After posting this thread a while ago, I finally got round to building (and now riding) this…

Man Flu has kinda got in the way over the last 2 weeks, but finally christened it this morning. Got a few little tweaks to make still to position, and the guards are rattling a little, but otherwise so far so good.

Initial impressions of 1×11 on a road bike are favourable. I don’t think I’d want it on a summer bike, when my rides typically tend to be significantly higher avg speeds and often in larger groups, but for a winter bike it definitely makes sense. My last winter bike has a 34/50 chainset and a 12-30 cassette. I found that I was forever changing between the chainrings on the front on slower winter rides, and that I very rarely used the 12T cog at all. 34/50 with a 12-30 gives a 367% range of gears, the 11-36 11spd cassette I’m now running gives a 327% range, so not a huge compromise. With a 42T chainring, I get exactly the same spread of gears that I would if I was running a 13-29 cassette on a compact, which I can live with.

Downsides to 1×11? Of course the ratio gaps are slightly larger, but you only notice one or two of them. The lack of a 14T cog is probably the most noticable, but it’s by no means a deal breaker. Otherwise, the ratio gaps aren’t too badly spaced IMO. But then I’m used to a 10-42 cassette on an MTB so…

As for the rest of the bike? Well it’s a good 2kg lighter than the bike it replaces, so all good on that front! The Avro came with tubeless wheels which I’ve retained, now with 28c Hutchinson Sectors, so it rides nice and comfy. The SRAM Hydro discs are IMO a step up from Shimano. I’ve ridden a few bikes with Shimano RS685s and they’re undeniably powerful, but they are quite snatchy, whereas the Force’s have incredible modulation yet gobs of power on demand too. When you’re in the drops, a single finger is all you need to haul the bike up as quickly as the tyres will let you even from the wrong side of 40mph!

Anyway, now just to shake the tail end of this cold and get out and put some more miles on it!

I like that a lot – very snazzy!

What make of mudguard are they? They blend in very nicely.

Like.

Lose the mud guards, I don’t care how effective they are, they just spoil the aesthetics of what would be a beautiful bike.

Not matter how many times I see those levers I still can’t stop thinking…

Lose the mud guards, I don’t care how effective they are, they just spoil the aesthetics of what would be a beautiful bike.

Nah- it’s built for a job, form follows function for winter bikes, no matter how poncey they are.

I can’t really see any positives to 1×11 on a road bike….what happens if you get a tailwind? Or a really steep hill?

The wheels look alright, what are they? Hope that’s not a lightweight front QR on there though….

I’ve gone 1×11 on the MTB as my offroad riding is flattish and tame, not sure my legs are up to 1×11 on the roads around the Peaks though!

Does look VERY nice though.

What guards are they – just done a quick google and that suggested it would only take 25mm tyres with guards, but clearly not correct.

what happens if you get a tailwind?

42×11 is a reasonably high gear

Or a really steep hill?

42×36 is a lower gear than I used to get around the Fred Whitton and I’m a fat bastard.

I still dislike 1x groupsets on aesthetic and big jumps between gears grounds though 🙂

WHAT ARE THE MUDGUARDS? 😀

SRAM Red on a winter bike? nearly as posh as sola riders winter hack

Hope that’s not a lightweight front QR on there though….

It should be 15mm bolt through if my memory serves me.

WHAT ARE THE MUDGUARDS?

They look like Widget Components part reflective.

I’m not sure I see the benefits of 1x on the road either. It’s not a huge weight saving and it’s not like you need extra clearance or it’s going to clog up. I think I’ll stick with closer ratios on the cassette.

What make of mudguard are they? They blend in very nicely.

They’re the Widget Part Reflective guards, and to be fair, the reflective parts shine nicely when a cars headlights catch them.

Lose the mud guards, I don’t care how effective they are, they just spoil the aesthetics of what would be a beautiful bike.

It’s a functional winter bike first and foremost. I’ve got a much nicer road bike for summer use that never has mudguards attached!

