Along with using, resting, and spending time with household over the vacation recess, I used to be additionally very a lot wanting ahead to lastly having sufficient downtime to undertake Challenge Gravel–or “PRJCT GRVL,” to make use of the right Gravelese. Effectively, I’m happy to report it’s now full–although I did have to postpone it for just a few extra days to be able to rehabilitate the Cervino after my crash:
Please be aware that in doing so I prioritized expediency and security over aesthetics and period-correctness. The cockerpit I mainly transferred over straight from a earlier incarnation of the Faggin, and whereas I little doubt might have salvaged the unique bars and stem I figured when you crash vital parts which are over 40 years previous it’s higher to be secure than sorry. (Don’t fear, I’ve nonetheless bought the Tremendous File brake levers.) As for the tires, they’re 28mm Paselas, which ought to be extra sure-footed, and naturally they’re clinchers, which implies they received’t roll off as a result of they had been glued on by an fool. Lastly, you’ll be aware the double-sided pedals, which facilitate strolling when you’re ready for spouses and ambulances to reach–and the pedals I used to be utilizing after I crashed at the moment are damaged anyway:
Maybe sooner or later sooner or later I’ll try to revive slightly extra class to the bike, however for the meantime I’m simply completely satisfied to have it rolling once more.
As for PRJCT GRVL, to refresh your reminiscence, for sad causes final 12 months I discovered myself with a model new Salsa Stormchaser body and fork:
The Stormchaser has switchable dropout plate thingies and may be arrange both singlespeed or geared, which is fairly cool, and this body was the to be the idea for a bikepacking challenge my pal didn’t reside to finish. I figured because it was each model new and a gravel bike the body could be straightforward to promote, however regardless of itemizing it on the Greg’s Record and pricing it nicely beneath what they go for from Salsa (One Thousand Twelve Hundred and Forty-9 American Enjoyable Tickets, in case you’re questioning) I obtained nary a nibble, and no readers of this weblog reached out to buy it both. So I modified tack, and as a substitute of making an attempt to promote the body and fork, I made a decision to assemble* the bike.
*[One of my 2026 resolutions is not to say”build” in this context, since it implies you did something more than you actually did, unless you actually welded the frame. I also don’t like when people call a bike “a build.” It’s not a build, it’s a bike. Why say “nice build!” when you can just say “nice bike“ instead?]
Anyway, so far as constructing assembling the bike, my reasoning was two-fold: 1) Maybe a whole bike could be extra prone to discover a purchaser; and B) I’m the one that’s at all times complaining about gravel bikes and new requirements and stuff, so perhaps as a substitute of whining I ought to attempt to truly be taught a factor or two about them as a substitute. And what higher method to take action than by placing one collectively and truly using it for awhile?
And thus, PRJCT GRVL was born.
My pal had left behind most of the parts crucial to finish the bike–together with digital shifter and derailleur and hydraulic brakes from SRAM. Nevertheless, whereas I used to be trying to be taught new issues, I wasn’t trying to be taught that many new issues. So I bought the issues that scared me and used the proceeds to buy a Microshift Sword Black drivetrain and a pair Shimano mechanical brakes, in addition to a handlebar and another stuff the bike would wish, as a result of if I’ve discovered something from years of biking, it’s that bikes simply work higher with handlebars:
And right here’s the bike:
I shall now relate my experiences with the meeting.
Wheels and Tires
The wheels are Stan’s Crest rims (tubeless, clearly) and the hubs are Bitex. My pal at all times constructed his personal wheels (sure, you’ll be able to say “constructed” on this context), and these parts are in step with his value-over-flash sensibilities. The rear wheel was already full however the entrance wheel nonetheless wanted to be tensioned, which I undertook myself, and whereas I’m concerning the furthest factor from an knowledgeable wheelbuilder to date so good.
As for mounting the tires, whereas I’m primarily a tube man, I’m additionally no stranger to tubeless. My erstwhile Engin was seet up that method, and so after all is the Jones, as a result of no matter you might consider tubes versus tubeless, utilizing tubes in 3″ tires is simply loopy. Nevertheless, mounting these explicit tires on these explicit wheels was tough. Very tough. In reality it took me two days, although this included going to the bike store to get thinner rim tape. (Apparently I wanted that further fraction of a millimeter.) My authentic intention was to make use of tubes to start out after which simply do the tubeless factor later, however after I noticed how tough the tires had been to mount I knew there was no method I used to be going to wish to take them off once more to take away the tubes (assuming I might even get the tires mounted with the tubes in there within the first place), and so I went tubeless from the beginning.
Fortuitously, as soon as I did lastly get the tires on and regained using my thumbs, I used to be in a position to seat them with an everyday ground pump with out an excessive amount of problem, little doubt due to the tight match. I then injected some Orange Seal in there and so they’ve been holding air properly ever since. So all is nicely, although I belief my rim taping solely marginally greater than I belief my tubular gluing, and hopefully I by no means must take them off once more.
