Welcome to my modest website
Here I’ll share some of my findings in building my bikes
Rather than spending too much on a readily made single and too specific bike, I've made a rather deep immersion in custom bike assembling.
In that blog, I would like to share this experience, that resulted in a 3 bike building adventure.
Every bike being quite different as to enjoy various scenarios and regenerate interest with every exchange.
Here's the birth of that famous trio :
The Bee, the Wasp and the Hornet !!!
The Bee
Genesis Croix de fer
A very versatile 700c tourer/graveller
The Wasp
Genesis Vagabond
A nice and funny 29" monster cross
The Hornet
Genesis Tarn
The ultimate full rigid 27.5+ MTB ?
Preliminary thoughts
You’re about 45 and you would like to be a better cyclist and you love bike assembly, your preferred biking playground is quite varied … What’s the best bike for you ? An ultimate carbon fiber Gravel, a nice XC MTB, an Enduro MTB ???
And how it will cost, how much care and maintenance would it require ?
So, after various nice but limited bikes, I decided to go ahead on those base parameters :
Sturdy and comfortable
Nice and sexy
Steel (carbon fiber not very suitable for my 200 pounds, aluminum too fade and sadly Titanium too expansive …)
Also, I wanted to choose a brand with a real experience in those adventure bikes, the most interesting were Surly, Salsa, Soma and Genesis.
Genesis had the most complete line and experience, and the more affordable.
So, I started finding a very nice Croix de Fer 2018 frameset, then I assembled it with different components, and tried to make the most from the least, not getting involved too much in the latest trends but rather in proven solutions.
The best way to develop my skills is to read from the most experienced, Calvin Jones from Park Tool and Zinn and his famous complete books.
Internet is also an interesting option, but be aware to be very careful, as you find the best like the worst.
The gravel bike is quite new for me, I’ve been a long time bike rider, an experienced MTB rider especially in the late 90s and early 2000s, enjoying longer and longer rides.
I then paused my bike activities for about 10 years and when I decided to start over, in early 2018 I decided to invest in a brand new MTB.
I spent quite a lot in a nice Merida Full suspended bike with a 1x transmission…
What a bad move I made …
In the past years, bikes became so specific and over specialized, they’re almost unusable out of their own narrow field...
Even with an huge 11s cassette, the 1x is painfull on the flat and even more in downhill, especially if you’re not in perfect fit and shape. I’m about 200 pounds for 6 feet, and mountains and hills are tough by there, I’m riding the Montagne Noire in southern Tarn in Occitanie french region.
I didn’t enjoyed that short minded view of cycling.
I would like to get out of the road, but still able to commute and I love to visit my nice region.
So I decided to look after a broader way of biking, and gravel became an obvious option.
After a try with a ready made GT Grade AL, with a 2x11 105 transmission, with a 11x32 cassette and 34x50 crank set it’s still inadequate for my needs and capabilities, a sub compact 32x46 crank set helped a bit but wasn’t yet enough.
So I finally put my hand on that 2018 Genesis Croix de Fer frame set and that’s were it all started ...
Transmission for a gravel bike is quite complicated.
At least if you can't spend thousands in last gen brifters (combined brake and shifter levers), huge cassettes etc. ...
Actually industry is offering nice setup like 1x and hydraulic discs, but effective range can be limiting for many, for instance I used to have a nice GT Grade in 2x11 setup, with a subcompact crank-set 32x46, but it was still too long for real mountains and my fitness level.
Past years MTB development could be the good way for me, with 3x9 being a nice starting point, can't we simply mix road and MTB ???
Yes and no, up to 9s the cable pull and lever were equals in road and MTB, but since 10s it changed ... the cable pull first, and then even the lever (The Tiagra 4600 still use the 1.7x factor like 9s MTB).
So here's the simplest setups you can create now :
Shimano Tourney A073
Very cheap 7s brifter that can be coupled with 7s rear derailleurs
Shimano Claris R2000
A cleaner design 8s brifters
And maybe my favourite, the Sora R3000
It allows a very good efficiency and a very nice versatility.
