# Pilot Bikes, Dutch Ti frames



## JhnBssll (28 Jan 2019)

My lbs is looking at stocking Pilot Bikes and are trying to source a couple of demo models, potentially one in my size for me to try out. I'm hoping it will be a Veturi, the more relaxed of the road models, as I'm thinking of replacing the Roubaix frameset with something similar geometry wise but Ti flavoured. It seems to have all the important things I'd be looking for; flatmount disc option, mudguard (and rack!) mounts, clearance for 28mm tyres... I had originally wanted a Bianchi Infinito CV disc but have gone off the boil on that one after seeing it in the flesh 

Has anyone got any experience of this brand? They seem to be designing the frames as you can get custom geometry so whilst still sourced from Asia they seem to be made specifically for the Pilot brand to their specs. I hadn't heard of them until now but have only recently started investigating the Ti options; if they're any good it would definitely be my preference to buy from my lbs rather than go further afield.

Thanks in advance!

https://www.pilotcycles.com/


----------



## JhnBssll (5 Feb 2019)

There doesn't seem to be much info out there about them; I've fired them off an email with a few queries so will wait to hear back from them. In the mean time I've been looking at a few other options so my shortlist so far is:

- Pilot Veturi (preferred if LBS starts stocking them and I can get hold of a demo bike for a week or two)
- Van Nicholas Skeiron
- Litespeed T5 Disc

What else should I be considering? My main requirements are:

- Relaxed/Endurance geometry, it's replacing the Roubaix so a longish head tube ideally
- Flat mount disc brakes (I've already got the calipers)
- 12mm Thru-Axle front and rear (I've already got the hubs)
- Di2 compatible (or specific) internal cable routing (I've already got the groupset)
- Plain brushed or blasted finish, no paint 

To be honest I'm not overly fussed about the brand as long as the warranty is good, it rides well and the welds are neat  I looked at Sabbath but it seems the September AR-1 disc is the only disc bike they do and it seems to be QR rather than thru axle which is a shame. I guess ideally I don't want to be spending more than ~£2k on the frameset and less would be a bonus, as long as quality is good, but if theres something super amazing that costs more I'll just save up until I can afford it - I'm in no hurry to ditch the Roubaix. The idea would be I'd keep this one forever so I'd rather spend a few quid more now if it gets me a better bike long term


----------



## Soltydog (5 Feb 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> There doesn't seem to be much info out there about them; I've fired them off an email with a few queries so will wait to hear back from them. In the mean time I've been looking at a few other options so my shortlist so far is:
> 
> - Pilot Veturi (preferred if LBS starts stocking them and I can get hold of a demo bike for a week or two)
> - Van Nicholas Skeiron
> ...



Have you looked at Enigma? I got an Etape last year, looks like it ticks all your boxes (& maybe other models do too) & is nearly within budget. Not sure you'd get a demo bike for a week, but I went down & was let loose with an Evoke & no time limit. Even though the Evoke was a more race orientated geometry it put a huge smile on my face.
How far are you from Fatbirds & what's their policy on test rides? They tend to have a range of Ti in  A mate of mine bought his Van Nic from their & was really impressed with the service.


----------



## StuAff (5 Feb 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> Litespeed T5 Disc


Discontinued, but Fatbirds/Pedal Revolution have a couple left if you're in the Large or Medium Large frame sizing, £1649 frame only- no fork!. Litespeed do the (more expensive) T2 (£3k), Ultimate Road & T1sl (£4500 for the frame only, eek!) in disc versions. There's also the Gravel (the successor to my own T5 Gravel), and the Cherohala ('road but you ride gravel a bit too') which would both suit all your requirements.


----------



## User169 (5 Feb 2019)

Not heard of Pilot. If you're looking for Dutch Ti, how about J Guillem, the newish brand of the founder of Van Nicholas. The Oriënt seems to be the sort of thing you might be looking for....

https://jguillem.com/bike/orient


----------



## vickster (5 Feb 2019)

+1 to look at J Guillem Orient
It was high on my list but I decided to spend less and wanted rack mounts so went for the Sabbath AR1. I wasn’t fussed about TA compared to everything else.

I didn’t like the fit of the Skeiron despite a couple of good test rides at Fatbirds

Never heard of Pilot either


----------



## JhnBssll (5 Feb 2019)

Thanks all, I've had a look and the Litespeed Cherohala and J Guillem Orient both fit the bill so have been added to the shortlist 

- Pilot Veturi (preferred if LBS starts stocking them and I can get hold of a demo bike for a week or two)
- Van Nicholas Skeiron
- Litespeed Cherohala
- J Guillem Orient

Pilot replied to my email this morning with some interested information; They're happy to customise the frameset by creating a dedicated Di2 version with internal cables and battery plus internal brake hoses, and do some custom blasted logo's too. They've said there is no additional charge to create a custom Di2 dedicated frame but the lead time will be 12 weeks... This is perfectly acceptable to me so it will all come down to whether they can get a demo bike to my lbs sometime soon and, if so, whether I like said demo bike 

In the meantime I've started collecting bits


----------



## JhnBssll (5 Feb 2019)

It turns out straight pull hubs are a pain to lace up 






I've ordered some unbranded carbon rims from AliExpress to finish the wheels off. I did a decent amount of research first and haven't gone for cheap ones, instead opting for mid-priced ones with a decent number of good reviews going back a few years. I'm still going to be slightly worried about it until I see and build them up though


----------



## JhnBssll (11 Feb 2019)

I've requested more details from Pilot regarding their suggested Custom Di2 variant. I've also sent them a scan of the logo I would want adding to the frame to see whether it can be done or if changes are needed. I'm looking forward to a response but not holding my breath as I suspect Chinese New Year may be delaying communications somewhat 

A few more bits have arrived and more on the way - I'm mainly collecting purple bits at the moment 






Once the frameset is confirmed I'm only missing tyres, valve stems, headset, BB, seatpost and saddle now as far as I can tell - everything else will be stripped off the Roubaix frameset before it's sold 

Still on the way are carbon bars, bar tape, carbon rims and a variety of purple Ti bolts to replace stem bolts, jockey wheel bolts and lh crank bolts. I'm also looking in to a few other bolts but havent found them in the right dimensions and colour just yet. The colour theme is going to be colourless brushed titanium frame with black/carbon and purple components if you hadn't already guessed  The reason I'm going with titanium bolts is for corrosion resistance; this will be the designated winter bike so will get used and abused and I intend to keep it until I can't ride it anymore. Makes sense to kit it out with durable bits first time round  I know aluminium bolts would be cheaper and lighter but they will likely corrode more quickly in the conditions. The only area I've gone against this is spoke nipples where I've chosen DT purple alloy for two reasons - firstly (and most importantly) they're pretty, and secondly I have no idea how long the no-brand chinese carbon rims will last so I doubt the spoke nipples will be the achiles heal of this build  Worst case scenario is I have to cut some spokes out or rebuild the wheels with brass nipples a year or two down the line, neither of which are the end of the world  At the end of the day the wheels are a bit of an experiment - if they dont seem safe once built I won't ride them, and I'm bright enough to keep an eye on them over time so I'm not overly concerned about catastrophic failures 

Ooh, the bar tape I've ordered looks super pretty too - Supercaz Starfade in neon purple and black. I'll probably wrap it the other way to the pic though so black on the tops fading to purple on the drops 






I now need to find somewhere to hide all the shiny stuff from Mrs Bssll before she tells me off for spending all my pocketmoney on bicycles again


----------



## CXRAndy (12 Feb 2019)

I have some hope 4 pots on a couple of bikes, very nice


----------



## JhnBssll (14 Feb 2019)

CXRAndy said:


> I have some hope 4 pots on a couple of bikes, very nice



Yeah I really rate them, I've got the same RX4 calipers on two road bikes already and their V4 calipers on my mountain bike  All in different colours of course haha.

