Monstercross / Gravelgrinder build suggestions?

[jbreebs]

I went to a swap meet this weekend, intending to sell some of my older parts and not buy anything major. Long story short, I came home with an open-mold carbon 29er frame/rigid fork and dynamo wheelset (XT/velocity rear, alfine/velocity front). I know some of you may be leery of the chinese carbon, but I don't plan to do anything super crazy with it. I'm leaning towards this being a 'do-everything' type build, but the main purpose will be rail-trail and gravel rides, with the potential for some fairly tame single track.

I can't decide if I want to do a drop bar of some sort, or if I should stick with a flat mtb bar. If I go the drop bar route I probably want something with a little flare - maybe woodchippers? I could also see a flat bar working well, though. Fewer hand positions, but probably more compatability with lower gearing mtb parts.

That brings me to gearing. Any recommendations here? I'm debating between 1x or 2x in front, and 10 or 11 in the rear. I'd like to have a relatively wide-range cassette, especially if I go 1x. How well do the long-cage mtb derailleurs play with drop-bar shifters? I assume there are some issues with cable pull? I've always been a shimano guy, but I'm willing to try sram out if there are compatability issues with shimano.

Finally, does anyone have any cool ideas for useful gear that can be run off of the dynamo hub? I need to look into lights, and maybe a usb outlet to keep the phone charged for strava on longer rides? I don't know a ton about the dynamo hubs, beyond that you use them to generate electricity.

I'm open to any suggestions/recommendations you can throw my way. Thanks!

[adamhell]

if you go drop bars, consider the cowchipper bar from salsa also. they're a hybrid between cowbells and woodchippers so they're not as insanely flarey or sweepy as the woodchippers but still would be considered "dirt drops" imo. i have these on my black mtn monster cross & they are perfect.

re gearing, I'd just go 1x10 unless you were to get a crazy deal on sram CX1. right now i have two 1x10 setups both using a narrow wide chainring (wolftooth / raceface) up front and sunrace 11-42 cassettes in rear. easy peasy.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h184/adamleibow/0AA14576-000E-42B0-BA8B-3A0AA1C891CF_zpsu72nathr.jpg

[NHAero]

Check out my posts at the end of this thread:

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=199293

I made an older Litespeed Unicoi into a monstercross style bike, and after some trial and error, mostly error, ended up with a non-DynaSis Shimano 9 speed RD coupled to a Shimano 10 speed bar end shifter on a VO Thumbie mount, shifting a Sunrace 10 speed 11-40 cassette. Works great! I expect a drop bar 10 speed Shimano shifter would work the same. I'm about to put a Wolftooth 38T narrow-wide chainring on, because I have thrown the chain on the standard ring on there now.

[dem]

If you go modern 11 speed drop bar shifters, the Tanpan/Wolftooth travel agent works fine with XT/XTR deraillers.

Pretty much lets you run whatever you want. I do 44/30 + 10-42 with 11 speed road shifters.

[adamhell]

i used a shimano 5700 (10s) rear shifter with an XT M761 SGS 9s rear D running 10speed. worked perfectly.

[jbreebs]

I think I agree that the cowchipper will be a better fit that the woodchipper - I was looking at the comparison photos and it seems like a nice middle ground. I've been looking more into the 1x10 with a 9sp rear der - this has potential! Any idea if the RD will clear on a large cassette (maybe up to 40 or 42t) without a goat link to drop the RD mounting point?

[NHAero]

Look at the thread i linked - has photos

I've been looking more into the 1x10 with a 9sp rear der - this has potential! Any idea if the RD will clear on a large cassette (maybe up to 40 or 42t) without a goat link to drop the RD mounting point?

[adamhell]

yes, last night I installed a 11-42 cassette with the longcage 9s XT der. works easily

[jbreebs]

Check out my posts at the end of this thread:

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=199293

I made an older Litespeed Unicoi into a monstercross style bike, and after some trial and error, mostly error, ended up with a non-DynaSis Shimano 9 speed RD coupled to a Shimano 10 speed bar end shifter on a VO Thumbie mount, shifting a Sunrace 10 speed 11-40 cassette. Works great! I expect a drop bar 10 speed Shimano shifter would work the same. I'm about to put a Wolftooth 38T narrow-wide chainring on, because I have thrown the chain on the standard ring on there now.

Can you tell me more about the reverse B screw trick? How did you like the 38t chainring? Too high/low or just about right?

[NHAero]

The reverse B screw trick is used when screwing the B screw in all the way doesn't get you clearance on the largest cog. I used the Shadow RD-M772 9 speed rear derailleur and couldn't quite clear the 40T cog. So I backed out the B screw and inserted from the opposite side of the threaded hole, and set it so I had adequate clearance between jockey wheel and 40T cog. It's interesting to learn that Adamhell didn't need to do that with the RD-M761, which I think is a non-Shadow 9 speed (the Shadow models tuck in closer to the wheel centerline to have less chance of hanging up on obstructions).