Then you can use a very large choice of very high quality 9s rear derailleurs.
Even some with the Shadow technology from Shimano that allows a lower footprint, a great durability, serviceability and a huge range.
Let's take a look at the M772 range, in the SGS (long stroke flavour) :
Largest rear gear : 36
Total gears capability : 45 teeth
That mean you can have for instance : 11-34 cassette with 22/32/44 crank set =
34-11 = 23 teeth
44-22 = 22 teeth
That mean a 23+22=45 total teeth capacity, that you can arrange as you want.
A lot of gears for cheap !
It means with 700x35 wheels a range from 5 km/h at 60 rpm up to over 60km/h at 120 rpm.
Imagine the same ratio in 1x ??? You would need something like a 8-50 cassette with a 30 or 32 crank set !!!
Effective and versatile gravel biking still appears difficult, or very expensive for me in 1x. Or at least i'm not fit enough.
Also, compare cost of spare parts like chains and cassette ...
A very simple but effective steel frame, with QR wheel, BSA threaded bottom bracket, standard headset, good tire clearance and bomb proof reliability.
Made from Reynold 725 Tubing
Here's some explanations about :
Reynolds 725
(1080-1280 MPa)
Classic seamless Chromoly (as above) but heat-treated to boost tensile strength. Think of it as Chromoly on steroids. It’s heated to around 1600F whereby a structural change in the steels’ crystal lattice occurs (a stronger, more uniform orientation), whereupon it’s then quenched (cooled rapidly) to lock-in the structural change. As it’s stronger we can away with using less of it so thinner butts are the order of the day here, helping to achieve a lighter overall frame weight and livelier ride without compromising strength.
So I started looking after the best choices in the various components, for my personal needs !
That’s the main point when you try to make your best possible bikes for your needs and to your funding capabilities.
I’ll try to develop the various combinations I found and how they suits me.
Genesis Croix de Fer 2018 Frame set
Reynolds 725 chromoly tubing
Size L
Wheels
Shimano RX 31, CX wheels, very sturdy, reliable and affordable.
Most Shimano wheels are under rated by most, they’re not the sexier but most of their choices are very smart.
For instance the hubs are still cup and cones, easy to maintain, compliant with my weight, the freehub is still made of steel (can’t bear aluminum, eaten by steel cassettes…)
The transmission, with the drop bars the choice is quite restricted because of the brifters… That’s were some nice readings helps, especially the table from Zinn, with the various data on the different transmissions.
I found the best balance for my touring/gravel bike with the following :
Previous generation Tiagra 4600 triple levers, 10 speeds and with the traditional MTB 1.7x leverage, so rear 9s MTB derailleurs are compatible, in this case a simple and effective Alivio T4000, with 45 teeth total capacity.
French made Stronglight Impact Triple crank set, yes triple !!!
Fitted with 24/34/46 gears, that means with an 11/32 cassette, huge capabilities, from climbing to Touring.
Front Tiagra triple derailleur.
Because of the brifters, the brake are limited to cable actuated ones, the fully mechanical ones are definitely scarce for large riders … The best choice remains, yet for me, the TRP HY/RD.
The Juin Tech are quite nice too, but feels “light” when compared to the TRP.
This way we manage to have huge range in gearing and nice braking power.
To attain such a broad capability would be to go for full hydro brakes and mega range 9x42 cassette, that would mean a mere 2000$ for the package … almost twice the whole Croix de fer !!! And imagine paying about 200€ just for changing the gravel eaten cassette …
Then I found a very nice drop bar with the Ritchey Ergo Max, these a very comfy, with a large palm rest and a good rise to get a very nice position on the bike.
The saddle is the over proven B17 from Brooks.
The frame is a 2019 Yellow frame set
It came with steel fork and headset bearings
I carefully chosen every component as to comply to my weight and to complete the Croix de Fer
The Croix de fer is a great bike for commuting, Touring and light gravel, the Vagabond is for tougher gravel.
