Tijmen's Bikes and Related Projects

Can’t you get chainring bolt washers?

I tried washers, but then it doesn't clear the chainstays anymore. I was considering adding a bottom bracket spacer to make room for these spacers, but I don't mind filing for a bit while watching RvV.

When I said 'file' I of course meant grind. Silly me.

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1. Replace Rival rear derailleur with a long cage X0 derailleur. Both for a clutch mech and to allow for a bigger cassette, because: Done.
   
2. Dial in second wheelset. 650b with tubeless 2.0" RaceKing tyres and an 11-36 cassette. Done.
   
3. While doing this I'll also replace the rear rotor with a 160mm rotor, because I couldn't stand non-matching rotors.On the 650b wheelset the rotors seem to be slightly more outboard, I plan to re-adjust the calipers for this rotor position and use washers to shim out the rotors on the 700c wheelset to match. Should work, right? And adjust the reach / lever position while I'm doing this. Done.
   
4. Get rid of the front derailleur and install a 42t narrow wide ring. Gear ranges seem to be quite okay for both wheelsets. Done.
   
5. Take better pictures.
   
6. Install bottom bracket. Done.
   
7. Replace tyres with 30mm G-Ones? *No.
   
8. Re-readjust the disc brakes. I hate mechanical disks. Done.
   
9. File down the chainring bolts for single-ring set-up. Done.
   
   

All the necessary maintenance seems to be finished. Did a quick lap around the block to make sure nothing will fall off on its first proper ride tomorrow. 🤞🏼

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Chunky!

Looks great, pretty much what I'm trying to achieve except I need to be able to lock it up around Edinburgh. You are making me reconsider my frame choice...

Hmm, I don't think I'd feel comfortable locking up a titanium bike. Looks a bit too flashy, I think.

Buddy of mine said it looked like I was riding 50mm rims on a mountain bike trail. :)

Shakedown ride was ace, both of us hadn't had ridden properly for a while, so the bike is a bit too nice for my current condition. But I had heaps of fun, and it rides like a dream. I was afraid the drop would be too deep for off-roading, with the weight balance being off, but had no issues there. Geometry isn't too different from the bike I was used to riding the trails on anyway:

I'll have to bring a serious camera on an upcoming ride, I want decent pictures for my portfolio anyway.

More pics of VN please!! For a moment I thought you'd swapped the frame for the Ridley!

Fear not!

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This is incredible life affirming stuff! Well done!

To answer the thread title: No. (Or at least not by me.)

It's a great bike, but I still need a commuter. I blew out a rim on its fixed wheelset (30 years old and well worn braking surface) previous week so it had to be replaced. I used a set of spare Fulcrum Racing 5's to give me some time to find a new fixed wheelset. So I put on a rear brake and gutted Centaur carbon levers. Still need to tape the bars and sort the rear brake cable routing, but it's already quite fun. I'm debating whether I'll make it fixed again, might just leave it like this.

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Zipp SL80 has been acquired, less reach, shallower drops and a slight flare, so fits the bill perfectly. Considering also flipping the stem, to see how it affects handling. I'm getting around fine as is, but bunny hops will probably be easier with less drop, which might actually be a nice addition with all the rooty singletrack I'm riding.

I took it for a real mountainbiking trip today, or at least as real as it gets in the Netherlands (an impression
). First attempt at an in-action shot, with my phone and without any preparation, so it turned out shit again. But the bike was great, not as accommodating as the hard-tail my buddy was riding, but I could hold my own on almost all trails.

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As good as finished! Still need to sort out the 700c wheelset, but don't see them getting much use in the foreseeable future anyway. Stem feels a bit MAMILy like this, might go for a 0 degree stem some day.

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It looks very odd with skinny tyres, and these are still 32's. I'm in two minds between 700x38 G-One Allrounds or GravelKing SK's in the same size, to be run tubeless. Mostly for road riding, maybe the occasional gravel ride for Instagram, but for anything seriously unpaved I'll probably go for the 650b wheelset. Would the G-Ones be the better choice then?

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love it.

The answer is Vittoria hypers 38c but setting them tubeless is dodgy at best

I'm aiming for longevity, to minimise the time spent maintenancing my bikes, so another dodgy tubeless setup isn't an option. From what I gather the Gravelking SK's are hard wearing and p*nct*r* resistant, so I think I'll go for them.

Looks fun! The trails near Veenendaal/Amerongse Berg are also very good

Also move the levers up a bit

Looks good, I'll have to head to Utrechtse Heuvelrug sometime this summer! My grandparents used to live in that region and hated mountainbikers as they were avid birdwatchers (my grandparents, not the mountainbikers, or not for as far as I know at least) and their forest was being ruined by them. So I hope they won't mind me becoming one of * those people* too much.

Good shout, hadn't noticed.

Fuck me. Had creaking I couldn't find the cause of, overhauled the bottom bracket, changed to other wheelset, then inspected welds around the bottom bracket, removed the seatpost, overhauled the headset, nothing. But the mystery has been solved, fuck off big crack around the downtube, VanNicholas' warranty is only for the first owner so that leaves me fucked.

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Ask the original owner very nicely to warranty replace it for you?

Will give that a shot, but will probably take ages. So if that works out I'd sell the frame on and recoup some of the costs, don't feel like being without a proper bike for a long time.

(A very important disadvantage to a d0-it-all bike, let this be a lesson for those reading this thread.)