thanks James

Shimano stock falling off a boat -I’ve never known a new model intro that I’ve been so excited by and also been so delayed

see also every bike manufacturer, the annodising plant fire has had major repercussions throughout the industry, many models delayed by months.

@eduea
I think I did, I’ll check when I get home. Thanks.

@eduea
Just got home and checked the card, and yes it has the frame number on there, which I hadn’t noticed before. Thanks, you saved me a lot of time and effort.

Once again, asking on STW pays off.

I finally made a frame bag for my Arkose and wanted it to be like the Oveja Negra 1/2 Pack with a small pocket on the left side. Propably need some lower sitting bottle cages….

Slightly OT, but I did my first long ride on my Pinnacle Dolomite, which is basically a more road focused version of the Arkrose this weekend, (108 mile Tour of Flanders) and it was supremely comfortable. No aches and pains to speak of after being out most of the day, handled the cobbles without fuss (28mm tyres). Thanks Jameso, it’s bloody ace.

Now, as you were….

Went into Evans a few weeks back as I was passing, on the off chance they might have some 2019 bikes in store. No luck, but decided to order a D3 anyway as I couldn’t wait! Popped in again on Saturday and they had the D1 and D3 on the shop floor. I really want the spec of the D3 but oh man the colour of the D1 is gurt lush! I think that is the best paint job I’ve seen on a bike for years – it goes from a greeny-blue to purple depending on the light. Anyhoo, the purple D3 is nice too. Hurry up Evans and deliver my bike cos I can’t wait much longer 🙂

I have the Arkose 4 2018 with Rival 1x
I’m looking at a new cassette and eyeing up the Sunrace MX8
1) do I need to get the XD driver version
2) will an 11-40 work as a straight swap out from current SRAM 11-42?

I do really like the 1x but have always had issues with the smallest gears 36 and 42 and have never been able to get the chain to stay on 42, despite numerous tweaks and tunes. My LBS, after the latest attempt, thinks it may be the derailleur, which has suffered a few dings. Am taking the plunge and getting a new derailleur but while I’m at it thinking 11-40 may suit me. That last jump 36-42 is huge, if I can have a 40t that actually works, with 42t on the front, I’d be loving it

I had issues with the indexing and shifting when I got my arkose 4, turned out whoever built it had forgotten to put the spacer on behind the cassette (the sram 11-42 is the width of a 10 speed road cassette). Added that and reindexed & it’s shifted perfectly ever since. Worth checking the derailleur hanger isn’t bent…the rival RD is pretty chunky, would be surprised if it can be damaged without bending the hanger.

The MX8 looks like it fits on a normal shimano freehub, no xd needed.

@charliem
Thanks for the advice. Could it really be a missing spacer? I shall check for that
Derailleur hanger is new, the old one snapped after I crashed into a taxi (he wasn’t looking as he pulled a U-turn)! That’s when the derailleur took a ding.

Hi, i have a 18′ arkose 3 frame. Id like to ask if anyone knows of a replacement fork that have mid length rack mounts for a porteur rack? TIA

Having paid a final payment on my road disc bike I’m now looking at upgrading my 2015 Arkose single speed/1×11 conversion. 2019 Arkose X is one of the favoured contenders. Main reason for changing is getting the ability to run 650b wheels. How wide can I go on the new Arkose frame, and what other improvemments will I see? Cheers…

Hey Jameso, if you’re still calling in to this thread from time to time..in your opinion what real improvements would I see between the 2019 Arkose X and my 2015 Arkose SS 1×11 conversion (built with Sram S500 shifter and 1x Apex chainring and RD)? I do love my 2015 Arkose (with 38mm Tubeless Gravel Kings), but keen to scratch my 650b itch as some of my offroad routes have big gravel and rocks which could with a bit more cushion….think you’ve warned me off going 650b on my 2015 rig due to 2015 fork clearance and reduced B&B height in the past…cheers

Fed up of my creaky but functional original drivetrain on my 2017 arkose 2. It didn’t take long with a gear calculator + wiggle to determine that replacing with another sub-compact one would be more expensive and yield practically identical gear range compared to going with a compact and a larger cassette so I’m going with the compact option.