It must have a higher capability in off road, so here’s my findings :
29 and 27,5 wheelsets, fitted with 1.5 and 2.1” tires
The 29” are based on Mavic XC821 rims, tubeless ready, welded (lighter and stiffer than connector + pins) and riveted spokes holes.
The hubs are XT 756 from Shimano, steel axles, large diameter spokes holder, and with cup and cones.
Spokes and bolts are both from DT Swiss
Fitted with Panaracer SK 35mm or Continental Cyclo King for the wet.
These are classified ATSM 3, that means they are suitable for engaged MTB up to 61 cm jumps !!!
The 27,5” are Mavic Crossride wheels, classical MTB cheap but effective wheels, fitted with Maxxis Exo 2.1” tires, a lot of air volume for very engaged and comfy gravel.
Those two wheel sets allow to change the Vagabond profile to suit the followed path.
The transmission is also a major point in a bike, as usual the brifters are a main issue in building a drop bar bike, life would be quite simple in a non limit budget, but also boring ;)
So let’s search for the best range, reliability and capability.
The Sora brifters appear to be the smart choice, 100% directly compatible with the 9s MTB derailleur siblings.
You can find them easily on the second hand market, many people upgrade their road bikes and sell them for cheap, same for MTB 9s transmission, you can find lightly used Deore, XT and even XTR in the same way.
I choose a Deore XT 9s M772 SGS rear derailleur, shadow powered, that mean you have a strong pull and a low footprint.
For the crank set, I choose the Hollowtech from Shimano, that mean a two piece crank set with standard 3x and 64x104 chainrings. The model is a Alivio 4060, cheap and very stiff.
I found a very cheap clearance chainrings set with raceface alloy 22x32x44 teeth.
The bottom bracket is a nasty part, very quick to get annoyed with (I had a bad experience with press fit full plastic in my last MTB…)
For that, I choose the BB80 from the saint series, a reinforced bottom bracket, the drive side (right when you’re on the bike), is doubled, so there’s a larger support where’s needed, the left side being the guiding of the axle. An almost bomb proof component at a very reasonable price (Chris king and others are definitely best, but a 10x ratio is quite hard to justify, at least for me yet).
The front derailleur is quite tricky to find right, the production Vagabond offers 10s Deore high clamp solution, but with a 44 maximum chain ring the high collar is blocked by the bottle cage nut.
So I had to change the mount and found a low clamp Alivio T4000 that suits me.
Be very careful in finding the components because, sometimes you’ll find many different versions and they could be quite confusing.
For that front derailleurs here’s the parameters to consider :
Max chainring : 44 at least
Low collar
Low pull (many are both compatible)
28,6mm frame diameter (most can be adjusted with plastic adapters)
Triple
Frame angle, there’s two kinds from Shimano, 63-66° and 66-69°, the Vagabond is about 72°, it’s not only an hestetic issue, you can have the chain rubbing on lowers gears.
9 speed (Many believes that front derailleurs are cross compatible, not that much, an old 8s triple can even be quite compatible with a newer transmission, but not a newer front derailleur with an older chain width, the more speed you have, the narrower is your chain and front derailleur cage … you may experience a lot of unpleasant rubbing with a 10s FD working on a larger 9s chain).
Then you have to carefully set up the limit screws in order to a nicely functioning transmission.
For the brakes, being limited by the brifters, the smart choice is again the TRP HY/RD
For the drop bars, I love the Ergo Max from Ritchey, but I would like to go for a more off road capable one, the choice naturally goes to the Venture Max, in 46cm. That mean a quite relaxed position and a lot of torque from that wide bar.
But be careful and remind you math lessons !!
When you enlarge the bars, shorten the stem !!!
The triangle from your shoulder to the brifters define your position, the more you enlarge the base of the triangle, the longer is the distance, so shorten your stem accordingly.
Pythagoras's your friend in that rare occasion (at least for us, mere mortals) !!!
