Wait for a secondhand XL Singular Swift frameset to come up on ebay. The 72 head angle makes the gravel ‘come alive’. Seriously, they’re good bikes…adaptable. I ran mine singlespeed for a while and liked it. If you do road work as well though I found it a stretch too far and need gears. Fine offroad singlespeeding though. An EBB stiffens the BB area I think which is better mashing up hills. I ran a stiff Atlas crank and that helped too.

Yep..thanks. I want a gear set up for the SDW all dayers more than 1x for my Swift. See they have xtr 3 speed Lh shifter for £16.99.

Are you meaning 9mm through bolts for 100 QR hubs? The DT RWS is the one I use…

https://www.bike24.com/p236087.html

Had the same mess inside the tyre too with the cafelatex. Impossible to get a layer of brown crud off that it dries to (on a new Ikon EXO 3C TR tyre).

Gone back to Stans after Cafelatex too. Had the same…liquid sealant pissing all over my frame and legs…eventually half sealed. It doesn’t have the blobs of latex stuff that plugs holes that Stans does, and it foams as the tyre spins round. I thought that was better for sidewall damage, but not so sure it leaves enough where it mostly matters. It was cheap for a big bottle though. Gone back to Stans…which seems to be the least ballache. Don’t think the Mavic stuff that came with some Crossmax’s has the balls in it either. Loads of punctures in the New Forest at the minute for some reason…just sloshing the stuff in now.

You really need to go triple. I realise that’s a dirty word and unfashionable in 2020, but that’s the truth.

The only way you can get gear range to ride a bike up a steep offroad and potentially down a tarmac hill is with a triple. You’ll also get close ratio gears and optimum chainline.

If you get the range with a double, you’ll be cross chaining when ‘going along’. It works but it’s not pleasant to be riding between rings.

If you go with 38 single, you won’t have the range to ride up very steep hills offroad.

I’d go Sora R3000 9spd shifters, 29’er triple 22/30/40 chainset and 11-34/36 cassette. Robust, inexpensive, maximum range, perfect chainline when your gasping up steep offroad section, just going along then later riding downhill tarmac home, close ratio gears and takes MTB rear derailleurs and a strong 9 speed chain to boot. Those XT 9 speed casettes are light too if you can find one. Standard shimano freehub not needing Sram XD. Maybe some cheap Deore or Shimano 756 hubs Fit Spyre brakes.

Singles and doubles for what you’re needing to do, is building in ‘gear poverty’ living in the Lakes, riding offroad and road and possibly pulling trailer. The frame I assume takes a triple as it’s not for plus tyres etc.

That Camino…it should have ‘long chainstays’ really for racks and panniers and long wheelbase for stability with trailers etc – I’d ask or check about that.

Good for you buying the frameset! Oh the joy as you loft the trophy from the box. Behold world…the Karate Monkey! What colour?

1. If you buy a Hope headset for the stainless (no rust) bearings, get them to centre the front ‘Hope’ on the head tube. Pre grease the head tube so you know it was done.

2. Buy a tube of that blue grease Hope uses: Mobil xhp222

3. If your going to use a Hope bottom bracket, for the stainless bearings, I’d go with a Shimano chainset so that it fits without an adapter. Also it uses a standard bottom bracket tool not the newer tool standards. Also it avoids the Sram torque which is high and needs a big ass torque wrench to do properly, which you might not own, rather than Shimano’s just nip it up method of preload. I have both and both work perfectly, just saying. I’d also pick a drivetrain and use it throughout Shimano cassette, chain, derailleur, shifter and chainset to it all works as well as it can. Saying that the Sram 1×11 seems amazeballs on my Swift and shifting’s just a mouse click. Don’t go 1x if you need the gears. Its your bike and needs to suit your riding, your hills, your weight, your fitness.

4. If you might put a longer suspension fork on it one day, leave a bit more on the front brake line. Same if you have to raise the stem or fit higher rise bars for more stack. Know the front AC measurement and the correct fork travel in case you see a decent suspension fork in the sale that fits. 10 years later, standards will be different and they won’t be available if you want a softer front end.

5. Get headset spacers from PX, seem cheapest. Make sure you know what brake mounts are to what on the brake callipers mounts so your ready for doing that with the right adapters. Its worth buying brakes with the adjustable line entry angle banjo like you get on XT so the line run is nice. Don’t cut them fork steerer until after riding it a while so you know your good if possible. Might need more spacers above the stem temporarily until your set.