A few more bits have arrived...






Rims are being dispatched in the next few days or so I'm told. Pilot have told my lbs that they'll have demo bikes to them by mid march so thats looking positive too


----------



## Soltydog (14 Feb 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> The reason I'm going with titanium bolts is for corrosion resistance; this will be the designated winter bike so will get used and abused and I intend to keep it until I can't ride it anymore. Makes sense to kit it out with durable bits first time round  I know aluminium bolts would be cheaper and lighter but they will likely corrode more quickly in the conditions. The only area I've gone against this is spoke nipples where I've chosen DT purple alloy for two reasons - firstly (and most importantly) they're pretty, and secondly I have no idea how long the no-brand chinese carbon rims will last so I doubt the spoke nipples will be the achiles heal of this build  Worst case scenario is I have to cut some spokes out or rebuild the wheels with brass nipples a year or two down the line, neither of which are the end of the world



Can't wait to see the finished build, should look 

But I'd seriously re-think using alloy spoke nipples, I've had 2 wheel builds with coloured alloy wheels & neither have faired well. The first were cheap ones of ebay , so the 2nd lot were red DT ones IIRC & although they lasted a little longer, I believe it was a right PITA for @Spoked Wheels to remove the old siezed & broken nipples. They looked fab when new & built up, but the reliabilty would bother me. Brass nipples every time for me now


----------



## JhnBssll (14 Feb 2019)

Soltydog said:


> Can't wait to see the finished build, should look
> 
> But I'd seriously re-think using alloy spoke nipples, I've had 2 wheel builds with coloured alloy wheels & neither have faired well. The first were cheap ones of ebay , so the 2nd lot were red DT ones IIRC & although they lasted a little longer, I believe it was a right PITA for @Spoked Wheels to remove the old siezed & broken nipples. They looked fab when new & built up, but the reliabilty would bother me. Brass nipples every time for me now



Yeah I see where you're coming from. I think I'm still going to build with the alloy ones just as an experiment - I intend to use grease or copper slip on the spoke threads to try and delay the inevitable but I'll be sure to post lots of expletives and tag you when I'm rebuilding with brass


----------



## Soltydog (14 Feb 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> Yeah I see where you're coming from. I think I'm still going to build with the alloy ones just as an experiment - I intend to use grease or copper slip on the spoke threads to try and delay the inevitable but I'll be sure to post lots of expletives and tag you when I'm rebuilding with brass



Rider weight may be a factor too though  I'm a big lad & certainly no lightweight, so you may not have the same issues I had (fingers crossed)


----------



## JhnBssll (14 Feb 2019)

Soltydog said:


> Rider weight may be a factor too though  I'm a big lad & certainly no lightweight, so you may not have the same issues I had (fingers crossed)



I'm 100kg so not exactly a featherweight myself  I tend to be sympathetic to wheels though, never had any major wheel related traumas anyway  Hopefully if my weight loss continues at it's current rate I'll be nearer 90kg by the time I get the bike together, its months off as yet. I reckon June would be the soonest I could get my hands on a custom frameset based on what I've been told to date


----------



## Soltydog (14 Feb 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> I'm 100kg so not exactly a featherweight myself  I tend to be sympathetic to wheels though, never had any major wheel related traumas anyway  Hopefully if my weight loss continues at it's current rate I'll be nearer 90kg by the time I get the bike together, its months off as yet. I reckon June would be the soonest I could get my hands on a custom frameset based on what I've been told to date



Had to work out what my weight is in kg  Currently 95kg, probably been as high as 105 over the last few years, but never as low as 90kg , maybe this year? 
Looking back at my 2nd set of wheels with the DT nipples I reckon it was about 3 years before any issues & probably quite high(ish) mileage, maybe close to 10k, but it was not winter miles


----------



## JhnBssll (14 Feb 2019)

Soltydog said:


> Had to work out what my weight is in kg  Currently 95kg, probably been as high as 105 over the last few years, but never as low as 90kg , maybe this year?
> Looking back at my 2nd set of wheels with the DT nipples I reckon it was about 3 years before any issues & probably quite high(ish) mileage, maybe close to 10k, but it was not winter miles



I would count 3 years and 10k between rebuilds as a great success for my early attempts at wheel building 

Found a half decent picture of the frameset I'm interested in, they seem fairly rare so not many photos about which is one of the things that attracts me to it, and also one of the things that concerns me slightly 







I'm interested to know how they suggest a full internal Di2 version will work - the rear mech wire will have to run through the chainstay but the tube finishes well short of the mech so there would potentially be a length of saggy wire to deal with


----------



## StuAff (14 Feb 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> I would count 3 years and 10k between rebuilds as a great success for my early attempts at wheel building
> 
> Found a half decent picture of the frameset I'm interested in, they seem fairly rare so not many photos about which is one of the things that attracts me to it, and also one of the things that concerns me slightly
> 
> ...


No, that looks absolutely rubbish. You won't like it one little bit......


----------



## JhnBssll (22 Feb 2019)

Pilot have been in touch with the lbs and told them to expect some demo bikes by mid March - they're attending a trade show in the first week of March and will forward a few of the display bikes on to them to try out 

I had a confirmation through from AliExpress yesterday to say my rims have shipped so I'll be keeping tabs of them as they make their way across the globe 

I decided my best bet was to sell the Roubaix as a whole bike rather than a frameset. I only want the new Ultegra Di2 bits off it anyway plus a few odds and sods so spent some time working out the most cost effective way of doing it. I realised the Di2 cable lengths may be wrong and I had spare junction boxes so I had a look around on eBay and found some bargain R785 hydro Di2 shifters and a pair of R6870 mechs so snapped them up  I also found a pair of used shimano brake rotors for 20 quid and bought them so I can keep hold of the much more pricey Hope floating road rotors currently on the Roubaix.

Those bits arrived today so I swapped the mechs over this afternoon. Unfortunately Di2 went wonky so I've popped it in to the lbs to reset as my charger only has limited functionality for fixing things. I know what I did wrong - I put the replacement mech on whilst it was in the bottom position but the control box thought it was in 9th. The result was it wouldn't shift up on to the top two sprockets. I worked out what I'd done and how to fix it whilst on my way back from the lbs after dropping it off, D'oh! 

These are the replacement mechs in the listing:





They seem in good condition after a cleanup and some touching up with black paint on the scuffs, no pictures until I get the bike back. The R785's are bulkier and nowhere near as pretty as the new Ultegra they're replacing but will do the job and are in excellent condition - I've not fitted them yet, another job for tomorrow once the bike is home.






It'll be an interesting comparison when its back up and running, I wonder if I'll notice any difference functionally. To be honest I doubt I will. I feel much more comfortable about selling a complete working bike that I'll have covered several hundred miles on to check all is well than a collection of expensive parts 

More bits coming together now for the new bike, including the K-Edge chain catcher that I took in to the lab at work today and machined out slightly to fit some more purple ti bolts  It's all in the details... 





