How I built my own version of a SURLY BRIDGE CLUB

[@alexschidlbauer187]

Currently building out a 2023 surly ogre, because i wanted 29'' tires. This video has helped me so much! THANK YOU!!!!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Glad I could help! :)

[@mikegleim5241]

Most. Sensible. Build. Ever. Thanks for bringing us all back to reality. 😎

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hahahhaha cheers 🙌🏽

[@PRH123]

Thank you, well done. Both the bike, and the video. I like the level of detail that you gave, and the slow pace of delivery that allows one to absorb the info. It’s also nice to see a bike build at the lower end of the cost range, not another superbike.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thank you! 🙂

[@jarvisskooge8602]

Excellent. Fairly simple, practical, & durable build. These are good parts that should last a long time with minimal maintenance. Your thorough research paid off. Great video and I hope you enjoy the bike.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thank you !

[@charlesblithfield6182]

Bb7 is easy to tear down and rebuild. Love them. Your build choices are almost exactly what I would choose but with a Jones HBar . Inspiring to build such a bike for my son.

[@hap1n355]

Awesome video. I got the bug of building my Bridge Club bike. I also like the brown trim on the seat, wheels and bike grips to complement the black frame. Another great advantage to the wider wheels is a lower tire pressure which makes it easier to pump up with a hand pump. Some of the narrow tires take higher pressure and you need a compressor to air the tire. Thanks again. Cheers.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thanks for your feedback, cheers !

[@K1989L]

A year ago I built up my Bridge Club. It's a great bike! I used many old parts from my 1X1. The geometry is pretty similar on those two. Mine has 700c wheels, VO mudguards, friction shifting, dynamo hub. It's a great bike for commuting and more. 👍

[@bicyclepicnic]

Oh ! The 1X1 ! I hadn’t heard of that bike for a while. I hope u kept the frameset, it’s gonna be a collection piece one day 😉

[@michaelhayward7572]

Great build, great vid, thanx. I'm 6'3" (190? cms) and am building up a 2007 gen 1 Karate Monkey in an XL frame size, very similar to your build, classic Surly Black, 3x9 drive train, Microshift thumbies, Avid brakes, brown saddle, alt bars, Mezcal tan walls etc etc.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi, Microshift thumbies are on my list of thing that I would like to test. And for the tires, I've heard a lot of good stuff about the Vitoria Mezcal. Seems like an awesome bike !

[@toddmcdonough]

Very nice and beautiful build, practical but not boring. The natural leather saddle, bar/stem combo and touch of gold in the bottom bracket are my favorite features. The frame is built to last a lifetime and you can create a completely different riding bike when your preferences change. Comfort, simplicity and reliability over lightweight is not only smart but also budget friendly. Well done Mr. Picnic, well done.

[@bicyclepicnic]

and tan wall tires ;) tanks for you feedback !

[@antmusta]

I used Deore FD-T6000 down swing with clamp on cablestop on my Bridge Club. Running 27,5x2.4 super moto x tires with 135 rear hub. Been in use for 2 weeks and love the bike.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi, that's really good info thanks !

[@pietrorosso9657]

In the last weeks I've been doing some research about which bike I would like to buy and then which Surly I would like to buy. Your videos are beautiful, I love them and they are very helpful too!! Thank you! Ps. I'm definitely going to buy a Bridge Club and it is gonna be my first build.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi, I'm glad the video is helpful, you are gonna be having some good fun with that Bridge Club ;) Cheers !

[@ronmatthews1738]

I was surprised at how pricing worked out for you. I prefer to build my own bikes up because I can have the specification I want and I always thought any price penalty was more than worth it. Seems there isn't necessarily a price penalty at all. Thank you!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Yeah, even if a complete bike is a little bit cheaper they are almost always things that I will customize here and there... so then it becomes more expensive than getting what you want from the beginning. Cheers !

[@samueljlarson]

Thanks for making this. Looking at a XL sized Bridge Club tomorrow as a "do-everything-only-own-one-bike."

[@bicyclepicnic]

This bike is the closest to a “do it all” I’ve owned, only thing it doesn’t do is road cycling. Cheers ! 🙌🏽

[@samueljlarson]

@@bicyclepicnic I test rode the BC but... think I am going to go with a more traditional touring/ commuting option. The BC felt great and I loved the look of it but it was too hard to pay $900 for a flatbar 1x ya know?