Will be glad to say goodbye to the FSA stuff that turned into a creaky mess every other month.

@reformedfatty
Something is creaking on my 2018 Arkose, but I cannot figure out what it is. It happens when I’m in the smaller chainring, and seems loudest when I’m in the middle gears.
Did you manage to work out where your creak was coming from?

Luv2rides, sorry, missed your posts til now. The new Arkose vs 2015.. the new one is a bit lighter, the rear / seat cluster area has a bit more give, the dropout is convertable and if I do say myself I think we have the neatest, easiest cable route options for cables or Di2. No redundant bosses if using Di2. Also internal dynamo route for both front and rear lights and one set of removable guard mounts, one other fixed mount ideal for a rack.
650b clearance is another change, no more clearance than 2017-18 frameset but more than your 2015, mainly up front. 700×45 is arguably as good and there’s still more tyre range for 700s but for mixed riding I’m a fan of 650b, especially if riding loaded up.

Easily, not sure if it’s the same creak or indeed hubs but my pinnacle ramin had a creak in certain and it turned out to be a loose bit in the hub I tightened up all the axle components and it stopped it. Took ages to track it down though

Oh and I was In Evans the other day and the new arkose d1 looked lovely a right bargain, in there was a non disc lithium which was lovely too greyish and orange reminded me of an old school marin pine mountain

Hey guys, are any of you Arkose owners 5’11”, and if so are you on a medium or a large Arkose?
The website suggests large, but I’m right on the cusp so just wondering. I’m ordering a D1 (that colour!) but my local Evans didn’t have any in stock for me to sit on and try.

I’m 5’8″ and I chose a small. Like you I was on the cusp – I could have ridden the medium. I chose the small as the standover height seemed better, and having ridden it for 6 months I think I did the right thing.
I know that wasn’t really what you asked, but I hope it helps a little.

Thank you Easily, that’s what I suspect I need to do as well, stand over height is important for me commuting through stop start traffic, just looking for some confirmation one way or another.

@firestarter

Thanks for the suggestion. I looked at the hubs and they seem to be ok.

I’m guessing it’s the bottom bracket or the cheap pedals I put on

No worries mate hopefully you’ll track it down

Hey guys, are any of you Arkose owners 5’11”, and if so are you on a medium or a large Arkose?

I’m 5’9″ and ride a medium, it feels spot on to me. If you’re on the cusp you could always fit a longer stem.

Bikeytom

Just tell Evans you want to test ride a bike in a certain size. They’ll then get the correct bike in stock. I paid £50 deposit but that is refunded when you turn up and ride it. They even flipped the stem for me to see how that was

https://www.evanscycles.com/help/test-rides

I’m a shade over 5′ 10″ and test rode both medium and large. The large felt just a touch too big for me so I ended up on a medium with a 90mm stem. Feels spot on.

Thanks for the reply Jameso. Is the geometry similar berween the 2015 and 2019 frames? Looking at online geo charts the ’15 had 545mm eff top tube, and the ’19 quoted as being 562mm? Unfortunately my local Evans doesn’t seem to have a medium Arkose in stock, and was going to try for size.

My medium 2015 with the Hylex hoods is a perfect fit…

Luv2ride not sure on the new sizing but when I had a bike that fitted with shimano hoods and swapped to hylex I needed a shorter stem as it changed where I held them due to the design

Looking at online geo charts the ’15 had 545mm eff top tube, and the ’19 quoted as being 562mm?

Something not right there. 555mm for the men’s M in 2015. 2019 is 562mm as the seat angle is a touch slacker now – ie the 2015 to 2019 reach hasn’t changed. Was always designed a tad longer to be used with a 10-20mm shorter stem.

