Vivente Randonneur

[Tim]

Ah, sorry, I assumed you had the drop bar model with a Tiagra FD (and M505 pedals). I take back the comments on substituted parts.
But still, the bike is a dud in it's current condition.
I'd still suggest contacting Noell direct. Forget the shop.
He was very helpful in ironing out a few problems when I lowered the gear ratios on my bike.
It should be a simple fix.

[Tim]

Octagonalman, on reflection, in a much less grumpier mood, I think I have a solution for you. Sorry about the abruptness and tone of the earlier posts.
It seems to me your bike has a compatibility problem between the DeoreLX front derailleur and the Sugino cranks.
I'm no expert and could be wrong, but the Deore range of parts are more mountain bike oriented whilst the Sugino cranks and rings are road bike parts. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but the two aren't meshing for this reason.
It's going to cost you a bit but for a smooth running bike in your shoes I'd cough up for the peace of mind. Nothing drives me crazier than a poorly running bike.
Why not fit a DeoreLX crankset (with the appropriate bottom bracket) that will work properly with the LX shifters and front derailleur. Consult a really good mechanic who can ensure the chainline and bottom bracket widths are OK. Everything should then work well.
As an added bonus the lower gear ratios on the LX chainrings are better for loaded touring than the relatively high geared Suginos.
There are numerous DeoreLX cranksets on Ebay at quite reasonable prices.
It's just a thought but the VWR is a really good bike that you need to be able to ride without any niggling doubts or mechanical limitations to fully enjoy.
I love mine, but know how a poorly functioning bike can spoil the whole experience.

[Sprocket]

If you go down that path I'd be very interested to hear how you go. I tried to fit a Deore LX crankset (to get lower gearing), however swapped back to the Sugino cranks when the battle with the chainline got too hard. Tried the bottom bracket with different positionings of the spacers but actually didn't rig up the one I found recommended for installing MTB (50mm) on road (45mm) - putting all the spacers on the one side meant that the bottom bracket was only locking in on that side by a few threads, which didn't strike me as ideal on a bike that would be functioning under load. However I gave up pretty quickly as I needed to get my bike back on the road, so if you find a solution to this please let me know.

I'd second the comment that you have the incorrect FD fitted. Mine came with the tiagra for triple road FD, and I've had no problems with it. Mind you I have the bar-end shifters, which make for easy feathering of the FD if I ever do get any rub. As I understand it's only the butterfly bar model that comes with the Deore FD.

[australiantourer]

With Shimano Sti you will as the shifters do not allow trimming like Campagnolo. You really should have a front derailleur that matches your drive train width. If you use barend shifters it would not be an issue.

Ah ha -- ok -- that explains it -- I have bar end shifters

[peterw]

Great bike. (2012).

My partner and myself did a tour from Hobart to Perth this year with these bikes, and my verdict is for all intents and purposes the bike is practically perfect. Not a single flat.

I thought the mud-guards were a bit cheap and a real PITA to get in place properly, but otherwise the bike's spot on. Steel is real and at speed with weight this bike is a pleasure.

I still ride it in Sydney even though I have a dedicated commuter.

Highly recommended.

[rog7681]

I recently bought a 2013 Sti Vivente and have been a little disappointed with the brakes.
The ratios seem mismatched between the Sora road levers and the rear V brake, and the BB7 Mtn front brake. I have tried removing the spacers to allow greater adjustment. The tension on the rear brake was such that I had to remove the spacer to allow enough play to disconnect the V brake just to remove the rear wheel.
I can't adjust the brakes properly because of the small gaps. They are spongy, powerful and hard to maintain the adjustment. My best solution seems to be to replace the front brake with road bike calipers and use shorter arms on the rear.
I've contacted Noel and he has offered to send me out a cantilever brake for the rear, but I'm still not too happy with the front disc.
One of the contributing for my buying this bike was the overwhelmingly positive reviews it generally recieves.
I would be interested to hear if others have had similar issues.

[octagonalman]

Hi rog7681,
Are the front brakes really the MTB BB7s? My shop said my 2013 trekking bar edition came with Road BB7s and they swapped it for an MTB one from their own stock.

[Calvin27]

Can someone tell me in one sentence what the appeal of this bike is and what it kick butt in?

[RonK]

Can someone tell me in one sentence what the appeal of this bike is and what it kick butt in?

It's the best bang for the buck touring bike on sale in Australia.

[peterw]

Can someone tell me in one sentence what the appeal of this bike is and what it kick butt in?

It's the best bang for the buck touring bike on sale in Australia.

Yep.
Other bikes like Surly have a justifiably great reputation but you need to buy the accessories - i.e. racks, lights, dynamo.. With the Vivente, off the shelf you get everything you need, other than buying into a brand which you then need to accessorise (and the LBS will obviously be more than willing to help with).

Other reasons for good value: I bought the bikes on special at 2/3 retail.

