New Rob Roy Group Buy Thread.

The BikeForums Team

-adv-

This is an archived thread, you can find the full version of this thread, with images, links and more content here.

Ready to buy? Check out these two online bike stores:
- http://www.nashbar.com (you can find the latest bike nashbar coupons in this thread)
- http://www.performancebike.com (you can find the latest performance bike coupons in this thread)

Cya on the forums,
- The BikeForums Team
- http://www.bikeforums.net

climbhoser

And you guys were all over me for being a Monday moaner...

hate to say "I told you so."

Boy am I glad I got the bad jive way back when and got a Crosscheck instead.

Ziemas

What's the rush? We all knew it would be awhile, and these things are never on time, regardless of who you are buying from. When did people lose their ability to wait for something?

It's not like most of us don't have another bike to ride......

shapelike

Ahh, but what fun is waiting patiently when there's a perfectly good circle-whine to be had?

doco

And you guys were all over me for being a Monday moaner...

hate to say "I told you so."

Boy am I glad I got the bad jive way back when and got a Crosscheck instead.

that's funny climbhoser, and I finally sold my crosscheck...I wish I had it now.....

how's the new commute going, climb....take it safe out there...I just got run into again by a blond on a cell

good times in denver:)

sfcrossrider

I need mine by August for DFL, and cross season. I'm busy building my new road bike. SRAM Red... I love how it rolls off the lips.

waltj

I may need to sell my Rob Roy frame before it comes in in the beginning of March. It is a green 58. I am willing to let it go for my remaining balance of $100. PM if you are interested

bward1028

i am so ready for this bike to come. it's been like monsoon season here.

Ziemas

i am so ready for this bike to come. it's been like monsoon season here.

I sure wish we had a monsoon season instead of year round rain. :(

glenng

shapelike

I found out about the Rob Roy buy about 2 weeks to late and I was bummed at the time that I had missed out. I was really itching for a CX bike. So I went to my LBS and found that they had Crosscheck Completes for $799. I have been riding my CC for 2 months now. My LBS treated me great and I am glad I bought locally. I hope when your frames do come in it is everything and more that you wished for. But for me this thread taught me the the importance of supporting my local economy. I could not be happier with my new bike.

At that price you paid dealer cost for the bike and any margin they could have hoped to make was bled out by the labour costs associated with getting the bike ready for sale (assembling, tuning, setting up the bike for you). Hopefully you bought some extra parts/accessories that they actually made a profit on, otherwise there's not too much sense going on about supporting your local economy.

efficiency

Huh? He purchased the bike at a price the local dealer was willing to sell at. If they did not make profit, that's their mistake.

kbabin

yep, looks like closeout price on last years model??

http://citybikes.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=9959

glenng

At that price you paid dealer cost for the bike and any margin they could have hoped to make was bled out by the labour costs associated with getting the bike ready for sale (assembling, tuning, setting up the bike for you). Hopefully you bought some extra parts/accessories that they actually made a profit on, otherwise there's not too much sense going on about supporting your local economy.

I believe my LBS got special pricing. He had several crosschecks for $799 and Long Haul Truckers(I don`t remember how much for the LHT). It was not a barter price, $799 was on the 'hang tag'. I knew it was a good price and I could not build a bike with new parts for that price so I bought it. I also bought egg-beaters, clothing etc. I have been doing business with them since 94 and they have always treated me good. I have purchased at least 10 bikes from them over the years and lots of little stuff and frames too. Its an old school family owned store that has been in biz since 1974. I often find better prices at my LBS than on the internet for small stuff like pedals , speedos,blinkies etc. I`m lucky to have a good local bike shop. I know not everyone has a good LBS close by.

climbhoser

Dealer cost on bike prices is usually 50%-60% of sticker price. On a Surly Xcheck brand new that puts dealer cost at $475. I'm pretty sure they made money on it.

bonechilling

Surly is QBP, and QBP is known for blowing out frames at bargain prices in order to clear their warehouses. The LBS probably got a discount to take four or five compete Cross-Checks of QBP's hands, and they passed those savings onto the consumer.

If the OP has a "Misty Mountain Grey" CC, then this is almost definitely the case, because those are discounted just about everywhere you look.

SeanBonham

what gear ratio are you guys gonna run? I can't really decide. On my old Cross Check I was running 39x19 fixed and that sucker was slow, but great for climbing. I am going to be using this bike for fun off road duty and a little commuting. I have a 42t chain ring and a 18t freewheel. I am thinking it may be a little high for the light singletrack I want to ride....

DDYTDY

I'm running 40/20 on my current fixed cross bike for off road light single track. Its way to low for the street but good for the dirt, just right in the flats, to low for down hill and to high for the up hill.

shapelike

I`m lucky to have a good local bike shop. I know not everyone has a good LBS close by.

