Empella Bonfire SL Cross Bike

Meirionatron
Meirionatron Posts: 154
edited March 2014 in Your road bikes
DSCF6832.JPG

Frameset: Empella Bonfire SL 58cm (55cm top tube)
Bars: Orbea Compact 42cm
Stem: Planet X 120mm
Headset: FSA
Bar Tape: Lizard Skins DSP

Brake Calipers: Tektro CR720
Shifters: Campagnolo Veloce
Cables: Campagnolo
Front Mech: Sram Rival
Rear Mech: Campagnolo Xenon

Seat: Fizik Aliante
Seat Post: USE Alien Aluminium

Cranks: Sram Rival 172.5mm 44/39 (got 47t ring coming)
Chain: KMC (to be fitted)
Cassette: Ambrossio 12-28 (to be fitted)
Pedals: Shimano MTB
Bottom Bracket: Sram GXP

Wheelset: Shimano R501 (to be fitted)
Tubes: Continental (to be fitted)
Tyres: Challenge Grifo 32 Pro Folding (to be fitted)

Wanted to build a cheap cross bike as mine was stolen last winter, this is about £400 total (many thanks to matchu1001 for the frameset). The wheels, tyres, chainring and cassette should be with me early next week, I shall post an update photo when it is complete. I think it looks quite good and should ride rather good as it is a pro level frameset, I will be fitting some bottle cage bosses and drilliang a hole in the stem for the cable to pass through, quite looking forward to riding it :)

Comments

  • galatzo
    galatzo Posts: 1,295
    I must get a cross bike.
    Nice.
    25th August 2013 12hrs 37mins 52.3 seconds 238km 5500mtrs FYRM Never again.
  • Meirionatron
    Meirionatron Posts: 154
    DSCF6890.JPG

    All done now, took it out for a quick 10 miles ride last night, cant wait until the weekend and I shall give it a proper test :)
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    Channelling my best Craig Revell Horwood:

    Fa Bu Lous

    That is what cross bikes are all about - tall, poise-forward, on the front foot, ready to pounce. A strong, powerful front end (those curvey forks are goreous) with a lithe, slender rear to soften the course.

    That would go like sheit off a shovel in August. Beautiful 'bar and lever set up. Total pro.

    It does deserve some slightly better brakes tho - Avid SHorty Ultimates are only £70 at Hargroves at the moment. At least you have 70mm pads, much better than road length pads.
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.
  • Meirionatron
    Meirionatron Posts: 154
    Funny you say that, did think the brakes were a bit crap when I took it for a short ride on the beach (and local park which has some nice steep pitches) so I ordered some Shimano CX70 callipers, good enough for Sven Nys so should be more than good enough for me.

    This frameset does feel about a thousand times better than my old Graham Weigh cross bike, quick off the mark and handles well descending, some nicer wheels would make it much better but that shall wait until Autumn. All in all super happy with it, riding off road is a bit fun :)
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    Tektro 720's are rank. Doesn't take an expert ...I do like your over-the-handlebar front cabling. Not tried it but always intrigued.

    High straddles were de rigeur once but CX70s benefit from lower straddle. Check out pix of his Svenness to see how his mechanic does it, and copy.
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.
  • Meirionatron
    Meirionatron Posts: 154
    The front brake seemed a bit stiff when I first set it up, but I remembered seeing this as few years back:

    http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/p ... ial-15806/

    So I thought why not try it, it made the brake much stronger.

    I'll have a look, I'm sure Mr Nys' mechanic knows a bit more than me so I'll copy him :)
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    Holy cow, blast from the past. The mechanic just drilled the seat-stays on a road frame with through-bolts. Nothing wrong with that if you know what you're doing: http://www.bikeradar.com/gallery/articl ... -15806/10/

    Note the caliber brake hole: http://www.bikeradar.com/gallery/articl ... -15806/11/

    Having ridden the sportive a couple times, PR is dishpan flat so downhill braking is not an issue, the guys are more modulating their speed.

    The stem is also drilled, many MTB stems were the same back in the early 90s. Tioga T-Bone's etc.
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.
  • RideOnTime
    RideOnTime Posts: 4,712
    Bonfire...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-IWRmpefzE
  • Meirionatron
    Meirionatron Posts: 154
    Read a lot about mini V brakes online, no where near as good mud clearance but rather good braking, so I sent the CX70's back and ordered some Tektro Mini V's (with the intention of getting the TRP ones somewhere down the line if I like them). The difference in braking is ridiculous, nearly went over the bars at the first junction, may need some smaller pads, happy with them after a couple of rides, I shall see if they are ok off road as the clearance is not that great:

    DSCF7086.JPG

    Also the bike has Shimano 105 now as I did not like the Veloce shifters, bit too plasticy, plus I can run a decent ratio on the cassette now :)
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    RideOnTime wrote:
    Bonfire...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-IWRmpefzE

    Are any of your posts actually relevant?

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