The drop bar tape, is a totally new concept for a MTB guy, my main advice for newcomers is to choose a gel one, the bonding being of that adhesive is very forgiving, you can even undo most of the bar and tape it again properly. Also, when you have to change it, there’s almost no residues to wipe off.
Very important to look carefully at some very instructive youtube videos to get used to the proper setting of the bar tape, the best for me being the one from Calvin Jones, Park Tool.
The Genesis Tarn, in 2018 frame set flavor, easy to recognize with it's full carbon rigid fork and revamped frame bases and distinctive colors
Made of Mjölnir steel, here's the description from Genesis :
Mjölnir
(700-900 MPa)
AKA ‘Thor’s Hammer’ and pronounced ‘Myol-n(ee)r‘ (rolls off the tongue, eh?). Genesis’ double-butted, cold-drawn, seamless, Taiwanese chromoly tubeset also goes by the aliases of 4130, Cr-Mo and Chromo. It’s a like-for-like replacement for other, identical branded chromoly tubing and ultimately means a saving can be passed onto you via either a healthy price drop or a little more room for up-speccing elsewhere without sacrificing performance. The starting point for many a tough, affordable steel frame.
It's a very modern MTB frame, with many refinements :
Boost oversize axles (15x110 front, 12x148 rear)
29 and 27.5+ wheel capable (up to 3" !!!)
Reinforced rear derailleur hanger
Internally actuated adjustable seat post compatible
Tapered head tube
But with nice standard features :
BSA threaded bottom bracket
External hoses and housings paths
Headset with external cups
It's a very good balance of stiffness, comfort and durability.
The front rigid fork it's quite weird in 2019 ??? But it's also a good way to :
Save money
Save weight
Save (service) time
Also, I like to ride different ;)
And comfort can be achieved with the larger tires, I found two nice pairs of wheels for my Hornet :
Classical 29", fitted with 2.1 o 2.25" tires, nice from gravel roads to easy tracks
Large 27.5+, fitted with 2.6 or 2.8" tires for tougher tracks (can go up to 3" but I find it difficult, at least visually)
The 29" wheels are Shimano SLX Hubs paired with Mavic XC421 (21mm internal width)
The 27.5+ wheels are SunRinglé Duroc 40 (36mm internal width)
For the transmission, I benefit from a very nice Deore XT setup I found for cheap :
2x11 setup, with 26x36 front and rear 11-42 or 11-46 cassettes
Nothing to say about ... well, it's great, effective, very dependable and serious, everything you could expect from Shimano.
An important "detail", that is commonly a source of trouble is the bottom bracket. The Tarn being smartly made with traditional threaded BSA BB, the obvious choice is a nice reinforced one. But stop thinking about spending hundreds, look thoroughly at Shimano's catalogue, and you'll find in the Saint's line the BB80 :
As you can see, the BB80 has a double sized thread on the crank set side, where's the major torque is applied. That way, when you set it, with the adequate spacers, you still have plenty of threads in your frame !
Finding nice brakes was a bit more tricky.
I'm about 200 pounds and I would like something very capable, and lurking in the different catalogues I finally found the best bargain, the Shimano MT520, a cheap version of the 4 pistons XT (made for cheap e-bikes that needs that extra stopping power).
The MT520 calipers gets the same frame pads as other Shimano 4 pistons, but at about half the price or even lower !
The levers are the MT501, with the same efficiency as the more expansive ones, with the servowave master cylinder, metal lever, you just get rid of the quick adjusters. Not a deal breaker for me.
To get the best versatility and crossing capability, I set a KS eTen adjustable seat post, actuated trough a simple lever, there's enough housings hanging around for me yet, with 100mm of travel, I find it very effective for tricky descents.
At least, I had to set a saddle on it, even being a Brooks fan, leather won't be at is best being regularly wet ...
Also, being a rigid bike, and maybe not used for very long trips, a more comfortable saddle could be a nice choice.
I ended with a SMP TRK Gel, a definitely comfortable and safe saddle.
The design is quite weird, but the result is great !
