Which Hewitt????
- Thread starter petenats
- Start date
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oxford_guy
Über Member
- Location
- Oxford, England
petenats said:
Will be worth the wait, I still think my Cheviot SE is fantastic! :-)
oxford_guy
Über Member
- Location
- Oxford, England
BTW what options did you go for in the end?
It ended up being fairly standard Cheviot SE.
From the ground up:
Marathon XR 35 (a recommendation from some bloke in Oxford!) They do look great..not cheap though but that all round use and indestructable kind of air about them.
Rigide rims with standard XT hubs. As an aside I mentioned your hub disintegration in passing and he said that the early versions of the new XT hub seemed to be developing some faults but a replacement would be no problem...might be worth a call.
Tekro 720 brakes (no cross brake levers for the same reasons mentioned above) apparently the extra kink in the brake line to fit cross brakes ruins the feel.
Standard deore groupset with XT mechs.
Tubus rack on the back and lo riders on the front.
Standard drops, I was convinced by the fit away from and thoughts of straight bars. With three comfy positions it seemed un-necessary and I went for the bar end shifter option despite some serious consideration of shimano/campag STI type rigs, I thought I'd stick with tradition!
Stightly different brake levers, crane creek compacts and saddle wise I decided to give a Brooks a go...he recommended the B17 narrow (small arse apparently) so hopefully I will turn out to be a Brooks convert!
I decided to leave out dyno lights...not too bothered about the inconvenience of fixing lights for my town riding.
Altogether it is quite an afternoon spent with Paul. A fantastic bloke, very down to earth hugely helpful and very much out to do the best thing for you rather than convince you of the most expensive option...like some dealers! His attention to detail and thorough explanations of what he is trying to do set up for you are very informative. Also was kind enough to show me how to convert the measurements he took for the tourer frame to my Scott CR1...so when I get back from this trip at work I'll be getting out the spanner and doing some fettling!
Oh one other extra,I also decided to go for the frame protector just incase water gets into the frame, a bit like wax-oyl so no fear about corrosion long term.
He did also say that he'll call when the frame is delivered to them and then if there are any final spec changes they can still be made...so still up for options!!!
Roll on 4 weeks!
From the ground up:
Marathon XR 35 (a recommendation from some bloke in Oxford!) They do look great..not cheap though but that all round use and indestructable kind of air about them.
Rigide rims with standard XT hubs. As an aside I mentioned your hub disintegration in passing and he said that the early versions of the new XT hub seemed to be developing some faults but a replacement would be no problem...might be worth a call.
Tekro 720 brakes (no cross brake levers for the same reasons mentioned above) apparently the extra kink in the brake line to fit cross brakes ruins the feel.
Standard deore groupset with XT mechs.
Tubus rack on the back and lo riders on the front.
Standard drops, I was convinced by the fit away from and thoughts of straight bars. With three comfy positions it seemed un-necessary and I went for the bar end shifter option despite some serious consideration of shimano/campag STI type rigs, I thought I'd stick with tradition!
Stightly different brake levers, crane creek compacts and saddle wise I decided to give a Brooks a go...he recommended the B17 narrow (small arse apparently) so hopefully I will turn out to be a Brooks convert!
I decided to leave out dyno lights...not too bothered about the inconvenience of fixing lights for my town riding.
Altogether it is quite an afternoon spent with Paul. A fantastic bloke, very down to earth hugely helpful and very much out to do the best thing for you rather than convince you of the most expensive option...like some dealers! His attention to detail and thorough explanations of what he is trying to do set up for you are very informative. Also was kind enough to show me how to convert the measurements he took for the tourer frame to my Scott CR1...so when I get back from this trip at work I'll be getting out the spanner and doing some fettling!
Oh one other extra,I also decided to go for the frame protector just incase water gets into the frame, a bit like wax-oyl so no fear about corrosion long term.
He did also say that he'll call when the frame is delivered to them and then if there are any final spec changes they can still be made...so still up for options!!!
Roll on 4 weeks!
oxford_guy
Über Member
- Location
- Oxford, England
petenats said:
Yeah, they're great, if not exactly svelte-looking...
Well, my LBS are going to try to see if they can get a replacement XT hub from Shimano, which I will probably eBay, as I replaced the original hub with a Hopetech Pro III (which is a sealed hub), though this is perhaps "overkill"...
Indeed it does, if my girlfriend's tourer is anything to go by, though she still likes them...
I was wary of drops at first, and they took a bit of getting used to, but I really like them now!
Well, they do have the advantage of being potentially more reliable, which is quite important on a tourer, I went for the shimano/campag STI setup as do a lot of gear changing in town etc. when commuting
Well, I started out with the Standard Selle Rolls, but ditched that for a Brooks B17 Imperial (basically a Brooks B17 with a cutout), which I now find really comfy!
Well, the dyno option was quite expensive for me, but I use my bike for commuting and quite alot at night (I have no car...), so thought it was worth it, but I can see why not everyone would go for this and it does add weight to the front hub. It does mean, however, that I could also potentially use devices like this to charge my GPS/Phone/iPod etc. when touring...
Yeah, Paul's a good bloke! Very thorugh!
What's that all about? If I'd known about that I might have looked into this - is this something that can be done after a build?
Indeed, I think I changed the rim colour (from silver to black) and the rear light (to a dyno one) at the last minute and Paul managed to sort that...
Please post piccies up of your new steed when it arrives!
