Bicycle Bits! - What’s your latest acquisition?

It is not as simple as gear range. It is also the 'range' of gears within that range.

Can't see the point of taking one chainring off a new full-sus bike. Worse still, paying someone else to do it. Sounds like a vanity mod but to each his own I suppose.

If people have specific needs they tend to buy the frame and components they want then build it up or ask a mate to do it for them. Buying something with the wrong grips, bars, saddle and gears seems a bit silly. Maybe get it repainted in your favourite colour too?

Yeah, well that's nice if you can do it. Some people "tend" to do that. Many others "tend " to purchase factory bikes and -- gasp!!! -- make some changes to them to improve their personal riding experience. Sure, building a custom bike may be an option, but not necessary the right one for everybody.

I bought a factory-configured bike and made the few changes needed to suit me. I am not alone in that. I am certainly not interested in everything involved with designing and building a bike from scratch. I don't have the time, tools nor the knowledge and experience to do it, and I am far from being alone in that.

In the end you don't have to like my change, nor do I need your approval to be happy doing it.

And FWIW the internal gear ranges are within 3% or so of the original, but without the abrupt change that comes about when you shift between chainrings. It's more efficient and simpler.

I'm just relating my personal experience and preferences. Of course a lot of money is spent on changing things on bikes. It is just that I don't do it. My two most recent road bikes were specified piece-by-piece to my exact taste. But more expensive than buying a factory-spec, for sure.

These might have been an option for you...

http://www.specialized.com/ca/...pic-expert-carbon-wc

http://www.specialized.com/ca/...expert-carbon-evo-29

I see now. My mistake. I shouldn't have spent an extra $120 for a nice, simple drivetrain upgrade. Instead, I should have spent an extra $2400 or $3000 to get one of the bikes you suggest. Why spend a little money on a simple upgrade you want, when you can spend 20-30 times that much on something you don't really need. 

And FWIW: I did visit the Specialized dealer and was interested in the Epic and FSR (but not so costly as what you pointed me to). They wouldn't let me test ride a bike, not even around the block, unless I paid them a nonrefundable fee applicable only to bike purchase. I walked away.

Deda Zero seat post, stem and bars; BB7 mechanical discs and White Industries hubs for new steel rando / cross frame. Campy drive train to be built up from available spares. Still on shopping list, a reasonable rack and tires (most likely Confi 4 Season at 28mm). Pedals undecided, might try the Speedplay frogs or stick with my Keos for the road stuff. 

BTW - Most bike shops I have used will swap out parts on factory bIkes at point of sale if you are not already just building on bare frame. Have done this with MTB and road bikes. Now I prefer to just work from a bare frame up even if you can get some savings with the builds on certain stock bikes. Just look at the price of MTB forks as a standalone purchase!

I didn't realise these bikes were so much more. They're still a few models down from the really nice ones, too! My mistake. But you're right that it seems very hard to find 1X10 and 1X11 drivetrains on bikes in the lower end of the price range. I wonder why that is. 

Your Specialized dealer sounds like a bit of a dick. But having said that, I've never test ridden a bike. Never have (OK, once - didn't buy it), never will. There is simply no way I am sensitive enough to could pick up the qualities (or otherwise) of a bike I was unfamiliar with and wasn't properly fitted to, on a short ride. I'm easy to please, though. I have never had a bike I didn't like at the time, although sometimes the replacement makes me realise what I was missing.

The best example was when I moved from a Dura-ace Trek 5500 to a Campy Record BMC Pro Machine. The new bike just handled and rode so much better that the Trek was simply just outclassed. Not so the 9-speed Dura-ace on the Trek (the last model with the shift cables coming out the side of the levers) which is still the nicest, best shifting groupset I've used. It is still going strong on another frame belonging to my nephew.

The bike shop I ended up with let me test ride different bikes numerous times. In fact, while they were prepping a Superfly for me to ride, the owner sent me out with his personal high end carbon Superfly 100 (really nice bike). Then they helped sponsor a Trek Demo Day out at a state park, and that sealed my decision to purchase one from them. I plan to get a road bike in 2014 and may return to them for that. I'm considering a Trek Domane or a Cervelo R series at the moment.

The least expensive way for me to get a Trek factory SRAM X01 1x11 would have been to buy a Trek Fuel EX 9 X01 for another $1000, and I would have ended up with a different style of mtn bike to (i.e. trail bike with more travel vs. the XC bike I got). I just can't see how building up from a frameset would have been cheaper, unless I went with lower quality components or dealt with the risk and hassle of parting them out via eBay and that ilk.