It's nice to hear you have a good relationship w/ your LBS. You'll probably enjoy that bike for years. I built one up for my gf (the British Racing Green one from a year or two back) as her daily commuter and she loves it. She's got full-on commuter pride at how much she can carry around on her rack. ;) When I was in France last year I also happened to run into a couple of guys touring around Europe on a couple Cross-Checks and they seemed to be doing just fine.

shapelike

Dealer cost on bike prices is usually 50%-60% of sticker price. On a Surly Xcheck brand new that puts dealer cost at $475. I'm pretty sure they made money on it.

I'm not going to discuss Canadian dealer cost prices but regarding $475, we should be so lucky. That being said, if QBP is blowing out Cross-Checks and dealers in the states can get them in their hands for cheap (unlike Canadian shops that would get screwed on shipping/customs fees) I can see how a profit could actually be made.

* * *

Dear QBP,

Thanks for screwing over your Canadian Surly supplier and all your Canadian Surly retailers. Nice one.

Hugs + kisses,

- Mike

Psydotek

SeanBonham

I had thought about it, but went with the new IRO hubs.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=390173

Westjw2

Anyone that wants out of the group buy with a 62cm frame i am interested.

caloso

I can wait. I want to use the new Sheldon Brown Memorial ASC 3-speed fixed hub whenever that comes out.

DDYTDY

I have my Harris Cyclery hubs with Sun M19A tubular rims, some NOS Suntour XC Pro Cantis, Dura Ace aero brake levers and a nicely polished sq taper Dura Ace crank set.

TimJ

I've got rims and front hub (suntour xc pro w/ grease guard). I'm waiting for a dimension rear hub to come in at bikeman. The only color a 32 hole rear comes in stock is black, and I don't want black, so I'm gonna get a gold anodized one from bikeman. I loves anodizing.

mihlbach

I found this over on the SSFG forum:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=390389

I want to use this for the rear hub on my Rob Roy. :D

http://www.londonfixiebike.co.uk/index.html

http://www.londonfixiebike.co.uk/pictures/set1.jpg

That thread was unfortunately deleted, but you can find more here....
http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=373566&page=2

I'm in love with this idea and did something similar with a Surly disk hub. I don't know if you were aware, but these are spaced 120mm and the Rob Roy frame is 132.5mm. You'd either need another cm or more worth of spacers and probably a longer axle, or you could use a 135mm spaced SS disk rear hub and end up with a flip flop fixed/free setup.

Frunkin

If anybody wants out in the 58 cm let me know.

Psydotek

That thread was unfortunately deleted, but you can find more here....
http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=373566&page=2

I'm in love with this idea and did something similar with a Surly disk hub. I don't know if you were aware, but these are spaced 120mm and the Rob Roy frame is 132.5mm. You'd either need another cm or more worth of spacers and probably a longer axle, or you could use a 135mm spaced SS disk rear hub and end up with a flip flop fixed/free setup.

Crap! I just realized something... I actually want to do CX racing on this bike and i want to have a freewheel option. Those hubs aren't going to cut it as a flip/flop hub. :( I suppose i could build 2 different wheels but that means more $$$.

hoprocker

[QUOTE=Psydotek;6211341]I found this over on the SSFG forum:

http://www.londonfixiebike.co.uk/index.html

I want to use this for the rear hub on my Rob Roy. :D

A friend of mine did this a couple of years ago for a polo bike. He just took a disc brake hub, drilled holes in a cog, and bolted it on. He said it worked pretty well for polo, but wasn't sure about messengering on it.

mihlbach

Crap! I just realized something... I actually want to do CX racing on this bike and i want to have a freewheel option. Those hubs aren't going to cut it as a flip/flop hub. :( I suppose i could build 2 different wheels but that means more $$$.

Theres no reason you can't set of a ss rear disk hub as a flip flop. Like this...
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=600085&subcategory=60001107&brand=&sku=12033&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Freehubs%2FRear%20Hubs
You'd probably end up with a rather wide chainline, but its doable.

climbhoser

Crap! I just realized something... I actually want to do CX racing on this bike and i want to have a freewheel option. Those hubs aren't going to cut it as a flip/flop hub. :( I suppose i could build 2 different wheels but that means more $$$.

As I just found out, you can put a freewheel on the fixed side of a hub, you just don't have as much threading to bite into. Many 'cross racers on fixed/free or even fixed/fixed hubs with freewheels.

Ziemas

Crap! I just realized something... I actually want to do CX racing on this bike and i want to have a freewheel option. Those hubs aren't going to cut it as a flip/flop hub. :( I suppose i could build 2 different wheels but that means more $$$.

