Genesis Vagabond

[reohn2]

I'm about to buy the frameset and have been swayed by a good price on the net,I've been thinking about one for about 12 months or so as it fills a niche gap between my Vaya and Genesis Longitude.
I have pretty much enough suitable cycle parts,drivetrain etc,and a pair of XT hubs and suitable rims,all aquired over years of hording of new bits when on offer,and so think I'll only need a pair of BB7's and mudguards
Tyres are the sticking point,I want slicks,big 'uns,50mm or 55's.
Which narrows down the choice to Schwalbe Supremes or Big Apples or push the boat out and go for Compass Antilope Hill,though the cost of the Compass tyres is making me gasp .
So the first question is has anyone got a Vagabond and wazzit like?(I suspect it's like a short Longitude with Vaya steering going off the geometry,so should be great )
Secondly waddabout some opinions on the big slicks mentioned and are there any others worth considering,I dont mind a bit of tread but they must be light and quick,any ideas?

[fossala]

I'm about to buy the frameset and have been swayed by a good price on the net,I've been thinking about one for about 12 months or so as it fills a niche gap between my Vaya and Genesis Longitude.
I have pretty much enough suitable cycle parts,drivetrain etc,and a pair of XT hubs and suitable rims,all aquired over years of hording of new bits when on offer,and so think I'll only need a pair of BB7's and mudguards
Tyres are the sticking point,I want slicks,big 'uns,50mm or 55's.
Which narrows down the choice to Schwalbe Supremes or Big Apples or push the boat out and go for Compass Antilope Hill,though the cost of the Compass tyres is making me gasp .
So the first question is has anyone got a Vagabond and wazzit like?(I suspect it's like a short Longitude with Vaya steering going off the geometry,so should be great )
Secondly waddabout some opinions on the big slicks mentioned and are there any others worth considering,I dont mind a bit of tread but they must be light and quick,any ideas?

I've used compass tyres in the past. I think they are worth the extra. Don't know what size you are but there is an ex display medium frameset for £270 here. https://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m89b185s80 ... gKuCfD_BwE

[reohn2]

I've used compass tyres in the past. I think they are worth the extra. Don't know what size you are but there is an ex display medium frameset for £270 here. https://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m89b185s80 ... gKuCfD_BwE

Yes I saw that one but unfortunately I need a the large size to eliminate toe overlap.
Compass tyres do look an interesting prospect but I plan on using the bike offroad and I'm concerned about their fragility.That said I've no concerns about using 40mm Hypers on stoney tracks,though they don't cost the proverbial arm and a leg

[fossala]

I've used compass tyres in the past. I think they are worth the extra. Don't know what size you are but there is an ex display medium frameset for £270 here. https://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m89b185s80 ... gKuCfD_BwE

Yes I saw that one but unfortunately I need a the large size to eliminate toe overlap.
Compass tyres do look an interesting prospect but I plan on using the bike offroad and I'm concerned about their fragility.That said I've no concerns about using 40mm Hypers on stoney tracks,though they don't cost the proverbial arm and a leg

I don't like hypers and compared compass they're not very comfortable. I ran 38mm 650b, never had a sidewall issue but I never have with any tyre. Handling got a bit funky if I dropped the pressure too low, but I'm talking around 25-30psi and the low trail frame may of not helped.

As with anything in cycling, put your money where you feel there is a noticeable advantage. For me that is tyres, handlebars and saddle.

[reohn2]

Thanks Fossie I'll bear it in mind

[andyh2]

I keep thinking about getting one of those framesets too.

I've got a pair of WTB Nano 29x2.1 ready if I do. They come up a little bigger than 2" Big Bens (which are really 1.8"), seem to roll at least as well on road and have better grip off road. Probably not as puncture resistant, but I haven't had to test that yet.

[reohn2]

I keep thinking about getting one of those framesets too.

I've got a pair of WTB Nano 29x2.1 ready if I do. They come up a little bigger than 2" Big Bens (which are really 1.8"), seem to roll at least as well on road and have better grip off road. Probably not as puncture resistant, but I haven't had to test that yet.

Thanks for the heads up the WTB's though I think on paper they're a first rate tyre,I think they may be a leettle too knobblie for the kind of trails and typeof riding I have in mind.
At present I'm stuck between Big Bens and Marathon Supremes but at 650g for the 2in version I'm leaning toward Supremes though I know they'll come up smaller.Ideally I'd like a similar quality tyre that's 2.1inch ,Ill keep looking until I have t make a desicion.