6. Buy a decent set of Allen keys like from WERA. Use a torque wrench with the bits about £30. A small bottle of blue loctite for the brake rotor bolts. Clean the rotors with a can of brake cleaner and the pads too.

7. Unless you know your geometry you might want to stick the seat post and stem that you have in the box or another bike, before spending a lot on ones from the likes of Thomson etc, in case its not right. Spend time adjusting the cockpit after building it to get your longitudinal position right and the bars right.

8. If you buy a front derailleur, carefully check your getting the right one for the frame and cable routing, there’s quite a lot of variables.

9. Its tempting to assume you need a 10 cog with 1x, but unless you ride down hill pretty fast, you might not use it much and it can save cost and open up more wheel sets if your not looking for an XD freehub etc. So you will have to think a bit about gearing as it interplays with your wheel/ hub choice. If you not sure, actually stop and look and write down what gear you go up your steepest hill on and when you stop pedalling and tuck on your fastest descent. It will indicate the actual gear range you’re using. Buy a few powerlinks if buy a Sram chain or the pins if Shimano when you get it.

10. If your buying a standard seat post, the Shimano Pro series are actually very good with a single bolt that allows you to adjust seat angle really easy. Its patented and I like it a lot. There only £25 or so. Thomson are nice though and don’t mark. Its good to vent a steel frame now and again. take the seat post out and turn it upside down in case any water is in there. Seatposts with an open hole at the top probably improve ventilation but let water and moisture in…make sure you know if you need inline or layback for your position.

11. You might be a SRAM or SHIMANO guy, I was a Shimano XT guy for several decades, but having recently gone 1×11 Sram with an oval X SYNC2 32 Sram chainring and 10-42 with X1 zero loss shifter, I have to say its been amazing: shifts on the push not the return of the lever. Gear changes are a mouse click and have been so for a year now. Shifting will go off after a few months with cable stretch then you should be good. People seem to get trouble with 12 speed a bit more it seems. These 11/12 speed detailers need the jockey wheels working well, so Mucoff dry lube the jockey wheel bearings periodically for speed and durability.

12. Carefully research your preferred tyre/ rim will blow up easily tubeless if thats your bag before you buy them. Some rims are a bit bigger, some tyres a bit smaller to make the seal and you don’t want both or none basically.

13. Buy a few clear patches to avoid cable rub on the paint. I run 2 pot XT brakes front and rear, but now I’d look at 4 pot front and two pot rear I think. 4 pot rear as well if the whole rig is going to be weighty with your weight. Bike stand is a nice luxury especially with the gears. Anyway you probably know all this and there are people on here far more knowledgeable than I. Have fun building it up. Treat yourself to special bits that you want. Please yourself and you’ll enjoy it all the more.

Usually if you build it from choice parts, with care, correct torques, greased you’ll have something better built from better parts, that is better for you and needs less maintenance for the same for less money that comes apart again easily in the future. Especially with Salsa and Surly there is a lot of price increase with import and VAT. In the USA they’re better value. The Salsa’s and Surly’s are usually specced down, no 10 tooth cog for example. you can do better building it up yourself for where your ride.

Swapping for Hope headset and BB, Shimano brakes (4 pot front two pot rear), quality rotors, preferred bars etc. You don’t have the suspension forks to find cheap, just carefully pick your wheels. Ideally Hope/ Dt350 on your choice of rim that fits your preferred tyre tubeless easily, stick to 32h hubs and DB spokes from a good wheel builder. If you built it, you can quickly rebuild it or swap something out. It’s not difficult, and doesn’t need that many tools. I only use shops to press the headset in: £10 locally.

Bike24 say they have KM frame and forks in Tangerine £630 or Lime in M from £720.

https://www.bike24.com/search?searchTerm=surly+karate+monkey

Its interesting that Spa cycles sells its Wayfarer disc tourer/ gravel frame in ovalised Reynolds 725 for £399. That includes an ED coating, a steel fork with mounts, three bottle mounts, headset, rack and mudguard bosses and canti mounts additional to disc mounts. So its not without its features. No chainstay yoke though to pay for. Just saying. Thats a small outfit and a niche bike too. Quite how much is splitting fixed overheads over a limited number of frames compared to less mark up if your also making money on a broader range of equipment I can’t say. I like Stanton, would love a Sherpa. I’m not sure how much is ‘Brexit, the pound etc” and how much is just business model though.

