kk27

Guys... after much thought.. I'm still confused whether I should be building a LD/Rando bike. I have 2 Roadbikes, Scott Speedster & a Vintage Olmo(SS/Fixed). Scott is a Race bike with 5inch drop but my BRM bike for now...I've done 200 & 300 on it... but going for longer distance is an issue. I also have plans on touring France after PBP. I've done a loaded tour on the Scott but the handling was terrible which what I don't want when I'm already dying on the bike after 600km & another 600 to go. So I've thought of buildling a Rando/LD bike from the Cross Check.
What's your take on this???

For size... My Measurements in inches
-------------------------------------------
Inseam: 33
Trunk: 23
Forearm: 13
Arm: 26.38
Thigh: 23.23
Lower Leg: 22
Sternal Notch: 56
Total Body Height: 68.3

I'm still confused on the Frame size... but I think I'll go with size 54 probably with a 80mm stem. Guys with CCs or who have test ridden it can help.

I'm actually going in just for the Frameset & building it up on my own... here's what I have in mind for it. Your suggestions on fit, components & colour are welcome.

1. Cross Check Frameset - Size: 54/56(confused) - Colour: Black/Brown (I like Black, but Brown seems to be different but a bit dull... what's your take)

2. Components
-Durace Downtube shifters (I have a soft spot for them over Barends)
-105 RD/ Tiagra FD 9spd
-53/34T Crank... (or should I add a standard Triple??), 11- 32cassette (or will regualr 12-26 work??)
-Trektro/ Shimano Break levers (which one will be better)
-Cantilever Breaks (Trektro I guess)
-San Marco Rolls saddle (Have already ordered one to be used on the Scott for LDs, any suggestion)

3. Wheels
-Mavic A319 Black 36 hole rims (Any other rim with better Bang for Buck)
-Tiagra Rear Hub
-DH3N72 front Hub (already have this)
-Tyres (I need suggestions here, Conti 26mm is what I have in mind)

Well now thats a pretty long list of question/ suggestions asked... I've marked them in blue so it's easier to spot them .

Kaushik Iyer

Barrettscv 

I use both a steel framed Cyclocross bike and a Ti framed road bike. I like both, but the Cyclocross bike is more versatile. I like that the Cyclocross bike can except larger tires, fenders, racks even if I rarely use them.

I have a triple on my Cyclocross bike and a double on the road bike. My comments are below;

I would consider a Compact double with a 50 & 34 chainring combo with a 11-32 cassette or a Road Triple with a 12-27. My Shimano 105 triple with 50, 39 & 30t chainrings is a great set-up. It operates flawlessly and has an ideal set of gears for almost any situation.

I would go with lighter rims, if you plan on using 26mm tires. 32 spoke Mavic Open Pro are very strong. I'm 215 lbs and the Open Pro have been flawless.

Hope that helps!

CliftonGK1

I'm a fan of the compact 'cross/touring crank (34/48) mated to an 11-32 cassette. It gives me the low end capacity for the hills, but still has the high end up enough that I'm not spinning out when riding with a fast group. I don't need any super top end gearing for the downhills; I prefer to just coast, so this setup is fine for me.
I love my Tektro brake levers. I'm not sure which model stocked with the 2008 Cross Check Complete (thought it was the RL520), but they're a standard pull lever and it appears that the RL520 is a linear pull lever only. The shape of the hood is really comfortable, and I'll see if I can dig up the model number for you.
I've got the levers hooked to some Tektro CR720 brakes. I didn't like the stock low-profile cantis, and the 720s aren't an expensive pair, but they work astonishingly well.

lonesomesteve

I've been using a Cross Check as my brevet bike for a little over a year now and it works pretty well. I just finished the Cascade 1200 on it two days ago. My build is pretty similar to what you describe above (see this blog post for details). It's not as light or lively as I'd like, but it has all of the features I wanted at a very reasonable price. The only thing I wanted to change about it during the Cascade 1200 was the gearing. I'm using the standard drive train that comes with the fully built Cross Check, and the 38/28 low gear wasn't quite low enough for climbing Washington Pass on the fourth day.

kk27

Thanks guys,

The Soma looks neat... CF fork & B17 saddle.. now that's a combination .

The Shimano levers are thin & pointy... are the Trktro ones a bit wider??

@Seteve: thanks your blog was really helpful... it's a sweet setup. I've gone for Brown frame..something different. I see that the B17 is quite popular. Are they really that great?? & what about thier maintenance??

What was the difference you felt of the Noodle bar over the regular Drops??

I need some input on wheels... The open pros are available here in India but only 32 hole.. I need a 36.. atleast one of them for the Dyno hub... but then front36 & rear 32 will not be asthetic .

kk27

Hey will using a compact double 50-34 with a 28 rear sprocket be enough... or should I get myself a standard triple chainset 50-39-30. that means good ratio at the top, regular road midrange ratios accessible with the 39... and a bailout with the 30. surely the 30-28 should do it.

electrik

This is primarily a question of terrain and load.

lonesomesteve

The Tektro levers are quite a bit wider than Shimano and tons more comfortable for my hands.

