Winspace G2

I've just bought one of these, should get it on Friday.
https://www.winspace.cc/product/g2-gravel/ .

It followed loads of deliberations on this thread: https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/380414/

It will be my first disc brake bike (apart from my Bullitt, which doesn't really count and tandem, but that has cable discs), which was the main reason to get it. I had bad hand pain on big descents this year and want to see if switching to discs can fix it.

Plan is to build it up for long, mostly on-road, ultraraces in the Summer, plus other stuff, including some off-road. It will take big tyres so I'll most likely get wheels for gravel / off-road.

I'll cannibalise the Ultegra / GRX Di2 groupset off my existing bike to build it. I don't need two Di2 bikes and that one will get rebuilt with old cable stuff for winter / spare. I'll need new hydro shifters, obviously new brakes. And wheels: its 12mm TA so all of my collection of QR wheels are now instantly obsolete (sob sob)

I'll need to learn about disc brakes. Views on these and other questions most welcome:

Which shifters? I'll most likely get GRX as people say they are a better shape than Ultegra, but I'll research it more first. FWIW I've got pretty small hands.

For calipers, any reason to get something other than Shimano? If not, Ultegra or GRX - or are they actually the same?

What rotor size? I think it will take 160 so I guess I should get that rather than smaller?

Are there still different standards to worry about, or is everything 'centrelock' now? If not, does it matter when I'm selecting stuff?

How to adjust them (the cable ones on the tandem mostly rub and LBS say that's normal) - I'll find out when I get them, I suppose.

How long do pads last?

WTF is 'bleeding' all about? I presume it is getting air bubbles out of the hoses, and I don't have to do it often, but if I do it's PITA - but that's just a guess!

I'll update when I actually get it.

Which shifters?

If you can try both then that’s probably the way to go. With the new Di2 Ultegra you can adjust the reach of the brake lever, not sure if that’s true of GRX. Di2 shifters feel a lot smaller than cable shifters to me, which may be better for smaller hands.

For calipers, any reason to get something other than Shimano?

Probably not. I’ve used Hope calipers with 105 shifters and honestly couldn’t notice any difference between the 105 calipers that were on the bike previously. Ultegra Di2 and GRX Di2 are the same level in the Shimano range so they probably perform equally well.

What rotor size?

If you can fit a 160 up front then I would go for that, especially if you want to also use the bike for gravel.

Are there still different standards to worry about?

Centerlock, 12mm axles, flat mount brakes. That’s what you want.

How to adjust them?

You probably won’t need to. Pads last aaaagggeeess and, unlike mechanical disc brakes, hydraulic ones don’t need adjustment as the pads wear. I didn’t touch the hydraulic Shimano brakes on my road bike for like 10,000 miles other than to change pads every now and again.

And that frame looks amazing. Looking forward to seeing you build it up!

Thanks - that has told me most of what I need to know!

I'm sticking with 11-speed because I want to be able to charge when I'm riding. I don't do it often but when I need to do it, I really need to do it! Also it means less kit to upgrade. Actually, I'm not sure about that - maybe my my current mechs / battery would work with 12-speed...? Either way, charging on the go is a big one and I have a bunch of half-eaten 11-sp cassettes which definitely wouldn't work.

For calipers, any reason to get something other than Shimano? If not, Ultegra or GRX - or are they actually the same?

I'd be tempted to look at the latest 12 speed calipers, they claim to sit marginally further from the rotor and could reduce rub. BR-R8170 / BR-R7170 look exactly the same beyond colour.

https://bike.shimano.com/en-AU/product/component/ultegra-r8100/BR-R8170.html
https://bike.shimano.com/en-AU/product/component/shimano105-r7100-di2/BR-R7170.html

Pads rubbing should not be normal. Battled it for ages on one bike until I realised I had a stuck piston. Which was very easily to resolve, and reminded me that there should be no rubbing.

I'm certainly hoping that decent hydraulics should be better!

Wheels ordered:
https://www.lightbicycle.com/700C-tubeless-bike-wheels-32mm-wide-38mm-deep-clincher-for-cyclocross-road-and-gravel-bikes.html

Also have ordered bars - FSA Omega compact, 42cm - which I've used for ages on most of my bikes.

Have already got quite a bit of stuff, mostly to be cannibalised from current bike:
chainset - GRX 30-46
Pedals - speedplay / flat
Front and rear mechs - ultegra Di2
Di2 wiring and junction boxes
Aerobars and bar end shifters
Stem - Redshift Shockstop - may need a different length. Frame reach is the same but won't know until it is built up.
Seat post - frame comes with one but may change it
Saddle - stick with my old Specialized Tritip as it works better than others I've tried.

