Singular Osprey & Genesis Equilibrium: winter road bike build

Looks great but yeah, this^

I am attempting to ignore it, while reminding myself that it was free.

Which doesn't work very well. I should probably pick one or the other.

I'd live with the free silver headset rather than removing it, buying a new one and then having to fit it.

Yeah, I have a Cane Creek Forty ready to go but the cost of getting it changed over, when it's got a perfectly good and brand new one, would be silly.

I'll see how it looks. With a black top cap I think it'll probably be alright.

It is indeed an M:Part Elite, by the way.

Expecting the frame to arrive today. I've also had a look at a few more pics and I think the larger sizes have a top tube slope that more or less matches a -6º stem, which is a relief. ^^^ That one isn't very nice to look at.

Another thing I'm going to try is going back to some lighter wheels and 25C tyres. Nothing fancy, just some WH-R501-A. I never really felt like the wide rims and 28s were giving me all that much back in ride quality given how heavy they felt. I may be making a huge mistake, of course. :) If the A319s & 28s fit under the mudguards (Genesis tell me it will be "very tight, but it should work") I might try them first and compare the difference.

I struggled to fit anything bigger than a 25 M+ on my genesis equilibrium and that was fairly tight. I guess it could fit if you dont mind trimming the mudguard around the fork on the front. I dont think I did the rear as the front would not work.

I'm ok with 25C & mudguards. It just surprises me that there are so few "road" (audax, maybe) frames out there that are happy with a wide rim + mudguard + 28s (and these are 28mm Rubino Pros, they're pretty modestly-sized for 28s). Almost everything I can find is a pseudo-CX bike or a full-on tourer.

No-one say "custom!".

I'm ok with 25C & mudguards. It just surprises me that there are so few "road" (audax, maybe) frames out there that are happy with a wide rim + mudguard + 28s (and these are 28mm Rubino Pros, they're pretty modestly-sized for 28s). Almost everything I can find is a pseudo-CX bike or a full-on tourer.

I found this as well and I wonder if the issue is around brakes, even the Spa Audax thing only runs 28s with guards. I thought genesis were selling bikes stock with 28s now (sans mudguards) but am not sure if they changed anything to allow mudguard fitment.

I guess that another advantage with discs is you can run a lot of different sized tires, although it may look silly

It probably is down to what's considered practical caliper brake clearance, especially on the fork.

If I went custom in the future I'd almost certainly choose discs for this sort of bike.

I got the 853 equilibrium with steel fork, plenty room for 28 + m/g. Maybe down the line get a steel fork?

I'm ok with 25C & mudguards. It just surprises me that there are so few "road" (audax, maybe) frames out there that are happy with a wide rim + mudguard + 28s.

I notice exactly this, manufacturer's claim that 28mm + mudguard is never accurate.

The only frame that allow such size are one with canti mount.

It probably is down to what's considered practical caliper brake clearance, especially on the fork.

Probably.

I guess it doesn't help that tyres often aren't the listed size.

The pacer had ample room for guards and 28s ion 23mm rims. My force brakes, however, didn't allow it.

The pacer had ample room for guards and 28s ion 23mm rims. My force brakes, however, didn't allow it.

P'raps look at Apex/Rival. I was checking out the tyre clearance difference between 105 5700 and Ultegra 6700 the other day, it's quite drastic.

Having relegated the Singular mostly to turbo duty for a while, I finally got around to putting this together.

Still need to adjust the mechs/cables and the saddle is coming down a bit. I put the black bottle cages back on and they looked pretty odd so I think it'll have to be a pair of stainless steel King Cage ones again.

The wide wheels weren't going to clear the fork with the mudguards so I've gone with some R501-A and I'm trying some 25C Michelin Pro 4 Endurance that were also on sale at Ribble.

There are so many random silver bits that the headset doesn't look too bad, apart from (as expected) the top cap. A Tester top cap will sort that.

These mudguard mounting nuts are fantastic. I didn't have the right bolts for the back of them when I built the singular, though they wouldn't have fitted on the front anyway because of how spaced out the brake had to be to clear the headset. But they work perfectly here and they're brilliant - really secure and you don't have to remove the brake to remove the mudguard.

Ride report when I get a chance to get out on it. It's certainly an awful lot lighter than the Osprey.

Nice lookin genesis. Only thing I would say, get the nai varnish remover on that stem, have the same on mine, looks much better without the stripe and logos.

Is the weight difference down to the carbon fork?

Nice lookin genesis. Only thing I would say, get the nai varnish remover on that stem, have the same on mine, looks much better without the stripe and logos.

The white stripe is kind of working with the white bands on the frame at the moment. Will have a think about it though.

Is the weight difference down to the carbon fork?

I think a lot of it is that, yes. I also think the frame is lighter. But the wheels make a difference - the wheels themselves are a bit lighter but so are the inner tubes and tyres.

TIG, compact geo, and 725 tubing.

^ yes, all of this.

^ yes, all of this.

cheers

Zero grief. Everything works beautifully.