I also cleaned up the mechs and fitted some purple ti jockey wheel bolts that nobody but me will ever know are there 






Last but not least I cleaned up the cassette and brake rotors and loosely popped them on to the new hubs. All ready to build when the rims arrive


----------



## Harry Jacques (3 Mar 2019)

hi JHnbassll, I m new here and dutch. last Friday i visited the famous bikefair in Holland, Bikemotion. One off the mean reasons to go was that i wanted to see my three favorite bikes: e.g. the Pilot Veturi and the J.Guillem Orient, Van Nicholas Zephyr. Guillem wasn t present there, but the Veturi is beautifull. It was the first time thas i saw the new bike in real. They updated their new website recently, they told me that not all the functions are perfect already. Within a few weeks is is possible to make your 'custom bike'. The one i saw was with Ultegra, but my wish is SRAM Force. The People of Pilot where very nice, and gave good technical information (also about the improvements they made in the last model 2019) , they were much more interested and better than the people off Van Nicholas. But...i saw the new Van Nicholas Zephyr, thats their endurance model (not the skeiron, is is mory racy!) and the new Zephyr hals also discbrakes and better looks, cables more and nicer inside than the Veturi. But the Veturi is a awesome bike in real! But also J. Guillem is very nice...I wil decide within a few months wich bike i m gonna buy (i lossed my job so i cannot buy it at the moment :-().


----------



## Harry Jacques (3 Mar 2019)

Here a link to a dutch article about the Veturi, interesting are the photos of the bike (2018), the 2019 version is a little bit adjusted....http://www.bikeandtrekkingmagazine.nl/nieuws/16476/pilot-veturi-2018.html


----------



## JhnBssll (3 Mar 2019)

Thanks very much for the information, very interesting! I believe Pilot are sending a few of the display bikes from that show to my local bike shop so I will soon see the exact bike you looked at 

I have not seen any information regarding the 2019 model yet, I'm waiting for them to send some details and photos but I know they are busy currently with the show 

I'm sorry to hear you have lost your job, I hope you soon find another one


----------



## JhnBssll (10 Mar 2019)

I collected the first of my chinese carbon experiments for the Ti bike build from the post office this morning, a pair of handlebars that have cost me around £45 including postage and import duty. They were very well packaged...









The final unwrap was quite exciting as the bars were slowly revealed and first impressions are very good indeed. They look very similar in construction to my Deda superzero carbon aero bars, they're light but stiff and the carbon layup looks fine. Of course I won't really know until I go to fit them and ride them for a while, but there's certainly nothing to suggest there's a problem at this stage 












These were from a china based eBay seller but I've got another pair that were only £18 inc. postage on the way from an AliExpress seller, it will be very interesting to see what they're like in comparison  I'm off out for a bit now but will fit some bits to them later on today and report back for anyone thats interested


----------



## JhnBssll (10 Mar 2019)

Just ordered a Di2 cable and some hydraulic brake hose so I can finish connecting the shifters and wrap them but looking good so far


----------



## JhnBssll (11 Mar 2019)

Couldn't resist starting the bar tape off...


----------



## JhnBssll (13 Mar 2019)

The hydraulic hose and di2 cable arrived today so I've just spent some time in the garage having a play. Rather irritatingly I only had one olive and barb, thought I had more, so i could only finish one side  That said the Di2 side of things is all connected up and junction box fitted so progress none the less  I'm really pleased with the bar tape, looks exactly as I imagined it


----------



## Harry Jacques (14 Mar 2019)

beautifull purple!! Have the pilot bikes arrived at your LBS and did you already have your first experience/impression?


----------



## JhnBssll (14 Mar 2019)

Harry Jacques said:


> beautifull purple!! Have the pilot bikes arrived at your LBS and did you already have your first experience/impression?



Thanks, I always think purple goes well with Titanium 

The bikes haven't arrived yet, as I understand it my LBS emailed Pilot recently so I hope to hear more very soon. Quite exciting! I have also emailed them with some questions a few days ago and am waiting for a reply, I think they are busy with new customers from all the shows they have been to 

I had a look on their webpage a few days ago and noticed they have some new photos up - the frame design has changed significantly around the rear dropouts and the seat stay bridge has gone, although it still states fender and rack mounts in the description  Not too big a deal as I'm sure they'll put the bridge back in for me if asked as it'll already be customised with the Di2 internal routing. It looks rather lovely still, if anything I prefer the new dropout detail and it will be better for internal routing.











In other news I got some more barbs and olives today so the bars are now finished


----------



## JhnBssll (18 Mar 2019)

Second pair of (even cheaper) aero bars arrived today and they look good on first inspection  These ones were the princely sum of £18.84 inc delivery and duty 











These ones are going to a mate as freebies, he'll inspect them and run them on his turbo bike for a bit to see if hes happy with them. He's ordered the same bar tape I used but in orange to go with his bike, should look ace 

No Pilot related updates as yet


----------



## Milkfloat (18 Mar 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> These ones are going to a mate as freebies, he'll inspect them and run them on his turbo bike for a bit to see if hes happy with them.



If he lives to tell the tale, could you post a link to your source?


----------



## JhnBssll (18 Mar 2019)

Milkfloat said:


> If he lives to tell the tale, could you post a link to your source?



Sure, they came from AliExpress, a seller called ZC Store but they dont appear to have any left currently. They are branded Toseek on the labels.


----------



## Harry Jacques (19 Mar 2019)

"The seat stay bridge has gone"....yes, they told me that the reason is that it gives more comfort without it....you are right about the photos....the wheels they use are also different from the photo i thougt, i cannot see it very well, but i m sure they use the wheels of OHR cycling, its an other part off their company, same owner, and the alloy wheels are very beautifull and very good. They have developped their own hubs also.....http://www.ohrcycling.com/


----------



## JhnBssll (19 Mar 2019)

The inevitable happened today - I fitted the carbon bars to the turbo bike and crushed them  Cheap stem had an internal lip that I hadn't noticed before which bit in to the carbon well before the torque wrench clicked  I tightened them anyway and jumped up and down on them a bit, they didn't collapse under my weight even when damaged so with a bit more care fitting them they may have been ok but are now destined for the bin  Deda superzero bars now ordered to match the Bianchi


----------



## Milkfloat (19 Mar 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> The inevitable happened today - I fitted the carbon bars to the turbo bike and crushed them  Cheap stem had an internal lip that I hadn't noticed before which bit in to the carbon well before the torque wrench clicked  I tightened them anyway and jumped up and down on them a bit, they didn't collapse under my weight even when damaged so with a bit more care fitting them they may have been ok but are now destined for the bin  Deda superzero bars now ordered to match the Bianchi



Ouch, not ideal at all. I just bought some from Aliexpress this morning, I will treat them with kid gloves.


----------



## JhnBssll (19 Mar 2019)

These ones came from eBay, the ones from aliexpress were a different brand and seemed much thicker. Oh well, it was an experiment after all. Be interested to know how you get on with the ones you've ordered, I rather wish I'd been a bit more careful with them


----------



## JhnBssll (20 Mar 2019)

I got sent this photo of my now finished rims this morning, now just waiting for them to ship from Singapore 







Pretty exciting!

I nearly edited my name out of the photo but realised its not hard to guess from my username so was probably a waste of effort


----------



## Harry Jacques (28 Mar 2019)




----------



## Harry Jacques (28 Mar 2019)

Above the pilot veturi in Utrecht during the bikefair, netherlands, a few weeks ago...mjammie mjammie!


----------



## JhnBssll (5 Apr 2019)

Looks lovely, I still haven't seen one in the flesh although I am back in touch with the guys at Pilot 

Exciting day today, my carbon rims arrived after an 8 week wait  I had ordered rim tape and tyres only last week which arrived a few days ago so I was able to build the wheels and fit the tyres this afternoon 
















Front done!











Both done!

