# Gravel Bike Build



## hatepavement

I recently got bit by the gravel racing bug and have started building a bike for racing and just general adventuring. Check out my budget build and let me know what you think of it:

Rock Racing: Gravel Bike Build - Part 1

Rock Racing: Gravel Bike Build - Part 2


Anybody else have gravel builds going on? I would love to see what your doing too.


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## NextTime

Suggest moving this to the cyclocross forum - you'll get lots of good info there.


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## limba

There's another guy building a bike for the upcoming Crusher in Tushar. Search for that thread.

edit - Bamm! http://forums.roadbikereview.com/cyclocross/need-bike-advice-286601.html


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## Chris Teifke

Like it so far, very nice.


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## Local Hero

Super cool. 


My buddy raced the dirty kanzaa twice. http://www.dirtykanza200.com/ 

I'm seriously considering doing that race next year. It will give me an excuse to build something similar to what you're creating. I may start with a surly cross check frame and work it from there. The other option is to transform my disc crux back from a SS to a 1x10 after cyclocross season. But it will be a costly challenge to put drops on it, as I'm running a flat bar w/ hydraulic brakes right now. I think drops are necessary for gravel racing. 


I can't tell if you ultimately decided on 1x10 or 2x10 (or if that decision is still to come). If you go 1x10, I recommend these guys for the bash guard: http://www.bbgbashguard.com/Cyclocross.html

I have two of their guards. High quality and less that $20, shipped.


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## hatepavement

I'm going 1x10 and plan to use the BBG guard. Still haven't decided on a chain keeper.

Hyd brakes would be great, but I think you are right. Expensive to match up with drop bars.

Is the Surly steel? I've heard some people saying steel would be better than aluminum for gravel.


Thanks for link Limba! I'll check it out


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## 88 rex

Local Hero said:


> I'm seriously considering doing that race next year. It will give me an excuse to build something similar to what you're creating. I may start with a surly cross check frame and work it from there. The other option is to transform my disc crux back from a SS to a 1x10 after cyclocross season. But it will be a costly challenge to put drops on it, as I'm running a flat bar w/ hydraulic brakes right now. I think drops are necessary for gravel racing.


Just go SS.


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## Local Hero

Yes, the crosscheck is steel. In comparison to aluminum and carbon, it's solid. Despite the weight it can still be built up light. My friend said that the spacing in back is 132.5--right in the middle of road (130mm) and mtb (135mm)--and because the frame is steel he can switch back and forth between 135mm 29er wheels and 130mm 700c wheels without issue. 

My crux is 135mm with discs. That's great, because I have the option for many mtb wheelsets, some in the 1400gram range, like these: ZTR 29er Race Gold Wheelset 
and in the 1600gram range we have these (soon): Summit 29 XC

There is a SS category in the dirty kanza. And I am tempted. There's something about the adventure aspect of bicycling that makes me feel like a kid again. So I may build up a crosscheck, which I'll be able to use if I tour down the coast. Or I can just buy a 2013 s-works crux...

Thanks for reading through my random musings! Good luck with your build.


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## hatepavement

Thanks for all the feedback guys. It's a big help.

I just posted Part 4.


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## Local Hero

edit; wrong thread


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## hatepavement

Part 5 is posted


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## TwntyOneTwlv

Great job dude, keep it up. I can't wait to see this thing when it's finished!


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## Crimson

Thanks for the pics and info...it's inspiring me to build something similar.


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## GRAVELBIKE

Gravel is good.


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## LC

I don't get the 1x10? You must live somewhere flat because gravel roads in WA means hills, some way steeper than anything you will see on a paved road. 

I built my gravel bike with a 34/48 crankset on a Soma Doublecross frame and 12-34 cassette. Rides often have a long road ride out to the gravel so a big chainring is really needed. Some of the gravel rail trails coming down a mountain are not steep but you could be going downhill for 20 miles, and that would be too slow without a big ring too.


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## GRAVELBIKE

LC said:


> I don't get the 1x10? You must live somewhere flat because gravel roads in WA means hills, some way steeper than anything you will see on a paved road.
> 
> I built my gravel bike with a 34/48 crankset on a Soma Doublecross frame and 12-34 cassette. Rides often have a long road ride out to the gravel so a big chainring is really needed. Some of the gravel rail trails coming down a mountain are not steep but you could be going downhill for 20 miles, and that would be too slow without a big ring too.


I run similar gearing on my bikes (34/46, 11-32), and I can spin out the 46/12 on the 650B-wheeled bike.

For dirt/gravel-only, I'd definitely consider a 1x10. Chain retention would be a concern, though.


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## kjb0419

It looks awesome!!! Keep it up!


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## hatepavement

Part 6 is posted.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm going 1x10 as an experiment, just hoping the gearing will work out. If it doesn't it shouldn't be too hard to go back to a double front.


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## hatepavement

Part 7 is posted. I learn to build wheels.


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## hatepavement

Part 8 - Disc brakes installed


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## Sheepo

dirt>road

Those old Cdale disk cross bikes are sweet.

But 130mm front hub? Never heard of that.

Fat bikes use 135mm front hubs and some custom mtn forks are built around 135mm hubs. But never heard of a 130...


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## hatepavement

Sheepo was right. I measured the front hub, it's 100mm.


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## hatepavement

Part 9 is posted. Cables installed. Almost done now.


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## GRAVELBIKE

hatepavement said:


> Part 9 is posted. Cables installed. Almost done now.


Are you running the MTN BB7s with standard road levers/shifters (hard to tell from the pics)? If so, your levers won't pull enough cable for those calipers (you would need the road versions).


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## hatepavement

Part 10 and done! Only thing left is first ride report and let you all know whats good and what sucks.


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## hatepavement

GRAVELBIKE, you are right. I didn't know BB-7's came in both versions when I ordered and I ended up with mountain calipers. I have adjusted them as well as possible and they seem to stop me all right, but I can tell they are not right. The brake levers almost touch the handlebar with a hard pull. Anybody know of a way to 'optimize' this mess without buying new calipers?


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## GRAVELBIKE

hatepavement said:


> GRAVELBIKE, you are right. I didn't know BB-7's came in both versions when I ordered and I ended up with mountain calipers. I have adjusted them as well as possible and they seem to stop me all right, but I can tell they are not right. The brake levers almost touch the handlebar with a hard pull. Anybody know of a way to 'optimize' this mess without buying new calipers?


I think there's an in-line Travel Agent for this type of situation.

But honestly, you're much better off getting the proper calipers. In the meantime, try "pre-loading" the actuator arm before you tighten the cable fixing bolt (i.e., rotate the arm slightly counter-clockwise).


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## hatepavement

I ordered a set of the road BB7's. Problem solved. Great feel and great stopping power.


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## hatepavement

After a bunch of miles I decided to make a drastic change and swapped the frame to a 56cm Salsa Vaya.

Rock Racing: Gravel Bike - Evolution


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## GRAVELBIKE

hatepavement said:


> After a bunch of miles I decided to make a drastic change and swapped the frame to a 56cm Salsa Vaya.
> 
> Rock Racing: Gravel Bike - Evolution


I think you'll be quite pleased with the Vaya.

Toe clip overlap (TCO) isn't that big of a deal, IME. One of my bikes has a very mild case of TCO, and I've never encountered it while actually riding faster than sub-walking speed.


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## limba

Yup. It doesn't matter on a road bike but on a cross bike it blows.


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