# Nashbar X Frame project done-ish



## suprcivic

Well, it's done. Or, at least done enough to ride. I have a bit over $200 into it (not counting the parts I had in the garage which is most of it)

Nashbar "X" Aluminum Cyclocross Frame
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_173397_-1_201511_10000_200450


Frame $90 new
Tires free
Stem $15
Shifters $50
Cables $12
Brake cable stops $12
Seatpost $40
Seatpost collar $4

Total $220

Everything else, I had in the parts bin. Deore XT cassette (11-32), RD and front canti. Cheapo shimano front RD. Vintage Dia Compe rear canti - purple (awesome). Mavic Ksyrium Equippe wheels. Shimano 105 brifters (9 spd rear, 10 spd front). Thompson post. Truvativ Stylo crank without the granny gear (32/44). Selle Itallia SLK saddle. Forte alloy bars, Origin 8 stem, FSA headset and Zornyc carbon fork.

I built it for commuting, dirt paths and light duty single track. For anyone who knows Colorado, this is my open-space bomber. Its 22.5 lbs with heavy wire bead 700c x 38mm tires and a bunch of fun.

I couldn't really tell you if it's any good since this is my first cross bike, but I'm having fun and learning some new lessons. Maybe I'll get into CX this next winter.

mmmmmm... Beefy.


----------



## pulser955

Nice I have to do something like that at some point. I got an old Trek mountain bike I'm using for a town bike. But I would like a CX bike more. Does it have rack mounts for fenders?


----------



## suprcivic

Yes on the rack mounts. I'll have to check the dropouts, but you can see the upper mounts at the top of the seatstays in the last pic. Of course, the fork I used doesn't.


----------



## raymond7204

Nice. I've been thinking of doing a bike like this for quite some time.

Now I'm a bit more motivated.

It looks great. How does it ride?

Ray


----------



## suprcivic

It rides like a comfy, sluggish road bike. Actually it's really fun, but the tires are around 500g a piece and you can definitely feel it. Lighter tires are definitely in my future. Its not quite as nimble as my road ride, but that's probably a good thing based on my terrain choice.

The seating position is really quite comfortable with the shorter reach and raised bars as compared with my road bike.

Many ot the parts are old rejects from efforts to make my mountain and road bikes lighter, so this is the redheaded step child that got the heavy stuff.


----------



## toddre

Here's mine... I gotta say not a bad frame for the money.
It's due for some upgrades though...
New wheels.. these are on their last legs...
I have a steel fork that a buddy of mine built that needs paint... that ought to look funky on the frame.
Then maybe some cockpit pieces for vanity's sake...


----------



## cs1

That's a nice build. It kind of reminds me of a Moto frame.


----------



## beeritone

*Nashbar cyclocross frame- single speed*

Built this single speed commuter due to having extra parts laying around and the fact that I have road bikes with derailleurs. I wanted to feel the nostalgia of single speed and due to the great reviews the X-Frame received, I decided on that (even though it is designed for multi-speed and disc brake). I went almost all FSA components since my Cervelo is doing so well with the same and almost all parts came from Nashbar. The bike at MSRP would be approx. $1250, but after Nashbar's discounts, it ended up around $480. The bike is very light and very sturdy and I look forward to beating it up over the next few years!

Frame- Nashbar X frame 
Fork- Forte Axis carbon
Headset- FSA Orbit 
Stem- FSA OS 120 
Handlebar- FSA Gossamer 
Crankset- FSA Gossamer (50 / 15)
Brake levers- Cane Creek SCR-5
Seatpost- Ascent carbon 
Collar- Nashbar 
Brakes- Nashbar Jailbrake
Cage- Nashbar Alloy 
Pedals- Shimano mtb 
Rims- Mavic CXP 12
Seat- Specialized mtb
Tires- Vittoria Pro-lite


----------



## Maximus_XXIV

I just picked up this frame and it seems to be back to 135mm spacing in the rear. I am building it up for a wet weather commuter.


