Bike Bought - Thank you

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
BikeBuddha
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Joined: 11 Aug 2019, 6:15pm

Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by BikeBuddha »

Hello all



I've purchased a Stanforth Kibo, Rohloff version. It's designed for world travel. And you all helped me very much. So, thank you.

As some stretches of expedition may require ten day's riding without resupplying, I've elected for the Andra 40 wheels. Weight rating - 180kg. I'm 85 kg, and with food, equipment, and work clothes for working on farms, the max weight i expect is around 133 kg, above the Andra 30s.

The frame will be oversized and rated to 160 kg for similar reasons, with an increase of 0.5 kg on bike frame.

Chris King Headset. Hopefully, will just last.

Rohloff hub, for stronger, 26 inch wheels, easier hillstarts, etc.

I intend to travel to remote parts of the world, so are swayed by compatibility of parts. So, i thought Chain rather than belt drive. This will not compromise the stiffness of the frame by having a break in the seatstay.

Also, thought Rim brakes over disk brakes, the received wisdom from Tom's Bike Trip, and Nomad Trails. This is a final decision i must make. The rim/disc brake is agonising. I am swayed by meeting a man from namibia who was shopping for a friend for disc pads, who could not order them in namibia. Of course, there is the downside of less stopping power, especially in wet, modulation, and rim ware. Not sure how long the andra 40s will last. I must say, not having to go to big cities to get parts is a must.

I still also have to decide between a lugged frame, or a fillet brazed frame. Unfiled. The lugs are from Australia, andI am keen to reduce the carbon footprint of the bike. Lugs may be aesthetically more appealing. Or, having unfiled fillet brazing by Lee Cooper on show might have its own allure?

I have thought to have mountings for a derailleur and disc brakes also on the bike, for future compatibility. But has you need a different rohloff hub for the disc vs rim, so I am not sure this is wise. Does one ever go back to a deraileur? A good back up in case rohloff fails? I will have to buy a different rohloff hub if i ever go full on rim brakes, after electing from rim brakes.

As always, any thoughts on the above are welcome.

Anyway, thank you for your help. I know you thought this day would never come, but the bike is paid for, and i just have to write the final choice. Including, black or silver hubs, bars, etc. Oh, the agony of indecision.

So, i am going on retreat to contemplate the nature of reality, and of course, what colour my bike should be. Black parts and blue. Midnight blue colour scheme, i am thinking.

Again, my thanks to you all.


Bike Buddha.
Last edited by BikeBuddha on 16 Sep 2022, 8:42am, edited 1 time in total.
pwa
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Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by pwa »

Learn how to change your own rims. It isn't all that tricky and doesn't require a lot of tools.
Bonefishblues
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Re: Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by Bonefishblues »

Ooh that's a nice bike.

Now you're absolutely sure? :D
PH
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Re: Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by PH »

I'm sure it will be a great bike, hope it's everything you want it to be,
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Audax67
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Re: Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by Audax67 »

Good health to ride it!
Have we got time for another cuppa?
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MrsHJ
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Re: Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by MrsHJ »

Sounds good.

I wouldn’t go do too flashy a colour. There is an argument for Matt black or navy blue- less likely to be stolen. Either way I might add some bits of scruff to it to make it a bit less appealing to thieves.
Carlton green
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Re: Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by Carlton green »

Congratulations on your choice. There might be better choices but the important thing is that you’ve made a good choice that, as good as anyone can reasonably judge, is going to meet your needs. That logic applies to choices in general: you can’t always make the very best choice so instead aim to make a good choice that’s appropriate for your needs, and then move on.

Colour, go for something plain looking that’s unlikely to attract (unwanted) attention.

Wheels, I think that you’ve made a good choice. Occasionally spokes brake so a few spare ones tied to the frame makes sense to me - knowing how to fit spokes and true wheels is useful.