You don't need one of those hubs for the RR, you only need the cog and an unaltered rear IS 6 bolt hub.

http://www.londonfixiebike.co.uk/faq.html#b3

mihlbach

As I just found out, you can put a freewheel on the fixed side of a hub, you just don't have as much threading to bite into. Many 'cross racers on fixed/free or even fixed/fixed hubs with freewheels.

What sort of gear ratio are you planning on using when riding fixed? The iso cog/disk hub setup is advantageous for running really low gears because you eliminate the risk of stripping the hub threads. But as long as you are staying above a 2/1 gear ratio, you shouldn't have any troubles using a basic fixed/free flip flop hub with thread-on cog.

muteseh

On the other forum, someone said that he talked to Tony and now they're coming in the second week of March. At this rate, they should arrive just in time for the 2008 cyclocross season.

This still the case? Seems like forever ago that we started this group buy.

mihlbach

This still the case? Seems like forever ago that we started this group buy.

Yeah..when did this group buy get started? I can't even remember. All I do know is that its much older than this thread.

Ziemas

Yeah..when did this group buy get started? I can't even remember. All I do know is that its much older than this thread.

About six months ago.

SeanBonham

So far I gots:
New IRO Hubs
Velocity Areohead rims
Speedplay Frogs Pedals
Salsa 42t Chainring
Origin 8 Space Bars (same as On One's but silver)
Would have a Thomson seatpost, but it got stolen off my porch, ****.....

Gonna have:
Salsa Cromo Stem
Regal Saddle
Honjo Fenders
Cane Creek Headset
Tektro CR720 cantis

Not sure:
Levers
Seatpost
Cranks

mihlbach

Would have a Thomson seatpost, but it got stolen off my porch, ****.....

Dumbass...its a Thomson. What do you expect to happen if you leave in unguarded?

SeanBonham

Uhh, it was in a ****ing box being delivered.
It's not like I just keep my parts on the front porch.

mihlbach

Uhh, it was in a ****ing box being delivered.
It's not like I just keep my parts on the front porch.

The delivery guy should have known better. Crooks can sense a Thomson right through the box.

jhota

woohoo! cranks came today! (Truvativ Hussefelt 1.1)

now i have a crankset, bb, and brakes (with no pads)...

Frunkin

Any good budget builds? I'm looking to spend 4-500 total.
Can it be done?
Does he dare?
Suggestions?

Edit: If this is going to be a fixed/free commuter/racer what crank arm length should I go for? I have 175's on the road bike and mtb, and I have really long legs. 170's? 172.5's? I don't know. Inform me.;)

mihlbach

Edit: If this is going to be a fixed/free commuter/racer what crank arm length should I go for? I have 175's on the road bike and mtb, and I have really long legs. 170's? 172.5's? I don't know. Inform me.;)

I use 175s on my road and mountain bikes, buy I prefer 170s for fixed gears. The powerloss is minimal, but your maximum cadence goes up...helpful in sprints and going down hills fast.

jhota

I use 175s on my road and mountain bikes, buy I prefer 170s for fixed gears. The powerloss is minimal, but your maximum cadence goes up...helpful in sprints and going down hills fast.

also, since you have to pedal through turns, the shorter crank length helps mitigate pedal strikes.

Frunkin

Ok, so 170's for fixed. But If I run it SS for races and general riding are the 170's going to be worse for that? I've heard that you want longer crank arms for cross, so I don't know if going to 170's would be good for SS racing.

mihlbach

There are multiple philosophies about this. Shorter cranks let you spin more, while longer cranks give you a little more leverage for getting up hills. Personally, I buy more into the shorter crank school of thought for both singlespeed and fixed gear. I can usually crank up the hills OK regardless of crank length, but I feel like I have an easier time maintaining a high cadence with shorter cranks. The only time I prefer longer cranks with SS is when I am riding my SSMTB on complicated singletrack where there is little opportunity to really spin it up. Otherwise, shorter is better for me. You may not be able to decide for yourself what's better without trying both, but keep in mind that a slight change in crank length is basically the same as a slight change in gear ratio....its a minor difference and not something to loose sleep over.

DDYTDY

I'm of the shorter cranks, spin faster camp. I run 170's on all of my bikes including my fixed cross bike, excepting the Pista. Its got 165's

I do have a short (30") inseam though.

Psydotek

I'm planning on using 170mm cranks too. I've got them on my other Iro fixed gear and i didn't feel much of a difference compared to my other bikes.

I've got 175mm cranks on my CX/commuter and 172.5mm cranks on the road bike (both came that way).

I'm planning on using 170mm cranks on all future bikes when i can. My knees seem to like them better when it comes to distance riding.