Rambouillet upcoming build

[Kelly]

I have a new frame arriving today, the build I'm thinking about is below.  My questions / quest for others opinions would be this.  I'm building this as a club ride bike and or even good weather event bike for things like 3 State 3 Mountain Challenge.  

I'm 6'5" and 225 to 235 pounds depending on time of year.

I'm still debating between the SP and the SON28 in my mind for this and to a point how much if any the dyno would hurt for fast club rides.   (note that a part of this build is for aesthetics.   Thus the nice silver stuff and classic look (hopefully)

Still debating with myself about derailleurs -  XT or 105  Rear (or other choice with better look)  Front is really up in the air but looks like Shimano again 

Looks like Shimano 9 Speed down tube or bar end.. depends on reach when I get to building.. big frame long reach.. if looks only I'm leaning towards down tube.

If reach is to long for my comfort level, have you tried wrapping the shift cables all the way to the stem?  Did the extra bends effect shifting noticeably?   I think it would work and have a different look. 

 Thinking of possible white shift and brake cables, with white bar tape. 

Any experience with the Grand Cru Hubs?  Good or Bad 

Thanks for your thoughts.. 

Kelly

68 Rambouillet - (Blue) Supposed to be here today

Grand Cru Touring Hub, 130mm -- 11x28 Cassette - Haven't purchased yet

VO RAID Rim, 700c - Purchased 36 spoke

New SON28 - Haven't purchased yet.

René Herse Triple Crank  50-38-24 On the bench

SKS Bottom Bracket - On Desk

Grand Bois Cerf, Green Label 700C x 29 mm - On the bench

Nitto Lugged Quill 26.0- On the bench

Nitto Noodle Handlebar- On the bench

TRP Tektro RRL Brake Levers- on the bench, taken off wifes roadeo when she went back to sti's.

Side Pull Brakes- on the bench

Thin Gripster pedals- on the bench

Brooks ENGLAND leather Swift-  shipped

http://www.ebay.com/itm/380537396851?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

E3 Pro 2 lights- in the drawer

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/supernova.asp

[dougP]

Kelly:

Regarding running bar end shift cable housing along the handlebars:  my wife's Atlantis came with the housings under the tape all the way to the end near the stem, & it works perfectly (8 speed Ultegra indexed bar ends).  Over the years, I've exited the housing from under the tape in various places to avoid conflicts with the different front bags I've used, and never had any problems.  I've even let the housing just dangle, exiting only a wrap or 2 from the shifter.  

One irritant I've never resolved is keeping the housings from contacting the head tube.  Over time, black housing leaves smudgy looking marks on the creme head tube that are difficult to remove.  White housing would solve that problem. 

dougP

[Michael Hechmer]

Your gearing choices are quite unusual.  A crank with a difference of 26 will require a very long cage derailler and is not only likely to make for very slow front shifts but also imprecise rear shifts.  Your big gear 50/11 is 123 GIs, which is a category 1 sprinting gear.  If you feel you must have a 24/28 then perhaps you might re-evaluate the need for a 50/11.  I run my Ram  with a 44/30 and 11-28 which gives me all but one high gear equivalent of a standard racing triple but still allows me to use a tighter derailler, the new RD 6700 Ultegra.  Shifts great.

Michael

[Leslie]

Interesting.... I'm running a 53/39/30 crank on my Ram (it's a Dura Ace Octalink crank), with a 9sp 11-32 rear... XT SGS long cage in the rear, and an Ultegra triple front. I think it shifts more precisely, cleanly and quickly than my Sugino XD 48/36/24 that's paired with a 9sp 11-34... (Same XT rear SGS, but has an LX triple up front instead). (Both set-ups are running standard Shimano 9sp bar-end shifters...)

FWIW...

[Kelly]

I know it is a weird gearing.... My thought process was .. 38 in front for almost all my riding.   The 24 and 50 would be used equally little.  the 24 on steep steep steep stuff and when tired.. but only with the top 3 in the back.   The 50 on flat fast rides behind tandems and in pace lines at 25 to 30 mph and again on big down hills where I want to spin out tuck and head to those 50 to 60 mph downhills.. here again very  little riding there.   Thus in my mind giving me a great all around middle and on flats and down hills leave it in the 50.     

On my homer with the 46/36/24 and like the bailout of the 24, thought the middle 36 was just a hair to easy and end up in the 46 most the time with the top end running out faster than I like.  I have an 11/25 on the rear.  

Hopefully it doesn't act up much..   I also run friction most the time.   I hope I'm correct that I can change rings on this guy.  

Note to that my  carbon bikes I was running a 53/39 and an 11/27 .. on flats behind tandems  at 35 mph and on flat go fast week night rides I was in the 53/11 often.  I'm also a lower cadence rider.. usually between 80 and 90.  

My thinking may be all goofy... which wouldn't be the first time.

:)

[Kelly]

Well I threw it together tonight with some used wheels, seat post and seat off the quickbeam and shifters off of the Holdsworth .. zip tied on some lights and off I go.. The first 15 miles as been great in the day light.  Shifting has been smooth .. downhills very fast and the steepest uphills have been as easy or as hard as I choose to make them.   I do spend most my time in the 38 in front.      Some tweaking to do and general cleanup .. wax etc.   but seems to be doing ok. 

[PATRICK MOORE]

Kelly: late to the table, but the SON should not make any material
difference in your paceline. I *think* I can tell the difference
between the Shimano DH D72 on the Fargo when it is "on" and when it is
"off", at least when I am grunting along on dirt with the very heavy
Big Apple wheelset and am feeling tired ('cause I didn't warm up
properly), but I suspect that this difference exists in my mind rather
than in my legs.

