My criteria:
1. Sub $1000
2. No fuss and cheap to maintain
3. Good geometry alloy frame
4. Look good - I'm a WW after all
I was looking at the Fuji Cross before stumbling across the Tread which is technically in the "Lifestyle" section of the Fuji website. A few questions later I confirmed that the Tread frame/fork is the identical frameset to that used in the "Cyclocross" Cross alloy series. Same Cyclocross frame/tapered carbon fork and cheaper parts for 2/3 the price?? Sold.
http://www.fujibikes.com/bike/details/tread-15-disc
FUJI Tread 1.5 Disc
I bought a Medium (54cm) and built it myself. With minimal changes I figured I could have a nice bike.
Immediately I changed the saddle from the stock Fuji to a Selle Italia I liked then the tyres from a commuter style to Panaracer Cinder X 35mm wide. It's winter in Melbourne and these tyres offer a nice blend of width, grip and speed. Or so I hoped as that's what I bought. Added a used Arundel Mandible and tightened all the bolts.
Initially i was worried about the 8 speed Shimano Claris gearing. Firstly I didn't even know 8 speed still existed on new bikes and how good could Shimano be? My road bikes have Campagnolo Super Record and Athena so it's fair to say I'm used to 11 gears and the luxuries of life. I rode around the block a few times to get the position on the bar right and the gear changes were horrible. It was the worst I ever had on a first ride. I played with the limit screws and barrel-adjusters with zero luck. The gears were shit. What was I thinking
Out came the derailleur hanger aligning tool. WOW
the hanger was so badly bent; it was miles off. I straightened that and straight away the shifting was excellent. Considering the cassette (11-32t) is so large, the road rear derailleur has to do a lot work across only 8 sprockets so all things considered it was quite fast. The shifters rise up to allow the shift cable to exit sideways at the top like the original Shimano style. I've learnt this is actually a great place to hold when on the road between trails. The hoods are great overall.My next concern was the Tektro Mira mechanical disc brakes. The discs themselves looked minimal and fragile with the brake calipers cheap. I had to realign the calipers on the frame but after that and a few simple adjustments to get the pads to engage with minimal rub whilst riding I've decided these brakes are awesome. I'm sure the brake snobs of the MTB world (I used to be one) will argue otherwise but honestly these brakes are so easy to adjust (both pads and barrel-adjusters) and have worked flawlessly. Not once have I thought I need more power, modulation or something easier to service. Sure you have to finetune the cable length after a few rides due to cable stretch and pad wear (hydaulic would be less work) but I don't think you can complain at all at this price point.
Wheels - heavy as hell, look great and perform as expected.
Oval cranks / Praxis 50/34 rings - The cranks are great and easy to service. The rings shift well but I think a proper CX combo of 46/36 would be more practical that my compact 50/34. Will i change it? Nope. It works just fine.
Oval Seatpost, bar, stem - all more than capable of abuse whilst still looking the business.
It ended up looking like this:
Ride report:
This bike is totally fun to ride. The short stem and stable geometry (combined with substantial weight
....) means it just rips through corners and gives you lots of confidence. I'm sure if it was 3-4kg lighter and a full race setup I'd climb a bit faster but when your riding with your buddies in a group and just out having a good time this doesn't matter. The trails we ride are perfect for CX with logs, puddles, berms, bike paths and loads of things to jump over and around. Half my buddies are on CX and the other half a mix of hardtail and dualie MTB so they can shred the downhills whilst we just pick the smooth lines and keep up our speed. The tyre/wheel combo has been spot on and the brakes have been more than enough. Would I take this bike on a gravel trip? Absolutely. Would I race it. Certainly if the course was through muddy trails and not a punchy park course.What am I going to upgrade? Nothing.
Ok that's a lie. The only crap thing is the bottom bracket. After 5-6 rides in the mud it is getting notchy and probably won't last. Maybe this is standard for a BB86 road bottom bracket getting abused off road but either way I'll get something better as the Oval cranks are great.
I've thought about it and nothing else needs changing. The tyres, chain and cassette will no doubt wear out soon which is fine as they are cheap.
I'm really glad I didn't spend huge $$$ on something that's very nature is to get smashed around trails and abused non-stop. So far it's stood up to everything I've thrown at it.
I took these the other evening so they aren't great quality but you get the idea.
