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I'm about to put together a new build for a gravel / cross / adventure type bike and thought as a slight variation on the New Bike Day post - and for the benefit of the 0.5 people who might be interested - would post up a bit of work in progress as it goes together.
If that's your cup of hot beverage then I hope this proves interesting.
This will be the 7th bike I've built from a frame up but as with all of them, it will be a mix of new and used parts - some onto to their third bike, hence Trigger’s Broom
I find it is really rewarding process, from selecting and sourcing parts to the assembly and the finished bike. If you're thinking of having a go at building up a bike yourself then maybe this will help convince you and I'd totally encourage anyone to try.
Things I have learned from doing this before:
- Check compatibility - the biggest challenge is making sure all the parts work & fit together, which is less and less straightforward these days.
- The right tools make all the difference - and get a workstand
- Take your time and be methodical. Stop when things aren’t going right.
- If you're reusing parts, clean them so they're like new. It makes everything nicer
- Bear in mind it may not be cheaper than buying a complete bike
- Measure twice cut once - steerer tubes cannot be lengthened
Here’s the assorted hardware then:
The Frame Of Darkness
The Wheels of Hope
The Bits and The Bobs
The Motley Tools - including The Hammer of Last Resort
The frame is an NS RAG+ 56cm, nabbed in a generous sale from CRC several months ago and then left to loiter in its box while I gathered all the other parts. I liked the unusual style of the frame when I saw them last year and the 700x / 650b wheel compatibility and up-to-date 'standards' were attractive - though would require a few more parts than a straight swap from the donor bike; a Kinesis Crosslight Pro6. It looks pretty well put together if not the most refined construction and I’ve already checked that the all the threads are nice and clean.
It’s similar geo but smaller than the Pro6 which was probably a bit big for me but a great ride none-the-less and will hopefully find a new home soon. I’m also fitting a shorter stem and wider slightly flared bar and a wider 1x10 range - from 38:11-32 to 40:11-40.
Here are the full specs for the build
New and shiny bits
Frameset: NS RAG+ 56cm
Chainring : Superstar NW 40T
Cassette : Sunrace CSMX3 11-40 10spd
Chain : KMC
Bars : Easton EA50 AX 44cm
Bar Tape - Easton (total brand synergy)
Brakes : TRP Spyre
Used bits in varying levels of shiny
Wheels: H Plus Son Archetype / Hope Pro2 Evo
Tyres: Panaracer Gravelking SK 700x35c
Chainset: SRAM Apex + GXP BB
Pedals : Shimano M530
Derailleur - Shimano M772 XT long cage
Levers : Shimano 105 10 speed
Stem : Easton EA50 90cm
Seatpost : Easton EA50
Saddle - Fabric Scoop shallow
So it’s all pretty much ready to go and I’ll be putting it together over the next few days provided other stuff doesn’t get in the way. Updates will be sporadic but hopefully useful, questions and insults welcome.
cheers
Far too organised, you’ve all but removed the entertaining (for us) prospect of shiny new part bouncing off the floor or tiny wee part rolling under some inaccessible space in the garage.
Those potential events are still very much on the cards. What you see is an unprecedented effort on my part to impose some hitherto-absent order on the process. Photos will also be carefully framed to minimise the view of the shocking state of the rest of the garage.
look forward to the updates, i'm going to go with a timelapse for my next build which is a not very vintage ladies town bike which will be done this weekend.
I'm in!
Wow! You are organised, though I reckon you could have had half a bike built in the time it's taken to post all the pics and text.
I'm a slow mechanic but my typing is extraordinarily fast. Either that or due to the ridiculous conditions my employer imposes I can't build my bike at work but I can do some sneaky typing.
Is the rear mech compatible with the 105 lever?
You're very tidy minded, my builds always look like total chaos in comparison...
Have you finished yet?
Nice. I've been one part away from finishing my bike for over a week now. First it was cranks, which arrived, and were fitted, then a too short brake hose, which also arrived, was fitted, only to reveal a cracked hose connector which was leaking slightly. Which then broke when I tried to disconnect it. I await yet another delivery. Will get there eventually.
