and i'm looking forward to building it up. but i'm also looking for some help with finalizing the build.
what i either have (or have on order) so far:
FSA crank (48/38), with matching bottom bracket (square-taper). 12-25 9-speed 105 cassette and chain. XTR M-952 rear derailer. Nashbar frame, fork and stem. CK headset.
i plan to use 9-speed Campagnolo brifters (probably Mirage or Xenon) with a Jtek Shiftmate. also have the bars and saddle already picked out. seatpost will be whatever i can get cheap - as i'll probably break it.
where i'm stuck:
front derailer. anybody have any recommendations? Shimano, Campy, FSA? i've kind of been planning on using a Campy Mirage double, but if anybody has any better suggestions i'd appreciate the advice.
rims. hubs will probably be either Shimano XT or WTB, unless i get a deal on something else. 32 or 36 hole, 3x lacing. since this is going to be a "fun" bike, not a race bike, i'll probably go disc (unless i throw the NOS Onza canti's i've got lying around on it). that said, has anybody got any suggestions on rims? black with machined brake surfaces is my only real criteria. and clincher or sew-up? i've never owned a bike with sew-up tyres, but i've always heard good things about them - and there seem to be plenty of sew-up 'cross tyres available...
phillybill
02-05-06, 08:21 AM
any front dr. will work with the 48/38 combo.
jhota
02-05-06, 12:01 PM
barely two hours after my first post, i managed to snag a nice Centaur double FD for less than ten bucks on eBay, so that's settled.
still looking for input on the rim question, though.
madopal
02-06-06, 04:48 PM
<Watching this thread with interest.>
I'm looking at building up (mostly) the same thing, and I was wondering if you're building the wheels because a) you want to, or b) like me, you can't seem to find disc ready 700c wheels. All the Nashbar ones appear to be 27". I'm making a commuter, so I'd like sturdy 700c wheels for the speed and I'd wind up putting fatter tires on it.
jhota
02-06-06, 07:51 PM
yeah, i can't find disc 700c wheels. that's pretty much the whole reason, though it is kind of a niche market.
outofthesaddle
02-07-06, 12:01 PM
Easton Sagitta - Not light but disc ready 700 wheels with 130 spacing...
cool. but the Nashbar frame has 135 mm spacing. d'oh!
priced a set of wheels by a local builder, figure that that's the path i'm going to take ($150). probably get a snazzier set later in the year after my savings get replenished.
With 135 any mtb disc hub should work for the wheel build. Nice looking frame. Looks nice without all the logos (only one on the headtube?) Have fun building it up!
and i'm looking forward to building it up. but i'm also looking for some help with finalizing the build.
what i either have (or have on order) so far:
FSA crank (48/38), with matching bottom bracket (square-taper). 12-25 9-speed 105 cassette and chain. XTR M-952 rear derailer. Nashbar frame, fork and stem. CK headset.
i plan to use 9-speed Campagnolo brifters (probably Mirage or Xenon) with a Jtek Shiftmate. also have the bars and saddle already picked out. seatpost will be whatever i can get cheap - as i'll probably break it.
where i'm stuck:
front derailer. anybody have any recommendations? Shimano, Campy, FSA? i've kind of been planning on using a Campy Mirage double, but if anybody has any better suggestions i'd appreciate the advice.
rims. hubs will probably be either Shimano XT or WTB, unless i get a deal on something else. 32 or 36 hole, 3x lacing. since this is going to be a "fun" bike, not a race bike, i'll probably go disc (unless i throw the NOS Onza canti's i've got lying around on it). that said, has anybody got any suggestions on rims? black with machined brake surfaces is my only real criteria. and clincher or sew-up? i've never owned a bike with sew-up tyres, but i've always heard good things about them - and there seem to be plenty of sew-up 'cross tyres available...
Sounds very nice so far. Why the Campy/Shimano mix though? IMO go with either Shimano or Campy. I am a Campy user but in your case Shimano might be your best bet. I would also use barcons instead of brifters. Shimano 9 speed barcons are cheap and totally bullet proof. A set of brake levers and barcons are a lot cheaper than good brifters. Plus Shimano makes those really nice BR550 cantilevers. Good luck.
Tim
jfmckenna
02-08-06, 07:56 AM
I am curious about the campy/shimano mix too. I have a campy 8 speed cassette that I use a suntour barcon in friction mode with a Shimano LX RD. But I did not know that you could use campy brifters to change on Shimano cassette.
--- OK I just saw the Jtek Shiftmate thingie that you are using on Sheldon Browns site. It looks pretty cool. Report back on how it works if you dont mind...
