The biking thread

[Greycap]

So 15mm is standard on MTB forks, but 12mm is standard on the rear triangle? My SOMA has a 12mm rear axle. Is the logic that the front end takes more abuse and therefore the front axle needs to be stronger?

No idea about the logic, but that's how it is. The thinner rear axle probably has something to do with clearing the cassette, it's a pretty tight fit as is already.

BSA 73mm that's going to be fun to find parts for.

Huh? Probably the most, or second most, common option out there. The run of the mill threaded BB, for example every Shimano Hollowtech crankset with the cheap as dirt BB52 is a matter of bolting things on.

 

[Omnis]

No idea about the logic, but that's how it is. The thinner rear axle probably has something to do with clearing the cassette, it's a pretty tight fit as is already.

Huh? Probably the most, or second most, common option out there. The run of the mill threaded BB, for example every Shimano Hollowtech crankset with the cheap as dirt BB52 is a matter of bolting things on.

...for MTB, sure. Just don't be a dummy like me and get spindles and stuff that are too short or almost but don't quite fit.

 

[girabyt3]

Well, after almost 4 years with my mighty Cityzen... Like Mariah Carey would say, when it comes to a refresh...

Got a brand new Mosso 2915 XC frame and, 1st is 1st, yes, its large... 21" XL size large!! I'm 6ft 1" tall (1,82 mts) so be pretty sure it fits me well 👍👍.

Why the change?? Sadly because my old frame cracked a month ago, more especifically on the seat tube's weld... And You know what that means... But, nothing to critize The Mighty Cityzen, it served me well for almost 4 years, it retired as a champ!! 👊

The Mosso has a 31.6 seat tube and I don't need to extend it too much, so I'm pretty sure those worries are gone for the moment!! 😁

I've been commuting to work with my brother's bike which... Wasn't quite a pleasant experience, but it did it's job! All while saving enough cash for the Mosso frame 👍

On the test ride back home, it felt great, it devoured every bump and off road section like a champ (thanks in part to the return of my used-but-good Minions)!! And, most importantly, it felt waaay more confortable than the Cityzen thanks to the xl size compared to the Cityzen's M/17" size!! 😁 Only drawback I can find is the Cityzen being 2° slacker than the Mosso (64° over 66° with My current 160mm RockShox 35) but the long wheelbase pretty sure compensates for it!! Can't wait what it can do on the trails once I end my current college's cycle!! 😁😁

Spoiler

Ignore my house's remodelations' trash on the background, it makes it for a really good mtb photo prop 😁😁

 

[Omnis]

As of this very moment I finally finished the gravel bike build. Started at 6am washing down the whole bike... only to find when it dried that there was still limestone dust in areas. I kind of hate gravel making everything so dirty like that. Might just throw on the smaller Byway front tire and use it for chill rides. The neon yellow bar tape looks wild. If I had to do it again, though, I would probably flip the black and start with the yellow on the bottom. I haven't ridden it yet, but the brakes feel so much better going to full compressionless. The housing to the rear wasn't compressionless, so I'm pretty sure that was the issue with the front biting so much harder than the rear.

Cool people match their sunglasses to their bikes. Only the coolest people match their bike to their sunglasses. My Smith XCs were the inspiration for this build. Maybe I'll tag them on insta and get some love. Who knows?

bike pics tomorrow...

 

[Omnis]

I'll get better glamor shots with the bar bag off. The sun and my camera weren't cooperating and the boggy pond nearby was the only kind of backdrop around

Only thing driving me crazy right now is the larger lower orange headset spacer not being a color match to the other two. Once you notice it, you can't overlook it. I really like the way my homemade frame protectors/cable guards came out. They're just soft silicone tubing in 4mm and 5mm ID to match the cables. I cut them with a pickle knife to make a nice neat zigzag incision so they easily wrap around the cables and don't budge.

