Suggestions? Particularly of the bars/brakes variety, but all miscellany is welcomed.
Edit: Are my pics not showing up for you guys? It’s been a while since I’ve been here what’s going on get off my lawn
Wide handlebars (I love Ritchey’s but YRMV) and tektro 720’s. BTW that thing is pretty hot.
Thats not a Ti zepplin is it?
I still don’t like wide bars on my cross bike. 40 road 40 cross please.
I also like the Avid Shorty 6’s. The short 4’s squeak like hell. I prefer the 6’s to the bling set of Paul cantis I’ve got.
FSA Gossamer cranks
If you’re a light guy, I wouldn’t worry about a cross-specific wheelset. I weigh 150 lbs and I’ve never put one of my FSA (rebadged Easton wheels) out of true over the course of two full seasons.
Michelin Mud II tires <3 <3
For real though, tire choice is critical in cross. If you can only afford one set, I strongly recommend the Muds.
it says 853 on it.
also, congrats. that is a sweet lookin’ bike. triple triangle? check. lugged fork? check.
I don’t have much to add to the build suggestions. I have a Poprad with stock Bontrager CX bars that are like 46 and I like 'em a lot. And Shorty 4s that I don’t like a lot.
Wide bars, probably without too much drop and not ergo bars, since I don’t especially like the way they feel. I don’t use brifters (because I can’t afford them), though, so maybe I just don’t understand. I’ve only ever used drops out of parts bins, and, as far as shape is concerned, I’ve learned how to eyeball the kinds of drops I like. Maybe just do that?
Is that a Yamaguchi-made GT? I don’t remember a production cross frame, and I think he made the bikes that the US national team used.
Flared shallow drop short reach drops like the FSA Compacts in bonechilling’s sig. I have 'em and love 'em. CR720 brakes with salmon kool stops. FSA gossamer crankset. Gossamer front mech, XT rear mech. Best deal in wheels right now is OP on ultegra from performance.
I don’t like Avid shortys. I just pulled some off a friend’s poprad. Alternately, if that’s a 55-56cm top tube, you should just ship it to me and let me take care of it for you.
Seller told me it was Tiemeyer-made. I’m looking into it. I do know it was made for Michael Gamstetter, as the only thing on the bb shell is M. Gamstetter.
Sweet frame! This is what I decided to go with, after much careful consideration. Mine will be fixed, but whatever:
Rob Roy frameset
Ritchey Pro stem and seatpost
Cane Creek S-3 headset, Crosstops and drop levers
Tektro 720 cantis
Salmon Koolstops
Salsa Bell Lap bars
Surly hubs laced to Mavic CXP33s (built by Handspun)
All City (Andel) track cranks
Shimano 110mm UN54 BB
Surly cog and lockring
Sram PC-1
Michelin Mud 2 tires
Time ATAC Aliums
Surly Constrictor and Tuggnut
Fizik Arione
It has yet to be built up (still need to order the wheelset and the frame needs facing), but I’m pretty confident my choices will work out nicely. Might replace the fork with something carbon but I’ll see how the stock one feels first.
so frickin healuos. i wanna build a cross bike. and that blows my dreams outta the water
Mission accomplished, sol.
asshole. srsly.
It isn’t like that’s the last cyclocross bike on the planet.
And x4 or whatever on the wide bars and CR720’s. I have Tektro ORYX with Salmons and they’re OK, but I’m getting 720’s when I have the money to throw around.
If I were building from the ground up, I’d go with Ultegra/Open Pro’s, whatever 9 speed group you feel like buying, and Dura Ace bar cons. I’ve never been super picky about stems/seatposts, but I avoid carbon on beataround bikes. Plus, the idea of a CF seatpost snapping on a dirty remount just freaks me the fuck out. I know it’s probably an irrational fear, but I base most of my life on stuff like that.
srsly. i am buying a house. im not gonna build a cross bike right now, but if i did, id kill for a gt biek
I have a pair of shallow fsa drops on my road bike now, I love em.
Also: I have a pair of avid canty’s if you need a set. Brand new, didnt fit on the bike I hoped they would. I’ll sell em supa cheap.
PM me more info and price.
From Michael Gamstetter:
“It was built at GT’s custom shop in Longmont, CO in or around 1998. The builder was Dave Tiemeyer (sp?). Reynolds 853 tubing. Custom fit to me, but it’s nearly identical to my IF Planet X.”
More pictures:
[quote=johnnyraja]From Michael Gamstetter:
“It was built at GT’s custom shop in Longmont, CO in or around 1998. The builder was Dave Tiemeyer (sp?). Reynolds 853 tubing. Custom fit to me, but it’s nearly identical to my IF Planet X.”[/quote]
Fuck that guy and his fucking IF Planet X.
Also, bar-ends are durable, but I don’t think anyone seriously uses 'em for cross any more. They don’t permit one to shift quickly on a course that’s changing rapidly. Hell, the really serious dudes aren’t even using cross levers. I think they just don’t bother using the brakes.
Awesome frame, I agree with all of the recommendations of shallow drop bars, you want something you can comfortably take rough stuff over in the drops…obviously. I run the same width bars on both road and cross bikes, wider works well for SS or Fixed, but isn’t really needed for geared as much. I’m not a fan of all the angular ergo shapes so I run Deda Zero100 bars, similar to FSA’s compact bars.
I prefer brifters/ergo levers/whatever, but bar end could work. A lot of that is going to depend on where you are, the courses by me don’t have tons of sticky horrible mud to kill brifters, so they’re a better option, but elsewhere bar-ends might be a good option. None of the competitive A racers around here use anything but brifters though, I think bar ends are generally just a cheap and reliable option if you don’t have a pit bike or the desire to maintain them or to risk the replacement cost in a crash.
The steel fork will work eliminate a lot of the canti problems people have, I’ve run Avid Short 6s and Shimano R550 brakes; the Shimanos were much better. Paul are obviously the bling end-all brakes, but TRP makes some nice ones too. Braking needs for cross racing and general riding are very different, you never need to brake to a stop while racing, and will rarely slam on your brakes to the point where shudder and such is a real problem, but if you’re riding this bike on the road much or for commuting it’s worth getting better brakes and pads. Just for racing you can get by with just working brakes, mud clearance and other factors become more important.
In response to Halbritt’s comment about bar-top brakes, I ran them last season, but once I switched to better fitting bars I didn’t see as much of a need for them. I have no issues moving to the hoods if I’m on the tops, and prefer that location anyway. The tops are kind of a bail out position, and in a race forcing yourself to stay on the hoods or drops helps sometimes.
What are you thinking build wise? 1x9? 2x10? That frame is a pretty amazing starting point.
Great frame johnnyraja! I’m jealous.
While we’re talking about cross bikes, has anyone had any success eliminating canti squeal with a fork crown mounted cable stop? I’ve tried most of the other things (Kool-stops, sanding the pads, steel wool on the rims, toeing in, toeing out, Shimano BR-R550s)