On One Pompetamine

[marcw]

Is this one that you have on yours?

thats the one.

 

[MacB]

Ok, just about complete, some further pics here, but camera seems to be playing up, just about good enough to see some of the detail I'll reference in this post:-

http://www.cyclechat.net/gallery/album/4072/103-onone-pompetamine-commuter-build/

Frame & forks - On One Pompetamine Cro Mo, in white, size XL, with On One seatpost clamp
Seatpost - bike hut inline, twin bolt
Saddle - Brooks B17 standard
Bars - FSA Road Vero Compact, 44cm 31.8mm oversize
Stem - Outland oversize road, 120mm +/-7 degrees
Headset - On One Smoothie
Brake Levers - Tektro RL340 and Tektro crosstops
Brake Cables - standard inners and Goodridge outers
Brakes - Avidd BB7 road with 160mm 6 bolt rotors, front fitted via Mavic 6 bolt to centrelock adaptor - pain in butt coz needs Hollowtech 2 bottom bracket type tool to tighten up
BB - Shimano UN54
Chainset & Pedals - Stronglight with 36t ring and black BMX platform pedals, chain is a standard 3/32 with a powerlink
Rear wheel - SRAM I-9 hub gear, 36h with Mavic A719 rim, M+ 700x35 tyre, 20t SRAM cog
Front wheel - Shimano Alfine Dynamo WH-S501 - 24h - all silver, black spokes, with 622x19 rim, M+ 700x35 tyre
Guards - SKS P45 black
Rack - Tortec black

Still to do - waiting for bar tape and bars will have tubular foam grips underneath with regular tape over the top. Have ordered a half link for the 3/32 chain as the wheel is too far back when chain tension is correct. This means that the disc rotor can't fully engage with the caliper, but removing a full link is too much. also need to purchase and fit front and rear dynamo lights.

Not impressed - the rear caliper mount is a bit tight, the frame itself impedes the full range of caliper aft movement. It will work but a bit more common sense in design and I wouldn't need the half link. Having looked at other bikes I think I would rather have a dropout mounted caliper and use a disc specific rack. Also not that happy with cable routing for rear brake.
Mudguard fitting - have to drill through rear guard to fit to underneath of the seatstay triangle, why not have a regular drilling that matches the predominant guard fittings? Front mudguard, why position a frame fitting where you know full well that the disc caliper will impede access, on a disc only set of forks? Thanks to the great idea from ZigZag I used a rear stay on the right hand side and that worked really well but I was still a bit uncomfortable. So I used another rear stay on the disc side but cut one arm off and just mounted to the lower mudguard fitting...this is now very solid...thanks Rimas.

Overall pretty happy and the ride is very comfy - looks quite nice as well, my first ever white bike This is my first venture into trackends, don't find them any more difficult to work with than horizontal dropouts. Though I'm still of the view that vertical dropouts are far superior all round, how you use these and still achieve chain tension is a matter of choice. My order of preference would be, sliding dropouts with disc caliper on dropout, upward pushing chain tensioner and eccentric bottom bracket.

Planned future upgrades - this wheelset and chainset to move back to Surly and an Alfine 11 rear/dynamo front, plus alfine chainset, all in black, to go on this bike. Preferably when they have Versa shifters for the Alfine 11.

 

[Saundie]

thats the one.

Thanks marcw, I will probably go for one of those, then.

Ok, just about complete, some further pics here, but camera seems to be playing up, just about good enough to see some of the detail I'll reference in this post:

Looking good, including the interesting shifter positioning! Good to know that you're already preparing to change it

I took my Versa Pro out for the first time this morning, and I must say that I am impressed with it so far. This was my first go on a bike with dropped handlebars and 700c wheels, so there was bit of a learning curve. It's very different to my existing bike, the Carrera Subway 8, but in ways that I (mostly) approve of. Much lighter, more responsive, even smoother gear changes (once I'd gotten used to the Versa shifter), and it seems to take potholes just as well. The brakes are the only thing I'm not satisfied with. I can't seem to adjust them properly, though I think it might be a case of the disc being slightly crooked as I can hear the disc scraping one of the pads once every revolution. They also don't seem to be as powerful as the roller brakes on the Subway, which resulted in an interesting moment at a roundabout this morning. I had to stop after 10 miles as I'd set the saddle too high and was getting backache, but I really enjoyed getting out on it this morning. Looking forward to many years of (hopefully) low maintenance enjoyment!

