Thanks Mike,

SP PD-8 and DT 350 it will be.

On the rims, coud I get off with the Arches or am I really that better with the Flows?

Thanks,

The cool thing about my supplier is the the price difference between wheelsets does not reflects the actual difference between hubs.

I always go to XT because it's a comfort thing. You know you are not buying the very best but there's always a warranty of reliability (or there seems to be). But there are som many great reviews of the SP PD-8 and the DT 350 hubs that they got me thinking

Thanks,

The wheels are going to be put together by a very competent builder.

The alternative to the Shimano XT hubs would be a Shutter Precision PD-8 dyno and a DT Swiss 350 on the back. This would be 140g lighter and €90,00 more expensive.
€90,00 better? I have some doubts...

Hello all,

I'm going to build a new set of wheels next month.
I weight 195lbs, my bike is a rigid Ogre. I commute daily with a 28/30lbs load and bikepack with a full bag load.

My current wheelset has XT hubs (dyno front), DT Comp spokes and Rigida Sputnik 36h rims. I built them like this because I was riding with traditional panniers. They are tough but super heavy, the rims alone weight 740g.

About the new wheels, I was thinking about ZTR Flow EX 32h rims with a XT rear hub and a XT or SP dyno front hub. I'll be bikepacking to Ecuador next year, so I need reliability. I'd also like tubeless ready rims.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

Ended up going with Ritchey Comp 2X flatbars, Ergon GP1 grips and Titec Micro barends.

The bars have a nice sweep. I'll try them this week.
Might add clip on aerobars in the future

You can always consider the Surly Ogre which has a 24" size

Hello,

I use the same bike for commuting, singletrack and bikepacking/touring. I've been a dropbar convert for some years, as the global comfort and efficiency are difficult to equal. My Surly Ogre is running Salsa Cowbells with bar end shifters.

The thing is, I'm getting tired of them. I go through bar tape like crazy, which is expensive and an headache to install. Any maintenance or slight adjustment often means unwrapping the tape. I'm yet to know of any drop bar lever that's not build like cr@p compared to mtb alternatives. The dropbars keep banging the toptube when the steering locks. On top of that, I dropped my bike with a full commuting load and the left lever (Tektro RL340) cracked on the pivot. Yes, I'k grumpy today.

I'd love to have the Jones Loop bars, but I'm not paying close €200,00 for an handlebar, period.
So,

Option A: Humpert Ergotec Space Bugel
Anyone has experience with them? Some call them a budget Jones alternative. They are only 630mm wide, so I'm afraid they'r too narrow. They need a shim as they are 25.4mm.

Option B: Flatbars like those Ritchey 2X (720mm) and my old Titec bar ends. Not perfect but i know what to expect. Anyone here ever tried to wrap the center section with tape to get an extra hand position?

I'm open to more ideas

Solved the problem

I'll order a full set of Bikepack.eu bags (in Pencott Greenzone camo  )

I'll use the saddle bag with a Alpkit tapered drybag inside. 13L are enough for my stuff except the shoes and lunchbox which will go into the framebag.

Can't wait to try it out

14L is probably too tight for my commute...

Alpkit has a special tappered drybag, but I think it only has 12L.

The Apidura saddlebag has 17,5L, but I've doubts about fitting a drybag inside

Thanks for your answer Harryonaspot,

I'm in Europe, so my options are limited by that.

Anyone knows whats the biggest drybag one can insert in the Revelate Terrapin?

Tubus stuff tends to be light and bombproof

Hello all,
 
I'm finishing details for my next years Ecuador trip. I'll be doing the new Trans Ecuador Route, so it should take me about 30 days. The route will be nearly 100% offroad or in dirt roads, so my initially planned rack&pannier setup needs revision. I believe a traditional bikepacking setup would be ideal, but I'd like to use the final trip setup already for commuting this year.
 
Right now I'm using a Tubus Cargo and a set of Ortlieb Back Roller Classics for commuting. I carry a pair of ankle boots, flip-flops, a lunchbox, jeans, shirt, underwear, soap and towel. To add some complication, at work the showers are far away from where I leave the bike, so the luggage needs to be easily detachable from the bike.
 
I've done some experiments and found that, without the lunchbox, I need 18L to carry my daily commute stuff. The lunchbox could go into a framepack or a camelback.
 
So for the trip, here's what I'm thinking:
 Front: ordinary handlebar roll like this:
 https://www.apidura.com/product/handlebar-pack-regular/
 or this:
 https://www.alpkit.com/products/airl...-dual-20-litre
 
Frame: I'm torn between a full frame bag:
 https://www.alpkit.com/products/stingray
 or an half bag:
 https://www.apidura.com/product/moun...me-pack-large/
 
The half bag has the advantage that I could leave it permanently on the bike, carrying the lunchbox for work and allowing me to ditch the camelback on weekend rides.
 
For the rear, things get complicated. I need volume and a way to carry stuff away from the bike.
 Option a) keep the rack/panniers for commuting and slap a 15L drybag on it for the trip. I keep hearing mixed reports about this solution.
 
b) Change for a Carradice Nelson Longflap. Will this handle offroad rigors? Will I be able to get behind the saddle on descents?
 
c) Go for a big saddle pack like this one (17.5L):
 https://www.apidura.com/product/saddle-pack-regular/
 Then get a big drybag to hold my stuff inside.
 
d) Try the new Revelate Terrapin. Anyone knows what's the largest drybag one can fit inside?
 
Thanks in advance for any help

Any news?

Hi everybody
Any news on the release date of the cassette (i'm european)?

This thing sounds good for a 1x9. I tried 1x9 with a 11-32 cassette, but that 32-32 ratio on my 29er really sucked. It was too heavy for seated spinning and too light for standing. I'm wondering if the 32-36 will work on those long steep climbs