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A combination of health, age and other priorities (renovating a very old house) meant that the collection needed thinning out earlier this year. I always knew that there was one bike I would never get rid of and this is it.
I have had it built up as a road bike for the past 6 months, but I have had a hankering for getting back off road and wanted to test the ‘one bike to rule them all’ theory.
Turns out it really is possible!
Everything except the wheels and pedals remains the same, but a simple wheel swap transforms the bike and really does give me the options I wanted. I had to use the same hubs as my road wheels to make cassette and rotor spacing the same when swapping wheels. Having picked up a gold cassette I thought I would go the same route with the hub accents and decals. Actually quite like the look, despite years of strictly ‘black and silver only’ for my components.
Long term update on the Trickstuff callipers is a big thumbs up. More power, better modulation and lighter than the SRAM originals.
For anybody thinking about it, I can highly recommend it!
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Very nice! I've a Pickenflick with 2 sets of wheels, one for road, one for off road.
(I also have a SS HT and a geared FS)
My ideal number of bikes, 3 (4 sorta).
I am quite realistic about my riding these days. Used to ride 4-5 times a week on and off road over varied terrain so a stable of bikes was the right choice. Nowadays with other commitments, twice a week is a good week and I want to jump on the bike and enjoy it rather than worrying about cleaning and maintaining lots of bikes.
Most of my riding is road or bridleways so I just don't need bouncy bits.
This suits my needs perfectly and for an 8 year old bike (albeit a bit of a Trigger's Broom in terms of what is hung on the frame) she still looks current and rides better than anything else I have ever owned.
albeit a bit of a Trigger’s Broom in terms of what is hung on the frame
Well, that's pushing it a bit, isn't it? 😁
Eewings, AXS, Chris king, trickstuff, enve...
Very nice! I might have gone 650b for the knobby wheels, mind.
Ha! Fair enough. Triggers Broom as in 8 years ago it had 135mm QR front and rear and IS brakes and a mixture of 2 x Campagnolo electronic and mechanical disc brakes. Now it has 142 thru axles, hydraulic brakes and 1 x wireless shifting.
Posh Trigger's Broom admittedly, but it has been through a bit!
I’m really liking that!
My old Croix de Fer has two wheelsets and is an acceptable compromise both on and off road. I have often thought that if at any point I could only have one bike, that’s the one I’d keep.
I completely understand the simplicity of only having one bike to maintain.
what mudguards are those?
And has the front one got break-away mount on it? (can't spot one) You get a decent stick or something wedged up it, your're over the bars quick smart and risking a nasty injury. Happened to me, but with the back guard so luckily was a skid and a slower speed fall off.
It's very nice in both configurations.
I like the idea but I sort of know from bitter experience that just wheel swapping, let alone mounting/removing guards and changing pedals pre-ride, gets old fast...
Be honest, which of those setups is it going to spend most of its time in?
Right now I expect to keep it in ‘gravel’ mode most of the time. I am no longer in the mindset of bashing out the road miles and for fitness and bumbling around the mix of road and off road that the gravel option gives me probably wins in terms of pure enjoyment.
Agree that swapping mudguards and the whole set up rather than just the wheels will get tired pretty quickly. I think in the end I will stick with the off-road SPDs rather than swap between them and the road SPDRs. I will then just fit and remove the mudguards once a year to get some winter road miles in once the trails turn to soup.
The mudguards are carbon fibre Velo Duo. Great and really light and stiff. They are fitted using a Velo Orange kit. I agree on the quick release front stays. I am going to fit some SKS breakaway clips.
If I like the whole road and gravel thing I might ultimately invest in a dedicated gravel set up. Just waiting to see how much I actually use each set up.