I quickly ditched the purple alloy spoke nipples in favour of more durable brass. A bit of a shame to lose the colour but I think I'll be happy with my decision a year or so down the line when I go to true them  I oiled the nipples and used copper grease on the spoke threads so should be good to go once I get the frameset specced and ordered


----------



## JhnBssll (10 Apr 2019)

I returned to blighty today to the news that there are some demo bikes en route to my lbs for imminent arrival - exciting times! I'm away again at the weekend but have a well placed few weeks off looming on the horizon so should get ample opportunity for a test ride  Exciting times!


----------



## JhnBssll (12 Apr 2019)

Popped in to Elmy Cycles this afternoon to pick up this little beauty...
























It looks beautiful - I'm off to Wales shortly for some mountain biking but am back tomorrow evening so will aim to get a decent ride in on Sunday to try it out - I must remember the brakes are t'other way round though, else it could be embarassing at junctions 

I suspect the test ride is a formality, it looks lovely so I hope to put my order in very shortly


----------



## ianrauk (12 Apr 2019)

Lovely


----------



## Jenkins (12 Apr 2019)

Very, very nice.

Just out of interest, what size is it? (Just in case you get bored with it...)


----------



## JhnBssll (13 Apr 2019)

Jenkins said:


> Very, very nice.
> 
> Just out of interest, what size is it? (Just in case you get bored with it...)



This demo bike is a 57cm


----------



## Harry Jacques (13 Apr 2019)

Wow! Beautifull pictures also. The details on the bike are awesome. Please give us very soon your first impressions. I m very jealous here in holland, the homecountry of the pilotbike.


----------



## Harry Jacques (13 Apr 2019)

It was worth the waiting time!!

It looks that the wheels are carbon in stead of the standard alloy wheels, is that true?


----------



## JhnBssll (13 Apr 2019)

They are indeed very nicely finished, the welds seems excellent, very neat, and the machined parts of the frame are nicely designed 

The rims on this demo bike are carbon - judging by the look of the chainset and cassette it hasn't been ridden yet, I'm hoping to get out on it tomorrow morning if my legs have recovered from todays excursion but will give feedback as soon as I do


----------



## Jenkins (13 Apr 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> This demo bike is a 57cm


Sounds about right for me (5'11" / 180cm) if you or Elmys wan't to get rid of it on the cheap!


----------



## JhnBssll (14 Apr 2019)

I took it for a spin this morning. My legs were in pieces from yesterdays mountain bike antics so I didn't go far but it was enough to tell it rides very nicely indeed. The frame feels very stiff around the bottom bracket, I was expecting a little flex but it was better than expected. It was also very comfortable, something that my partially broken body was very pleased about and, accidentally, a very good test for how it might feel on longer rides. It feels very light, although I forgot to weigh it - certainly feels closer to the weight of my XR3 than my Roubaix which can't be a bad thing  If I remember I'll weigh it in the morning but I've agreed to take it back tomorrow afternoon 

On the plus side I spent an hour or so inspecting the frame and making notes before emailing them a list of questions about potential minor tweaks to cable routing, geometry etc. If these are answered satisfactorily and the customisation costs are acceptable I will almost certainly be placing an order


----------



## JhnBssll (15 Apr 2019)

I forgot to weigh it  D'oh... Its back with Elmy Cycles now while we wait for a response from Pilot about the customisations I've requested. In the meantime I took the opportunity to pop the wheels on the Bianchi to centre them up properly and put some weight on them for the first time. No trauma's, the unbranded carbon rims are still in one piece so that's the first hurdle cleared 









I'm not convinced the purple is well suited to the Celeste of the Bianchi


----------



## tom73 (15 Apr 2019)

Oh my eyes , my eyes


----------



## JhnBssll (17 Apr 2019)

Feedback from Pilot is very positive; they are very responsive and seem willing to make any customisation you ask for whilst knowledgeable enough to explain why it might not be a good idea 

I am now waiting for final confirmation and price for my requested changes before I order the frameset. I'm told lead time will be up to 12 weeks so will have a bit of a wait but I'm sure it will be worth it. They apparently have a standard frameset in my size in stock and could have it to me within a week but I am set on a custom now 

Exciting!


----------



## Harry Jacques (18 Apr 2019)

zow he! Custom made frames, that's their corebusiness in which they are totally different from other producers. I read somewhere that more thans 50% off their bikes sold are custom made: they produce exactly conform your wishes (unless your ideas are not good). You will get a bike that s the only one in the whole world!!


----------



## BSOh (18 Apr 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> Feedback from Pilot is very positive; they are very responsive and seem willing to make any customisation you ask for whilst knowledgeable enough to explain why it might not be a good idea
> 
> I am now waiting for final confirmation and price for my requested changes before I order the frameset. I'm told lead time will be up to 12 weeks so will have a bit of a wait but I'm sure it will be worth it. They apparently have a standard frameset in my size in stock and could have it to me within a week but I am set on a custom now
> 
> Exciting!



I can't wait to see all that purple loveliness on it


----------



## JhnBssll (23 Apr 2019)

BSOh said:


> I can't wait to see all that purple loveliness on it



Me neither  I've been adding to my pile of bits too... New Hope BB arrived today 






Exciting day today - I went in to the lbs and put a 50% deposit down on a custom Veturi frameset  Now it's a waiting game  10 to 12 weeks officially but I'm told it will likely be slightly less 

Are we there yet?

Are we there yet?

Are we there yet?


----------



## JhnBssll (29 Apr 2019)

Apparently I will get to see and sign off technical drawings of my frameset in the near future  This is quite exciting to an engineer such as myself 

I've ordered a few more bits - some decals for the rims, a new aeroclam saddle storage box and the last few Di2 cables. I'm quite excited about the rim decals, I've gone for purple skulls  I have no idea how they'll look but I saw them and decided to give them a try


----------



## JhnBssll (5 May 2019)

Decals arrived yesterday so I've fitted them today, I'm quite pleased with the outcome


----------



## Harry Jacques (1 Jul 2019)

Hi John, are you still waiting for the pilot are has is arrived yet and do you have your first impressions?


----------



## JhnBssll (1 Jul 2019)

I'm still waiting; the drawings are all done and signed off and the frame is now in production, I'm waiting for news of a delivery date but shouldn't be too long now. There will be lots of pictures once its here as I build it up


----------



## EltonFrog (1 Jul 2019)

I’ve only just discovered this thread! How did I miss it? This is very interesting stuff and the bike looks amazing.


----------



## Harry Jacques (2 Jul 2019)

@ carlp: haha, do you mean the pilot bike or the bianchi and all the purple stuff??
@JhnBssll: i hope you (and we in the pictures) will see your bike very soon! It will be pretty if it s possible for you to ride and enjoy the bike this (after)summer!! You write about the drawing. Does that mean that you don t have the standard frame, but it will all be custommade special for you with your own measures and other wishes?


----------



## EltonFrog (2 Jul 2019)

Harry Jacques said:


> @ carlp: haha, do you mean the pilot bike or the bianchi and all the purple stuff??
> @JhnBssll: i hope you (and we in the pictures) will see your bike very soon! It will be pretty if it s possible for you to ride and enjoy the bike this (after)summer!! You write about the drawing. Does that mean that you don t have the standard frame, but it will all be custommade special for you with your own measures and other wishes?



I meant the pilot bike.


----------



## JhnBssll (2 Jul 2019)

Harry Jacques said:


> @ carlp: haha, do you mean the pilot bike or the bianchi and all the purple stuff??
> @JhnBssll: i hope you (and we in the pictures) will see your bike very soon! It will be pretty if it s possible for you to ride and enjoy the bike this (after)summer!! You write about the drawing. Does that mean that you don t have the standard frame, but it will all be custommade special for you with your own measures and other wishes?



