Is this a dumb idea? Non-road road bike ideas.

Tarckives Bikes
1

I really want to build up a fat tire/fendered road bike that can take MTB tires, as well as racks. That way it will cover mixed terrain riding, poor weather, commuting, camping/touring bike, and trail riding. Basically everything else that I don’t want to/can’t do with my road bike.

The Singular Peregrine seems to meet all my wants/needs. (Not huge on the eccentric BB, but I can deal. Plus can convert to SS for winter if I wanted…)

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I was originally planning on putting some sort of Shimano 9 speed group on it, for cheapness of cassettes/chains even though I’m not a huge fan of Shimano hoods. Buuuut, I was browsing BD and saw this…thing.

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The ‘Gravity Zilla XX’… Now, don’t look at the frame or the shitty cockpit components.

I was thinking about buying that thing, selling the frameset, and cockpit junk and using the group, brakes and wheels/tires (for now) on the Peregrine. (I’d use different cranks though - something 46/34.)

I think it’d probably be cheaper than buying components new - especially after selling the frameset/cockpit junk.

What do you guys think? Good idea, bad idea?

2

don’t spend 800 bucks on apex shifters, x7 derailleurs, and a steaming pile of crap that you don’t actually want and can’t resell for a half-decent amount.

also, unless you live in a forest, you probably won’t ever actually use knobby tires. or if you do, you’ll more often than not wish you had a low-psi 35-45mm slick.

3

Whoa. Hard to tell those two Peregrine builds are even the same frame… goddamn, that Zilla is hideous. Good plan. XX should work well on that frame.

I’m all about the non-road road bike idea. Love my Fargo, and have run my x-check with 2 inch mtb tires before. Hell, our tandem fits 700x50 big apples with v-brakes, so I guess that fits in this category too. I appreciate versatility.

4

Why dick brakes?
How much shit do you need to carry?
What sort of position/fit are you thinking this bike will have?

5

[quote=Roxy]don’t spend 800 bucks on apex shifters, x7 derailleurs, and a steaming pile of crap that you don’t actually want and can’t resell for a half-decent amount.

also, unless you live in a forest, you probably won’t ever actually use knobby tires. or if you do, you’ll more often than not wish you had a low-psi 35-45mm slick.[/quote]

Well, the thing is, I will need shifters, deraillers, disc brakes, disc wheels, and incidentals. I don’t have shopbro hookup, so I can’t really get stuff for a good deal unless I acquired parts used from here/Serotta… That stuff adds up quick. I still need to calculate it more, but it might work out to my favor.

You’re right though, that frameset is going to be hard to sell… I do have some 38mm slicks already that I will swap back and forth depending on terrain.

My other option would be to find used 9 speed Shimano shifters, then buy new Shimano deraillers, dick brakz, and have a wheelset built. (XT to P35s probably.) Plus to this would be cheap chains/cassettes for the life of the bike, plus wheels that I actually want.

[quote=Elderbear]Whoa. Hard to tell those two Peregrine builds are even the same frame… goddamn, that Zilla is hideous. Good plan. XX should work well on that frame.

I’m all about the non-road road bike idea. Love my Fargo, and have run my x-check with 2 inch mtb tires before. Hell, our tandem fits 700x50 big apples with v-brakes, so I guess that fits in this category too. I appreciate versatility.[/quote]

Yeah - it appears to be super versatile, which I am definitely stoked on! The great thing about if I were to build this bike is that I could sell everything else and just have this and my road bike and be 100% happy with my stable. I am really trying to minimize my ‘collection’. Plus the size medium is basically perfect for me - fit wise.

I was even thinking about getting a set of Big Apples/Super Motos for this in the future.

6

[quote=tarckeemoon]Why dick brakes?
How much shit do you need to carry?
What sort of position/fit are you thinking this bike will have?[/quote]

Well, everything except calipers have their downfalls IMO. Cantis are a pain to adjust, V’s are finicky about wheel true, and centerpulls require special mounts/don’t have massive tire clearance. I am not a huge fan of any, and - truth be told - I’d prefer V’s. I don’t really want to spring for a custom though, and dicks would be fine with me. The huge pro of dicks is that there are tons of super wide/decently light tubeless compatible rims out there should I choose to go down that path in the future…

I probably won’t be carrying a ton with me normally, but I do go bike camping frequently, and I want to do some longer multi-day adventures this summer - so carrying capacity is a plus. Rear rack will hold sleeping pad/tent. Front rack will hold two panniers with sleeping bag, clothes, cookware when needed/food, etc.

