llavalle's A4X Build

[llavalle]

Alright - weather is still a bit crap around here so I'm taking small rides. I have around 14km so far on the bike (~8.7miles). Riding on bike paths is ok now.. but I still have problems with low speed & small circle turns, especially on the right side.

Added a few of the last touches to the bike (before the ebike conversion).

Wanted a power meter... and after finding a lot of different not so good options (mostly crank based), I just ended up opening up my wallet for a pair of Favero Assioma Pro MX




Since I'm not comfortable enough to ride clipped in on the Cruz yet, I picked up cheap AliExpress SPD cleats (knockoffs) and flat pedal adapters (<$15 combined)



It looks REALLY weird but it'll work until I'm comfortable enough to clip in




Also received my rear lights + reflector kit. SeeMe 50Mag - it sync with the front light



Front reflector as well



On the cockpit, I added my Peak Design "up front" mount. Love this mount (was on my other bike). It clips securely with their cases (similar to Quad Pro but cleaner IMO).



It's convenient that it has a go-pro mount underneath - I might just run a camera (for safety, like a dashcam)



And while I wasn't originally planning to install one, now that I've ridden a bit, a mirror. Zefal Espion Z56



The riding bit :

I'm getting used to the torque steer... but it feels more natural (for now at least) to pull on the side of the handlebar I'm pushing with my feet. It's definitely easier (force wise) to push on the other side but I guess I need to build up the muscle memory.

I don't like the gearing. I went with a 40t chainring (factory is 42) and a 11-51 cassette. Went with a cheap Deore from Aliexpress so it's 11 speed just to get started and get a feeling for it before putting my target groupset... Anyhow, there is no way I'll ever use the 51t cog on the cassette. This would be at VERY low speed and I don't have the balance yet for this. At the same time, the top end will be limiting. Having a 11t is limiting when going downhill... so I expect it'll be odd with the motor too.

Couldn't find a 42t chainring for cheap so went for a 44t to test. I was also thinking of switching to a 11-42 cassette since I found some of the gear spacing to be too high.... but turns out only the 3 larger cogs are different. I might just end up with a 12speed drivetrain after all

I initially didn't get the Croder set on the factory bike but now that I'm shopping for chainrings and so on, I get it now LOL.

Can't wait for the good weather to come in so I can get more kms on this!

 

[llavalle]

Alright, 63km done (just shy of 40miles). Going slow since I'm getting back into shape. Couple of things I noticed :

• Bike is slower than I thought it would be. It felt slower but now that I installed my power pedals, it IS slower. Checked my brakes - no rubbing. Chain is well lubed. Tires well inflated (35psi - perfect for the 49mm wide tires). First I thought it was the suspension so I cranked up the preload and it only helped marginally. Then I looked up online to check my tires. Yup - they are the culprit. I though that having a semi slick was perfect turns out these are bad examples! Heh, they came with the wheels ($140 usd for wheels + new tires). I ordered a set of CONTINENTAL Contact Urban 27.5´´ x 1.60 and see how they perform in hardpack. I still question the decision to go 650b on this bike. Tire selection isn't great - most gravel bikes are 700C now. Most hybrids are 700C.

• Like my previous post hinted at - gearing isn't great with my cheap deore setup. I ended up coding a small ConnectIQ app for my watch that takes the cadence + speed and infer which gear it's on (with configurable gears + wheel circonference). Turns out I spend most of my time on the 8th cog with some higher speed on the 9th and some recovery on the 7th.
  • I have a 11-51 cassette : 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-33-39-45-51T & a 40T chainring right now.
  • That means I'm running most of the time with a 40-18 ratio. I don't like that the step between 7-8-9 is 3T, too high jump!
  • Couple of options I'm considering :
    • Switch to 38T chainring. Need to do the math to see if it'll help (well see)
      • Pro : cheap - I already have it
      • Con : might run out of gear
    • Switch to the Deore 11-42 : 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-37-42T. With the smaller range, I'll be using 6-7-8 (and 2 tooth jump). Maybe I could switch to a 38T chainring (I already have it)
      • Pro : cheap (well, sorta, I need to change the derailler too - I have the long range version)
      • Con : I'm going to lose climbing abilities and there's one hill right now I'm using the 45T and 51T. The 51T is kinda useless because I skid out
    • Switch to Shimano 12 speed - 10-12-14-16-18-21-24-28-33-39-45-51T
      • Pro : I could use the new DI2 full wireless Deore which is CLEAN. The latest stuff from DI2 is cross compatible between road and MTB so I could convert to GRX levers at one point if I want.
      • Con : more pricey - trying to find a freehub for my hub right now that is micro-spline compatible is proving hard. Step from 7th to 8th is still 3T but at least 8 to 9th is 2T. Could be fixed with a 38T chainring
    • Switch to Shimano 12 speed "Medium Cage" (RD-M8250-GS) 9-11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-33-39-45T
      • Pro : Range would be PERFECT for a smaller chainring
      • Pro#2 : To get a similar range as right now (min and max) I can go with a 34T chainring which is pretty standard size for MTB component so WAY easier to find.
      • Con : Requires an XT derailleur and a special tool to remove the super small last cog. Also requires a micro-spline hub. Also pretty new so will be full MSRP.. no "cheap Ali Express"
    • Switch to SRAM similar with the factory bike
      • Pro : cheap-ish
      • Con : I hate how these shift
    • Switch to to SRAM AXS system
      • Pro : should shift better
      • Con : more expensive, also requires the use of a XD freehub... Since I need to change hub, I'd rather stay with Shimano
    • I could also switch to a 2x setup (already have the mount from Cruz) but that's an all other ballgame