Brake and Shifter Cables
As soon as I had the tires mounted I believed the onerous stuff was behind me. I couldn’t have been extra unsuitable. Getting the cables by means of the body was nothing in need of traumatic, and perhaps probably the most tough factor I’ve ever needed to do to a motorbike.
Look, it’s not like I simply caught the housing in there and blindly noodle-stabbed on the body hoping they’d make their method by means of to the opposite finish by some means. First I ran the cable by means of there, which was straightforward sufficient, after which tried to make use of it as a information and sheathe it with the housing. However this was very tough to do with the shifter housing, and it was extraordinarily, maddeningly, I’m-about-to-cry tough with the brake housing. By the best way, if you happen to’re questioning what path the cables take, they exit by means of the downtube, go over the underside bracket shell, after which into the chainstays:
Even getting the brake housing to make that bend on the backside bracket to return contained in the body was actually, actually onerous. Perhaps it’s simpler with hydraulic hoses, I dunno. Additionally, they’re not crossed on goal, the housing simply took no matter path it wished to and that was that. Little question extra skilled individuals will inform me all of the issues I did unsuitable and all the opposite tips I might have used, however I’m not exaggerating after I say it took me 4 hours to make this occur. Like, I used to be up till midnight, and it wasn’t even New Yr’s Eve!
Anyway, it’s carried out now, however I actually must surprise: why do they do that? Like, what benefit is there to operating the cables contained in the body? I suppose it appears to be like slightly higher, however is that each one it’s about? I can’t think about there’s any aero profit to it on a motorbike like this. Right here’s how Salsa describes the Stormchaser:
If reliability is the aim, doesn’t protecting the cables exterior of the body make the bike way more serviceable? You’re utilizing a full size of housing anyway, it’s not like it’s worthwhile to run them by means of the body to guard them from filth or mud–and if something, can’t mud get inside these open body tubes? Anyway, no matter, it’s carried out, and just like the tires I hope by no means to must do it once more.
Listed here are the cables exiting the stays, and I nonetheless get choked up after I have a look at them:
Brakes
After routing the housing, the precise set up of the brakes was fairly straightforward, although I did must be taught a factor or two so as to take action. For instance, this was my first set of wheels with centerlock rotors. Fortunately, the lockrings use the identical splined device that the Hyperglide cassette lockrings you’ve used for 30 years do. Unhappily, the cassette lockring device you’ve had for 30 years in all probability doesn’t match over a thru-axle…or no less than mine didn’t. This meant I couldn’t use it for the rotors or for the cassette. So I needed to buy a brand new device on the bike store, which is ok, as a result of it’s going to proceed to come in useful and also you not often remorse having extra instruments.
Additionally, whereas I’ve loads of expertise with mechanical disc brakes, I’ve no expertise with flat mount disc brakes, and so I needed to study adapters. I had a pair of 160mm rotors, and I had a entrance brake that got here with an adapter you orient accordingly relying on whether or not you’re utilizing a 140mm rotor or a 160mm rotor, and I couldn’t for the lifetime of me work out why the adapter didn’t match on the fork in both path…till I lastly found out this explicit fork is designed for a 160mm rotor solely and that you just bolt the caliper on to it, so that you don’t want the adapter in any respect.
In the meantime, the rear brake didn’t include an adapter, which it turned out I’d want to be able to use that different 160mm rotor. So first I attempted to make use of the SRAM 160mm adapter I nonetheless had, however–shock!–you’ll be able to’t do this as a result of the engineers at SRAM clearly designed it particularly to stop you from permitting it to the touch a Shimano caliper. Then I went to the bike store, however they didn’t have an adapter, and moderately than allow them to order one and have to attend for it, or else undertake a loopy scavenger hunt going from bike store to bike store, I simply purchased a 140mm rotor from them as a substitute, because you don’t want an adapter for that. Certain, the rotor was dearer than the adapter would have been, however after spending two days on the tires and 4 hours on the cables I didn’t wish to delay the challenge any additional…and anyway, consider all the load I’m saving with out the adapter and the additional 20mm of rotor!
(Plus I now have a spare 160mm rotor for when the entrance wears out in 20 years.)
However I’m not mad on the disc brakes. Sure, the entire above was a little bit of a problem, but it surely was solely as a result of I didn’t know what I used to be doing; now that I do know concerning the adapters I’d know what I wanted if I ever needed to work on one other body with flat mount calipers. (Oh, additionally, you’ve bought to know what size mounting bolts your body wants, however luckily those I had readily available occurred to work.)
There’s one different potential concern when coping with mechanical disc brakes, which luckily I narrowly prevented. See how shut the cable noodle thingy is to the fork?
Operating the cable by means of the fork and into the caliper was a really tight match certainly. (And no, I couldn’t have gotten rid of the noodle, the housing wouldn’t have managed the tight flip straight into the caliper.) I used to be relieved that I used to be in a position to make it to work, and I recalled {that a} reader who got here by my residence to choose up a motorbike just a few months in the past had a Paul mechanical brake on his personal bike that wouldn’t permit him to run the cable by means of the fork in any respect–as a substitute he needed to zip tie the housing to the fork leg or one thing. Anyway, all of that is to say that clearly mechanical brakes may be difficult with this GODDAMN INTERNAL CABLE ROUTING, and little doubt it varies fairly a bit from bike to bike and caliper to caliper. On this case I bought fortunate, however sooner or later I’d perform a little analysis to ensure they work collectively first.