[Bez]

If you're interested in the Supremes I have a pair in 28x2 size which I was thinking of selling. They've only done 130 miles; they roll really nicely on tarmac but I want something with a little more grip off-road. PM me if they're of interest.

[kwackers]

After R2 mentioned this frame and after a bit of digging I've also bought this frame. I like the basic layout and it seems fairly configurable - horizontal dropouts or replaceable dropouts would have been the bees-knees but you can't have everything and the price of this seemed pretty fair.

So at the risk of hijacking R2's thread.

R2 mentions BB7's - on the basis he almost certainly knows more about such things than me I'm going to go with those.
So what sizes of discs do I need? I notice the BB7's come in 160, 180 & 200mm. Do I need different sizes front and back?
(I notice you can pick up a pair of these quite cheap on eBay - £50 including the rotors...)

I'm going to try and make up my own wheels...
Rear is going to be a 8 spd alfine IGH.
I want 45mm or so road tyres, but haven't a clue about rims and spokes.
Anyone recommend a good rim and/or good spokes (I notice there are a few spoke length calculators online and various instructional docs and vids - should be entertaining).

Anything else I should be aware of?
(I'm the sort of person who buys a bike, adjusts the seat and then doesn't bother tweaking anything after that so what's good and what's not so good isn't something I have knowledge of).

[Bez]

At the risk of looking highly suspicious on this thread, I've also got some brand spanking new BB7s (with 160mm rotors) for sale. (Bought them a while back for my son's new bike, but when I finally came to build up the frame it turned out they wouldn't fit inside the stays, so I had to buy some Shimano hydraulics.) Again, PM if they're of interest…

And… er… I've got some unused Mavic XM319 700c rims, too. No spokes, though

[reohn2]

Kwackers
160mm rotors are the limit on most solos,I should think Bez will fix you up with BB7's(damn it I only bought a pair earlier in the week)but you must match calipers to levers.
If you're planning to use road STI's you must use Road BB7's(the silver coloured ones).If you plan on using drops with a bar end gear lever you have a choice of Tektro RL520's with MTN(black calipers) BB7's or Tektro RL340's with Road(silver coloured)calipers.
Or if you're planning on straight bars MTB brake lever and MTN(black calipers)

Rims:-
These should be bombproof but only available in 36hole,check if they're the same spoke count as your Alfine, https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s116p1569/EXAL-ML21
Also bombproof and available in 36 and 32 hole drillings :- https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s116p67/RIGIDA-Sputnik
Both these rims are heavy duty touring rims that go on and on,and are wide enough for the fat rubber you're planning on riding.

For spokes,DT Swiss or Sapim double butted will do the job,Spa will assist with further advice on the phone if you tell them what you're planning,don't forget to tell them about the electric motor,they'll advise on spoke length too.
If you need a front hub Shimano six bolt Deore M591 or XT M536 will be fine for the purpose.

[kwackers]

Cheers R2.
Lots of good stuff there for me to ponder and research.
I've taken the BB7's off Bez so I'll wait until they turn up before deciding on bars/levers etc (I'm still undecided on the type of bar I want to use, or the shifter for that matter)

I'll pick up some rims and spokes from Spa, I bought the 36 hole alfine (figured you can never have enough spokes...)
I'm looking forward to attempting to lace up my first wheel - what's the worst that can happen?

[reohn2]

Cheers R2.
Lots of good stuff there for me to ponder and research.
I've taken the BB7's off Bez so I'll wait until they turn up before deciding on bars/levers etc (I'm still undecided on the type of bar I want to use, or the shifter for that matter)

I'll pick up some rims and spokes from Spa, I bought the 36 hole alfine (figured you can never have enough spokes...)
I'm looking forward to attempting to lace up my first wheel - what's the worst that can happen?

You'll have a hole spare
Seriously,I've no doubt a man of your caliber will have no problems.

[Bez]

I forgot to mention, my BB7s are the MTN version.

And if a 36 hole Deore 6-bolt front hub, without skewer, is any use to you I can chuck one in the box for free; I bought a couple because they were cheaper than the skewers

[reohn2]

Why do I always find out after the event
I found the framsdt £30 cheaper after I bought one.... .....story of my life

Anyway tyre pm incoming Bez