Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

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RonK
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Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby RonK » Sat Oct 22, 2011 10:31 pm

Assembling a bicycle is quite easy really. There aren't that many parts - just the frame, wheels, handlebars seatpost and saddle. Then there are the brakes, stem, cranks...hmmmm, actually there are a lot of parts - all of these in fact.

Frameset: Van Nicholas Pioneer Rohloff Hand Brushed Titanium Large 55cm
Fork: Van Nicholas VNT TRX Alloy Expedition/Touring
Headset: Chris King NoThreadSet Devolution Silver
Saddle: Brooks B17 Special Honey
Handlebar: Van Nicholas 31.8mm OS 3AL/2.5V Titanium
Stem: Van Nicholas Titanium 100mm
Grips: Ergon GC3 Series Rohloff Large
Seat Post: Van Nicholas Titanium 300mm, 27.2mm zero setback
Chainset: Stronglight Impact Rohloff 170mm 39T (Double Guard)
Bottom Bracket: Bushnell Eccentric, Shimano UN54 68x118mm, Problem Solvers Left Aluminum Cup Silver
Chain: SRAM PC 7X Nickel Single Speed
Pedals: Shimano PD-M785 SPD Deore XT Trail
Gear Shift: Rohloff Twist Shifter and cables
Brake Levers: Avid Speed Dial SL Silver
Brakes: Avid Single Digit SL Silver
Brake Pads: Swissstop Blue for Ceramic & Carbide CSS Rims
Tyres: Schwalbe Marathon Dureme 26 x 2.0 Folding Black Reflective
Front Hub: Schmidt SON 28 Dynamo Hub Silver
Rear Hub: Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 CC OEM2 Silver
Rims: Rigida Andra 30 26" MTB CSS Black 32 Hole (with Rohloff Drilling for rear)
Spokes: 14/16g Sapim Race Stainless Steel Butted
Skewers: Hope Quick Release Stainless Steel MTB
Front Rack: Tubus Nova Lowrider Stainless Steel
Rear Rack: Tubus Cosmo Stainless Steel
Front Light: Supernova E3 Pro Terraflux
Rear Light: Supernova E3 Luggage Carrier Mount
Charging System: Biologic ReeCharge Power Pack
Fenders: Velo-Orange Stainless 60mm 26" ATB
Bottle Cages: Salsa Nickless, BBB Fuel Tank XL
Handlebar Bag Bracket: Rixen Kaul Klickfix, Rixen Kaul Extender
Sidestand: Pletscher Comp Zoom

Get them all together and they look like this.
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Image
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby Baalzamon » Sun Oct 23, 2011 2:31 am

I suggest you change the skewers to security skewers to save your wheels from being stolen easily...
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby trailgumby » Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:08 am

Looking forward to see it when finished :D

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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby RonK » Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:24 am

Baalzamon wrote:I suggest you change the skewers to security skewers to save your wheels from being stolen easily...
Quick-release skewers are my considered choice. Security skewers are inconvenient, and in my view unnecessary.

My simple policy for avoiding theft is to never leave the bike or gear unattended unless its security is certain. I won't be allowing thieves any opportunity to steal either the bike or individual components.
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby il padrone » Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:40 am

I hear what you're saying RonK. My choice was for the pitlocks, just for those times when I do leave the bike locked but maybe not able to do both wheels, or when I use the wheel lock only for a short stop.
Peter White Cycles wrote:You can remove your front wheel, place it alongside your rear wheel and then lock your bike to some lamp post with a big heavy "D" lock. But that limits you to only certain locations to lock your bike, locations with a suitable pole and free space surrounding it. And it means having to remove that front wheel, which may have an expensive dynohub with wiring attached, fender with a mudflap attached that can get mangled while resting on the ground, and it means your "D" lock needs to be large and heavy. With Pitlock, you can use a much smaller lock to just lock your frame or a wheel to something immobile, giving you many more options for locking your whole bike.
The need for a quick release? In 8 months I've removed the rear wheel once and the front not at all. Racing QRs on a touring bike with excellent puncture-protected tyres are a bit pointless. Just my 2c
Last edited by il padrone on Sun Oct 23, 2011 10:34 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby CommuRider » Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:49 am

