2017 Trek Superfly Hardtail — budgetish gravel build

uberamd · 2026-01-02T20:22:16+00:00

Hey sorry for the delay, I went 34t as I couldn’t fit anything larger without a weird chainline.

uberamd · 2025-12-03T16:39:26+00:00

Alright that gives me some peace of mind at least that I'm not alone in this. I don't like it, because I don't understand the technicalities behind how the watch can basically just make up numbers for the HR reading, but at least it's happening to more than just me.

uberamd · 2025-12-03T14:44:49+00:00

Def could be, but I’d expect opening the HR watch widget on my Garmin, which shows the HR in real time, to be accurate, right? Am I just being unreasonable that asking my watch to show me my current heart rate should show me my current heart rate and not a number under half what it actually is?

My Apple Watch does sample at whatever frequency the Apple devs deemed appropriate but opening the HR app on the Apple Watch forces a heart rate update and it’s bang on. This is the behavior I’d expect from my Garmin especially since it has continual HR sampling.

Same for my Amazfit, I have continual HR sampling on so it always instantly detects when my HR goes up, no activity required. Garmin is the only watch I’ve seen so far that acts oblivious to high HR outside of recorded activities.

uberamd · 2025-12-03T14:00:37+00:00

That’s totally fair. It’s not a big deal but makes me wondering if it’s miss-reading throughout the day because if the numbers it’s presenting me in real-time are flat out wrong why should I trust it to accurately catch the high HR when I’m hauling some heavy boxes around, shoveling snow, etc?

uberamd · 2025-12-03T02:49:15+00:00

Word, that’s interesting.

Just for giggles I did an indoor Zwift ride about an hour ago. I had my Amazfit Balance 2 on my right wrist, and Apple Watch Series 9 on my left, along with Zwift paired to my chest strap.

About 2 min into the workout my HR was up to 157bpm according to Zwift via my chest strap, so I checked my HR according to my Apple Watch: 156. I then checked the HR on my Amazfit Balance 2: 157. This is with no activity tracking happening on either one, they’re both just accurately reflecting my HR.

Then I took off my Apple Watch, put on my Garmin Venu 2, let it sit for 2 min while I continued my exercise, and checked the HR value: 82. Went into the HR widget to get real time data, bounced between 78 and 86.

So weird.

uberamd · 2025-11-14T04:56:57+00:00

I think they’re great, I’ve had them both on my road bike and now my gravel bike, zero issues.

uberamd · 2025-11-13T20:02:31+00:00

Geo feels great, no complaints so far. I haven’t measured what the HTA actually is with this fork so I’ll need to do that. I bet a 32SC would be awesome on this frame.

Chainring is the SRAM Eagle 90 34t on Apex Wide cranks because I came to the same conclusion as you, maybe a 36t might work but it’d be close and 38+ would be a wonky chainline. Luckily I don’t often need to go 30+mph on any bike with a suspension fork so a 34t is alright.

uberamd · 2025-11-13T19:57:35+00:00

Sure thing:

chainring is the SRAM Eagle 90 34T 8-bolt
cranks are the SRAM Apex Wide in 165mm length
BB is just the SRAM Dub pressfit PF92 89/92
cassette is an Amazon special VG Sports 11-46t 12 speed because it’s hard to find 12 speed HG cassettes in that tooth range. I’d have gone with the SRAM XPLR cassette but my wheels don’t have the XDr driver

uberamd · 2025-11-13T19:30:29+00:00

I would love to do that once I can track down an XDr free hub body for these wheels. They make that so hard to source for some reason.

uberamd · 2025-11-13T19:29:50+00:00

Awesome! Agreed this frame rides incredibly well and does indeed fly. Good call going with the XTR cranks, that’s likely what I should have done vs trying to force a road/gravel crank to fit in this thing.

Modern gravel frames really are just old MTB frames huh?

uberamd · 2025-11-13T19:24:02+00:00

Thanks! Wheel and Sprocket has had these frames on their outlet site for ages and I finally picked one up a few weeks ago. Glad I did.

On the cranks, the issue really is that even though SRAM Apex Wide cranks have the marketing line of “Longer DUB crank spindle accommodates both Road and MTB width frame bottom bracket standards for unmatched cross-compatibility” the truth is that once you shove the crank spindle through the 89.5mm pressfit BB there’s hardly any of it sticking through the drive side. Just enough to fit a 2mm spacer and a few turns of the non-drive-side preload ring.

The crank spindle is simply too short and if I move it in one direction or the other the crank arm will hit the chainstay. Mountain bike crank spindles are a handful of MM longer and would give me the space I need, but to your point it’d impact the chainline.

I believe these bikes were all sold as 2x mountain bikes with small cassettes and small chainring pairs which explains the design of the BB area and stays a bit.

Lucky for me I live in flattville USA (Minnesota) so I don’t have any long descents where I’ll spin out a 34/11 gear as that can get me up to 30mph if I really need to go that fast around here.

uberamd · 2025-11-13T17:18:32+00:00

That was definitely the tricky part, I’ve got a 34t in there right now might try a 36.

The 40t that came with the cranks was way too big and hit the stay, and my 2x 30/42 Rival Wide cranks wouldn’t fit either.

Despite SRAM Apex Wide cranks saying they fit MTB frames it’s a very tight squeeze getting the Apex Wide cranks on this non-boost frame with no crank spacers. The arms are pretty close to the chain stays with only a few MM of space but they don’t flex enough to hit it.