Mine is being custom made but with standard geometry as the demo bike fit so well I didnt want any changes. My customisations are internal rear brake hose routing and a few Di2 specific changes  Oh and custom shot blasted logos  Hopefully itll be ready in the next month or two


----------



## JhnBssll (17 Aug 2019)

It has been quite a wait but I'm told its now finished and ready for shipping  With a bit of luck I'll have it sometime next week, it might get a ride out for next weekends club sportive and BBQ 

I rebuilt the back wheel and retensioned the front yesterday after hearing the news - I've built several wheels since these were done and I thought I could do a little better now. Whilst they were pretty good before I'm far happier with them now


----------



## Harry Jacques (17 Aug 2019)

Good news! I hope you will be able to make your first kilometers with that beautifull bike within 2 weeks


----------



## JhnBssll (19 Aug 2019)

Heard from Pilot today - I had misunderstood the last message, the frame is _almost_ ready but not quite - it still needs to be brushed and have the blasted logos added  They did send me a few sneaky photos of the raw unfinished frame though 













I can't wait to see it finished and built up now


----------



## Pale Rider (19 Aug 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> Heard from Pilot today - I had misunderstood the last message, the frame is _almost_ ready but not quite - it still needs to be brushed and have the blasted logos added  They did send me a few sneaky photos of the raw unfinished frame though
> 
> View attachment 480799
> View attachment 480797
> ...



That's a hub drive ebike being built in the background.

Flat bar, carrier, mudguards, no silly suspension fork.

Looks like a titanium frame - not many of those around in ebike flavour.


----------



## JhnBssll (19 Aug 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> That's a hub drive ebike being built in the background.
> 
> Flat bar, carrier, mudguards, no silly suspension fork.
> 
> Looks like a titanium frame - not many of those around in ebike flavour.



It is indeed. They only make Ti frames but they make them in all shapes and sizes. Some of them have a pinion gearbox too, all very impressive.


----------



## Jenkins (19 Aug 2019)

That frame doesn't need brushing or blasted logos - it's beautiful just as it is. Just polish it and build it up.


----------



## JhnBssll (20 Aug 2019)

Jenkins said:


> That frame doesn't need brushing or blasted logos - it's beautiful just as it is. Just polish it and build it up.



It's super pretty isn't it  I've spent ages zooming in and looking at grainy images of pretty welds 

I want it brushed as it'll be my do-everything bike and not one I want to worry about keeping polished. Brushed finishes tend to hide scuffs better and can be re-touched more easily  A bit lazy I know, but I think it'll look better for longer brushed 

I just spent the evening tidying the garage ready for its arrival and build, bit eager considering its at least a week away at best


----------



## ianrauk (21 Aug 2019)

My opinion and its just that, is that you get that frame brushed and it will ruin it.
It looks a thing of beauty at the moment, giving it a brush will just mute the brightness of it.
As it is, you don't have to worry about polishing it. Ti looks after itself.

But, as the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You like it (or should I say love it) and that's all that matters.


----------



## JhnBssll (30 Aug 2019)

I got an email this evening saying the frame was finished and sent out today  They also included this nice teaser photo in the email...








So looking forward to building this beauty up in the week


----------



## ianrauk (30 Aug 2019)

Beautiful


----------



## Ming the Merciless (30 Aug 2019)

I have a frame (not from Pilot it's a recumbent frame set) on the way. Exciting isn't it!


----------



## Harry Jacques (2 Sep 2019)

Hi john, i saw that message and photograph just on the facebookpage off Pilotcycles. Very nice done your own name and flagg in a logo!


----------



## JhnBssll (2 Sep 2019)

It arrived today, super exciting! I popped out at lunchtime to collect it from the lbs as I couldnt wait until the end of the day - I then had to sit in meetings all afternoon knowing it was outside waiting for me 







First impressions of the frame - the finishing detail is very very good. The welds are all very neat, the logo's are very well defined and the engraved head badge is beautiful. There has been some really fine workmanship put in to this frame 


















As you can expect I didn't waste much time getting started with assembly  First things first I popped the headset and forks in to see the complete frameset for the first time...





Next on went the bars and stem - I'll cut the steerer to length later when it's all built up and I've got it riding as I want it. I ran the Di2 cables and brake hoses through the frame with no issues and fitted the mechs, BB and seatpost. The brake calipers went on and the hoses were connected up but I havent yet filled them with fluid.






On went the wheels and chainset...






This is where I noticed a problem. The rear Hope RX4 flatmount calipers aren't technically correct to the flatmount standard. Hope decided to modify the dimensions to make them fit a 160mm rotor without an adapter whereas the standard assumes a 140mm rotor on the rear. Unfortunately it seems Pilot have had the same idea, and modified the frame mount points so a standard flatmount caliper will fit a 160mm rotor with no adapter. This has obviously doubled the difference meaning I now need a 180mm rotor to fit in the caliper 






Bit of an issue so I've emailed Hope for advice. I guess it's possible that they could machine me a custom caliper, but it's also possible that a post mount caliper with the right adapter would fit with less fuss. We shall see  I certainly don't want a 180mm disc on the back end of a road bike 

The other niggle is I'd not realised my old Deda carbon seatpost wouldn't fit, so I've had to order a new one. These few niggles are only minor but will mean I'm unlikely to be riding it in the immediate future which is a little disappointing but I've waited this long so another few weeks isn't going to kill me


----------



## StuAff (2 Sep 2019)

Looks very nice, up with all the alternatives in terms of build quality judging by the welds. Odd issue with the brake mounts...C+ tested a Veturi back in 2017, that one had a flat mount/post mount combo.


----------



## Harry Jacques (3 Sep 2019)

Hi John, congrats! and i hope the problems will be solved soon so you can finally enjoy riding your fantastic bike! i love the lots of photograps (with details) you placed here on this forum.


----------



## JhnBssll (4 Sep 2019)

Harry Jacques said:


> Hi John, congrats! and i hope the problems will be solved soon so you can finally enjoy riding your fantastic bike! i love the lots of photograps (with details) you placed here on this forum.



Thanks Harry! I'm making progress on the brake problem as you'll see below 



StuAff said:


> Looks very nice, up with all the alternatives in terms of build quality judging by the welds. Odd issue with the brake mounts...C+ tested a Veturi back in 2017, that one had a flat mount/post mount combo.



Yes this frame is actually a new version for this year, previous versions had IS mounts on the frame with an IS to post mount adapter and flat mount on the front forks. This version is much neater and, unless you happen to use Hope calipers, is very simple. Unfortunately I hadn't foreseen these problems or I would have asked them to modify the brake mounts but such is life 

Anyway I popped in to the lbs again this afternoon after work and had a play with a post mount version of the Hope caliper. It looked promising, so I handed over some pieces of silver and took it away with me for a play 

First I had a rummage through my odds and sods bin and found the closest adapter I had and started playing with washers until I had the caliper where it needed to sit...






Next I took the assembly up to my study and built a quick CAD model of what it needed to look like.






With this done it was time to fire up the 3D printer for the first time in over a year  Miraculously it worked first time with no swearing 











A few hours later I had a finished prototype to tap and bolt on. Fingers crossed!








It's bloody close, but I'm calling that a success  I've emailed myself the CAD data for a colleague to machine for me tomorrow 

While I was at it I modified the rear mech cage but didn't take photos. I'll pop some details up tomorrow if I remember. I also fitted the chain and the titanium bottle cages I've had squirreled away for just this moment  She's coming together!