[@bicyclepicnic]

@@samueljlarson yeah, 1x is not the best for touring. although 900$ I find it still a good price, here in Europe it's getting very difficult to fond bikes under 1000€

[@bikerbud3903]

Thanks for this video. Very helpful. I ordered my Bridge club and will be setting it up as a single speed 42 oval x 18 cog using the Surely chain tensioner. Mason Hunt 27.5 wheels with 2.5" tires. Avid BB7 brakes with TRP RRL Road Levers., Ritchey Venturemax V2 Bars, Thompson seat post and Cobb SHC DRT saddle.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Niiiiiice 🤙🏽 good build mate !

[@no1brightonian425]

Enjoyed your video very much! I also have the Surly Bridge Club, only had it 4 weeks and love it. looking forward to seeing the adventures you take with your BC!

[@thecutrip]

Great video, thanks. I wrote a long tech comment today on your other great video about the Ascent build, concerning boost crankset options. Now I'm going to point out some stuff about this front derailleur spec. If you think carefully about the reason for Surly speccing the DM mount FD with the boost/non-boost adapters, then you can figure out that it has nothing to do with the tyre clearance. The position of the FD cage is always going to be governed by the position of the chainrings, right? By the chainline. Of course. So regardless of the mounting of the body of the FD, the cage will always be positioned where it needs to be, to shift the chain on the rings. But it is easy to get befuddled trying to figure out Surly's wack FD spec. It had me flummoxed for a while. It took me ages to figure out the deal with Surly's annoying FD spec with those adapters. I agree with you about pretty much everything I've ever heard you say, and especially on how having to source the adapters is a pain. After some days of reading FD specs I discovered that the previous series of Shimano groupsets that offered boost options (only the XT M8000 and SLX M7000) were obviously designed and released when boost was new, because in their FD specs only the 2x11 Direct Mount and the E-Type Mount were specced as boost compatible. So their wide range of clamp band mounts (they had low, medium and high with 3x options) were only specced as 48.8 (non boost) chain line (50mm for 3x.) Therefore, Surly obviously chose the DM adapter option because they needed to spec for their bike's Gnot-Boost option. But then I wondered why if those DM FDs were boost compatible why do you need a boosted adapter? Can you figure it out? It took me a while. The only boost compatible options were the DM and E-Type. So when Shimano stated in their specs that those models were compatible for the boost offset, they meant for bikes that were boosted with DM and E-Type mounts, so those mounts would have been offset 3mm for the boost, and that’s why those models were still specced as having a 48.8 chain line. So those FDs aren’t like the current series (which have the extra 3mm of reach designed into them making them compatible for 48.8/51.8), meaning they need the specific adapter. Then you have to ask why Surly didn’t spec the DM for boost with an adapter, and also the Clamp Band Mount for non-boost. Further to my first explanation about the mount having nothing to do with the tyre clearance, you can clearly see on the webpage for those previous series that the cages are the same on all the 2x models (the 3x are different), so would function in the exact same position as the DM on the non-boost adapter. So why not also recommend the Clamp Band Mount? It’s because for some reason Surly didn’t want to adopt the Side Swing. The two DM models of FD in that series are a Side Swing and that beast that Surly specs, which was offered in Top Swing and Down Swing (Dual Pull and Top Pull Exclusive.) That Top Swing has the built-in cable housing pull stop, just like the Side Swings. But the top pull Clamp Band Mounts don’t! The best option would have been to go Side Swing, but they didn’t. I dunno when Shimano designed Side Swing and I dunno when Surly specced their boost frames, but maybe there was something in that timing. Or maybe they just didn’t like that cable route design, and seeing as how they needed a DM adapter for the boost, why not try to keep it simple with the one FD and two adapters. Makes sense, right? Except with the release of Side Swing you then not only have the option of the Clamp Band Mounts for non-boost, you also then get the Side Swing DM FD to put on the 29mm adapter, and that’s a much sleeker unit than that freaky big Top Swing beast. It’s a too-hard-basket thing for them to update their listed spec and/or recommendations to people questioning their crappy FD spec. But whatever, because Shimano have streamlined the FD options in all their MTB groupsets now. The Side Swing, which can be fitted to anything like you’ve done, has eliminated the need to offer any top or bottom pull options, so they just have that and DM and E-Type, and all units are compatible with 48.8/51.8 chainlines. So just do as you’ve done on this build, and use the Clamp Band Mount, because the DM on the adapter gives you the exact same cage position. The reason you have tyre clearance issues is because you got a 3x, non-boost. A 2x FD has a cage made to fit a smaller diameter ring. On a non-boost 2x it might still have a tyre clearance issue. That’s the Bridge Club’s shorter chainstays. I agree with you about how good that geometry is, and I like that riding style too, and I like cranking killer climbs, BUT... No 29” 2.0 tyre. And I like to put my big loads in big panniers on the back of the bike. The Bridge Club has a solid rear rack mount, but the Ascent looks like (despite its long chainstays) the frame and big wheels will smooth out cranking loads on rough stuff, and ascend beautifully, especially at slow speeds using the extra low gears provided by the wide range of a 2x drivetrain (see my comment in the Ascent build video.) In your other excellent video about the Ritchie Ascent Frameset Overview you compare the similar steering trail of the two bikes. My dream build includes a bigger front 29” tyre (like 2.4 front, 2.0 rear) which would give the Ascent a bit more trail, finding a nice balance between being agile and still holding a line in a slow cranking climb. But I’m off topic now. Thanks again for all the smart work! Das (Darryl) Steel. Brisbane, Australia. (Find me on Facebook.)