I started out with an older set of 105 road cranks I previously set up with a 39T ring in the large ring position, on an internal hub build. Bombing down a dirt road I bounced the chain off, so I was looking for a narrow-wide ring and have one coming from a forum member. The 38T paired with the 11-40 cassette gives a range of 25 to 91 gear-inches with the 26" MTB tires. If I had my druthers I might go a little lower, but this isn't a replacement for a MTB, rather it's for easy trails and dirt roads mixed with pavement, and the 38T is as low as I can go on a 130mm BCD crankset. I'm mounting a pair of Continental Speed Kings on a lighter set of wheels coming soon as well.

Can you tell me more about the reverse B screw trick? How did you like the 38t chainring? Too high/low or just about right?

[benb]

If you go with flat bars you can use MTB controls which may give you superior performance at a lower price.. but if you're worried about off road stresses on the open mold frame maybe you don't care.

I couldn't tell if the frame/hubs are discs but IMO you're going to get a superior set of brakes with easier maintenance on a flat bar hydro setup then you would with a road hydro setup. And the flat bar setup would likely be a lot cheaper. Again could be overkill if you're worried about the quality of the frame.

[adamhell]

It's interesting to learn that Adamhell didn't need to do that with the RD-M761

taking a second look here, my setup might benefit from a few extra MM's of clearance between upper wheel and biggest cog, but it certainly doesn't require it... that's my sunrace 11-42 for reference.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h184/adamleibow/9707AC5A-0311-4838-AD9E-1340928A04F3_zpsvy8ezsz1.jpg

[jbreebs]

If you go with flat bars you can use MTB controls which may give you superior performance at a lower price.. but if you're worried about off road stresses on the open mold frame maybe you don't care.

I couldn't tell if the frame/hubs are discs but IMO you're going to get a superior set of brakes with easier maintenance on a flat bar hydro setup then you would with a road hydro setup. And the flat bar setup would likely be a lot cheaper. Again could be overkill if you're worried about the quality of the frame.

It's a disc frame, and you're right, mtb hydro's (certainly the brakes) will be cheaper and easier to find used compared to road hydro's. I'm not super concerned about the quality of the frame; I think it'll probably be fine for most anything I'll throw at it. The previous owner said he'd taken it through some pretty hard shots and he hadn't had any problems.

The downside to mtb bars is that there are fewer hand positions, and slightly more upright which could be a big deal given how windy Nebraska can be. I'm also curious to see how the fit/geometry will change between the a road and mtb bar setup.

[NHAero]

The drop bars make it a different bike, for sure. I'm using Avid BB7 road calipers, and as I've written elsewhere, I'd written them off, and discovered that with beefier, less boutique rotors that I have on this bike, they work fine. Dunno how much they cost used.

It's a disc frame, and you're right, mtb hydro's (certainly the brakes) will be cheaper and easier to find used compared to road hydro's. I'm not super concerned about the quality of the frame; I think it'll probably be fine for most anything I'll throw at it. The previous owner said he'd taken it through some pretty hard shots and he hadn't had any problems.

The downside to mtb bars is that there are fewer hand positions, and slightly more upright which could be a big deal given how windy Nebraska can be. I'm also curious to see how the fit/geometry will change between the a road and mtb bar setup.

[jbreebs]

The drop bars make it a different bike, for sure. I'm using Avid BB7 road calipers, and as I've written elsewhere, I'd written them off, and discovered that with beefier, less boutique rotors that I have on this bike, they work fine. Dunno how much they cost used.

Yeah, that's where I'm torn. I wish I had the parts lying around to try it both ways, and stick with whichever I like better. But alas, I don't. haha. I do have a set of new take-off no-name tektros that I could use, but I would really prefer hydros if possible. Has anyone used the hybrid cable actuated disc calipers? That might be worth considering, too.

I also need to figure out if a hydro hose will fit through the internal routing. I assume it would, but I'm not sure. Currently there's what appears to be an inner cable housing run through the frame, like a thin plastic inner coating part of a normal piece of housing. I think if I remove that/use it to pull a hydro hose through, I could be in business. This is the first I've dealt with internal routing and it seems like it's going to be a pain.

[NHAero]

I'd look carefully at the hose and the holes. I couldn't thread a hydro hose through external guides on a bike that was set up for cable discs rather than hydros, the hose was just slightly larger.

Yeah, that's where I'm torn. I wish I had the parts lying around to try it both ways, and stick with whichever I like better. But alas, I don't. haha. I do have a set of new take-off no-name tektros that I could use, but I would really prefer hydros if possible. Has anyone used the hybrid cable actuated disc calipers? That might be worth considering, too.

I also need to figure out if a hydro hose will fit through the internal routing. I assume it would, but I'm not sure. Currently there's what appears to be an inner cable housing run through the frame, like a thin plastic inner coating part of a normal piece of housing. I think if I remove that/use it to pull a hydro hose through, I could be in business. This is the first I've dealt with internal routing and it seems like it's going to be a pain.