Ronsonic
02-08-06, 06:33 PM
Check out this link: http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=3946
http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=3946
There's a lot of ways to mix and match this stuff. I put my bike together totally on the cheap using 9s Mirage to shift ebayed Shimano der and cassette. It works great and cost almost nothing. When I've got a few more bucks I buy a Campy rear der and a 9s Shimano cassette and that combination will also work.
Ron
jhota
02-09-06, 07:33 AM
i'm mixing Campy and Shimano because of disc hub availability, the fact that i prefer Campy, and the why the hell not factor.
i'm using brifters instead of barcons because i prefer brifters. i'm using Campy brifters because i can't stand Shimano brifters.
post office attempted to deliver (but didn't) the headset and front derailer yesterday - picking that up at the post office sometime this afternoon. also wondering where the rest of my Nashbar order is (fork, some tools, etc.), since everything was ordered at the same time...
well, i kind of cheaped out on the wheels. but i'll probably end up getting a nicer set built to mount road tyres on anyway. had my LBS build me a pair with Deore disc hubs, Sun CR-18 rims and DT Swiss straight-gague spokes. $150 for the pair. what made it a better deal was the shop selling me a set of Avid Road discs at cost. less than $300 for wheels and brakeset. they still haven't finished building the front wheel yet, but i've got the back.
also ordered a set of Centaur brifters from 11speed.com - $136 shipped. another deal i couldn't refuse.
ordered tyres at the LBS, too: 700 x 32c Continental Twisters (http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/themes/tires/city/twister/twister_en.html).
almost ready to ride! yay!
jfmckenna
02-22-06, 07:38 AM
Cheaped out on wheels maybe but they are hand built and for $150 you cant beat that.
isotopesope
02-22-06, 08:43 AM
those conti tires look great. i might have to give those a try when my speedmax's need replacing. i've been wanting some fatties and i see they come in 42c! nice.
your build looks great so far. i look forward to seeing the results. any reason you went with a long cage rear derailleur with a 12-25 cassette? just had it laying around i suppose?
jhota
02-22-06, 07:34 PM
i wasn't originally planning on a 12-25. that was just an eBay extra that came with the crank and bottom bracket. i did, however, want to use an M952 rear derailer from the start.
do you know how rare short-cage 952 derailers are? i was bidding on a used one on eBay, and lost out - because it ended up going for more than a new long-cage. i'll probably eventually change out to a 11-32 or 12-34. unless i eventually decide to go all Campy.
jhota
02-27-06, 08:35 PM
almost done. just need tyres and to re-route the rear derailer cable.
it shifts o.k., but the standard Campy cable was really too short to run through the Shiftmate and the derailer with a decent housing run, so i chopped the housing a bit shorter than i would like. need to get a short piece of housing and a longer rear cable.
Hah, we have very similar bikes, except I went with the XTR short cage. Nashbar also had a set of CXP-22 with disc-compatable hubs that match the bike perfectly for $120 after coupon. Will post pics of my build soon!
Alox
03-09-06, 04:49 PM
qqy, is there a duty to be paid in buying mailorder bikes from the states, or is it just the exchange rate. I know that every time I buy carparts from the US, I get dinged for about 20% of value.
With the loonie looking as good as it does, it seems cheaper than buying locally
p.s.: I know all the LBS boosters will be upset with me, but think about it... they're just passing high wholesale manufacturer prices onto the consumer. A $1900 bike in the US should not cost $2500 here, even with dealer mark-up.
Cerberusgl
03-10-06, 05:58 PM
I've been running the shift-mate this winter with 10sp Campy Ergo brifters, Centaur R-der, SRAM 9spd cassette, and a single chain-ring up front. The shiftmate set-up works pretty good. I was using a AC conversion cassette with a wipperman chain but I only got 2300mi out of the cassette. Parts for the 9sp Shimano drivetrain are a lot cheaper and I expect them to last a bit longer too.
The wheels are Salsa Degado cross with XT hubs from bikeman http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/c/CXWHL the wheels aren't listed any more but they now show the FSA disc ready and Cane Creeks. Easton is making the Sagitta disc 700c plus Mavic has the Speedcity wheels. The Eastons have 130mm spacing but the disc ready frames I've seen are all 135mm. More and more wheels should start to become available with the combination of Disc CX bikes and 29ers.
qqy
03-23-06, 11:30 AM
qqy, is there a duty to be paid in buying mailorder bikes from the states, or is it just the exchange rate. I know that every time I buy carparts from the US, I get dinged for about 20% of value.