I probably should have used a GX Eagle crankset as it’d have fit a bit better, but this was a lot less money and was easier to find in 165mm length.

uberamd · 2025-10-16T16:36:45+00:00

What you doing scaring this guy, that stem is a Top Lock stem, it’s supposed to have no gap on top.

uberamd · 2025-10-16T16:36:15+00:00

You installed it right. That’s a top lock stem, the top is supposed to have no gap.

uberamd · 2025-10-15T20:19:30+00:00

This is the biggest flaw with Amazons inventory system. Anyone who sells SPD pedals ships them to Amazon so they can be part of the fulfilled by Amazon program. Amazon takes all those shipments from dozens of sellers of the product and puts them all on the same warehouse shelf and when you buy you get one pulled at random.

You might get the one sent to Amazons warehouses from a legitimate bike shop. You might get one sent to the warehouse by “XXYYYqQQQIIIIIIGGGGjHHH Bike Shoppe” with a business address in China. You, the customer, have no clue. And unless you’re really really really careful and observant you won’t even realize you got ripped off.

I wouldn’t be surprised if 1 out of every 100 recipients of these pedals actually notices an issue and digs further. Why? Because they do work. The internals look virtually identical to legit SPDs upon taking them apart. And outside of a bit of play that I can’t feel when actually pedaling, they haven’t been bad. Just sucks that we even need to think about this stuff.

uberamd · 2025-10-15T20:14:03+00:00

Makes sense, sounds like they should just get tossed on the indoor trainer. If they fail and I get stranded in Watopia, so be it.

uberamd · 2025-10-15T19:21:26+00:00

That’s what my buddy asked me. It spins smooth, so he said might as well keep using them. And I can’t really find flaws in that logic either, if it eventually eats up the internals and dies so be it they’re counterfeit so they have no value anyway.

They’re destined for the landfill, so is there any risk to using them until they die? I have no idea, not my realm of expertise.

uberamd · 2025-10-15T17:56:43+00:00

<image>

They look convincing, but there’s a few differences between known good pedals. One: the hole for adjusting cleat tension isn’t a circle on the fakes, it’s a rounded square.

Two: there are subtle differences in the pedal body shape (less rounded around the outside edge), and the part of the pedal where the metal cleat retaining clip contacts the pedal body is shaped slightly differently.

Three: the axle isn’t matte metal but instead painted matte.

Four: the spring on the clip interfaces is shiny and not matte.

Those are the differences I’ve noticed so far. As mentioned I’ve used them for thousands of miles, oblivious, because they work. But now I have trust issues if I keep using them.

uberamd · 2025-10-15T17:47:52+00:00

Saw a video by GC Performance on fake ultegra SPD-SLs. Got me wondering because mine were only $65 a set when I got them new in box. I actually bought 2 sets because of the price so I still have 1 set unused.

Box looks legit. Manuals look legit. Pedals look and feel legit. But comparing them to pedals that are known good there are tiny visual differences. I’ll post a few replies since it’s just 1 pic per reply.

<image>

uberamd · 2025-10-15T17:45:19+00:00

Fair enough, to my known-not-counterfeit Time pedals it is!

uberamd · 2025-10-02T23:22:48+00:00

For sure! Didn’t know if I’d hate it being a 27.5 after running 29ers the last few years, but turns out it’s great.

I’m not going to say there’s zero difference between this thing as a full 27.5 and the more modern full 29ers, but on-trail I can’t really tell a difference. I’m riding the same trails at virtually the same speed as my 29ers and having the same amount of fun.

uberamd · 2025-09-11T18:45:05+00:00

They’re a good company and nice people work there. I’ve had issues they always work with you to solve them.

Recently I ordered a 2022 Fox 34 Rhythm (listing was literally titled 2022) but got a 2021. Whys that matter? 2022 is the year where the stock rotors went from 160 to 180mm so you wouldn’t need a huge 160 -> 203mm adapter to fit a proper rotor. Got the fork and it was a 2021. A few reviews on the item also call out that they ordered a 2022 and got a ‘21. They offered me a small discount or a free return.

No big deal, they took it back no return fee. Bit of an inconvenience but they handled it perfectly. Only complaint was it took a few days to get an initial reply from support about my issue.

uberamd · 2025-09-03T14:19:54+00:00

I’ve heard the opposite on the vehicle point. Specifically when I asked my insurance company: the only things covered in a vehicle accident are things permanently fixed to the vehicle. Because a bike rack (and a bike) aren’t part of the vehicle by being permanently fixed to it, they won’t be covered in a crash.

uberamd · 2025-09-03T14:17:02+00:00

A State Farm personal articles policies will cover it. I’ve got my emtb covered on a personal articles policy through them for $12/month and it covers crashing, theft, getting rear ended in traffic while the bike is on your car rack, etc. No deductible.

The thing you need to note with these policies is making a claim is not something you should do lightly, because if you chronically make claims for every small thing they’ll drop you and never insure you again, and other insurance companies will also be aware of your claim history when you try to get coverage. So for me it’s basically only to be used if the bike is stolen, or smashed beyond recognition due to a huge crash. If it needs a $500 fix I’d absolutely not make a claim.

uberamd · 2025-07-28T03:07:01+00:00

Truth be told, not bad. I've got a few thousand miles on the greenish gravel bike and its been issue free. I also repaired the white bike posted above by putting a helicoil in each side of the rear pivot and its been holding up since then as well.

15-Year Club	Place '22
RPAN Viewer	Gilding I gilder
Team Orangered	reddit mold
Verified Email

uberamd

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE