming weekend’s project. I also need to look at replacing the front thru-axle or front rack since, as currently setup, I cannot remove the front wheel without also disconnecting the front rack (the “handle” can’t turn because the rack is in the way).

* I only made it to 40 before the guilt from my daughter for being gone so long (and driving my wife crazy) was sufficient to convince my tired legs to throw in the towel before the rest of the hills of NW. I’m hoping to finish on Wednesday so then I can wear the t-shirt honestly (since it just says that one rode the 50 states; it says nothing about how long it took over how many different rides).

Nice bike and nice to ride with you!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[ian74]

@LhasaCM 165153 wrote:

Saturday’s 40* States ride was the debut of my new commuter (and every other type of ride) bike. It’s a Rose Activa. I got it to replace my Breezer Beltway 8 whose bottom bracket was starting to get to me (it was a weird externally bearing ecccentric, so was very creaky), as was the rear hub. Since the majority of my mileage is with a trailercycle attached, I wanted something that had a bit more range, and with the whole drive train a bit more solid and able to cope with the load I put on it, without getting into eBike territory since this still is my one and only bike for all occasions. Here it is sitting in our garage (before I put the car back in).

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15444[/ATTACH]

I opted for the Rose because, once I settled on getting a Pinion gearbox (I started looking at a Rohloff as an upgrade for my Alfine 8 – but then got smitten by this), it was the most affordable and most accessible option of the various companies that sell Pinion bikes, even with the cost of shipping it from overseas. It was probably 2 months of obsessive research/reading reviews/watching reviews/etc., and literally looking on the websites of every company listed on the Pinion website (relying heavily on Google translate) before I made the decision. I still need to fiddle with a few things to get the fit just right (maybe change the stem length if the microadjust isn’t enough), but fortunately, I picked the right size

All in all – it was about 2 weeks from placing the order to the bike shipping, and it arrived 2 days after it left the shipping center in Germany. There really wasn’t much assembly involved – rotate stem and adjust handlebars and seatpost, ensure everything is properly torqued, install the pedals, and add air for a usable bike. One minor issue with the purchase – while they got my other substitutions right, they did not heed my request to swap the standard tires (2 inch wide Schwalbe Mondials) for something slightly less suitable for off-road and slightly lower rolling resistance (e.g., 1.6 inch Marathon Supremes). Since I did not want to attempt the 50 States on the Mondials, I got some 1.5 inch Panaracers from Bike Rack just before they closed Friday, which I’ll probably keep on for the foreseeable future. As a result, there’s a bit too much fender clearance right now for my liking, so that may be an upcoming weekend’s project. I also need to look at replacing the front thru-axle or front rack since, as currently setup, I cannot remove the front wheel without also disconnecting the front rack (the “handle” can’t turn because the rack is in the way).

* I only made it to 40 before the guilt from my daughter for being gone so long (and driving my wife crazy) was sufficient to convince my tired legs to throw in the towel before the rest of the hills of NW. I’m hoping to finish on Wednesday so then I can wear the t-shirt honestly (since it just says that one rode the 50 states; it says nothing about how long it took over how many different rides).

Super cool! I love the idea of the pinion gearbox, First, I wish they were more commonly available without going through boutique builders and Second, more affordable. I’m really interested in hearing how the ride feels and the shifting. Also, when you make such a large purchase from overseas, do you have to pay any duty fees on it when it comes into the states? Does customs give any grief about these types of things?

[LhasaCM]

@ian74 165161 wrote:

Super cool! I love the idea of the pinion gearbox, First, I wish they were more commonly available without going through boutique builders and Second, more affordable. I’m really interested in hearing how the ride feels and the shifting. Also, when you make such a large purchase from overseas, do you have to pay any duty fees on it when it comes into the states? Does customs give any grief about these types of things?