Edit: Here is the spec I went for (it's the default spec, other than the saddle and mudguards);

Frame & forks - On One Pompetamine Cro Mo, in white, size M, with On One seatpost clamp
Seatpost - OnOne Twelfty
Saddle - Whatever a Specalized Sirrus 2009 model comes with (temporarily borrowed)
Bars - Planet X Road Bar Strada Shallow Drop 40cm
Stem - Planet X Ultralight CNC Stem , 100mm +/-6 degrees
Headset - FSA Orbit Xtreme Pro
Brake Levers - Versa VRS-8
Brakes - Avidd BB7 road with 160mm 6 bolt rotors
Crankset - OnOne External Bearing Track Crankset / 165 mm / Silver / 48t /
Rear wheel - Alfine Rear 32h On Mavic Open Rim, Continental Grand Prix 2009 700x24 tyre, 18t Shimano cog
Front wheel - XT Front On Mavic Open Rim - Continental Grand Prix 2009 700x24 tyre
Guards - Crud RoadRacer MK2 (not yet fitted)

 

[MacB]

Saundie, regarding the disc brakes, there will be a bedding in but I followed these instructions not the Avid ones, Greg posted up the link originally:-

http://www.twowheelblogs.com/avid-bb7-disc-brake-set-and-tuning

I set them up along with my LBS mechanic and he was most impressed with this method. For starters you can reset the calipers very easily, just loosen the bolts and follow the steps, take about 20 minutes to do thoroughly.

 

[marcw]

here are pics of the Topeak Rack
My link

 

[Saundie]

Saundie, regarding the disc brakes, there will be a bedding in but I followed these instructions not the Avid ones, Greg posted up the link originally:-

http://www.twowheelblogs.com/avid-bb7-disc-brake-set-and-tuning

I set them up along with my LBS mechanic and he was most impressed with this method. For starters you can reset the calipers very easily, just loosen the bolts and follow the steps, take about 20 minutes to do thoroughly.

Excellent find, I'll have a go at it. Hopefully I won't have to take it to a bike shop, I've not been to any around here and so I don't have that all important rapport with one.

Regarding the issue with the saddle, On One called me this afternoon to explain what happened. Apparently the saddle was out of stock when I ordered the bike, and as it wasn't essential to the build, they cancelled it from the order to let the build go through. They neglected to add the saddle back onto the order before they shipped the bike out; thus it arrived without one. The guy I spoke to said that they wouldn't be getting any more of those saddles in for a while, and offered to let me select another one from their site. I asked him to send me one that is as close to the specified one as they have in stock, which he said he would do tomorrow, so I should get the saddle on Wednesday. I'm glad that they were reasonable about it, I had my concerns that I was going to get screwed, but it seems they've made it good.

 

[MacB]

Yeah, I've found them pretty helpful, I was checking today if there was any structural reason, I was sure there wasn't, why I couldn't drill through the forks. I want to mount my dynamo light at the fork crown and the little threaded bolt hole at the back only won't cut it. So I'll use that as a guide and drill right through and then use a through bolt to mount both light and guards.

I do get the impression that they've been swamped with commuter bike builds, guess it must be the 'recovery' putting people on two wheels then.

 

[jack the lad]

That aside, I'd like to get a rack for it sometime soon. I was looking at Topeak, and I couldn't figure out if I'd need a disc brake specific one - they're only a few pound more, so it's not a question of money, more of compatibility. The Topeak ones appeal to me due to the quick release locking mechanism, but I don't have my heart set on the brand or anything. Any recommendations?