If having a hanger on the frame for a derailleur is easy then do it - it gives you options - but otherwise don’t bother. Lugged is a traditional build and that would be my preference.

Good luck.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
Vorpal
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Re: Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by Vorpal »

Congratulations. I wish you many happy years of cycling.

I have ridden a loaded tandem + trailer down long Norwegian descents with only rim brakes. The main thing about braking safely with any kind of system is good braking technique: alternating between front and rear, braking periodically instead of constantly or 'feathering', never letting speed get too high, etc. You also need to be extremely aware of how the brakes feel & stop for a cool down if there is any change in the braking performance. Some people just stop periodically & feel the rims (or discs). You obviously have to be careful with this, as you can burn your fingers. Discs both get hotter and can withstand more heat. For myself, I have become a slow descender.

The kind of weight you are talking about is not dissimilar to the weight of a tandem. Before the advent of disc brakes, tandemists that did loaded touring or rode in very hilly areas often added a drag or drum brake (as far as I know that's not possible with a Rohloff hub; maybe someone else knows?). Since the advent of disc brakes, tandemists on forums seem to argue perpetually about the best brake combinations :lol: But some now use rim and disc brakes together on the rear, with various lever solutions; the idea being that they then have 3 brakes to alternate between.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
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531colin
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Re: Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by 531colin »

I don't know if you can still get Andra rims with a Carbide brake track....if you can, this stuff is exceedingly hard wearing. I recommend using the specific brake blocks when the rims are new and abrasive, and switching to KoolStop salmon when the rims are smooth and braking deteriorates with the hard pads.

If you buy a Rohloff hub with fittings for a brake disc, you can also use it with rim brakes; the reverse is not true.

You can have a frame built with fittings for both disc and rim brakes; if you fitted cable discs as your first choice brake, then you would only need one pair of Vee brake arms for an emergency brake. But a spare set of disc brake pads is less to carry than spare rim brake blocks!
iandusud
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Re: Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by iandusud »

We had our tandem frame built with bosses for discs and linear pull brakes. My preferred setup is linear pull on the front and disc on the back for the two main brake levers. I have a rear linear pull brake coupled to a bar end lever for use as a parking brake and as an extra rear brake for steep descents (we're at over 200kg when touring). This has the added advantage of being able to swap over the main brake lever for the disc brake to the rear linear pull brake in the event of the disc brake failing (this has happened twice due to disc warp - although not since fitting a floating disc). On the whole I find linear pull brakes powerful and easy to adjust and maintain. They would certainly be my choice touring in remote areas.
GideonReade
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Re: Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by GideonReade »

Other half and I bought bikes in 2015 for a RTW. That time the rim/disk debate was in full swing. We opted for vee brakes, ie rim, because of serviceability, and the only flying transit damage we'd previously suffered was a bent disk, and because of the wisdom that front disks are deleterious to front ride quality if using steel pannier capable forks and sub-50mm tyres.

I don't know if the fork ride issue has moved on since then (not sure I'd want carbon forks on an unsupported RTW tour bike though).

Our two rear rims (H+son Archetypes) lasted most of the 27k km ride but both finally cracked on the penultimate leg across the USA. One failed in New Mexico, one made it to Florida. Both limped on a few days with lowered tyre pressure, until replaced. I don't know how typical that lifetime is. We mostly used pink/grey Koolstop pads on them.

It's certainly disquieting hearing the rear rim being ground away during long slow descents in wet gritty conditions - a situation where front brake is little used, and a tourer's heavy rear end is helpful, but the rear wheel especially is caked. I can still hear that horrible grating noise now! It sounds like whole millimetres are lost per hill, but obviously isn't.

We had fairly cheap LX hubs, so after that mileage and cracked rims we just replaced the wheels. Less appealing with a Rohlhof.

