Spa audax mono

[martinn]

Hi all,
I have been looking at alternatives to my current fixed set up for a while and came across this offering from Spa, which I hadn't seen before.
Not much info on clearances, and if the wheel only runs free, or if it has rack mounts, so have asked those questions.
It's made from Reynolds 725, with a carbon fork, so should ride well.

Does anyone have one, or tried one?
( I would have preferred a frame only only option but they don't seem to do that)

Thanks
Martin

[slowster]

I would have preferred a frame only only option but they don't seem to do that

Frame only option expected to be available towards the end of March according to this thread on Singletrackworld.

[531colin]

………. if the wheel only runs free,.....

Erm….pardon?
I haven't been involved with this one, but I have seen it.
I think the rear hub is this one https://spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s171p1132/FORMULA-Track-Hub-rear judging by the slotted cut-outs in the flange....therefore its a flip-flop fixed/free hub....does that answer your question? (aren't they mostly flip flop fixed/free?)
You can see the rack mounts in the pictures on the Spa website https://spacycles.co.uk/products.php?mode=search...double eyelets on the rear dropout and a "water bottle cage" type mount towards the top of the seatstay.
Its got dual pivot sidepulls so if you fit 28mm tyres you will have to be fastidious about mudguard alignment and even then it will pick up stuff under the guards on mucky back lanes.
For a carefree life I think its 25mm tyres; 28s would be OK on clean tarmac if you are really careful with the guards.

[martinn]

Hi 531colin,

Sorry, I was looking at the pictures on my phone....
From the description, i couldn't see any mention of the number of teeth on the rear cog, and when looking most wheels are flip flop, but the info wasn't clear.
I am assuming that the geometry is the same as the geared audax version, and I am assuming that the carbon fork is the audax carbon fork. If so any, advice for how to crown mount a front light and have mudguards. I have tried to do this in the past and had to change how I mounted my light. I have wondered if that was just me
I was looking to run 28mm tyres, I have one bike set up with 28mm tyres, and a very fastidious mudguard setting. But could live with 25mm.

Many thanks
Martin

[roubaixtuesday]

Probably a stupid question, but how is the chain tension adjusted on that machine?

I would have thought moving the wheel in the drop outs would be an issue for the rear brake?

And there's no mention of an eccentric BB?

[martinn]

I run fixed already with a rear brake, and tensioning the chain, doesn't seem to make much difference to the braking, but that could just be my mechanical unsympathy, I have snapped two chains on this bike.
So happy to be corrected on this matter, to be honest I haven't given it any thought. I suppose being logical, the amount of movement of the back wheel is not large enough to cause a problem.

[fastpedaller]

Probably a stupid question, but how is the chain tension adjusted on that machine?

I would have thought moving the wheel in the drop outs would be an issue for the rear brake?

And there's no mention of an eccentric BB?

The photos are quite dark, but it looks like it has track ends ie horizontal with opening at rear.

[531colin]

Probably a stupid question, but how is the chain tension adjusted on that machine?

I would have thought moving the wheel in the drop outs would be an issue for the rear brake?

And there's no mention of an eccentric BB?

This is probably going to seem picky, but in the last 100 or so years I imagine many more bikes have been built where you adjust the chain tension by moving the wheel than all the other ways of adjusting chain tension put together. It really isn't a problem, and an eccentric BB isn't a magic bullet; an eccentric BB adds cost and complexity to the build, and if the rider can't work out how to move the wheel and adjust the brake blocks to suit, then theres no guarantee they will be able to adjust an eccentric BB.
The bike has dual pivot sidepulls; a "feature" of these brakes is that as the brake blocks wear one moves up towards the tyre, and the other moves down towards the bottom of the rim. Over time you have to adjust the block position as they wear, so why not adjust the chain tension and the brake block position at the same time? Even with an EBB the brake block position will need adjusting from time to time.
On the other hand, I ride with plenty of "new cyclists" who have no idea how to adjust their brakes. As soon as the lever gets too close to the bars, they take the bike to the shop where the nice mechanic fits a new set of brake pads. Of course if we are out on a ride and the lever comes back to the bars, somebody has to show them what the barrel adjuster is for.

[531colin]

......….The photos are quite dark, but it looks like it has track ends ie horizontal with opening at rear.

Maybe my PC has a good monitor; I can see a track type dropout (horizontal slot, rear opening) with double eyelets for mudguard and carrier and a grub screw in the front of the axle slot acting as a "chain tug."
similar to this, but not the same...https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=48F750FA418E2B0100D6C316300CEC7BA75FC678&thid=OIP.h0XgCzo98V8pTV2KtJpS1QHaFj&mediaurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ridemorebikes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F11%2Fsingle-speed-track-ends.jpg&exph=768&expw=1024&q=track+dropout+screws+picture&selectedindex=31&qpvt=track+dropout+screws+picture&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=0,1,2,6

[roubaixtuesday]

Probably a stupid question, but how is the chain tension adjusted on that machine?

I would have thought moving the wheel in the drop outs would be an issue for the rear brake?

And there's no mention of an eccentric BB?