Alloy rims that will compete on weight (about 350g – crests etc) will likely be less stiff than carbon but will work efficiently especially on hills at lower road lower speeds. At higher road speeds it actually pays to have a heavier but much deeper ‘aero’ rim depending on the wind conditions you might ride in. If your after something fancy to treat yourself, I’d get a set of Zipps or Boras for summer dry conditions and keep the 32h pro4’s with the better sealing for gravel, winter and potholes. My Kuota TT bike with a solid disc rear and deep Corima front is of an order faster than my Roubaix with Pro4/ 20Five but the Spesh it’s alot more comfortable (stack height) for my back now so I ride that mainly. The Kuota gets to and holds speed, you can feel it…mostly the deep aero wheels. I think the 404’s were/ are regarded as the sweet spot for general use. The 202’s are lighter and are what gets used in the mountains on The Tour I think. Deeper get blown around more, but I’ve never really had an issue with that, maybe as I’m from an MTB background.

In the video he does say it’s heat treated 4130. Without the Reynolds sticker and UK production costs and welding costs, I’m guessing he can keep his bikes available at the existing price point. As Haggis says that’s at least equivalent to 725 from a Far East supplier if it’s not ‘air hardened’. ‘Heat treated’ tubing is premium steel. I think Ritchey does the same thing. I remember Ritchey saying it was for a wider range of tube specs/ sizes. Maybe so..maybe it was cost.

People have been asking about reshoring jobs back to the UK and the availability of a UK designed, tubing, welded and painted frame from him. To that end he is to be supported and saluted. Quite why he hasn’t set up next to Reynolds factory I don’t know.

I agree the website needs to make it clear, and I’m sure it will in due course. If I paid £600 expecting a Reynolds 853 sticker (and why not it is aspirational as a cyclist) then I’d be disappointed not to have it.

To compare the Ritchey Ultra 29 is £850 with a similar spec: ‘heat treated triple butted’ – not Reynolds – tubing.

Hope = Stainless bearings, colours, UK made, best support.

350 = Better ratchet design. Front hub not properly ‘convertible’. Non stainless bearings.

240 = Better ratchet design and stainless bearings. Front convertible but dapters for front take alot of carefull wading through part numbers for specific wheelsets.

Its all a first world problem. But for all about the same price a Hope front hub is hard to beat. For the rears Hope to match or a 350, unless you can afford a 240…I’d also consider a dynamo front hub for a backpacking bike.

If your non boost, a set of unfashionable old school hot forged simple Deore hubs at £15-£25 can go forever. The lack of seals actually make them freewheel super nice better than 756 XT I think, and super quiet too, super quick and easy to take apart. Tall hub flanges add stiffness also. Just the odd clean and regrease, don’t overtighten with cone spanners or crush the free hub with the cassette locking. When eventually the day comes to replace the bearings in a Hope or DT your looking at more work. CNC milling a forged billet hub is inferior to Shimano’s hot forging. I think it’s due to ‘grain alignment’ but I’m not a metalurgist.

A Planet X Hello Dave is the obvious beer induced purchase.

Those long chain stays, rear brake inside the triangle, long wheelbase and super slackness to make it run straight would also make a it a good and comfortable commuter with a rack well back from your heels I’m sure. Just swap the seat post binder for one you attach the rack to. Or keep it real and British themed with a Brooks B17 titanium and a Carradice Nelson longflap.

Accessorise the ensemble with front and rear cameras, mud huggers and set of Exposure lights.

The £20/ set Tektro RL520 drop brake levers (Cane Creek also do a near identical set but with softer hoods I think for a bit more) are designed to work with standard MTB V brakes if you want to use longer arms. Correct pull ratio.

I run a set with XT V brakes on my Salsa commuter.

The Magura hyro’s I think were the best but would likely be over braked on a skinny ‘crosser.

Swapping my Thunderburts or Racekings out for 3C Ikon’s gets rid of the sketch on high speed ‘marble’ gravel corners for me at 15-25 mph on the few high speed descents in the New Forest. Slightly heavier tyre though. Probably ovrerall marginally slower but the extra confidence is probably a better day out. And I’m still glad I’ve gone back to ‘tubes’. Much easier, quicker, cleaner tyre changes for the conditions. I’d like to try those new tread Racing Ray/ Ralph combo in the dust and loose gravel to compare.