I agree on the availability issue – it would be nice to see more builders using them. From the tradeshow roundups on places like Bikeradar.com, there is a little bit of momentum, but the need to customize the frame to accept the gearbox is a big drawback, as it was when belt drives were introduced for bicycles by Gates 10 years ago. And this is a much bigger change than just adding a way to break the rear triangle for changing a belt. And on affordability, it looks like Pinion’s been building out its product line the past couple of years to at least hit a few more price points

I’ll have to retrain my brain a bit more to give a solid report on the shifting. I’m used to the IGH “pause the pedal stroke to shift” mindset (which is only needed when downshifting here), so that’s not an issue – but getting used to the twist shifter and losing the “on this hill I shift to this number gear” habits from my 8-speed bike will take a bit. That being said – so far so good. The shifting itself has been quick and precise, and the ride definitely feels more balanced compared to the rear-heavy IGH.

And yes, I had to pay duty fees when it came into the states. Fortunately, Rose used DHL for shipping, and while they’re a mess sometimes for domestic shipments, they are really good with international. Their setup is that they pay the duty fees when it comes into the country, then bill you for payment (which has to be paid before they will deliver or release the item). So in this case – the bike left Germany on Wednesday, arrived in NY Thursday, cleared customs in NY Thursday, and arrived in DC Friday AM. I got a text and e-mail with a link to pay the bill Friday AM, and was able to pick it up from the DHL facility Friday afternoon (since the payment calculation came in just after they loaded up for Friday’s deliveries).

[EasyRider]

@ian74 165132 wrote:

Let me know what you think of them, I’ve been curious about them for some time. I hesitate as they offer almost no protection against flats. I’ve been riding Panaracer Pasella 38s (on my second set) for the last year, so these could be a nice change. I was also thinking about the Soma Shikoro tires for my next round of tires. There’s more choices than ever for plush tires.

I’m also curious about the Barlows, and am running 700×38 Paselas (non-tourguard) presently. Also curious about the 700×42 Soma Cazaderos. And the WTB Riddlers (37, tread looks like the Schwalbe Thunder Burt), and Resolutes (42), and … someone should start a tire loan library.

[hozn]

@EasyRider 165172 wrote:

I’m also curious about the Barlows, and am running 700×38 Paselas (non-tourguard) presently. Also curious about the 700×42 Soma Cazaderos. And the WTB Riddlers (37, tread looks like the Schwalbe Thunder Burt), and Resolutes (42), and … someone should start a tire loan library.

That is a really great idea. Maybe that warrants a new thread or something?

I have & can loan for eval:
WTB Nanos 40mm
Panaracer Gravel King 43mm
Panaracer Gravel King Mud 35mm
Schwalbe G-One Allround 40mm (aka “38” for some reason)

[runbike]

Proud to introduce this Why Cycles R+ titanium gravel/adventure bike that I recently finished putting together (my first-ever build). For the past year I’ve been wanting to add a gravel bike as my n+1 and looked at pretty much every option out there. Eventually though I started zeroing in on titanium frames (for the whole “forever bike” thing) and came across Why Cycles, a relatively new company out of Utah that specializes in titanium bikes. Their R+ model checked all of the boxes, and is gorgeous to boot.

Their complete bike packages were a bit out of my price range, so I opted for the frame/fork/wheels package and spent a few months building it up when I came across discounted or used parts. It was also a great learning experience as my mechanic skills were in the novice range beforehand, but I can now shorten and bleed hydraulic brake lines with the best of ’em (or at least without making a huge mess). Between YouTube and this forum I had plenty of advice and how-to knowledge to tackle the build. Just took me awhile as I proceeded slow and steady so as not to mess anything up.

75 miles or so in now and could not love this bike more. It’s light and WAY faster than it has any right to be on 40mm tubeless G-Ones (btw – never going back to tubes; tubeless forever!).

[hozn]

@run/bike 165180 wrote:

Proud to introduce this Why Cycles R+ titanium gravel/adventure bike that I recently finished putting together (my first-ever build). For the past year I’ve been wanting to add a gravel bike as my n+1 and looked at pretty much every option out there. Eventually though I started zeroing in on titanium frames (for the whole “forever bike” thing) and came across Why Cycles, a relatively new company out of Utah that specializes in titanium bikes. Their R+ model checked all of the boxes, and is gorgeous to boot.