----------



## turbomatic73

I have a 135mm spaced rear wheel if you're interested - Shimano XT hub with open pro rim. Ping me if you're interested.


----------



## Maximus_XXIV

Thanks, but I am getting some reflective Dyads built up onto wheels for commuting in bad weather here in SF. Always bad weather here in the morning...


----------



## steve_e_f

I'm building one of these up on the cheap for my wife so she can do some CX races. any recommendations on a good / inexpensive fork? So far ebay looks more promising than nashbar for that. I'd like a carbon one for a bit of weight/comfort savings.


----------



## jceahodges

*135mm Rear Spacing???*



Maximus_XXIV said:


> I just picked up this frame and it seems to be back to 135mm spacing in the rear. I am building it up for a wet weather commuter.


"Just picked up means"... recently bought new from Nashbar right? Can you verify the rear spacing is now at 135mm vs. the 130 they still specify on their website? I have a friend who has an older 135mm one and loves it. I've been interested in this frame for some time, so if they have gone back to the old spacing then its a done deal. Thanks so much!


----------



## steve_e_f

*build finished.*

Finished my wife's build. I did a few "un-cross" things to it, so I'm sure it'll get some boos from the boo crowd. She wanted riser bars because she is still nervous in the drops on her road bike.

That said, she loves it, and more importantly she did her first ever bike race (Kermese) on it yesterday and had a blast. Woot!

I used a mix of parts bin, Nashbar 25% off cupons, and local last minute parts. I think my build cost out of pocket is around $400. I'm happy, she's happy, we're all happy.

Nashbar Frame - Small
Unknown Fork - Carbon Alu
Sram S900 crank - 39t
Sram Casette - 11-34
Nashbar/Microshift rear derr.
Shimano Wheels
Specalized seat
Kore Bar
Nashbar/Microshit grip shift
Nashbar Stem
Eggbeaters
Shorty 6 brakes


-sf

action shot:
http://leonardjohnson.zenfolio.com/p538270583/h2d5b6590#h2d5b6590


----------



## krisdrum

A be-dazzled head badge. Nice!


----------



## cruzthepug

jceahodges said:


> "Just picked up means"... recently bought new from Nashbar right? Can you verify the rear spacing is now at 135mm vs. the 130 they still specify on their website? I have a friend who has an older 135mm one and loves it. I've been interested in this frame for some time, so if they have gone back to the old spacing then its a done deal. Thanks so much!


Can someone verify the spacing on the frames they have now? It says 130 but if it is indeed 135 then I'm in for one as well.


----------



## jceahodges

*Called Nashbar recently...*



cruzthepug said:


> Can someone verify the spacing on the frames they have now? It says 130 but if it is indeed 135 then I'm in for one as well.[/QUOTE
> 
> Steve... I called Nashbar a few weeks ago and talked to some"dude" in their so-called technical service. Dude told me that they were still 130mm, but I'm not convinced he even knew what he was talking about. Of course, he is in a location where the frames are not, so no chance to go in the back and actually measure it. I've written this one off anyway... I'm looking at a Salsa Vaya, Vassago Fisticuff, or a Kinesis Tripster... Jason


----------



## cww180

will a SRAM compact crank work on this frame?


----------



## toddre

cruzthepug said:


> Can someone verify the spacing on the frames they have now? It says 130 but if it is indeed 135 then I'm in for one as well.



Mine's 130... I think the initial batch was 135 thinking alot of disc bikes would be built but then they swapped it back to 130....


----------



## Guymk

I just got my frame in that i ordered last week, it is 135mm.


----------



## steve_e_f

I think a compact crank would work better. I used a 130 crank and it has low low clearance between the chainring and the rear chainstay. its fine, but a compact crank with a smaller chainring would have more clearance.


----------



## Maximus_XXIV

I have the newer version of this frame with the 135mm and a compact would not fit on it. I needed to go to a triple with the inner ring removed. YMMV.