[@X_TUDO]

Greetings from Brazil! I'm also building my travel bike and I used many of the same components as yours with the exception of the frame. In Brazil we don't sell the Surly brand and importing it would be very expensive, so I opted to use an aluminum frame. I'm getting ready to travel from the Amazon to Ushuaia in Argentina, literally the end of the world!

[@bicyclepicnic]

That’s amazing man 🙌🏽 enjoy your adventure

[@chuffa1130]

Thank you for sharing this build, I was having a hard time figuring out what kind of bike set up I needed this fits both worlds excellent analysis on all your details so helpful again excellent build on this thing it's so cool

[@bicyclepicnic]

I'm glad it helps 👍

[@austinsp00l24]

Great build, I have a troll built up very similar and it does everything very practically and reliably. Have fun.

[@TheSlowworms]

That is a REALLY nice build and really good video 👏 I’d love a Surly. I love the components you went for as well. You didn’t go with a fashionable 1x setup, you went for what works for you.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thanks man 🙌🏽

[@TheSlowworms]

@@bicyclepicnic are you still using the bike now?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Yes ! I’m actually going for a 10 days bikepacking trip soon, still very happy with the 3x9 drivetrain :)

[@MBdrummer3288]

Super nice build dude! That is one hell of a bike. I bet she rides very nicely. I like it a lot!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hay thanks man ! the bike is super fun to ride I'm super happy with it (her) :)

[@philippmuller9797]

Loved your video. Also have a bridge club. Love this bike very much. I am sure you will have many great adventures on it. It's a very versatile bike

[@philippmuller9797]

PS: give the Schwalbe G-One in 2,8" a try. They are super tires for off-road touring. Might be problem with your drivetrain setup. I have the 1*12 eagle

[@bicyclepicnic]

@@philippmuller9797 I actually have a pair of G-ONE Ultrabite in 50mm that I haven't tested yet, I was thinking to put them on a gravel bike a have; a Kona Sutra. It's good to hear you are happy with them. Thank you for your message ! :)

[@e.con5712]

@bicyclepicnic Thank you for this! Hope you’ve been out touring and some day make more videos

[@moe125i7]

The moment you sad that u installed used parts onto your bike I hit the subscribe button. Watching your 2nd Video. Really nice down to earth bike loving content. 👍

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! we are always trying to reuse parts when we can, thank you for the feedback 🤟🏽

[@christopherdallier6425]

Hello great video. What is the model of the hanger bag? Thank you

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi, the frame bag is the RESTRAP size small and the handlebar bag is actually a fannypack the PATAGONIA NINE TRAILS WAIST PACK 8L one day I was tired of having it hanging on my waist so I tried to put it on the handlebar and somehow it worked ! :D I think the attachment system could be improved though

[@SheelaghDaly]

This is so helpful -- thank you very much for sharing! I am looking at doing something similar for my next touring bike and seeing what you did is really great. Thanks!!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Glad to hear that! :)

[@legionofsmallpotatoes9938]

you are a Genius

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! Thank you :D

[@outtatrex]

Thanks, great video explaining why you decided using those parts to build the Bridge Club. I have been considering this bike myself, but I was worried it would be hard to find good quick release hubs with disc brakes (because most disc brake bikes are thru axl nowadays). But you made it look easy, just good old Shimano hubs. I wonder if they have them in 141 mm, because that would be my preference if I was to build a Bridge Club. Also I agree with your "hack" for the front derailleur, that is a great setup. Anyway, thanks for sharing!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! I’ve been looking for a 141mm hub for a few months with no success, I think is hard to find, at least here in Europe. Cheers mate!

