Do you still think the hoods are massive mate or was it my pic?
From some angles they look massive, but not so much from others.
Really like the ergonomics though and I see what people mean about braking from the hoods being better on GRX brifters.
Am I right in saying it ships with the stem in the negative position? and if I flip it it will give me a little more height? and if I do how tight to I tighten the stem on a carbon steerer? I got a like hand torque thingie coming in the post tomorrow, also how much force do you tighten pedals on with if you can quantify force in words - I
Im back into biking after some years (sorry for all questions) fond memories of my old steel 1997 kona lavadome are sending me down he steel path , I upgraded it to the 1998 kona pahoehoe it was never the same much preferred the lava dome which 3 times less cost.
I decided to upgrade my last bike 2012 KHS 2000 sl with a new frame a few weeks ago the KHS had been dormant for over 11 years
Kona in the pic not mine but same one other 2 was/are mine
why my pics still not showing 🙁
Pedals I barely tighten with much force at all so that I can undo them easily at a later date. They don't come loose due to the thread direction when pedalling.
Stem can be flipped. Obviously you need to sort the tension on the steerer before tightening the stem to the steerer, but most stems are 5nm. Should be written on the stem
why my pics still not showing 🙁
The URL you used takes me to a page with several photos. You need to click on the photo you want to post so that it opens its own page and then right click on the photo and select "Copy image link" (or similar - your browser may vary) to get the URL to use.
how much force do you tighten pedals on with
The recommended torque is around 40NM which is loads and can make removal a challenge. I tend to go for 'snug and then a bit' and never had any issues. Definitely make sure you grease the threads to aid removal though.
Yeah pedals have arrived today (I decided on the nukeproof horizon CS) there's some Teflon grease coming from Amazon should be there by the time I get home so snug and a bit it is
Mine has just turned up unexpectedly (tracking still says it's at the depot) and.. it is definitely PURPLE!!
No pictures until transplants and upgrades have been carried out.
congrats mate, what you upgrading?
Some advice needed relating to the Trig please guys, I'm 16st been out the biking game for a while tubless wasnt really a thing when I was last into biking, if Im doing about 50/50 trails/road is it worth going tubeless? I 2 minutes ride from Cannock chase/Gentleshaw common so thats where I will be riding. Ive always used higher pressures years ago cuz of being heavy 50-60psi
Tubeless is worth it for the lack of punctures alone, I would say its still worth doing if you are running higher pressures.
In other news my Trig showed up unexpectedly this morning after being dispatched yesterday. I'm waiting on the bits I ordered to turn up before I open it.
Have a set of these on the way, might be a bargain if anyone else wants some lighter wheels. https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/650b-gravel-db-sport-carbon-clincher-wheelset/
congrats mate, what you upgrading?
Cheers, not quite sure how much yet.. but I have some lighter kit on my outgoing NS RAG+ and I may be tempted to try AXS as I've been impressed with it on the MTB (if the price is right). I should probably have just bought the frame-only option lol!
Despatched.....time for that conversation....you can't hud a purple bike! 😃
Some advice needed relating to the Trig please guys, I’m 16st been out the biking game for a while tubless wasnt really a thing when I was last into biking, if Im doing about 50/50 trails/road is it worth going tubeless? I 2 minutes ride from Cannock chase/Gentleshaw common so thats where I will be riding. Ive always used higher pressures years ago cuz of being heavy 50-60psi
Always worth going tubeless IMO and the Trig's wheels and tyres are ready to do so. I'm probably a bit heavier than you and run mine between 30 and 40 psi, maybe more towards 40.
Mine showed up unexpectedly today as well! Yep, very much purple! I really like the colour though.
First time on drops, I had a pedal around the block, felt fast. Looking forward to some rides on this
In case anyone wasn't aware it comes with tubeless valves and the rims are taped already, just needs some sealant.
cool PSA!
if anybody is interested in a L and has a fork that fits or is handy with CF repairs? wiggle are auctioning one on ebay with a fault on the fork
Love my trig, but think im gonna have to take a little bit off my seat post, anyone else struggle with the supplied chainstay protector I gave up in the end and used a different one 😊
Who's had there's?