Compared to the DH D72 wheel, the SON 20 wheel (ie, with the earlier
Deluxe made for small wheels) spins even longer, even with (1)
small-radius, (2) very light rim+tire wheel compared to the 700CX60+
of the Fargo.

So, per me, the short answer is "no".

I fully admit that my purchase of the SON wheel (for '03 Curt) was a
vanity purchase, but I don't have regrets. Those hubs are jewelry. (If
you get a SON, you can't do otherwise than buy an expensive Edeluxe
lamp.)

[Toshi Takeuchi]

I ordered a B&M Luxos dyno light that should come before year end.
Unfortunately I snapped my IQ Cyo off the mount in a minor spill :(.
Well, the new light has a wider beam and more illumination, so I'm
very hopeful that it will do everything I want. It might not be as
good jewelry though :).

Toshi

[Alex Moll]

Hi Toshi,

Does your Cyo still work? I want to try to put one inside an old French headlight housing, so if you just snapped off the mount, I'd be interested in buying it from you.

Cheers,

Alex

[Kelly]

Patrick

I ended up,ordering a SON Delux. Tonight I put the SP PV-8 on and did a quick mounting of the super nova version 2 with the brighter 3 led tail light. I didn't feel any drag there either and at was after a ride on a Phil front before the switch.

The PV-8 has been a plesant surprise. The super nova is bright with a big beam, but my edelux in my opinion puts more light were I want it. The tail light is bright but the twin line or brake plus are still my favorites. So overall to me the supernova system is a disappointment. Looks good though, and I own it so I better get over the disappointment.

Kelly

[Montclair BobbyB]

I want to try to put one inside an old French headlight housing...

Alex, I did something similar with a B&M Lumotec Lyt on an older (70s) Gazelle Sport Luxe... It did require a bit of Dremel-tooling and electrical tape, but I was very pleased with the result, and was able to retrofit a modern LED dyno light into the original Peerless headlight casing that came with the Gazelle. In fact I plan to do the same for the men's version of the same bike (which I am finishing up this winter)...

Pic here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/16461051@N04/5723583907/in/set-72157626393170171

Good luck, please share pics when your project is complete.

Peace,
BB

[Kelly]

You're gazelles are prettier than mine.

Then again all your bikes are..

Looking good

[Tom Harrop]

Kelly, the new bike looks amazing, where did you find the frame? How does it compare to the AHH?

[Kelly]

Tom,

Found at Rivendell, then sent off to paint.     

Comparing to the AHH, hmm.. that is hard to explain.. in a good way not better way just different, it has that twitch like kinda sort but not the the sever degree as my old race bike ... runs speed well free handed, and did 45 mph down hill in the dark solid as a rock.  But my AHH does that too.. only the 50x11 allows me to spin up faster and makes the downhills nicer for pedaling the entire thing.   As is it is on this build I'm riding less 7lbs than the AHH so it feels more like my quickbeam on uphills out of the saddle .. responsive and light yet steady and stable.  

With the Bars slightly below the seat, the seat tilted a bit farther forward, shorter cranks, 170 instead of 175, and I've been running with maybe 2 cm more leg bend for faster cadence.  

I've got a lugged setback seatpost on the AHH and the standard nitto 2 bolt on the Ram.. same stems, same bars but the center of saddle to center of handle bar is the same, with the top tube on the AHH being about 2cm longer or so as well.   

It's going to do exactly what I wanted and that is be my group ride and fast event ride bike with a go anywhere ability.     Fully loaded with bag, camera, coffee, tools etc it's riding weight is 30lbs.  yet feels less.  Just a great feel and very responsive.  

So though the AHH / RAM / Quickbeam all have their own feel I can't say I like any of them better than the other..   The differences are small and usually where one excels for me it's usually for an insignificant part of a ride.

So the rear rack is going back on the AHH and a larger rear bag.  Maybe even put a marks rack on the front ... 

One thing I miss and am going to stay without is the kickstand... was walking it through the mall today and trying to find walls to  lean it against was a pain.. note take the AHH to the mall next time. :)

Kelly

[robert zeidler]

P.S. Think about either a 15-25 9 speed cassette or a Century Special
13-30 both from Harris Cyclery.

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[robert zeidler]

Lighter is righter, so unless you are going to ride all night you can
get away with a battery headlight/tailight.

The reach will be a long one for down-tube so why not STI? Bar ends
can break in a 0 MPH fall over.

Good tire choice but being of similar bodily dimensions you can get
away with some 32 spoke lightweight wheels and maybe have to have them
rebuilt every 3 years or so.

Try one of the Specialized "endurance" saddles in 155mm or even 143mm
versions-very comfy.

All of the weight adds up and your legs may thank you. Make mudguards
a take-off/put-on option, save weight where you can.

On Mon, Dec 17, 2012 at 3:13 PM, Kelly <tksl...@gmail.com> wrote:
>

[Tom Harrop]

Kelly, thanks for the details. As a fellow large bike rider I think there will be an AHH somewhere in my future...

[Kelly]

Tom, the AHH is a premier bike in my opinion, it's the bike for me that put joy back into riding.

[James Warren]

Do it. I think it's the best bike ever.

On Dec 20, 2012, at 1:45 AM, Tom Harrop wrote:

Kelly, thanks for the details. As a fellow large bike rider I think there will be an AHH somewhere in my future...

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