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Somafunk, quite a few threads on here about cargo bikes. A few Big Dummy, Xtracycle and Kona Ute owners do post. Did [url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/utility-bike-life-changing-stories ]this thread[/url] a while back.
A mate of mine has the clement x'plor.
(That's the end of the story, BTW...)
DrP
I have 32c clement x'plors on my charge filter. They have been a great on/off road compromise over the summer offering good low rolling resistance on road and a nice confidence inspiring grip on gravel and gritty sand/ hard dirt. They're are actually not too bad in mud although I'm thinking of looking for something with a bit more volume and "knobble" for the winter. Sometimes they feel a little skittery on off camber especially if there are rocks although it's my first foray into cx bikes so I'm not sure how much of that is just riding on drops with small tires and a rigid fork!
I've ran the Clement XPlors mso 40mm (along with Clement xplor USH 35mm and Clement strada lgg's 28mm) for the past 18 months and i've raved about them throughout this thread, they are all fantastic tyres in my opinion and the mso's are great - very low rolling resistance yet super grippy when banked over on trails due to the flexible nubs of the tread.
They wear quite well too which is a bonus, they are rather expensive but i'll put up with that for the 120tpi supple carcass and variable tread compounds.
What's the difference between the mso and the ush?
Excellent, a good choice then ! 😀
[url= http://clementcycling.com/ush ]X'Plor USH here[/url]
[url= http://clementcycling.com/xplor-mso ]X'Plor MSO here[/url]
On the US based gravel/adventure bike websites and blogs you get the usual tyre reviews and Clements of every variety seem to be a favoured choice of many, the [i]Clement[/i] name is reproduced under licence and i'd like to know who produces them.
I think i'm going to try a set of the new Hutchinson Sectors (tubeless) for my new wheel set though, i'll donate my Strada's to my bro's alloy tripster.
Has anyone had front end creaks on their frame? It was driving me potty. I stripped down and regressed the headset twice and almost gave up on a solution until I realised it was the front qr. As tightening it up stupidly tight was the only way to stop it, I ditched it for an Ultegra. Normal service was resumed! Popped an XTR on the back for good measure. 😀
I did have an initial problem with the wheel skewers on my bike coming loose (or so i thought), it turned out to be the little spring that sits on the skewer was going into the hollow axle and locking in place giving a false positive closure when closing the skewer, sometimes the skewer would be so tight on initial closure that it would leave an imprint on the palm of my hand thus leading me to believe it was securely closed but after a few hundred yards and bumps on the road the spring rattled loose and the wheel would fall out if you picked the bike up.
I dunno if this was because of undersized skewer shafts, oversized hollow axles or dodgy skewer springs but i always double checked once i realised this.
I now use Paul Components skewers but sometimes still had* the same issue where the skewer spring slotted into/up the hollow axle.
* - I have different wheels now (son 28 dynamo hub front/CK R45 rear)
Sanny - I had the most horrendous creaks a while back. Stripped the whole drive train down, took the pedals apart, still made a (very embarrassing) racket. Turned out to be the rear qr...
On the tyre front - I do think the Tripster likes a big tyre. I graduated from 25 to 28 to 40 then flirted with 42 but couldn't get them under the guards (unsurprisingly!) then the 37mm Travel Contacts which are superb and have seen me through the end of summer playing on the gravel and into the shite of autumn roads. I've just taken delivery of some 32mm Duranos, the thinking being I'll sack off the offroad stuff 'til spring (well, maybe the odd frosty one in a few weeks time...) and get back into razzing around the lanes. Plus I've not had a 32 on there yet...
cr500dom - looking good! 🙂
😆 The creaking has driven me mad... even bought a new BB
*scuttles off to shed to take that stupid lightweight bling rear Ti Skewer off.
Can anyone tell me the length of the Tripster ATR fork? - DIrect measurement from centre of axle to top of fork (rather than virtual in-line with the head tube). I'm trying to work out if a 57 or 60 would be a better fit for me.
I think I could replicate my road position using a -8 stem on the 57, and a -17on the 60. But I want to be sure I've got my calculations correct.
I'd like to have the option to run my road position when I'm putting in longer winter miles and the majority of my commuting, and then go less aggressive when I put knobblies on.
Also, does anyone with a size 57 have any toe overlap? I think I calculate the front-centre to be 623mm, which I'm guessing should be clear even with guards.
Thanks in advance. 🙂
From centre of axle to top of fork where crown race sits is 397mm, my Tripster is stripped down at the moment so Its an accurate measurement, measurement to top of the crown race is 400mm.
Awesome. Thanks.
I'd been using 400, so that's perfect.
Now just to decide what to order. 🙂
I think I'll start ordering the build kit and try a few positions out on my temporary bike (the chainstay rusted through on my old commuter/trainer) with the stems and spacers I have lying around at home.
