Nice bike, looks very clean (as in style).
Question on carbon framed bikes and turbo trainers. I was all set to put my road bike on the turbo trainer this winter and have purchased particular thru axel adaptors etc, but my LBS told me a couple of days ago to be careful as fixing the frame to the turbo can add additional stress to the frame. Anyone have experience of carbon frames on turbo trainers? Am I now overthinking it?
think it could depend on which trainer you have.
I have a Tacx Neo, which has a bit of flex built into its design so it does rock side to side a bit. As opposed to a Wahoo Kickr which I have heard/read is absolutely rigid in use.
I have not experienced any problems using my former best bike, (carbon Felt F1), on the Tacx..
You could always use a rocker plate if you have room for one as these reduce stresses on the frame..
Thank yup, yes it's a kickr snap so rigid and no flex.
If you have like a QR/TA adapter you’ll be fine, but it’s not recommended to use it for extended period of time. You’ll be better off with a direct drive turbo, but even then as far as I know, carbon frames are not designed to sit on the turbo… which bike is though? I’ve never heard of one being damaged from riding it on the turbo.Originally Posted by ~dadam02~
Rollers are much more fun! :-)
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Great looking bike. I bet it rides like a dream.I have a few friends who have winter bikes and one is looking to replace his winter bike with a gravel bike.
I have only a gravel bike now with some fast rolling tyres, it’s a custom geo steel frame with carbon fork etc
But I am so happy with it, been riding steel bikes for a few years so not remembering a lighter bike but hate riding on the road these days with cars passing too close or cutting me up so try and ride off road most of the time now!
Pic of my bike when out last week
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Here’s my new steel frame build.
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I've just replaced a steel Genesis Equilibrium disc with a Domane SLR, di2 and carbon wheels. Not really into road biking but the Missus is so this was purchased using 'man logic' to encourage me to do a bit more.
Need to fit narrower handlebars but it was a noticeable improvement over a 30 mile ride on Monday and at 8kg for a 60cm it's surprisingly light.
Anyone after a 58cm Equilibrium with trp-hyrd discs and 105, have a look on the bay- now sold.
Last edited by deepreddave; 17th January 2023 at 21:57.
Superb.
I have spent way too much time ogling those frames! Great choice.
Great looking bike. I bet it rides like a dream.
Here’s my new steel frame build.
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Thank you, it's a Stayer Cycles OG+ with the Enve carbon forks and other bits that I have added.. Did you buy just the frameset?
For indoor training I picked up a York Exercise bike for £20 and use that..
Yes, I only bought the frame and forks and the rest separately. It was a bit of a wait…
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Nice bike!
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I was able port over parts from my previous frame too.
Then it escalated and I now have SRAM Xplr Rival and Force mix
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Anyone have any recommendations for LBS in South London/Surrey area? I'm KT10. I've lost patience with my current one, maybe I'm unlucky, but a string of errors has left me frustrated. The latest episode, put my bike in for a regular service, expressed wanted tubeless sealant topped up, but it was forgotten and in addition my brakes which were tight as a drum have been loosened to the point of being scarily ineffective at, well, braking when needed. This is pretty symptomatic of all my experiences over the last 18 months, they always rectify in the end but so many unnecessary repeat trips to get there enough is enough.
Really want to find a proper outfit, trustworthy and competent in dealing with high end bikes (mine isn't) that I know when I get my bike back it will be in as good condition as can be. I don't mind paying for that privilege.
Thanks n advance.
Edit: were taking road bike, electronic gear shifting, if that makes any difference.
Last edited by ~dadam02~; 3rd September 2022 at 11:09.
Giro in Esher, Sigma Kingston?
I could give you a few that I know others are happy with (no personal experience of any though) but perhaps it would be useful to know the one you aren't a fan of?
https://airgotuning.co.uk/
Wilf at Pearson's in Sheen
Both have good reports from multiple clubmates.
Last edited by Bondurant; 3rd September 2022 at 14:21.
I got around to changing the pads to day
Although I've not been for a real ride, a quick spin around the block has established that braking is much improved.
It appears to be a combination of wear ( all were at the wear limits ) & the old pads being glazed/brittle
The new ones are much better, with better feel & more progressive breaking.
z
Last edited by zelig; 4th September 2022 at 13:22.
Hi chaps, I'm getting a new bike in the next week or so, perhaps several weeks depending on the bike.
I'm a little torn on the subject of the type of gear configuration that would serve me best for my type of riding.
That type of riding is basically fitness orientated (with a bit of generaly getting out into the countryside for the scenary and freshair). It is mainly on B roads and pot holed country lanes (I avoid A roads like the plague) and I'm more interested in getting up hills without having to stop or get off than I am about speed, although it's nice to get a move on sometimes.
I don't or plan on owning any lycra, and won't be joining a club or be heading out with a'pack' of cyclist with my head down andv arse up.
