Advice please - Converting a commuter to a gravel bike

[ChrisF]

I’d like to convert my Genesis Day One to a gravel type bike. Questions:
The frame has clearance for 38mm tyres. I’ll use it for a mix of stuff, not just fire roads, mostly in the Peak where I live. I’ll avoid anything too rocky. Is 38 a bit small? What are people using?
It has horizontal dropouts, I’m thinking of rebuilding the back wheel around a hub gear. I’ve never used one. Trying not to spend too much so an Alfine 8 speed looks possible. Any thoughts?

[Lazarus]

UCI limit is still 32 c so yes that is fine

Never ridden proper off road with anything bigger than 32 but I advise tubeless or getting used to pinch flats at those sizes

[Bearlegged]

Tyres - I ride round the Peak quite happily on 38c G-Ones (actually come up as 40.5mm) in the summer, WTB Resolutes in the winter (43mm actual). At the weekend I managed the Plantation descent at Stanage, Shatton Moor/Bradwell Edge, Chapel Gate, Jaggers Clough, Winstone Lee Tor and Devil's Elbow on the Resolutes. I did however get a hole in the sidewall coming down off WLT just before the Ladybower Inn. If you're planning on staying away from the rocky stuff I reckon you'll be fine.
Alfine 8 - I can't stand the bloomin' things.

[ChrisF]

Alfine 8 - I can't stand the bloomin' things

Dare I ask why?

[Bearlegged]

I've ridden two, both on borrowed bikes.

The first bike was horrendously neglected, the chain was worn to the extent it kept coming off the sprockets, and the shifter cable was utterly gunged up, so I couldn't release tension on it to shift into lower gears - I had to stop at the bottom of each climb to pull it through manually at the hub end. This is probably not the truest review of their performance, but...

The second one, the hub had just been serviced, and was running fine. It just felt like pedalling through treacle though. I didn't find the shifting very precise either. By comparison to a derailleur mech, even if the indexing goes out of whack slightly, I can usually shift by "feel" - slowly adding a little more pressure to the shift lever/slight over-shifting, that kind of hing. I couldn't do that with the Alfine.

All that said, there seem to be plenty of fans out there.*

[Bearlegged]

*They're just wrong.

[ChrisF]

I get the message
Maybe I should look at a bolt on mech hanger for a horiz dropout frame....

[Dan_K]

I've got an alfine 8 on my Pinnacle Arkose.
I maintain it well and have had zero issues with it. 5000 miles in and it's had 2 new chains (cheap single speed ones).
Just had it back from it's first hub service and the mechanic showed me photos of the internals. It looks as new as the day it left the factory.

It's not as direct feeling as a derailleur but it has advantages - cost, ease of maintenance and you can shift gear when stationary at traffic lights.

I use this bike for commuting, touring and gravel riding/light off road.

[jameso]

ChrisF, let me know if you do convert it, the Day One Alfine was my work* when I was at Genesis and I have the non-turn washer numbers and chainline references somewhere if needed.

*Sorry Landslide

[ChrisF]

Cheers James, I didn’t know there was a Day One Alfine.

[Gregsie]

Ride down lots of things in the Peak on my single speed crosser which has 35mm tyres. Can tackle most things apart from rock gardens like Cave Dale and the Beast.

Use Schwalbe Landcruisers and inner tubes. Cheap, heavy, but the sidewalls are as stiff as a board which means I hardly get any pinch flats.

[fatbikephil]

Conti AT rides are worth a look - described as 40mm but actually 38 and pretty cheap. Don't bother with tubeless as the weight saving is minimal so its more hassle than its worth. I run the above with tubes on the straggler and have thoroughly battered them over various rocky trails without issue other than sore hands

They also go up to 80 psi which makes them good on the road. On dirt I run them at 50-60 and have never pinch flatted (as yet)

[Asposium]

Also run AT Ride, albeit it tubeless on Mavic Open pro UST disc rims.

As said, a good tyre, and very cheap

[Bearlegged]

Also run AT Ride, albeit it tubeless on Mavic Open pro UST disc rims.

These do look good. They don't seem to be specced as tubeless, did you have any problems setting them up?

[Asposium]

Also run AT Ride, albeit it tubeless on Mavic Open pro UST disc rims.

These do look good. They don't seem to be specced as tubeless, did you have any problems setting them up?

No worse than fitting any other non-tubeless tyre.
These rims help.
Once seated they work a treat. Only had one issue of them leaking; that was at WRT when I put in too much air and slightly unseated the bead.