51cm Sam Hillborne build: advice?

[Zach Duval]

Greetings Riv-owning folks,

Today my new Sam Hillborne frameset arrived, and I'm beyond stoked to start building 'er up. I opted for only the frameset because I work for a local bike shop and am able to get some pretty sweet deals on components. However, I'm new to the shop and this will be my first build from scratch, so I'm open to advice.

I'd like the Sam set up with mid-weight touring in mind, with some flexibility to maintain a comfortable and reasonably speedy unloaded ride, and will definitely be going drop-bar style with Noodles.

My question for you folks is what are some key upgrades I might consider over the standard build kit suggested on Riv's website? What have you learned from outfitting your own Rivs?

Lay on the Riv wisdom.

Thanks!

[Lungimsam]

1. RBW Silver bar end shifters are tops if you are into friction shifting only. Run an 8-speed cassette for better friction shifting.

2. Brand Bois Hetre tires, if your bike is 650b

3. Compass Loup Loup Pass tires, if bike is 650b

4. Get curent black label Grand Bois 650b 36 hole rims laced to LX hubs because mounting Hetres on 650b Synergy rims is a bear to do. They pretty much auto-seat on Grand Bois rims, though. Put any Dynamo hub you like on the front wheel so you can run a dyno headlight.

5. Definitely replace the stock black Tektro R559 brake pads with a salmon pad for better wet weather braking.

6. If you like your bars below saddle height, get a Nitto Pearl Stem. Tallux and Technomics will bottom out at saddle height. Their rise is too high. Pearls have a shorter rise to get bars lower than saddle height. At least on my 52 Blue Sam it is that way.

But if you don't upgrade anything, you will still have one of the finest bikes on the planet.

[Lungimsam]

PS- congrats on the bike! Be sure to post pics so we can see it!

Also, remember, I think there is a fender attachment eyelet under the brake bridge on your Sam. There is on mine. You can bolt a fender directly to it instead of using a bracket that hangs from brake bolt.

Also, slap some Iris King Cage bottle cages on the bike They look and work great!

[islaysteve]

Congratulations on your new bike, Zach! Just one suggestion, the Sackville Saddlesack XS is perfect for everyday riding, it holds what you need, as it says on the Riv website. And now there's a choice of colors again. It may seem a bit pricey but it looks great on the bike. Cheers,
Steve

[Will]

Throw a Tubus rack on the back. They are set up for B&M topline lights. If you go Dynamo, get a wired version, otherwise the Cygo Streak front and battery Topline back are good alternatives. Riv sells both.

Get a rolltop pannier for the back rack. Ortlieb and Arkel have excellent rapid attach/detach bags. Major cargo capability is serious luxury. It's worth a few $$$. Saddle bags are not as convenient, particularly if you park the bike for errand/grocery shopping purposes. You can't leave a $200 bag on the bike.

No changes to the build kit. It's solid. Get a B17 special. Get the sneaker peddles. Yes, they are cheap, I have them on 3 bikes. Like them a lot.

If you go dynamo, get a set of Pitlocks. Having the wheels (and seat post) secured is real peace of mind.  

Get the biggest fenders the bike will fit.

Oh... one more thing... if you're mostly commuting and local riding, consider albastaches. Just saying...

Will




Will

[WETH]

Congratulations on the new bike.  Looking forward to seeing photos of the final build.

There have been some good suggestions.  My two cents:

1. Compass tires

2. Sneaker pedals

3. Interrupter levers (I like them on my noodles when I am riding in urban areas)

4. Cork bar tape; I prefer it to the cotton.

Enjoy the build process,

Erl

[Surlyprof]

+1 on the B17 Special.  The thicker leather and hammered rivets are a nice upgrade from the standard B17.  It also looks great on the blue or orange Sams (if that is what yours is).  I also like both the Thin Gripster and Grip Kings pedals.  I would get the spike package for the Grip Kings.  Mine has an LX rear derailleur which shifts beautifully.  I was always an XT guy but I can't justify the upgrade when the LX is shifting so smoothly.  I love Paul brakes for a more modern look and great stopping power.  However, the Tektro and Diacomps Riv sells are a little more classic looking.  Most importantly, get good wheels and hubs.  Rich Lesnik's wheels are really nice.  I have 36h Mavic A719 which are really sturdy but a little on the heavy side.  They are my go to wheels for commuting and camping.  With Schwalbe tires I have little fear of a flat.  My "light" wheels are 32h Synergies with Barlow Pass extralights.  Feels radically lighter and more responsive.  I'm starting to feel more comfortable about loading them more and may start trying them out for more loaded riding.  Everything people have been saying about Synergies and Barlow Pass tires is making me want to push the weight on them a bit more in exchange for the smoother, faster ride.  The tires the group have been suggesting are fantastic.  I've become a big fan of Compass (extralights, particularly) thanks to feedback from the group.