I think the chainstay protector isn't big enough, I can get mine on (L frame) but there's not a lot of velcro holding it there. I'll try make something else out of heli tape.
Love my trig, but think im gonna have to take a little bit off my seat post
You went for the bigger of the sizes didn't you. I'm guessing its a 400mm post - I assume it hits the bottle bosses. Just remember how much you take off and to ignore the minimum post insert marks in the future!
Yeah I went for the medium I'm happy with how it fits but my saddle is just a smidge to high, and you are right it hits the bottle bosses a 350mm post would if been fine.
Just home from a first shakedown ride on mine; 34 miles, 800m ascent and a really good mix of tracks, woodland and Sidlaw hills singletrack.
I'm glad I changed the stem straight away to 80mm, it's a better fit already.
First, negatives: I don't like the shape or the feel of the bars so far and have sore hands, despite going tubeless and running about 28psi. I struggle to get a good position for braking on the drops. However as others have suggested, braking from the hoods is surprisingly good and getting better as the pads bed in too.
I clipped pedals on tree roots and the sides of heathery singletrack ruts three or four times. Even with 170mm cranks, there's not a huge amount of clearance.
Positives: just about everything else. Acceleration, quick steering and the range of gearing all seems grand, just what I was looking for. Tyres coped adequately with wet peaty singletrack, everything else being fine.
It's no match for an xc hardtail on twisty, downhill woodland singletrack but that's hardly surprising. It did however stay the right way up, so I reckon that's a good result.
Now to give it a thorough going over and either flip the stem or at least move a spacer or two. My bars are way lower than the seat.
Yeah the chainstay protector is too small, I used a bigger one that I had in stock.
My existing gravel bike has 700c wheels and I miss those on the Ragley so I'm in the process of converting them.
The stock 650b wheels and tyres are too heavy/slow for my taste, but I've got some of those cheap Ribble carbon ones on the way to try.
Just need to find some bargain 650b tyres now.
Mine turned up yesterday! Not had chance to try it yet. It’s been nicknamed Dairy Milk.
What's the little orange plastic thing in the box with the reflectors tubeless valves and stuff?
What’s the little orange plastic thing in the box with the reflectors tubeless valves and stuff?
The only orangey / red thing I have is the pad spacer - stick it in between the pads when you're transporting the bike with the front wheel out.
@highlandman, Got a picture of how the brifters are set up? If you can't find a good braking position in the drops, the shifters might be angled up a bit too much. My Giant shipped with shifters reaching for the skies!
If you put your hand in the crook of the drop, maybe pointing down a bit, and point your index finger, you ought to be able to grab the lever with 1/2 fingers and get it so you have that finger tip control. Also means it's less likely your hands will bounce off the top of the hood on a bump. If you're only getting the tip of the lever, the hoods might be pointing too high for you.
It's still very much personal taste though, so perhaps you're not a fan of the drop as it is and that's ok. (Also - different bars have different amounts of drop, I have enjoyed moving to a much shallower drop).
Thanks for that. I've started out by flipping the stem and moving 5mm of spacer to raise the bars and have then tilted them down very slightly..
Work in progress.
Thanks for that. I’ve started out by flipping the stem and moving 5mm of spacer to raise the bars
Don't forget that carbon steerers don't like to have the stem at the very top as it can crush the carbon, so make sure there is a spacer above the stem.
Is the frame actually lightweight?
I'd be surprised if so, given its cromo from a value brand.
Is the frame actually lightweight?
Don't imagine so (though mine is spending the Easter weekend getting some quality R&R with parcelforce so not done the garage lift and assess compulsory new bike test in person). Triple butted 4130, so not gas pipe, but not going to be light either. I'm not super convinced spending lots of cash upgrading it to improve the weight is the right way- it'll always be a bit hefty no matter what you throw at it - it's a vfm very functional and tough bike and kind of needs to be celebrated for exactly that. And being purple obviously. £650 for frame and forks at rrp, so (I hope) a bit better than my old PX pompino in terms of material, build and paint finish; but I suspect not by much. But it's no 853 work of art either.