Still need:
Shifters - 11 speed GRX (ST-RX815) or Ultegra (ST-R8070) Di2
Brakes - Ultegra / 105 BR-R8170 / 7170
Rotors - 160mm. Probably Shimano
Padded tape for bars

Then will probably get a small frame bag custom made to go between water bottles.

Frame has arrived, looks good.

It's a second hand one from eBay which came up in google when I was deciding where to buy from. I chatted to the seller and he seemed genuine, so I bought it, partly as it was a good bit less than a new one but also a lot quicker than getting it from China.

But the one thing I didn't check was that the steerer hadn't been cut too short. And it has, not by much, just half an inch - but still an issue.

So I've ordered a new fork. Winspace don't sell replacement forks, which is crap. Nor do they sell replacement hangers, which is even worse. So I have ordered a Carbonara fork, and a couple of hangers from Lightbicycle, who sell the same frame under their brand. They will send them with my wheels so at least I don't have to pay postage for them.

It's still a good deal even with having to get the new fork, but maybe I should have just got a new frame in case any other issues emerge...

Quite curious about these frames... any updates - how have you got on with it?

I'll need to learn about disc brakes. Views on these and other questions most welcome:

Get hydros, 160mm rotors, have a shop install them and ignore them for the rest of time.
Carry spare pads and change them before you kill your rotors ie. well before the levers are hitting your bars :)

Fine. Not got round to posting any update, but I got it built up in April and have ridden it a fair bit so far, virtually all on road.

It rides fine with no real issues. The only thing I would say is that it can be slightly hairy descending at speed in a heavy cross wind. I came down a steep and very high bridge over the Seine a couple of weeks ago in strong wind and the handling was a bit iffy. I don't know if carbon frames can shimmy but it felt a bit like it. I can't say if that is my wheels, the frame, or my luggage.

Deep section wheels? That's the biggest factor.

You're quite a bit lighter than me though so maybe other factors in play. Check your headset :)

Wheels are 38mm, which I thought would be OK. Basically 1mm deeper than the kinlins I've been using for years and, I thought, a more cross wind friendly shape.

Headset is a possible issue. LBS did a bit of mix and match with the bearings from my old bike. I might get new bearings and see how it is.

We need a pic!

Here you go - as set up for my tour of western France a couple of weeks ago:

1 Attachment

They're a bit deeper than what I run. I'd be wary of that front bag - it's hanging pretty far out - how heavy is it? It also has a pretty big side profile that could be catching the wind. I hate having too much stuff on my bars and obvs the heavier and further out on the aerobars the worse it impacts handling.

I think the bar bag is OK, had no issues with it on tcr last year. Can't see from the pic but it is shaped like the front of a boat so reasonably aero from the side.
I did have issues on indypac with a big, flat sided one, and it's nothing like that.
I'll change the headset bearing, and I also need to get another set of disk brakes wheels, then I can test that.
Kind of hard to test this stuff though as it only becomes an issue in unusual conditions.
Wheels probably most likely, although light bicycle reckoned those rims were fine in cross winds.

They would say that though.

There was a very noticeable difference when I raced the two TransAms. The first I had a LightBicycle 65mm front rim, the second was a normal 30ish rim. Much less stressful hanging onto the latter, when you're trying to ride the tiny gap between the white line and the fucking rumble strips in Americaland.

Thanks for update! bike looks great - I think the slightly odd chain/seat stays start to look quite good when the bike has loads of stuff hanging on it.

In your original thread you mentioned replacing your Galaxy with this - would that be for fully loaded touring / have you tried front and rear panniers? That's one thing I'd like to do with it.

I saw a thread on reddit about the headset being hard to adjust...looks like the Winspace fork steerer is ovalised for internal routing and it seems the supplied bungs/spacers aren't that easy to get right - but possibly you avoided this with the Carbonda fork?

bike looks really apt, rad and able to visit more than western france

would bartape need fixing ?

Saddle layback looks wild. Is that for the bag support or the such?

Yes, but they'd have been able to sell me a different rim if they'd said differently!

Mainly I thought it was virtually the same as the kinlin which I'd never had issues with. I'd expect a 65 to handle differently.

I guess I'm using bigger tyres nowadays, so tyre + rim = 70mm.

In Australia they put the rumble strip in the white line!

In Australia they put the rumble strip in the white line!

Yeah, which is smart because then you have the shoulder to ride in (if there's a shoulder). In the USA the ruin the perfect shoulder by digging massive cuts in it so the cunts that have fallen asleep at the wheel don't drive off the road. Car-centric bullshit as usual.