----------



## Guymk

Here is my just completed Nashbar X build!
Most of the parts for the build came off of my first road bike, new parts are brakes, tires & tubes, and pedals. I originally planned to get the Nashbar Carbon cross fork but they were out of stock so i opted to go with the touring fork instead because it was cheap and pretty much indestructible. 
I decided to go with a single in the front so i took off the inner and outer rings of the triple crank that was on my old roadie. I figured with a 39 12-25 i pretty much have gearing for every situation as it is super flat here in lower sc.


----------



## bruzer

There seems to be some discrepancy in the rear spacing of this frame. I could not find the rear spacing listed on the Nashbar page. After reading these posts:



Guymk said:


> I just got my frame in that i ordered last week, it is 135mm.





Maximus_XXIV said:


> I have the newer version of this frame with the 135mm and a compact would not fit on it. I needed to go to a triple with the inner ring removed.


I decided to roll the dice and order the frame. I was hoping for the 135mm spaced frame so I could use the extra set of 29er wheels and disc brakes. I got the frame today and it appears to be the road bike spacing (130mm). I stopped by the LBS and finding road spaced wheels with disc tabs is harder than I expected.

Anyone thinking that the Nashbar frame is 135mm based on these posts should think again.


----------



## ktm300

*+1*

Saw the X frame for $99 (and 20% off that) so thought it was time for the CX/gravel bike project.

Built it up from spare MTB parts, hence the discs and flat bar. Have 36T, 42T, and 46T chainrings, so will gear up as I sort it out. Running it 1x8 because I'm a Luddite.

The frame had 130mm rear spacing. A 135 mm Bontrager Select rear hub actually fit, but I didn't want to stress it. So I fiddled with the spacers and got it down to 132mm.

Rides nice. Raced it once so far, no worries.


----------



## cc700

here's mine, medium 54cm









bontrager race lite front, select rear
truvative elita cranks with 34/42
sora rd, ultegra fd
8spd 105 right sti
dura ace left sti
'88 deore brakes
specialized carbon fork
ritchey hs, bio max bars, ea30 stem, aspide saddle, bianchi post

even had some decals made for it









it's a mutt of a dog, but damn fun. raced on it once and commute on it lots.


----------



## ssing20

I just got my Nashbar X frame and it has 135mm rear spacing. Frame looks nice! I like the matte black finish.

BTW, did any of you install inline barrel adjusters for the brake cables? If so, what's the best location to put them? I'm planning on using the Nashbar seat collar cable stop and the headset spacer cable stop. Thanks.


----------



## jonnybbiker

toddre said:


> Here's mine... I gotta say not a bad frame for the money.
> It's due for some upgrades though...
> New wheels.. these are on their last legs...
> I have a steel fork that a buddy of mine built that needs paint... that ought to look funky on the frame.
> Then maybe some cockpit pieces for vanity's sake...



what size is the frame?


----------



## jonnybbiker

*hy*



beeritone said:


> Built this single speed commuter due to having extra parts laying around and the fact that I have road bikes with derailleurs. I wanted to feel the nostalgia of single speed and due to the great reviews the X-Frame received, I decided on that (even though it is designed for multi-speed and disc brake). I went almost all FSA components since my Cervelo is doing so well with the same and almost all parts came from Nashbar. The bike at MSRP would be approx. $1250, but after Nashbar's discounts, it ended up around $480. The bike is very light and very sturdy and I look forward to beating it up over the next few years!
> 
> Frame- Nashbar X frame
> Fork- Forte Axis carbon
> Headset- FSA Orbit
> Stem- FSA OS 120
> Handlebar- FSA Gossamer
> Crankset- FSA Gossamer (50 / 15)
> Brake levers- Cane Creek SCR-5
> Seatpost- Ascent carbon
> Collar- Nashbar
> Brakes- Nashbar Jailbrake
> Cage- Nashbar Alloy
> Pedals- Shimano mtb
> Rims- Mavic CXP 12
> Seat- Specialized mtb
> Tires- Vittoria Pro-lite



what size is the frame?