Looking good RK......how much so far? :D
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby RonK » Sun Oct 23, 2011 10:35 am

CommuRider wrote:Looking good RK......how much so far? :D
Do you mean the $$$'s? I haven't added it all up, and don't know if I really want to. But by my original calculations it would be almost $2000 less than the cost of importing a complete bike from Van Nicholas.
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby RonK » Sun Oct 23, 2011 10:57 am

il padrone wrote:I hear what you're saying RonK. My choice was for the pitlocks, just for those times when I do leave the bike locked but maybe not able to do both wheels, or when I use the wheel lock only for a short stop.

The need for a quick release? In 8 months I've removed the rear wheel once and the front not at all. Racing QRs on a touring bike with excellent puncture-protected tyres are a bit pointless. Just my 2c
The way I see it, a thief is more likely to steal the complete bike than to remove the panniers so he can access the skewers. Using pitlocks presupposes the thief recognises the hubs to be of high value, which I doubt.

I don't carry a heavy D-lock around either, just a light cable lock to deter the opportunist thief. As I've said previously, if you don't want to loose it, don't let it out of your sight. :roll:

I'd be far more paranoic about loosing a pitlock key in some remote location. :x
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby il padrone » Sun Oct 23, 2011 11:23 am

RonK wrote:The way I see it, a thief is more likely to steal the complete bike than to remove the panniers so he can access the skewers. Using pitlocks presupposes the thief recognises the hubs to be of high value, which I doubt.
That is correct. But using the pitlock, your entire bike can be securely locked with simply one cable/D-lock from the front wheel around a post. There are just more locking options made possible.

RonK wrote:I'd be far more paranoic about loosing a pitlock key in some remote location. :x
Nah, not going to happen. Pitlock key is always attached to my regular key set (car, house, bike lock etc). When I do really remote trips a spare will be carried in my tool kit as well.
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby CommuRider » Sun Oct 23, 2011 12:16 pm

Noticed you got the Tubus racks...they do have Ti versions now y'know :wink:

Good luck with the build. Am sure it's going to look super-cool.
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby il padrone » Sun Oct 23, 2011 12:54 pm

All around, great kit you've got for that bike. It should be a lot of fun putting it together :D
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby rifraf » Sun Oct 23, 2011 7:27 pm

Hi Ron, :)
So your current steed is the Sabbath Silk Route?
What was the determining factors in your choice of pedals - Shimano PD-M785 SPD Deore XT Trail? :?:
I remember you saying your wife was a fan of the speedplays.
I'm currently considering some NorthWave Mission shoes and trying to make up my mind on
pedals for my APB.
I've not used spd's before - hence my interest
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby Baalzamon » Sun Oct 23, 2011 7:55 pm

RonK wrote:
il padrone wrote:I hear what you're saying RonK. My choice was for the pitlocks, just for those times when I do leave the bike locked but maybe not able to do both wheels, or when I use the wheel lock only for a short stop.

The need for a quick release? In 8 months I've removed the rear wheel once and the front not at all. Racing QRs on a touring bike with excellent puncture-protected tyres are a bit pointless. Just my 2c
The way I see it, a thief is more likely to steal the complete bike than to remove the panniers so he can access the skewers. Using pitlocks presupposes the thief recognises the hubs to be of high value, which I doubt.

I don't carry a heavy D-lock around either, just a light cable lock to deter the opportunist thief. As I've said previously, if you don't want to loose it, don't let it out of your sight. :roll:

I'd be far more paranoic about loosing a pitlock key in some remote location. :x
I was in Northam, went to a chemist and secured my bike with my abus wheel lock. Came back out and found my rear brake lever had been tampered with. Cable had been pulled out of the brake lever. Bike was fully loaded at this point.
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby Aushiker » Sun Oct 23, 2011 8:57 pm

il padrone wrote:
RonK wrote:The way I see it, a thief is more likely to steal the complete bike than to remove the panniers so he can access the skewers. Using pitlocks presupposes the thief recognises the hubs to be of high value, which I doubt.
That is correct. But using the pitlock, your entire bike can be securely locked with simply one cable/D-lock from the front wheel around a post. There are just more locking options made possible.
What components do you lock with Pitlocks?

