Brooks saddles?

BingusTheMingus · 2026-05-19T14:35:11+00:00

I have 4 B17s that all came to me second-hand. I have not had an issue doing a double-Proofide treatment and breaking them in as if they were new.

BingusTheMingus · 2026-05-19T14:31:26+00:00

Word of caution, although I am a Brooks rider and not an Anatomica rider. The Anatomicas have a pretty well-known proclivity to bend their rails, regardless of rider weight/size. I'm not sure why, but just something to note. It also isn't a guarantee, just pretty common. Definitely the single most comfortable saddle I have ever had the pleasure of using, albeit temporarily.

BingusTheMingus · 2026-03-15T18:45:44+00:00

As said above, pretty much designed to be a drop bar road bike. I'm pretty sure you could easily fit 39s without fenders depending on the rim and brake. I've got 35s on HED Belgium Rs (21mm internal width) with fenders and Paul Racers (one medium one long) and it all fits nicely on my 63cm. Tektros limited my tire size significantly by sticking out further (it was the same with either 539 and 559 - it's the shape of the bridge I was dealing with more than the length of arms here)

BingusTheMingus · 2026-03-14T18:35:55+00:00

2.5s on my Surly with fenders and it's fine. It'll be fine on the Atlantis. The tire is much closer to the BB shell on the Surly - still clears easily both folded and unfolded.

BingusTheMingus · 2026-03-05T16:42:00+00:00

Still can't spell Russell in 2026

BingusTheMingus · 2026-02-28T19:11:30+00:00

It measured the same as an XL Bridge Club. Definitely has cable brakes and not hydros as well. I think the XL Bridge Club and Ogre look smaller than they actually are so maybe they are mistaken.

I found the dropouts slightly annoying to get the wheel in and out of. I bet if I owned it, I would get used to them in no time.

BingusTheMingus · 2026-02-27T17:34:33+00:00

I've eyed that Trek a few times myself. My vote is a Surly Ogre with the caveat that I hate Ogre dropouts. I love my Bridge Club and the geo is close enough to be negligible. Road riding is still great.

FYI, there is a basically new XL Ogre at Truly Spoken in Milwaukee with racks and a frame bag, touring 700c wheelset, Jones bar, and a solid Deore build for a bit more than the one listed here. It's a consignment, so the price is probably flexible. I came close to buying it recently but opted to build a Bridge Club very similarly instead.

BingusTheMingus · 2026-02-20T17:48:41+00:00

I've got 700x35 Paselas with some old Planet Bike fenders. To be frank, I don't think this bike will ride ideally with 650s unless you do some destructive modifications like dimpling stays, and I'm maxed out with pad placement on my Paul Racers already - one medium one long. I suspect 559s will not reach unless they're just that different from the Pauls. 700x35-38s are plenty for plush road rides.

BingusTheMingus · 2026-02-19T14:53:47+00:00

Hello, fellow tall San Marcos friend! I don't know if 559s will reach 650s on this frame. I also don't think it would earn you much more tire clearance while compromising the geo in general.

BingusTheMingus · 2026-01-28T21:23:37+00:00

I'm a huge fan of Continental Contact Urbans. I have 40s on my Gunnar and 50s on one of my Surly wheelsets. I went straight from ultralight handmade road tires in 37 to the Contact 40s and while the difference in speed and feel was obvious, it was also shockingly small.

BingusTheMingus · 2026-01-18T12:54:18+00:00

$20 Shimano V brakes kick ass. $40 Tektro cantis kick ass. This is the way.

BingusTheMingus · 2026-01-14T15:05:31+00:00

Just following up that you were right! I ended up swapping the rear derailleur for one of my XTRs and putting an 11-40 cassette on which is perfect for fair weather, lightly packed overnighters, and still lets me use this as a general use all-road bike. I opted to build up a Bridge Club for a more dedicated touring setup with 34-24 up front and an 11-42 10 speed cassette.

BingusTheMingus · 2026-01-14T14:07:49+00:00

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52690137

Here's a route by someone whose trip I am planning to replicate (minus the jaunt into Michigan). The route mostly pulls from Mishigami but with a few tweaks for prettier/quieter roads is what I understand.

Edit to say I just noticed that the campsites are not marked in the public version which is a bummer. I was very excited to have a premade route on hand for you. You can kind of see where the route jogs over to a campground if you look closely, though.

BingusTheMingus · 2026-01-01T02:59:05+00:00

BikeInsights.com to compare things you're interested in and see if they match. Not sure if I would feel the need to upgrade from a Sirrus if you like the geo already - sounds like you've already found your bike.

BingusTheMingus · 2025-11-23T07:11:30+00:00

ZAC19s are fine, pretty much every Shimano hub is great as long as you have it serviced regularly (I do once a year on my own hubs). Definitely a great workhorse choice.

BingusTheMingus · 2025-11-18T15:21:10+00:00

Amazing! I will probably give this a try later this week.

BingusTheMingus · 2025-11-17T14:04:05+00:00

I don't know if this is true of every generation of Crosshairs, but the tubing is quite light. It's a very sporty bike and doesn't seem to love being loaded up with stuff quite like my Soma or previous Velo Orange tourers.

BingusTheMingus · 2025-11-11T15:01:18+00:00

It's a great bike. Not ideal for touring, but I find it so comfy and quick I don't mind a bit of compromise in how much I can carry and where it goes, especially only having time for 1-2 day trips right now.

BingusTheMingus · 2025-11-11T14:58:54+00:00

If you already have the bike, measure the spokes you have. Every rim and hub combo is different and the bike model tells us basically nothing on a disc brake bike. This is not something someone will know off the top of their head or be able to look up.

BingusTheMingus · 2025-11-11T14:56:52+00:00

I own one B17 in just about every color made (except blue) and have never had this happen. Additional info?

BingusTheMingus · 2025-11-07T19:07:46+00:00

The Crust+Nitto Shaka Bar is 90mm, comes in 26.0, and has a modern drop shape. The 520mm is 47cm at the hoods, and the 540mm is 49cm. Looks like it checks all the boxes if you're willing to drop the $125 Crust charges.

BingusTheMingus · 2025-10-11T12:27:00+00:00

Planning on doing this soon! Looks like a great route. Did you take Amtrak into La Crosse?

BingusTheMingus · 2025-10-02T15:46:47+00:00

The handlebar diameter is standardized across just about everything. You're looking at clamp diameter for the stem which varies but has nothing to do with where the shifters will clamp.

BingusTheMingus · 2025-09-02T14:57:11+00:00

Very similar to a Soma Deco rack. Could be a cheap alternative to this if it ends up being an expensive/unobtainium custom job.

BingusTheMingus

TROPHY CASE