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Let's see your gravel grinder/CX conversions!

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Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational) This has to be the most physically intense sport ever invented. It's high speed bicycle racing on a short off road course or riding the off pavement rides on gravel like : "Unbound Gravel". We also have a dedicated Racing forum for the Cyclocross Hard Core Racers.

Let's see your gravel grinder/CX conversions!

Old 11-14-14, 05:38 AM
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Originally Posted by ricohman
Do you actually race that bike?
No racing just enjoy cycling.
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Old 11-14-14, 03:24 PM
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where did u get the super long stem?
I could use one of those as I have a similar bike.
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Old 11-15-14, 07:48 AM
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Originally Posted by KOBE
Thanks Erik_A, now that we are getting more rain and mud around here I am riding it even more. The only aesthetic I don't like about the bike is that it has so much seat post showing. Unfortunately I think a 23" frame is the largest hybrid made, but I keep looking for a 25".
Personally I think it looks just right. Saddle is same height as the top of the stem. Proportionally it's spot on. Aesthetically speaking the saddle seems to be tilted down at the nose.
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Old 11-17-14, 09:54 AM
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I used a Nitto Technomic that has a 140mm reach. They are very handy to get the handlebars up high.
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Old 11-17-14, 06:58 PM
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Originally Posted by wvridgerider
Oh yea, I puchased a Gunnar Crosshairs because I always wanted one and I have no regrets cause it is my do it all.
I want one too. But something has to go to fund it. That is the hard part.
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Old 11-17-14, 06:59 PM
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Originally Posted by wvridgerider
My only road bike.
Very nice bike, how do you like it?
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Old 11-18-14, 05:41 PM
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Originally Posted by cs1
Very nice bike, how do you like it?
I really enjoy this bike. The ride is great. I have had quite a few bikes and this tops them all, and my wallett knows it, most expensive frame I ever purchased. I had a Trek Pilot 5.9 at one time and this bike soaks up the road just as much. I am nery satisfied and happy I bought it.
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Old 12-18-14, 09:59 AM
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Here is the recreational (I don't race) gravel bike I built. It started as a Trek DS 3, but now not much of the original left. The bike is great for my purposes and is no slouch on pavement either.
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Old 12-31-14, 02:36 PM
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My "part time" gravel bike--'83 Trek 500. Seen here shod with Ritchey Speedmax 700x32 tires. 27" old school bike frames make excellent gravel bikes.


Last edited by 2:01; 12-31-14 at 02:47 PM.
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Old 01-05-15, 09:53 AM
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Ready to hit the swamp at Piggy's Revenge next weekend

The frame is a '92 Schwinn Crisscross hybrid (medium weight lugged cro-mo frame with a slightly relaxed geometry and ugly 90's color scheme). I swapped out the flat bar and thumb shifters for drops and barcons. Replaced the boat anchor riveted steel chainring triple with a CX crankset (36/46). Currently running an 8-speed 11-32 cassette, but the barcons only have enough cable pull on the stock RD for 7-speeds so I use the the cable tensioner to select either 12-32 or 11-28 depending on the course. Wheels are Pacenti SL32 rims I built up with some vintage 105 hubs. Tires are Bruce Gordon Rock & Road.

My "low tech" cargo solution is a $5 ebay soft-sided lunch cooler on a $15 Sunlite front rack. Not as elegant as the high-end canvas and leather bags, but highly functional and a lot cheaper
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Old 01-05-15, 05:11 PM
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Cool paint, I like it!
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Old 01-05-15, 06:18 PM
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That is a beautiful ride! you must be one tall dude to ride that big of a frame with the seat post and stem set that high! Nice picture, too...
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Old 01-05-15, 06:29 PM
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This is my "grinders". An' 85 Rockhopper that has served all purposes for me over the past the 30 yrs. that I've owned it. It is now an urban daily- rider that I take grinding on long weekends in the Owyhee desert of south Idaho and north Nevada where I live (and bike). I've ridden it stripped-down as a "mountain" bike, and also tricked-out as my grocery-getter and pub-crawler. There is easily 100k on this frame, and it is still all original components. A real testimony to the durability of 80s MTB's...and good maintenance...
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Old 01-06-15, 01:12 PM
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Trek DS 8.1 (dropped from lineup) with drop bar conversion. Wanted to do the lo-budget gravel bike Trek was not making at the time.



Shimano 3x8 2300 brake/shifters
Generic disc wheels
8sp cass
Avid BB5 brakes
Bontrager X-0 29 x 1.9" low knobby tires
VO PassHunter front rack... just to give the leftover brake studs on the fork something to do.