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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby il padrone » Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:31 pm

Just the wheels. I know you can put them on all sorts of other parts but I don't see random component removal as a big risk, more the opportunistic joyrider, or, in the longer term, the whole-bike professional thief.

I am considering getting the stem-cap pitlock to fully secure the front end.
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby RonK » Sun Oct 23, 2011 11:04 pm

rifraf wrote:Hi Ron, :)
So your current steed is the Sabbath Silk Route?
What was the determining factors in your choice of pedals - Shimano PD-M785 SPD Deore XT Trail? :?:
I remember you saying your wife was a fan of the speedplays.
I'm currently considering some NorthWave Mission shoes and trying to make up my mind on
pedals for my APB.
I've not used spd's before - hence my interest
Yes, but the fate of the Sabbath is yet to be determined. Currently my wife is away for a month trekking in Nepal and normally I'd be on a tour somewhere, but due to a job change I don't have any leave available. So I'm taking the opportunity to assemble the Pioneer. If it works out as good an allrounder as I hope, the Sabbath will be sold. Unless I can convince my wife to join me on a tour, but she's a bike snob and doesn't want to know about anything without the Colnago brand on it. I assembled the Schwalbe Marathon Duremes onto the wheels today, and decided to order a narrower pair of Supremes for highway riding. That's as far as the assembly proceeded this weekend, as I had forgotten to order a crown race installer. So a priority order went in to Wiggle for an installer and a set of Supremes.

In choosing a pedal, the SPD cleat system is at the top of the list for me, as it is compatible with shoes that I can actually walk in and hike in. I take only one pair of shoes and a pair of rubber thongs (to wear in showers) when I'm on tour. I'm using Northwave Expedition GTX shoes which I find very comfortable on my flat feet. However I don't think they are available anymore and I'm not sure if there is a replacement. The Missions do look very similar and have a similar specification but the Drifter GTX is probably the closest. Both are discreet enough to wear anywhere.

Other attributes I'm looking for in a pedal are:
- a platform to distribute the load over a wider area and so reduce hotspots, and also so I can pedal if I miss the cleat starting off on steep inclines
- double-sided, i.e. cleats on both sides.

I think Shimano has only recently released the trail versions of their MTD pedals. They are available across the range on XTR, XT and Deore, and are the first double-sided pedals I've found which have a compact platform that doesn't look out of proportion on my bike.

Unusually, most of the international online stores were yet to receive stocks when I was ready to order, but eventually I located them at Mortdale Bike Shed. Not only did they have stocks but also competitive pricing. The Deore version is particularly good value at $40.

BTW, as a matter of interest, I discovered this bike stand at an incredibly cheap price of $99.99. Thought it was probably rubbish until I read the reviews. My order is in.
Last edited by RonK on Sun Oct 23, 2011 11:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby RonK » Sun Oct 23, 2011 11:07 pm

CommuRider wrote:Noticed you got the Tubus racks...they do have Ti versions now y'know :wink:

Good luck with the build. Am sure it's going to look super-cool.
Yeah, not long ago there was only the diminutive Airy, now there are three models, but no lowrider.

And no discount prices anywhere either so stainless steel it is. For now.
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby Aushiker » Mon Oct 24, 2011 11:19 am

il padrone wrote:Just the wheels. I know you can put them on all sorts of other parts but I don't see random component removal as a big risk, more the opportunistic joyrider, or, in the longer term, the whole-bike professional thief.

I am considering getting the stem-cap pitlock to fully secure the front end.
That is pretty much my thinking. Wheels and the headset lock.

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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby Aushiker » Mon Oct 24, 2011 11:20 am

RonK wrote:
CommuRider wrote:Noticed you got the Tubus racks...they do have Ti versions now y'know :wink:

Good luck with the build. Am sure it's going to look super-cool.
Yeah, not long ago there was only the diminutive Airy, now there are three models, but no lowrider.

And no discount prices anywhere either so stainless steel it is. For now.
And it would seem the Swing is to be no longer. Tubus have stopped product apparently but I have managed to get one that they still had in inventory.

