2nd set of 27.5 wheels purchased, and some 1.95 tyres to see if I can squeeze them in....
Keep us updated! I would really really like to run 27.5x48 GravelKing SKs if I switch to 650B. According to reviews they stretch out to around 49-50mm.
I'm ordering 700c 38mm and 43mm GKs next week. I really hope the 38s will fit in the back. 😀
Ok just fitted the rear. 1st off yes a 27.5x1.95 mtb tyre does fit....... Just
You need dead straight rims and tyres though - I bought the cheapest 1.95 pair of suitable tyres I could find at 25 the pair, just to experiment with. Some Kenda 'dirt jump' tyres from eBay .these:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F121934537662
And although they fit, they have some serious wobble (wheel was straight) and buzz the driveline chainstay. I've corrected by tweaking the wheel to suit and there's approx 2or3mm clearances either side.
Looks like I'll try some other tyres as I specifically want tyres with more grip than dedicated gravel tyres.
Ill keep the Kendal as spares and get a pair of 1.9 specialized crossroads to try.
Could you please measure the width of the tyres with a caliper?
Will do in the morning .
They measure up at 45mm dead on... So equivalent of a 42c tyre?
Hopefully the image will work. Turned out the 29r tube I'd stuffed in the rear tyre to try out the tyres was giving the bulge. Two 27.5 tubes later and they're fitted!</span>
Rear only has about 2mm clearance either side though.... Just need some new 160/140 discs and I'm ready to try them.
I don't get it. The Horizons fit so nicely on the picture jakd95 posted and they are around 47-48mm wide.
??? 🙁
These have bigger nobby bits on..... And could also be taller so further into the chainstay.....
It also depends on your rim width, which gives a different tyre profile. So the same tyre on a different rim could give a different width.
Yeah I guess the knobs on the top are the problem. It was just so weird at first because these Kendas measure narrower than the Horizons.
Probably not going to go 650B then.
The 1.9 specialized crossroads has arrived, will fit and get pics later - but it certainly isn't as tall as the Kendal so should be a better fit. Decided to just buy one specialized tyre for the rear and leave the slightly larger Kenda on the front.
Discs for the 650bs also arrived so I'll have the first propper on/off road test tomorrow.
Remeasured the 1.95 Kendas. they are actually 50mm knob to knob..... The carcass is 45mm. Hense only a couple mm clearance.
The 1.9 specialized crossroads measure up at 45mm at the widest point. Much better fit.
Here's a pic: https://ibb.co/gpRYZx
That's not good news, i'm probably going to skip 650B. 🙁
Meanwhile I just went from winter mode to summer mode. Lost the fenders, and put on some bigger GravelKing SKs, tubeless for the first time. The front one is labeled 43C or 43-622, the back one is 40C 38-622. The fronts measure around 42mm, and the back one is around 39.5mm on my 20mm ID rims. Plenty of clearance at the front, at the back... The usual.
Forgot how good this thing is with some proper meat!
Also got a setback seatpost and a way too overpriced Salsa seatpost clamp instead of my "Gineyea" eBay special.
Right 2nd specialized crossroads has been ordered , the Kenda on the front was just a little too draggy on the road so I've compromised some off road grip - should be fine in the drier months though.
Just picked one of these up off eBay. The chap bought it new but never built it up so there's not a mark on it 🙂 I'd like to get it up and running asap. First thing on the list is forks - anyone got anything suitable?
This is a brilliant thread. I’ve been using my Grinduro (SS Plug with TRP Hylex) over the winter for various things and it’ll now get used for evening jaunts and school runs with the kids. Its been great. I did think the Alu fork would be harsh but its not.
Talking of which who’s going to buy the Grinduro in the classifieds? I would have thought it’d be flying off the shelf...
As much as I've enjoyed mine, I'll soon be putting my size Small up for sale. Currently fitted with Surly Straggler fork, dynamo wheelset, 1 x 9 speed and flat bars. Happy to split.