It's always going to be a steel frame but as far as steel goes it seems pretty light, tubes feel quite thin if you give them a tap and I wouldn't call it a gaspipe special!
I sized up because at 5'11 I'm between M and L, size feels good though and should be perfect once I put an 80mm stem on it.
Is the frame actually lightweight?
Wiggle give the frame only (without fork) weight as 2.32kg which is about 1kg heavier than the stated weight for my alloy NS Rag+. In comparison a Cotic Escapade is stated as 2.63kg (large).
Took mine for a spin today, 1st time on this type of bike. Wow they are fast compared to my mtb! Was giggling blasting down the lanes for an hour!
Seat is horrific though!
Do most people just use the same seat on your mtb or something else?
I put a Brooks C17 on mine
Hmmmm, I seem to have inadvertently won that Trig on eBay with the dodgy fork 😅
It's a large, can someone with a large pretty please tell me roughly what length fork steerer I'll need on it to run a stem a small selection of spacers?
I'll start rummaging for a fork before it arrives.
(I see there is a trig fork on eBay at the moment, presume they've not changed the spec of the fork between generations!?)
I'd probably wait to see if the fork is saveable tbh, doesn't look too bad? Mine is a 2021 and the forks are the same. Seems the saddle has changed, mine is a Ragley branded Spoon.
They were selling the forks on wiggle for £200ish.
One downside with GRX chainsets is they have a unique bottle spacing, you can now buy a few different makes of chainrings but they're not cheap especially an oval one. Also the smallest ring is not that small if you fancy a nice low gear for touring.
In hindsight I think I should have sold my GRX chainset when new and bought a mountain bike instead.
Is the frame actually lightweight?
I’d be surprised if so, given its cromo from a value brand.
As above, it's pretty decent for a 4130 frame.
I've just swapped the stock wheels for some light-ish 700c ones and the bike feels a lot lighter overall.
Hmmmm, I seem to have inadvertently won that Trig on eBay with the dodgy fork 😅
I was watching that and expected it to sell far higher. If the fork issue proves too difficult/expensive and you want to get rid, PM me.
A question for all you Trig owners - how's the sizing in use?
At 5' 11" its the usual smack in the middle of M and L situation for me. Never ridden this sort of bike, I've got no frame of reference to know if sizing up or down is the way to go
I'm 5ft 8in and bought the medium, it's a great fit.
So I'd suspect you'd want the large. Would you usually go for large in road/gravel frames?
I'm 5'11 and went with the large, feels perfect for me, not at all like I'm riding a big bike, still comfy and didn't feel stretched even with the 90mm stem.
A question for all you Trig owners – how’s the sizing in use?
At 5′ 11″ its the usual smack in the middle of M and L situation for me. Never ridden this sort of bike, I’ve got no frame of reference to know if sizing up or down is the way to go
I'll let you know in a few hours - mine arrives at lunch! You and I seem to be identical in size and I went for the L.
Though to be honest I have already ordered mine a redshit cockpit (kitchen sink 500mm bars and an 80mm shock stem).The Redshift Bars have a 20mm rise and with the extra width it'll be all changed.
Large for me at the same height, 5'11".
I've swapped out the stem to 80mm from the spares box and it's flipped as I found the drop from saddle to bars too much at first. I've fairly lengthy legs, a lot of visible seatpost and I'm not a committed head-down, stretched out roadie.
I did notice something that owners might want to check; the rear brake hose on mine initially sat really close to the rear tyre as it was a bit tight along the chainstay between the BB shell and the caliper. I just loosened the down tube grips and brought a couple of extra mm of hose past the BB and that's created enough clearance.
In the medium term, I'll probably change the bars to something with a flattened section on the curve of the drops. I don't find their even, rounded curve shape comfortable, especially when braking from the drops on singletrack.
The tubeless tyres went up first time with the track pump & about 70ml of Stans each.
Thanks!
