I just ordered an Advocate Cycles Seldom Seen Frame + fork for $350 (MSRP $1K). This is the drop-bar version. I convinced myself that with that kind of price reduction, it might be fun to build up a 27.5+ drop-bar steel-framed mountain/off-road touring bike.
It is at this point that I have to face up to the ugly inconvenient fact that I really have very little idea of what I am doing, so am very open to suggestions.
I've been doing most of my "mountain biking" in the last few years on a drop-bar "adventure" road bike (also steel framed) with various off-road tires (up to 40mm), and find it more comfortable and enjoyable than my 10 year old Trek Fuel EX7, which has full suspension, primarily I think to compensate for the harsh aluminum frame.
The geometry of this frame differs from the flat-bar version primarily in that the top tube is shorter. (The effective top tube is still longer than that of my off-road road bike, fwiw.).
Here is what I need advice on (minimally):
(a) Bars: The default is to go with drops, similar to what I have on the other bike. I tend to spend 90% of my time on the hoods in an off-road situation. Should I look at other options, like Jones bars, or butterfly trekking bars, etc?
(b). Shifting: That other bike has Ultegra hydraulics and Di2 shifting, and I have come to appreciate the ergonomic non-suckiness. Those calipers are basically re-labled XT, and I probably would want to keep it at that level. If I get drops, is there a way to mix XT derailleurs with Ultegra "brifters"? (I know you can mix and match the Di2 version, but I'd probably want to keep mechanical shifting.) Is a 1X a better option with some freakishly huge cassette? Again thinking approximately XT or SLX level. I don't know anything about "boost" and its relevance to crank choices, Q-factor, etc.
(c). Wheels: I want good solid robust wheels. My upper limit would be Chris Kings with aluminum rims (which I have on the other bike) but wouldn't mind keeping the price significantly lower at the expense of getting a solid mass-produced wheel-set. The frame will take 3.0" tires. I would like to run at least 2.8" wide tires to begin with.
(d) Fork: I would like to have the option, eventually, of swapping the rigid fork for a 27.5+ compatible suspension fork of decent quality.
This is going to be a leisurely California rainy season project, so there is no huge rush, fwiw.
It is at this point that I have to face up to the ugly inconvenient fact that I really have very little idea of what I am doing, so am very open to suggestions.
I've been doing most of my "mountain biking" in the last few years on a drop-bar "adventure" road bike (also steel framed) with various off-road tires (up to 40mm), and find it more comfortable and enjoyable than my 10 year old Trek Fuel EX7, which has full suspension, primarily I think to compensate for the harsh aluminum frame.
The geometry of this frame differs from the flat-bar version primarily in that the top tube is shorter. (The effective top tube is still longer than that of my off-road road bike, fwiw.).
Here is what I need advice on (minimally):
(a) Bars: The default is to go with drops, similar to what I have on the other bike. I tend to spend 90% of my time on the hoods in an off-road situation. Should I look at other options, like Jones bars, or butterfly trekking bars, etc?
(b). Shifting: That other bike has Ultegra hydraulics and Di2 shifting, and I have come to appreciate the ergonomic non-suckiness. Those calipers are basically re-labled XT, and I probably would want to keep it at that level. If I get drops, is there a way to mix XT derailleurs with Ultegra "brifters"? (I know you can mix and match the Di2 version, but I'd probably want to keep mechanical shifting.) Is a 1X a better option with some freakishly huge cassette? Again thinking approximately XT or SLX level. I don't know anything about "boost" and its relevance to crank choices, Q-factor, etc.
(c). Wheels: I want good solid robust wheels. My upper limit would be Chris Kings with aluminum rims (which I have on the other bike) but wouldn't mind keeping the price significantly lower at the expense of getting a solid mass-produced wheel-set. The frame will take 3.0" tires. I would like to run at least 2.8" wide tires to begin with.
(d) Fork: I would like to have the option, eventually, of swapping the rigid fork for a 27.5+ compatible suspension fork of decent quality.
This is going to be a leisurely California rainy season project, so there is no huge rush, fwiw.