Bit of an update on mine. Made the switch to drops, along with a some XT cranks, a pair of TRP Spyres, and then a slightly more exciting paint job from a rattlecan. Getting it prepped for the Torino-Nice Rally, just need to sort a light/usb charger to pair with the dynamo hub.
The highrise stem makes me feel a bit ill but makes it a lot more comfortable for all day rides.
Talking of which who’s going to buy the Grinduro in the classifieds? I would have thought it’d be flying off the shelf…
Tempted but too £ for me so far
Well, make me an offer. Assuming your going it could even be delivered to you at the end of the month. 🙂
24-12? not this year
Can I ask some advice?
My Grinduro (Plug SS) isn’t selling, but what I want is a geared bike. What do I need to do/can I change the bike to have gears, bearing in mind the EBB and dropouts as they are?
Thanks
Kryton, have pmd you
If anyone is interested in trying 650's on there plug, mine are now for sale..... (blatant forum faux par).
ad in the forsale section or PM me....
How are folks getting on with 650b experiments?
as mentioned above, I didn't get on with them - I found them significantly slower on the road (although this could be down to tyre choice) and not enough gains on a good 700c tyre off road to warrant them.
Ended up selling my set and invested the cash into a set of TRP Hylex's, first ride on them today and they are so much better than cable discs.
I have the retail version of this frame (2015 model) from Performance Bike in the US. I'm about to pull the trigger on some i23 WTB KOMs and some WTB Byways (47mm). I'll update on how this goes.
I'm getting on very well with the Horizons. Ride really well once up to speed, smooth and very comfy. Probably helped by being tubeless too. Mine are on 21mm internal Crests. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend 650b given the slightly limited clearance with 700c. Not a fast road bike but perfect for long rides on gravel/rough lanes.
I'm off this weekend to ride the Torino-Nice Rally with it, where the extra cush of the wider tyres sounds like it'll be really welcome.
My main issue with the bike is that the headtube could do with being a little longer for all day comfort (5/6 hrs+), I've now got a longer fork steerer and a huge stack of spacers.
My main issue with the bike is that the headtube could do with being a little longer for all day comfort (5/6 hrs+), I’ve now got a longer fork steerer and a huge stack of spacers.
What you need is some Specialized Hover bars. I have them on my Plug 1 as it's got the versatility of a winter mile muncher, but the geometry of a track bike...
My Plug 1 (not a Plug 5, but as a Charge fanboi I'm jealous of not being included in this thread!)
Over the weekend I installed some i23 WTB KOM rims and 47mm Byways to my OEM Charge Plug 5. I managed to get them set up tubeless without too much trouble with just a floor pump. Clearance at the chainstays is pretty tight, maybe 4 mm of clearance. The Byways run absolutely amazing so far, they roll just about as fast as the stock Kenda Kwick Tendrils. At 30 psi front, 35 back, I had a blast on some dirt mtb trails. Traction is a bit lacking on some of the dusty loose terrain, but for the most part I was really impressed how well the small nubs handled.
Looks good dawg66, can you take a side on pic?
Here you go!
Many thanks 👍
And for another reference point for sizing, my frame is XS size.
It's hard to tell from the picture, do you think there's enough space for a full mudguard on the back? I am currently running 700c 35s and there's not enough room, and I've been considering trying road plus.
The bike looks great by the way.
Hard to say, I don't have much experience with mudguards. Maybe I can rip off the ones from my wife's bike and see if they fit. Her bike actually came with mudguards mounted to 47mm 650b Horizon tires so it's a perfect option to test with.
How is everyone liking the 1X setups? I have been looking into upgrading from the stock 11-28 cassette to an 11-32, but that would require going to a medium-cage derailleur. I figure if i have to upgrade the derailleur anyway maybe I should just go Rival1 instead and the only extra thing I need is the X-sync chainring. That way I can get a big 11-42 cassette for steeper dirt climbs.