==> I'll start by waiting to add the ebike motor and see how that goes... but the new compact 9-45 cassettes are REALLY nice.

• Glad I decided to put the hub motor on the back . I'm getting wheelslip on steep hills in 1st or 2nd gear. See this video at around 2:13

• I know I said I loved my "up front" mount from Peak Design but I ended up replacing it with the motorcycle one (I had it on hand) because while the gopro fit on the "up front", all of my batteries were dead on the Go Pro (old Hero 3). I just bought a DJI Action 5 Pro (they are on sale right now) and the fit was a bit tight.... So I just put it on a "Large Clamp Mount" from GoPro. I also put the cellphone on the right, closer to my right hand.

• Decided to drill hole in the seat back for the small bag - fit better there.

How the Gear indicator shows up in Garmin Connect after a ride :


Update on the electrification : Grin shipped my order last Friday. It should be here next Friday (or maybe the Monday after!)

 

[llavalle]

Just did the math (well, Claude did). My 11-51 is problematic :



Using a Shimano 12 speed Deore (cheap) with an aftermarket Sunrace CSMZ903 allows me to use a 11-51 (not 10-51) and it fits on a regular HG hub :



Shimano 10-51 Microspline


And finally the 9-45 "medium cage" option with 32-34 and 36 chainrings



Again, I'll wait to add the rear motor and I'll take my decision!

 

[llavalle]

oh, and here's the factory setup (3rd column). Oddly enough it seems Cruz know what they are doing (joking here! clearly they know). I don't like how this system shifts AT ALL but the step up & down from my "favorite" speed are smoother.



According to Claude (need to double check the math )

• Shimano 11-51 with 40t (current): 18t=2.22 (your home), 15t=2.67 (+20%), 21t=1.90 (−14%) — asymmetric, the hard side jump is the problem
• Sunrace 11-51 with 38t: 15t=2.53 (+14%), 17t=2.24 (your home), 19t=1.89 (−13%) — both sides under 15%, HG compatible
• Shimano 9-45 with 34t: 15t=2.27 (your home), 13t=2.62 (+15%), 17t=2.00 (−12%) — also very good, but MicroSpline
• Shimano 10-51 with 40t: 18t=2.22 (exact match), 16t=2.50 (+13%), 21t=1.90 (−14%) — excellent, but MicroSpline
• SRAM PG-1230 with 42t: 19t=2.21 (your home), 17t=2.47 (+12%), 22t=1.91 (−14%) — both sides under 15%, HG compatible

Clearly, the best "bang for the buck" is the SRAM NX Eagle with the PG-1230.
Food for thought

 

[IyhelM]

Then I looked up online to check my tires. Yup - they are the culprit

I don’t think the Terreno are that bad, RR-wise. Keep in mind that BRR includes road race slicks such as GP5000s in their gravel comparisons so the absolute score is meaningless; and for the actual gravel tires that perfume significantly better, I can’t speak for the GravelKing but the Terra Speed wear off very fast if you ride on tarmac.

 

[llavalle]

I don’t think the Terreno are that bad, RR-wise. Keep in mind that BRR includes road race slicks such as GP5000s in their gravel comparisons so the absolute score is meaningless; and for the actual gravel tires that perfume significantly better, I can’t speak for the GravelKing but the Terra Speed wear off very fast if you ride on tarmac.

Thanks for the info. I mostly ride on tarmac so having a semi-slick gravel tire is the problem. I thought I was getting 95% of a road tire with some thread on the side.

