Cameron's Tripster AT - gravel / audax / light tourer build

Wheels are now fully built up, trued and tensioned. Mini review of the Hydra rims: they seem basically like the Archetypes I have on my roadie, only slightly nicer finish and without the brake track. Measured weights were slightly below manufacturer’s claim, measured ERD within 1mm what was on the H PLUS SON site (589mm). Built up round and true with very little hassle. My Archetypes have easily noticeable imperfections at the welded joint, whereas on the Hydras the weld was barely noticeable. Luck of the draw or improved manufacturing? I don’t know, but I’m happy.

No internal tubes on this frame. Thanks for the tip.

Looks like it might be easier to route the cables before the bottom bracket is installed, is that a sensible thing to do or will I then find the BB/chainset harder to install once the cables are in?!

I’ve got nothing to add to this discussion that hasn’t already been said. Nice build.

Against all my expectations of the German postal service, the bike24 order (levers, brakes, saddle, bars, stem) arrived in Australia this morning. That’s almost at Royal Mail levels of efficiency. If Australia Post have their act together I hope I’ll see them by the end of the week.

Picked up the Compass tyres from Commuter on the way home from work tonight. Decided it was time to start assembling the parts I had.


Rotors on, cassette on and two tyred!


Bottom bracket installed. More un-bearing-able puns to come. Pro tip for future self: some torque wrenches (including my SuperCheap Auto one) don’t measure torque when in the “loosen” direction. This means that for tightening something with a reverse thread - such as, to pick an example purely at random, English-threaded drive side bottom bracket cups - the torque wrench functions just like a normal wrench. Of course, nobody would be idiotic enough to keep applying more and more force expecting the torque wrench to “click” and do their bottom bracket cups Proper Bastard Tight. Nobody I know, anyway.


Getting cranky.


That’s a pedallin’.


Wheels and fork in, it’s really starting to look like a bike now.


Getting derailleur’ed, part 1.


Getting derailleur’ed, part 2.


Seatpost in. Almost looks like something you could ride now. No chain because otherwise I’d have to fight the temptation to ride a brakeless (non-fixed) bike :smiley:

Fortunately that is the spec required, last time I looked bottom bracket torques were over 40nm probably doesn’t need a torque wrench, just a load of grunt.

All the parts have arrived (as of Wednesday, actually).

Hydraulic brake installation is causing even more swearing than mudguards.

I have managed to route the rear brake hose through the frame though, so that’s good. Front brake is almost set up and hopefully just needs a bleed before it’s working.

Rear brake isn’t fully connected yet because I’m not convinced I attached the olive/connector pieces properly on the front and I’m also not convinced the supplied caliper bolts are the right length for my frame.

Did this get fully built and finished? Im still hanging out for a final pic. Unless I missed it on another thread?

defs finished, he’s been riding it everywhere.

i’ll give him a nudge if i see him at home later (though unlikely it’ll be tonight, post Gippy Gold ride)…

Hey mate. Turns out life got hectic last year and I completely forgot about this thread. There was a frantic rush to put the bike together before I rode Attack of the Buns with rolly last October, then got hit by a car and pretty much stopped riding for a couple of months. Bike is definitely finished. I’ll post some pics tonight.

I can’t even remember what I was talking about in that final post about brake caliper bolts, I think it was a case of me being a mechanical dunce and forgetting a spacer somewhere. I did, however, manage to not tighten the rear caliper bolts enough and they came loose after an off-road overnighter a couple of weeks ago. :eek:

Another mechanical dunce moment was threading the chain through the rear derailleur incorrectly, so it was rubbing against the retaining plate between the jockey wheels. Somehow rode it like that for 2,500km thinking the drivetrain noise must just be because of my mongrel road/MTB.

I also managed to put one of the chainrings on back-to-front. “Why is front shifting not working? Oh, it’s because the spacing between chainrings is wrong.” Oooops.

The mongrel drivetrain with Wolf Tooth Tanpan works perfectly. Not quite as smooth or fast shifting as 105/Ultegra but no missed shifts. I rarely shift under load so can’t comment there. Gearing rear adequate; never spun out 46/11 and probably never will since I’m too lazy to pedal descents. I rarely use the lowest 34/42 gear, and if that gear isn’t low enough then I’m happy to walk. I’m not a fan of Shimano’s new 11 speed front derailleur. It’s just as annoying as the previous (5800/6800) design, only in different ways. But just like the previous one, it works perfectly once it’s been setup. I rarely shift the front during the ride - big ring for normal/flat terrain unloaded, small ring for srs hills and loaded touring. After all the angst in previous threads, I reckon I’d be happy with a 1X setup.

I’ve put over 3,200km on the bike by now. Mix of commutes, road rides, gravel rides and gravel touring. Worn through my first chain (see above) and front brake pads are now wafer thin so the replacement will go on in the next couple of days. Hydro brakes are the absolute duck’s nuts.

My road bike has barely been ridden since I’ve put this bike together. Compass Barlow Pass tyres are incredible. They feel as fast as GP4000s and offer so much more comfort on coarse roads.

The Tripster geometry feels at home off road, at least more so than my road bike and Vivente tourer. I’m a total chicken, though, and it’s been a slow process developing even the slightest off-road skills. I’ve fallen over a few times. Clement XPlor tyres feel fine off road but very sluggish on-road. I’ve also got some more seriously knobby Maxxis Ravagers which I haven’t tried yet. I recently swapped the handlebars (which were Deda compact road bars) for some Salsa Cowchippers (wide flared drops). After riding Gippy Gold last weekend, I’m enjoying the extra width on dirt.

Current project is a second wheelset, because swapping tyres is a pain - the Compass tyres in particular take a huge effort to get on and off the rim - and I don’t like riding the road tyres off-road or the gravel tyres on-road. Scored some half-price WTB Frequency rims on clearance at CRC and building them up with DT Swiss hubs and spokes.

Thanks for the update!

Done this. Didn’t make it that far though! Even 100kms for me put some unneeded wear on the chain and RD cage.

Rightio, let the image spam commence.


It is done! Mud guards didn’t stay on for long, they’re disappointly rattley off road. I imagine they’ll make a return in a couple of months.


First proper ride. Gravel grinder on the Compass tyres, one of the MGG routes out near Pakenham. Photo credit: rolly.


Bike against a fence.


Bike against a tree. Out on an Audax ride (Ballarat Baby 100km).


All packed for Attack of the Buns.