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I’m STILL pondering over bikes & looking for the impossible/moon on a stick.
Now looking at a Silk Road. Wanting something quick so a Whippet is in the mix too. Although one thing I would like is maybe something that’ll take a 40/42 ring on the front, which the Whippet won’t take, dunno about the Titus.
I’m probably after a light, flat barred, fast gravel/rigid 29er that’ll also take some 50mm tyres.
The search continues, I’ll be too old to ride by the time I stop fanning about. Either that or my next question will be, ‘what E gravel bike’? 🤔🤔
Got one. Love it. Fitted with Jones bar copies and a oval 32t chainring, and running Hunt extra wide xc wheels with 2.6 in tyres. Feels sprightly enough and has all the mounts (the triple pack mounts on the seatstays are a bit superfluous though,as anything of any size fouls your heel)
Current versions with wireless shifting look decent value to me.
Current versions with wireless shifting look decent value to me.
Yes I saw that. Hoping I can use the wheels off my Free Ranger with the 38mm Gravel Kings as well as my spare 650 wheels & 50mm tyres. What do you reckon would be the biggest chainring you could fit to a Silk Road? The Whippet is limited (I think) to a 34 by the flare on the chainstay.
I lied, in that my oval ring is 30t (think it replaced the original Eagle 32t). Clearance would look tight for a 42t I think, but I'd use the message function on the PX website, they came back to me pretty quickly when I asked a load of techy questions before I bought mine.
Essel,what's up with your Free Ranger,have you fallen out with it?
Essel,what’s up with your Free Ranger,have you fallen out with it?
Those bars man. I despise the drops & flats or risers would be a pain to change. I'd have to find some with a similar reach to being on the hoods, only wider, then it'll need brake levers & hoses ( there's not enough spare hose on either to reach on flats) & a shifter. I love the speed & acceleration of the FR but the riding position is horrible. I'm a dropped bars dropout.
Still way cheaper to convert the FR than buy a complete new bike....
Still way cheaper to convert the FR than buy a complete new bike….
N+1 then.
I’m a dropped bars dropout.
Me too. Cannot get on with drops even for gravel stuff.
I ride a Titus Mutsu ti frame from a couple of years ago (similar to a Sonder Broken Road) - light, flat barred, fast gravel/rigid 29er fitted with 700x50s. Geometry looks more MTBy than the Silk Road on paper: slacker HA, longer WB, longer front centre etc. I use a 36t chainring with 1x11 with plenty of clearance. 38t would fit but not sure a 40t would. I know it differs from the Silk Road in having longer chainstays (440-460 adjustable) with similar claimed tyre clearance. Unsure if that helps TBH.
I've bought the frame and I'm currently collecting parts mainly from PSA on here to run it single speed. Just need a PSA for a carbon fork ....anyone?
@gurnster75 try messaging planet x and asking if they'll still you one of their Selcof ones, that they use on the complete bikes. I did that and I they let me have one for £150. It's a really nice fork.
@lucasshmucas I did mate, they wanted £250 for it? The Fireline bike and Silk Road frame plus a few bits and bobs that I've bought from them this year doesn't seem to have earned me any favours.
At £150 I'd be all over it.
Anyone tried 120 forks with one of these? Got 1pp on at the moment but they're not great. I've a set of 120 pikes in the shed which work a lot better but am concerned they'll be a bit tall