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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby il padrone » Mon Oct 24, 2011 11:35 am

Aushiker wrote:And it would seem the Swing is to be no longer. Tubus have stopped product apparently but I have managed to get one that they still had in inventory.
Not a great surprise. Many people cannot be readily convinced of the handling benefits of mounting the load above the suspension, and the Swing has been rendered obsolete by the development of suspension crowns that are much wider than its clamps.

Do you know if they have any plans for a new/replacement design?


Personally, I'm happy to ride a rigid bike for all of my touring, even in fairly rough country.
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby Aushiker » Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:05 pm

il padrone wrote:Do you know if they have any plans for a new/replacement design?
No idea. Only found what I know based on placing an order with http:/starbike.com

Personally, I'm happy to ride a rigid bike for all of my touring, even in fairly rough country.
If I ever replace my MTB with a new off-road tourer I would do much the same: 29" steel frame with a rigid fork.

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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby rifraf » Thu Oct 27, 2011 6:42 pm

Hi Ron
I think it would be a great idea if you kept this thread going and as you add something to the frame
pop up a pic or three and give us a blow by blow account of the build.
Be interesting to watch and read of the logic of your choices. :D
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby Riddley » Fri Oct 28, 2011 1:27 pm

RonK wrote:
rifraf wrote:Hi Ron, :) I'm currently considering some NorthWave Mission shoes and trying to make up my mind on
pedals for my APB.
I've not used spd's before - hence my interest
In choosing a pedal, the SPD cleat system is at the top of the list for me, as it is compatible with shoes that I can actually walk in and hike in.


I tried clips, and didn;t like them. I prefer just flat pedals and using normal all terrain type shoes. If you want the extra grip and pull of being locked in, wouldn't old style cages be just as convenient for touring, as they don't require special shoes?

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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby rifraf » Sat Oct 29, 2011 12:11 am

Riddley wrote:
RonK wrote:
rifraf wrote:Hi Ron, :) I'm currently considering some NorthWave Mission shoes and trying to make up my mind on
pedals for my APB.
I've not used spd's before - hence my interest
In choosing a pedal, the SPD cleat system is at the top of the list for me, as it is compatible with shoes that I can actually walk in and hike in.


I tried clips, and didn;t like them. I prefer just flat pedals and using normal all terrain type shoes. If you want the extra grip and pull of being locked in, wouldn't old style cages be just as convenient for touring, as they don't require special shoes?
After using these for many a year:
Image
I've decided to see how the other half lives.
I've followed Ronk's advice and ordered some Shimano PD-M785 SPD Deore XT Trail and
gortex membrane with a vibram sole Northwave Drifter GTX MTB Shoes.
I initially looked for some Cannondale shoes but to no avail via bikeexchange.com
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Re: Van Nicholas Pioneer project...

Postby RonK » Sat Oct 29, 2011 7:56 pm

I didn't make much progress with the build last weekend - I'd forgotten to buy a crown race installer. But Wiggle came to the rescue and had one to me in 4 days. Interestingly, the bargain-priced work stand I ordered from Torpedo 7 the day before still hasn't arrived. It would have been handy this weekend. Torpedo 7 today sent an customer satisfaction email asking for my feedback about the purchasing experience, and whilst I'm not (yet) particularly put out by the non-arrival of the stand, I will be making the comparison with the service provided by a merchant on the other side of the world.

First task is to install the headset cups. Notice the reflections of the lovely view from my 16th floor balcony. That is Mt Coot-Tha you see in the background.
Image

Then install the crown race, and using the cutting guide, cut the steerer to size.
Image

Finally, assemble the steerer, add handlebars, wheels, seatpost and saddle, and suddenly it's a bike.
Image

Titanium is chosen for its strength and light weight. The rationale is I'm here for a good time - not a long time. Another 10 years will see out my cycle touring career, and I want it to be as pleasant as possible. I've heard all the arguments, but have enough personal experience at bushwalking and high-altitude trekking to understand that I have no need or desire for an indestructible battle tank.
Last edited by RonK on Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:35 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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