So I’ve bought a [insert correct marketing term here] frameset that isn’t a mountain bike, and I’m a bit lost as to the most cost-effective way to get it up and running. It’s 1x specific, and disc brake specific.

Link below to the framset (NS Rag+), my current thinking given the fairly flat and smooth terrain around me and the way I’ll be riding it (6-mile commute to work on forestry gravel road/a bit of country lane bimbling) was that I’d build it up using 10-speed Shimano 105 shifters, rear mech and an 11-36 cassette. Brake-wise I was initially thinking Avid BB5/7 mechanical disc brakes which I think will pair OK with the 105’s?

Would this work OK with a MTB crankset and 10-speed narrow-wide chainring (34T or 36T probably, frame will take up to a 46) without a clutch rear mech?

Part of me wonders if i should be using a MTB rear mech and a 10-42 cassette instead, but I think I would then need one of the cable-pull converters so would that just introduce more potential for faffing/adjustment woes?

Or is there a more cost-effective way of doing this? At this stage I’m after a “get me rolling” type setup rather than a final iteration, as it won’t be until I’ve got some miles on it that I really know how I’ll be using the bike and whether I’m reaching the upper/lower end of the gearing or dying regularly due to poor braking etc! I’d obviously like to stick a SRAM Apex 1 setup on it, as per the complete bike builds available but that’s not a sensible option right now.

Here is a link to the frameset: https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ns-bikes-rag-adventure-frameset-2018/rp-prod165977?gs=1&sku=sku613282&pgrid=60711842618&ptaid=pla-316080879759&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=PLA+All+Products&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mkwid|s5vLM2Lem_dc|pcrid|294922111640|pkw||pmt||prd|613282UK&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIi_OsrY6z3gIVyNmyCh2B6QzcEAQYAiABEgJHX_D_BwE

Thanks!

James

<img src="<img src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1938/45613436012_e463e72e08_z.jpg&quot; width="294" height="531" alt="Groupset" /><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>” alt=”” />

Most cost effective would be:

105 10s bifters

9s MTB rear mech (shadow style if you want to go 11-42 an use a goatlink). 105 (of the 10s era) I don’t think will clear a 36t, or at least won’t on paper it might work in real life.

Whatever 10s cassette you want (you could go 11-42 with a goatlink, the gaps would drive me nuts, I’d rather spin out at the top than constantly be shifting up/down on fast bits).

BB5/7 will work with 105 as long as they’re the road version, not mountain (different cable pull).

TRP Spyre are reviewed as being better than BB7 (especially in the mud if pads are wearing down over the course of a ride) and generally cost less on ebay. The OEM pads are awful though. I just picked up a set complete with TRP levers for less than most BB7 calipers sell for!

MTB cranks should work, but they’re wider than road so may have chainline issues, will probably still work though if the chainrings in the middle position.

Clutch mech isn’t really necessary, especially with a N/W chainring.

That’s brilliant thank you, I’ve just checked my Chainreaction shopping list again and it was an 11-34 that I’d added which I think will clear with the 105 mech.

I’ll have a think about whether I stick with that or spend a little more for the extra flexibility of an 11-42 with a goatlink & MTB shifter. As you say though it’ll be bigger jumps, and top speed isn’t a priority for me at all so I’m sure I can find a suitable front ring to work with an 11-34 for most of my riding and then if I’m using the bike a lot I’ll upgrade to some more range.

I believe my SLX cranks were originally a double, I can have a play around with some washers I’m sure to sort something serviceable.

I have an 11 -34 working on my double 10 speed 105.

Thanks @senor j that’s looking favourite at the moment, and I’ll play around with chainring options to find a good balance.

If you can be bothered to trawl through it. I posted up some stuff about my RAG+ build that might help you.

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/nearly-new-bike-build-day-wip-live-gravel-triggersbroom-rag/

Your gearing should be fine unless you are planning some hefty climbs. Prior to the current 40/11-40 range I used a 38/11-32 with a 105 mech and it was great until I rode it up some proper hills in the lakes and realised I needed a couple more gears at the low end.

Have 105 with bb7s but be aware bb’s come in two flavours road and mtb because pull is different

I use a 9spd Shimano xt mech with a 36

https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-rs505-hydraulic-disc-brake-stis-rs505-brake-caliper-set-sale-111364.html still have the flat mount US/Euro style right shifter, that operates the rear brake for £100.

Both Merlin and CRC did recently have the matching front-left shifter, but now both out of stock.

Chainset – I’ve just a mtb chainset on a road spaced frame and it was never quite right though that was a 2x setup so you may be ok with a 1x and playing around with spacing.

I’ll second spyres. I have them on my road and cx bikes and they’ve been highly reliable and work wel.

Another option for shifting is Campag 10s ergos with SRAM 10s mechs – mtb or road. Again I have this on both my cx and road bikes and it works perfectly plus allows for a clutch mech giving a good 1x setup or just great chain retention on a 2x cx.

Thanks @Joemmo I’ll have a read through that now! I remember seeing it before but when i tried to search i couldn’t find it again.

