Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Singular Gryphon Mk3: Planning The Build

Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3 (Image courtesy of Singular Cycles)
 Well, February is on the doorstep and I've been sent an email saying that the Gryphon Mk3 frame set I ordered about a year ago is finally about to land in the UK. Then after a bit of time for turn-around, it should be headed over here. That means I have to get on the stick and start planning this build for real here. 

As I've said before, I have a lot of the parts necessary to get the bike most of the way there. I have identified those parts and I have noted a thing or two I need to get in to make this all work. I thought it might be fun to share where I am going on this build.

First of all, I have had to resist the temptation to go single speed. I have too many single speeds and this bike doesn't have to be another one. So, geared it is, and I am going to lean toward doing a 2X 11 speed system for a drive train.  

I have an older silver LX 104 BCD crank that is set up as a triple currently. Singular says that won't work, but a double will. So, I will likely shed the granny gear and go 2X. This will turn my rear XD cassette on the Project Wide Gravel Wheels v2. Note that if you click that link, the last paragraph states that, "I probably do not have the right bike for these wheels....", and I was contemplating blowing them apart to re-lace the rims to something else. But then the Gryphon Mk3 came along and.....everything fell into place. 

Detail of the paint job (Image courtesy of Singular Cycles)
So the wheels I have will work on that frame. That's a big deal, and since I already have them just hanging around, well, why not just go with them? 

The 30mm inside rim width should support the 29" X 2.8" Teravail Coronado tires I have already too, so the wheels are pretty much a done deal. 

Somewhere I have a set of TRP flat mount brakes sitting unused and I need to get those rounded up. They are cable pull, of course, which leads me to the levers I am using.

Those would be a set of Gevenalle levers in silver with the shifter mounts on them, in typical Gevenalle fashion. I have used Gevenalle shifters/levers for over ten years on various bikes, but most notably on the Fargo Gen I. So, I am very familiar with them. They offer a system that is configurable for 7/8/9/10/11/12 speed set ups, and I think I have the 9 speed Shimano lever on there currently. This leads me to the first thing I need to get.

That would be shifters compatible with the Gevenalle mounts. I could take a chance and use their road shifter which would be a direct replacement for the one I have on the lever I want to use already. However; I may have a bit of trouble getting a 42T large rear cog to work with a long cage Ultegra rear derailleur. So, I also have a Gevenalle GX MTB compatible lever with their 10speed MicroShift lever installed on there. I could do one of two things here, based upon the fact that the road and MTB mounts are not compatible with the opposite type shifter.

Side view. (Image courtesy of Singular Cycles)

I could swap mounts and use the MTB mount with a DynaSys 11 speed derailleur I already have. I would have to order in the appropriate 11 speed lever from Gevenalle. OR I could order a SRAM lever with shifter already mounted and use a SRAM derailleur I already have. 

I'm leaning going toward the Shimano route, just because I like Shimano. But I have to get something nailed down soon and get it coming. 

I have a bottom bracket, head set, stem, handle bars, seat post, stem spacers,rotors, and pedals all lined up. I will need cables and housings, which I can buy from my job at the Collective. Let's see.... That leaves a saddle, (got plenty of those) and handle bar tape. I think I'll get myself something nice in terms of handle bar tape soon, but with the build being mostly nuetral colors, (the "wheat" colored frame/fork, silver components, black rims, tan sidewall tires), I am thinking I may pull that silver-ish looking cloth tape from Grepp which is on the Orange Crush currently, or get some leather tape. Or I could order new Grepp tape as well. 

Stay tuned. This should be a fun build.

12 comments:

Nebo said...

I can't help thinking about how nice that silver GRX group would look on that frame. Just single speed the School Bus and you're all set.

Guitar Ted said...

@Nebo - The GRX is limited to 68mm wide BB shells, (the Gryphons is 73mm) and besides, those big chain rings would hit the chain stays. I 8could* use a GRX rear derailleur and keep the roadie bar end but that's requiring a new rear derailleur on my part PLUS a shifter. That's a more expensive route for me when I already have rear derailleurs sitting around not being used.

MG said...

I’m running a 2x SLX crank on the BWNN, which like the Mk3 Gryphon, uses a 73mm BB. The 28/40t rings work great with the 11-40t cassette to give a super usable spread. I’d go with that LX crank you have. It’ll be perfect.

Guitar Ted said...

@MG - Thanks Brother!

Barturtle said...

I've SLX cranks w/ 42/28 Spécialités TA chainrings on my Mk2 Gryphon. 12-36 cassette (10sp)

I didn't realize the Mk3 could go 2x...I may have to reconsider whether to add one to the fleet.

Guitar Ted said...

@Barturtle - Well, to be completely transparent, Singular doesn't specify that a double will work. I just think it will! When I get it is we will find out what works and what does not, but I would much rather have a 2X than a 1X. Stay tuned....

baric said...

Kind of scratching my head as to why if a double might work a triple would not....

Guitar Ted said...

@baric - It's all in how the chain stays relate to the bottom bracket shell, and what space is allowed for chain rings. To put things simply, for any given shell width, a chain stay that allows for a wide tire, (in this case 29" X 3.0") the chain stay has to flare outward from the bike centerline, as seen from above. That angle, or arc, created by that chain stay, will determine where in space a chain ring can sit. And where that chain ring sits is a fixed distance from the bike centerline. It is described as t6he "Chainline" of the bike's drive train.

That's why certain frames can only take a maximum size chain ring of XX teeth, because the diameter of the chain ring can only be so big before it contacts that arc, or angle of the chain stay. Using a MTB crank with a Boost (moves everything outboard by 5mm) chainline may gain you some grace, but they never made a Boost crank in a triple, as far as I know. Additionally, it is possible that a standard MTB crank might allow for a certain size of double ring set up while not accommodating a granny ring, due to how a granny ring is often offset to the inside of the chainline spec of a crank. The middle ring on a triple is where the chainline (distance from the bike centerline to middle ring) is determined, so that *might* allow for a double ring set up where a triple would not work out. Double specific cranks sometimes use the chainline measured to in between the two rings. A single ring specific crank chain line is obvious, hopefully.

I hope that makes sense.

Skidmark said...

GT,@baric, I had the same thought. Could it be the front derailleur cage hitting the tire when shifted to the grannyring position be the limiting factor, even when the chainrings fit in the space?

Guitar Ted said...

@Skidmark - That used to be a much bigger problem in the past. Now with the truncated cages that Shimano introduced a few years back, you can get away with more than we used to be able to. But yes- that is another limitation.

There is a LOT going on around your bottom bracket, it isn't all just happily spinning cranks.

DT said...

Interesting, I always thought those Gevenalle shifters were just friction based and not indexed or incremented at all. One option I did in the past was with Paul Thumbies on my AWOL, which work very well in friction mode for oddball drivetrains. The only downside is shifting must be done from the tops of the bars.

Guitar Ted said...

@DT - Yes, you can use any Shimano indexed bar end shifter on the Road based Gevenalle bases. the GX, MTB specific one is a modified MicroShift, so that is what it is.

I have those Paul Thumbies with 10 speed SRAM levers. They are pretty nice.