The Salsa Fargo has a very high stack height. More than the others. If you want really short you can swap the drops for an MTB bar. They are very comfortable and stable bikes with (better) longer chain stays and plenty of clearance for a full range of tyre size from slicks to plus tyres. They are great bikes. There’s a very long thread on the American MTBR forum. Easiest is probably to order one from Bikemonger: all sizes showing ‘In Stock’. Sometimes have demo bikes in the shop…though that might not be possible at the minute.

Winstanleys have Big Apple’s 29 x 2.35 for £20.

If you can fit them, I see Jones is using V tyre Speedster: 29 x 2.8’s on his LWB commuter/ tourer. Seem hard to find in the UK though.

Good points noted. Especially

1. Not pulling up the drinks nozzle. I’ll use a Camelback Podium that has a twist to open. This isn’t time to break a tooth either. Dentists are shut.

2. Drink and eat before riding.

3. Learn to rock a Borg headband 70’s style.

4. Wear eye protection. No snot wiping. No touching face.

5. Wipe/ spray gate handle and gloves. Clean hands back in the car. Wash clothes and bike at when home.

How about small ‘Shepherds hook’ to poke and pull the latches clipped on the frame? Only then need to handle the ‘safe’ end.

Pretty much all our legal bike paths in the New Forest are through many of the enclosures. Riding on open forest is looked down upon due to the ground nesting birds, all though it’s not particularly policed and all recreational forest use is relatively very low impact.

Have people also seen walker’s wiping? If most people are then there is less risk to any given individual.

29er, Swift, fast gravel singletrack New Forest.

Started with Race King protections 2.2. Fast. Some sketch on fast down hill gravel corners. Punctured my Protection ones twice. Reluctant tubeless.

Swapped to Crossking protections 2.4. Much more grip. A bit slower but good when you want grip. Not much resistance penalty considering the grip.

Swapped to Ikons 2.2 TR/ EXO/ 3C. The sketch the Race Kings had dissapeared on fast down hill gravekl corners. There seemed to be some centrifugal effect or something but the bike felt more vertically stable at speed. Felt they would be good if you didn’t know where your going like on the tour divide kind of thing where your trying to ride fast over unfamiliar ground. Heavier than Racekings. A bit slower overall, but I wasn;t racing so I reckon i was having a better day out with the added high speed gravel confidence. Went up tubeless dead easy. A bit tighter than Racekings but still easy to get on my rims.

Swapped to Thunder Burts 2.1 Liteskin. Had thes on the 26 and 27.5. Fastest of the lot. Light supple liteskin casing. Ran with tubes. Seem to find grip. A slight amount of sketch back, better than Racekings not quite like Ikons, but definately faster. They’re still on, even in Winter, though with the gloop should stick the Xkings back on, but frankly with the longer contact patch of a 29er they seem to find traction when smaller wheels wouldn’t and you can motor through gloop with just an xc tyre. I think the narrowness helps here.

The latest Racing Ray/ Ralph combo would be worth a look. I like the same tyre front a rear though, at high speed on gravel downhill having the front gripping and back not I find unnerving. I’d rather the front and rear doing the same thing. But I’m a mincer.

Maxxis seemed to be the only ones to ‘just blow up’ tubless as you’d want. I’ve bought two Aspens to try for the summer. The Rekon Race is supposed to be good for speed and some grip.

Be aware that all the Transit Customs (and other commercials) build Feb – Sept 2019 with the 2.0 ecoblue engine will need the injectors replacing as the lining detaches. It’s a Ford recall so won’t cost you but will be inconvenient. Some of them that had them replaced early will need them doing again as it took a while for Ford to figure the problem and not replace with injectors with the same problem. Nice vans though, was looking at changing from my T5, just saying, if your not aware.

Motorpoint have a load of customs and tourneo’s if anyones looking.

https://www.motorpoint.co.uk/used-vans/ford/transit%20custom

Royce.

Bought one 25 years ago. Its still perfect in my titanium 26’er. Doesn’t leave the house much though these days. They were £100 back then. He fitted it for free, as he was local we went direct to him. £210 now. Well you did ask. Whole thing is titanium. He makes ’em in an industrial unit with proper machines in New Milton, Hampshire. Its all about engineering tolerances. Say ‘Royce’ to a trackie and watch their eyes widen…

The DT 350 has the better ratchet engineering. Mostly academic, but home cleaning it out is a very simple procedure.