I don't have a dedicated road bike, so plan to still do road rides with this bike (Still have a 700c wheelset to throw on for that), but definitely no racing, just casual rides with friends in pretty hilly areas (Bay Area, California). I could see the occasional sportive event but again not really into competing, just in it for fun.
I love 1x, but IMO 1x starts at a 10-42 cassette, I wouldn't go with anything that has a smaller range. Yes that means switching to XD, but that 10T does make a difference.
I've been riding Rival 1 on my Plug since last October. There are some things that I like and some things that I don't like. I love the shape of the levers, love Doubletap, I love the very positive click of the shifter, despite all the bad rep I really like GXP, and i'll never use a non clutched derailleur again. The crankset is nice, haven't dropped a chain yet, and I did ride the bike on terrain where I would have needed an MTB plenty of times. (Although you are familiar with most of this since you're on Rival 22)
Things I don't like. The gear changes could be a little quicker, the hoods ripped at the gear lever after a couple of months, and the drivetrain runs a bit loud. What I really don't like is that the drivetrain gets really, really loud after it sees some offroad miles. I've tried like 6-7 different lubes from Squirt wax lube to wet lube, nothing works. If I ride in dusty conditions offroad after a few miles the drivetrain just starts making a racket like I haven't cleaned it in 5 years.
Overall I like the groupset, but it could be definitely improved. I'm waiting for drop bar Eagle. 🙂
I use a 40t chainring and 11-42 sunrace cassette. I do spin out on the downs, however as ive also dropper post the areo positions means I can keep up with most road groups (faces of roadies as I pass them is worth it).
The 40/42 enables me to grind up the 10<25° slopes of the cotswolds and the 40/11 tops out at about 30mph.
I use TRP hylex brakes and a shimano deore mtb shifter and gears with a bodged mount on the drop bars.
I have a 38T with a 10-42. The Rival 1 groupset came with a 42T, combined with the 10T that's like a 46-11, so pretty high. I barely used the high end so I went down to a 38T. 38-10 is like 42-11, not that high. But when I spin it out gravity does the job anyways, i'm not in a hurry, and now I actually use the 10T. 😀
42-42 was nice but I wanted something easier for offroad climbs. 38-42 is much better. Sometimes I would still like an Eagle with a 50 at the back for climbing steep singletrack.
I've just had my old Filter blasted & powdercoated as it was looking a bit scabby - building it back up as a singlespeed for this winter as it's less to clean 🙂
Picked up a cheap Alfine crankset & an Alfine tensioner so hopefully that'll keep the chain in check - mudguards are going back on & a set of 32c Voyager Hypers should keep everything rolling along nicely, can't wait to get it finished & back on the road
Other than the tensioner that looks good
Cheers, that tensioner is a bit of a lump isn't it! I tried an almost new Kool chain I had from an old bike & I might have actually got away with it by adding a half link - I may still try that idea as there's only so much lateral adjustment from the tensioner the chainline might not be 100% Or maybe i'll get one that doesn't weigh as much as the geared parts I removed put together...
Get a tensioner that pivots around the bb.
Keeps it much tidier.
Hi All,
Servicing my Plug at the moment and having thoughts of changing the PX fork for something less weighty.
Am I right in thinking the critical measurements would be AC of roughly 395 and rake of 45mm?
Would increasing A-C by 10mm have much effect as these seem light and a good fit
Any other recommendations?
I'm using a Genesis Croix de Fer fork in my Plug. Around 405mm AC, 50mm rake. The fork itself is horrible, but I didn't notice anything weird about handling, I actually really like how my bike handles. I couldn't find any info if the stock fork was 45 or 50mm rake. Tried to measure it but failed. 😀
That Bontrager fork doesn't look like it has a lot of tyre clearance, any info on that? This is the non disc version but it looks pretty bad. 32mm tyres:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/one9us/6303864685
Unfortunately it's so hard to find a straight 1 1/8 fork, so not a lot of options. There is the Fyxation which is thru axle and has mounts but it's much more expensive and i'm not sure if someone sells it in Europe.
https://www.fyxation.com/products/carbon-fiber-adventure-fork
Bike Discount.de came to the rescue for me when the stock forks needed replaced (side note, it was a warranty job but Wiggle didn't have any warranty replacement forks, so they refunded me the money I had to pay Bike Discount for a new set of forks, top service!).