[@user-bf9le4qq2w]

very nice, maybe add fenders and shock forks

[@Ticutzugoodfella]

I have the Saint on my Karate Monkey, best BB ever.

[@beaubolieu]

Gorgeous build!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thanks!

[@jempstarperu3667]

What fenders do you have? I have a 700c Bridge Club coming in June, but I’m considering going 650b as roads aren’t very good where I live. I like your bike!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi, the fenders are SKS Bluemels 65 mm / 28" and I use them on Maxxis Ikon 27.5 on 2.2 (56-584) I have about 8mm clearance between the tire and the mudgards.

[@chacmool2581]

Regarding the wheel size choice, the reason you give for 650b, more clearance, is even a greater for 26". The other reason that you give for 650b, better rolling over 26", is a reason a reason for 700c. So it seems that your are cherry 🍒 picking.What you meant to say, probably, that your choice of 650b was a personal, subjective compromise. As for tire choice, while it's nice to have a wide selection, you only mount one tire model at a time, and you'll need only a handful of types, all of which exist in all three wheel sizes considered here. The basics are, you need a mud tire, a "gravel" mixed soft/hard terrain tire and a slick road and a touring tire with swipes for water clearance. You can find these four basic types in all three wheel sizes.

[@charlesblithfield6182]

Jones HBar comes in a version with 2.5 inch rise. Might work.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hey thanks ! I'm considering either the Jones Bar or the Ritchey Kyote... I'll be updating :)

[@patrickkwhite]

@@bicyclepicnic The new version of the Velo Orange Crazy Bar now has 40mm of rise. Their Seine bar is the same but does not have the "bull horns".

[@ns.hidayat]

thank you, this is what I wanted to build.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Cool ! 🤙🏽

[@stephencooper5040]

If the bars are indeed made of steel, it shouldn’t be hard at all to take them to a machine shop and have the angle changed and then re-welded. That’s one of the great things about steel.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Sure! with the right machinery you can do that, although as a custom job I don’t think it would be cheap. For me at the end it was easier to change them, I put the Surly Terminal and they are 👌🏽 nice angle, lighter and less stiff.

[@sarahleclaire-fg6zj]

Hello, Thanks a lot for the video! What are the tooth numbers of your crankset?

[@omare_biketonature]

Subscribed! Good video with useful information. Cheers!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thank you !

[@pdk]

jones sg 2.5 loop is the bar i like on my BC

[@bicyclepicnic]

The Jones Loop are great, I used them for a couple of years. For this bike I finally decided to put the Surly Terminal, so far pretty happy with them

[@thegrizzlys]

the pd eh500 pedal is potentially the best pedal ever, IMHO

[@bicyclepicnic]

hehehe they can take a lot of beating

[@thegrizzlys]

@@bicyclepicnic I have a set on everybike I own. Contact patch for the spd is actually larger than a lot of spd-sl pedals so even for fast road rides I use them. Perfect on my singlespeed as its my commuter and fun bike.

[@bicyclepicnic]

@@thegrizzlys I haven't had the chance to test them in the long run but is cool to hear you are happy with them, so far I'm really happy with them too :)

[@webaggregat]

Many thanx for you detailed inputs. Not many builders explain the details of the parts which they use. ? I thought: modern steel frames are not much heavier than: let's say 2 kg. Now I saw two videos of yours: 3.x kg and 3.x kg per frame. Is this not realy realy heavy for a modern steel frame?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Yeah I guess it depends on the type of cycling the bike is prepared for, like for example an off road touring is gonna have plenty of reinforcements whereas a race bike is gonna need less material. The price too, more expensive frames are lighter because they use more expensive tubing and often carbon forks

[@bivibikebaggins]

Nice build, Im stuck on either this frame or the orgre.. want to run 700c 54 tyres

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! I think you’ll be able to clear that tire size more comfortably on an Ogre frame

[@kevindean9613]

