Planet X Kaffenback

peteco
peteco Posts: 184
edited May 2014 in Your road bikes
IMG_1114_zpsa1e57941.jpg

I have had this Kaffenback for about a month and I am very impressed. The picture was taken just after I cleaned the bike up after a week of muddy and flooded lanes.

It is standard other than the SKS mudguards which I fitted almost immediately - this is my first road bike with mudguards, and they are just brilliant for the mucky country lanes around me. As are the BB7 disc brakes - no more grinding away of the rims.

The bike isn't light, but you quickly get used to it, and no doubt when I go back to my "best" bike it will feel so much more "sprightly".

Pete

Comments

  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    Looking good, is it too heavy to use as a race bike for cross?
  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    Really great looking all weather bike.

    I don't think weight matters too much this time of year - there are other factors slowing you down more (weather, slippery road conditions, bulky clothes etc.). If it means you can comfortably ride year round, then that will have more impact on your summer performance than riding a bike a kg or two lighter.
  • peteco
    peteco Posts: 184
    Paul 8v wrote:
    Looking good, is it too heavy to use as a race bike for cross?

    Not sure to be honest. Planet X say it is 11.3 kg, which may make it a little heavy to carry easily ?

    Pete
  • peteco
    peteco Posts: 184
    marcusjb wrote:
    I don't think weight matters too much this time of year - there are other factors slowing you down more (weather, slippery road conditions, bulky clothes etc.). If it means you can comfortably ride year round, then that will have more impact on your summer performance than riding a bike a kg or two lighter.

    Agreed. In the last week, I have come back from rural rides with just a little dampness and mud sprayed on my overshoes, and nothing else. Makes it so much easier to turn around and go out the next day !

    Pete
  • Hope im not hijacking the thread, snap!.

    20131208_125949_zpsbd78a41c.jpg

    Certainly not light compared with my 'Best' bikes but certainly a must for the muddy and flooded shropshire lanes around Shrewsbury.

    Did you have to do some Uri Geller metal bending of the front mudguard stay to clear the brake caliper?.
  • RideOnTime
    RideOnTime Posts: 4,712
    Seeing double :shock:
  • peteco
    peteco Posts: 184
    Hope im not hijacking the thread, snap!.

    Did you have to do some Uri Geller metal bending of the front mudguard stay to clear the brake caliper?.

    No - I used longer bolts front and back - will post some pictures.
    I ride the wet and muddy Shropshire lanes too - Cosford area.

    Pete
  • peteco
    peteco Posts: 184
    Here you go.

    The bolt on the front came with the mudguards. The one on the back was one I had spare.

    Pete


    IMG_1125_zps1c946a7a.jpg

    IMG_1126_zpsa328752f.jpg
  • After seeing some pics on Planet x's website of readers rides where someone had done some bending to the mudguard stays I opted for this...

    Front
    20140102_140810_zpsc25dcca8.jpg

    The rear seems to clear any moving parts of the caliper so left it unmodified.
    20140102_140905_zps57c28c25.jpg

    Phil
  • chrisbpr
    chrisbpr Posts: 3
    What width sks guards did you use ?
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    peteco wrote:
    Here you go.

    The bolt on the front came with the mudguards. The one on the back was one I had spare.

    Pete


    IMG_1125_zps1c946a7a.jpg

    IMG_1126_zpsa328752f.jpg


    That is why I won't be getting a MK2 frame should I need another, one reason I went for the MK1 was the calliper location. Front guard is mounted on the top bolt of the calliper with a 5mm brake block spacer on a slightly longer bolt.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • peteco
    peteco Posts: 184
    45mm
    chrisbpr wrote:
    What width sks guards did you use ?
  • chrisbpr
    chrisbpr Posts: 3
    What did you chaps do about the mudguard mounting clip as there is no drilling on the what is normally the brake bridge.
    In one of the pictures I looks like it hasn't been fitted.
  • RideOnTime
    RideOnTime Posts: 4,712
    nice shots...
  • What did you chaps do about the mudguard mounting clip as there is no drilling on the what is normally the brake bridge.
    In one of the pictures I looks like it hasn't been fitted.

    The back of the fork, and the underside of the seatstay bridge have M5 threaded, tapped holes, to allow super clean mudguard fitting.
  • peteco
    peteco Posts: 184
    What did you chaps do about the mudguard mounting clip as there is no drilling on the what is normally the brake bridge.
    In one of the pictures I looks like it hasn't been fitted.

    The back of the fork, and the underside of the seatstay bridge have M5 threaded, tapped holes, to allow super clean mudguard fitting.

    As described above. It meant I could just drill a hole in the rear mudguard, and pop a bolt through it, which screws into this tapped hole.

    Pete
  • peteco
    peteco Posts: 184
    I recently used my Kaffenbach (the one at the top of this thread) on the Telford Toothpaste organised ride (a tribute to Paris-Roubaix involving a lot of off-road sections).
    I removed the mudguards, and fitted slightly nobbled tyres (not really enough space for proper cyclo-cross tyres).
    The bike performed brilliantly - better than me anyway ....

    Pete
  • samsbike
    samsbike Posts: 942
    peteco wrote:
    45mm
    chrisbpr wrote:
    What width sks guards did you use ?

    Just to confirm is the P45?

    Do the black ones have an odd stripe running through them?
  • peteco
    peteco Posts: 184
    Yes - exact Wiggle description was "SKS Chromoplastic Road Mudguard Set Black 700x35-38 - Wide" which comes up as 45mm on their website.
    They do have stripes running the length of them.

    Pete
  • samsbike
    samsbike Posts: 942
    Thanks. May fo for silver ones then