An ordinary rack fits just fine - the disc caliper is between the chainstay and the seatstay, so it's not in the way at all. It's a shame that having given some thought to rear caliper positioning to avoid the caliper/rack/mudguard interface problem the front caliper is positioned right in the way of mudguard stays! I've had to resort to a heath robinson solution with long bolts and spacers to widen the stays out enough to clear.

My only problem is that the standard gearing is too high. 48x18 with the Alfine doesn't give enough low gears. Standard bottom gear is equivalent to 39x23, which might be OK for a whippet on a lightweight racer but not a heavyish bike (and rider) that is likely to be carrying a load. It might be OK for urban riding somewhere flat, but after 50+ miles of Yorkshire Dales I was finally defeated at the second hairpin on the long climb out of Appletreewick on the Way of the Roses - the only time I've ever had to give up and walk! A 44T chainring would drop it to something equivalent to bottom gear on a compact chainset, and give a similar range. If that's not enough I'll also go for the 20T rear sprocket to get down to about 30 inches, with a 100 inch top gear, which is plenty.

Hope this helps.

 

[Saundie]

An ordinary rack fits just fine - the disc caliper is between the chainstay and the seatstay, so it's not in the way at all. It's a shame that having given some thought to rear caliper positioning to avoid the caliper/rack/mudguard interface problem the front caliper is positioned right in the way of mudguard stays! I've had to resort to a heath robinson solution with long bolts and spacers to widen the stays out enough to clear.

Thank you, that is useful information to have. I am yet to buy the rack, so I will keep this in mind when I am selecting one. I have some Crud RoadRacer MK2s to go onto my Pompetamine, so I am not sure if I'll have the same problem. I will have a go at fitting them tomorrow, so time will tell.

My only problem is that the standard gearing is too high. 48x18 with the Alfine doesn't give enough low gears.

I've got a 44x20 setup on my Nexus hub commuter, which is fine for the places I cycle. I haven't really used my Pompetamine (I've been unwell this week), so I have no idea how much harder it is to ride, but I do not live in an especially hilly area so it should be fine. When I start touring on it next year, I'll likely drop it down a bit, but for now it'll probably be fine. Hopefully the weather will be decent tomorrow, and so I'll go for a proper run on the Pompetamine and report back

 

[MacB]

Well just spent a couple of hours fitting the dynamo lights, what is it with non existent, or indecipherable, instructions. After the fact it all seems straight forward and common sense but these were the first time I'd touched dynamo lights...still I know now. So what I fitted and what I've learned:-

B&M Lumotec IQ Cyo Senso Plus front light - their code 175QCSNDi - very nice looking light, was easy to fit, I'd drilled the fork crown ready, just had to find an extra long bolt. It was a faff trying to tighten bolt and keep light in place at the front and mudguard in place at rear. So the longer bolt allowed me to fit two nuts, using the first to secure the light and then the second for the mudguard bracket. The little connector for the Alfine dynohub is nifty, you just push the wire ends into the inner casing and fold up the outside of it. This entire casing then slots into the outer casing locking everything in place. It's then a simple push/pull connect and disconnect to the hub itself. I left the full length of wire and wrapped the excess around the lamp bracket itself, using cable ties to secure wire run to the fork. If I put a computer on this bike then I'll put both wire runs under the same cable tie, or I may use o-rings instead. I did consider a wireless computer but you have to spend to ensure that it's not impacted by the dynamo setup electrics, cheapo wired for under £10 will do me fine. I mainly use it to tell the time and record detail after the ride, sometimes use distance travelled to correlate with directions, but that's about it.