[kingpin75s]

I think I agree that the cowchipper will be a better fit that the woodchipper

Cowbell and Cowchippers are both great gravel bars.

IMHO the Woodchipper is best utilized as an off-road bar where the primary position is in the drops (drops at height at where your standard mountain bar would be) and the tops/hoods are barely usable (too high). I have not seen a Woodchipper setup in a hybrid way that I thought worked better than a Cowbell and Cowchipper. With that said, the Woodchipper is my favorite bar for trail riding.

[jmal]

It's a disc frame, and you're right, mtb hydro's (certainly the brakes) will be cheaper and easier to find used compared to road hydro's. I'm not super concerned about the quality of the frame; I think it'll probably be fine for most anything I'll throw at it. The previous owner said he'd taken it through some pretty hard shots and he hadn't had any problems.

The downside to mtb bars is that there are fewer hand positions, and slightly more upright which could be a big deal given how windy Nebraska can be. I'm also curious to see how the fit/geometry will change between the a road and mtb bar setup.

I've done a lot of riding and racing in Kansas on flat bars and find the loss in aerodynamics is negligible, especially at the speeds you typically travel on flat to rolling midwest gravel. The wind out there is life draining on any type of bike. You can also get a MTB bar with reversible rise if you want to drop a cm or two lower. I like Ergon grips with the small bar ends for that kind of riding. I can get at least three usable hand positions, and though I have spent decades riding both drops and flat bars, I'm probably more comfortable on flats with the Ergons. I prefer the non-racer version too. They have a little more rubber for absorbing vibrations.

[jbreebs]

Have any of you used dynamo hubs before? Any suggestions on lights and/or other nifty devices? Anyone used the stem mounted usb ports?

[ptourkin]

Have any of you used dynamo hubs before? Any suggestions on lights and/or other nifty devices? Anyone used the stem mounted usb ports?

Use it for a light and charging a storage battery during the day when necessary. Either version of the Sinewave is fine. I don't use the cap version because I don't leave the dynamo wheel on my bike unless I'm doing overnight events. I have charged a bike computer directly but Garmins (and iPhones) don't like inconsistent power caused by dropouts while climbing. What almost all of us do now is use the dyno to charge a USB storage battery during the day when you're not making light and use the battery to charge devices when necessary.

If you're not doing multi-day overnight events or a forgetful commuter who doesn't charge lights, I'd forgo the weight of a dyno hub and get some nice lights.

[cp43]

Have any of you used dynamo hubs before? Any suggestions on lights and/or other nifty devices? Anyone used the stem mounted usb ports?

I have a B&M Luxos U on one of my bikes. It's a great light, and it has a USB charging port. I'm able to keep my Garmin at full charge while riding. It's not cheap, but I've been very happy with mine.

I haven't used a two part system, with a separate light and charging device.

[cp43]

It's a disc frame, and you're right, mtb hydro's (certainly the brakes) will be cheaper and easier to find used compared to road hydro's. I'm not super concerned about the quality of the frame; I think it'll probably be fine for most anything I'll throw at it. The previous owner said he'd taken it through some pretty hard shots and he hadn't had any problems.

The downside to mtb bars is that there are fewer hand positions, and slightly more upright which could be a big deal given how windy Nebraska can be. I'm also curious to see how the fit/geometry will change between the a road and mtb bar setup.

Have you looked Jones loop bars, and other non traditional "flat" bars? They give you more hand positions, and the ability to use MTB components. I haven't tried any of them out, but I'm curious enough about them that I'm thinking of changing over one of my bikes from drop bars to something more like the loop bars.

Chris

[jbreebs]

That light looks awesome! Unfortunately the fork isn't drilled at the crown, so I'd have to figure out an alternative for mounting.

[cp43]

That light looks awesome! Unfortunately the fork isn't drilled at the crown, so I'd have to figure out an alternative for mounting.

I have mine mounted to a small front rack. There are lots of mounting solutions. I think most lights come with a fork crown mount, so you'll have the same problem with just about any light. Search around a bit, and you'll find a solution for your fork.

Chris

[ptourkin]

I have a B&M Luxos U on one of my bikes. It's a great light, and it has a USB charging port. I'm able to keep my Garmin at full charge while riding. It's not cheap, but I've been very happy with mine.

I haven't used a two part system, with a separate light and charging device.

I returned two Luxos Us before I got one that worked and am not that happy with the third. It will keep a Garmin fully charged but depending on the device, it may drop out and cause confusion when doing long climbs that are too slow to pass on a charge. Anyway, if you read up on Trail Divide, Trans Am or other multi-day races where people are using d-hubs, I think you'll find that this isn't recommended.

The Luxos seems fine on my commuter but I don't use the charger anymore.