Was asking $700 for it at the shop, which would just have made traditional bike markup, but didn't sell, so I let it go for much less. Live and learn...
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Old 02-24-15, 08:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Triaxtremec
This is my Specialized Sirrus Sport, started as a hybrid I put drop bars and shifters on. Currently running 35mm Continental tires.


Sweet looking custom gravel grinder!
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Old 02-24-15, 09:21 PM
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'90 Trek 750 Multitrack, lugged True Temper. Converted to drop bars back in the mid-90s with Suntour Command shifters. Upgraded a couple seasons ago to 8-sp with Ultegra bar-end shifters and Velocity A23 wheels. It has served me well on 8 D2R2s (6 100k, 2 150K), the inaugural Honey One Hundred and F2G2. Room for up to Schwalbe Marathon 700X47. Shown below in D2R2/F2G2/Honey One Hundred gravel grinder mode (Clement X'Plor 700X40), and rain/Winterando configuration with fenders (32c Gatorskins)





[img]
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Old 02-25-15, 01:07 AM
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Update from my earlier post:





I've been running platform pedals on it for CX, as I've struggled with getting in and out of SPDs quickly. Swapped out a few parts (seatpost, pedals, new FSA cranks), changed the gearing to 46/34 up front and tweaked the handlebar position.

I'm probably going to weight weenie another couple of lbs out of it (lighter saddle, pedals and tires will do that), but it's great as-is. Fits me PERFECTLY and it rides great both on and off road. The hybrid geometry (this was an early 90's Diamondback Crestwood) is super predictable in the woods. I did my first race on it in early January, before we got buried in 4 feet of snow. Can't wait to get it out there again when things finally melt.

This is my crappiest bike and it might just be my favorite.
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Old 02-25-15, 12:25 PM
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Originally Posted by gamby
This is my crappiest bike and it might just be my favorite.
It's surprising just how lovable some frankenbikes can be I wouldn't go so far as to say my converted Crisscross is my favorite, but I certainly would miss it if anything bad happened to it.
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Old 02-26-15, 07:08 PM
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Wow!! Can you provide a bill of material for the conversion? That is exactly what I may need to do.
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Old 02-26-15, 07:14 PM
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Wow!! Can you provide a bill of material for the conversion? That is exactly what I may need to do.
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Old 02-26-15, 11:41 PM
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depends on what you are starting from. I stuck with the same 3x8 drivetrain the bike came with so all that was necessary was the STI shifters, inline adjusters, new shifter and brake cables. Luckily I had a shorter stem and set of drop bars lying around.
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Old 02-27-15, 01:08 AM
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Originally Posted by Cat2phat
Wow!! Can you provide a bill of material for the conversion? That is exactly what I may need to do.
If this is directed to me, I can break it down off the top of my head:

Diamondback Crestwood size M off of CL--$60
Bars--parts bin from a bike I parted out/flipped
80mm stem--$25 LBS
Bar Tape--ebay China $4
Quill adaptor--$10 ebay
CF spacers (to reinforce stem from slipping down the adaptor)--parts bin ($6 ebay at one point)
R600 9-speed levers (an oddball short reach version of 6500 Ultegra)--$52 ebay
WTB Pure saddle--parts bin
Shimano R500 wheels--parts bin
seatpost--~$18 amazon
Driven 9-speed cassette 11-32--$12 Amazon (got a crazy deal for some reason)
KMC chain--~$12 amazon
FSA Omega compact crankset--$60 Nashbar (25% off coupon)
46T Chainring--~$25 ebay (I put the new 50T from the FSA on my primary road bike--win-win)
platform pedals--parts bin
cable housings--parts bin
Cables--LBS ~$10
Kenda Redline Kross 700x35 wire bead tires--$30 pair Amazon
Tektro mini-v brakes--$20 ebay
Adjustable barrel v-brake noodles--$5 ebay
Suntour long cage RD--$5 CL
Re-used Shimano FD from original bike

I think that's it. Very small investment ($288 cash outlay plus the parts I already had). It's a pig (27 lbs as it sits), but I don't care. It's a fun ride.
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Old 02-27-15, 03:13 AM
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Built this 1X10 last spring. It has been serving me very well. It's a Blast to ride.
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Old 02-27-15, 02:46 PM
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Thanks,

Looks like a great spring project is about to commence.
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Old 02-28-15, 11:30 AM
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1994 Univega Via Carisma customized

Got this 1994 Univega Via Carisma on CL last fall as a project. Tore it down to the frame, then spent the long, snowy winter rebuilding it to this setup for bad weather training and dirt road touring. Selected from parts I already had, hence the franken-ness, but it's a fun ride.



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