I can’t really see any positives to 1×11 on a road bike….what happens if you get a tailwind? Or a really steep hill?

Was still managing to pedal up to around 35mph earlier, so not too concerned about tailwinds. Steep hills are just about OK going up (bottom gear is equivalent to 34/29) and I just tuck and freewheel on the way down. It is winter after all!

I found I was forever at the “wrong end” of the cassette in either chainring on my old winter bike. Picking a chainring half way between the two, and a wider range cassette, solves that problem nicely! In the summer this is much less of an issue, as the 34T is generally only used for climbing long or steep hills, and on the flat I’m usually mid way down the cassette on the 50T. Time will tell once I’ve put some more miles on, but rode a hilly 80k today and didn’t want for more gears despite my less than 100% health right now!

The wheels look alright, what are they? Hope that’s not a lightweight front QR on there though….

Wheels are the standard ones that came on the bike, Alex CXD rims (28R/24F) on no name hubs (99% sure they’re Formula of some sort). That’s a 15mm front axle, and it’s a 142×12 rear end too.

I’ve gone 1×11 on the MTB as my offroad riding is flattish and tame, not sure my legs are up to 1×11 on the roads around the Peaks though!

Pick the right chainring, you’re only really losing 1 gear over most compact double setups. The smaller the chainring, the lower the gearing. The 42 means I’m missing my top gear over my summer bike, but that’s not really an issue for me.

just done a quick google and that suggested it would only take 25mm tyres with guards, but clearly not correct.

Had slight rubbing issues today from the front, but did fit them in a bit of a hurry last night. The rear was fine, and I’m confident a little more tweaking on the front and it’ll be fine.

SRAM Red on a winter bike? nearly as posh as sola riders winter hack

Already had the crank, and for the price I’d have got for it 2nd hand, didn’t make sense to sell it and put a Rival on in its place…

WHAT ARE THE MUDGUARDS?

I’m noticing a theme here!

Started stocking them in the shop a couple of weeks ago, and they have been very popular so far! They do a full reflective one too…

I think that looks great, mudguards and all. I also really like the idea of the 1×11. Even if it doesn’t save much weight, the simplicity of it really appeals. Good work fella!

Nice bike that but surely you could have sprung for some black bottle cages?!

Those hoods make baby Jesus cry. Otherwise, kinda like

EDIT: MTB pedals? I’m oot

If I mount my light below my bars I’m convinced it’s not as good as above.
Am I imagining things?

I know that winter bikes have a free get out of jail card in the beauty competitions.I mean it’s winter ,so who GAS what it looks like as long as it all works well,but my oh my that is ugly.
Nice saddle and wheels though 😛

Very nice. I live somewhere pretty flat so 1×9 on the trike and 1×10 or 1×11 is the norm. Mudguards look smart, is the front a quick release as the mounting is not? I assume they’ll detach at the guard. As for disk brakes, well I’ve spent two weeks riding some Tektros, and now I’m back on the Ultegras, the 50 wet miles were of no concern yesterday.

Just finished this. Defy mudguards, which I was amazed to fit under the Ritchey fork (which won’t take a 28c tyre). Managed to squeeze the 25c’s in by bending the metalwork under the brake bridges. I also used the quick releases from some SKS raceblade longs in case of an emergency twig wheel interface.

If I mount my light below my bars I’m convinced it’s not as good as above.
Am I imagining things?

Lower light angle give better perspective of surface irregularities – the light source and your eye are further apart in the right direction so that the shadows are lengthened. Gives me better perception/visibilty of the potholes etc. I have a light mounted on my fork crown for long road rides in the dark and much prefer it there compared to the light I used to have on the bars.

re the winter bike; proper guards, check. MTB pedals, a personal preference check. Expensive drivetrain, maybe not : ) but if you get trade price and you’re ok with it why not. I’m still on 1st-gen 10s 105 and calipers on one winter bike that I do the bulk of my miles on, rides nicely and is cheap to run. Fewer excuses for avoiding the grotty miles, but also maybe less desire to get out in the first place.