I'll not be off-roading at all, perhaps the odd cycle path or canal path but otherwise just the aforementioned B roads and country lanes.
I'm set on a flat bar hybrid/fitness bike, and have shortlisted to either a Giant Fastroad 'Advanced' 1 (2x11 105), 'Advanced' 2 with the stock Tiagra 2x10 swapped out from new to a 1x11 Deore 11/51 set up, or a Trek FX4 Sport (Deore 1x11 -11/51).
The Giant FR A1 is a lovely bike and if I go for a 2x set up, will likely be the one I go for.
However, I'm sort of tempted by the simplicity and potential hill climbing advantage of a 1x11 set up with a huge ranged 11/51 cassette. No front mech to fuss over and risk cross chain/gear duplication etc.
If I go for a 1x set up I am considering either the Trek FX4 Sport, which has a Deore 1x11 - 11/51 as standard, or a giant FR A2 with the standard Tiagra set up swapped out by the bike shop for a Deore 1x11 - 11/51 before i even pick up the bike. The Trek may have too high a 'standover' at 787mm though, although due to the acute slope down of the top tube toward the seat post, it may not be too high at the point I straddle the top tube, immediatly in front of the seat. I'm trying one at the weekend so I'll find out then I suppose.
The Giant's both have a very low 'standover' height of 719mm so much more clearence between the top tube and the family jewels. I appreciate I don't ride whilst straddling the top tube, but it is a tried and tested sizing method and I think some clearence is always wise.
My inside leg, roughly measured, is around 780mm or approx. 30".
All the above bikes are in medium carbon frames and hydraulic disc brakes.
So...
1/ Anyone with experience of this who can comment on if/how much better a 1x set up is for general fitness and especially getting up hills? (Please note that if I go for a 1x11 it will be the 11/51 cassette with a 40 or 42 tooth sinlge front gear.)
2/ If a 2x11 105 11/34 cassette, will be just as good up hills as a 1x11 - 11/51 and if you feel the front mech cross chain/duplication 'hassle' is worth it, or to be avoided if possible?
3/ Anyone gone for a 1x and either regretted it or thought it the best thing since sliced bread?
4/ Will having the componantry changed by an authourised dealer, from new and prior to me taking delivery, impact on or void the Giant warranty?
5/ Which bike would you go for, if you were going to ride as I do/will, and why?
Thanks, and sorry if this is in the wrong place.
Last edited by Orange Peel; 5th September 2022 at 09:23.
I'll leave others to comment on 1x as I have no idea but, suffice to say, changing components will not affect your warranty. Framesets get offered with differing components from different suppliers all the time.
I have a Boardman pro with sram 1 x 11
I’m no pro just use it to get around a keep fit - 20-30ish miles at a time - couple of times a week
I love the simplicity of 1 x 11 and don’t think I’d entertain 2 or 3 times - as you’ve said the simplicity of no front mech
Good luck and don’t underestimate the comfort of a nice bib set in mid 50’s
Untitled by biglewie, on Flickr
51 on the rear is an amazingly huge rear cog - didn’t know they even made such a thing!
Anyway a 1x system with 40t or 42t on the front and 11-51 on the back will give you super low gears but it will spin out very easily on the road or downhill, as the high gears won’t be very high. Also the gaps between individual ratios must be huge; suspect you’d often find you weren’t in quite the right gear.
Conversely a 2x system with say 50 and 34t on the front and 11-32 or 11-34 on the rear won’t go quite as low for hill climbing but will be far better on flat and downhill sections.
Personally I’d probably go for the 2x system but I am completely used to that sort of set up and prefer the versatility. I can see the attraction of the 1x setup.
Edited to add: as others have said don’t automatically discount Lycra - it is by far the best material for the job and you don’t have to look like a MAMIL.
Last edited by tertius; 5th September 2022 at 11:48.
Taking into account the lack of lycra, the correct answer to what gear type should I be using is always the same: Rohloff
1. One x is always best at both ends as the chain line is straight. Chains last much longer especially if you use a fully enclosed chaincase: I would suggest ChainGlider
2. See 1
3. Sliced bread. See 1
4. Once you have chosen Rohloff you won't need to change any componentry.
5. Something by Thorn (look at SJS Cycles). I like SJS cycles as they know what they are doing with Rohloff.
The extra weight of the Rohloff will help your fitness. Its robustness and longevity will be a joy for your wallet. Fully enclosed gears will only need maintaining once a year, with an oil change. The linear gear range will just be a joy. No more struggling to change out of too high a gear when arriving abruptly at traffic lights.
Just a couple of observations...
Standover height really isn't a good sizing method. If you're spending your time on road, you're going to be in roughly the same position for quite a while so getting the right size is absolutely key. You've only got three contact points on the bike so finding a bike which puts those in roughly the right place is very important if you're not going to injure yourself.