But the Hopes have stainless bearings. The 350’s aren’t stainless bearings. You get stainless bearings with 240’s (as well as a slightly more machined hub shell).

Getting end caps for a Hope is extremely easy. DT make alot of hubs, many are slightly different and have slightly different end caps. They are available, but you’ll be googling and checking part numbers very carefully to get the right ones. Because they make ’em, spares should never be a problem with a Hope provided they’re in business. They are an engineering company.

You get colours and Hope stand by their product. Given your riding in the goop, I think I’d take the Hope’s for the stainless bearings at the same price as 350’s.

One thing to be aware of with a through axle front fork on a gravel bike, is if you want a dynamo front hub set up later, the SP dynamos cost twice as much for 12/15mm (£150) over QR (£75). Rigid, with a DT QR RWS 9mm axle in a QR fork you get most of the stiffness and can still use QR road, mtb or dynamo hubs.

Critiquing the Ribble, 72 degree head angle? I reckon things will go slacker, 1900g wheelset? Not really that light, and the low spoke count makes them not particularly rebuildable on 17mm inner rims, when even DT are going 22/23 for gravel rims now. So its a great deal and great bike I’m sure, just it’s got a bit of room for improvement.

700cc 38 tyre. 175 cranks.

22,32,42. 11-34. 99-18 inches

32. 11-42 80-21 inches

40 GRX 11-42. 99-26 inches
40 GRX 11-46. 99-24 inches

50-34 11-32 124-29 inches
50-34 11-36. 124-26 inches

46-30 GRX 11-42 114-19.5 inches

To get up a steep hill loaded, knackered or into the wind off road you need more gears than a road bike. You need gear ratio in inches in the teens.

The double GRX is actually quite close to a 29’er triple 11-34, but if the 46-11 gets used for down hill road, and the 30-42 gets used off road uphill ramps or backpacking spinning, that leaves you somewhat cross chained on either ring when on normal undulating gravel compared to a 3x. Not a deal breaker, mtn doubles were like this, but they weren’t stretching the gearing out further to riding downhill on roads.

To cover offroad steep uphill to downhill road, you can only cover that, and get cheap cassettes, optimum chainline and close ratio gears more important for faster ‘gravel’ riding than normal offroad, with an mtb triple. Shimano still make a solid deore one, and the 9 Spd road and mtb stuff works together mix and match.

Gearing is individual though, not preaching, just saying, for the average weekend warrior holding down a job in services sat in seat all day, making good money with some disposable income to buy these bikes, probably 40+ and a bit over weight, the industry would do better to send bikes out with better gearing. Also back packers need the spinning gears.

Those Sora R3000 9 Spd shifters (they’re £102 pair mail order from bike parts with discount code) are slipping under the radar for a mountain bikers gravel back packing bike with bits in the shed…they’re nicely finished and have internal routing, they re designed a few years ago and Shimano gave them they’re previous top end technology I think.

I don’t like the look of grx cranks. Its not direct mount, smallest they do is a 40 with a 42 cassette, i can’t see how your going to get up a steep hill, even with a ‘fast’ bike unless your very fit and strong and accept mashing it.

I end up on 32 oval – 42 on a short steep up on a bit of offroad connecting gravel paths on a gravel 29er even somewhere like the new forest.

If your treating yourself, i’d look at a Titanium Singular Gryphon. I also think to get close ratio gears, chainline and full gear range for backpacking when tired and uphill, i think the industry is missing a trick by not speccing Sora3000 triple 9 speed groupsets. You can run an xt derailleur, has great shifters, a mtb triple deore 22, 30,40 chainset and a cheap light 11-34 cassette. Strong durable chain too. High flange deore hubs and kom21 rims is how i’d finish it, maybe with a dynamo front, hope bb and headset. Be roundabout your budget.

Something like a gryphon can take wider tyres for more flexibility of use. You’ve got decent road bikes for tarmac riding.

Onza are selling Payoff 29er frames at £199 17″ in blue.

The full bikes are 17″ and 29″ with a very good spec for £699. Come with a 120 Revelation. A rigid carbon fork would be 100 equivalent and cheap addition. The PF30 BB also gives SS option.