Thanks for sharing ,given the choice would you have this bike or your friends Thorn Nomad for bike packing tours ?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! I would go for the Bridge Club because I prefer short more reactive chain stays even though it means less stability. The Bridge Club is more fun to ride when lightly loaded. I also prefer derailleur drivetrains over Rohloff because I’m very familiarised with the adjustments and maintenance and I don’t mind doing it even if there are parts to replace, derailleurs are also lighter. For the type of bikepacking I do (1 to 2 week trips around Europe) the Bridge Club works well. If I were to do a transcontinental (months long trip, heavily loaded, including remote areas) then I would go for the Nomad on Rohloff

[@abitcrankie]

Hi, great build, sensible and realistic. Can you please tell me what brand of seat post you used?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi, at the time I was « borrowing » the seat post of my other bike, a Kona Sutra. Now I bought a Kalloy silver that looks a bit classic, I paid a about 20€ for it.

[@wormoSTEEZE]

such a great video - I want that bike!! thanks!

[@bicyclepicnic]

🙌🏽

[@BudgetPedaler]

Great video! I'm doing a similar build with an old GT. Ill be using the surly corner bar instead. What is the max distance you ride at a time with your setup?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi, it depends on the elevation and the on-road / off-road ratio. During my last trip I was doing about 80K - 50% tarmac / 40% gravel / 10% single track - 1500mts elevation. I was tired at the end of the day but I could have pushed for another 20K... the bike was doing great :D

[@nenadp7644]

stock trek procaliber 8 2018 model in size 18.5" weighs about 13.4kg with ~300g saddle and ~500g flat pedals and maxxis ikons 2.2 + tubes (otherwise stock) so it doesn't seem like the bridge club is that heavy in comparison. It also has basically no room for a framebag.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Is the Trek equipped with a suspension fork ?

[@nenadp7644]

@@bicyclepicnic yes

[@deanjones4033]

Nice video and nice bike!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! I'm glad you like it

[@caldwellmanners5697]

Hi Francisco, love the build. quick question what kind of adapters did you need to mount the BB7's on the BC? I'm putting a 200 and 180 mm rotors. Thanks

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! You need the most common adapters which are IS to post mount (the frame is IS and the brakes are Post Mount) Normally they come with the brakes, for different rotor sizes, or you can buy them separately. Cheers!

[@havefunandbikestuff]

Whatta🙌beaut

[@breth8159]

Great video and it looks like you have created your dream bike ! Now go wear it out that's what I would do 😁👍

[@bicyclepicnic]

Yes ! :D that's the most important

[@CassioRabuske]

Again.. Very nice video.. and build!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Cheers ! I appreciate your feedbacks mate

[@MrVarmarn]

Hi... with your inspiration, i am trying to build same bike with similar components but going with shimano SLX 2x12 drive train for greater gear ratios. As you suggested, i have selected boost configuration. what is the length of the spokes you have used for your rim-tyre combination. My query is when going with 32 spokes rim, is the bike stable enough for tours with heavy loads. can you suggest any 36 spokes tubeless ready rims to fit 2.5 inch and above tyres.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! So far the 32h wheels are performing at a 100%, but mind that I’m a light rider (72k) and my bike loaded makes about 28k. Also, I’m using Sapim Race spokes, those spokes are double butted which makes them stronger than traditional single butted. Also, I built the wheels myself so I could put a lot of attention to every detail, that improves the quality compared to an mid-range wheel already built. So to answer your question, in my specific situation the wheels are working perfectly. If you are looking to buy a complete set of wheels maybe try to find a set that’s made for touring. On the other hand, if you are building your wheels, I recommend the spokes I mentioned before and a double walled rim with double eyelets (reinforce on every hole), go for 36h if you are gonna be loading the bike a lot. For the rims, I went for Alexrims, they are okay. Much better if you get DTSwiss or Mavic. I wouldn’t be able to recommend any specific model. Good luck !

[@imstillhereileft7530]

Great build , subscribed

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thank you :D

[@gitgudchannel]

Hey well done, great bike. I'm looking for a very very similar setup as yours, but I'm very tall and heavy. Would you recommend changing out any of the parts to make it suitable for a heavy rider? (I'm looking at Ryde Andra 40 rims for example, as they are rated for cargo bikes, but not sure what else I would need to be careful about).

