Your fleet of Ti is inspired and I really enjoy your pictures. I can understand your gearing choices for Suffolk and I guess 1x works well. I once did a tour from here to Aldborough and never used the inner ring after Leeds!
New Spa Ti Elan
- Thread starter geocycle
- Start date
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All uphill
Still rolling along
- Location
- Somerset
I'm an older cyclist (68) in no hurry; I've never done the whole chain gang thing or cycled at all competitively. I like a bit of credit card touring. My priorities are comfort, comfort and reliability.
I've had a 2 x 11 bike and found, in this bumpy area, I was forever changing two or three gears at a time as a dip turns into a shallow climb which then turns into t- junction.
Spa suggested a 2 x 9 set up which has been fine for my needs.
Juan Kog
permanently grumpy
Oh come on it is a bike shop in Yorkshire! . I would have been surprised at the offer of Aldi/ Lidl instant .
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I have an 11-speed 11-42 cassette on my Devon bike. Obviously, there ARE bigger steps than on a cassette with a narrower range but they don't bother me. I do a lot of riding in just one gear so I am used to being over- and under-geared. Compared to that, the bigger steps on the 11-42 are nothing to worry about.
If one insists on riding at the same cadence all the time then one needs a narrower spread of gears, which is all very well until one encounters a 25% ramp!
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Timely, thanks!
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Bleurgh… the frame, the colour, the wheels, the black tape!
Black tape or go home. Any other colour looks shoot after 2 minutes.
Juan Kog
permanently grumpy
I like Red bar tape .
OK this the bike new and unridden , it’s still looks fine after a summer of use .
vickster
Legendary Member
clockworksimon
Über Member
- Location
- England
I have recently got a steel Elan. I went for the 46/30 chainset and 11/40 cassette. After nearly 2 months of riding including a week on south (crazy hilly) coast of Cornwall and an 80mile sportive in Cheshire/Shropshire I am happy with the cassette. Like you I wondered about the gaps. Doesn’t seem to be problematic. I have toyed with getting a second cassette of around 32 or 34/11 for local riding but TBH am probably not going to bother. During the sportive I joined several groups hammering away on the undulating lanes and didn’t find my gearing making this difficult.
I got two sets of tyres, smooth 30mm for road and 35mm studded for mixed riding. The 30mm are definitely a little faster but the 35mm are not bad on road and allow you to bounce down rough lanes or s bit of off road as well. If I was going to spend more, it would be for a second set of wheels.
Thanks @clockworksimon . I’ve decided on the 11-40 cassette, the psychology of having a slightly higher bottom gear would definitely pray on my mind! I do have a nearly new 11-34 cassette if I find the steps too irritating. Having a second set of wheels is useful and that is something I will do in the future. It’s great to have options with tyres or to save the day if one wheel set develops a problem.
I will make some economies by reusing my Brooks, pedals and dynamo lights from the other bike, otherwise about to send a deposit!
I will make some economies by reusing my Brooks, pedals and dynamo lights from the other bike, otherwise about to send a deposit!
Well, less than a month after the test ride it’s here! I got a call last week to say it was ready and went over today to collect.
For those interested in details. Its a 54 cm Ti frame with full carbon forks and steerer. Shimano grx groupset with hydraulic disc brakes. Chainset is 46/30 with an 11 speed cassette 11-40. Wheels are 28 spokes kinlin rims with bitex hub at the back. Tyres are 38 mm Panaracer gravel kings. The front has a Kasai dynamo hub, it should have been SP but they didn’t have the right version and recommended Kasai as being better.
Lots of tweaks to make and parts to move across from other bikes over the next few weeks. This is how it came out of the shop on a short shakedown ride to Ripley. So far so good and looking forward to the weekend!
For those interested in details. Its a 54 cm Ti frame with full carbon forks and steerer. Shimano grx groupset with hydraulic disc brakes. Chainset is 46/30 with an 11 speed cassette 11-40. Wheels are 28 spokes kinlin rims with bitex hub at the back. Tyres are 38 mm Panaracer gravel kings. The front has a Kasai dynamo hub, it should have been SP but they didn’t have the right version and recommended Kasai as being better.
Lots of tweaks to make and parts to move across from other bikes over the next few weeks. This is how it came out of the shop on a short shakedown ride to Ripley. So far so good and looking forward to the weekend!
First proper ride this weekend. 105 km around Kendal and had a lovely time. I chose a route that allowed me to make full use of the gears. The ratios meant I used the smaller ring more although this worked well across the cassette. I’d swapped the default saddle for my preferred Brooks B17 and made some tweaks to the riding position. I installed a B and M IQ SX front light and moved the rear light across from another bike. The light seemed good and was useful in the drizzle. I also reached for my Carradice zipped roll which was a bit on the small side but fine. I was even able to show some Old Skool Kool by rolling my waterproof above it with toe straps!
A few more minor things to sort, the front derailleur catches slightly, the saddle might need angling a bit more and the cleats need tightening but really comfortable overall. It feels less lively than the Spa audax but that has skinnier tyres and is a kg or so lighter, however the average speeds were comparable.
A few more minor things to sort, the front derailleur catches slightly, the saddle might need angling a bit more and the cleats need tightening but really comfortable overall. It feels less lively than the Spa audax but that has skinnier tyres and is a kg or so lighter, however the average speeds were comparable.
Gave the elan another good ride today. Most of the tweaking is done although I might drop the saddle a touch. I definitely felt more at one with the bike today as I get used to the brakes and gears. Once again I was pleased to have the low bottom gear on the climbs in Bowland. The bigger tyres were also good on some very poor road surfaces and a short stretch along a crushed stone bike path. The addition this week is a small restrap bar bag which gives me useful extra capacity. Today was one of those days where the layers had to come off as things warmed up and there was always a chance of a shower so a waterproof was carried. Perhaps most importantly I had space for chocolate brownies to bring home.