They're also a bit of a bastard to put together - so the bike shop isn't making a complete motza if you consider the time invested in building up the things.

[singlespeedscott]

You have to admit that the single front disc and v-brake rear is a bit naff. Just do one or the other instead of dithering about it. It looks like an early 90's mtb owned by a rider who has done an upgrade because all the magazines said you really only need it on the front

[Wingnut]

Agree, seems a bit silly having differing brake systems...

[rog7681]

Hi rog7681,
Are the front brakes really the MTB BB7s? My shop said my 2013 trekking bar edition came with Road BB7s and they swapped it for an MTB one from their own stock.

Yes they are unfortunately. The MTB BB7's came with the bike and the shop owner fitted them without checking. He did say they took a bit of tuning. I'm replacing them soon with the road BB7's and probably replacing the rear with the shimano canti's that were on the previous years model. I'm starting to wish I'd waited for the 2014 model.

[singlespeedscott]

Hi rog7681,
Are the front brakes really the MTB BB7s? My shop said my 2013 trekking bar edition came with Road BB7s and they swapped it for an MTB one from their own stock.

Yes they are unfortunately. The MTB BB7's came with the bike and the shop owner fitted them without checking. He did say they took a bit of tuning. I'm replacing them soon with the road BB7's and probably replacing the rear with the shimano canti's that were on the previous years model. I'm starting to wish I'd waited for the 2014 model.

Are they actually going to put discs on both ends?

[rog7681]

Yes, discs are on both ends this year...
http://www.viventebikes.com/main/page_p ... tolia.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[singlespeedscott]

Yes, discs are on both ends this year...
http://www.viventebikes.com/main/page_p ... tolia.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Much better. I certainly like the Patagonia. Why did they replace the Shimano dyno hub with a Shutter Precsion? I would think an 8 speed cassette would have been better. A touring bike has no need for a 11 tooth cog and I think a 34/36 tooth low would be a lot more useful then a 32. I would prefer a closer spread in the road cruising range too.

[Lonerider1968]

I had a Vivente up until last year. Mine was so far removed from original spec though............ Sold it to a bloke from Maitland. Phil Wood hubs on Velocity Dyads etc etc. Frame and fork was nice, a good, solid ride but being a heavier rider, i got rid of everything stock bar the rear mech and upgraded the lot. Bike had only done thirty odd kliks when I bought it so sold the stock stuff to finance the build basically.

Personally, never been a fan of disc brakes, more so on the front of a fully. Loaded tourer........... Braking will put a lot of stress on them there from forks and the VWR front fork is pretty basic in build.

Once sold, my Vivente was replaced with a MKII Thorn Nomad, Rohloff Equipped. Pricey ? Yes but probably the last tourer I will ever buy. Have covered 2000 kilometres, issue free on The Nomad. A really well thought out touring machine. Interesting that my Nomad weighs in a 16 kilos....... It is so solid and well built, I thought it would be way heavier than that but isonly a kilo heavier than the VWR which looks a much smaller bike as far as tube diameters are concerned. I did a could of NSW - VIC tours on my World Randonneur and it performed beautifully.

By sheer fluke, I got my hands on three pairs of Shimanos' last model, XTR V Brakes. Such a shame that Shimano no longer make these. Incredible modulation....... Fully loaded with my 120kg frame or unloaded.

Anyways. A bit off subject there...... I am in total agreement that for the money, you cannot go past the World Randnneur. The 2014 range, even includes a Rohloff model, "The Gibb", priced at a very reasonable $3649.00 according to the Vivente Website. The VWR frame is not actually made for the Rohloff, same deal as the LHT, the use of a chain tensionser...... Word is, it makes the hub a bit "slippy" . Not sure if that is true as Ihave never tried it myself.

[singlespeedscott]

Is that 16kg loaded or unloaded?

[Lonerider1968]

Unloaded. Would be some seriously light touring is it was that weight loaded lol

I don"t think that is a bad weight at all as there is nothing particularly light on the bike. Even the seat post is a basic Kalloy silver effort.

Racks are Thorns own. Front and rear wheels are Rigida Andra CSS rims, front on a crazily over the top 48 hole Phil Wood Touring Hub, back rim obviously laced the Rohloff.

The frame and probably more so the fork are pretty substantial too !

[singlespeedscott]

Unloaded. Would be some seriously light touring is it was that weight loaded lol

I don"t think that is a bad weight at all as there is nothing particularly light on the bike. Even the seat post is a basic Kalloy silver effort.

Racks are Thorns own. Front and rear wheels are Rigida Andra CSS rims, front on a crazily over the top 48 hole Phil Wood Touring Hub, back rim obviously laced the Rohloff.

The frame and probably more so the fork are pretty substantial too !

I know it's a touring bike but gee it must be a pig to ride a decent speed up a steep climb. I was thinking one would be a great commuter but I couldnt imagine it would be great for my 65km round trip that averages around 28/30kmhr.