The only experience I have with this sort of bike is the medium Octane One Kode singlespeed that I do most of my winter miles on. It only ever sees mostly flat cycle path and tarmac.
A Trig in L is looking right to me now. Slightly longer in reach, ETT and stack than the Kode, which I assume will be good for the longer gravel miles that I'm planning.
6' 2" and the L seems to work for me. Lots of very careful faff with set up as I was half expecting to send back for the XL, but it all looks good. It's very different to my 165mm enduro bike. Looking forward to just going for a ride.
To confirm - having swung my leg over the large now, at 180cm/ 5'11" I can't conceive the medium would possibly be the right size for me.
Other thoughts - lovely paint finish....if you like purple (mine will be known as Barney). The bars and tape wrap out of the box are not great imo - tops feel thin and a bit uncomfortable - could be shaped better or double wrapped etc. The hoods are mounted too high for my tastes too (or at least they are on mine). And the saddle is average. But these are the easy to sort bits and bobs. Looking to sorting it properly and giving it some proper miles.
How are we all getting on with our Trigs then?
I've got some lighter 700c wheels on mine now, which are much more my jam.
It's still more of a comfy cruiser than a racer, but I can appreciate how the steel frame smooths out the bumps once you do get up to speed.
Looking forward to some longer rides on it.
Insta link because the forum hosting is STILL borked...
Loving mine. Amazing how much ground can be covered on the right bike. Commuted a couple of times and chucked an extra 7 miles on the local xc loop, just because.
Several 30+ miles under the belt now and I'm very happy with mine. Most of the rides have been mixed surfaces, some road, some tracks, some singletrack but mostly mellow.. Although I did take it down a fairly open but quite bumpy steep local descent on the local loop around Glamis and that was suitably scary, mostly through the saddle height more than anything else. It handles just fine; it 'fits', making sense in a surprisingly wide range of situations and is good entertainment value for quick local jaunts as well as longer rides.
The brakes are more effective than I expected from the hoods, fine for 99% of riding, even some well techy stuff, perhaps well beyond the bike's expected parameters.
I did wonder at first about the gearing being a bit short at the bottom end for steep climbing but that has actually been fine. It's a swift and effective climber, feeling light up steep hills even if the scales wouldn't particularly agree.
What would I change? The stem is already down to 80mm and pointing up but I'd already done that for the first ride. I still don't like the bars; the curve doesn't fit my hands at all well on the drops and I find it harsh and hard to feel confident braking. So a carbon bar with a flat drop section to allow for comfort and better braking would be nice, with perhaps some posh bar tape. If the budget stretches, I might go Lauf. The shape of these is similar to those on my long distance bike, albeit those bars are alloy and much wider than the widest Icelandic option.
I would however prefer a shorter crank arm. I have clipped pedals on exposed roots and rocks a couple of times, once ending up on the deck as a result. I would imagine that changing to 700cx40mm might reduce that issue a bit but that's well beyond budget and while I do have that size of tyre in the shed and swappable wheels, I'm not sure I will be motivated enough to try that out.
Anyway, it's fun mixing up road rides by heading down tracks and not worrying about potholes, lumpy repairs or gravel washouts. Delighted.
Just finished getting mine built up with the bargainous Force AXS kit from Ribble.
Hopefully get out for a shakedown spin tomorrow and then a bigger ride on Monday. I'm sure I'll have to tweak the position a bit - steeper seat-tube (yet still with a layback post) and longer reach is confusing me a bit so I think it'll get set by feel rather than by numbers!
Just finished getting mine built up with the bargainous Force AXS kit from Ribble.
Nice, I saw that but I like the Shimano transmission so I just got some of the bargain carbon gravel wheels & tyres.
Should be able to give them a try next week, see if 650b is better for me with light wheels and less-draggy tyres.
The brakes are more effective than I expected from the hoods, fine for 99% of riding, even some well techy stuff
They are even more effective and control/handling is greater with your hands on the drops. Much less chance of your hands bouncing off than on the hoods. That way you can tackle chunkier routes
Try ritchey corsalito bars for short reach, shallow drop but great flare goodness
Was just thinking about this thread when out on my blue one today. Glad you are all enjoying your Trigs, they're great bikes. Still not convinced by drops though.