----------



## jonnybbiker

*hy*



Guymk said:


> Here is my just completed Nashbar X build!
> Most of the parts for the build came off of my first road bike, new parts are brakes, tires & tubes, and pedals. I originally planned to get the Nashbar Carbon cross fork but they were out of stock so i opted to go with the touring fork instead because it was cheap and pretty much indestructible.
> I decided to go with a single in the front so i took off the inner and outer rings of the triple crank that was on my old roadie. I figured with a 39 12-25 i pretty much have gearing for every situation as it is super flat here in lower sc.



what size is the frame?


----------



## Guymk

It is a 56cm.


----------



## waterloo

Thoughts on drilling this frame for internal Di2 cable routing?


----------



## m_s

That I'd like to see. 4,000 dollar group, 200 dollar frameset.


----------



## ktm300

Anyone know where to get a spare derailleur hanger? Discontinued at Nashbar.


----------



## gregnash

Glad I was directed to this thread!!!! I think I might have to pick one of these up soon and start building my CX/Commuter. 

So fit question, I am 6' with a ~31" inseam, according to the CSR at Nashbar they say a 54cm should fit me. But you guys actually have them and ride them, what do you think? Never ridden a road bike before or been "fitted" for one. Just have my 29er.


----------



## ktm300

I'm 6-2 with 34 inseam, and the 60 cm frame is OK, certainly not too big.

But what do I know? I put flat bars and discs on it, and rarely race 'cross.


----------



## gregnash

cc700 said:


> here's mine, medium 54cm
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> bontrager race lite front, select rear
> truvative elita cranks with 34/42
> sora rd, ultegra fd
> 8spd 105 right sti
> dura ace left sti
> '88 deore brakes
> specialized carbon fork
> ritchey hs, bio max bars, ea30 stem, aspide saddle, bianchi post
> it's a mutt of a dog, but damn fun. raced on it once and commute on it lots.


Do you mind sharing what cost to build was and your measurements for fit? Everything I read says that I am between a 54cm and 56cm frame at 6' and ~31" inseam.
Beautiful build by the way, love the full stealth look.


----------



## MTBer1st

Can anyone else comment on the geometry of this frame? I would be coming off of a Fisher Rail- definitely a "sit down" climber and more complacent than snappy. I would guess this frame is similar?

I would use this for cx racing this season. I am pretty serious about racing this year, too. Also, it would used for training rides, intervals, hill repeats, and the like. Is it up to that task?


----------



## rokmnky

nice bike but where did you come across $50 shifters?


----------



## krisdrum

MTBer1st said:


> Can anyone else comment on the geometry of this frame? I would be coming off of a Fisher Rail- definitely a "sit down" climber and more complacent than snappy. I would guess this frame is similar?
> 
> I would use this for cx racing this season. I am pretty serious about racing this year, too. Also, it would used for training rides, intervals, hill repeats, and the like. Is it up to that task?


Take a look at the geo charts. Not sure what size Rail you are on, but it took about 2 minutes to figure out the nashbar frame is different from the Rail in the following ways:

just over 1 cm more of chainstay length
about the same seat tube angle (doesn't vary by size, but the Rail does)
slacker head tube angle by about 2 degrees
top tube lengths are pretty close across sizes, so reach will be pretty similar more than likely, again, depending on size
Depending on the rack of the fork used, steering may be different, but over all the nashbar will be a bit more stable and slow to react, but that is what it is designed for. If you want something more aggressive, look at the Scattante by Performance. At least in the sizes I rode, the seat tube angle was a good 1-2 degrees more upright and the steerer tube was about the same compared to the nashbar.


----------



## Shrubberer

Finished ish mine today too. Main uses will be as a winter road bike to save wear and tear on my good bike. Also as a wet weather commuter.
View attachment 239956


----------



## cww180

Great looking bike what size?


----------



## Shrubberer

cww180 said:


> Great looking bike what size?