Payoff 29" Steel Mountain Bike Frame – Blue

https://milfordvet.tumblr.com/post/190221837802

I’ve a large Restrap frame bag in a large Swift and 58 Roubaix. Looking again i can see that the seat tube bottle cage i swapped for a side opener to wriggle the 750ml bottle in, after finding i couldn’t get a big bottle in easily. Elite cannibal xc i think and the normal one on the down tube a ‘custom race’ one. Scuse the level bars – bad back. Swift is about 55 between tubes, Roubaix 51 ish, you could prob get a large in. Croix must have more seat tube than a typical mtb.

Sheep doo doo? That brings Giardia. Watery diarrhoea…

Had a similar problem with Horse poop, the Elite Corsa comes with top caps that keep it clean. Take a bit of finding. The plastic bit is still a pull with your teeth job that could be expensive at the dentist. I think the Camelback Podium’s are better in that regard – you just squeeze it and it comes out the soft mouth piece. They do one with a cap, called a Dirt version that would be worth searching out. The cap is smaller than the Corsa Elite one that covers the whole top though.

https://www.shopelite-it.com/en/spare-parts-bottles-and-bottlecages/bottles-spare-parts/cover-cap-for-corsa-bottle

If it’s a bit ‘contaminated’, Mudhuggers front and rear will keep the poop out of your eyes as well as keeping your fork stantions clean (less servicing) and a dry butt if its wet.

Looked at my Swift (L) again. 19″ frame I think. Two 750ml Corsa Elites fit. The one on the seat tube just pushes in, snug to the bottom of the full length frame bag. You’d have to measure yours obviously, but although its a slight wiggle pushing it in, it can’t fall out easily. I use a smaller one on short rides.

Full frame bag and a bladder & pipe you wouldn’t regret having. Tools, tubes, decent pump, repair kits and tyre levers, keys, Iphone, a few spares, Pertex windproof top and a thin fleece and my Restrap is stuffed. Fine for inclement day rides, anything more and a bigger frame bag would be just betterer.

The weight is central between the wheels with a frame bag, not out back and its lower down than a saddle bag. No sway and its aero. I’d definitely start with a frame bag and see if it fits in. Just make sure you’ve got clearance fro your waterbottles. With a large, all the way to the seat tube, you might not be able to clear a large bottle only standard or look at a side entry bottle on the seat tube mounts. On my Spesh 58 Roubaix and Singular Swift Large there is room for a medium bidon in the seat tube and a large one on the down tube. Depends on your frame size obviously. But check that if you carry a lot of fluids. Alternatively go full frame bag and bladder.

I used a Carradice Barley for a while off the back of a Brooks, and its nice and roomy – great for commuting clothing etc, but it jigs about a bit, the frame bags are silent. Same with a Revelate pack, there’s a bit of noise and sway.

If you need any more space a ‘feed bag’ is usefull for food to hand or a bottle right up by you. I have a the Revelate one, and although its more expensive, you can see its on a mark 4 or something. There are side pockets for wrappers, and the inside lining pops out for when you’ve left an old banana skin in their 2 weeks later, plus its padded if you put electronics in. Both make for a very civilised afternoon riding.

On the freewheel (Shimano/XD) choice: I bought some new wheels to get a 10 sprocket, when shifting to 1 x 11 spd (32 oval – 10/42 from previous 10 spd 3 x 10 26/ 650b.

I though I wanted the range going to 1x. On a 29er & Thunderburts, down the biggest straight gravel downhill in the New Forest I know of, I’m in 32 oval x 10 for about 5 seconds total before tucking in a 2 hr ride…

Not sure going XD was worth it really over a Shimano freewheel, though if I remember the cassette was a bit lighter. Obviously I could swap on a smaller chainring for more range instead I suppose. I could certainly manage with 32-11 if not road riding.

Your fitness/ riding will differ, but carefully look down and see what gears your actually using at your steepest points up and down and write it down so you can see what you actually need or don’t need.

It’s still at the full price stage/ month of PX pricing. Personally waiting for it to drop to 8 something then I’ll (probably) bite…or wait for a frameset to be 3-400. Forks not listed separately, so they must be keeping them for full builds. Too far away for the pick it build it thing discount. I wished they just chucked the parts into a box with a note saying ‘ta’ and posted it to me to build, for the same discount, though to be fair my fully built Fatty was absolutely fine.

If you can get a pair of 27.5 X King 2.2’s (the old ones come up a bit narrower normally) you’ll have grip and speed. They offer alot more grip for not much more resistance. Pretty quiet.

I don’t like different tyres front and rear at high speed on loose high speed corner decents on gravel. Having the front holding and the back not at 25 mph is unnerving. Like it’s articulated in the middle.

