I got some Pewag chain cut to length from Brindleychains that I was happy with for the price…
Pewag Security Chains

Kona Process 111

I’m of no doubt the more recent trend for higher rise HB’s is a direct result of stack heights not increasing proportionally to the relatively big gains we’re seeing with reach on more progressive, modern geo.

To throw another wild suggestion into the pot… how about scaled size specific rise that increases with frame size for complete bikes? Might be a logical route if bike brands reason for not increasing stack proportionally with reach is visual hesitation over HT lengths?

Genesis Tarn fork is 495mm A-C x 51mm offset

Haven’t seen these mentioned yet but I’ve got a few pairs that I rate. Only 780mm which might be a dealbreaker for some but combined with the 70mm rise they’ve got a nice 12deg backsweep that makes for a naturally comfy hand angle. Obviously used to be much easier to get hold of in pre-Brexit times…

Ergotec Riser 70 31.8

Best thing you can do to Spyre’s to boost performance is ditch the stock pads (junk) and fit them with compression-less cable outer. Improves them no end.

Works really well with a 140mm fork upfront!

They’re using KT for the dynamo hubs – might be the same for the rest of the line?

Braze-on binder bolt is the easiest option to get around the weird OD, no?…

Seatpost size for dropper?

31.6mm – stealth dropper port on the ST. Shares the cable routing along the DT for the side-swing FD. Trying to find a decent length shim to offer the more affordable model with a shimmed 27.2mm post.

It’s aluminium. Suspension-corrected at a height of 495mm out of steel would req. 31.8mm fork blades to get it through current EN and future ISO testing regs. The thinking was that the increased air volume from the 3.0″ tyre helps to take some sting out of the move to an aluminium fork with the added bonus that you’re not left with a boat anchor out front (and that’s without factoring in a steel tapered steerer – not sure that’d you’d need it though tbh). Very limited options for thru-axle dropouts in steel vs. aluminium too – unless you tool up for your own casting. Would’ve loved to have gone with a steel fork but the cons outweighed the pros on this one.

Sorry, forgot the frameset option. It’ll ship with frame, rigid fork, rear thru-axle and headset. We’ll be carrying fork spare stock also. Fork-wise existing 29er dimensions apply (120mm sus corrected – 495mm a-c/51mm offset). Frame will be 148x12mm spaced, fork 110x15mm

A smidgen over unfortunately. Still a limited pool of parts to choose from so this hikes up the spec (and therefore price) in areas we’d ideally go with lower level parts to meet a certain pricepoint. Mainly hubs, rims and tyres in this particular case. Lower level stuff will undoubtedly follow but it’ll take a while to filter down.

Pleased to say that a few days ago we figured out a way to run a std 73mm threaded BB without having to resort either a press-fit BB (for additional weld surface area) or an expensive and heavy chainstay yoke and still good tyre clearance. That’s what it’ll be running in production guise. Still using the driveside plate but with a heavily worked non-driveside chainstay (1x/2x compatible). Plan is to have it as part of our 2016 lineup available later this summer. x2 models – one affordable build running Deore 2×10 and the rigid fork and another running a new 1×11 groupset, dropper post, new 120mm trail forks (w/35mm stanchions) and some new tubeless tyres. The idea behind the rigid forks was two-fold – have product early as poss. (the suspension fork manuf. don’t seem to be able to react as quickly as the tyre/rim folks) and also have an affordable option. Happy to answer any other questions but can’t go into too much detail about build kit as a lot of it is still to be announced.

Hi Guys, just been going through drawings to check measurements. Most of the measurements are accurate as per drawings (shuhockey’s measuremnts on pg.3 esp) bar the ETT (this is obviously the hardest to real world measure) – horizontal centre of HT to centre of SP. Here are the actual toptube lengths for reference:

– 16″ = 555mm
– 17.5″ = 578mm
– 19″ = 604mm
– 20.5″ = 630mm

I will say that reach is a far more accurate way of sizing a bike, factoring-in all the variables.

Hope this helps.

Just been told Chipps’ writeup is in the next issue! 😀

They come from the same factory (CST) – hence the similarities with Maxxis

66.8deg seat angle? I can imagine that being the angle between the chainstay and the seat tube, but not the seat angle to the horizontal…

Looooong week! 🙂 Should read 71deg (all sizes).

Re: HT lengths – very diff. beast to the Fortitude. Same 445mm non-suspension corrected fork length but a taller HT to compensate. Less head-down and racy than Fortitude.

Better photos here: http://www.unitycycleworks.co.uk/products/genesis-longitude-frameset-putty-grey-2015

Frameset ships with Alt bars, Orbit Equipe headset and Mr Control chaintugs. Chipps has the 17.5″ sample currently so expect a review in the upcoming months.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/08/news/bike-weight-myth-fast-bikes_339880

Interesting reading given the discussion.

Tim, it’s actually a really valid point about gearing and torque going through the freehub body. I know Shimano updated their road hub shells a few years back to deal with the additional torque generated by the larger cassettes.

That unimpressed by the drop in durability of these chains I have just ordered some KMC ones to try.

You know KMC make all the entry to mid-level shimano chains, right?