By the way. What the hell do you need a 48 hole rim for?

[Lonerider1968]

The company I got this from, Thorn Cycles, a UK based and this is indeed an expedition touring bike. They do make other Rohloff Equipped models more suitable for a commuter. I think the model aimed at the commuter market is the Mercury. Not sure. Best to look at their website to know for sure.

For me ? It was more about my size and weight really. I use The Nomad for everything but you are right on the money as far as going uphill at speed is concerned. This particular model is and does what it says on the label. It is "An Expedition Touring bike" and is built for and up to the task. If you want out and out speed on the flat or up hill, you will be putting out a fair bit of energy to do so.

I have, just for the hell of it, loaded the bike up with fifty kilos and had no issues at all. Well apart from the legs not liking it much for the first 45 minutes lol

In saying that, Unloaded ? I can cruise along at 23kph without any difficulty and the bike and when fully loaded, it is an absolute pleasure to ride. REALLY sure footed ( or is that wheeled ? ). I have pelted down Mount Keira at 54kph fully loaded. Not sure if that is advisable on any tourer to be honest but The Nomad was absolutely fantastic and comfortable in the extreme. I am only running 26 x 1.6 Schwalbe Marathon Extremes on it currently. I would imagine it would be even more comfy running 26x2.00 Supremes.

When I finally got the cash together to look for a Rohloff Equipped Tourer, there really wasn't á huge amount of choice in Australia. Cheeky Transport do the Tout Terrain Silk Road Rohloff at around the $4500.00 mark and that is about it.

I am talking about a frame actually made made to accommodate the Rohloff. The LHT and VWR are not, they require several additional parts for The Rohloff to work which I wanted to avoid.

Cheeky Transport are quoting around $4500.00 for a Rohloff Equipped LHT and the spec is pretty average imho. I paid a little over that for what I have but everything is the top of the cycle touring tree and will probably outlast me. There is not a single thing that I can actually upgrade unless I went carbon handlebars, which I am not going to do........ EVER !

For the $3650.00 or there abouts, The Rohloff Equipped VWR Gibb is really good value. That sort of outlay makes any possible upgrades a buyer may want to add later on a little more palatable I think.

[australiantourer]

Yes, discs are on both ends this year...
http://www.viventebikes.com/main/page_p ... tolia.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Much better. I certainly like the Patagonia. Why did they replace the Shimano dyno hub with a Shutter Precsion? I would think an 8 speed cassette would have been better. A touring bike has no need for a 11 tooth cog and I think a 34/36 tooth low would be a lot more useful then a 32. I would prefer a closer spread in the road cruising range too.

I think one important detail being ignored here in the discussion of disc brakes is whether they are cable or hydraulic. My vwr came with cable disc on the front, and rim brakes on the rear. I also have a merida mountain bike with hydraulic brakes, and they are like dynamite in stopping power, unlike cable discs which seemed no better than rim brakes -- just more complicated and sometimes noisy, depending which way the wind is blowing. And that's assuming your discs don't squeal.

As it turned out, a hook on my front pannier caught in the rotor (at low speed, ptl) -- my fault -- I had forgotten to tuck it away properly. It scored the disc, and I continued the tour without a front brake. When I took the bike in for repair and discussed these issues with the mechanic, we decided I would probably be happier with a matching rim brake on the front. I am very happy with that decision on several counts: cost, simplicity, quietness, appearance, weight etc.

Just briefly on the discussion of how many gears you need to tour, I have recently committed the heresy of converting my vwr from nine to eight speed -- mainly to get a quieter transmission. My mantra: when riding my bike on a quiet country road, all I want to hear is tyre noise. My 7 speed mongoose hybrid has provided this for almost 20 years. Thin chains on busy rear clusters cost more, are less robust and in my experience are likely to be making noise that I resent -- subtle, but it's there. It's unnecessary, and mainly a result of marketing hype arising from a race-oriented industry.

imho!

I'm very happy with the conversion. The nine speed bar end selectors are up for sale, btw. I sure don't need 'em.

[outnabike]

I must say the disc brake is a squealing thing. I have to go over the disc often and it stops the squeal. Cleaned the pads but just keeps doing it. I just put up with it as the brakes work very well.
Any way better than a bell I spose.

[Lonerider1968]

I so prefer V Brakes. In saying that, I have always had XT V Brakes on my flat bar road bike -- in saying that, Deore and Deore LX have a fabulous reputation but neither use cartridge pads -- and replaced the Shimano cartridge brake pads and holders with Koolstop Dual Compound V Brake 2 efforts . The Koolstops are designed so that upon fitting, the "toe in" is done for you....... If that makes sense....... Never had a squeal issue with these pads.

I have the SwissStop blue ones for ceramic rims on The Nomad as the Rigida CSS rims require these because of the ceramic braking surface.

[Wingnut]

Hmm...my discs don't squeal and I like the fact I can ride with buckled wheels without brake rub if I choose...