I use 1x12 on the mountain bike and it's great... less to go wrong, fewer levers on the bars so more space for the dropper lever etc. That said, the wide ratio cassette leaves some really big jumps which massively impact cadence. Not an issue off road but on a road bike I can see that being a real pain... Have a look at one of the many gear calculators online and see where the gaps are when compared to a 2x system.
I wouldn't worry about the min/max possible gear, if you want to change gearing on either you can change the cassette (within the limits of the rear mech) and/or the chainrings.
I have 2x11 on the road bike which is great for maintaining cadence (small gaps between gears) and 1x10 on the gravel/monstercross which is fine for making more relaxed progress.
How hilly is it where you live? If it's very, then the bailout cog on the 1x might be handy. But if it's not especially, the 2x set up will be much better for the riding you describe.
The 1x set up is designed for MTB and off road to help cope with steep challenging terrain, you won't need it on the road. With a 34 small chain ring and 11/34 cassette youll have a 1:1 ratio which will get you up pretty much everything id have thought.
Also minor point but tiagra is 10 speed I think, unless its been updated, although it can work with 11 speed I believe
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Thanks, some useful insights.
The 2x11 105 is a 34/50 front and 11/34 rear cassette.
Cadence is not too important for me, as I said I'm not a road racer, nor fussed much about speed. However, if the gear changes are 'agricultural' and clunky, that would bother me.
I've read good things about the Shimano Deore5100/6100 set up but realare better than potentially 'shilled' reviews.
I am concerened that the 2x will be a 'faff' with continually having to second guesse gear changes to avoid crosschain or ill advised gear combos, that would get on my wick.
Is it the case or am I worrying for nothing?
This is the Giant Fastroad 1 (105 11/34 and 34t/50t front).
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/fastroad-advanced-,
Note: If I went for a conversion from 2x to 1x it would be on the Advanced 2 as it's essentailly the same bike with lower end (Tiagra) componants, and so cheaper to buy and swap stuff out.
Here's the Advanced 2
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/fastroad-advanced
This is the Trek FX4 Sport (Deore 1x11 11/51 and 40t front)
https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/b...ort-4/p/35785/
Speed aside, the gaps between gears can be annoying if you can't find that 'just right' gear for the situation. On the other hand, you have redundancy with a 2x.
I wouldn't worry too much, find the bike that fits best and makes you smile most.
I'd say worrying for nothing. All nice bikes.
The Trek can take a wider tyre if that's important to you.
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It's not super hilly where I cycle but there are a few, it is undulating.
However, I have historically made it up most of them, bar one, most, if not all the time so it's really just that one that always defeats me.
It was on an old 20 year old (14kg?) mountain bike with a 3x9 (27 speed) deore set up, (recently sold on here) and I only used the middle sprocket at the front (not sure how many teeth it had).
I suppose that any carbon, modern bike be it 1x or 2x will feel infinitely faster, lighter and easier up hills than that old bike, but I got so used to struggling up that hill that I may have brainwashed myself into thinking I need an ultra-low gear set up.
However, the appeal of a 1x is not just in the low gear range, but also in the simplicity of not messing about with the front mech and having to think about it etc.
Sad truth is, I just don't want to think too hard about it when I'm riding.
Last edited by Orange Peel; 5th September 2022 at 17:48.
Fair enough, Id go with the Trek then, rather than fiddle with the giants
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I've had 1x on my gravel bikes for many years, and I've also used these bikes for road riding with road wheels. I'm a roadie originally and I did worry about the gearing gaps etc, but to be honest it wasn't really an issue I noticed. It's quite flat here though, so not any mountains to climb.
Thanks, the Trek does look tempting.
It has tubeless ready rims but doesn't come with tubeless fitted, unlike the Giants.
I’d always go with 2 chainrings at the front; the extra range is nice to have and I can always seem to get the shifting at the front ‘dialed in’ nicely.
1x does seem to be a bit of a ruse from the bike industry to convince us we need new stuff.
A lowest gear of 1:1 (so 34 front and rear) ought to be low enough to spin up most gradients if you have a degree of fitness and an absence of serious hills (so say 7-8% for a while or 10%+ for shorter periods). 40:52 is very low for on road and 1x as people say would lead to bigger gaps between gears which you might find irritating during on road use.
Thanks both.
I was under the impression that I'd have a greater useable range with a 1x11 (11/51) than a 2x11 (11/34)?
As for the gaps between gears, well I've not tried them yet but, there are two camps on that, some say it's irritating and, some say it's not an issue.
Personally, I have no hang up about cadence and am not too fussed about maintaininbg it but, would be annoyed if the actual shifts were clunky and agricultural.
Gaps I'm OK with providing the shifts are fairly smooth and easy to make.