Thanks,
Size small with the Nashbar carbon cross fork, built up mostly with parts I already had. 5500 gruppo with a 6600 rear d, 6700 cassette. Gossamer Crank, Kore Sport brakes, 2010 Fulcrum Racing 5 wheels from my Wilier Gran Turismo (upgraded to Racing 3's on that bike), Conti gator hardshell rubber, the seatpost and bar are heavy but fit the budget. oh and my 1991 Flite saddle to top it off.

I'll probably take a 10mm spacer out of the headset but better to ride it a bit than to cut it down and be sorry later.

at this point 21.25 pounds -add a bit with fenders. Its on the heavy side at least compared to my GT. -I'm fine with that.
Cheers!


----------



## daveydave

Just pulled the trigger on the Nashbar X frame the other day. Can any of you confirm the headset type? 

I assume the headset needs cups? Am I right in thinking to get a threadless (non-integrated) headset as seen here?:

File:Bicycle headset (threadless) exploded view-en.png - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Did any of you find that 170mm crank arms didn't deliver enough clearance for riding over roots or off camber sections for cross / trail riding? Just wondering if I might need to get some eggbeaters rather than SPD's if I'm going off road and racing???

Nice information everyone! Thanks for showing your builds. I'll definitely get a picture of mine once done. 

Dave


----------



## Shrubberer

daveydave said:


> Just pulled the trigger on the Nashbar X frame the other day. Can any of you confirm the headset type?
> 
> I assume the headset needs cups? Am I right in thinking to get a threadless (non-integrated) headset as seen here?:
> 
> File:Bicycle headset (threadless) exploded view-en.png - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Did any of you find that 170mm crank arms didn't deliver enough clearance for riding over roots or off camber sections for cross / trail riding? Just wondering if I might need to get some eggbeaters rather than SPD's if I'm going off road and racing???
> 
> Nice information everyone! Thanks for showing your builds. I'll definitely get a picture of mine once done.
> 
> Dave


You are correct with the headset, 
crank clearance from the bottom of the pedal stroke to the ground on my size small with 170 cranks is 3.25" which is identical to my road bike. This seems a bit odd as I thought that usually cross frames have a higher BB to allow for increased clearance.

Not too worried in my case because its unlikely to go off road more than once or twice a year so I prefer the geometry to be closer to a road bike.


----------



## cww180

What is your inseam? I'm thinking of ordering the small myself, I have a SRAM compact crank laying around would it work on this frame? Sorry for all the questions.


----------



## Shrubberer

cww180 said:


> What is your inseam? I'm thinking of ordering the small myself, I have a SRAM compact crank laying around would it work on this frame? Sorry for all the questions.



I'm 67" w 31.5" inseam bit of a toss-up between a small and a medium, I chose the small frame as the effective top tube length was closer to my GT's and I want to get the fit as close as possible on the 2 bikes.


----------



## Shrubberer

Running into previously mentioned problems with the crank striking the drivetrain side chainstay when I'm out of the saddle. I don't need much more room for this to not be a problem. Wondering if I were to fit a thin washer (1mm at most) in on that side between the crank and the bb shell if I would still have enough spindle left on the non chain side of the spindle to bolt that crank arm onto. -Might be worth a try, I don't have much invested at this point and If I wreck a cheap crank trying it…. Thoughts?

-Update:
Was doing some research and there are spacers for my BB they move the BB cup (and the crank) slightly out from the frame. Seeing as I am on the lighter side I probably only need a little bit of distance added to keep this from being a problem.


----------



## cs1

Are the problems with the 135mm or 130mm version? I'd really like to get one of these frames. Nashbar doesn't really state which version they're selling now.


----------



## Shrubberer

Sorry haven't been back for a while. My bike is the 130 spacing. nashbar's site has both frames listed. The one where it doesn't mention spacing in the title is the 130. Scrolling further thru their framesets you'll come across the same frame again but it says 135 in the title. Assuming you're using rim brakes it's nice to be able to swap out wheels with other road bikes you may own. This is why I got the 130. The BB spacer did fix the above mentioned crank problem nicely, and cost about $3. Available a most bike shops.