When the Fizik tape wears out (probably never ) I think I'll move to a solid fluoyellow on one bar and celeste on the other, just like the Smith XC temples. I wish the Celeste were a little more saturated, but the problem with teal is that there's literally nobody that makes a consistent color in a variety of parts. Even the things that are supposed to be 100% Eroica Celeste are all different colors when compared side-by-side.

edit: Also, Coefficient Cycling is LEGIT. "Swope" feels AMAZING. It's incredibly comfortable to ride on the tops. Will have to see if I can snag one of their RR bars for the TCR and sell off the Pro PLT.

 

[Greycap]

Cool people match their sunglasses to their bikes. Only the coolest people match their bike to their sunglasses.

You were saying?

Glasses 2012, bike 2020. More of a coincidence really and those glasses are a parts bin special already, the white and red parts belong together but the original temples with white rubbers became a brownish yellow biohazard and I had similar black ones from which the frame cracked while changing lenses so I scrapped the bad parts and combined the good ones into one working pair. They're not worn often and I don't dare change the lenses anymore so I usually wear a replacement black frame with light yellow lenses, but these are still easily my fastest looking glasses.

 

[Omnis]

I thought everything in your neck of the woods was supposed to be White and Blue.

 

[Greycap]

Over here the colour choice is usually matte black, matte black, satin black, matte black. Occasionally someone goes crazy and buys a gloss black bike. And of course the riding gear usually matches. I'm very much out of the ordinary with a red/white or white/red bike, mostly red or orange based shirts and jackets, and an orange or neon yellow helmet.

 

[Omnis]

Finland is so black metal

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

So like a week after I bought my fork, MRP discounted it by $90! I emailed and asked them if they would honor the new price and they sent me a partial refund...which was nice. My 12mm axle conversion also arrived and seems to work perfectly. I took the bike to an LBS to install the fork, headset, and stem. Also installed the new continental tires on my 650b wheelset. Front went on pretty easily, but I'm having trouble seating the rear - there's just too much air escaping all around, even with my air compressor. Going to try to get it on the air compressor at the gas station near my house and see if that will do it - mine doesn't have a lot of volume and the pressure drops off pretty quickly.

Hopefully I will have the bike back this weekend and I can complete the rest of the assembly...except for the crankset which I still need to buy At least it will roll?

The guy at the LBS was looking at my frame, fork, and bars and I'm pretty sure he was just thinking to himself...what the **** is this guy doing? He was trying to ask me what kind of riding I'm planning to do and I couldn't really give a good answer...partially because I don't even know. I think the best way to describe it is like a trail-competent big tire BMX bike for goofing around.

@Omnis Gravel bikes are supposed to stay dirty.

edit: I finally got a chance to ride my brother's Surly Midnight Special over the Thanksgiving break. Man, what a fun bike that is! I kind of expected it to feel like my Ribble (IE: Gravel), but it actually feels more like my CAAD12 (IE: Road) except with huge tires. You absolutely get that steel bike "zing" with that frame (which I would describe as riding a very high rate spring) and it feels super lively. I was genuinely surprised at how much fun it was, easily more entertaining than my Ribble though less suited for off road. If I lived somewhere that had a lot of dirt roads that would be an awesome bike to own. I think it would be less fun here with the more gnarly fire roads and single track.

 

[Greycap]

The guy at the LBS was looking at my frame, fork, and bars and I'm pretty sure he was just thinking to himself...what the **** is this guy doing?

Exactly why the only shop I take mine to is the one I worked at for a while. Otherwise the combination of a fast XC frame and fork, gravel tyres, flat pedals and a road cassette would require having blood thinners at hand because the risk of someone having a stroke would be elevated to put it mildly.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Exactly why the only shop I take mine to is the one I worked at for a while. Otherwise the combination of a fast XC frame and fork, gravel tyres, flat pedals and a road cassette would require having blood thinners at hand because the risk of someone having a stroke would be elevated to put it mildly.