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/shop/rigid-forks-4725/l-24
<h3>Product features</h3>
- Use: Trekking, Cross, Cyclocross
- Wheel Size: 28"
- Steerer: 1 1/8 "Ahead aluminum (350mm)
- Offset: 45mm
- Axle to Crown: 397mm
- Dropout: Standard quick release 9x100mm
- Disc brake mount: Disc IS2000
- Maximum Rotor Size: 160mm
- Max Tire Width: 1.8"
- Features: Suitable for mudguard mounting
Wow, I checked bike-discount a few times, didn't think to check the trekking section! It's probably pretty dumb but i'm a bit scared of these cheaper carbon forks since I also use my bike a lot offroad in a way it was not really designed for. How is the Radon fork holding up for you?
I really want this Soma fork, but it's so expensive here...
50mm rake, 15mm thru axle, clearance for 45s WITH fenders, could probably slap on a 180 rotor, weight is around 1050g. 150-200 bucks in the US, about €300 here in Europe... 🙁
Radon fork has been fine, to look at it seems really good quality, well finished etc, and given that it was barely any lighter than the stock all aluminium fork, I doubt it's underbuilt! Have only used it for road and very light offroad (tow paths) so haven't really tested it.
Got lazy and gave it to my local shop to fit, they gave it back with the front wheel only half inserted, complaining that they were cheap forks and the dropouts were too tight for the axle. I'd be more inclined to think it was the fault of the cheap hubs than the forks, but a little bit of work with a rat tail file and the wheel slotted in fine.
Edit: actually looking more closely at the fork spec, it says 9mm QR axle, I think my nutted/threaded axle probably has an O.D. of 10mm?
The rear is supposed to be 10mm, and the front is supposed to be 9mm.
That just gave me an idea... The problem with my Croix de Fer fork are the dropouts.
If I don't put washers under the brake caliper, the pads will grab the rotor about 1-2mm too low. The dropouts are so much wider than the actual axle. I have to fight to get the wheel in straight, and I always have to adjust the brakes again if I take out the wheel. I know that's common with quick release, but in the back I can take out the wheel, put it back in and everything is perfect.
My brake pads wear weird at the front and I don't think the front brakes work as good as they should, i'm pretty sure things are misaligned no matter what I do.
But I just checked, and the 10mm end caps from my Hunt rear wheels fit perfectly in the front...
What the hell?
Lol, your front fork is probably designed for my cheap threaded hubs!
Thanks for the comments, wonder if the Disc fork has better clearance than the one above, not much info out there.
Just seen this Lynskey fork, looks spot on?
Yup, looks spot on, great tyre clearance and since it's a Lynskey it's probably good stuff. Not expensive either.
I'd go with this over the Bontrager for sure. Awesome deal IMO.
Sneaky advert as my charge plug frame (med), carbon forks, Chris king headset, stem and carbon disc wheels is up for sale (pm me if interested).
Hello all (first post – but long-timer watched of this thread!)
I bought one of the plug frames about 2 years ago with the plan to build-up my first bike, before other things got in the way! I got my frame out yesterday and one closer inspection there’s quite a bit of rust inside the frame (see photos). It’s been stored inside since I bought it.
Is this something to worry about?! (Realise this is most likely a stupid question!) .I was hoping to build-up for this to be my main bike (sadly only have space for 1) so any advice very gratefully received !
https://photos.google.com/search/_tra_/photo/AF1QipOQ5Arb6kbOQ_40ume99EjSHG92AkJDBXItFJA
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOvJ-RGXhbI2fXvmKOxKIKwzyd6_bB-eTLnktU
Those links don't work.
