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Field Cycles custom build

Whilst pushing on with this project, I am finalising my parts list.

As with all of these things, taste is pretty subjective but, as at this moment in time, these are my thoughts:

- Frame/Fork : Field Cycles custom road disc frame with Enve 2.0 road disc fork (plus Ritchey seat mast topper for the ISP)
- Headset : Chris King i7
- Stem : Enve road stem
- Bars : Either Enve compact road drop or Nitto Mod.90 SSB*
- Groupset : Shimano Ultegra 6870 Di2 (compact or semi-compact...) with R785 hydraulic disc brakes (flat mount)
- Pedals : Look Keo 2 Max (from my current road bike)
- Saddle : Fabric ALM Ultimate
- Wheels : Either Enve SES 3.4 disc with Chris King R45 hubs or AX Lightness U28C D with Extralite Cyber disc hubs (both clincher/tubeless)**
- Tires : Panasonic Panaracer GravelKing

*Something about Nitto carbon bars attracts me. Nitto's first carbon bar (unveiled recently and available now). Made in Japan and almost identical to the Enve bars (reach, drop, weight, etc), but cheaper. The build is very personal to me and, living in Japan/feeling how I do about the place, it feels like these may be right.

**Again, with the personal nature of the build, the fact that I was born and grew up in Germany means I am pretty attracted to the concept of the AX Lightness wheels. Also, the price is slightly less and the set weighs around 400 grams less than the Enve/Chris King set. There are other wheelset choices I'm considering, these are the main two though.

I predict some criticisms/comments on the above...
 
I'd be very tempted with those ax lightness but the CK hubs would be much more reliable I'm guessing. Nice way to shave off 400g though. With those wheels, you'd be almost encroaching on the UCI weight limit.
 
Don't get Extralite hubs unless you are extremely good at servicing things, have the correct Extralite grease and understand bearing assemblies, seats, preloads etc. and are willing to take them apart at least once a month.

Yeah they do sound very 'fiddly'. Just thought of it as a way to get super nice wheels but, I guess it's like supercars, the initial cost is high and, worse still, the maintenance costs are large.
 
Why a semi compact? I would definitely go with a compact.

With a large cassette, a very similar level of climbing range and more range on the flats...

I'd be very tempted with those ax lightness but the CK hubs would be much more reliable I'm guessing. Nice way to shave off 400g though. With those wheels, you'd be almost encroaching on the UCI weight limit.

It would be nice to save weight but the reliability point is super important to me. I don't have the patience to pull shit apart all the time.
 
The cost being time and effort, indeed. I have cyberhubs and they require fairly extreme levels of tuning and maintenance. They also require nanoscopicly straight dropout machining.

Chris King will be way more hands off.

Already owning a set of CK R45 hubs on the SystemSix, they have required zero maintenance (except a tweak after 500-1,000km).
 
Yeah, I have been on a standard 52/38 forever and when the time comes to replace my power meter I would never consider anything else than a compact.
 
Enve SES 3.4 disc with Chris King R45 hubs or AX Lightness U28C D with Extralite Cyber disc hubs (both clincher/tubeless)**
Both those wheel choices are beautiful. Just building up a disc synapse at the moment and couldn't justify the Enve's. To be fair I've been a bit disappointed at the disc wheel options available out there. In the end I went with some FarSport wheels - based on the success I have had with my rim-braked set, again DT240 hubs but this time 25x38mm rims ready for tubeless. My thought process was, that when the disc rim technology moves on in a year or so I can always get these hubs rebuilt on to whatever appears. Until then will be mounting tubeless Schwalbe Pro One 25mm tyres on them (http://www.schwalbe.com/gb/road-reader/schwalbe-pro-one.html)... having said that I've got to find the tyres yet (wheels not arriving for a couple of weeks so should track them down by then....)

Great update on your build BTW, really enjoying it
 
Groupset; any reason not to go full Dura Ace? Ultegra is cool of course, and well good enough for anyone, but this is a custom built frame, so putting Dura Ace on it would be the icing on the cake... Unless you are getting Ultegra to fill in while Shimano release their official Dura Ace disc and wireless upgrades...

Bars; yeah I like that idea you have about the Nitto bars. I have some stuff on my bike that is there for not just practical reasons.

Saddle; those Fabric saddles snap.

Other stuff; not going to nonce it up with pointless ceramic bearings all over it?

There isn't a full DA disc groupset at the moment, as you say. If one comes out pretty soon, I'd possibly go for it.

Fabric saddles point...I have friends with them and they haven't but no idea about others.

No ceramic bearings for me!
 
I've only come across one person riding the fabric saddle @saibot and his snapped. That's not to say they all will. Must admit though that this is the reason I'm not going with a fabric. They are beautiful saddles and Tobias got his money back for the saddle so you should be fine.
 
On a classic build like this if you have the budget you could consider campy. IMHO their gear is stylistically way above shimano.
 
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On a classic build like this if you have the budget you could consider campy. IMHO their gear is stylistically way above shimano.
It's not a classic build. It will look super modern. Shimano all the way.
Here is probably my favourite Field build that wouldn't look out of place in the peloton today.
 
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Electronic gears, disc brakes, yeah I reckon it will be far more modern than what most people on here are riding at the moment.
 
I love my shimano gear functionally, just think it doesn't look as good as the campy gear. Each to their own of course. i wasn't suggesting the bike will be old. I guess classic was the wrong word to use.
 
Thanks for the input guys.

Campy isn't really my bag.

Whilst this is my 'dream bike', I want to ride it, a lot, and not have to remortgage every time I need to replace something.

That's one reason for Ultegra.
 
Thanks for the input guys.

Campy isn't really my bag.

Whilst this is my 'dream bike', I want to ride it, a lot, and not have to remortgage every time I need to replace something.

That's one reason for Ultegra.
Perhaps I'm totally incompetent on a bike, or perhaps just lucky in that I can't tell any difference between 105 and DA. Everyone told me that the brakes on the DA would be amazing when I got them. My thoughts .... Absolutely no difference. Rear mech? Feels the same. Slippy slidey teflon cables, no perceived change although I must be honest and say that the DA front mech is a tiny tiny bit better than the 105.
My next bike (whenever that may be ;) ) will be ultegra Di2 with some shiny rotors in the middle of the wheels. The price difference between ultegra and DA Di2 is very significant (plus as you all know, even if you get DA, you have to get the ship anchor levers as there is no ultegra or DA option at the moment).
 
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