Need some fresh pics of that rig.

 

[Greycap]

Need some fresh pics of that rig.

No you don't, it's the red Chisel of mine, it has had those same parts for the entire summer. The combination doesn't look nearly as weird as it sounds, nowadays 11-34 is a road cassette and 47 mm (1,85") are gravel tyres. Ten years ago they were completely normal XC spec stuff.

OK, a picture anyway. Not fresh but still accurate what comes to the mechanics. Only the saddle has been changed since.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

It's rolling!!

Cane creek headset and a salsa stem. Left a decent amount of steerer tube so that I can have some room for adjustment. Stem is 50mm. Shortly after snapping this I installed the front brake. Rear brake isn't the right interface though...so I need an adapter. The caliper is post mount but I think the frame is flat mount.

I nabbed a dropper post off craigslist for $40 that I'm going to try to pick up today.

All that's left is the crankset & chain!

I'm a few components away from a full build, but I'm liking how light the bike feels. The front end, especially, feels super light with the carbon fork. Looking forward to riding this guy.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Can somebody who knows something about bikes look at these two components and let me know if they are compatible with each other and with my frame?

BB
Crankset
Frame: https://www.somafabshop.com/shop/soma-mtb-frame-riff-blue-standard-2407#attr=2250

I think it all works, but it would be nice to have somebody else agree. My rear hub is 142mm and I have an 11 speed cassette on it (though I will be putting a single speed conversion on it). I just don't know why there isn't at least standardized information....it all feels so deliberately confusing.

 

[Omnis]

Can somebody who knows something about bikes look at these two components and let me know if they are compatible with each other and with my frame?

BB
Crankset
Frame: https://www.somafabshop.com/shop/soma-mtb-frame-riff-blue-standard-2407#attr=2250

I think it all works, but it would be nice to have somebody else agree. My rear hub is 142mm and I have an 11 speed cassette on it (though I will be putting a single speed conversion on it). I just don't know why there isn't at least standardized information....it all feels so deliberately confusing.

• Great value Deore M5100 2-piece design chainset for 10/11-speed MTB transmissions
• Forged crank arms rigid whilst being incredibly strong and durable
• HollowTech II integrated bottom bracket design uses a wide bearing placement with a large axle diameter for increased stiffness, efficiency and added durability
• We recommend that the bottom bracket is initially installed by a bike shop to ensure perfect facing and fit
• 52 mm chain line for use with 135 /142 mm O.L.D. frames
• 10/11-speed compatible

I mean, product description seems to say so. If you're gonna go Amazon, see if the seller is Amazon and just return it if it doesn't size up.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

• Great value Deore M5100 2-piece design chainset for 10/11-speed MTB transmissions
• Forged crank arms rigid whilst being incredibly strong and durable
• HollowTech II integrated bottom bracket design uses a wide bearing placement with a large axle diameter for increased stiffness, efficiency and added durability
• We recommend that the bottom bracket is initially installed by a bike shop to ensure perfect facing and fit
• 52 mm chain line for use with 135 /142 mm O.L.D. frames
• 10/11-speed compatible

I mean, product description seems to say so. If you're gonna go Amazon, see if the seller is Amazon and just return it if it doesn't size up.

So....you're telling me to send it bruh?

 

[Omnis]

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

 

[Greycap]

I just don't know why there isn't at least standardized information....it all feels so deliberately confusing.

That's on Amazon, I'd say. Take a look at the same parts in a "real" bike parts shop and it's all there right in your face.