----------



## XLR99

I just picked up a 135mm X with the Nashbar CF fork this week. I'm collecting up parts for a budget ebay/parts bin build with a disc wheelset. I'll put up a few pics when it's done (hopefully in time for Barry Roubaix)


----------



## cww180

If I want to be able to use normal road bike wheels I want the 130mm spacing correct?


----------



## ssing20

cww180 said:


> If I want to be able to use normal road bike wheels I want the 130mm spacing correct?


Correct. Road wheels are 130mm. Mtn Bike are 135.


----------



## cs1

Seems like a crap shoot on what the spacing is on the frame. 135mm with disc tabs makes it a lot easier to share 29er wheels with.


----------



## Shrubberer

Crap shoot on the spacing? The site does show 2 different frames. The 135 is clearly marked as being that. If you are referring as to which one is the better to get for wheel swapping being a crap shoot, my guess is it depends on what else you ride. In my case road so 130 made sense. Like you said a 135 would be best if you want to swap with a disc equiped 29er.


----------



## Shrubberer

XLR99 said:


> I just picked up a 135mm X with the Nashbar CF fork this week. I'm collecting up parts for a budget ebay/parts bin build with a disc wheelset. I'll put up a few pics when it's done (hopefully in time for Barry Roubaix)


Looking forward to photos!


----------



## XLR99

OK partial update on my budget disc buildup. I somehow hurt my back and have been off the bike for two weeks. Being bored, stuck in the house without adult supervision, and taking flexeril caused me to think that stripping and polishing the frame was a good idea: 








Wheels are a combination of CR18s that I stole from another project, and Deore hubs that I got cheap on sale. These should be good train/commute wheels, and I'll build up some lighter ones before cx season starts. Most expensive item were the BB7 road brakes; best price I could find for them was 61/ea at Amazon. That 130mm stem is going to go, not sure why I thought that was going to work. Shimano 600 Tricolor 8speed drivetrain for now because it was already in the basement.
Regarding the crank/BB issues, I got a used isis crank so I had a means to adjust the Q factor if needed. With a 108 BB, there's 1mm space there without torquing the crankarm down, so I'll be going to a 113.


----------



## m_s

I have a strange request for you or anyone else with the Nashbar carbon fork. Would you sell the canti bosses, along with the little removable platstic pieces for the return spring? Those are proprietary to Winwood/Nashbar. I was given a Nashbar fork without them but I'm not using discs. I tried contacting Winwood to no avail. I'll pay for em. 

Sorry for the spam.


----------



## XLR99

OK initial build done; I haven't actually ridden it yet due to winter deciding to return to NeOhio this weekend. I still am not very mobile - piriformis syndrome really sucks. I may swap it out with the dedicated trainer mule to test the fit, but it's almost identical to my old 54cm road bike apart from the bars being a bit higher. I'll be losing that Bontrager crank for a 110BCD one once I find it. I ended up with a 113 Isis BB, and have 3-4mm of clearance to the chainstays on each side.


----------



## are9are9s

Yes on the rack mounts.


----------



## getagrip

How would these Nashbar cyclocross frames work with a flat bar? I recently purchased a 700c Hybrid online with a frame that is way too big for me. I was thinking about swapping the parts over to a Nashbar cross frame and riding in flat bar mode with the bigger tires, since I already have a more traditional cyclocross - basically I'd use the Nashbar as a hybrid of sorts. Also, what size frame would you recommend for someone who is 5'7" tall? Thanks.


----------



## dinosaurs

XLR99 said:


> OK initial build done; I haven't actually ridden it yet due to winter deciding to return to NeOhio this weekend. I still am not very mobile - piriformis syndrome really sucks. I may swap it out with the dedicated trainer mule to test the fit, but it's almost identical to my old 54cm road bike apart from the bars being a bit higher. I'll be losing that Bontrager crank for a 110BCD one once I find it. I ended up with a 113 Isis BB, and have 3-4mm of clearance to the chainstays on each side.


