If I was interested in trying this kind of thing, how much shorter stems are you using than flat bars? Currently at 100mm with 660 bars
Not sure about swapping rings, but t-type rings are compatible with Eagle chains. No issue running transmission crank and rings on an eagle drivetrain.
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I agree many folks overestimate their gearing needs, but it really depends on the course (and rider) as much as average speed. Before I had a gravel bike, I raced gravel for a few seasons on my scott spark RC with a 38 ring. Never got dropped due to gearing, but it wasnāt optimal at times and there are courses (and wind conditions) where a 38 will certainly get you dropped. Iāll also use my MTB for road training (including fast group rides) when prepping for some MTB races and I have been dropped many times running a 38. All it takes is a big tailwind on an extended false flat (downhill). I do think the gearing limitation on MTBās is a real thing if we are talking about using drop bar MTBās for gravel racing. The gearing limitation is the primary reason I moved away from the MTB for most gravel races. And while I considered drop bars on that bike multiple times, I could never find a good suspension lockout remote that would work well with drop bars.
If you go that route, keep in mind that going with a t-type crank does not guarantee youāll have a wider chainline compared to an eagle crank. Itās a function of the rings and the cranks ship with either zero offset rings or 3mm offset rings. Youāll want the zero offset ring to get a wider (55mm) chainline. My new epic came with the a GX transmission crank with 3mm offset (so 52mm chainline). I swapped to a different crank and went with zero offset rings to get the 55mm chainline (which is technically required to run a 38 ring on that frame). Iām considering that bike for Big Sugar this year (just for fun) and hoping I can make a 40t ring work. Iām not a fan of shimming a crank off center, but might consider it if it comes down to less than 1mm.
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Just wanted to point out that the above only applies to DUB bottom brackets. GX T-Type cranks with Wide DUB and 3mm offset chainring do make a 55mm chainline.
Sorry for nit-picking 
The conversion is still in progress so I havenāt had the opportunity to ride it.
Considering the Supercaliber has a very similar C/S length and is a 55mm chainline, Iām not terribly concerned, but Iām going to stay away from the 51t cog as much as possible.
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No, good call. I wasnāt even thinking about that and I think that crank was a wide dub.
The chainline thing was a big point of confusion when I got that bike. I wanted the narrow 168 Q-factor version of the XXSL powermeter crank and it took multiple calls (and SRAM initially sending the wrong rings) between specialized, SRAM, and my LBS before they came to a consensus on the proper chainring offset to get a 55mm chainline. I canāt remember what all the confusion was about, but I think it was related to having 2 versions of the new threaded ring powermeter cranks. The 174 Q factor version only supports 55mm chainline (using a 3mm offset ring). The 168q version I got looks identical, but supports 55mm chainline (with zero offset ring) and 52mm chainline (with the 3mm offset ring). If you look on srams website, they didnāt even show the different versions and it looks like there is only a 55mm chainline option for the XXSL crank.
What is the lightest HT frame with UDH?
Epic HT?
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Does it have UDH?
Probably a close second to the specialized:
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Ok. Say no more. This is the bike I want to win Leadville Stage Race next year.
But how do I get my hands on one?. Seems out of stock everywhere ā¦.
Not sure sadly, but note this is the MY24 and beyond that had the chainstay/rear redesigned for UDH and the cable port moved to the bottom.
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So only 2024 models have UDH?..ā¦Seems like Specialized is discontinuing the S-Works version. Damn!
im interested in doing the inverse of all this, essentially building up a gravel frame, with front suspension, and translating my fit information over. Very lost in terms of how to accurately judge how much reach/fc/saddle-stem center i should have on the new build given grip contact points between the drops and the flat. Iām currently playing with geometry that places the angular grip measurement from roughly my shoulder area between that of my hands on the drop-bar flats and the drop-bar hoods. Based on Frankās work, if it was the same frame, I wouldnāt really need to change my stem length. However I have the opportunity to build up from scratch so, should any tips from anyone who has done the inverse? Should I calculate this out angularly to get it in the midpoint of the drop bars? Increase the FC of the new bike compared to my old, also getting some much needed clearance? etc. etc.
Is there a reason you wouldnāt just use a hardtail?
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letās just say for the sake of argument that iām committed to this build/bit.
But more seriously I think it will be a good middle of the road build for me between my allroad frame and a full suspension.
But also, primarily looking for your experiences with reach modification between flats and drops on the same frame / different frames, as this thread is more or less about.
Yeah, like others have said, unless you want 40mm of suspension only, the hardtail is going to provide the most flexibility and clearance here.
Iām sure youāve got other requirements/wishlist factors here, but weāll need more info as to your use case.
A non boost gravel rig for riding canals/unpaved paths will have different strengths than a 80-100mm suspension hardtail.
What are you doing to mitigate the effects of drastically raising the bb height and shortening of the effective top tube that happens when you fit a suspension fork that will be several inches longer axle to crown than the existing rigid fork?
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