Shimano Deore FC-M5100-1 Crankset

Shimano Deore FC-M5100-1 crankset - 10-speed with only one chainring The Shimano Deore crankset FC-M5100-1 are cranks with only one chainring, which was designed for 10-speed and 11-speed drivetrains. The chainring is not mounted directly but via a 4

www.bike-components.de

Shimano Deore BB-MT501 Hollowtech II Bottom Bracket

Shimano Deore BB-MT501 bottom bracket for frames with BSA thread The Shimano BB-MT501 is a bottom bracket with a sleeve made of synthetic material designed to fit a 24 mm axle crankset into a frame with a BSA bearing. With the enclosed spacers, it is

www.bike-components.de

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

That website is really good. It lists information in a more standardized way than even Shimano does! Jenson USA is ok, but not as clear as that. Typical Germans.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Well the dropper post I got off craigslist did not come with the handlebar mount, so that sucks. It also doesn't seem to function in any way. The lever on the remote doesn't move at all, and the seatpost doesn't seem to move at all either (it's in the up position). Help? I think I goofed, its a Rockshox Reverb B1 which after reading online seems to be an unreliable and expensive to maintain piece of garbage. I only paid $40...but I'm starting to feel like I just lit $40 on fire...

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Got the bike all together and semi rideable. I decided to throw in the towel on the reverb dropper post. Best case scenario, it will work badly and I can tell its going to sag. As it is, it doesn't work at all and my LBS basically told me they don't service Reverbs. Even if they did, I would probably be in it for another $100+ and I just don't see the value there. It's simply a bad, overcomplicated design. Instead, I ordered a PNW dropper and remote.

I was able to ride the bike with the reverb installed though and it worked ok as a rigid seatpost, but still moves around. The front caliper was rubbing on the rotor so I backed off the fasteners, squeezed the brakes to allow the caliper to align itself, and then tightened them down again. Rub fixed! Then I shortened my single speed chain to fit by setting it to go around the chainring and rear cog with a little slack, then tightened up the sliding dropouts. Cool! Then I went through and torqued everything to spec. My seatpost collar said 5-7nm max. I set my torque wrench to 6nm and the collar promptly exploded before I got there. Great.

So then I rode around my neighborhood with the saddle slammed down just to get a feel for the bike. My initial impressions are pretty good. The 32-15 combo is definitely on the speedier end of things and my hopes of doing wheelies are not looking great. I may pick up an 17 or 18t cog to see if I prefer it. I do have a whole 11 speed SLX cassette in case I decide single speeding is not for me. The 2.4 tires do a pretty good job of providing compliance for the fully rigid frame and its definitely handles drops better than my gravel bike - useful for a hooligan bike that I plan to ride down stairs at elementary schools. The reach I'm not so sure about, the cockpit feels really close with the 50mm stem. I'm not used to the riding position so it may just be a matter of getting miles in the saddle. It's definitely comfortable but we'll see how it performs on technical terrain. The steering is very quick with the relatively steep head tube and short stem. The fact that the bars are crazy wide helps. Now that the pads have started to bed in, the brakes are feeling great. I was a little worried when I first tested them, as they felt very weak, but now they feel pretty solid. Flat pedals are great for this build!

The bike weighed in at 24lbs all assembled, including pedals! I was happy with that result...its only 2lbs more than my Ti Gravel bike and a full 5lbs less than an equivalent Surly Lowside or Kona Unit. The front feels particularly light with that rigid carbon fork and the bike just feels playful, it definitely feels more eager than the SS Kona Unit 29er I test rode. I can't wait to put some more miles on it. I'm really looking forward to riding this bike to my local MTB pub. I'll take some pictures of the complete build when I get the PNW dropper.

Total Build Cost = $1290.99, out of pocket. This includes a (-$200) figure for selling my Giant and I'm reusing hubs, wheels, and saddle from parts I had laying around. Otherwise this would have been a ~$2k build, realistically. I think I have some good parts on it though and a similar bike I think would be over $2k so I think I did pretty good. The Kona Unit is $1400 and the Surly Lowside is $1500. Both come with steel forks and rigid seatposts, and their frames are 4130 thoughout, whereas the Soma has Tange Prestige for the main triangle. Both the Kona and the Surly also have lower quality brakes (Alhonga and Tektro, respectively). All in all, I'm pretty pleased.

