Cyclist0108

At risk of hijacking my own thread, I have my eye on this one:

https://alexscycle.com/products/sugi...-plus-crankset

If I get this, should I get their BB or keep my Shimano Ultegra-compatible one?

My Di2 RD limits me to 32T in the cassette, unless I get one of those extendo things.

My Ultegra crank is on its second inner chainring (these wear out fast, but it was only $20), and recently I had to dremel down one of the outer ring teeth after a rock strike.

veganbikes

If the Ultegra one works with those cranks, stick with it until it wears out. That crank can be had from any LBS with an account for Merry Sales Co. I think you can hack Di2 derailleurs to have longer cages (using ultegra mechanical bits I think?) or just go with XT or XTR Di2 stuff. With those you have a better off-road capability and you can run a triple which could be nice.

I personally might not want to do a long extended tour on Di2 but that is just me. I dig Di2 and want to build up a rig for myself but just don't want it for touring.

If you want to keep a Crabon fork for your bike the Rodeo Adventure Labs Spork is a cool option

robow

bikemig, please understand that as much as I like these cranks, they're obviously not for everyone and surely not for all touring. My standard touring bike still contains a 46/36/24 with an 11-34 in the rear. But if I'm going light and I know I'm not going to see a lot of steep climbing then it's a definite possibility, especially if I were to be limited to a double up front.

Cyclist0108

Yeah, Di2 is kind of a stupid thing to have on a touring bike.

Maybe I should just start looking for another frame, since I have just about everything* else already, except a crank that I would have to buy either way.

* = the second wheelset I would use anyway, RD, trekking bars, brake levers, stem, etc.

Squeezebox

Di2 is not stupid at all if it actually works better. And I hear it does. That Rodeo carbon fork is the 1st that I've seen with mid-blade eyelets, looks good. Price??
The tandem forum has a long thread about Di2 including XTR with drop bars, and a triple that works well. Check that out. Most people won this forum will say it's not stupid to tour on any bicycle.
Good luck!

Cyclist0108

OK, I meant in terms of how mine (Ultegra) limits you to a double, and 32T in the cassette. (I understand the XT version might offer more options, but I don't think you can mix and match. At the very least I would need new FD and RD.) Also, if you are going to do something long-distance, eventually you have to charge the battery, which means either finding a bike shop or dragging along your charger. Also, if something breaks, it is much harder to get it fixed out in the middle of nowhere.

My ideal touring bike would be a steel frame, hydraulic disc brakes (I think the added complications over cable brakes would be worth it), and conventional shifting with a triple crank. If the 520 (or similar) came with hydraulic discs, I would get it.

fietsbob

You can always work with the Bike Shop that sells Trek (etc.) and change component parts

from the ones they ship with, to what ever suits your tastes better ..

New Bike, new Parts can have some trade in credit to spend on your chosen Upgrade.




...

Squeezebox

Hey! whatever you want or decide to do.
Is Co-motion within your budget?
I get the impression that the road and MTB versions of Di2 are compatible. Charging a batter every 2 months or so sounds easy enough. The better shifting of an electronic triple would be an issue for me. You might check that Di2 tandem thread just for fun.
The Trek 920 is aluminum but does have hydralic brakes.
Be Happy!

manapua_man

Di2 actually isn't bad, a bunch of my friends abuse the living crap out of it on their CX bikes, and they're not only using em for races. I wouldn't bother on a touring bike, but I doubt that I'd have any real problems with it either.

Cyclist0108

Isn't that a tandem? I don't think I could afford the divorce attorney fees.

Unfortunately, they aren't. I think if you have XT(R) FD and RD, you can use them with the ultegra levers, but you can't for example just swap out the RD (unless they changed it since I last looked).

It is. I deliberately ran it down (took over 6 months) when I first got it, just to see what would happen. It dies slowly. The FD is the first to go, so you can get back home (or wherever) with a heads up. Also, if you hold any of the buttons down, it does a battery check.

