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Yeah I presumed as much. Got some pretty limited “shinies” on there so will probably just keep it in my stem bag. Considered taking a saw to a cage and then heat shrinking it back together but that’s a bit of a faff on to stop a bottle getting scratched lol. Also rad thread, makes me miss Manchester a lot since I moved back home though lol

What cage are you using for your klean kanteen? I’ve always wanted to run mine but I’m terrified I’m going to absolutely run all the stickers (a real and obvious worry)

Yeah it looks spot on! All I did with my Saracen was clean out the threads and give the frame a rub down with some ethanol.

I had some small blocks on my fixed gear for a little bit n they were a great all rounder. I’ve sort of fell down the rabbit hole in regards to 26” tyres at the moment lol

That looks so clean! What tyres were you thinking for it?

Yeah I don’t really feel like the 50t would be something I entirely need.
I’m planning on doing quite a bit of touring on the bike so I might regret that statement at some point in the future on a fully loaded day in the Peak District but normal gravel grinding should be okay with a 46t cassette

In all fairness, I’ve only ever owned 2 geared bikes and they were both SRAM. I considered changing it up and even considered that BOX 9 speed drivetrain but I didn’t really fancy buying new. I was concerned about gearing jumps with the 11-50 on a 9 speed as well. Felt like 10 speed with a slightly smaller cassette would help with that situation.

If I did that, I’d have to go full ham and get some cotton bar tap for my riser bars lmao!

I love the idea of friction shifters but I love the lever action on SRAM mtb shifters. Feels somewhat nostalgic now

1x10! I had a SRAM X9 derailleur in the parts bin from one of my old cx bikes so just needed to pick up a shifter for it. I wanna pick up a 46t but just waiting to find those good eBay deals

Thanks man! Tried my best to get that Kili Ultra sorta vibe with it. Fake it til ya make it

I appreciate it man!

Thanks a lot man! Got some wheels on the way so we’ll see what the stance is like. Trying to find a big dinner plate cassette as well.

I don’t think it would be as difficult with the post if I was at work at the minute as well lol.

They’re Mk1 DMR Wingbars! Used to run them on my fixed gear but they’re definitely more suited to this

I’ve made a little bit of progress over the past few days. My impatience is really hindering me because I want it all to be done now but money and delivery time is not complying lol.

I’ve got no real experience installing headsets or bottom brackets cause I’ve always just gotten LBS to help me out, but I want to both save money and DIYFS. I took a bit of a shot into the dark about which axle length I’d need for my bottom bracket but I got it absolutely spot on!

One lesson learned this time was to not trust cheap expander plugs. I’ve had good experiences using them instead of star nuts in past, however I’ve always spent a little bit more on them. Got headset and everything installed for the top cap bolt to then not be short enough. When trying to take it out again, the whole expander fell apart. You live and learn though. Just bought a star nut tool to cut the hassle.

Really pleased so far though. That Stridsland chainring absolutely pops against the darker blue! The riding position looks great so far as well! Nice and tall.

More to come on coming weeks

This is sick! Wish I’d seen this before I splashed all my money this month :( glws

I’ve been quite responsible so far and also have a few bits from the parts bin, but I know I’m gonna betray my non-budget for some nice wheels. I can feel it in my bones lol

That being said, I’m actually really struggling to find my wheels that don’t just look janky on Ebay.. might just have to deep dive into my endless bank account and get some built up at my LBS

Yeah I hope so! Just want to get it running and then work in nicer parts after that. (He says just having spent £150 on parts..)

I’ve just dropped a follow on your rockhopper build as well. Seemingly similar intentions for the builds

;))) think the turquoise will really suit the frame colour. Forks are quite reminiscent of the higher end Saracens of the time, which was what I was going for.

Sorry, sourced some others now. Glws

Are the flat pedals still available?

Didn’t realise there was a Steamroller archive here and I’m not one to turn down another opportunity to post another picture of mine somewhere.

Most current setup with a carbon fork! Next step will be getting a new disc hub and tyres for my 650b wheel set as well.

Cheers!! Your Saracen is wicked! Basically the model of what I’m going for. I have some nice DMR Wingbars so I’m gonna run a bmx stem and keep it Stridsland-esque

Yeah I’m super happy with them! I looked at some of the ones on Planet X but they were way too long for what I really wanted. I think they suit the frame really well

So I’ve been intending on building up a geared commuter-esque/gravel/touring build from an old mountain bike for a while but the right incentive to start was never really there. Enter stage Left: 199(5?) Saracen Hardtrax in around my size! A good friend I rode with in Manchester was giving it away and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

The paint is a bit rough and ready but I feel like that’s perfect for what it’ll be built up as. If it’s already battle-scarred, I can’t be too upset when I inevitably dink it with a D lock. I also feel like it adds to the charm a little bit. I also knew absolutely nothing about the frame when I first got it but it seems perfect for a modern update.

• 1 1/8th head tube ready for a threadless headset
  
• 73mm bb shell
  
• 135mm rear spacing
  
  

Next job was to find a fork. I wanted v brake mounts to keep it simple and really wanted mudguard mounts, but I found this trials fork for cheap on Ebay and couldn’t pass it up. I love the look of the segmented rigid forks. The disc brake mount is an added bonus as future-proofing(??) I guess.

Got some crankarms and a chainring (that is far too nice for this build) stashed away until I have the money for a BB. Hopefully it won’t be too long before it looks like I’ve got some progress.

Yeah man, DM me when you’re back in Newcastle and we’ll sort something out

After 7 months riding by myself up here this defo still applies lol. Just send me the right way n I’m up for anything!