I also really like the idea of the 1×11. Even if it doesn’t save much weight, the simplicity of it really appeals.

There’s barely any weight saving on a road bike, it’s all about the simplicity. Will be sticking with 2×10/11 on a summer bike just for the range of gears though.

could phave sprung for some black bottle cages?!

Tried some stealth black on it, looked too much. So I put the white ones on for a bit of contrast…

Those hoods make baby Jesus cry. Otherwise, kinda like
EDIT: MTB pedals? I’m oot

The hoods look challenging until you try them out. In use they’re awesome as you genuinely get another hand hold position on the bars!

The MTB pedals make sense on a winter bike. Most of the seasoned roadies I know that use Look or SPD-SL’s in the summer all have Shimano MTB pedals on their winter bikes. A stiff, light platform is less of a concern than reliability, and being able to get your foot clipped in easily. Also there’s a much better selection of proper winter boots with MTB soles than road, cos to be honest, overshoes are almost a waste of time…

Mudguards look smart, is the front a quick release as the mounting is not?

Nah it’s fixed on. There’s full clearance on this like on the Kinesis T2 etc. It’s been designed to utilise full guards.

Expensive drivetrain, maybe not : ) but if you get trade price and you’re ok with it why not.

I was genuinely staggered by the price difference (or lack of it) between rival and force… I’d planned on using Rival, SRAM’s supposed 105 equivalent, but in the hydraulic setup the price difference is literally not worth bothering with! It’s less than 10% cheaper, so I just went with the Force. Besides it was the end of the month when I ordered it, and someone had a target to hit apparently… The Red crank I already had, and like I said above, wasn’t worth selling it 2nd hand to replace it with something new or lower quality.

I have a light mounted on my fork crown for long road rides in the dark and much prefer it there compared to the light I used to have on the bars.

My mate has done this with his Exposure Revo Dynamo light, and says it works loads better than running it on the bars…

The Red crank I already had, and like I said above, wasn’t worth selling it 2nd hand to replace it with something new or lower quality.

plus, the red graphic on the arm nicely matches the red graphic on the frame/forks 😉

Another 60 miles on it this morning, after I rode my summer bike on Thursday night. Still got a few slight tweaks to do to the position cos so far it just doesn’t feel quite as comfortable as the summer bike yet, but hoping that will come.

Getting a slight buzz through my hands at the moment on this when on the hoods, which I don’t get at all on my summer bike. The bars are the same shape, using the same bar tape and gel pads underneath, only difference is the summer bike’s bars are the high end carbon version whilst this wears the cheap alloy version. Would that make that much difference?

Still loving the brakes, they’re just incredible! They’re definitely much easier to control than Shimano RS685’s because they have much better modulation. The shifting is brilliant too, and again whilst I would probably notice the ratio gaps on a summer chaingang, on a very windy 60 at 16.2avg today the gearing was spot on.

Some late night fiddling with the mudguards last night also improved the clearance on the 28 tyres. Moved the support stays round maybe 30 degrees both front and rear and that has improved both the clearance, and the rigidity of the guards. There’s no rubbing now, only the occasional knock over a pothole or the like.

Another 60 miles on it this morning, after I rode my summer bike on Thursday night. Still got a few slight tweaks to do to the position cos so far it just doesn’t feel quite as comfortable as the summer bike yet, but hoping that will come.

Getting a slight buzz through my hands at the moment on this when on the hoods, which I don’t get at all on my summer bike. The bars are the same shape, using the same bar tape and gel pads underneath, only difference is the summer bike’s bars are the high end carbon version whilst this wears the cheap alloy version. Would that make that much difference?

THe road buzz could be caused by something loose maybe? Or perhaps the forks/frame is a bit poor/stiff compared to the summer bike? I don’t think the alloy bars would cause it, unless they are very heavy/stiff.

As for the comfort thing, maybe try a setback seatpost? Would probably help your hand comfort aswell if you’re getting road buzz.