----------



## JhnBssll (4 Sep 2019)

I broke my tap off in the new CNC'd adaptor this evening. After a bit of a tantrum I decided it was meant to be, so I've updated the CAD model to make it a little neater and sent it off to various prototyping companies for quotes. I'll get it milled nicely and anodised black, may as well do it properly 

Otherwise I had a productive evening. I built it back up with the 3D printed plastic brake mount in order to bleed the brakes and set the Di2 indexing. I've trimmed the steerer to length and gone over all the bolts to check they're correctly torqued. She's now locked away until the new brake mount is ordered, milled, shipped and fitted  Not before I'd ridden her around in circles on the drive for a little while of course


----------



## CXRAndy (5 Sep 2019)

Lovely looking bike, with excellent attention to detail in the build. I like the thin seat stays, that will help with ride comfort. 

I loved the equipment to 3D print a caliper bracket

What tyre sizes can this frame take?


----------



## Harry Jacques (5 Sep 2019)

CXRAndy said:


> What tyre sizes can this frame take?



Answer from the Netherlands : 32 mm is the max it can take.


----------



## JhnBssll (5 Sep 2019)

Yup 32mm max tyre size 

Colleague very kindly machined me another mount today  






This time he tapped the holes in the mill so I couldn't mess it up 






I finished it up with a dremel; chamfered the edges and neatened up a few sharp points. I then masked it up, primed it and sprayed it Matt black...






Here it is once the paint had cured a little and I'd removed the masking...









I already knew it would fit but I was still relieved when it bolted straight on with no problems 









So that's it, she's built! I just need to get out and ride her now!!


----------



## JhnBssll (5 Sep 2019)

First few photos of her outdoors in daylight


----------



## Harry Jacques (12 Sep 2019)

Hi John, last week you finished building up your bike....how does it ride?


----------



## Soltydog (12 Sep 2019)

Looks amazing, just a nice amount of colour


----------



## JhnBssll (12 Sep 2019)

Harry Jacques said:


> Hi John, last week you finished building up your bike....how does it ride?



I've only ridden it about 60 miles so far but it rides beautifully 

It's pretty stiff so accelerates well and corners very nicely  the curved seat stays really help to smooth out the bumps - I think it's going to be super comfy on longer rides and isnt much slower or heavier than my Bianchi 

Overall I'm really pleased with it  I would certainly recommend the Veturi to anyone looking for a ti frameset


----------



## Soltydog (12 Sep 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> It's pretty stiff so accelerates well and corners very nicely  the curved seat stays really help to smooth out the bumps - I think it's going to be super comfy on longer rides and isnt much slower or heavier than my Bianchi



My first ride on Ti was my Van Nic, didn't feel as stiff & fast as carbon, but when I got home I'd averaged 21.5mph over 20+ miles, still my fastest ride to date. It didn't feel fast, but more comfy. Still don't find Ti as stiff & responsive on climbs, but I can live with that for all the other benefits


----------



## JhnBssll (12 Sep 2019)

Soltydog said:


> My first ride on Ti was my Van Nic, didn't feel as stiff & fast as carbon, but when I got home I'd averaged 21.5mph over 20+ miles, still my fastest ride to date. It didn't feel fast, but more comfy. Still don't find Ti as stiff & responsive on climbs, but I can live with that for all the other benefits



Yeah, its stiffer than I thought a ti frame would be as its known for its springy properties - I guess the large lightly ovalised tubes around the bottom bracket area help a lot with that. It's not as stiff as the Bianchi but I certainly wouldnt call it flexy 

I had a hankering for a Van Nic, they're a bit special too


----------



## Soltydog (12 Sep 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> I had a hankering for a Van Nic, they're a bit special too


I fell lucky with mine, had a C2W voucher for £1000 didn't know what I wanted & spotted the Ventus for £1400, so couldn't resist


----------



## ianrauk (13 Sep 2019)

JhnBssll said:


> I had a hankering for a Van Nic, they're a bit special too


Indeed. Mine is 7 years old now and it still makes me smile every time I ride it.


----------



## Harry Jacques (13 Sep 2019)

Pilot, Van Nicholas, j.guillem: vive les vélos néerlandais en titane!


----------



## mangid (13 Sep 2019)

Awesome looking bike. 

I had the same bottle cages on my Burls, and the one on the down tube (most often used) failed fairly quickly, < 1 year, the top tab with the bolt hole fractured across the hole. I'm now using Specialized Ti cages and, touch wood, they have had no issues.


----------



## JhnBssll (13 Sep 2019)

mangid said:


> Awesome looking bike.
> 
> I had the same bottle cages on my Burls, and the one on the down tube (most often used) failed fairly quickly, < 1 year, the top tab with the bolt hole fractured across the hole. I'm now using Specialized Ti cages and, touch wood, they have had no issues.



I'll look in to the specialized cages, thanks for the heads up  Whilst these ones look nice they don't hold the bottle very well and putting the bottle back in is a bit clunky... If they fail early too that sounds like a great reason for an upgrade


----------



## tom73 (13 Sep 2019)

Funny you said that, love the bike but the bottle cagers don't do it for me some how. Sorry


----------



## ianrauk (13 Sep 2019)

mangid said:


> Awesome looking bike.
> 
> I had the same bottle cages on my Burls, and the one on the down tube (most often used) failed fairly quickly, < 1 year, the top tab with the bolt hole fractured across the hole. I'm now using Specialized Ti cages and, touch wood, they have had no issues.



Had the same cages and both failed.


----------



## Soltydog (13 Sep 2019)

I have the same style bottle cages on both Ti bikes, but in stainless (don't tell anyone ) look like Ti  Been on a couple of years now & fine. I like the simple style of them & currently a tenner from Planet X https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/BOPXSTS/planet-x-stainless-steel-bottle-cage


----------



## Ming the Merciless (13 Sep 2019)

Rose bikes do stainless cages which works well with Titanium. Stainless steel racks match well as well.


----------



## StuAff (14 Sep 2019)

Lifeline brand from Wiggle. £3.99. Match titanium very nicely.


----------



## JhnBssll (14 Sep 2019)

I had a 75 quid voucher for Evan's so have ordered two of these:







Also ordered a few other odds and sods to make up the value, hopefully they'll look the part but will have to wait and see


----------



## JhnBssll (16 Sep 2019)

Got the new cages today, pretty pleased with them 









I rode 65 miles on it yesterday and my legs were nice and fresh at the end. I've tweaked the saddle and bar angles a tiny bit since but we're close to perfect now


----------



## Harry Jacques (19 Jun 2020)

Hi John, You are riding this bike for Some Months now. Are you still happy with it and what is your riding experience?


----------



## JhnBssll (19 Jun 2020)

Harry Jacques said:


> Hi John, You are riding this bike for Some Months now. Are you still happy with it and what is your riding experience?



Hi Harry! I've only done around 500 miles but I've thoroughly enjoyed each one  Its a fabulous bike to ride - smooth and comfortable over the tarmac yet feels sharp in turns and is certainly no slouch 

The pandemic situation has interrupted my cycling plans so I havent done the outdoor mileage I had hoped to have done at this point in the year. This frameset is for life though so that doesn't really matter in the long run 

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Veturi to others  Its a fine bicycle indeed 


























Do you think you will be ordering one at some point?


----------



## Harry Jacques (16 Jul 2020)

I hesitate john, between this Pilot Veturi, their gravelracer Pilot Scram Pinion, with Pinion gearbox, and the other dutch titan bike J. Guillem, the Atalaya. Unfortunately i lossed my job 18 months ago and i m happy i found a new one april this Year. But i hope later this year inhave enough money to buy one off this 3, so i can use it in the beginning of 2021...


----------



## Gunk (20 Dec 2020)

As I’ve just bought my first Ti bike a used VN Amazon, I stumbled across this thread, top work as usual @JhnBssll that really is a beautiful bike.