Oh, one other completely satisfied accident is that these explicit brakes don’t have a barrel adjuster on the caliper. As a substitute, if you happen to’re utilizing them on a motorbike with out cable adjusters on the brake lever or on the cable cease or one thing, you employ inline adjusters, which you’ll see alongside the cables slightly below the handlebars:
Why is that this a contented accident? As a result of if I ever want to elongate the brake cable housing for some cause (I’m unsure why I’d, however no matter) I don’t have to re-route it by means of the body once more. As a substitute, I can simply change the part of cable upstream from the adjuster. (Or would that be downstream?) See? Looking back I’m a genius!
(Oh, and if you happen to’re questioning how nicely the Shimano mechanical brakes work, to date I’m very happy with them…although remember that’s coming from a dedicated rim brake consumer.)
The Crank
This was the crank configuration my pal left behind–it’s a Race Face crank with an Easton spider and an oval-shaped Wolf Tooth chainring.
Like flat mount disc brakes, I’m largely illiterate on the subject of trendy crankular chainring attachment interfaces and what goes with what–however since my pal had chosen the components already I didn’t actually need to fret about it. The Stormchaser body takes mountain bike cranks, so I suppose his method was to make use of the spider so it will readily settle for extra road-and-gravel-appropriate chainrings.
As for assembling all of it, this too was pretty simple, because the crank makes use of the identical exterior backside bracket as a Hollowtech II, and the lockring for the spider or chainring accepts the identical device you have already got on your previous cartridge backside bracket. Simple! Nevertheless, the one quirk right here is that the Race Face crank requires 61Nm of torque, and if you happen to don’t know the way a lot that’s, it’s quite a bit. And I imply quite a bit–much more than different similarly-designed cranks. Like, I put in it as onerous as I probably might with a reasonably long-handled Allen key, and after I ultimately checked it with a torque wrench I discovered it wasn’t even midway there. Arguably no bicycle element ought to require that a lot torque, particularly when Shimano has confirmed you’ll be able to design a crank that matches collectively reliably with a easy preload cap and a few pinch bolts. (Certain, they then proceeded to destroy it by gluing it collectively, however that’s a separate concern.) Then once more, in equity to Race Face, the set up directions are fairly clear, and I suppose if you happen to fail to make use of a torque wrench and also you destroy the splines in your crank then that’s your downside.
The Drivetrain
Like many bike dorks I instantly preferred the sound of Microshift Sword Black, the dirt-cheap 9-speed mechanical-only drivetrain that comes with a sq. taper crank. (Although I didn’t purchase the crank since I already had the Race Face able to deploy.) So I used to be very excited to strive it out. And in contrast to among the different parts on the bike, the Sword Black stuff was extraordinarily straightforward to put in, with completely no surprises in anyway.
As for the way it works, whereas I’ve solely bought just a few rides on it, to date I prefer it very a lot. Nevertheless, I do want to handle that upshift nubbin:
You’ve bought to really feel for Microshift. Shimano, Campagnolo, and SRAM took all the great shift lever positions, and so all they had been left with was the nubbin, which simply hides there, like a uvula or a clitoris:
Additionally like a clitoris, it may be slightly onerous to search out if you happen to’re inexperienced–particularly if you happen to’re sporting lobster gloves:
Granted, you’re in all probability not going to be sporting lobster gloves whenever you’re pawing at a clitoris, however you might very nicely be sporting them if you happen to’re using a motorbike within the chilly, and in reality that is typically what I’m sporting on the bike when the temperature is nicely beneath freezing, because it was after I lastly completed the bike.
[“Awww, you wear lobster gloves when it’s freezing? I don’t even bother with pants until absolute zero on the Kelvin scale.”]
With regular gloves it’s a lot simpler to finger the nubbin, although it’s nonetheless not fairly as intuitive as the opposite techniques. (Or a bar finish shifter, for that matter, which you need to use even if you happen to’re sporting an oven mitt.) After all, as I say, it’s solely been just a few rides to date, and I’m certain as soon as I’m used to the nubbin I received’t even give it some thought–and even now, whereas I’m nonetheless not used to it, I on no account remorse the acquisition. However given how good every part else concerning the Sword Black stuff appears to be to date, the nubbin stands out because the one space that might use slightly enchancment, or no less than some extra floor space. However perhaps if I rub it lengthy sufficient it’ll get larger, I dunno.
Anyway, there you’ve it, I put collectively a gravel bike all on my own (nicely, aside from all of the stuff my pal had already carried out, and aside from asking the store to knock within the star nut for me since I don’t have the device):
BK SNB GRVL?!? Absolutely now the gravel development is formally over. Higher dump all of your shares of Life Time Inc…