I had to saw the seatpost down about an inch on mine and set the seat back a bit flip the stem...that's about it really happy with it glad I went for the medium I'd of been way to cramped on a small, fidlock mount and bottle, new pump came today it's ready for adventures
Still faffing with mine. In a 'why did I buy a complete bike' thought process it has different bars, stem, cranks, seatpost and saddle before a pedal turned in anger. And 2 extra pairs of wheels in the works (will be keeping and using the OEM ones too). Contrary to the previous poster at a smidge under 6ft on a large I'm having to use the 400mm long (105mm drop) Brand X dropper I bought for it above the minimum insert line as the seat tube is so relatively short in comparison to most gravel bikes. There's plenty of overlap with the toptube weld so I'm not 'too' worried....
They are even more effective and control/handling is greater with your hands on the drops. Much less chance of your hands bouncing off than on the hoods. That way you can tackle chunkier routes
I suspect the point being made is that Shimano GRX brakes have tweaked geometry so they work better when you're on the hoods than the pure road Shimano stuff, which they do. I run them and, in all honesty, you don't seem to give up much performance over braking in the drops. I think most folk have already worked out that riding in the drops is more secure off road, it's not exactly rocket science.
Got a few miles under my belt on mine now and I really like it. Definitely a bit springier and more comfortable than my old NS RAG+ and I've not noticed the slight weight penalty for steel.
Also, blends in particularly well with bluebell season!
Looks nice, so you've changed the groupset and the saddle, and anything else?
I was looking at the stock saddle yesterday and it seems very similar to a Fabric Scoop Radius.
Looks nice, so you’ve changed the groupset and the saddle, and anything else?
Pretty much everything in the end - should've bought the frameset! Most carried over from my RAG+. full spec:
Drivetrain: SRAM Force AXS with GX AXS RD (10-50T)
Chainset: SRAM Force 22 GXP, Absolute Black oval chainring (38T)
Wheels (650b): 3T Discus Plus C25 Pro. Nice wheels and drops a chunk of weight over the stock ones but the freehubs have been discontinued.
Wheels (700c): Spank Flare 24 Vibrocore rims on DT Swiss 240S hubs (700c). Home brew wheelset that comes in at 1550g.
Seat / Seatpost: Specialized Phenom (discontinued 130mm width) / Thomson Elite setback
Bars: Salsa Woodchipper
I was looking at the stock saddle yesterday and it seems very similar to a Fabric Scoop Radius
Not sure if it's the same but the Ragley branded one on my previous year Trig (same frame, same everything else except colour and crank) is just a recovered Charge Spoon. I have both and there's no difference in shape.
Thoroughly enjoying mine. Have no previous experience of gravel bikes, but it certainly makes the boring East Midlands a bit more interesting,! Been a great thread this one, flipped the stem as suggested just a couple more saddle tweaks should have it about right. I did think I’d gone too small but now happy with the choice,just got to dispose of the mahoosive box it came in!,
Just been out on mine, if I'm honest I'm struggling with how low the front end is, very short headtube and not much steerer left to run more spacers! I'm riding a small frame, I've put a slight rise stem on and I'm now running riser drops and still getting neck ache !... Apart from not getting the fit right its nice to ride , so will keep tinkering ! .... Ive still got the massive box in the kitchen as well !
I'm only 5'10 and got a large, felt tiny, hated the drops off road. Did not find the that the tucked position made much difference and with a set of wide risers I have space to comfortably grab the bars between the stem and levers if I am facing a headwind or going quickly.
It now has a 100mm 6deg stem some cheapo flexy carbon bars from planetx and a dropper, its proper fun.
currently trying different rubber got an 2.25 ibex lynk out front and a 2.1 rocket ron on the back, good clearance and not as slow as I was expecting, it has transformed the previously terrifying attempts to slow down or turn on anything off road and downhill, tried those £10 tamwall halos on sale too and they are a good allrounder. fast on pavement and predictable on loose with a surprising amount of grip. the WTB tyres saw me on my ass a few times really fast and without warning on actual gravel.