Without seeing it I'd say its almost definitely absolutely totally fine unless you can see daylight through it.
Bike frames seems to surface rust spectacularly but take an AGE to rust though.
Sorry about the links - hopefully this should do it:
Thats not rust! its barely even patina! get it built 😀
Thanks! It's going to be my only bike so wanted some reassurance that I wasn't throwing money away !
I may ost likely be back with some more questions!
Superficial rust will be fine. I just sprayed some oil in the drainage holes in the tubes before the build and during servicing.
Just avoid spraying grease or bearings with oils, it can breakdown the protective grease.
Fork wise, for £150 check this out:
https://www.brothercycles.com/shop/accessories/kepler-disc-carbon-fork/
– Carbon blades
– Alloy crown and dropouts
– Alloy 1 1/8″ steerer
– Rake: 45mm
– Axle-crown: 400mm
– 42c clearance
– Weight: 750g
Not the cheapest or crazy expensive - my old man foo’ked one of his dropouts with a blind driver. Frame is still straight but dropout and wheel buckled.
Hopefully this makes the bike a little lighter and safer. Went the QR route so we can still use old wheels in the shed.
Couldn’t do that with a carbon frame eh?
Nearly finished mine, after nearly 3 years (had all the bits but a house purchase meant I just didn't have time to put it together) - just a few bits of tinkering and fettling. The lower chainstay cross member appears to have a threaded hole in it, which I presume is for mounting a mudguard. I fancy blocking it from grime with a well greased bolt - can anyone tell me what size it is? Is it the same size as the bottle cage bolts?
M5, same as everything else. Make sure it's very well greased stainless - I've had some fun trying to get seized button heads out of that hole!
I used m5 stainless grub screws on all the mudguard and rack holes. And used a bit of matt black nail polish to thread lock them in. Didn't loose one in the time I had mine. You can pick up a 10x pack on ebay for about £1.60
One last time to try and upload a pic...
Nice bike Superjohn71!
Rebuilding my Dad’s Plug on the weekend.
New carbon fork, saddle, road wheels and mainly a road set up with 28mm tyres now he has another bike for CX/adventure.
Nice superjohn. I have same forks and mine looks scarily similar!
People still running their Plugs?
Mine is still going strong, being used for everything from local bridleways to commuting, might even do a bit of a light tour on it.
My 70 year old Father hits 80 miles a week on it with 2 rides of 30 miles each and the odd 16 mile hill training.
I was feeling under the weather from too many late nights and using my 38mm CX and struggled to keep up with him as we found the sweet spot of comfort and road speed.
I blame the Sun as it was far too hot ahem.
Received a race Face 90mm stem in the post today which should sorry out the riding position in mine. Not to sure about the gearing as yet as I haven't done any rides longer than 30 miles in it due to it not being as comfortable as my other gravel type bike due to the stem, but I suspect it needs a bigger cog up front. Love it to bits though. It's surprisingly capable off road.
People still running their Plugs?
Mine is still going strong, being used for everything from local bridleways to commuting, might even do a bit of a light tour on it.
I still ride mine, unfortunately i'm not happy with a lot of things on my build, especially considering how much money i've spent on it. I think mine will be replaced with an XC MTB, the only thing missing are the funds... 😀
I managed to squeeze some mudguards on my plug 5 with the 47mm 650b Byways. Clearance is very tight, especially at the seatstay bridge, but I've gone on a few rides and haven't had any rubbing yet. Had to make liberal use of zip ties to get everything mounted, but I am pretty happy with it so far. Haven't taken them off-road yet but I'll try it soon, a bit worried about getting gunked up with the tight clearance.
These are the 650Beast 55 mm fenders from Portland Design Works. My bike is XS size frame for reference, with stock fork.
