Salsa Vaya - disc-braked gravel grinding adventure-bikepacking monster cross touring super-party machine etc...

I'm surprised to hear that, I've used some for 2 years no with no problems. Maybe it was your bottles.

Hmm, I tried a lot of different bottles.

I mean, the bottles did actually fitted into the cage but they wobbled about like hell.

I think the King Iris cages are really secure though so maybe having them on another bike had spoiled me?

Weird, I use camelback / rapha bottles, no wobbles or bouncing out. Even off road

Hmm, maybe I got seconds or something then. Can't remember where I got them but do remember them being super cheap for a stainless cage.

I will have a 32 hole 3cross Hope disc rear hub laced to a mavic rim spare pretty soon.

Think it's a 719 rim but wheel is at the lbs right now.

Does it bend easily?

They have a certain degree of flex, enough to pinch in a bit. I run 2 of em without any problems.

Usually with steel, it should take some effort to bend it.

The King Cages were pretty tough, as were the Arundel.

Aye, but still some flex, it's not the thickest diameter steel.

Yeah, a bit like @jonteasays. I tried pinching them in but the fit at the bottom was poor.

Would consider King Iris cages to be one of those few things that it is actually worth spending a little extra to get now.

Arundel is equally as good, and less damaging to the bottle (doesn't create mark on them).

Although I prefer King Iris under the downtube as it held bottle extremely well.

Shit , wish I'd seen this before ordering 4...

...ahh this makes me feel a little better

Yeah, seems my experience of them is not the norm. I'm sure you'll be fine.

@dancing james - thanks, but I'm gonna go for 36 spokes front and back. Broke a few spokes on my last trip, wheels were 32h, and don't want to run that risk again.

I'll report back on the cages once I've used them. Might use a king cage under the down tube.

Collecting some dia compe bar end shifters this evening. So will be going 9 speed with everything.

Do anyone have a 9 speed xt cassette, chain, front mech or rear mech?

Any reason for not using a tiagra cassette?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/shimano-tiagra-hg50-9-speed-road-cassette/rp-prod387?gs=1&gclid=CJSY_KaJ-MQCFQsUwwodYZcAfA&gclsrc=aw.ds

@TM None other than snobbery... is there a good reason for me using an XT or other higher spec one?

The more you pay the lighter you get, the lighter you get the less material there is, in my mind I've convinced myself that less material isn't necessarily better. Especially for a tourer.

And deore is still half the price of XT if you want mtb range

Got an XTR 970 9 speed rear mech, it's rapid rise (shifts the other way from normal) if you fancy some real snobbery...

Thanks @truemilk I've got these power ratchet Dia Compe bar ends to handle the shifting.

If the freehub body made from steel, get the cheapest cassette.

If not, get the slightly more expensive one with alu carrier.

Also derailleur have little difference in performance, it's the shifter and cable/housing that make the biggest difference.

Ok great, I'll just use the XT deraileur I've got knocking around

And in exciting news I just ordered the SP dynamo - only £62 when you order from Germany which seemed too cheap to pass up!

That'll be more than plentiful, what the max cassette it can go? 34t?

The 10 speed 11-34 (or 11-36) have a decent middle range.

Have got these Ritchey WCS compact cranks to go on the bike, not sure what bb spindle length I need.

Also in the market for a set of 110bcd compact chain rings. Need a 34t as the little ring and would prefer something like a 46t as the larger - but open to offers.

So splashed out a got a slightly fancier/newer XT shadow rear mech