I should really go on fit alone, but I think the 60 looks a bit lanky and unwieldy - Which people would probably say about me, so maybe it's not all bad! 😉
I'm unsure about replicating your exact road position from your road bike as the tripsters geometry and steering response will be different from whatever road bike you currently ride, whereabouts in the country are you as there's a few folk who've posted on this thread with 57cm tripsters, I'm sure they'd offer you a quick test ride to check out positions.
I was initially thinking that a 57 would have been better for me because of the slacker HA, rather than my 54.
However I am now not so sure as the standover would have been much tighter and the steering doesn't seem so slow now with the bigger tyres.
As I have Hope hubs I have been running 9mm and 10mm DT RWS Skewers from the start, especially when I saw someone mention brake judder on the front fork.
I was impressed again with the Spyre SL brakes and their lack of squealing - does anyone know what the OEM pads are ?
@somafunk - Thanks. I realise that the HA is much slacker, and running a longish stem would mean to steering is quite slow. But I found this blog - http://danguestcoaching.wordpress.com/tag/decade-tripster-atr/ - and the guy said the handling is fine with a -17/130. And that's on a tiny frame, so the hoods will probably be out past the front axle.
I wouldn't necessarily run that position all the time, but I'd like to be able to get it, otherwise I get a really sore back and neck when getting back on the race bike after the winter.
I've calculated that running a -10/120 on the standard headset cone will put me the position I'm used to. I've also got a +17/120 that I'm going to put on my temp bike today to test out the position I'd have if I ran a +6/120 on the Tripster. I think that should give me an idea if it's right or not.
mine has a 110mm stem at -6, or maybe -5, and the steering feels perfect with the big tyres, felt a little sluggish with 33c for some reason.
What's the mud guard of choice for the tripster. Looked at the sks chromoplastic but was thinking of the Portland design one. Just wary of the ends of the Portland one regarding the caliper clearance.
Enough chat...I'm off to have a blast about on the hills in the rain on mine!
I think that if i get the time this weekend, I'm going to go tubeless.
Just to decide if I stick the WTBs (32c) or the Conti 42c on there...
DrP
moonwrasse : I did have the sks chromoplastics fitted previously but i have a set of the Portland Design Works to go on when i rebuild my Tripster, It should be back together by next weekend so i'll post up pics etc.
Thanks.
I run quite a road position on mine, i replaced the 15mm spacer for a 7mm and fitted a -10 stem.
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Since this pic it now has 11spd 105 drive train and ultegra shifters, didnt go full ultegra because of the miles it does and its main role is a commuter. The bb died on the FSA cranks after 1600miles.
The original skewers on mine also creaked, replaced with hopes.
buzz - how are your hubs holding out / wheelset in general ?
how is the clearance between the bolt arm of the front mech and the tyre ?it now has 11spd 105 drive train
I ask as it's looking a bit tight on the new Arkose 4 and Croix de Fer 30 which also have new 105 11 speed
Looks great. 🙂
Be careful running a single pannier on 28 spoke wheels, the uneven loading puts it under a lot of stress.
@Tlr, I had to change the freehub body to a 11speed and when free wheeling now I roll forever. The old freehub had hardly any grease and was noticeably marked from rubbing the hub, need to keep an eye on it. The hubs themselves seem fine, bearings still lovely and smooth. Had to tru the rear about 3 times at first but its settled down now and stayed tru for ages.
@iainc don't know! Kept the 10 spd front mechanical.
@Matt, only very light loads thanks.
How do these CX disc wheels hold up for commuting?? They appear to be back in stock at Wiggle, but i'm concerned about the seemingly low weight and alloy nipples through the salty winter roads.
I'll be doing a bit of everything on the bike too, light touring, road rides, bit of off-road etc..
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kinesis-crosslight-disc-v3-roadcx-wheelset/
Horatio, I've commuted about 3500km on mine, no dramas and my hubs are silky smooth, just pulled em apart last weekend to clean check and re lube.
Same as tlr and roughly the same distance, i am concerned about how they will survive winter but ive saved some money away in case i need to replace them.
With the alloy nipples, could you squirt drops of a dry lube such as Squirt onto them to stop them seizing through a winter of salty road rides?
Has anyone put anything other than drop bars on theirs? I know Somafunk put Jones bars on his. Interested to hear of others experiences?
Cheers
Sanny
I think the squirt would come off, but a slightly messier solution could be LPS-3
http://www.lpslabs.com/product-details/612
which is a thick and waxy spray that gets used for airframe protection.