This bike will be fistful of post with bars at saddle height, maybe slightly below when unloaded. 46cm Cowbells and Berthoud saddle.

7

I am in the same boat currently and really dig the Traitor Ruben.

it only fits 35’s / 28’s with fenders though.

8

Hmm…

Well the build kit for the Fargo complete looks pretty solid, as does the one for the Disc Trucker.

Kona Sutra might fit the bill too, but alu. I test rode a Raleigh Sojourn a while back. Do not want. Handled like a truck in a bad way.

The Peregrine is sexier though.

You can find BB7 roads for $100ish a pair with some looking, but shit starts adding up quick if you’re doing a build.

Maybe it’s gauche to mention, but there are a number of dick braked hybrids that might be good candidates for drop bar conversion if you don’t need huge tire clearance or geometry/braze-ons for front panniers.

9

[quote=tarckeemoon]Hmm…

Well the build kit for the Fargo complete looks pretty solid, as does the one for the Disc Trucker.

Kona Sutra might fit the bill too, but alu. I test rode a Raleigh Sojourn a while back. Do not want. Handled like a truck in a bad way.

The Peregrine is sexier though.

You can find BB7 roads for $100ish a pair with some looking, but shit starts adding up quick if you’re doing a build.

Maybe it’s gauche to mention, but there are a number of dick braked hybrids that might be good candidates for drop bar conversion if you don’t need huge tire clearance or geometry/braze-ons for front panniers.[/quote]

The Fargo 2 would be pretty rad, but $1800 is pretty high. I was hoping to keep the price around $1200 if possible. Not really interested in the dick Trucker TBH.

I also realized I could use a Shiftmate #3 and my extra set of Campy 9s shifters to run Shimano ders and cassettes/hubs… This is an option worth looking into - I think - since I already know and love the shape and feel of those hoods/shifters…

I need to do some more calculations on cost and stuff, but I think I might be happier doing my traditional forum scavenger hunt for obsolete/weird parts and having a set of wheels built. That way I get to pick everything out.

I don’t know, more research/calculation is definitely needed. I do know that I want to go with the Peregrine, though. Unless a crazy Fargo deal fell into my lap…

10

love the looks of the lugged peregrine, but the ebb is total dealbreaker for me.

I do not think anyone would want to buy that gravityzilla frame. it is beyond fugly.

I thought I’d be happy with the generic special ed wheels on the Crux, but the freehub is a creaky piece of shit.

if you wanted the 42/27 cranks, I’d say go for it, but without the cranks it makes less sense. for 46/34, that x7 front pusher probably won’t work (well?) and if I was picking parts I’d just go shimano anyway on that.

as far as shifters etc., ebay is frequently at or below shopbro price.

if you can deal with tigged, there’s disc options from Civia, Redline, Raleigh, Surly LHT disc… probably a lot more. What’s a Peregrine cost? not cheap, right? for a little more you might could get a Shawver?

11

[quote=NoahGenda]I am in the same boat currently and really dig the Traitor Ruben.

it only fits 35’s / 28’s with fenders though.[/quote]
Doesnt yr black sheep have discs?

12

Yes.
So does my mountain bike, and my bar bike.
Your point?

13

[quote=Sneaky Viking]love the looks of the lugged peregrine, but the ebb is total dealbreaker for me.

I do not think anyone would want to buy that gravityzilla frame. it is beyond fugly.

