Andrews V20C Build 2025 discussion (1st time building bike)

[Andrew Roerkohl]

Attached is a word document on how i plan to build my new bike in the next few months. The components are specifically picked for ease of maintenance and for the hilly rides I do in Wisconsin. I haven't purchased anything yet so if my choices are not in the best interest of what i want to accomplish please do not hesitate to suggest a substitution. My budget is sort of set in stone so I cant just upgrade some choices based for performance. I ride a v20 vendetta 2020 which will stay on my trainer permanently once this bike has been built. Also please let me know if anything will not fit the new V20C. I appreciate everyone's time in looking over my parts list and providing feedback if warranted.

 

[Henri]

You've got one brifter and one pure brake? SRAM eTap normally uses the paddle on one brifter for up, the other side one for down. There might be an additional button on the hood, but using it for regular shifting action might not be optimal.
The brifter's product page says it's for rim brakes, but your brake is disk. I don't know if that makes a difference.
Are the shapes of both levers and hoods similar enough, so it won't feel weird in the hands to have different ones?

The crank set does not state what BB standard it is. Did you pay attention to that?
The wheels say, they can be setup the right way. Do you know, which it is?

Got brake disks, chain, tires, tubes and bar tape on your mind? I don't know, if a headset is part if the frame set or needed. Bell, lights and storage/bottle cages are gonna migrate from the existing bike?


OH! The brake shown is post mount. The bike should have flat mount. Adapters exist, but for me and my early V20c it only worked right on the rear and front was off. (Maybe a bigger disk would have fit right or a different adapter.)

 

[Andrew Roerkohl]

Wow thanks, I i did not know you could do that with the opposing paddles and yes that would be nice (cost an extra 200$).

I am good to go on the crank set since i am buying it off of the Cruzbike website.

As long as the brifters say mechanical they should be able to be used for disc or rim mounted right since all its doing is pulling a cable?

The wheels will be Sram XDR compatible so as long as i select the right set up i should be good.

And i am really confused about the disc brake mounts, i will absolutely dive a bit deeper on this.

Thank you very much, I will update this page when i get the above things sorted out.

 

[Henri]

Wow thanks, I i did not know you could do that with the opposing paddles

Indo think, thats the standard operating mode if SRAM eTap. Changing the chainring would be done by pushing both (in a 2x system only, of course).

I am good to go on the crank set since i am buying it off of the Cruzbike website

If it's listed for the V20c specifically, that should be safe, yes.

As long as the brifters say mechanical they should be able to be used for disc or rim mounted right since all its doing is pulling a cable?

I don't know. Depends on the cable pull length and mechanical advantage. If the brake needs more cable pull, the lever will bottom out without much effect and if the lever pulls more cable than needed, the hand force required will be high. I don't know if those things differ or are similar ebough to be interchangeable.

The wheels will be Sram XDR compatible so as long as i select the right set up i should be good.

Sounds good.

And i am really confused about the disc brake mounts, i will absolutely dive a bit deeper on this.

I totally feel that. The flat mount standard on the V20c keeps me from having the same brakes on all disk brake bikes.
Post Mount, as the name implies, has the brake sitting on posts. For a larger disk you can increase post length in frame design or with an offset adapter. IS2000 has two holes sideways. It us mostly used with an adapter for Post mount in the desired size. Flat Mount has the brake sitting flush on the tube of the frame or fork. Disk size is either fixed in frame design or accounted for by sliding the brake between different positions. Often the prake mounts to a flat piece, thatbthen mounta to the frame. This piece then can be rotated to shift the mounting holes to two positions, mostly 140mm or 160mm. The V20c has this piece in the rear, but not in the front, which is fixed 160mm.
I am not sure, but it might be, that an adapter from flat mount frame to post mount brake adds an offset of 20mm, because the posts are being added. That would mean, rear would be 160mm or choosable 160mm/180mm and front would be fixed 180mm. (If I had this thought sooner, I would have tried, but now I have flat mount brakes and the curiosity is not strong enough to make me take the time.)
If you can get flat nount brakes, it would be much easier. 160mm disk front, 140mm or 160mm rear. (If I remember correctly. I would not swear without going and checking. )

 

[Frito Bandito]

Looking forward to the build Andrew. Yeah, for the shifters, you need a button on each brifter to move the RD left and right. A right side click moves it right and vice versa. You have to pair the brifters to the RD and FD, but it is simple. IIRC it is to long push a button on the brifter then long push a button on the rear derailleur, then the same for the other brifter.
I use the AXS Wireless Blips to save weight, but you'd still need the brifters to complete the Blip pairing. Since they are AXS, you can use Rival, Force or Red, they will all communicate with the RD.