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! Strong rims is the way to go 👍🏽 for the spokes, some people use 2.3mm diameter spokes for cargo bikes (traditional diameter is 2mm). On the other hand, on a book about wheel building I read that the strongest wheels are built with double butted 2.0mm-1.8mm-2.0mm because the thinner middle section, being more flexible, takes most of the pulling forces, protecting the ends (the weak spots). In any case, with those strong rims and if you keep your spokes at the right tension with regular checks your wheels should be fine. Strong frame and strong wheels… is the most important 🤘🏾

[@SteveHenderson64]

Hi really informative videos you've done on the bridge club great information thank you. I am in the process of buying parts with the frameset ordered, I have gone for the newer Avid BB7 brake calipers with 180mm front 160mm back TRP centre lock rotors, please can you advise what size Avid caliper mount adaptors I will need? Many thanks Steve.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi, I answered your question on the other video ;)

[@SteveHenderson64]

@@bicyclepicnic Cool many thanks👍

[@anthonylentini3487]

Good job. I don’t have the skills nor ambition, so I’ll just buy a factory build lol

[@virtualbackgrounds-virtual5809]

cool video man!!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thanks !!

[@jameslovatt804]

How does this compare to the Ritchey Accent you built? Love your channel

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! The components are more or less the same. The main difference is the frameset, the Ascent is about 1/2 kilo lighter and it has a geometry that allows you to choose between drop or flat bars. The other big difference to me is the aesthetics

[@WildernessFLA]

nice job!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thanks 🙏

[@TheJsturd02]

Well done.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thanks !

[@Tobi-Uri7]

Avid bb7 brakes are the best

[@john-mikaeljarvenkyla]

great video

[@bicyclepicnic]

Thank you !

[@PavelLapin-oo8ru]

Hello! Please tell me which crankset do you have here 48-36-26 or 44-32-22? And did you want a lower gear for more touring versatility?🤜🤛

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! I have a 42-32-22 and yes I like low gears on this bike because I load it and usually go to hilly places to ride. A 44-32-22 would give you even more versatility in fact. Cheers 🤙🏽

[@michaelhayward7572]

I saw some SKS type mudguards in one frame? Type and size please ...thanks.

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi, the fenders are SKS Bluemels 65 mm / 28" and I use them on Maxxis Ikon 27.5 on 2.2 (56-584) I have about 8mm clearance between the tire and the mudgards. Hope this helps !

[@michaelhayward7572]

@@bicyclepicnic yes it does, thankyou. I've looked at these myself in 65mm. Only thing is i think the front could be longer. Are they stable and nice and quiet off road?

[@bicyclepicnic]

@@michaelhayward7572 yeah they are stable off road, but for me off road is mostly gravel. I wish they had a bit more clearance than 8mm but they were the the widest fenders I could find.

[@michaelhayward7572]

@@bicyclepicnic thanks.

[@Michael-tj4my]

Thanks, im also in the market for a bridge club and have some old parts laying around so the price comparison and compatibility was really helpful. Im exactly the same height as you, but im unsure which framesize to get, with 183cm i would also be on the upper end for a medium according to surlys size guide. Do you know your inseam length by chance, im at 85cm? I would build the bike with a handlebar with more backsweep, like the jones h bar for example. So that would also make a more upright position, thats what i would prefer. Any thoughts on this?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! My inseam is 87 and currently I’m running a Surly Terminal handlebar with a 50mm stem, that puts me in a very comfortable position, rather upright. I haven’t cut the fork pivot and the handlebar is only 3cm from the top. My seat post is also sticking out quite a lot. All that info tells me that you (and me) could totally fit on a XL size, especially if you are gonna use the Jones Loop bars that have a lot more sweep than the Terminal.

[@markholter5687]

Really nice video. I am currently planning a Surly Disc Trucker build (the frame just arrived!). Probably a dumb question but how did you calculate the spoke sizes?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! I use Sapim’s spoke calculator, you need to be very accurate when taking the measurements of the hub and the rim. From the calculators results I always have to reduce the length of the spokes by 1 or 2mm, I’m not sure if it’s me taking some measurements wrong or the calculator's weird calibration. There are other methods like explained on Sheldon Brown's blog. There is also an excellent KZbin video by Parktool explaining the whole wheel building process. Cheers !