It's a bit attractive to have disc rear, vee front, although more spares needed.
rareposter
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Re: Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by rareposter »

BikeBuddha wrote: 16 Sep 2022, 7:53am I still also have to decide between a lugged frame, or a fillet brazed frame. Unfiled. The lugs are from Australia, andI am keen to reduce the carbon footprint of the bike. Lugs may be aesthetically more appealing. Or, having unfiled fillet brazing by Lee Cooper on show might have its own allure?

I have thought to have mountings for a derailleur and disc brakes also on the bike, for future compatibility. But has you need a different rohloff hub for the disc vs rim, so I am not sure this is wise. Does one ever go back to a deraileur? A good back up in case rohloff fails? I will have to buy a different rohloff hub if i ever go full on rim brakes, after electing from rim brakes.
I would honestly just let Stanforth decide whether to go lugged or fillet brazed - they're the experts, they'll build you the best frame for the purpose.

As you're going custom, it makes sense to go for the optimum versatility and future proofing. Disc and V-brake mountings, a disc Rohloff hub and a derailleur tab.
You may end up never using derailleur but the tab isn't going to do any harm by being there.
You may never end up with disc brakes but having a frame and hub capable of taking them is far better than needing to buy an entire new frame to fit them further down the road.

And for what it's worth, disc brakes are far less maintenance, spares aren't an issue (you just take spare pads) and there are no issues with rim wear.
PH
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Re: Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by PH »

BikeBuddha wrote: 16 Sep 2022, 7:53am I have thought to have mountings for a derailleur and disc brakes also on the bike, for future compatibility. But has you need a different rohloff hub for the disc vs rim, so I am not sure this is wise. Does one ever go back to a deraileur?
The only Rohloff Kibo I've seen had sliding dropouts, it's these that would need to be changed, rather than the frame itself, to accommodate a derailleur. It might also have the disc fitting attached to the slider, this would mean not having to readjust the caliper every time the chain tension was adjusted. I'm sure Stanforth can advise and of course yours might not be the same design as the one I've seen.
I'd choose all the options, a belt fitting shouldn't compromise the frame and disc and rim brake fittings are only going to add a few grams. I'd fit discs, if money no object then Paul Klampers cable discs. As already said, get the disc version of the hubs, even if you're using rim brakes, though it's not prohibitively expensive to get the hub cap changed at a later date. Also get the external Rohloff shifting, the internal requires an unusual cable and isn't disc compatible.
Are you sure the lugged and brazed frames are otherwise the same? I thought the argument against lugs was that they limited options, though the builder will know what's available.
djb
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Re: Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by djb »

I've not followed what you decided for brakes, but I second the view to get the frame disc ready. I toured on rim brakes for nearly 30 years before trying mechanical discs, and it's completely worth going disc.
Yes, there are new mechanical skills to learn, so I guess that's up to you to know your aptitudes in this regard, but the stronger easier braking and not wearing away rims, is worth it in my opinion and that of one of my touring companions who tours very heavily loaded and in the past has worn out rims.

If you'll be touring on dirt roads and with rain, as mentioned, these are the conditions where discs are better to have.
But also don't discount easier hand pressure for the same braking ability, very very nice--plus safer as you can dump speed faster when bad road surfaces are up ahead.

And do not discount reselling this bike if you decide this isn't for you. Having discs would be a big selling advantage.

Ps, I'd take the harsher front end comment with a grain of salt, this bike will never be a skinny tire bike, so imo not a factor to worry about.
rareposter
Posts: 1992
Joined: 27 Aug 2014, 2:40pm

Re: Bike Bought - Thank you

Post by rareposter »

I thought of this thread again today when I encountered a tourer in a bike shop asking for a new rim cos his had collapsed (rim brakes, worn out).

The shop expressed incredulity that he was on rim brakes with such a laden bike in a long distance tour and then told him.they had no 26" rims in stock, wouldn't be able to get any for 2 weeks and then it'd be another week before they could sort out the actual build.

This wasn't in the UK by the way. But yeah, disc brakes all the way!
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