B&M 4D Toplight Senso Multi LED rear light - their code 328AB4HR - this also takes two AA batteries and will act as a senso light or a battery light as well as a plain hub dynamo one. Generally not as impressed with this, firstly(my fault) I had to change to a silver rack as the fitting plate on the black one wasn't right for this light. Secondly the instructions were just what was on the packet, took a while to realise that you fitted it with faceplate off and had to break through the bolt hole areas in the plastic etc. Thirdly, and mainly, the wiring is a faff and I can see it may get damaged quite easily through general wear and tear. The light itself works just fine and I'll use it until it's knackered but I think I'd take a different option in the future. In the space this light takes I could mount 3 Smartflash lights, with the outer two angled to provide maximum coverage. It gives you plenty of redundancy and you can switch them around between bikes. In hindsight I may have gotten carried away dynamo setup wise, I could have bought 3 Smarts for the price of this light. Rear battery lights are one of the items I've been really impressed with since getting into cycling. Also I'll still carry a Smart just in case anyway, setting up with 3 solves the spare carrying issue and provides the just in case bit.

I'll take some piccies later...Al

 

[Saundie]

I took my Pompetamine out this morning, and I find myself in agreement with jack the lad; 48x18 with the Alfine doesn't give enough low gears. The lowest gear on the Pompetamine works out slightly higher than the second gear on the Subway 8, according to Sheldon Brown's calculator. I really missed that lower gear this morning on some of the hills on my loop; so much so that I had to get off and walk up one. I did my best to get up it before getting off the bike, though; actually fell off the bike in my valiant attempt

 

[gaz]

I took my Pompetamine out this morning, and I find myself in agreement with jack the lad; 48x18 with the Alfine doesn't give enough low gears. The lowest gear on the Pompetamine works out slightly higher than the second gear on the Subway 8, according to Sheldon Brown's calculator. I really missed that lower gear this morning on some of the hills on my loop; so much so that I had to get off and walk up one. I did my best to get up it before getting off the bike, though; actually fell off the bike in my valiant attempt

What hill was this? in croydon?

 

[MacB]

I took my Pompetamine out this morning, and I find myself in agreement with jack the lad; 48x18 with the Alfine doesn't give enough low gears. The lowest gear on the Pompetamine works out slightly higher than the second gear on the Subway 8, according to Sheldon Brown's calculator. I really missed that lower gear this morning on some of the hills on my loop; so much so that I had to get off and walk up one. I did my best to get up it before getting off the bike, though; actually fell off the bike in my valiant attempt

Yep, 48x18 only gives a low of just under 40 inches and gives a top two over 100 inches, really not setup for the sort of riding this hub is good for. A change to the 20t cog would be a big improvement, but I'd still want to drop down to at least a 44t up front, even with the 20t rear.

 

[Saundie]

What hill was this? in croydon?

Spout Hill. I was on the shared pavement\cycle path, which is even steeper than the road. This was only my second ride on a bike with drop handlebars, and my first ride with clipless pedals. The pavement was wet, I leaned too far to the side, the tyre lost grip and the bike slid out from under me. Got unclipped but not in time to put my foot down, and so I hit the pavement. Fortunately there was no damage to the bike, and only minor bruising to my hip and shoulder.

Yep, 48x18 only gives a low of just under 40 inches and gives a top two over 100 inches, really not setup for the sort of riding this hub is good for. A change to the 20t cog would be a big improvement, but I'd still want to drop down to at least a 44t up front, even with the 20t rear.

I believe I am right in saying that the gear ratios are the same on both the Nexus and Alfine hubs? My experience with the Nexus on my Subway 8 was a very large influence on my decision to go for the Pompetamine in the first place. Admittedly, I didn't give any real consideration to the differences in gearing and wheel size when I ordered the Pompetamine. How difficult would it be to switch to a 46x20 setup, for example?

 

[Piemaster]

I have my pompino set up with the 48/18 combo and find it fine. Big BUT - its flat around here so never been an issue. Went for that combo after looking at the gear calculator and thinking about how the other bike is used.
The giant escape(26" wheels) has a triple chainring and I rarely use even the middle apart from when towing the trailer (approx 50kg of garden waste to tip is typical). Could even do that on big ring but would need to bigger cogs on the cassette - obviously inadvisable.