Their complete bike packages were a bit out of my price range, so I opted for the frame/fork/wheels package and spent a few months building it up when I came across discounted or used parts. It was also a great learning experience as my mechanic skills were in the novice range beforehand, but I can now shorten and bleed hydraulic brake lines with the best of ’em (or at least without making a huge mess). Between YouTube and this forum I had plenty of advice and how-to knowledge to tackle the build. Just took me awhile as I proceeded slow and steady so as not to mess anything up.

75 miles or so in now and could not love this bike more. It’s light and WAY faster than it has any right to be on 40mm tubeless G-Ones (btw – never going back to tubes; tubeless forever!).

That is a really beautiful bike. Love the sandblasting details on the seat tube. And the fender mount behind the rear dropouts is very nice — cleaner than having fender/rack mount/s on the seat stays. And love the purple accents. Right now I have black tape on my ti bikes, which I feel must violate some rule of ti bike ownership.

Oh, and the internal cable routing looks really nice. Not just that it’s internal, but the shape of the cable/hose inlets is really nice. Hard to even see the empty one on the down tube.

And that fork!

Question: is that a paint marker on seatpost to mark position? Were you having issues w/ slipping? My only warning about using the alloy post in the ti frame is that if you don’t use anti-seize it’ll eat away the aluminum on the seatpost. I had a Thomson masterpiece for awhile on a ti frame; I couldn’t really use anti-seize because it would slip (I used carbon paste), and it destroyed the seatpost. Just something to keep in mind. Ti and aluminum don’t like each other — at least the ti wins (assuming that’s generally the expensive part of the equation). I found a used ti Syncros seatpost for my commuter that I really like. Avoid the KCNC seatposts (if you want to go ti) as they creak. Or at least mine did.

[runbike]

@hozn 165181 wrote:

Question: is that a paint marker on seatpost to mark position? Were you having issues w/ slipping? My only warning about using the alloy post in the ti frame is that if you don’t use anti-seize it’ll eat away the aluminum on the seatpost. I had a Thomson masterpiece for awhile on a ti frame; I couldn’t really use anti-seize because it would slip (I used carbon paste), and it destroyed the seatpost. Just something to keep in mind. Ti and aluminum don’t like each other — at least the ti wins (assuming that’s generally the expensive part of the equation). I found a used ti Syncros seatpost for my commuter that I really like. Avoid the KCNC seatposts (if you want to go ti) as they creak. Or at least mine did.

Good question – that’s actually the anti-seize you see on the seatpost (I must have been messing with fit right before taking the picture and didn’t wipe it off). I definitely did the homework on “cold welding” and applied that stuff liberally when installing the post. As of yet no slip, but I’m still running things in. Will keep an eye on it.

And thanks! I’m super-excited to be out riding this thing around. Next step is to look at the calendar and figure out which Bikenetic Friday gravel hooky ride I can make…

And question for you – any recommendations on plugging the unused internal routing port on the down tube? I’ve seen people recommend clear silicone (like for caulking a bathtub) but maybe there’s something better…

[hozn]

@run/bike 165184 wrote:

Good question – that’s actually the anti-seize you see on the seatpost (I must have been messing with fit right before taking the picture and didn’t wipe it off). I definitely did the homework on “cold welding” and applied that stuff liberally when installing the post. As of yet no slip, but I’m still running things in. Will keep an eye on it.

And thanks! I’m super-excited to be out riding this thing around. Next step is to look at the calendar and figure out which Bikenetic Friday gravel hooky ride I can make…

And question for you – any recommendations on plugging the unused internal routing port on the down tube? I’ve seen people recommend clear silicone (like for caulking a bathtub) but maybe there’s something better…

Yeah, I figured it probably was in fact anti-seize after thinking about that a bit more..good you applied it liberally!

I don’t have any recommendations on plugging the unused port, though silicone sounds like a great idea. It really is hard to notice in the photo.

Great looking bike. Hope to see it in person someday!

[Author]

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