Yup, replacement coming…

The Speed Ride 42c (actually measures more like a 38c) are worth a look too. Exactly the same tread pattern at the CX Speed but with an added puncture protection strip and a reflex sidewall for commuter bonus points. Still come in pretty damn light mind.

Isn’t there a suggest range for gear ratio (so as not to overload the hub with torque)? That’s the only thing I’d be wary of setting up an Alfine for fully equipped touring.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/shimano-alfine-8spd-hub-input-ratio

Suntour Epicon[/url]

68 x 103mm Square Taper should be the ticket.

Yep, my mate Neil’s (Dammit on LFGSS) that he had stripped back and got a nice surprise! Like Jameso said, loads of other manufacturers use this technique, it’s purely for aestetic value. Jamie – sure thing. Email should be in member info.

A ‘smooth welded’ Boardman after stripping and re-painting…

High Guys, some Genesis 2014 weights for you…

Croix de Fer 931 (56cm) – 23.14 lbs / 10.84 kg
Croix de Fer (56cm) – 24.10 lbs / 11.18 kg
CdF (56cm) – 25.02 lbs / 11.40 kg
Vapour Disc (56cm) – 22.08 lbs / 10.01 kg

Croix de Fer Frameset – 5.01 lbs / 2.30 kg (56cm) \ Fork – 2.01 lbs / 0.94 kg (Uncut)

Still waiting on the Croix 931 frameset weight.

Hope this helps

It weighs more than a 19 inch Cotic Solaris. (well, possibly, Cotic quote 4.9lbs so they might have done some crazy imperial decimalisation there.) Oh and it costs 50% more. What’s wrong with this picture?

Would be a lot cheaper if they sold direct to the public too I’d imagine 😉

4lbs 4oz converts to 1.93kg – not sure what happened on the conversion!

New ones are comign Razor. Gloss olive green with the Hayes CX Expert brakes, Conti CX Speed tyres – same price as last year (£699).

What size are you after? Might have a 2013 ex-demo that I can sell on.

First drop is in stock to Madison 12/07/13.

Sorry, must try harder. Was something I’d already prepared and a copy and paste job from that (and therefore had to be polite and to the point). Will do better next time!

This should help guys…

– No price rise vs. 2013 (£1149.99srp)
– Carry-over colours and graphics
– New smaller 50cm size added
– New inboard mounted disc brake dropout (no longer need to space/bodge mudguards and rear rack to fit).
– Upgraded, lighter wheelset with Alex XD PRO rims (-30g per rim vs. 2012 XD-Lite) & double-butted spokes
– Upgraded Shimano Deore M525 hubs (vs. 2012 M475) – better sealed for longer life
– Hayes CX Expert (formerly CX5) cable disc brakes (w/ L1 lightweight rotor) replace Avid BB7
– Wider ratio 12-30T cassette added
– Faster rolling, semi-slick, Conti Cyclocross Speed 35c tyres
– Sealed cartridge bearing M:Part Elite headset
– Madison Prime road saddle
– New compact bend handlebar.

Well that really is daft then, fit some really wide ‘drop bars’ then a tall/ugly stem to put the hand position pretty much in the same place as a narrow MTB bar. The only thing you’ve changed is the orienation of the hands.

Got it in one! One of the main pro’s of offroad drops is the more natural hand postion they provide. Unlike road drops, the idea is that you spend the majority of the time in the drops – hence the high HB position and ugly stem as a bodge to get said position.

I’d go for a 100mm x 35deg on the Fortitude if it’s a 19″ frame (maybe 80mm x 35deg if it’s a 17.5″) in a bid to try and get the HB to the desired height. Would look a bit fugly but would be loads comfier.

Don’t forget the higher the actual HB position, the shorter the overall reach. With a 35deg rise (x100mm length) you’re actually not going to be increasing reach all that much (vs. height).

That said, it’s a long ol’ TT ont he Fortitude…

+35 deg stem

Your body will thank you for it.

Good, don’t see the point in making a nice comfy steel frame then wacking a drainpipe of a seatpost in.

Understand it for long travel bikes. but not really on a 29er like this.

Got it in one! Adding an oversize ST for dropper post compatibility is a fair point in theory but not as straightforward as that. It’s important to remember that’s not just the seatpost that adds to the ride, it is the frame itself and the tubes used (sum of all parts). Adding 32.5 seat tube adds significant frame stiffness and also means you have to increase size of top tube because of extra force on that tube. So two considerably bigger tubes adding quite a bit of weight, especially with 520 and all just to have dropper post option.

For example, a 3mm increase in tube diameter creates a tube that is 80% stiffer – which, over two tubes is a hell of a lot. Larger dia. tubes would be ok on longer travel frame (designed for 120mm plus) as usage is different, potential stresses are obviously more (especially on top tube) and stiffness would be more beneficial.

The key thing is strength of steel tubes is so massive that small changes have big effects, in stiffness and in weight, much more so than alloy or ti. It is far far stiffer (youngs modulus number) than both those materials, strength (i.e. Density) dictates this,but it is thus also a heavier metal (because of the density) and this is why steel tubes are much smaller and have that classic steel ride feel. Alloy or ti tubes at traditional steel diameter would fail very quickly as they do not have the strength.

BB30 is the worst introduction of ‘technolgy’ to the cycle market in the last 5yrs. Utter pish and avoid at all costs (PF-BB30 is only marginally better).