Oh dear, I appear to have purchased a 2nd set of the excellent Kinesis wheels for mucky duties 😀
(As I shamefully couldn't get the tyres on the other (Tubeless) set I brought in the mean time..... :oops:)
They will be going on the classifieds shortly then
Would any of you tripster owners who sold a road bike as this covered all basis ever go back to a road bike? Dithering for when new batch of frames come in but use would be 80% road, 20% exploring.
Dom - what wheels are they? Could be interested.
I cant see me ever going back to a road bike no, this is all the road bike I`ll ever need and then some.
I can ride in the group I want to on club rides, ride all day 100 mile sportives etc and go exploring if the mood takes me.
I can do all of this in total comfort with rack and guards if needed.
I`ll get some wheel details later (I brought them off a mate locally, they are 700c, 6 bolt disc hubs and tubeless) I got them to run until the Kinesis ones were back in stock, couldn't get Tyres on them 😳 and have not needed to so didn't try again 🙄
Ok, ta on both counts although the kinesis wheels are mighty tempting.
(These will be half the cost if that helps 😉 )
How usable is it offroad?
I've got a Cotic x that I use for child towing duties, all terrain touring, cx sportives and making the easy woodland riding more interesting. I also had a giant defy that was used for Audax, sportives and evening blasts until it got stolen. I was hoping the tripster atr might be able to replace both but I was interested in people's thoughts on how robust it is for offroad singletrack?
Very useable off road, i've taken mine round Dalbeattie 7 stanes but avoided the slab for obvious reasons, managed all of Kirroughtree and not a problem on any part of the trail, same goes for all my local trails in Galloway, running 40mm tyres obviously.
Was up at Aviemore earlier this April (stunning weather for a week) with my Tripster and my Cove Hummer with 140mm of Fox Talas and i think i rode my Hummer for one afternoon only, but on that afternoons riding i constantly wished i was out on my Tripster instead.
The following day after i had my Hummer out i rode the same route on the Tripster, for sure it was far slower down the rooty descent and i had quite a few comedy dismounts into the heather but for the other 80% of the 30km route it made far more sense (and fun) to be riding the Tripster.
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Rooty descent
Gotama - mine's used for 95% road duties. Admittedly bumpy, mucky, crappy road in places, but it just makes sense to be riding something that's light, fast, comfy, stops and goes, refined, versatile... I don't really miss my carbon road bike. I've kept up with the occasional group ride in about as mediocre fashion as I used to on the 16lb 'race bike' so I can't really see it. Maybe if I had endless funds I'd stick a fancy Colnago disc road bike in the garage, but it would only be for high days and dry days and the Tripster is good enough for that anyway... I'd rather not complicate things.
[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5612/15781034321_0c06224cab_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5612/15781034321_0c06224cab_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/q3vVGD ]Kinesis Tripster ATR[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/52769476@N00/ ]South Downs MTB Skills[/url], on Flickr
Got both my new wheels on at last....
I ride mine anywhere I would ride my MTB on the South Downs and Surrey Hills. As Somafunk said above you might not get down the hill as quickly, but it's still doable. It trains you to look where you are going!
Hi Mrhoppy
I have to say I really am struggling to find fault with my long term Tripster test bike. I've already given it a shakedown on some pretty techy and rough mountain bike trails and I keep coming away impressed by how capable it is. Admittedly, I do run a 1.8 tyre on the front and a 42c on the back but I don't find that set up to be much slower than the stock WTB cross tyres. I switched to Woodchipper bars which give a bit more width and to my mind, more control off road. I may fit a shorter stem and raise the bars a little next to mimic my Fargo set up as that too is ace off road. On road, I can confidently drive into corners on steep descents on the drops, something I struggle to do on any other road or cross bike I have ridden in the past. Part of me is tempted to fit a dropper post for sh#ts and giggles. Is it robust enough? Hell yeah based on my experience so far! I regard it as a bike for the Zombie Apocalypse that seems to do everything really well. Road riding? Change the tyres. Same for cross and off road action. I reckon it's a great example of Titanium being used to best effect although even in steel, it would still to my mind be a very good design indeed. I am reserving final judgement until I put a lot more riding in but thus far, two thumbs up from me!
weird - just fitted a new ultegra chain and ultegra 12-30 cassette , and it's super tight on big to big even though i sized it big ring around big ring + 1.5 links.
running an ultegra compact chainset 50/34 - any ideas folks ?
it's still running the standard short cage 105 mech.
TLR. Mine's very similar to that set - Ultegra 12-30 with an Ultegra compact chainset and an Ultegra 6700 short cage rear mech and it's working fine. I didn't really have to fettle the B screw much either when I moved up from a 28.
Just ridden the 32mm Duranos today and am pleasantly surprised with them. They're obviously much faster rolling than the 37mm Travel Contacts but they still felt pretty comfy and supple. Let's hope they stand up to some sort of puncture resistance as they might just be what I've been looking for.