This is probably going to seem picky, but in the last 100 or so years I imagine many more bikes have been built where you adjust the chain tension by moving the wheel than all the other ways of adjusting chain tension put together. It really isn't a problem, and an eccentric BB isn't a magic bullet; an eccentric BB adds cost and complexity to the build, and if the rider can't work out how to move the wheel and adjust the brake blocks to suit, then theres no guarantee they will be able to adjust an eccentric BB.
The bike has dual pivot sidepulls; a "feature" of these brakes is that as the brake blocks wear one moves up towards the tyre, and the other moves down towards the bottom of the rim. Over time you have to adjust the block position as they wear, so why not adjust the chain tension and the brake block position at the same time? Even with an EBB the brake block position will need adjusting from time to time.
On the other hand, I ride with plenty of "new cyclists" who have no idea how to adjust their brakes. As soon as the lever gets too close to the bars, they take the bike to the shop where the nice mechanic fits a new set of brake pads. Of course if we are out on a ride and the lever comes back to the bars, somebody has to show them what the barrel adjuster is for.

I am merely in ignorance of rear brake adjustment on fixies and wondered how it works - most seem to come with front brakes only, and I've only ridden fixed on the track, where brakes are frowned upon . I have some vague recollection of seeing a description of a fixie which lauded the spec of an eccentric BB, but I may have misremembered.

I guess you're saying that there is sufficient room for adjustment on rim brakes that occasion chain tension adjustment doesn't really matter. I *can* assure you that all brake adjustment on my stable is by yours truly.

[pwa]

I had a bike with horizontal dropouts upto about 2001 and I remember having to adjust the brake blocks after changing the wheel position for some reason. It was a simple five minute job and no big deal.

I have also used an eccentric bottom bracket and it is not without problems. For anyone fussy about their sitting position it is less than helpful. It moves the centre of the bottom bracket forwards / backwards and up / down, just to get chain tension right. When you've done that you are then left wondering whether to just live with the slightly different saddle to bb distance and angle, or try to restore it to its theoretical optimum. And if you muck about with that you change the saddle to bars distance. An EBB isn't a perfect thing.

[531colin]

Sorry, I missed this.....

…….. any, advice for how to crown mount a front light and have mudguards. …..

The brakes are like all modern brakes....they have a nut recessed into the back of the fork, the nut fits an Allen key.
So the mudguard fitting goes behind the brake, not at the back of the fork.
You could mount a light bracket in the same place, longer nuts are available to make sure there is enough thread engaged...https://spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s100p2679/SPA-CYCLES-Brake-allen-nuts
I'm a bit risk-averse concerning brakes, so I wouldn't like to mount my brake on top of one of the "wire" type lamp brackets...https://spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s169p3226/RIXEN-KAUL-Light-Bracket-for-Fork
if a bracket made from sheet metal https://spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s169p1231/SCHMIDT-75507-Caliper-V-brake-Bracket provided a completely flat surface for the brake to mount to, then I would use it....I'm not sure that one does, you would have to see it for real; on the other hand, its not too difficult to make your own bracket if the light mounts with a nut and bolt.

[slowster]

The brakes are like all modern brakes....they have a nut recessed into the back of the fork, the nut fits an Allen key.
So the mudguard fitting goes behind the brake, not at the back of the fork.

An alternative option is the Gilles Berthoud replacement nut. If you have the mudguard bracket at the front of the fork crown, the top of the bracket often fouls on the bottom of the headset and has to bent out of the way - or removed with a hacksaw - to enable the mudguard to be pushed up to maximise clearance with the tyre.

The Gilles Berthoud nut eliminates this problem as well as allowing the mudguard to be installed at the rear of the fork crown, since the nut usually protrudes far enough from the back of the fork crown to keep the mudguard bracket from touching the headset.

[martinn]

Sorry, I missed this.....

martinn wrote:
…….. any, advice for how to crown mount a front light and have mudguards. …..


The brakes are like all modern brakes....they have a nut recessed into the back of the fork, the nut fits an Allen key.
So the mudguard fitting goes behind the brake, not at the back of the fork.
You could mount a light bracket in the same place, longer nuts are available to make sure there is enough thread engaged...https://spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s100p2679/S ... allen-nuts
I'm a bit risk-averse concerning brakes, so I wouldn't like to mount my brake on top of one of the "wire" type lamp brackets...https://spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s169p3226/R ... t-for-Fork
if a bracket made from sheet metal https://spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s169p1231/S ... ke-Bracket provided a completely flat surface for the brake to mount to, then I would use it....I'm not sure that one does, you would have to see it for real; on the other hand, its not too difficult to make your own bracket if the light mounts with a nut and bolt.

Hi 531colin,
I tried a longer nut, a mid sized nut and shorter nut.
The light is a wire type bracket, and I just didn't feel confident that the nut was stopping before the internal diameter of the hole in the fork narrowed for the screw. The mid sized nut didn't quite reach, to tighten up. I am using Shimano BR650 brakes. I wonder if the screw thread on the tektro brakes is longer?
Interesting point about the way the dual pivot system wears brake pads out. I had noticed they wore differently, and adjusted them in use, but just sort of assumed that I wasn't setting them quite right in the first place.
I will look for a flat mounted bracket that will fit the light (B&M IQ cyo)

regards

Martin

[531colin]

I don't actually own a bike with dual pivot brakes, but......
I think the brake nut should bear on the recess in the back face of the fork crown.
Spa list 5 lengths of brake nut, (12 to 30mm) the biggest jump in length is only 7mm.....the hole in the middle of the steerer must be at least twice that?
I think I would take the front wheel and mudguard off and (with the bike upside down) assemble the brake and the light bracket....assuming the bottom of the steerer tube is open, you can see what length of brake nut you need?