----------



## JhnBssll (31 Dec 2020)

Gunk said:


> As I’ve just bought my first Ti bike a used VN Amazon, I stumbled across this thread, top work as usual @JhnBssll that really is a beautiful bike.



Thanks mate, I love her. She's as beautiful to ride as she is to look at - so smooth over the tarmac and pretty quick to boot  I figured I best update this thread as I've replaced the wheels (as per my wheel build thread) and made a few other minor changes 

As you may have seen, I went on a bit of a wheel-building spree this year and built 4 new sets  Two of those sets will be used on this bike - a pair of 56mm carbon rims on Purple Hope RS4 Disc hubs for summer use, and a pair of 36mm carbon rims on Black Hope RS4 hubs for winter and windy weather etc.

Here she is wearing the summer wheels:







And again with the lower profile rims:






I've also swapped out the thru-axles that came with the frameset for a pair with a telescopic folding lever like the Bianchi XR4 comes with, they're such a neat solution that I wanted to carry it over to this bike too so when I finally found them advertised I snapped them up 






I've also been working on some mudguard mounts (for most of the year on and off ) and have finally got the finished brackets printed in solid grey resin and fitted, so she's all ready to go and splash in some puddles now 





















I've got a right side stages power meter on the way, but once that's fitted I've got no plans for any further changes - I've finally got her just as I want her


----------



## Harry Jacques (21 Jan 2021)

You are staying busy with that beautiful bike john😀😀i am curious what will be the next step😀😛


----------



## Harry Jacques (22 Jan 2021)

Hey john, next wednesday i am going to Pilot, for it s a journey of 2 hours by car, to make a test drive/trial ride on the pilot scram pinion. Hope to become part of the pilot family very soon🚴🏼😀


----------



## JhnBssll (22 Jan 2021)

Harry Jacques said:


> Hey john, next wednesday i am going to Pilot, for it s a journey of 2 hours by car, to make a test drive/trial ride on the pilot scram pinion. Hope to become part of the pilot family very soon🚴🏼😀



That's very cool, I'm pretty jealous that you'll get to see their place! You'll have to let me know how you get on!  We will of course want photos


----------



## bikingdad90 (22 Jan 2021)

Amazing how the deep section vs less deep section wheels can really change the look of the bike. I prefer the deep section ones on it!


----------



## Harry Jacques (12 Feb 2021)

Dream is about to come true. Today I made a final order for the bike that I looked at for a number of years, and had to save for the old-fashioned way: the Pilot Scram Pinion. Previously doubted between this one and the atalaya of j. Guillem, but chose this one because of the pinion gear, the feeling at the company, being able to make it completely tailor-made, including the OHR wheels that I wanted. Super happy. Hear when it can be delivered. Photos follow. The real die-hard racing cyclists will laugh about the Pinion, but I am sure that I will sit on my bike with a huge smile on every trip.


----------



## Gunk (12 Feb 2021)

We look forward to seeing it.


----------



## JhnBssll (12 Feb 2021)

Super exciting indeed  I'm a bit jealous of the pinion gearbox, I think if I were to replace my hardtail mtb I would be very tempted to have one with the pinion and belt drive  Very cool!

Looking forward to some photos


----------



## Harry Jacques (28 Mar 2021)

Last week my new bike, the pilot scram pinion arrived at the bikeshop.....next friday i will pick m up.......


----------



## Harry Jacques (5 Apr 2021)

Yesterday after a few years of “dreaming” my new bicycle, Pilot Scram Pinion, picked up at the beautiful shop in Gorssel of Saint Christopher. After 34 years of conventional gearshifts with Shimano switched to a pinion gearbox. First 60 km with a heavy headwind cycled home with a big smile on my face.
😍🚴🏼.
today was my first ride in the wood on unpaved paths/roads...that was a completely new and awesome experience for me. Supr happy i bought a gravelbike with pinion and cinq shifters.


----------



## Toshiba Boy (11 Apr 2021)

bikingdad90 said:


> Amazing how the deep section vs less deep section wheels can really change the look of the bike. I prefer the deep section ones on it!



Totally agree with first part of above comment. For me, much prefer the lower profile, no right nor wrong and would be boring if we were all the the same.

Great bike John.


----------



## Harry Jacques (14 May 2021)

Lovely ride again on the Pilot Scram Pinion over the North Veluwe, Netherlands. Not much gravel, but 40 km on forest paths (stepped off once for a tree root that is too thick).


----------



## Gunk (14 May 2021)

That’s some serious Hi Viz you’ve got going on there


----------



## JhnBssll (19 Aug 2021)

I'm toying with the idea of riding Chase The Sun next year and am kitting the Pilot out with a bit more storage and a few extra bottle cages for longer rides. I've ordered a Topeak Tri Backup Elite saddle rail bottle cage mount which should be arriving over the next few days, and have already received two new Supacaz carbon bottle cages to match the two already fitted. I've also received today a Roswheel large road frame bag which fits an absolute treat  It's also got a handy little waterproof slot at the very front where you can run a USB lead from your GPS computer in to the bag to connect to a power bank, nifty 😄






I love this bike...


----------



## jowwy (19 Aug 2021)

JhnBssll said:


> I'm toying with the idea of riding Chase The Sun next year and am kitting the Pilot out with a bit more storage and a few extra bottle cages for longer rides. I've ordered a Topeak Tri Backup Elite saddle rail bottle cage mount which should be arriving over the next few days, and have already received two new Supacaz carbon bottle cages to match the two already fitted. I've also received today a Roswheel large road frame bag which fits an absolute treat  It's also got a handy little waterproof slot at the very front where you can run a USB lead from your GPS computer in to the bag to connect to a power bank, nifty 😄
> 
> View attachment 604962
> 
> ...


i love that bike too


----------



## JhnBssll (19 Aug 2021)

Cheers dude 😊

The saddle bottle cage mount arrived today so I've fitted it up 







I should be able to stay nicely hydrated with that little lot  plus plenty of space for pork pies and other essentials in the frame bag


----------



## jowwy (19 Aug 2021)

JhnBssll said:


> Cheers dude 😊
> 
> The saddle bottle cage mount arrived today so I've fitted it up
> 
> ...


I see space for a top tube bag too…..for the jelly babies


----------



## Harry Jacques (5 Sep 2021)

JhnBssll said:


> Cheers dude 😊
> 
> The saddle bottle cage mount arrived today so I've fitted it up
> 
> ...


I see possibility’s for some bottles of beer 😂😂🍺


----------



## JhnBssll (8 Dec 2021)

I've been experimenting today with some purple paint on a spare gps computer trim panel I had laying around 






Seems a little too light at the moment but may darken up, should be dry enough tomorrow to fit to the computer and pop on the bike... Oh, and I did end up getting a top tube bag, I'll put some photos up when I get a mo


----------



## cougie uk (8 Dec 2021)

JhnBssll said:


> I've been experimenting today with some purple paint on a spare gps computer trim panel I had laying around
> 
> View attachment 621144
> 
> ...



You can buy purple silicone cases for Garmin bike computers if that's any help?


----------



## JhnBssll (9 Dec 2021)

I swapped the trim panels over this evening, lovely bit of purple


----------



## JhnBssll (14 Dec 2021)

I finally got round to clearing a bit of space in the garage today which meant I could take the bike down again  Heres the top tube bag fitted...






And here she is with the nice purple trimmed computer on the bars...