[@markholter5687]

@@bicyclepicnic Hand on my heart at the mention of Sheldon Brown. I have built wheels but it's been a few decades. So, you can't just plug in the maker and particular rim and hub combo into a calculator, you have to physically measure the distance? A final question about this: did you use a spoke tension measurer? I see so much discussion now of incorrect tensioning leading to failure. Anyhow, thanks again--this was such a valuable and informative video for me! Cheers, Mark

[@bicyclepicnic]

@@markholter5687 Some of measurements are usually shown on the component's specs, others you have to physically measure, at least with the calculator I use. There is a really good EBook from Roger Musson that shows other methods, it's really good and no expensive at all : www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php On that book I learned a technique to detect differences in tension by tapping the spokes and listening to the differences in tone they produce. I usually give the first tension by hand, then I check with sound and then when I visit my local community shop I borrow the tension tool for a final check. The advantage of building your own wheels is that, even if you make a mistake, you can do regular quick checks and fix them. I made a video about my thoughts on wheel building if you want to check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJzHkJucaJeggbs wheel building is one of the coolest things about bike mechanics :D Cheers !

[@markholter5687]

@@bicyclepicnic Thanks so much for the helpful and thoughtful reply (and links!). Cheers,!

[@beatrizarriagadapozo8030]

No entiendo naaa... Pero está bkn!!! Jajaja...seco!

[@bicyclepicnic]

Gracias Beita ! es verdad que el video es un poco técnico, nerd :D

[@Peter-gj9cj]

Nice well detailed video, i have a question about bc size 🙂. I am 180cm or 5.11" with 33" inseam and am often between sizes. I have had a 2022 surly karate monkey in size large with a 50mm stem and the terminal bar, i could have gone with a medium and a longer stem also If it were'nt for stack height issues. I am now about to order a bridge club and with the large frame i would have 15cm of showing seatpost and a short stem. You are 183cm and have the large frame. You seem to have plenty of showing seatpost and a normal lenght stem and you mentioned that even a size xl would work for you... I just wonder because there's so many 5.11 or 6 tall guys choosing medium frames of the bc??

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi ! I think the L works for me because I have long legs (inseam:87cm=34.8inch) and the handlebars I use always have a good sweep back, I’m currently using a 50mm stem with the Surly Terminal bars. If I had chosen a XL I would’ve probably had to get a super short MTB stem and/or bars with a lot more sweep back like the Jones H bars. If you get the M size and you want to avoid having to many spacers on the headset you can always get bars with a good raise, the Terminals give you 3cms raise I think, but others give you more. A M size frame will be a bit lighter and reactive. If you want a bigger main triangle for a full framebag then go for the L, there are many nice handlebars + stem combinations to get you in the right position. Hope it helps 🙂

[@Peter-gj9cj]

Thanks for your input. Perhaps i let my dreams of a bridge club commuter go... it will be too many compromises. By the way, i really love the custom randonneur you did...that was off the charts. Greetings from Peter/Sweden

[@bicyclepicnic]

cheers mate !

[@karolpofficial9307]

14 kh isn't heavy bike. My commuter weight is around 15.5kg :D

[@bicyclepicnic]

It's good training ! :D

[@leenovich]

How tall are you? What size is the frame?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi, I’m 1.83m (6f) and the frame is L

[@vladbesana2814]

What fender are you using?

[@bicyclepicnic]

Hi, the fenders are SKS Bluemels 65 mm / 28" and I use them on Maxxis Ikon 27.5 on 2.2 (56-584) I have about 8mm clearance between the tire and the mudgards. Hope this helps !

[@johnbravo7542]

Headset presses are so easy to make,and cheap too,lots of videos on KZbin,I built mine for my mountain bike build.You obviously don't look at other videos on KZbin,learn to make a ghetto tubeless tire inflator.

[@joelungaidon]

3x9 FTW

[@AdamTravelsTheWorld]

This bike costs 1400 stock, adding all the crap, he paid probably 3k....... I woul.d love to see videos on budget tour bikes.....

[@e.con5712]

?? He started with frameset and added his parts. I’m new to bikes so I’d buy the complete bike and change parts over years as I learned what works better for me, probably end up paying equivalent of two bikes over time. But he knew what parts to buy and installed them himself, that’s how he came out just a bit more than stock complete bike but with better parts overall.

[@chadashton7029]

700c = 29"...not 28".

[@michaeltamares7974]

Surly to heavy for me.. lack of speed

[@bicyclepicnic]

What’s your choice?