Long-distance ATB - Hulsroy X Witslingers

The fluoro ring might be quite good?
All black silver guards, and a few small but fun popping accents, can imagine that to be fun. Something like red rails on saddle, blue bar plugs etc.

I have these and can confirm they're excellent

You totally should, they’re worth the (relatively minor IMO) hassle. Set aside an afternoon, the kettle and a pack of biscuits and you’re in business!

On today's program: how to void warranties.
I first opened the IQ-X light to see if I could easily access the wire in order to swap them with Son coaxial wires. Turned out harder than expected, so instead I cut the spade connectors and soldered the coaxial connector in place.

1 Attachment

You’re braver than me for doing it at home! I’ve been planning to put a co-axial connector in the same place on my dynamo light but I definitely need some soldering practice first. I have used the supernova gold connectors before, which only need crimping, and I still find installing them a delicate process.

What’s the plan fr the rear light cable run? Is there enough room underneath the fender? What’s your go to for attaching it? I’ve done duct tape in the past but it has always peeled off after a while.

Disbegud.gif

You prefer gear change on the left for the rear? You do know you'll need to cycle on the right and right side of the road on the continent here don't you?!

For a technology teacher I absolutely hate electronics so you might actually be speaking Ancient Greek here for all I know.

Cable goes in at the top of the DT, in the BB, out in the left chainstay, and then in the fender.

The Berthoud fender are rolled on the sides and you can tuck a 3mm wire in without problem.
The trick is to get it to stay there. I guess you could gently close the roll on the cable, but I don't have a suitable plier, and even if I had, I'm afraid to dent the fender if I try.
So the plan is to use automotive-grade PU mastic to glue the wire in place.

For various reasons, I had the shifter on the left side.
But it's actually going back to the right side, as I cannot manage a clean cabling path otherwise.

Here is how it ends up.
I can't say I'm pleased with how it turned out: I can live with my ugly soldering - no one's going to know thanks to the thermo sleeve.
But the main problem is that I didn't realise the connection would be so long, and the tight bends aren't ideal.
It would have been much neater with the wire in one pass, but I wanted to keep the option of removing the fender easily.

1 Attachment

There’s a Rene Herse article (and a tool they sell) that does this exact thing ie unroll and roll a fender over a dynamo wire. Worth a look, if only to improv a suitable tool for the job.

Sorry if this is too late to be helpful, but if you had the hole on the other side of the mudguard it might flow better.

That is true!
First thought is then I'll have to find a way to route the wire cleanly inside the fender from one side to the other (since the Son rear light has cable going out on the left side).

I'll investigate. Maybe by adding a little "R-clip"on the bolt?

1 Attachment

This looks awesome. The quick disconnect will come in handy, so worth the extra fuss IMO. Don’t forget a grommet where it runs through the fender! I have the Rene Herse tool and it is amazing. BTW, what saddle is that?

Realised this morning that:
A - I didn't put a grommet
B - I drilled a 3mm hole, allowing to put the wire in, but I won't be able to pass the connector through 🤦

The saddle is from Coco Bike Parts, a small french brand (actually just one guy if I'm not mistaken). Insanely light and surprisingly comfy, since the carbon shell flexes quite a bit.

See what happens when you pass the cable over the bridge? You won't look at it when you ride it.

Where are we?
I sorted the front brake by carefully going over the posts with a file.(Ideally I want to face the posts with the proper tool, but I don't have it on hand), checked every bolt and went for a mini shakedown around the block.

The bike is lovely !
There is always a bit of anxiety when confronting what you imagined how the bike behaves in reality. Gladly, it is more or less as expected :)
It smoothes the bumps quite nicely, and feels a bit more springy than my current bike, especially when accelerating. Which is surprising, given how stable and planted it feels while pootling along.
Compared to the Pelago, it does require more input when turning, which I like. Also feels more stable in the turn.
Can't wait to try it in the mountains to see how it fairs - hopefully it will be the curve carver I dream of.

Weight wise - I can feel the steel fork and rack while handling the bike, but once riding, it does not seem to make that of much a difference.

The TRP/Magura braking is very satisfying - if a tad long on the freestroke. But the power is definitely there, even with barely bedded in pads.

So - what's next ?

• Fender stays need to be trimmed
  
• Last wire to be soldered and then we'll have light (I'm waiting for a coax connector, I somewhat ordered the wrong number)
  
• Gears to be adjusted and/or cabling sorted (ghost shifting when I really push)
  
• Cockpit needs to be adjusted. I will ride it as is for a while before cutting the fork. A shorter stem would be worth trying
  
• Bar tape ! Not sure which model nor color. Suggestions welcome.
  
  

EDIT : Obligatory BAAW pic

1 Attachment

looks perfect
whats the gearing and how does it fare for that kind of riding?

Please let us have black bartape for Bespoked at least 🤞

Also I think it looks great. Very personal build even with the murdered look

I like the visual contradictions at work here. They complement each other really nicely! For instance, slammed horizontal stem and large tires. It looks like a fast bike that is comfy going cruisy, which I guess is the point.

Pictured is 38T chainring x 11-36T cassette.
When riding loaded and/or significant ascent/ gravel, the cassette is swapped for an 11-42.

...I know you know what you are doing, but the disciples would loose faith if I didn't question this...

1 Attachment

Glorious

I broke my back a few years ago; I feel way more comfortable while a bit stretched, with more weight on the arms and less on the back, hence the "racy" position.
Endurance bikes with tall head tubes usually feel awful to me.

Aero bars will complete the setup - again, not really for going fast, just to get a comfy position for long stretches of straight road.

The bike is really made for long distance riding: the big tires absorb the buzz of the road.
I think that they really start to shine when riding for several days in a row. You never get numbness, you don't care about the road quality, and you can confidently continue when the road ends and turns into gravel.
Also, technical descents get a lot less stressful (more grip, better braking) and they allow mistakes due to sleep deprivation or exhaustion. Missed pothole? Fine. Slippery patch? Scary but fine.

I'm somewhat surprised we don't see more of those kind of setups on ultras like the TCR. Not a the pointy end of course, but for people that enter with the objective to get to the end on time, I feel like such a setup would be a plus.

Seconding the black tape, imo there are better places to let your personality shine through your choice of textile materials.