I thought I’d be happy with the generic special ed wheels on the Crux, but the freehub is a creaky piece of shit.

if you wanted the 42/27 cranks, I’d say go for it, but without the cranks it makes less sense. for 46/34, that x7 front pusher probably won’t work (well?) and if I was picking parts I’d just go shimano anyway on that.

as far as shifters etc., ebay is frequently at or below shopbro price.

if you can deal with tigged, there’s disc options from Civia, Redline, Raleigh, Surly LHT disc… probably a lot more. What’s a Peregrine cost? not cheap, right? for a little more you might could get a Shawver?[/quote]

Good points all around. The more I have been thinking about it - and knowing how picky I am about my bikes - the more I am thinking that I should just pick out the parts myself. I probably just wouldn’t be totally happy with the Zilla tranfer idea…

I guess I just need to weigh the pros and cons. Used 9s Shimano shifters vs. Campy 9s levers w/ Shiftmate. Need to think how I can pull off the rest of the build witout breaking the bank. Also need to call The Prarie Peddler to ee what I am looking at for the Peregrine…

Custom would likely be at least 1100 for frameset vs. ~750 for the Peregrine frameset. I am on a mobile device, so I can’t look into the other options you recommended, but I will do that tomorrow - thanks!

14

We need to conference call. I’ve been back-and-forthing a build like this for a long time.

My bikes in this vein, let me show you them:


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(in mostly chronological order. Don’t own the Poprad, Traitor, or Rawland anymore. WTF is for sale)

I’m being picky, too. Mostly because A) trying to keep sub-custom price and b) like dicking around with bikes. I’ve got lots of little stupid reasons for wanting feature X but not feature Y and only if feature Q.

The truth is that my Novara Randonee with 700x42 tires, canti brakes, front rack, and fenders is good for 90% of the riding I do. Anything too gnarly for it means the 29er comes out. Anything racier means I ride it and am just a touch slow (until I get my 700x32 rando-esque Trek in action).

The Singular Peregrine is top of my list, right under a custom. We’ll see how much cash I can round up in a couple of months after I get back from vacation (where current funds are going).

15

Hitting your price point is the only really tough part of this. All the new-ish bikes with dick brakes and big clearance tend to be spec’d well because only a bike nerd (read: spendy bike nerd) thinks to buy stuff like that. I mean, a Volpe would get you 95% there. The dick brakes seem to be the thing that throws it over the top. IMO.

16

[quote=hiljentaa][quote=tarckeemoon]Why dick brakes?
How much shit do you need to carry?
What sort of position/fit are you thinking this bike will have?[/quote]

Well, everything except calipers have their downfalls IMO. Cantis are a pain to adjust, V’s are finicky about wheel true, and centerpulls require special mounts/don’t have massive tire clearance. I am not a huge fan of any, and - truth be told - I’d prefer V’s. I don’t really want to spring for a custom though, and dicks would be fine with me. The huge pro of dicks is that there are tons of super wide/decently light tubeless compatible rims out there should I choose to go down that path in the future…

I probably won’t be carrying a ton with me normally, but I do go bike camping frequently, and I want to do some longer multi-day adventures this summer - so carrying capacity is a plus. Rear rack will hold sleeping pad/tent. Front rack will hold two panniers with sleeping bag, clothes, cookware when needed/food, etc.

This bike will be fistful of post with bars at saddle height, maybe slightly below when unloaded. 46cm Cowbells and Berthoud saddle.[/quote]

You may already know this, but that 46 cm Cowbell is a gigantic bar – measured across the top, not at the flared drops. Try before you buy if you’re unsure. I like mine alot, but I’m pretty wide across the shoulder and can easily imagine a narrower person hating life aboard that bar.

17

Yeah, the 46cm it center to center, and the bottom flares out even more. Perfect for a sasquatch like me. YMMV.

18

If you’re not actually mountain biking or carrying 200lb’s of crap, v’s or cantis should be fine/much cheaper (if your into that sort of thing). As for cantis being a bitch to adjust, inline barrel adjusters are a life saver. I have 45c resist nomads on my cross bike and thet are a blast. I suport this idea.

19

It’s not like dick brakes are asspain-free.

The thing with this kind of bike is you have to choose a place in the road/mountain continuum and make your choices accordingly.

There’s a lot to be said for the unsexy Cross Check if you don’t afraid of cantis or V’s. They are cheap and plentiful and and can fit fairly huge tires. With the money you’d save you could spring for some balleur rim brakes.

20

The bike you are all looking for is an 80’s mtb with two sets of tires. Find one with horizontal dropouts if you want SS-ability, but most of them have at least one set of eyelets front and rear, strong, sturdy frames, clearance for 2.1" tires with fenders and decent geometry for the road. No dick brakes, but rim brakes will be fine.