XLR, looks awesome. Do you know the approximate weight that your build came out to?


----------



## Shrubberer

getagrip said:


> what size frame would you recommend for someone who is 5'7" tall? Thanks.


I'm half an inch taller than you and I'm on a small size for this frame.


----------



## XLR99

dinosaurs said:


> XLR, looks awesome. Do you know the approximate weight that your build came out to?


Thanks! I don't have an accurate scale, so take this with a grain of salt : using the bathroom scale looks like ~23-24lb with wire bead Crossmax tires, those old platform pedals, and an assortment of non-weight-weenie components. 

@getagrip, I've seen quite a few of these framesets set up with a flat bar, including a couple that people were using to race with. 
I'm 5'8" and my frame is a small with a 110 stem.


----------



## dinosaurs

Nice. I'm thinking about picking one of these up and building it up before next season. 

Did you put any sort of clear coat on the frame or is it bare?


----------



## XLR99

No it's just bare right now. There's a pretty big thread on the MTBR forum about raw aluminum, and the consensus was to leave it without clearcoat, just repolish once in awhile as needed. We'll see how it goes...


----------



## dinosaurs

I've seen that thread too. I was thinking of stripping the frame and going for a brushed look, then spraying a clear like this  over it.


----------



## getagrip

Shrubberer said:


> I'm half an inch taller than you and I'm on a small size for this frame.


Thanks! I opted to go for a used hybrid frame I purchased on eBay. I hope your bike continues to ride well for you! :thumbsup:


----------



## tschmidty

*Nashbar X Frame 2012*

Just wanted to chime in and say I just got this in a large and it came with 130mm spacing.

I fit an SRAM Apex compact crank with a GXP bb. The chainrings clear fine (50/34) but the arms hit on the drive side and almost hit on the non drive side. 

I ended up just crimping the frame slightly at the point where the arms hit with a pair of channel locks, an old inner tube to keep from scratching it and a piece of aluminum L bar on the other side to distribute the force. Worked fine. Chainstays are crimped all the time not worried about it weakening the frame and really did not want to be stuck with a way too heavy square taper or ISIS bb.


----------



## Shrubberer

Why not just buy a couple bottom bracket spacers? They increase the width of the bb and then the crank by a couple mm on each side. Most bike shops have these in stock for a couple bucks each.


----------



## tschmidty

> Just wanted to chime in and say I just got this in a large and it came with 130mm spacing.
> 
> I fit an SRAM Apex compact crank with a GXP bb. The chainrings clear fine (50/34) but the arms hit on the drive side and almost hit on the non drive side.
> 
> I ended up just crimping the frame slightly at the point where the arms hit with a pair of channel locks, an old inner tube to keep from scratching it and a piece of aluminum L bar on the other side to distribute the force. Worked fine. Chainstays are crimped all the time not worried about it weakening the frame and really did not want to be stuck with a way too heavy square taper or ISIS bb.


Sorry, messed up my forum reply and meant to add this to the bottom of the thread.

With the GXP bottom bracket you can't use spacers. The design does not allow a lot of variance. But more so, the problem is the q-factor on the apex cranks is very narrow and frankly no matter how I adjusted it, it would hit on one side and have about 1 mm of clearance on the other.Other external bb type cranks with a wider q-factor can probably get away with spacing the bottom bracket one way or the other.


----------



## Shrubberer

Interesting. The option I mentioned earlier works with shimano and fsa external bb cranks. Glad you found a solution that worked for you.


----------



## Popnwheelies

New to the group here but I thought I would post my experience. I built my wheels using an Alfine 8 hub, the BB is a 108 with a single 38t chainring, I had some contact with the stay and the end of the crank arm in high gear and I found it best to grind on the crank arm. The crank arm will live, it was minimal, and did not disturb the chain line. The difference between 130 and 135 seemed negligible given the variation in mfg tolerances in all things aluminum and welded.


----------



## jamilkb

Google brought me here in search of rigs built up with an Alfine 8. Does anyone have this pic?


----------

