Finally got round to reframing my road bike – did have a caad12 disc but wanted something a bit taller at the front (to help my poor old back) and which would take full proper fitted mudguards and maybe some kind of rack / panniers for commuting.

Concluded there weren’t many frame options that hit all of those points whilst still being similar in weight to the caad12 disc frame – and even less through C2W. The caad12 did a lot of commuting through all weathers over 5 years.

Spec is:

Dolan GXC Gravel frame (also a Carbonda / On-One freeranger / Bombtrack something or other etc)
Ultegra di2 11 speed
Ultegra 34-50 crankset
Ultegra 11-32 cassette
R785 di2 shifters
Hope RX4+ Calipers
Mason x Hunt 4 Seasons Road wheels
Conti gp5000 clinchers in 30c
Use alien carbon seatpost
Cannondale bars and Deda stem
XTR centrelock 160mm rotors

Saddle needs to be switched to the same one but in black (the turquoise matched my last bike)

The brakes are currently connected but haven’t been filled / bled and no brake pads currently in them.

I had loads of fun with centrelock rotors – what a terrible standard that is for getting tools to fit the lock rings. Rear rotor currently only hand tight as neither of the cassette tools I currently have will fit either the splines or over the end cap of the axle.

Can you remove the disc side end cap to tighten the disc up

bikerevivesheffield
Full Member
Can you remove the disc side end cap to tighten the disc up

Sadly not as you have to take the rotor off to fit the end cap / end of the axle. It’s got a big lip that won’t go through the middle of the rotor. As far as I can workout anyway – I’ve ordered another cassette tool that looks longer than the one I have and hoping that does the job.

The previous lock rings were the type that need a ht2 bb tool (the original style) but the tool I have was too flat to get over the end caps on those. Manages to get one off with mole grips but the other was too thin to do that so managed to knock it round with a screwdriver and mallet 🤯

Nothing wrong with 6 bolt…I literally have no idea why we even have centrelock as a design

Nice!

PM me if you want to move the saddle on, as I have a bike the right colour! I might also have a black Fabric Scoop if you wanted to swap.

(No comments about the paving, pointing etc, all looks decent!)

Looks nice!

Ref centrelock lockrings – I much prefer the ones with the external splines that use a HT2 BB tool to fit. I think they were only strictly needed to work on 15mm+ axles but can be used on smaller axles too. I got these off aliexpress…

Edit: just saw your reply, looks like you already know about this type!

Yeah one of the old lock rings (the wheels previously had 6 bolt rotors with adapters it appears) was more like those purple ones but the other was like a super thin version. Just seemed a bad idea. I’m hoping the new tool I’ve ordered will sort the new Xtr lock ring 🤞

@hardtailonly – thanks for the offer – I’ll see how the turquoise one goes with my sentinel – which is a bright / light blue ish. I think all my saddles are the scoop elite gel radius and seem to be a saddle I’m currently ok with after a few that I found hideously uncomfortable (looking at you SDG Bel Air 2.0)

Hello Purple!! 😁😁

However, I must bemoan the lack of weeds to call out… 😉

The paving slabs could do with a jet wash perhaps after the endless rain finishes 🤷‍♂️

Love a puuuuuurple bike. 👍

Looks smart that 😎😎

Not shre if it’s the new chain / different cranks / stiffer frame but just doing a vo2 turbo session (3 min gap between sets) and it feels smoother and nicer than the caad was feeling. Reckon my saddle could go a touch higher but the stretch to the bars feels a little shorter (as hoped) and the front feels higher (also as hoped).

Weirdly, exactly the same bars as the caad feel narrower now. Tempted to have a bike fit in the next few months and pick up some carbon bars after that with internal routing so I can use the bar end junction box A to tidy the front up 🤔

I had similar issues when I built my road bike – had to use the locking from one of these, in the end https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-parts/bike-brakes/shimano-6-bolt-to-centre-lock-adapter-sm-rtad05-361694.html?istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istFeedId=367c5610-f937-4c81-8609-f84582324cd6&istItemId=rritxpilw&istBid=t&_$ja=tsid:|cid:17631808078|agid:|tid:|crid:|nw:x|rnd:16019028699456160200|dvc:m|adp:|mt:|loc:9045865&gclid=CjwKCAjwoIqhBhAGEiwArXT7K2LsHPoDJgJ0hJrO9oC61RNL_9_IUVLGjNcaz8fybxoefY7SsYxu9BoCyUgQAvD_BwE
…mostly because they are thin enough to clear the caliper mount bulges on the fork.

That was over 5 years ago when stuff was cheaper – has been solid and reliable

@belugabob

Thanks – I think that’s like the ring I had a fight with to get off as none of my current selection of bb tools would get it off due to the protruding end caps.

I do have a spare ring a bit like the anodised purple ones above that is quite chunky – the only tool I have that fits it are a pair of molgrips – but I’m a pinch that’s my backup plan here if the new tool I’ve ordered doesn’t fit the Shimano centrelock ring! I truly hate centrelock.

Edit – new tool has sorted it – Icetools gr1 slips over the end cap perfectly

@joebristol – sounds like the icetoolz tool has a larger internal diameter (thinner metal?) so I may consider getting one, for future use.

Do you have a link to the exact item, as I couldn’t find a GR1 listed?

I can’t remember where I got the code GR1 from but it’s this one on Amazon:

IceToolz Cassette Lockring Tool… https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0028N57UU?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Lovely bike.

Making me fancy a bar of Dairy Milk for some reason.

It is very similar to old dairy milk bars! Broadly the same frame as a Freeranger (bar a different bottom bracket standard) if you’d rather have a cream egg colour scheme

Had a go at sorting the brakes out at lunchtime today for a break from work stress. I much prefer bleeding sram brakes with bleeding edge connectors over anything else.

The Hope syringes screw in ok but on the front brake every time I had to switch the syringe over for the bleed screw (and the bleed process does this a few times) it pissed oil everywhere. I think I’ve got a firm enough lever on the front though. Rear I haven’t tried with the wheel in yet as the bike is straight back on the turbo for later. Hope to get out for a ride in the sun next week to try it all out and check everything is tight / working / setup well.

Also won a brand new black version of my current saddle on eBay for cheap so that’s on way to sort out the colour clash!

First ride outside today on the Dolan – loved it. Really stiff out of the saddle sprinting / climbing, yet comfy in the saddle. Pb’d a couple of small climbs by a decent chunk and generally felt pretty swift and efficient. I was worried it might feel dead in the corners vs the caad but no such worries. Might move the stem down a spacer as the front feels fairly high and want to get some internally routed carbon bars and the di2 bar end junction box to tidy it up a bit.

Other than that (and a power meter and some carbon wheels) it’s pretty much perfect. Hope rx4’s are decent – the front has enough power to stoppie or endo whilst sat in the saddle.