The shifting for me has been flawless. I got it because at the time hydraulic road brakes were bundled with it, but I am not sorry. (I probably never would have tried it otherwise.)

I thought they were trp hybrids. I'll check it out (although I never have had an aluminum bike I didn't wind up hating).

Edit: You are right. TRP now makes full hydraulic. My bad. If I could get these on a steel frame, I think I might be tempted... That price is competitive with XT mtn bike brakes.

I'm happy with what I have. I just was wondering how much sense it makes to tour with it. So far I like the ultra-light idea best, and if I do something involving more than one coast, maybe it would be worth it to get a new touring bike.

fietsbob

I guess if you stay where you can recharge all those things with batteries , Hotels, Motels

Camp grounds with RV hookups , Bring your re charger to lunch , etc. then your electronic devices
and the shifters are OK.

Squeezebox

Even the cell phone charge can last several days if used wisely. A Di2 charge every few months should be easy enough. What else? Kindle? camera? You don't need a charge every day.

Cyclist0108

Just because I have Di2 doesn't mean I have a cell phone. I'm still a steel-framed Luddite.

Squeezebox

Does having something as high tech as Di2 cancel out your Luddite steel frame status?

Cyclist0108

Absolutely not! (I actually got Di2 because it was obligatorily bundled with Ultegra hydraulic brakes at the time, but I'm not sorry. I have really enjoyed it, and in 2.5 years never had a bad shift. Besides, this bike doesn't have lugs or a horizontal top tube, in addition to the carbon fork and bars, the hydraulic brakes and electronic shifters, so it qualifies more accurately as "boutique" than "retro." But at least it has a B17 (having swapped out the original color-coordinated arse-hatchet).)

Cyclist0108

I should try to find out what the lowest gearing was on my 1990 Trek 520 or my 1981 Miyata 1000. Anyone happen to know?

Nevermind. I found it. Looks like in the case of the Trek 520, the front was 50/48/28 and rear was 12-28, so the lowest gear ratio was 1:1 on that bike, which at the time, got me down the Pacific coast. The Miyata had a 14-28 freewheel and a 52x47x34 (!) triple crank, and I biked the Peloponese in 1984 with that.

Funny I should find my 50/34 vs. 11-32 so hard to push (1991 wasn't that long ago, was it?). Maybe getting a 46/30T would be good enough.

robow

The Trek had a 13-28 cassette and Biopace chainrings according to their catalog. Can't see it listed but guess you could count the teeth.

https://www.vintage-trek.com/images/t...Trek89_520.jpg

Cyclist0108

Thanks. When I saw that I realized I had the 1990 Trek 520.

travelinhobo

It's never stupid to tour. And it's never stupid to tour on a bike.

That said, I'd be afraid of that thing getting stolen! Make sure you bring a good lock with you.

Cyclist0108

Yeah, I think I would have to sleep with my legs wrapped around the frame. I hope my wife never finds out.

CliffordK

In Italy, I brought the bike into the tent a few times. But, lately I've simply locked wheel to frame, and tied it to my tentpost.

I'm not sure if I sleep soundly or not. But, I figure I'd notice if someone took down my tent trying to get my bike.

Squeezebox

I wish I had a copy of this post a while back.
A young couple on tour. The man is sleeping inside the tent with his arm around his bicycle. The young woman is sleeping on a mat outside the tent by herself.
A go figure moment.

SparkyGA

Swap that crank and hit the road bud. You've got yourself a fine looking touring bike.

Your frame triangle is actually massive compared to most mountain bikes hardtail that are very common for bikepacking. Measure it off for a frame bag and you'll have plenty of extra room.

I've heard nothing but amazing things about DI2's overall. My friction shifter is jealous

Cyclist0108

Update: bike now has a 46/30T White Industries crankset, which, for the record, is working flawlessly with the Di2 shifting and 11-32T cassette. I decided on this crankset because it gives me the luxury of choosing a wide variety of chainrings should I need to gear down even more.