Also, right now I'm running 19mm inner width rims so the 47mm tires are weirdly shaped. My Grin hub motor will be on 25mm rims and I just ordered a 25mm rim for the front as well. I'll try the Terreno on the i25 rims (so I can tweak the pressure too) + the Continental ones.

Also worth mentioning : I'm REALLY out of shape since I haven't been riding for a while because of neck problems on a regular bike. Think low 100s FTP. So RR of 25 vs 18 times 2 is meaningful for me right now.

 

[llavalle]

Alright, couple of updates today.

My brother had a new in box cheap 11-42 cassette from Ztto. It won't be perfect with my derailleur (min / max large cog of 51) but folks online say it can be ok-ish. That will not shift properly but I'll be able to test the gear ratio. It's not an exact match to the Shimano cassettes (the 2nd largest cog is different) but should be a good test. If I like it and it shifts like crap, I'll by the $50 Deore derailleur that is meant for this.



Also, after testing a few things, I realized that my current wheels are very narrow (19mm internal). Incoming hub motor will have a 25mm internal rim so I started shopping around for a 650b rear wheel (for the front) that has hubs on which I can change the freehubs to Micro Spline or Sram XD. Couldn't find anything in the used market to my liking. Custom wheel built ended up being around $400-500 CAD (only 1 wheel) with Velo Orange or DT hubs or I could get cheap china made DT clones but shipping was ultra long (2mo+) as I had to get the full wheel built overseas, no local bike shops what to deal with cheap DT clones.

Then a friend of mine told me "hey, Hunt wheel is running clearance sales on their 650b gravel sets". For some reason, their microspline set is $500 CAD right now (wth!)

MASON x HUNT 650B Adventure Sport Disc Wheelset

The second MASON x HUNT collaboration, bringing go-anywhere capabilities to bikes. The new breed of Adventure Sport focused bikes have the ability and attitude for those fun trail thrashes and bike-packing adventures, whilst not compromising anything for fast-far road days.

www.huntbikewheels.com

So I just ordered a set + a spare HG freehub. Won't be needed the front and I might have issues with the centerlock to 6 bolt rotor adapter (clearance on the Cruz is pretty tight). Worst case I switch to a centerlock rotor up front, these are affordable.

Speaking of the hub motor, package was delivered this morning.



(Don't mind the 3 throttles, this is a mistake on their part, already reached out to them)

 

[IyhelM]

For $500 the Hunt wheels are a steal!
Been riding them on the Silvio for the past 20k (with a dynamo hub at the back), they’re good.

 

[Benell]

Hi llavalle,

What are you using for a pedal assist sensor?

Thanks

 

[llavalle]

Hi llavalle,

What are you using for a pedal assist sensor?

Thanks

Not using any pedal assist right now. Grin's split 12 pole PAS sensor is B/O and their regular PAS sensor only works with square tapers.

I'm currently checking how hard it would be (and if responsive enough) to pickup the ANT plus signal from my power pedals and send that over TTL to the phaserunner. I have the ANT+ stack coded and working but I'm having issues with the TTL communication - Still don't know if that will be responsive enough / work at all but I won't have any time to play on this for a few days.

I did manage to get a quick & dirty install done over the weekend and do a test drive.

Don't judge the install, this was done quicly

Torque arm length would need to be 1/2in longer to be able to put the clamps on each side of the threaded hole. Right now the right clamp is ON TOP of the hole.(these are not the ones that came with the kit, I ordered larger ones from McMaster & Carr). Test fiting with tape to protect frame :



I have some adhesive rubber pads so I cut one up to protect the frame for the rest of the install :



Installed the battery on the left side of the rear suspension - it won't stay there but I wanted to do a quick test :



Phaserunner installed on the seat post :



And the thumb throttle on the left with another smaller throttle for regen on the right (not really visible). Borrowed a Garmin Edge from a buddy to do some tests - I might just buy it from him (he wants a bigger one).

Again don't judge the install - it was done in a hurry to do a test




The "Super Harness" came with one of the insulation on a wire a bit short, contacted Grin

Fully charged 36V battery (42V) -> 33kph on the GPS. Perfect for the legal limit of 32kph here. When nearly depleted, I get around 25kph.

I think I'd like to get some pedal assist... so :
Plan A) Try to inject the torque from the power pedals over TRSS
Plan B) Get the CADENCE from the power pedals and send over TRSS
Plan C) Get their cadence PAS sensor , cut it open and 3d print something that fits my crank
Plan D) if all else fails, get their torque sending BB. Chainline is fine (47mm) and uses 104 BCD so super easy to find chainrings for cheap.. but uses tapered square crank arms without chainring mounts (essentially unicycle arms) - 170mm only... and sourcing smaller ones is proving hard.