Spa Ti Adventure

[deliquium]

Sad to see attention to front mudguard fitting - and advertising it - so 'compromised', from the usually great gang from Harrogate.

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... b0s21p3104

[Trigger]

Am I wrong or does this just look like a MTB with drop bars?

[mrjemm]

Interestinggg.

Are those Surly Troll forks, or just a very, erm, flattering design?

Is it one of your designs, Colin? I recall mention of a project by one of the other guys.

What frame size in the pic? As the head-tube is quite short, and with a lot of spacers.

No frame only option?

Probably more questions when I think of them...

[foxyrider]

Just why are those handlebars praying to Sol? Clearly a photograph taken by a non rider.

[pete75]

The way that front mudguard is fitted reminds of the guards on scrambles motorbikes in the four stroke days. That method was designed to keep mud and other debris from clogging the tyre. Small gap at the mudguard leading edge and an increasing gap to the trailing edge meant that anything that did get in had more space and so was carried round by the tyre rather than jamming between tyre and guard. An eminently sensible arrangement.

[Bicycler]

Am I wrong or does this just look like a MTB with drop bars?

Pretty much what an "adventure touring bike" is. Without the nearly obligatory suspension fork. It looks like a premium version of the Salsa Fargo to me. And disc brakes(!) that's a brave new world...

I like the idea behind this style of bike. A roughstuff tourer with the emphasis more on the roughstuff than tourer. All very lovely in a kind of pipe dream way. I wish somebody would cater for the sub-£1000 market (sigh)

[BrianP]

Anyone got hold of geometry numbers yet?

[531colin]

It looks like the 48cm 700c bike to me.....even without spacers, front end with "suspension-corrected" forks was high enough for me at 5' 10"..
Not my design, but I did put it down a couple of tracks, and there are test bikes in all 3 sizes if you want to do the same.
I think they were supposed to be clean for the photos......

[mrjemm]

Thanks Colin for the answer.

One thing I notice, is that it looks like the lower rack mount is below the seatstay, which appears prominent, so despite the chainstay mounted caliper, will still require spacers, no?

I am certain those are troll forks, even got anything mounts.

Perhaps leaving dirty was intentional.

[The Computer Monkey]

Thanks for the interest everyone.

I recall mention of a project by one of the other guys.

This is my design/baby. I wanted a bike on which you could do this or alternatively you could do this.
(Disclaimer: that is my personal blog so none of the views necessarily reflect those of Spa Cycles etc.)

I did originally run my prototype steel frame with drop bars for about 6-8 months so was happy the geometry would accept either.


The forks we'll be fitting also enable you to have a front lowrider if you so wish and mudguards front and rear. The issue with the odd looking mudguard is that we have sourced full '29er' mtb guards for the medium and large sizes so you can run big tyres and mudguards if you wish. Even when spaced down they do look a bit odd with a 700x40c tyre.

Not sure why we've placed the handlebars so they are pointing upwards, possibly fitted in the stand not on the ground. I did notice and change this when testing out the large prototype the other weekend as you can see below. The medium slipped through the net I'm afraid, we are going to take some more photographs including a flat bar build so this will be changed in due course.

Anyone got hold of geometry numbers yet?

I'm working on it! Should be on the website sometime next week.

What frame size in the pic?

It's a 'Medium' which is 48cm centre to top on the seat tube and will fit people approx. 5"8 to 6"0.

No frame only option?

There will be a frame only and frame and forks options when we receive the production frames, we just haven't put it up on the website for pre-order.

I wish somebody would cater for the sub-£1000 market

There will be a steel version in the future. Probably will be just over £1000 for the full bike though.

...it looks like the lower rack mount is below the seatstay, which appears prominent, so despite the chainstay mounted caliper, will still require spacers, no?

Production bikes will have different drop outs so there is no need to space a rack. This is one reason why we prototype all our bikes so that our production bikes perform as we (and you) want them to.

[BrianP]

On the geometry numbers, can you please include reach and stack.

Thanks, Brian.

[tim_f]

Front mudguard would be neater with these or something similar -http://problemsolversbike.com/products/fender_flute

I have got a 2013 Salsa Ti Fargo which is a similar concept, lucky to get frame in end of model year sale.

It is great fun to ride, I have On-One Midge bars on mine and I think they are great, work very well with bar end shifters with bars set high so as to ride by default on the drops.

I have put lower gears on mine to allow for luggage.

Off early tomorrow to Idaho to ride thehttp://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/idaho-hot-springs-mountain-bike-route/

If I had not got the Fargo and the SPA had come out last year it might have joined my SPA Audax.

Tim.

[reohn2]

The way that front mudguard is fitted reminds of the guards on scrambles motorbikes in the four stroke days. That method was designed to keep mud and other debris from clogging the tyre. Small gap at the mudguard leading edge and an increasing gap to the trailing edge meant that anything that did get in had more space and so was carried round by the tyre rather than jamming between tyre and guard. An eminently sensible arrangement.

Especially where the stays a mounted on the fork legs

[mrjemm]

Thanks for those answers, Mr Monkey.

Good luck with it. I look forward to seeing one in the flesh.

[Bicycler]

I wish somebody would cater for the sub-£1000 market

There will be a steel version in the future. Probably will be just over £1000 for the full bike though

Yes, I wasn't suggesting that Spa should cater for the entry level. More that the big companies dip their toe in the water with a more accessible model. The steel variant is great news. I really fancied the Roughstuff but couldn't justify the extra cost of Ti. I can see my hard earned pennies being spent on the steel version. I assure you that the price will be sub-£1000 when I tell my other half about it

Oh, and I'll echo Mr Jemm's "good luck". I hope it is a success