Your latest bike purchase?

[cvcalhoun]

Well, it wasn't for me. But I got my granddaughter her first bicycle as a Chanukah present. Got to start her out right! She was a little nervous in advance. But once she got on it, she started zipping around the Toys R Us. As you can see, she got way away from the bike area. Only disappointment was that we couldn't buy the display model, so she'll have to wait a few days for them to assemble the one she'll take home.

And she's wearing a pink pussy helmet with it.

[hozn]

I've decided to build myself a new set of carbon wheels for the road bike (or could use them on the commuter, I guess).

So far my favorite far-east rim experience has been Light-Bicycle, so I'm building a set of their new 46mmx28mm rims: https://www.lightbicycle.com/Road-bi...available.html

These are impressively light (we'll see how true to estimates final product is), not sure about aerodynamic properties but they don't have any specific claims or comparisons there. Really the reason I'm buying them is the 21mm internal width which should make a 28mm tire profile very nicely (compared to the <17mm internal width on my current rims that are making this tire size lightbulb a bit).

Plan to build these with silver Hope Pro 4 hubs. And either CX-Ray or Laser spokes (24/24, 2x/2x).

This time getting them with logos.

I opted for Laser spokes. The rims built up beautifully. Tubeless setup was really easy (easy to mount the tires and easy to seat with hv floor pump). My 28mm Pro One tires now measure 31mm.

[AFHokie]

Well, I broke down and bought a set of something I thought I'd never willingly buy:

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930AZ using Tapatalk

[hozn]

My gravel rims are done and in the mail. These are the little siblings of those 46mm rims I just built for the road bike. But these are
- damn orange
- only 36mm deep
- hookless beads (22mm inner width)
- a bit lighter, presumably

I still haven't gotten fully comfortable with the idea of beating up carbon rims, but I'm going to put big tires on these and ride them in some combination of gravel rides, races, commuting, and goofing off in the woods.

[Birru]

My gravel rims are done and in the mail. These are the little siblings of those 46mm rims I just built for the road bike. But these are
- damn orange
- only 36mm deep
- hookless beads (22mm inner width)
- a bit lighter, presumably [/IMG]

I'll be very interested in how your custom gravel wheelset treats you. I think those rims with 30mm G-One Speeds set up tubeless could be make for great performance a̶l̶l̶r̶o̶a̶d̶ mostroad wheels. How many spokes are you going with per wheel?

[hozn]

I'll be very interested in how your custom gravel wheelset treats you. I think those rims with 30mm G-One Speeds set up tubeless could be make for great performance a̶l̶l̶r̶o̶a̶d̶ mostroad wheels. How many spokes are you going with per wheel?

These will be 28h. Yeah, this will be a pretty fancy wheelset. I will probably always run bigger tires with it, since I think the hookless rims are recommended for lower (max 40-50psi?) pressures. Not that I couldn't run the 30mm G-One at those pressures, but I usually do 50/55psi for those, so might be cutting it a bit close.

I am indecisive about the hubs. I have red Hope Pro 4 hubs. But I also have a set of used DT Swiss 350 hubs that I am gonna rebuild. I ordered some custom green labels for those. I think I will do the DT350s and save the Hopes for the next wheelset.

I might also pick up a set of the Yishun asymmetric gravel/road disc hookless rims to cross-compare. They are a bit cheaper, and I like the asymmetrical aspect.

[secstate]

I’m in India this year for my PhD research. It’s an exciting trip, but I don’t want to feel as if I’m putting my “normal” life entirely on hold. Skipping Freezing Saddles is sad enough! So, I bought a bicycle. I’m experimenting with riding in the city, but even if I decide I’d rather be in a steel cage than on a bike in Indian traffic (the shopkeeper suggested that I buy a horn rather than a bell!), I hope to get out onto dirt roads in the countryside on weekend mornings.

Most people here use extremely sturdy, single-gear steel bikes that cost anywhere from $50 to $100. I considered one of these, but I like gears, and my budget can support something a bit more.

There’s one store in Lucknow (Shunty Cycle Store) that sells imported as well as Indian bikes. I visited last week to test ride a few models: I tried a Cannondale Trail 6, a GT Avalanche (both of which run about $800), as well as two bikes by Indian cycle maker Montra: the Downtown hybrid (which costs a bit over $200) and the Rock 1.0 mountain bike (around $300), which features 27.5 tires. There are fancier models available for both the Indian and imported brands.

Having had some experience of South Asian roads while cycling in Kathmandu last year, I knew I wanted a mountain bike, and I settled on the Rock. My first MTB! I have already been grateful for the ability to take long stretches of massive potholes at speed and to descend and climb sandy slopes — just a normal day’s commute through the Indian cityscape! (Actually the sandy slopes come into play when entering and exiting a wonderful new riverside park that is under construction and that can take me much of the way from my house to my normal afternoon hangout).

There’s not much information about Montra available online -- they seem to be focusing on combining quality frames (which are guaranteed for life) with imported, albeit lower-end, components. For example, the derailleurs on my bike are Shimano Tourney. Clunky but functional. We’ll see how the bike holds up. My hope is that it will provide reliable transportation for the year, be fun to take for rides in the countryside, and that I’ll be able to flip it at the end of my visit. The imported bikes and the higher-end Indian bikes have somewhat nicer components and 100mm rather than 50mm of front suspension travel, but I like the idea of having a bike that I haven’t sunk too much $$ into (something I'm willing to stick in the luggage compartment of a train). I’m also not confident in my ability to find anyone to service hydraulic disc brakes.

Kinda wish I had the excuse to buy something like this in DC.

Without further ado, the bike:

[hozn]

My gravel rims are done and in the mail. These are the little siblings of those 46mm rims I just built for the road bike. But these are
- damn orange
- only 36mm deep
- hookless beads (22mm inner width)
- a bit lighter, presumably

I still haven't gotten fully comfortable with the idea of beating up carbon rims, but I'm going to put big tires on these and ride them in some combination of gravel rides, races, commuting, and goofing off in the woods.

They look great. Can't wait to race them tomorrow. Hopefully I don't destroy them.

I ended up using some Novatec D791SB/D792SB hubs that I ordered cheap and replaced with Enduro bearings.

[Judd]

They look great. Can't wait to race them tomorrow. Hopefully I don't destroy them.

I ended up using some Novatec D791SB/D792SB hubs that I ordered cheap and replaced with Enduro bearings.

Dang. Those do look great, but I'm a sucker for orange.

[hozn]

Dang. Those do look great, but I'm a sucker for orange.

They are really great. Admittedly only one ride on them (monster cross today). They took some abuse quite happily. The hookless beads should resist rock impacts better than hooked beads, so they probably are the best choice.

They are really light. (Rims are in 440-450g range.)