Over the summer, I've been piecing together a Do-it-all bike. I started with a gravity bikes 29" singlespeed bike, and promptly started throwing parts at it. Currently, I've added a taller stem, Ritchey BeaconXL drop bars, Tektro drop bar levers, and a Brooks B-17 saddle. Next up will be bags/racks as needed, and some less aggressive (but still huge) tires. My goal is to ride the Smoke n' Fire 400 in 2025.
Edit to add: I also put some Raceface Chester pedals on it. I may never switch back to clipless again.
Nice build, and I like your general idea. If I might make a suggestion- Any big-mileage race on dirt like that where reliability and all-conditions performance are mandatory to finish the event... upgrade to hydros. Just base model SLX or sram equivalent is going to be 100% worth it. Sure, you'll have to re-wrap, but trust me- a brake (or any really) mechanical 6 hours into an event is just absolutely devastating.
Source- Me, 120 miles into Dirty Kanza (now unbound) in 2019...
In reply to golfduke :
It's in the plans. Especially since SnF is completely unsupported...
Looks no fuss, low buck and simple.. good fun bike!
Are you opposed to gears? I know there are some pretty devout single speeders.. I think they're awfully nice for a long ride though. :-)
I'm building my Tour Divide bike right now.. it'll look sorta like this, but with big bailout gears cuz I'll be climbing a lot with it loaded. Salsa Fargo.
I know some guys do it, but I can't imagine a bike packing rig as a single speed. A half-hour climb on a single speed is one thing... that same climb on a bike with 30+ lbs of gear is another...
I also don't understand how anyone can ride flared drop bars... I couldn't stand them.
All that said, I love watching bike-packing stories. Some day I'll make the time to do a trip like that. I haven't done any self-supported bike touring in about 30 years.
Kendall Frederick said:
Looks no fuss, low buck and simple.. good fun bike!
Are you opposed to gears? I know there are some pretty devout single speeders.. I think they're awfully nice for a long ride though. :-)
I'm building my Tour Divide bike right now.. it'll look sorta like this, but with big bailout gears cuz I'll be climbing a lot with it loaded. Salsa Fargo.
I haven't ridden an all terrain bike with shifters for nearly 15 years now. If someone else likes gears, that's fine. I like the mental space I gain by not needing to shift. My "normal" training gear ratio is 32:16, so 2:1. It's pretty stiff, but makes for strong legs... Race gear will be 32:22, or about 1.5:1. It'll be a climbing sonofa-gun at that point. (And so will I)
Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:
I know some guys do it, but I can't imagine a bike packing rig as a single speed. A half-hour climb on a single speed is one thing... that same climb on a bike with 30+ lbs of gear is another...
I also don't understand how anyone can ride flared drop bars... I couldn't stand them.
All that said, I love watching bike-packing stories. Some day I'll make the time to do a trip like that. I haven't done any self-supported bike touring in about 30 years.
Singlespeed, see my post above.
As for the flared dirt drops, I love them so far. Keep in mind I am 6'6", and my torso is fairly normal sized. All my height is in my legs, and I have looong arms; my wingspan is just shy of 7'.
The extra reach afforded by drops really helps with my comfort level. These ones are 46cm wide at the hoods, with a shallow drop, and they're pretty comfy.
Yeah, as soon as I rode flared drops on my gravel bike, I put a set onto my actual road sled too, haha. I'm never going back. The comfort and ergos are much much better for my barrel chested, long-armed body.
I discovered the hard way I am sensitive to drop-bar width. After 20+ years of riding 42cm (total) width bars, I mistakenly ordered a set of 42cm C-C bars (44cm total width) and couldn't figure out why my hands were killing me within an hour. As a last resort, I put a set of 42cm bars on the bike and the pain went away. Flared bars gave me similar pain, only within a few minutes. I spend most of my time on the hoods and the angled hoods were just murder.
If you can do tour divide climbs on a single speed, you are far more of a beast than I am... I like the idea of a single speed... unfortunately, my knees protest every time I try one. Mostly because I've never been able to climb worth a damn out of the saddle.
If you want a real Swiss Army bike, you need a Condor A350 motorcycle. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condor_A350 They were based on a Ducati 350 and were specifically built for use by the Swiss military.
golfduke said:
Nice build, and I like your general idea. If I might make a suggestion- Any big-mileage race on dirt like that where reliability and all-conditions performance are mandatory to finish the event... upgrade to hydros. Just base model SLX or sram equivalent is going to be 100% worth it. Sure, you'll have to re-wrap, but trust me- a brake (or any really) mechanical 6 hours into an event is just absolutely devastating.
Source- Me, 120 miles into Dirty Kanza (now unbound) in 2019...
As a novice gravel rider, what are hydros?
dyintorace said:
golfduke said:
Nice build, and I like your general idea. If I might make a suggestion- Any big-mileage race on dirt like that where reliability and all-conditions performance are mandatory to finish the event... upgrade to hydros. Just base model SLX or sram equivalent is going to be 100% worth it. Sure, you'll have to re-wrap, but trust me- a brake (or any really) mechanical 6 hours into an event is just absolutely devastating.
Source- Me, 120 miles into Dirty Kanza (now unbound) in 2019...
As a novice gravel rider, what are hydros?
Hydraulic disc brakes. If you are lacking braking power you can always go to larger rotors and adapters for the calipers along with some quality compressionless housing for the brake cables. I ran that setup on a similar build using TRP Spyre mechanical calipers and it equaled a hydraulic setup without the hassle of keeping a system bled properly. You don't get the auto adjusting as the pads wear though with a mechanical setup so if you're doing a long day in wet/gritty conditions that might be a consideration.
In reply to adam525i :
There are also some very well-made cable actuated hydraulic calipers on the market that give you the best of both worlds.
Interesting bars. Like a cross between moustache bars and drops. What makes them so special?
In reply to Kreb (Forum Supporter) :
1) They are wide. 46cm at the hoods. Allows me to breathe better, and better maneuvering on dirt/gravel. Also allows room for a hefty sized bar bag.
2) Drops offer multiple hand positions, which is beneficial when riding 50+ miles on dirt. The flare gives you room to move the bike around on crummy terrain without getting tangled up in the tops.
3) The wind in southern Idaho is a constant companion. Anything that allows you to comfortably lower your profile in a headwind helps. Dirt drops are also quite effective at allowing me to stretch a bit while riding.
I found a NOS Carradice Nelson saddlebag at a closeout price. It should be here next week. Green waxed canvas and honey leather trim... plus room for the kitchen sink if needed.
I like big trunks and I cannot lie...
I think you're nuts with the single speed. But then again, I live in the mountains :) I'm not going to tell you not to do it, just that you're nuts.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Just about everywhere I go has mountains. I did a 25 mile race with ~3800 ft of elevation gain on a singlespeed. It helps that I'm nuts.
Smoke N Fire is gonna test me, though. Over 35k ft of climbing.
Well, at least you have a freewheeling hub. So you're not completely far gone.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Not gonna lie... that one made me laugh. Thanks, I needed a chuckle.
Got a new stem. And a rack for the Bag that attaches to my saddle...