I’ve purchased yesterday a 9-speed Shimano MTB rear mech, a goat link to space it out and a 11-42 cassette so I think for the riding I’ll be doing it’s only going to be lacking at the top end, depending on what I go with as a chainring. Initially it might be a 36T on a MTB crankset but I’m watching a few SRAM Apex cranksets on ebay with a 40T which would be perfect i think. I’m not going to be going on any ‘proper’ road rides or group rides so there’s no real problem with a low top speed, from a quick look at a ratio calculator 90rpm in top will give my ~26mph with a 40T and 23mph with a 36T MTB chainring which is still plenty for just bombing around country lanes and gravel roads to be honest.

That’s a good price actually for the Hydro lever & brakes, £200 and some hose shortening/lengthening would get me a set (as they’re US-Style) whereas it’s about £180 for a cable setup with BB5’s! The frame and fork are both flat mount, but you can get a flat to post adaptor for £15 which solves the problem of no front flat-mount available, but plenty of post mount!

Actually on the Shimano RS505 Hydro’s above, they’re 11-speed so presumably won’t work with a 10-speed cassette? Or is the gear spacing the same, and I can just limit it to prevent it going off the back of the biggest cog?

I thought flat mount calipers could be adapted to post mount frame/forks, but not the other way around?

Shimano 505s levers would need an 11-speed cassette, it’s getting complicated as to what levers work with what wheel hubs, but IIRC there are new 11-speed road cassettes that will fit on a wheel designed for 10-speed.

I hope you got it for the Black Friday £349 price that I just did! If not contact CRC now.

Yes i did cheers_drive that’s what started the whole build off! I’ve been keeping an eye out for something similar for a while (although originally looking at steel frames, purely for aesthetic reasons) and when the Black Friday email came out a day earlier with a preview of the deals I bought it straight away. I’ve then spent the last two days trying to work out how on earth to build the thing without just getting annoyed and spunking ~£700 on an Apex1 Groupset! I think I’m now all sorted except for seatpost, saddle & bars.

@notg I think you’re correct, so I went with the original plan of 10-speed 105’s with 9-speed MTB rear mech & goatlink instead to allow a 11-42 and Merlin had some flat-mount Spyres on offer for £45/end (plus some £6 160mm adaptors, so i can use my new “in stock” 160mm rotors that I bought a while back for something else).

I think the 10-42 will be massively overkill with a MTB crankset as I can only go up to 36T on the chainring, I’m going to have an ebay trawl for a cheap road crankset instead. It appears roadies are similar to mountain bikers in that a lot of them seem to buy a new bike and then immediately remove components to “upgrade” so hopefully I’ll grab a bargain.

I’ve just done very similar with a Planet X london road frame i picked up.

I went with 5700 105 shifters from ebay £30 and put a 10spd rear cassette with a 40t expander and an old 9spd mech. I’ve not ridden it yet to see if it clears or not, but it seems to run ok in the stand.

I put a £15 narrow wide on the front as i wasn’t sure what size i’d want yet and then

For brakes i went with these little rascals from wiggle – £13 an end with the rotor was good value for money for me. They’re far from brilliant, but will get me out and about.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/clarks-cmd-17-mechanical-disc-brake-rotor/?sku=546678

I then got a set of mavic wheels from ebay includeing tyres for £100 and in the end was a relatively cheap bike to build.

I almost bought a London Road frame last week, but they only had them in Green in my size and I was being indecisive about whether I wanted a bike that bright! The RAG being able to use my current 650B wheels & tyres swung it for me.

I’ve found a £15 narrow/wide in 40T but a 104BCD to go on my in-stock SLX crankset so now I’m down to needing a headset, bars and seatpost. Although the frame hasn’t shipped yet so I’m hoping that doesn’t all come tumbling down if CRC have got their stock levels wrong or something similarly ridiculous!

I bought a rag+ start of the year, put mix of stuff off my old bike and new stuff, running SRAM gearing 1×11 40t upfront on double Shimano chainset, 11-40 MTB cassette, trp spyres and have two sets of wheels, 700c wtbs and 650b superstars and Ritchey finishing kit. Using a 30deg 80mm Ritchey stem, much more useable IME than flat back stems.

The stem & general riding position are the two aspects that are an unknown to me, as I’m not really used to a road-bike position. I’m going to leave plenty of meat on the steerer and play around with spacers & stems to see what suits me, worst case I stick some flat bars on it to create a real monstrosity!

What do you use tyre-wise on the two wheelsets? Slicks on the 700C and something a bit more treaded on the 650B’s? I’m torn between doing something along those lines or just getting a good set of light 650B’s and a couple of different tyre sets.

Marathon Supremes on 700c and Spesh fast track on the 650s. Same cassette and rotors on each so swapping wheels takes 2 minutes. Indexing isn’t perfect as hubs are different.

Regarding riding position, don’t try to make it fit like an MTB, drops and layback seat post for me but took alot of changes to get there.

Unless they’ve changed the spec then the frame will come with a stem but for me it was too long at 110 cm on the 56cm (l) size. I prefer a wider drop bar and shorter stem than the traditional roadie fit but you may as well try it first.

Regarding the CRC price – that’s what I got mine for earlier in the year and it’s good value at that – the full rrp is a little overpriced imho but they’re fun bikes. Mine is in winter commuter mode with full guards and 700×35 tyres at the moment but I’m going to fit some fatter rubber next year.

The main hitch I found during the build was that the fork brake mounts were a bit off. I modified an adapter to fix it but if you have the same issue then it’ll be worth getting a shop to face the mounts for you.