Only gripe is the tiny amount of crank pedal clearance especially as I am running a pair of thos wide plastic flats.. care required on techy climbs..
the bars are not on super discount any more, but if you want something flexy to make longer offroad exploring comfy I would recommend https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HBSECRFH/selcof-carbon-riser-handlebar
thes are the Halos they were £10 on sale
https://www.halowheels.com/shop/components/tyres/gxr-gravel-27-5-650b-tyre/
these are OK but a bit draggy in comparison
WTB Venture https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/venture-700-x-50-road-tcs-tyre/
and these were fast but dont expect to be able to stop in a hurry
https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/wtb-horizon-road-tcs-tyre-tan-650-x-47c-1/
I took my Trig out for a 100km ride on Sunday, mostly flat and mostly off-road on the Leeds-Liverpool canal.
It was excellent, covering ground really effectively with the 700c wheels and Raddler tyres. Averaged a touch over 20km/h and it was really comfy.
It's bizarre how different cameras treat the same colour - that is a mile off the colour the bike is in the flesh!
What size are those raddler tyres and what's the internal dimension of your rims? And how much clearance have you got? I've got some rather chunky rims I'm hoping to lace up and use but their recommended minimum tyre size makes the whole combo probably a bit tight.
What size are those raddler tyres and what’s the internal dimension of your rims? And how much clearance have you got?
Right, here goes...
45mm tyres
Actually measure 40mm-ish
Probably 'cos they're on 19mm internal rims
Loads of clearance on fork, enough on frame. Drop me a line if you want pics of clearance.
30 miles maybe, mostly unflat, average probably less than 10mph, but not counting, estimated 5% wheelies. 🙂
Wow, it looks wrong with the riser bar, but it also looks kind-of right.
You've gone all in on the "gravel bikes are just old-school MTBs" thing, eh 😀
Looks ace to me, might have to flat bar mine.....
Right, here goes…
45mm tyres
Actually measure 40mm-ish
Probably ‘cos they’re on 19mm internal rimsLoads of clearance on fork, enough on frame. Drop me a line if you want pics of clearance.
Thanks - I'll be using a 25mm internal rim. Rim recommends a minimum tyre of 45mm...which I think I might ignore and use a 40mm. Was just wondering if a 45mm tyre on a 25mm internal rim would fit, especially if the tyre was not too knobbly.
chakaping
Wow, it looks wrong with the riser bar, but it also looks kind-of right.
You’ve gone all in on the “gravel bikes are just old-school MTBs” thing, eh 😀
lol looks that way 🙂
next tweaks will include:
loosening the headset,
cutting bars down to about 500,
sticking a handy friction shifter on the downtube
planishing the brake disks and giving them a polish with some GT85.
Hi trig mates
Anyone with the trig experiencing seat post slippage? Mine slips over a 10 mile ride or so not much few mil but defo slipping I've tried a grip paste it still slipped, grip paste I used was weldtite tf2 (doesn't seam very tacky more like hairgel with bits in) I put quite a bit on but could barely feel it after it slipped again today and I removed the seatpost that was at 5nm, I put another coat on today and did it up to 6nm but any ideas on how to stop this...salsa clamp maybe?
Any advice welcome but I'd rather not use a shim
Never had a problem with mine tbh, it's as standard and has never slipped.
The original did come very well greased. But then again its alu into a steel frame so probably a good plan.
I swapped mine for a brand X dropper before my first ride so can't help - this post has not moved.
Just back from leading a 5 day MTB bikepacking expedition for a group of 15 year olds on mine. Performed flawlessly.
Yeah loving mine to it's just slightly annoying I'm 16st 8lb so might have something to do with it, think I'll try a salsa clamp, but yes other than that mine is flawless too 😊
Hi Trigsters
Can anyone tell me what the setback is on the ragley seatpost that comes with the trig is please?