Looks like it will be a nice build, I'd like to do similar transplant from my Pro6 so I can run wider tyres.
I'm always amazed at how people have the patience to build a bit a day over several days. It's always done in one go, even if I need to work overnight and to be honest it shouldn't take longer than a couple of hours to do a 1x build, if there are no hoses to trim.
Did you remember the hub adaptors?
Pics?!?!?!!!
@33tango - Those are the pics - I haven't attached anything to anything else yet - patience!
@cheers_drive - yes I already fitted the hub adapters - so I'm actually lying above but it doesn't make for an interesting update. Really liked my Pro6 but it does have limited clearance on the back - not so on the RAG+
@markrh - yes, the mech and levers are off the old frame so I know they work. What I don't know is how well they'll work on 11-40 Sunrace cassette - all part of the excitement.
@honourablegeorge - familiar situation, I'm expecting some cabling shenanigans. I want to re-use my Jagwire kevlar outers but I think the rear is going to be just a bit short so may have to deal with that.
Joemmo, thats interesting, always thought road & mtb shimano stuff didn't work together, feel some shed time coming on. Enjoy the build 🙂
Like those frames, put together agriculturally but that means it'll handle some rough stuff. You going to use it properly and get some wider rubber than the 35s? Otherwise you might as Well have kept the pro6 together. Get some 45s on and hit the singletrack, that frameset will lap it up.
@markrh Thanks. Yes, the rear mechs are cross compatible up to 9spd MTB and 10spd road but diverged after that.
@Rocketdog - that's the plan but just using what I have for the moment.
I love a good bike build! Crack on and get posting some pics 🙂
If I ever got another gravel/cross thingy, these would be at the top of the list.
Not huge progress over the weekend due to family stuff but here’s where it is:
Bottom bracket is fitted - a used SRAM GXP which I've cleaned out and regreased in the hope it'll survive the winter. For some reason the cranks I have (or the BB) need one 2.5mm spacer on the drive side to space and centre it properly despite the instructions saying there should be none needed for a 68mm BB.
I’m using a double chainset with the single ring on the outside and although the chainline could be better, it’s still pretty much in the centre of the cassette. 40T Superstar chainring looks tidy enough, time will tell how well it lasts.
The dropped drive side chainstay is a bit odd looking and quite a bit thinner than the NDS but it serves a purpose and the tyre width clearance is impressive. The only thing is that the clearance is smallest at the chainstay bridge, particularly if you wanted to fit fat tyres and mudguards.
The Sunrace cassette is a first from that brand for me and though I’m a little dubious about the longevity of the alloy big sprocket, the whole thing looks nicely built. I ditched the aluminium lockring for a steel Shimano one as the 12mm hub end cap prevents the lockring tool from inserting more than a couple of mm and it looks a bit prone to getting chewed up.
I’m anticipating some fettling being required to get the shifting working well onto the 40T once the transmission is on. With the B-screw all the way in the jockey wheel just clears the sprocket…
but as a fall back I have a hanger extender which drops the whole mech lower down if that isn’t enough.
The stack height is very similar to my old frame so I’m pretty confident about the amount of steerer needed but always leave about 5mm above the stem anyway, especially with a carbon fork. In any case the final cut can wait until I can sit on the bike.
Should get the brakes and bars on tonight then start cabling up.
cheers
After the last thrilling episode I now have something that looks more like a bike
still do - cut the steerer, finish the cabling, fit the chain, tape the bars and tweak everything
Minor aesthetic hiccups - I had a full length red outer gear cable that I thought would look good in a kind of accent-highlight colour kind of way - but it looked terrible so I got some black instead. Also on the colour front, my plan was to wrap the bars with the red tape that I have already but am thinking the all black look could be better, if a little boring. First world problems...
Good call on the red. No red Definitely no red.
there's already red on the saddle though and the laws of colour coordination dictate there cannot be only one thing of one colour. Unless I also get a black saddle.
