All roads Estay build

[GTHOtrod]

I'll start a build thread here, figure this one may go on for a while with improvements.
Here are the before pictures. As I dragged it home yesterday.

Plan is to build 'my' ultimate road bike.
A comfortable exploring/adventure bike.
Fat tyres that can handle off road, but low rolling resistance.
8 or 11 speed geared hub.
Lots of experimenting with the riding position and bars to be done.
Once it's all fine tuned, I plan to build my own frame from scratch

 

[GTHOtrod]

Started throwing parts at it.
Brooks B17
Micro adjust post
Sr slingshot stem
Moto bars.
A goodies rack for the back.

 

[GTHOtrod]

found some Suntour cranks in the stash to replace the horrible steel ones.
Stripped off the chunky reflectors etc.
Added a black wheel set with 26x2.3 Drop The Hammer Maxxis. Love the name, the look, the weight, and the smooth rolling of these tyres.

Unfortunately I removed the X-TRA TOUGH factory wheels.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Those 2.3 tires are going to add some cush to the ride to go with the style. Nice choices already

 

[GTHOtrod]

Building up a new rear wheel with a Nexus 3 speed. I plan to go for an Alfine 8 or 11 speed in the future. But the 3 speed was in stock

 

[BartRidesEternal]

Awesome practical bike! I like it so far.
Nexus 3 is a great hub, this one is with roller brakes?
In your previous post the rack seems a bit our of center. Or maybe you use very heavy bags so it is aligned again

 

[GTHOtrod]

Awesome practical bike! I like it so far.
Nexus 3 is a great hub, this one is with roller brakes?
In your previous post the rack seems a bit our of center. Or maybe you use very heavy bags so it is aligned again

Thanks, This hub is for rim brakes.
And yes the rack is bent. After I posted the pic I noticed how far out it was hahaha. A quick tweak at the seat post saw it back to the centre.

 

[GTHOtrod]

Those 2.3 tires are going to add some cush to the ride to go with the style. Nice choices already

Thanks Matti.

 

[GTHOtrod]

Been putting a few miles on this build. Really like the nexus hub. Has a fun bmx cruiser feel with the moto bars and bmx stem, but not really a long distance rider. Bar and stem change coming up

 

[BartRidesEternal]

That is a cool bike!

 

[GTHOtrod]

That is a cool bike!

Thanks dude

 

[GTHOtrod]

Not my picture: borrowed from insta.
I really like the look of these Surly bars. So I mocked up a set in a similar style for a try.

Flat bars and some bar ends fitted upside-down and back to front. Looks ugly, but rides nicely . I tried about 6 different bar combos and these are the most comfortable so far.
I need to get a few miles on it now to make sure they're comfortable for distance. After a decent test I will fabricate something similar.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

That's a pretty neat setup. I don't even mind the ugly looks, makes a bit of a statement on the whole elitist MTB thing. Not just bar ends, but flipped bar ends, similar to running the Company logo upside down
http://www.chopcult.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6484

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

clever idea.

 

[GTHOtrod]

Low buck grip tape.
As this is a temporary bar combo, I was looking for something really cheap to use as bar tape.
Chopped up an old tube and wrapped the bars. Works OK for now while I trial them.

 

[JA331]

Nice work. What gearing are you running?

 

[GTHOtrod]

Nice work. What gearing are you running?

Running a 32t up front.
Gives me around 25, 45 and 65 gear inches for 1st 2nd and 3rd.
I set it up so I have a nice cruising top gear, and two climbing gears.

 

[GTHOtrod]

Moto bars back on. I pushed them up vertical, instead of matching the head angle. They really suit this build.
Carved up the Brooks (see separate post).
Added some decent brake pads and leavers.

Pretty good package now as my 'Road bike'.
I'm not interested in speed records, happy to cruise along at 10mph, hitting Gravel tracks, jumping curbs etc. I can go where I want to go when out on a cruise, get a little rowdy, and have some fun. That's what this build is all about.

 

[GTHOtrod]

New frame arrived today.

So now it's time for a frame and fork swap.

Both frames share geometry, so the change over should go fairly smoothly

First mods: opening up the cable guides to run a full length cable outer.

 

[Ronn’s Cool Stuff]

This bike is sweet! I love that you take the time.
that Nexus 3 speed is bullet proof. I run a 44 up front and a 22 in back. Seems to be a good place to start.
The Sturmey Archer 3 speeds are nice but the Nexus are smoother shifting And much lighter.