I believe that extra duty is only applied to assembled bikes, not bike parts. I just pay GST & PST, which along with shipping is still far cheaper than anywhere in Canada.
hamr22
03-24-06, 07:26 AM
jhota: what is the verdict? How do you like the bike? It looks like a winner.
jhota
03-25-06, 03:33 PM
jhota: what is the verdict? How do you like the bike? It looks like a winner.
i f****n' love it. finished pics are in the "show us your cross bike" thread.
it rides like ****; the first Al bike i've ever owned, and it reaffirms why i've not bought them in the past. but it is very quick and handles great, perfect for a pure "fun" bike. the cheap, beefy wheels are fun - i've been riding it on local trails, and i can (well, i do at least; long-term effects are yet unknown) bomb over and through pretty much anything i did on my mtb. takes a little more finesse, but the ten pound weight advantage makes that more than a bit easier.
and the all-black with minimum decals looks sick in person, too.
cradduck
03-25-06, 07:49 PM
that bike looks awesome. I was thinking of doing almost the same thing but i think that i am going to go with velocity deep-v rims.
cydewaze
04-25-06, 10:34 PM
Sorry to resurrect a month-old thread, but I've been thinking about building a cyclocross bike up our of my spare parts, and I ran across this frame in a Nashbar catalog today. It looks like a good deal.
I might be building it up with discs, if I can find a cheap set of disc wheels. If I use something like a 12-25 casette, I should be able to get away with a short-cage road RD, right? It doesn't seem like you'd need a logn cage for a 38/48 split.
Does anyone have a geometry chart for these frames? I have no idea what size I'd order.
Alox
04-27-06, 11:07 AM
Nashbar on-line, there's a geometry spec. Also check out their 700c disc wheelset under the MTB wheels
Psydotek
11-14-06, 08:12 PM
Bump from the past... :D
How's the bicycle holding up? I'm planning on building one early next year hopefully using the same frame to use as a commuter/beater/cyclocross bicycle. :)
dwainedibbly
11-15-06, 04:38 PM
This isn't cx-related, but since you asked about this frame...
Commuter/beater? I built up one of these Nashbar frames last winter as an e-bike with a Wilderness Energy motor kit to commute on in the warmer months here. (I can't arrive at work sweaty, but I can put in some miles on my ride home at least.) I put nearly 1300 miles on it this summer and it's holding up very well. The components are a mix of Nashbar and Deore LX, mostly, with a steel Nashbar fork. Graphics by edecals.com.
No flames on the ebike, please. It's the only way I can commute in the warmer months. I'm riding a Bianchi San Jose now, until May, if that helps. :)
crummyrider
01-10-07, 06:47 PM
What size tires can you squeeze in that? I know Nashbar says up to 35 but wondering if you think something bigger would fit?
idcruiserman
01-11-07, 02:42 PM
38mm
jhota
01-24-07, 06:29 PM
Bump from the past... :D
How's the bicycle holding up? I'm planning on building one early next year hopefully using the same frame to use as a commuter/beater/cyclocross bicycle. :)
haven't killed it yet - and i ride it more than any other bike i own. haven't even broken anything yet.
watch me wreck it within a week, now.
Psydotek
01-25-07, 12:02 AM
Excellent. :)
Well, i'm trying to get my hands on a Kona Jake The Snake right now or a Surly Cross Check (from craigslist and ebay respectively) but if all else fails, i'll be going with the Nashbar frame. :D
jhota
01-28-07, 08:48 AM
the Kona's a nice bike - i considered one before building mine. but i still don't understand the Surly mystique.
nowheels
01-29-07, 10:19 AM
the Kona's a nice bike - i considered one before building mine. but i still don't understand the Surly mystique.
Just finished building a Kona Jake....I was highly impressed with the overall ride so far. I think the thing about the Surly is they just make a good product at a good pricepoint. Plus there are people that still want steel bikes and do not want to pay a small fortune for them.
LBIkid
06-25-07, 06:19 AM
the Kona's a nice bike - i considered one before building mine. but i still don't understand the Surly mystique.
As far as the Surly thing that you mentioned, it depends on what you use the bike for. I just finished a Cross Check build and love the bike. I wanted something that was super versatile. Right now I have it speced with a flat bar, Pauls Thumbies, a trekking crankset and 45 tires for burning down fire roads. Obviously, with this build I don't race it. I had an aluminum CX bike and sold it after 6 months becuase the geometry was too aggresive and it didn't have many rack mounts. Just depends on what you're looking for.
nowheels
06-25-07, 07:04 AM
I've since sold my Kona to a friend that was looking for an urban bike....we made it flat bar for him with a Deore setup. So I am back in the market for a cross bike for the winter. Might consider the Cross Check this time around