The B17 is great if it fits you, but I guess backsides are like fingerprints and snowflakes. Every one is different. Still, I probably see more B17s on brevets than any other saddle. Maintenance is not a big deal. I put on some Proofide a couple times a year and that's pretty much it. You may need to tighten the tensionor a couple times in the first few months of use also. The only caveat with Brooks saddles is if you ride in the rain a lot. They tend to stretch out pretty fast if you get them wet a lot.

The Nitto Noodles are comfortable, but to be honest it was more of an aesthetic choice than a functional one. I've use other ergo type bars and found them to be comfortable too. Bar's are another one of those personal choice things. You should use what works for you.

Open Pros are good. Since I wrote that blog article I've changed to Open Pros with a Ultegra rear hub and Schmidt SON 28 front. Both are 32 spokes. But, there are plenty of other good options for rims so if you can find something else with the spoke count you need, don't rule it out. The key to good wheels is having them built by a good wheel builder. And as far as having a 36 spoke front and 32 spoke back, I doubt that anyone but you would ever notice unless they started counting spokes. Sure, it would be more "proper" to have two wheels with the same count or even a 36 on back and 32 on front, but having a 36 on front and 32 on back will work fine both functionally and aesthetically.

When it comes to gearing, I think that's a question only you can answer after having ridden a few brevets. Some people insist you need mountain bike type gearing for Randonneuring while others do fine on a standard double (52/39) with a tight road cassette. Heck, some even do fine on a fixed gear at 70 gear inches. Start with something sort of middle of the road and adjust from there after you've had some experience, but don't agonize over it.

Good luck and have fun building your bike.

mattm

Nice job on finishing c1200! Post a ride report yet?

lonesomesteve

Thanks, Matt. No ride report yet. I'm still getting caught up on sleep.

Hey, congrats on the Cat 3 upgrade. Damn, I remember when you were just a lowly rando...

kk27

OK so I worked out a lot of deals online on the components.

& it turns out like this with shipping in INR

San Marco Rolls Black = 3060/- (already ordered)
Trektro RL340 + Trektro Oryx Cantis x2 = 3400/-
Mavic A319 36hole rims + Cinelli Cork = 4107/-
Shimano 105 Black 10spd rd + Shimano 105Black 36 hub rear + Michellin Dynamic 28c(I like it's classic look) = 7665/-
Shimano R540 Pedals + Shimano 105-3triple FD + Edge Mount = 3745/-

The crnakset, headset, chain & seatpost will be locally purchased. So in the end it works out the same cost as the stock bike. So I think I'll stick to getting a Frameset+Downtuber shifters+Stem. This way I think I'll be lesser duties than on the complete bike.

kk27

well I was kinda thinking if I could use the RD from my trek 3700 - Shimano Acera for the job? I'm thinking of converting that into a Single Speed.

Well Can I use the entire drive train??? Though I would like to have some bigger gears on the top. but I think I can manage. What do you think about the idea guys?

Will it work??

Feaduin

You should be able to transfer the entire drive train without problem, Surly uses pretty standard measurements for its frames and fittings. Depending on where you are going in France, you may want to consider a compact double or triple. Some of the hills in the East can be pretty gnarly to climb loaded, though most of the north central and western part of the country is gentle and rolling.

Coincidentally, I just returned from a tour of France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Holland with my Cross Check. All in all, the bike is a very capable and comfortable LD and light touring bike, it is predictable at speed and behaves well under moderate load. Its also tough enough to survive the terrible Flemish roads and the cobbles of Northern France and Flanders (I would know).

Fwiw, my build uses a 34/50 compact double with a 12/28 cassette.

mattm

Ha ha, thanks. Fwiw I think my rando background gave me the (big) base I needed to do so well this year.

I hope to do at least a 200k this summer, but don't make fun of my team kit too much!!

kk27

hey guys the bike is here. I got one from Wiggle.






They did a great job at packing the bike. I was a bit sckeptical about the Brown, but in person it looks very very different.

I'm still stuck on the wheels!!! Should I go for Mavic 719 OR CXP33 as of now 719 is available at Evans in 36hole But the CXP33 only in 32, I need 36 since my Dynohub is also 36, Both are coming around the same price. Which one will be better for the task at hand???

Homeyba

Flip a coin. The719 is a touring wheel so I believe it will accommodate a wider tire if that's what you want. They are both heavy, strong wheels and will work just fine.

kk27

How about a open sport??? They are available locally now but again only in 32 holes. So I can order a 36hole for the front from Evans & rear as 32holes with Tigra/ 105 hubs. I'm not too sure if I'll be putting fatter tyres than 32. I've heard a lot putting 32mm on Open sport,that's not a problem But you think having a 32hole Open Sport in the rear is a good idea??? I've seen a 32open sport Front wheel crack at the spoke. Or is that it's always the wheel build that matters.

So what's more bang for buck - Open Sport, A719 or even A319, considering I'll put a max of 32mm tyres or maybe 35mm which are available locally.

The one advantage with Open sport is that it can easily take fast 23 - 26 mm tyres too. While the 319 & 719 cannot.