Just fit more grip and keep it narrow to punch down through the slop. Forecaster’s are supposed to be good for this stuff, but not tried em. Probably easier tubeless too than the Conti’s (which are reluctant fellows usually).

Arranged the EBB on my Swift when it was SS, so that any slippage moves the axis of the BB away from the rear wheel – so increasing chain tension as it tries to revolve. You can put it between 9-12 or 3-6 position. I like a low BB and a high STA so put it 3-6 position as you look at it side on non drive side. Can’t say I ever had any movement, creek or trouble with, though I did take it out, clean it all and smear it with that blue Mobil grease before I ever used it in anger. I think its a Phill Wood one in there that Singular uses. Also used it with Race Face Atlas cranks which with a heat treated steel axle were mighty stiff in the BB like I’ve never felt before or since. Maybe that helped. Certainly helped with the mashing uphill!

Restrap frame bags are ace. One of the best things I’ve ever bought. Bought a second after the first for the road bike.

I’d take a frame bag over boost, wide rims, tapered head tubes or through axles for improving one’s cycling life if your out for a while.

A large one fits a Speech Roubaix 58 or a Singular Swift large like a glove.

That and a Brooks Imperial a Revelate feed bag and I’m good for long ride.

Get one. The hole is infact a flat cloth ‘tube’ for pushing a cable (dynamo power or light cable from a battery. Its going to sit squashed under the top tubes lower surface. Their are two internal areas: inside the left zip/ space it has no cable hole, so put anything your especially anal about in there. Newer iPhones are waterproof anyway. Not had water in mine, except after washing my bike with the zip open! Spray the outsides with Nikwax now and again to keep it beading water off and staying cleaner like most fabric stuff these days.

Yorkshire’s finest ladies make ’em. If you really don’t want that feature, just ask them to make it without. I see they do custom frame bags too.

I think its different if your riding/ commuting daily or a weekend warrior.

For the later, after I get home I wash my bike, let it dry in the sun, then spray the drivechain with GT85 to expel water and lubricate it and a loose wipe the excess off with an old towel snf clean the chainring(s). Then put it back in the room. The following week or so, before I ride I spray it with GT85 again immediately before I ride and wipe off the excess. No noise, no rust, shiny, no wear fabulous changes, no ‘de gunking’ or chain removal.

Its a light oil that doen’t hold crud, gets in between links and lasts ‘long enough’ on a day ride. When you wash it off, it’s not heavy enough to stick on so the crud comes off and you don’t build up the residue that wears your drivetrain. Its the sweet spot for me between lubrication and not dealing with build up or application hassle.

Muc off wet lube does leave a black gunky mess for sure. Never again. The Muc Off Dry lube put on the links individually, is excellent, just gets a bit pricy if you use it frequently. I prefer just GT85 spray, about £2 a tin. Worked for me for 30 years.

If I was commuting, I’d likely want more ‘lube and forget’ stuff that hangs around longer. Not tried the Putoline or Squirt, so maybe I’m missing out.

Well I like Shimano as a company, it’s hubs too. If it dissengages (didnt american classic hubs do that somehow) does it mean you dont slow as much when freewheeling? How much drag is that when a freewheel is clicking?

Having recently switched to DT350’s, the freehub is so beautifully simple and effective (I use the faster pick up) that if the patents on it have expired, it’s that design that needs to be copied industry wide by Hope or Superstar. Its just perfected and done, proven. I can’t see why it would be expensive to make beyond the forged rings. Simple to assemble too for manufacturers. That design will win out. A 350 with stainless bearings, colours and adaptable is what Hope should now sell if that patents gone.

Speaking generally, i think the EBB also gives alot of weld area for tubes and the insert with the big diameter steel EBB tube gives a stiffer bb area than you might otherwise get.

If you cant wait for the new Swifts, actionsports have discounted XL Puffin mk2 frames with EBB for £380. Forks are £100. You’d need new hubs (170/135) though, but have massive clearances, or run it 29+, especially as your 6’4” and should manage supersize tyres. Tapered headtube. 100 bb.

Cleaned and greased, never heard a peep out of my EBB in 2-3 years my swift’s been ss and geared.

The Force crank arms were carbon. They’l be as light as your going to get with big rings.

If your counting crank grams, also look at your shoe and pedal weight.

Your legs will spin faster if you get thinner too.