I only mentioned the frame saver to him as I'd read something about it on the Thorn cycles forms.
Chatting to Paul he was saying although other frames occasionally get water ingress they have not known any on a Cheviot. When I mentioned drain holes around the bottom bracket he even asked if I wanted one!!! I said no BUT he mentioned frame saver which I think might be this stuff:
http://www.sandsmachine.com/guide_w.htm
He said it's a bugger of a job do do but in essence it's a bit like a parrafin consistency that is poured through the frame (which stinks out the shop and gets everywhere) it then dries to a waxy consistency on the inside of the frame preventing any corrosion.
I'm not sure its something they do unless specifically asked for but he's only charging £10 which is a bargain for long term peace of mind.
I'm sure it can be done retrospectively and I'm sure with a bit of googling there might be a few different products.
Piccies will def be posted when it arrives!!!! :-)
Chatting to Paul he was saying although other frames occasionally get water ingress they have not known any on a Cheviot. When I mentioned drain holes around the bottom bracket he even asked if I wanted one!!! I said no BUT he mentioned frame saver which I think might be this stuff:
http://www.sandsmachine.com/guide_w.htm
He said it's a bugger of a job do do but in essence it's a bit like a parrafin consistency that is poured through the frame (which stinks out the shop and gets everywhere) it then dries to a waxy consistency on the inside of the frame preventing any corrosion.
I'm not sure its something they do unless specifically asked for but he's only charging £10 which is a bargain for long term peace of mind.
I'm sure it can be done retrospectively and I'm sure with a bit of googling there might be a few different products.
Piccies will def be posted when it arrives!!!! :-)
My understated Cheviot SE
Now six years old and I'm as pleased with it as I was when I first got it. Just back from a few days in West Scotland and it was as always a joy to ride.
I also have a Thorn 26" wheeled tourer, which is a slightly better bike on rough stuff and heavily loaded. I'm glad I've got the choice, but if it I could only have one it would be the Hewitt and the 700c wheels play a large part in that.
I like most of the choices you've made, just a couple of things I'd change;
If you're going for bar end shifters there's nothing stopping you from using V brakes, they out perform the best cantis and the newish Cane Creek drop bar levers are very good. The Marathon tyres are reliable and robust, but my bike rides a lot better on something a bit narrower and lighter, I'll put up with the occasional punc**re for the joy of the way the bike handles on light 28mm tyres.
Hope you enjoy your bike as much as I do mine.
oxford_guy
Über Member
- Location
- Oxford, England
petenats said:
BTW I forgot to ask the most important question, what colour(s) did you go for in the end?
Great looking bike PH!
I decided on the 35's for the winter and for the touring we intend to do over the next few months. I suspect that come the spring I will invest in some 28's for summer use and more on road commuting...I'll see how the 35's roll first bearing in mind I do have a Scott CR1 for the quick, fun blasts around and just riding for riding's sake!
I thought about V brakes and assumed they were only available with straight bars, I have been informed that the Tektro 720 canti's are pretty good though. I suspect even loaded that unless I'm caning it down an Alpine pass they will suffice...we'll see!
As for colour Oxford Guy...I chatted to Paul and decided to go for the complete stealth option. Black everything...I was accused of going for a very 'London' colour scheme! Hopefully it will keep it from prying eyes and light fingers!
Counting the days now...was out on the Scott yesterday and mountain bike today but the new stablemate will be the steed of choice in almost all circumstances. I do need to spend tomorrow morning setting up my Scott with the adjusted fitting dimensions Paul gave me for the road when setting me up for the tourer...it just gets better and better!
I decided on the 35's for the winter and for the touring we intend to do over the next few months. I suspect that come the spring I will invest in some 28's for summer use and more on road commuting...I'll see how the 35's roll first bearing in mind I do have a Scott CR1 for the quick, fun blasts around and just riding for riding's sake!
I thought about V brakes and assumed they were only available with straight bars, I have been informed that the Tektro 720 canti's are pretty good though. I suspect even loaded that unless I'm caning it down an Alpine pass they will suffice...we'll see!
As for colour Oxford Guy...I chatted to Paul and decided to go for the complete stealth option. Black everything...I was accused of going for a very 'London' colour scheme! Hopefully it will keep it from prying eyes and light fingers!
Counting the days now...was out on the Scott yesterday and mountain bike today but the new stablemate will be the steed of choice in almost all circumstances. I do need to spend tomorrow morning setting up my Scott with the adjusted fitting dimensions Paul gave me for the road when setting me up for the tourer...it just gets better and better!
oxford_guy
Über Member
- Location
- Oxford, England
petenats said:
I find the Tektro 720s very good and think they give a good "feel"
Not a bad a bad idea, I went for the dark green partly because I didn't want something too bling, but it still looks very shiny...
oxford_guy said:
I’d agree, they're what I now have on the front of my Hewitt and you'll find plenty of posts on here where I recommend them, they are without a doubt the best option if you're restricted to using cantis.
But, V brakes are better, it's a simple matter of leverage, more cable pull for the same amount of movement = more control and more force applied to the rim. That's why all MTBs converted to them. You can't use them with Ergo/STI levers because they don't pull enough cable and until recently the options for compatible non gear drop bar brake levers was limited to some rather shoddy ones. The newish Cane Creek levers change that, Google for the reviews, all positive. It could be that Paul Hewitt isn't aware of them, still worth a chat with him, he's open to new ideas, mine was only the third bike he'd used Ergos and Shimano mechs on.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=35189