When I bought my bike I fully expected to customize and personalize it to suit my taste and riding style, after I put some miles on it (about 350 miles now). That I will end up with two unused chainrings and a derailleur doesn't bother me at all, if I have improved my riding experience and fun.

RaceTripper do you intend to run a chain keeper to stop your chain coming off your new setup?

Just changed up my Surly Ogre from 2-9 mtb:

To winter commuter/2014 tourer:

Only new addition was a set of SKS m/guards. Currently running the Marathon winter studs for the frosty/icy blast to work!

Not to start.

All reports I've heard say the combination of the narrow/wide chainring and the clutch-type RD I have (Shimano XT Shadow Plus) eliminates the need for a chain guide. If I experience problems with dropped chains despite that, I will add a C-Guide later, but I think only the downhill/freestyle riders -- if anyone -- have to worry about it. 

Nice bike. Love the multi-functional use.

How does it handle as a MTB - have you tried fast singletrack? Bars look high-ish for both configs but may be the perspective on the pictures - particularly the MTB one.

The case on your road bikes but not sure this always holds. IMO the factory builds are often a stitch-up on the wheels and sometimes on the frame too.

If you're willing to source the frame and wheels you want then the components and finishing kit in the sales / swaps / from your spares box you can end up with something for a very similar price of better quality. I am biased though, I do like metal frames.

What could possibly be wrong with the handlebar?

2004 - the golden age of mid-priced mass-produced TIG welding. Sure to become a classic. (I'm just trolling - ignore me!)

I think you are being a troll. I am not going to get in another argument with you about bike mods. Use your imagination if you must have an answer.

Wrong colour? Too wide? Too narrow? Wrong bend? Too heavy? Too light? Too expensive? Too cheap?

(Of course I am trolling - I feel a bit smug that I no longer get all excited about trivial "upgrades" like I used to. I like to just ride now. When I buy new stuff, I like it to be very nice, but really, all this gear works just great)

It's fun on smooth single track (wheelies real well!) but in the rough stuff it can get a bit much not having any springs!

Bars were all I had at the time and height is fine for me as i don't like to be too stretched out. I'm looking at a wider bar with maybe a little less rise so that I can add a simple bar end for an alternate hand position whilst touring next year. If this doesn't work for me as a multi-day camping/touring rig I'll go back to this:

That Surly is a classic tourer. Here's a couple of shots of my Cannondale T2000. Sadly now being used to commute to work rather than tour the globe.

gordon franklin np entrance bike by winkyintheuk, on Flickr

bike on corinna ferry by winkyintheuk, on Flickr

Sounds interesting. There is a real appeal to dispensing with suspension. Setting aside the clear multi-functional advantages of the bike does it feel at all weighty / unwieldy in pure MTB mode when riding mid-level off-road? Not so much hardcore technical stuff in mind here but a certain step-up from fire road.......so winding through trees, speeding round berms, bunny-hopping tree roots, seat of the pants at speed - you know the stuff

I've taken the head staggers over the holiday period and decided to start a new build for spring time.  So far I have acquired a Colnago C59 frameset, similar to the image I have tried to insert below (still boxed up), plus a matching seat post (slightly irritated that one wasn't supplied with the frameset!), Campy Record groupset (I have super record on my Wilier but don't see the point in spending more than record for a few grammes saving on a post turkey inflated ponch!); and Elite bottle cages are as far as I've got.  I'm minded to go for Enve compact bars and stem and a set of Enve's 45 clinchers with Chris King hubs.  I'd be interested if anyone has any experience of the Enve parts which look great but may be overpriced and too much of an indulgence for me to potter about on.

Peter

No experience with Enve parts. I do have SR C59, though. Great choice.

Enve 45 with 28 spokes are pretty bullet proof and run very true, but for the dosh I'd also consider Citec. No experience with their bars and stems. Not a big fan of carbon bars. 

I'm running carbon Bontragers on the BMC and 3T carbon bars on the Colnago. I really like both.

Winky, it's probably psychological more than anything but I have first hand experience of failures - fortunately not my own but in the group. That said, my neighbour loves them and is always trying to get me to switch. My LBS has tried to upsell most components that I use, but has avoided pushing the carbon bars. I guess I ought to give them a go some day