 

[Greycap]

I may have just made either a genius move or wasted a bunch of money. Bought a used fatbike because I've never had one. More details later...

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

My PNW dropper came in and I installed it last night. Such an elegantly simple design compared to that stupid Rockshox design. The remote lever also matches by grips. Literally the only part left is the seat collar which is frustratingly taking forever to ship. Hoping to ride this thing tomorrow before the rain sets in.

 

[Greycap]

OK, the first investigation has been carried out. The bottom bracket is pretty much shot, the rear brake doesn't look good, but for the price tag things like this were to be expected - it's a Specialized Fatboy Expert (if someone expected me to get something else than a Specialized, the joke is on you) that used to cost around 2500€ when new, I paid 450€ now. The frame is good with only some rock chips in the paint, the wheels are fine as are the tyres, even the drivetrain is in good working condition but I'll rebuild it anyway if the bike turns out to be a keeper. If it doesn't, I'll service it enough to be able to sell it without feeling guilty and set the price to match.

I know the fatbike fad died years ago... what didn't, however, is the fact that over here we still have a lot of snow. Officially 31 cm at the moment but judging by how much I've already shovelled it from around and on my car that figure includes a lot of compacting under its own weight.

 

[Greycap]

Double post but I'll risk bearing the consequences. This will definitely be a keeper, but it'll need work.

As of now I've removed all of the previous owner's aftermarket seatpost, stem and bar, he originally said he'd swap the originals in but he didn't - instead I got it as it was, plus the original parts in a plastic bag. I also said I didn't need his bottle cages, saddle bag and mini pump, got them anyway. I'll sell them to someone. The only parts I've added myself this far are the bottle cage and rear light, and a QR seatpost collar as he had that one swapped too for a bling bling part. Oh and pedals. I've also fixed a lot of those rock chips, gloss black vinyl works wonders on a gloss non-metallic black frame. Virtually indistinguishable from the paint.

The bottom bracket sounds like a cement mixer but doesn't feel bad, I'll see what to do with it. Either try to service it, there are good instructions for it, or change the entire BB and crankset as I'll eventually want a 1x drivetrain anyway. The brakes will get swapped for my own old SLXs with new rotors and the shifting parts will probably be just Deore all round. At the moment the freehub is also giving a bit of concern, it works fine but seems to be quite heavily gouged which can cause trouble when changing the cassette. Probably nothing that can't be filed out though.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

That's a good looking big boi. Take some pics of it in the snow!

 

[Greycap]

As soon as I'll get there - had one test ride yesterday but the pictures aren't anywhere near publishable quality. In the meantime the cassette problem has been solved, the gouging wasn't as bad as I had feared and the main issue with removing the cassette was caused by ten years of petrified gunk. Now the only real issue that remains is the bottom bracket... if someone knows of a BB & crank combination that will, with 100% certainty, fit a 100 mm PF30 bottom bracket shell and give a ~77 mm chainline with a Q factor of ~200 mm I'm all ears.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Can't help you with the BB - but I do have pictures of my Soma! Finally got it all together and it rained. Took it out on a 12 mile exploratory ride. Some flat gravel, some pavement, a single track climb & descent, and some playground shenanigans. Its definitely undergeared for climbing. Top end is about 17mph, which isn't too bad, and it feels genuinely quick...maybe even a bit more eager than my gravel bike. Loving the high rise bars, it's a very comfortable bike. There is so much compliance in the tires that it feels more supple than my old hybrid bike that had a 60mm fork. It cruises down stairs with ease. It's just a fun bicycle that brings me back to my BMX bikes I had as a kid. I'm gonna ride it as it is for a while and just see where it goes. I'm not missing have front suspension - but the single speed is taking some getting used to, Marin county is inescapably hilly. My cable cutters were not getting through the dropper remote cable, so I gotta get a better pair. For this ride I jank zip-tied it to the bars. Here she is!