 

[Henri]

Technically there are also other ways, like a blip box or MTB style shifter, but they probably don't make much sense on a drop bar. (I use an alternative bar to use MTB style brake levers and shifters. - Or I use a blip box with blips or Zirbel Twister ring instead of the blip buttons, but that's a very expensive choice.)
Also the brifter has a port for a wired blip (put on the surface of a bar) or clic (put into the end of a bar). I would be curious, if you'd need a second brifter to complete the setup or could use one
brifter with any of those small buttons.

 

[LarryOz]

Andrew - If you are building this to be as fast as possible - I would get some deeper rims. I personally like the FLO wheelset -
I have AS700 (https://flocycling.com/collections/77-as) on my V20 with tubeless 25mm
Their G700 (https://flocycling.com/collections/gravel-collection-page/products/flo-g700-disc-brake) has a rim depth of 55mm - and FLO said they with 32mm tires are actually faster than their AS700 . I am trying a set of these on my just finished custom V20C - which is the lower one in this pic

 

[Mathew Fy]

As for the brakes, I had to find an adapter for the older style caliper to fit the newer style on the back. See the post: https://forum.cruzbike.com/threads/v20c-disc-brake-adapter-solved.14730/#post-177230
The front fits with the included adapter for 180 or 140 mm or without the adapter for 160 mm.

 

[Mathew Fy]

If you want a greater gear range while staying 1x, go with mountain bike derailleur like this and a 10-52 tooth (non-transmission) cassette. The SRAM AXS road brifters are fully compatible with the mtb derailleurs.

I think the new SRAM Transmission will fit okay, but the unique chain requires using their mtb (too small) chainring, or getting a Wolf Tooth one.
No, the internal diameter of the fork & chainstay holes are too small.

 

[CruzRider]

I think the new SRAM Transmission will fit okay

I don’t think so. Eagle Transmission requires that the frame is Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) compatible due to its unique hangerless design
You can recognize these frames from the special dropout/the lack of a derailleur hanger.
I have heard some people hack it, and live with poor shifting. Why? …..

But you can just get the 12 speed regular Eagle GX AXS Derailleur.
I run this on two of my Cruzbikes.

 

[Andrew Roerkohl]

Once again thank you all for this help, I will be adjusting my build list here shortly.

@Larry, yes those Flo wheels are mor aero than the ones i plan to buy but they are 669g heavier than the Hunt wheels. Don't know if that makes a huge difference but my bike I am designing is for the ability to tackle hills better than i do right now. Next year i will probably buy that set of Flo wheels for when i travel south to ride with no hills.

@matthew, https://trpcycling.com/products/flat-mount-to-post-mount is this the mount I need?

As for the brifters I will email SRAM and ask about them being used for mechanical brakes.

 

[Henri]

As for the brakes, I had to find an adapter for the older style caliper to fit the newer style on the back.

I wouldn't call it "older" and "newer". Post mount is not outdated, just because it has existed longer.

The front fits with the included adapter for 180 or 140 mm or without the adapter for 160 mm.

Oh, so front is 160mm native and a reversible 20mm offset adapter is included? (I think my early V20c complete build did not have that adapter included. Or I didn't recognize it back then.) But that's still only for Flat mount brakes. In your thread you hat a post mount brake with adapter in the back and a flat mount brake in the front!

If you want a greater gear range while staying 1x, go with mountain bike derailleur like this and a 10-52 tooth (non-transmission) cassette.

I happily ride Eagle for the gear range, but it's also bigger gear jumps and probably more weight.

I think the new SRAM Transmission will fit okay

Probably not. I have not seen UDH or Transmission advertised by Cruzbike. I guess, it would be hard to adhere to that standard, while you have an articulated joint right on the axle, that probably increases width.

@matthew, https://trpcycling.com/products/flat-mount-to-post-mount is this the mount I need?

Are you going to reuse a brake you already have? If you have to buy one anyway, get one that fits natively. And even if you already have one, maybe go to the used market and try to change it.
Otherwise your link fits with what ha used jn his thread. He used the "front" variant in the rear. But he hasn't used it in the front. We have no confirmed success for the front, yet. I suspect that the rear 140 might work as a front 160. Or if an offset adapter is already included with the frame set, it might work 140 for 140 and 160 for 160, but I am not sure and using multiple adapters is probably not proper form. (Front brake is important, I wouldn't bodge that one.)

