TCX XTC - Giant TCX SLR

My Spyres with stock pads will quite happily lock up my rear wheel, fwiw

Ooooh if be interested to know what bits you put on it, broadly. I think it's the wheels that are really weighing it down - and apart from that it's only gunna be a few hundred grams on bars and stems ¯_(ツ)_/¯

I don't have stock pads in there at the moment. I'll get some new pads if they don't scrub up nicely, as well as new cables. Thanks for the advice tho.

Also interested to find that the fork only weighs 660g, even with a steel tapered steerer... Thought it would be pushing a kilo!

I want to do prolly-bait gravel skids. That's the only reason I give a shit about locking my wheels.

p.s. did a bit more nitromorsing and scraping after a v spicy club run today. Looking like this now. Getting there.

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Getting there.
I used some emery paper on my pads this morning and they're back to their sweet whip skidding best :)

The stock wheels are boat anchors, especially the rear. That was where the bulk of the saving was made, but I still took over half a kg off by changing the bars, stem, rear mech, saddle and chainset.

From memory my build was;

• Iron Cross 32h laced 3x Novatec hubs
  
• Deda Zero bars and stem
  
• Shimano RS685 levers and brakes
  
• Rotor 3D cranks with 42t Absolute black chainring
  
• Arione saddle
  
• Ultegra rear mech and cassette
  

I've been considering this on a steel frame.
do you even need the nitromors still or is the brush enough ?

That sounds decent! I'm trying to keep this fairly budget at the moment (unemployed atm), so I've got a full 5800 group which I'm going to stick with. Bars, stem and wheels are definitely getting changed though...

a) Do you know what the max tyre clearance is for the TCX? Tempted by some WTB Nanos.
b) Got any pictures? That sounds boss.

Brush?! I've been using a razor blade and scraping. Would not recommend. Definitely need something to soften / remove the paint. If you're time poor, take it to Armourtex or your local car painters and get them to sand-blast it/acid dip it/whatever. Much much quicker, and probably not that pricey. Unluckily, I am currently extremely cash poor and extremely time rich.

What I ended up doing is adding a load of white spirit to an old can of Nitromors and using the resultant gloop on the frame, then leaving it a few minutes and scraping the softened paint off. Older Nitromors uses dichloramethane, which is now banned for us peons. You can buy paint stripper off your a trade merchant, or on the sly off the internet which will still work well. I'm reliably informed that gasket cleaner will do the same thing too. It makes this new nitromors look like moisturiser in comparison.

Was going to say that. Never had a problem locking up with spyres, stock pads or others for that matter. But I guess in a cx race you don't need to lock up, just scrub a bit of speed off. But if gravel riding is your thing, you need to be able to lock up the rear brake.

For on-trend gravel skidz I assume?

Oh yes!

i saw one with 50 in the front and 45 in the back, so nanos are fine

TBH, if you're going to repaint yourself, you don't need to do this, you just need to sand the old paint to act as a key for the new. if you're going to strip it, nitromors will speed it up.

Not going to paint it, gunna mirror polish the metal and leave it. Hence the extremely knackering day of scraping I've had.

hence the current state of my hands: https://www.instagram.com/p/BE6PVQXi2GL/

I know you're not, but @krkk might

This thread is about me! Me me me me me!

Nah, you're right, this is way too much hassle if you're repainting. Taken me much more time that my SuperSix and that needed drying time 😕

All the paint bar the off-side dropout, which I'm about to do whilst listening to Spurs hammer the west London scum ☺️☺️☺️ Polishing and rebuilding tomorrow, if I can get new cables / pads in time.

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As requested, and as a counterpoint to that ^, here's mine (only pick I have without me on it).

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I actually am , so thanks !

Fun project. Gonna look ace.

Nanos are nice. Get the race version to save gramz. Mine on Archetypes measure 39mm.

off-side dropout

Did know it had them?

This needs some kind of superhydrophobic coating ;)

what are you suggesting? my idea is just to re-polish it every now and again, hopefully doing this all by hand and a few layers of polish mean it'll keep it's shine...

looking online and everyone is using drill mops and polishing compounds but pfffffttt elbow grease and brasso for me.

and you complained about my bike being dirty!

Did you enjoy yesterday's match...? ;)

I am very glad Leicester are champs, and I hope they put on a fantastic exhibition of that skill demolishing a middle-league club with delusions of grandeur in their last game of the season :)

tbh this is all a side show until Boro turn up in the prem next year and teach you all what 'inexplicably successful' is all about.

football thread >>>>>>>>>>>

polishing and listening to ball by ball cricket <<<<<<<<<<<<<<