Do the bar tape one side red and the other side black.
It will look rubbish but people will really grind their teeth over it, so basically, worth it 👍
Unacceptable @nealglover. Next you'll be suggesting deliberately mis-aligning tyre and rim logos.
you will need to remove that spacer from the BB, as the stepped axle wont be locating on the non driveside bearing, and your cranks will come loose. Sram road cranks cannot be run with a spacer
Yes, you need a black saddle
you will need to remove that spacer from the BB, as the stepped axle wont be locating on the non driveside bearing, and your cranks will come loose. Sram road cranks cannot be run with a spacer
thanks - yes that's what I thought and have read, however when the crank is fitted without a spacer there is a gap at the driveside so the 'top hat' bearing cover will eventually work it's way loose and expose the bearing. When I put the cups on the axle with the crank off the bike, the gap between the inner edge of the cups is 70mm - it may be 70.5 but I'm using a ruler so assuming some innaccuracy.
So, with a spacer the gap at driveside is closed and the step on the axle locates correctly on the bearing, I've checked it carefully. The alternative is either leaving the gap and a loose bearing cover, the spacer or a compression washer to hold the bearing cover on, perhaps that would be a better solution
so, the gap is also normal, and supposed to be there, the only reason the plastic top hat will come out is if its been damaged now that the crank arm has been pressed up against it
it's not damaged as in cracked but the BB is used so its possible that it is worn and doesn't engage in the bearing properly. There was a fair amount of crud behind the top hat / shield when I took it off so it may be deformed. I'll take it apart again and have a look. Cheers
Oh and I caved in and ordered an all black saddle - but wait until you see the bar tape..
On the verge of completion but I just couldn't get the front caliper (TRP Spyre flat mount) centred on the rotor so that it didn't rub or have a mushy lever. After trying various combos of caliper and pad I came to the conclusion that the flat mounts on the fork are ever-so slightly off square, maybe only a fraction but enough to cause a bit of a problem.
This is annoying and a bit disappointing from a quality control point but from what I've read, not a unique occurence with flat-mounts. The rear mount is spot on but the front seems to cant the caliper inwards just a tad.
Anyway, to cut a story shorter I took a file to the adapter and shaved off a tiny amount on the mounting bolt faces top and bottom to give them an angle and it seems to have done the trick. Caliper is square to the rotor and no rubbing - quite satisfying resolution at least. It's not exactly aerospace level tolerance but seems to be OK - time will tell. Maybe I can finish the damn thing now.
also: Found a top hat from another old BB that was a better fit so have used that without the spacer - thanks for the nudge on that.
Final post, pending any questions.
Predictably, plans got a bit derailed by technical issues, over-faffing on my part and life in general but the bike is finished and I’m pretty pleased with it. Weight is pretty much bang on 10kg which isn’t super light but that frame is sturdy - beefier than some MTBs I’ve owned in the past…
Some minor touches - fitted matt tape to the bottom of the downtube, patches of headtube and most of the top tube, plus some electrical tape in some other areas of cable rub.
Due to the dropped chainstay, the gear cable is right in the line of chain slap - not helped by a lack of clutch mech - so I’m going to put a bit of 6mm PU tubing over it in the danger area as well as some extra chainstay protection.
Gearing setup has a 9 speed XT long cage on a cheapo hanger extender and the shifting seems fine. The chain wrap is better like this rather than cranking the b-screw all the way in. There's also an 11spd top pulley on the bottom position, the longer teeth grab the chain more securely - SRAM 1x mechs are like this by design.
That’s it. Despite the delay I’m pleased with how it’s turned out. Not had more than a quick ride round the block yet but it feels good and looking forward to taking it into the woods. Stack is similar to my last frame but the BB is 10cm lower so the bars feel a bit higher but I wanted this anyway so the drops become more usable. I’ll give it a few weeks and some proper riding and post something up in the NS RAG+ thread. Cheers.