I'm genuinly torn, and the poor supply of bikes right now makes seeing them in the metal, let alone actually trying them very difficult, without travelling silly miles, and even then I am struggling.
I don't mind a bit of a drive, say around 1 1/2 hours, perhaps 2, but that's about it.
Have a look at a gear calculator such as https://www.bikecalc.com/gear_ratios. You would have a greater range with a 2x (34/50, 11-32) than with your suggested 1x but whether it's useable is subjective based on your riding; the lowest ratio would be 1.06 compared to 0.78 but the highest would be 4.55 to 3.49. So you may like the lower gear and not miss the higher gear especially if you're not riding a genuine road bike. In very general terms 2x gives you say 16 useable gears so reducing the gaps.
Based on your posts I'd say you favour 1x and could live with the gaps/ lower top gear in favour of a lower bottom gear; you could get the best of both worlds with a 2x but it might be harder to get your preference without some customisation.
Why not say where you are as someone on here might have a bike in the right size you could try closer to home? Alternatively is there anyone who does bike hire close to you? It might be worth checking out the classifieds even and trying a couple that you can quickly resell at little loss before spending a wedge on a new bike that night not suit (although you can change everything at a cost).
As for smooth changes, Tiagra is pretty good but there's no denying 105 then Ultegra change more smoothly, brakes are better and will last longer but it's a bit like a VW might drive better than a Ford but a Fiat might do the job!
Ps there's a lot of value in second hand bikes but finding a good one can be a bit of a mission, no more so than with watches though.
Just buy one that fits and you'll be fine!
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Of course, but it also needs to suit me for the gearing. Otherwise, I'll be considering what a good fit it would be, if only I wern't carrying it more than riding it!
It sounds like you're leaning towards the 1x. If you find you don't need such a low gear, its an easy change to a 42t chainring or a smaller cassette.
Agreed. Don't worry about clunky shifting either, all modern groupsets shift well if set up properly.
And another +1 for padded shorts. You can get cargo shorts with a pad if lycra's too much for you.
Don't get me wrong, I only want to avoid lycra to spare myself being chased by sex crazed woman as I ride past.......errr yeah....that'll be it......
Just a couple of things to highlight - you said if you went 1x on the Giant it would be based on the Advanced 2 as Tiagra would be cheaper to chop and change; however, as was said above Tiagra is 10-speed only and the biggest 10-speed cassette from Shimano is 11-46 and so you wouldn't be able to achieve the 11-51 range based on Tiagra gears. Note also with 10-speed the gaps between gears will be even bigger.
Secondly if you did go 11-speed and the 11-51 cassette was TOO low geared, the next step from Shimano is 11-42 so a relatively big step up.
Forest of Dean MTB park is a good day out if you're in the area.
As I’ve said I have an 1 x 11 Boardman pro hybrid- I also had a 1 x 10 Boardman MTB for my daily commute- for my the 1 x 10 was ok for the couple of miles to work but more than that No good for road use - my 1 x 11 (44t ) for me is perfect for 30-40 miles rides on all terrain
A couple of years ago I took it to Cuba for a 10 day cycling holiday
Untitled by biglewie, on Flickr
Thanks, I’m not sure if we’re on crossed wires here?
If I had the Tiagra swapped out, it would be a complete set change, including front sprocket, chains set, derailleur etc. Ot would be a Deore 5100 set up, with a 40t front and 11/51 rear.
The limitations of Tiagra would be irrelevant as there would be nothing of it left.
Nice piece of kit 👍Forest of Dean MTB park is a good day out if you're in the area.
Now that’s a nice ride in the country, bet it was hot work?As I’ve said I have an 1 x 11 Boardman pro hybrid- I also had a 1 x 10 Boardman MTB for my daily commute- for my the 1 x 10 was ok for the couple of miles to work but more than that No good for road use - my 1 x 11 (44t ) for me is perfect for 30-40 miles rides on all terrain
A couple of years ago I took it to Cuba for a 10 day cycling holiday
It was but I’m a sucker - returning in November this year for another go - great fun in rural Cuba
OK, but don’t forget you have to change the shifters as well - it’s a lot to change - suspect it would be cost prohibitive vs just starting with a bike that was spec’d as you want it. (Assuming you can actually get one of course …)
Yeah, availability is crap for most bikes right now.
However, I can get the Giant A2 c/w the 1x11 mod (Inc shifters) for around £1670 all on. I could have it and be riding it within 7 days according to the LBS.
My CX bike is 1X and it's good for that albeit even when racing CX you're a bit between ratios sometimes. Spinning out in a CX race isn't likely 😂
On a bike for the road I really wouldn't consider 1X, far too compromised.
Running a 2X takes a bit more management on hills granted but you soon get used to it. If i can manage it anyone can!
Nor would I get a hybrid. If you want a jack-of-all-trades get a gravel bike. Otherwise get a road bike.
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