😄


----------



## jowwy (15 Dec 2021)

JhnBssll said:


> I finally got round to clearing a bit of space in the garage today which meant I could take the bike down again  Heres the top tube bag fitted...
> 
> View attachment 621981
> 
> ...


stunning bike - but that saddle to bar drop would have my back and hamstrings in bits lol


----------



## JhnBssll (15 Dec 2021)

jowwy said:


> stunning bike - but that saddle to bar drop would have my back and hamstrings in bits lol



haha this is my 'comfortable' one too, the Bianchi is longer and lower


----------



## jowwy (15 Dec 2021)

JhnBssll said:


> haha this is my 'comfortable' one too, the Bianchi is longer and lower


Medic, Medic....some one get me a Medic lol


----------



## JhnBssll (13 Feb 2022)

I'm playing around with a few options for a more robust GPS and Ion front light mount in CAD at the moment. Currently it is made up of an 'Edge Mount' out-front stem mount with a couple of bits I've previously 3d printed and cobbled together which looks like this...





The plan is to keep the basic construction and reuse the Edge Mount but to replace the 3d printed parts with new ones designed to fit a little better. This is where I am at the moment with the design, I'll hopefully get a chance to print something tomorrow afternoon.











I've also been thinking about the Chase The Sun ride in June and reading up about powerbanks; seems both the Karoo 2 GPS and the Varia Radar can both be powered externally so I've ordered a few bits and bobs to play with to try and get a central powerbank to run both units. The trick will be trying to weather proof the connectors as best I can, especially the Varia which is right in line for a soaking if it gets damp out. I've got some flexible resin so am wondering about printing a gasket/seal to fit around the micro USB plug and replace the charge port cover part but I'll put a bit more info up when I've thought about it more 😊


----------



## Gunk (13 Feb 2022)




----------



## JhnBssll (13 Feb 2022)

I've just cleaned up and cured the first print of the parts - Pretty successful but a few tweaks to be made as is usually the case 

Here are the two pieces assembled to the mount:






Currently the two outer bolts that hold the light bracket on dont actually reach the nuts so one of the tweaks will be to make the nut pockets deeper so I can actually attach it 

Regarding light position and function it seems spot on though, the only other tweak I'll make is to make my little "JiB" logo in the center of the Karoo mount a bit deeper as it isn't obvious at the moment 😊















So overall very pleased with progress - I'm now making the minor tweaks and will set another print going overnight when they're ready


----------



## JhnBssll (14 Feb 2022)

Minor tweaks complete, it's now fitted to the bike


----------



## JhnBssll (19 Feb 2022)

The funky micro USB to ribbon cable adapter jobby I ordered arrived this morning. I'm going to try and see if I can use it to power my varia radar from a powerbank on longer rides. Here it is plugged in to the back with the varia running off the powerbank...















Seems to work, so I've had a first go at designing a gasket/enclosure for the varia end:











I'll remove the rubber charge cover and print this in flexible resin. Once I've got the geometry correct I'll fit the adapter in this little housing then seal it in with more resin by pouring it in and hitting it with UV light. Should be a fun experiment anyway


----------



## Milkfloat (19 Feb 2022)

How long do you need to ride for? My Varia lasts at least 12 hours on daytime flash, it may go longer, I have never checked.


----------



## JhnBssll (19 Feb 2022)

Milkfloat said:


> How long do you need to ride for? My Varia lasts at least 12 hours on daytime flash, it may go longer, I have never checked.



I'm prepping for 'Chase The Sun' in June so could easily be 14+ hrs My concern is if I don't manage to get to the other side by nightfall I'll need to use it as a light so the final few hours are the most important, I don't want to be worrying about battery life  The GPS will be connected to the powerbank too.


----------



## JhnBssll (5 Mar 2022)

I've been working on a few more tweaks to the GPS mount today. I wasn't happy with the lower light mount part so started from scratch with a similar design but slightly more sleak. I've hollowed it all out and put internal reinforcement ribs too this time so it'll be much lighter than before.



















It should finish printing later this evening. I've got a 60 mile ride planned for the morning so hopefully it'll be cleaned, cured and fitted in time to use straight away


----------



## JhnBssll (6 Mar 2022)

Job's a goodun - printed, cleaned, cured and fitted 










I'll find out tomorrow if it's up to the task but there are no early warning signs yet


----------



## JhnBssll (15 Apr 2022)

I've had another set of carbon rims turn up for this bike 😄 They're from LightBicycle again but this time they're 650b rather than 700c as I want to try and squeeze a wider gravel tyre in - there seems to be room but it could be tight. The spokes didn't arrive today so hopefully they'll be delivered on Saturday, otherwise they won't be getting built this weekend 

Here's a teaser...


----------



## JhnBssll (16 Apr 2022)

A quick break from DIY this morning to build a wheel - the spokes arrived first thing, or at least half of them did... There was a big hole in the parcel and all of the spokes for the rear wheel had escaped  Fortunately all of the spokes for the front wheel were present and correct so I got busy with the spoke wrench...



















Tyre clearance is going to be tight, I reckon I'll have 1mm either side between the rear tyre and the chainstays. I may have to find a narrower pair


----------



## JhnBssll (13 May 2022)

The rotors for these wheels finally arrived today so I've just finished them off. I'd built the rear wheel a few weeks ago but without the rotors of course I couldn't do much with them 

I decided 1mm of tyre clearance wasn't a sensible amount so sourced some 35mm Continental TerraSpeed's to replace the 42mm WTB Resolutes. This will likely drop the BB height slightly further but I'll find out the damage when I pop them on the bike tomorrow  Anyway, here they are all ready to go on finished off with black Hope rotors and purple Hope lock rings


----------



## DCBassman (14 May 2022)

JhnBssll said:


> I decided 1mm of tyre clearance wasn't a sensible amount


Slightly OT...I'm running 28s on the Scott at the minute, giving 1mm clearance twixt tyre and seat tube. No issues so far, but...


----------



## JhnBssll (14 May 2022)

If they were road tyres I wouldn't be overly concerned about 1mm clearance but I'm worried about clogging, the mud is pretty sticky in these parts - its not called Claydon for nothing


----------



## JhnBssll (19 Aug 2022)

I spotted a while back that Hope had released a new variant of the flatmount rear RX-4 caliper without the +20mm offset that had caused me issues in the original build, and required switching the rear caliper for a post mount with a homemade adapter bracket. I ordered one ages ago but have only just gotten round to fitting it. The zero offset caliper mated to the +20mm frame mount means I can now run the rear 180mm rotor with no bodgery 






Of course I swapped my purple piston caps in to the new caliper before I filled it with mineral oil 😊 These new RX4+ calipers are supposed to be easier to bleed, but this one still showed some resistance 

I took the opportunity to give her a good clean too, with the cassette and chain spending 20 minutes in the ultrasonic cleaner for good luck


----------



## jowwy (20 Aug 2022)

JhnBssll said:


> I spotted a while back that Hope had released a new variant of the flatmount rear RX-4 caliper without the +20mm offset that had caused me issues in the original build, and required switching the rear caliper for a post mount with a homemade adapter bracket. I ordered one ages ago but have only just gotten round to fitting it. The zero offset caliper mated to the +20mm frame mount means I can now run the rear 180mm rotor with no bodgery
> 
> View attachment 658007
> 
> ...



That grass looks awful………oh and theres a bike too, which is stunning.


----------



## AndyRM (20 Aug 2022)

JhnBssll said:


> I spotted a while back that Hope had released a new variant of the flatmount rear RX-4 caliper without the +20mm offset that had caused me issues in the original build, and required switching the rear caliper for a post mount with a homemade adapter bracket. I ordered one ages ago but have only just gotten round to fitting it. The zero offset caliper mated to the +20mm frame mount means I can now run the rear 180mm rotor with no bodgery
> 
> View attachment 658007
> 
> ...



Very, very lovely.


----------