Front end geo had a minor tweak for the new frame, simply to keep handling as intended with ever-increasing 700c tyre sizes (40-45mm the norm vs 32-40mm) and to get a better turn-in feel from a wider 650B wheel also.

when I had a bike that fitted with shimano hoods and swapped to hylex I needed a shorter stem as it changed where I held them due to the design

The Hylex hoods are long .. but I just see that as more range if needed and kept the stem the same to keep the drops in the same place, otherwise it’s cramped when on longer road sections in the drops. Quite like that long hood design for adding reach on the tops.

I found the hoods much more comfortable just a bit far away , shorter stem was always a compromise a bar with less forward reach and same stem would have been better tbh

^Thanks for the replies. JAMESO, I must have got myself confused over the 2015 ETT measurement, been looking at too many geo charts this week trying to make up my mind! Didn’t the 2015 bike with Hylex brakes have a particularly short reach bar to also offset the longer Hylex hoods? I eventually changed the bars out for Cowbells for a touch more flare and didn’t notice any issues, and I really like the Hylex hood shape. Changed stem to a TransX elastomer type but stuck to 80mm. Weirdly my road bike has r685 hydraulic brifters, which i think also have a longer than typical reach, but sometimes feel a little too stretched out on that (545mm ETT plus 110mm stem). Bike geometry often feels something of a dark art to me…

562mm ETT did seem long for the 2019 medium frame, but its reassuring to hear the reach hasnt really changed. Getting closer to pulling the trigger I think…

Didn’t the 2015 bike with Hylex brakes have a particularly short reach bar to also offset the longer Hylex hoods?

They’ve always used a bar with ~70-75mm reach, I don’t see the need to set the bar based on the hoods shape, only the bar shape – I use short-hood SRAM S500 brake lever only jobs on one bike, same bar / stem though. I can see why some would change the stem though, esp. if riding on the hoods most of the time.

Arkoses always were a bit longer in the frame than many similar bikes but with the stem and bar spec it all balances out. 10mm on top tube or reach raises a question whereas bar reaches/shapes can vary more than that.

Bikeytom, I’m 5ft 11 and ride a large Arkose. It feels very comfortable to me.

EDIT: just noticed the geo has possibly changed from my 2015 bike, so not sure if still relevant

EDIT: just noticed the geo has possibly changed from my 2015 bike, so not sure if still relevant

Nope : ) TT length 7mm different but Reach basically the same
=

jameso

Subscriber
..555mm for the men’s M in 2015. 2019 is 562mm as the seat angle is a touch slacker now – ie the 2015 to 2019 reach hasn’t changed. Was always designed a tad longer to be used with a 10-20mm shorter stem.

Anyone got any experience of the R1 or R2 please? Looking at one for commuting, road rides and delamere forest trail type rides. Looked at the D2 but looks too close to my Cotic hardtail. Bit concerned about the cable brakes on the R1.

^ I was really impressed by those brakes. Flat mount TRPs with Shimano levers match well. Pop some Shimano resin pads in and adjust well and tbh they’re so close to hydraulics in power and modulation, just not the same smooth fluidity in the lever pull.

Would they be easily upgraded to hydro in the future?

Easy yes, a bit pricey though as you’d need new STIs. FWIW I have Spyres on the bike I ride the most, hydros are nice but I don’t feel I’m missing any performance over the Spyres. Good cables -Arkoses use Jagwire compressionless- good pads and alignment makes a big difference, most complaints about cable discs like this I suspect are down to that more than the brake caliper itself. They’re a bit more sensitive to set-up and need adjusting more often, that’s all.

Sounds good Jameso. Pretty tempted by the R1 for my style of riding. If I will be happy with the brakes I will go for it I think. Just looking at tyre size now as the stock ones you get are very road biased I think. Need a set I can setup tubeless and use on forest trails etc.

use on forest trails etc

.. that’s what the D1 is for : ) D = Dirt*, R = Road. Frameset is the same, just the spec varies a little.

*I know, Gravel is more SEO-compatible but —- it, it’s more dirt than gravel over here. And G-1 would probably be a TM issue.

If there’s anyone Derby way not sure about sizing, I have a medium D3 you’re welcome to swing a leg over.

(Subject on a separate thread, but thought I’d offer up here as well)