advice on new frame set please.

[dim]

Thank god for that DP ..
the lads at SPA recommend the 48mm size as im only a midget sorry person of small statue .5ft5ins
my Terry Dolan letape is a 48cm frame and fits me spot on.i need to get the tourer set up exactly the same as i have back problems ,got a probike fit done about 3 months ago best money i ever spent.so fingers crossed it's works out for me.i have great plans on the build i want but no money at the moment so will have to wait a while before i get her up and running.

I have a Surly Long Haul Trucker which will be my winter bike, and also will be used for some Audax rides. I bought it brand new a few months ago. I am normally a size 52cm, but opted for a 50cm frame. Reason being that I read many posts on forums where they state that if you are planning on touring fully loaded (i.e with both front and rear pannier bags), it's advisable to go one size smaller, as it handles much better

Mine has the 26 inch wheels and wide stainless Velo Orange mudguards, Carradice Super C pannier bags etc. I will be adding a Son 28 Dynamo hub and lights within the next few weeks.

It's not the fastest of my bikes, but I can still maintain 28-30km/hr for long distances on flats without headwind. It's super comfy (I have a Gilles Berthoud Aravis saddle), and I can ride this bike all day. I very much doubt that I will ever sell this one

I looked at many touring bikes before deciding, and the Surly ticked all the boxes.

 

[jags]

well i'm having second thoughts about this spa frame only because they wont answer emails no matter how stupid they might sound to them.
one of my pet hates to be honest totally puts me the company . i can only afford to get one shot at buying the right frame and drivetrain, i asked them what would they recommend for a silky smooth set up ,not a feckin dicky bird from them.Anyway maybe i'll calm down by the end of the week or even look elsewhere.

 

[Blue Hills]

well i'm having second thoughts about this spa frame only because they wont answer emails no matter how stupid they might sound to them.
one of my pet hates to be honest totally puts me the company . i can only afford to get one shot at buying the right frame and drivetrain, i asked them what would they recommend for a silky smooth set up ,not a feckin dicky bird from them.Anyway maybe i'll calm down by the end of the week or even look elsewhere.

Spa can be less than great with speedy replies to emails. I once sent a mail asking about likely delivery time (i was moving around between two places) and never heard a dicky bird until it had been delivered anyway. I understand your views but think I would persevere with them a bit. I think they are essentially a good sound decent company. And i like their no nonsense approach to bike technology.

 

[Poacher]

i think i'm making a blunder with my gear choices.
i had planned on Tiagra 10 speed sti (4600 2x10) but it just dawned on me they wont work with my choice of cranks, /Stronglight impact triple
i wan't to go with STI shifters it's what i'm used to but can't find them on Chainreaction they need to be triple don't they..would it be worth considering a Stronglight compact 50x34 and say 11 to 34 on the rear.

Maybe worth looking at what Spa use on their complete bikes: Shimano Sora 9-speed STI / Sora FD / Deore RD, according to the spec. Doesn't sound ideal to me; you'll need to confirm that the levers pull the correct amount of cable, especially for the RD - are they compatible?

i can find the 4703 on CRC but not the 4603 .
problems problems ,so will either leavers work well with canti or v-brakes..

STI levers won't pull enough cable for most v-brakes and aren't brilliant with most cantis. Possibly OK with the Tektro RX-6 mini-v, but again, you need advice from someone who knows (i.e. not me!). Paging @Yellow Saddle , or possibly a separate post in the Maintenance, Mechanics and Repairs sub-forum. Possibly a quick scan of CTC or yacf forums?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Maybe worth looking at what Spa use on their complete bikes: Shimano Sora 9-speed STI / Sora FD / Deore RD, according to the spec. Doesn't sound ideal to me; you'll need to confirm that the levers pull the correct amount of cable, especially for the RD - are they compatible?

STI levers won't pull enough cable for most v-brakes and aren't brilliant with most cantis. Possibly OK with the Tektro RX-6 mini-v, but again, you need advice from someone who knows (i.e. not me!). Paging @Yellow Saddle , or possibly a separate post in the Maintenance, Mechanics and Repairs sub-forum. Possibly a quick scan of CTC or yacf forums?

STI levers can be made to work with cantilever brakes. The straddle wire allows you to tune the brakes and alter the mechanical advantage to match that of the brake lever, hence their use on CX bikes. V-brakes on the other hand are difficult to get to work with road levers. They're used quite extensively on tandems but then the brake arms are fitted with travelator pullies to match the travel of the STI levers. Travelators are always horrible to use.

 

[Blue Hills]

Addition to my post above about spa.

In the article linked to above by cyclops, I particularly like this para:

>>Editor: What makes Spa a touring bike specialist?

Sam: Touring has never been at the “fashionable” end of cycling but there have always been a few people who have appreciated the bicycle as the ideal vehicle from which to see the world whether it’s the Yorkshire Coast or the Hindu Kush. Over the years we’ve tried to provide good quality kit which works well, doesn’t break too often, doesn’t cost too much and will serve the ‘touring cyclist’ on whatever adventures they choose to embark on. We only sell stuff we like and we’ve used ourselves. Not coincidentally these priorities also align with other types of bike rider; all weather commuters, family cyclists, old school club riders and people who just like things that work.

>>

and in particular the phrase "doesn’t break too often" as a description of what they choose to flog. A wonderful bit of underselling which I find refreshing compared to the hype you get about a lot of bike bits these days. In truth of course the stuff Spa sells is far tougher than this phrase implies.

Yes they can be a bit slow on email response but they are a small company and I have had some very nice straightforward and to the point emails from John, the owner, including one in which he rather charmingly admitted that he couldn't after all price match on something (it was marked as price matched on the Spa web site) as he wouldn't have any profit left. He suggested an alternative.

All in all I find them very refreshing and long may they prosper.

 

[uphillstruggler]

well i'm having second thoughts about this spa frame only because they wont answer emails no matter how stupid they might sound to them.
one of my pet hates to be honest totally puts me the company . i can only afford to get one shot at buying the right frame and drivetrain, i asked them what would they recommend for a silky smooth set up ,not a feckin dicky bird from them.Anyway maybe i'll calm down by the end of the week or even look elsewhere.

Have you tried to call? I woulds at that the company is a little old school in their approach. The website isn't slick like wiggle ET al but that's not their market.

I had good service for the small purchase of the saddle, including a phone chat re sizing.

Go on, give em a bell.

 

[jags]

cheers guys sick all bloody week so won't be doing anything wild or wonderful for a while .i still fancy the spa tourer and i have made my mind up on what i'll be building her up with .
but not this week im away back to me bed.