All this talk makes me curious now. I am planning to change a lot of my bikes to another brand. That brand does not offer flat mount brakes, only post mount. So if we find a way to put post mount brakes in the front, I could change the V20c as well! I might go retrieve my adapters, maybe order something and try around a bit today and the coming weekend.

 

[Andrew Roerkohl]

I am not going to re-use anything, this will be my first ever brand new bicycle designed the way i want. So to make sure i understand properly.... as long as i order "flat mount" brakes i should be fine?

 

[Henri]

Of course it also has to be cable actuated, if that's what you are going for. But yes: A flat mount brake fits natively on a flat mount frame and fork. Then pay attention to the disks: Rear 140 and 160 work with the included bracket. Front 160 fits without a bracket and if that previously mentioned bracket is included, it allows for 140 and 180.

 

[Mathew Fy]

flat-mount-to-post-mount is this the mount I need?

As mentioned, you probably won’t need it. I got there because I originally set up with mtn bike components on a Soma Gator handlebar, but didn’t love it. I got the road bike brifter/calipers as discounts, left and right sold separately. That’s probably why the rear was post mount while the front was flat mount.
When I helped @Richard Mueller put his together both brake calipers fit perfectly out of the box. Except that the included cables were too short.

 

[Mathew Fy]

Probably not.

Yea, you’re right, the UDH dimensions don’t fit. What made me look into it was that the supposed improvements in shifting are appealing. Sometimes a shift takes a long time or requires a two-up, one-down shift to get there. (Only certain gears and conditions).
When traveling with my V20c and luggage inside my SUV I take the wheels off, and to reduce the chance of damaging the hanger, I remove it. It looks like the SRAM transmission derailleur would fit, but the fork’s hole is too small.

 

[chicorider]

Good job going for your own build. It's more expensive, but it's the only to get exactly what you want for the kind of riding you have in mind, and it's really satisfying. My two cents about mechanical brakes...

I have five bikes, including a V20c and S30, and run mechanicals on all but the mountain bike because I don't love bleeding hydraulic brakes (I know how, and I have all the stuff, but it can be messy and tedious). The reliable simplicity of mechanicals is nice. I've been using TRP Spyre C calipers for a while, and people often compare them to the Avids on your list in terms of weight and performance. The TRPs have been fine, though hydraulics do definitely provide more stopping power with less lever effort. I get away with the difference partly because I only weigh 130 lbs.

Recently I built up a new gravel bike and bought new brake calipers because the old frame was post-mount while the new frame was flat-mount. Instead of sticking with the TRPs, I decided to go for a brake upgrade with Grotac Equals available from Velo Orange. At $365 for a set, they are more expensive, but wow, the stopping power! Not quite hydraulic level, but noticeably better than the TRPs. Well built, the same weight, simpler to set up, and the kit comes with everything you need--bolts, cables, housing, good directions. I'm not trying to make you spend more money, but to me, good brakes have always been worth some expense. They are one of those parts that often stays on a bike long term (we all love to upgrade wheels, cranks, and derailleurs, but headsets and brakes? Not so much). The initial cost of good-but-pricey brakes stings a little at first, but fades over time and eventually disappears, while over all those years, you get to enjoy the benefits of better stopping power. I have a feeling that a set of Grotacs will find their way onto my V20c sometime in 2025.

Happy building.

 

[Henri]

I'm not trying to make you spend more money, but to me, good brakes have always been worth some expense.

After all, it's a build with electronic shifting. There should be possibility to realocate some budget. But it's also possible to buy as many things as possible top of the line now and as many things as needed just good enough, with the intention to upgrade those other parts in the future. (Buying used would probably be good for that, as these parts wouldn't need to last as long.)

 

[Mathew Fy]

v20 vendetta 2020 which will stay on my trainer

Andrew, most of your components should easily transfer to the V20c while your V20 goes on the trainer. You’ll need new cranks & bottom bracket, maybe adapters for the calipers. You might be able to convert your wheels to thru axles by changing out the end caps. Don’t you already have a nice disk wheel on the back?

 

[Andrew Roerkohl]

Yes I do but i am not entirely happy with the disc wheel, sometimes the wind plays havoc with me and i need special fittings to put air in it, it rides rough, its not tubeless compatible, and the braking is not very good with it. I am also not very happy with cable shifting. I spend too much time making adjustments, tightening cables on my derailleurs so that's why I am getting electronic 1x shifting. And plus I just plum want to have new bike. I have not had a new bike since my 12th birthday when i got a Huffy from farm and fleet store.