Have a great time building it up.

John

[Tim Gavin]

I'm a huge fan of the Tektro TRP RRL brake levers.  They have excellent feel and ergonomics.  I have the black/black ones on my KOM and the gum ones on my Riv (both on Nitto B135 bars).

King Iris cages are the best, hands down.

[Zach Duval]

Well, shucks. I wasn't very patient (the frame just looked so naked, which is nice, but I wanted to take her places) so I put in my order yesterday for most everything I didn't have on hand (my day off work coincided with my post's moderation period).

Anyhow, I went with mostly standard fare with some tweaks here and there, including a few compromises based on what was available with a discount from the shop.

Cockpit: 44cm Nitto noodles, Shimano Tiagra levers, Nitto Technomic stem, and I'll be ordering V.O.'s comfy cotton tape (I really dig the feel of shellacked cotton) in red or orange

Drivetrain: Sugino X600, 46/36/26 (hoping I like this gearing) with an XT front and Deore back, and an XT 9-speed cassette in back (11-34), with Duran-Ace bar ends (I want to try indexed bar end shifting, at least once)

Wheelset: front Shimano dyno hub laced to 36h V.O. Diagonale rim, rear V.O. touring hub laced to same rim as front (the V.O. stuff here might be somewhat of a gamble, but at just over cost I'll give it a shot)

Other: Tektro R559 brakes, still deciding between MKS touring pedals or the Thin Gripsters

And my Brooks B17 Special was planted on immediately after I received the frame. Those two are in it for the long haul together...

[Zach Duval]

Thanks for the suggestions, though.

Also, does anyone have experience running a Supernova headlight, particularly the E3 Pure 3? http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/supernova.asp

In response to the bag comment above: I'll be moving my Sackville Med from my previous ride to this one. Love that bag (and the small Acorn bag on my old Fuji).

On Wednesday, April 29, 2015 at 6:08:50 PM UTC-6, Zach Duval wrote:

[Zach Duval]

Also again, I guess this might warrant a whole new thread, but I'd also be curious if anyone knows about USB battery packs that might be compatible with a dyno hub (to use for charging a cell phone or possibly a netbook).

Thanks!

[Zach Duval]

Here's another query: What is the max fender width that can fit under Tektro R559 sidepulls? I've been looking at the VO Zeppelin fenders (52mm) but those who use these have canti or v brakes? Does anyone have these mounted with Tektro long-reach brakes?

Thanks again!

On Wednesday, April 29, 2015 at 6:08:50 PM UTC-6, Zach Duval wrote:

[Lungimsam]

You should also measure the width of your fork blades. Sometimes this is the limiting factor.
FOr instance, Honjo H-50 fenders fit in the Tektro R559 brakes great on my Bleriot, but I only have about 1mm of airspace between the sides of the fenders and the inside of the fork blades. So they just make it. Can't use any wider fenders than that.

[Fullylugged]

The MKS Touring Sylvan lite is a nice pedal.

[Zach Duval]

I'm fairly certain the fenders will bit in the clearance provided by the frame; it's the brake calipers, particularly when squeezed, that I'm more worried about.

Are the Honjo 50s you use true to size?

On Monday, May 4, 2015 at 11:51:02 PM UTC-6, Lungimsam wrote:

[Zach Duval]

I'll probably pull the trigger on the Thin Gripsters soon, as I have the MKS touring pedals on other bikes, so trying something different will be good, and I'd like something with a bit more grip to allow for more effortless riding in Birks. The MKS Touring Lites look much smaller.

[Surlyprof]

I use the P50s on my 56 Hillborne with canti brakes.  I might have room for a P55, and had considered it, but it would be tight.  May even be tighter if I was using sidepulls.  When I called Riv, Mark suggested the P50.  He said it would fit any 40 width tire.  I had to bend the mounting bracket as they suggest in the video and I also had to grind the opening slot further down to get the fender as high up as possible. That leaves room for 40s with a nice fender line.  I often hear gravel rattled up through during my commute and have even knocked out the quick release when I picked up a stick once (it snapped right back in).  If I go to 42-45 knobbies this summer, I'll take the fenders off.

John

[Zach Duval]

I sprung for the VO Zeppelins, as I really liked the 45s I had on my Raleigh Portage (also 650B, with cantis) and prefer the aluminum to plastic. If I can't make them work I'll see about swapping with the Portage (a sweet bike, btw). I'm hoping to start the build as soon as a couple more parts roll into the shop.

Thanks everyone for the advice so far!