Finally got the 318 LKLM bike built. Here are the specs:
- Frame LKLM 54 cm (26" wheels)
Frame is excellent quality with all the braze-ons imaginable. The color of this one is school bus yellow - good quality powder coat;
- The frame is Reynolds chrome-moly throughout, and the main triangle is triple butted;
- The toe and heel clearances are excellent. Even with large fenders and setting the shoe clips all the way back there is plenty of space between toe and front wheel;
- The top tube is nearly flat. In my opinion, the slanted diamond geometry used in mountain and BMX bikes is not appropriate for touring bikes. A horizontal top tube leaves plenty of room inside the triangle for mounting accessories (remember that these bikes are recreation vehicles) and also makes the seat stays taller for mounting racks;
- Haven't measured the bottom bracket height, but it is on the high side, which is in keeping with the overall concept of the bike;
- Forks are a similar design to the ones used by Chris Chance on his 'Fat Chance' bikes. Very solid. Also the crown is set high enough to give plenty of room for fenders. I've had touring bikes that have all the braze-ons for the fenders but didn't leave enough room between the crown and the tires;
- Tall head tube to reduce number of washers needed;
- The frame is designed with an internal cable routing system. I've accidently scraped up frames with external cabling and really appreciate the internal design. The ports are set back on the tubes a little farther than many of the mountain bikes that I've seen, but again this configuration seems to work better for a touring bike;
- The frame came with excellent quality stainless cap screws instead of the usual pan head screws. Also the mounting screws for the racks were M6 instead of the smaller M5, which makes much more sense. I had to drill out the Tubus mounts to accommodate the M6 screws, which was just fine with me.
For a refresher on touring bike geometries see
http://cyclingabout.com/understanding-bicycle-frame-geometry/For the rest of the bike:
Drive train: 12-36 rear cassette, 44-32-22 175 mm crank (Shimano Deore Hollowtech)
The low gear is almost more psychological than practical. It can only be used if I'm going up a steep hill and want to go a bit further before getting out to push. The short travel per revolution makes it nearly impossible to start in that gear;
Rear derailleur/shifters: SRAM X-7 with twist grips
I really don't like trigger shifters and bar end shifters require that I take my hand off the bar. I have found the twist grip shifters to be the ticket. Shifting is smooth and hands are firmly on the bar during shifting.
Front derailleur: Shimano Deore
This frame required a top mount cable, and we had this Deore on hand:
Seat post clamp: Hope (UK), silver, quick release
One of the quirks about the frame is that it takes a 30 mm seat post clamp rather than a standard 28.6 mm clamp common to steel bikes. Possibly due to the triple butted tubing. After greasing the seat post it became obvious that the clamp that came with the frame wasn't adequate to keep the seat from sliding down. The Hope clamp is impressive - heavy duty, brass seat, and the release arm can be swiveled to any position (nice touch). Holds the greased post in place just fine;
Front rack: LKLM platform
The LKLM rack is a solid piece of work with clean welds and simple design. The platform design adds additional stability through the upper connector at the fork crown. I specifically wanted a front rack with a platform because I use a Biria Quatrone handlebar bag that I wanted to strap to the top. This arrangement takes the weight off the handlebar as a cantilever and transfers it to the rack, which is significantly more stable. The extra weight of the rack is partially offset by removing the heavy mounting hardware from the handlebar bag (since the weight of the bag is no longer hanging from the bars it only takes a couple of strips of double-faced Velcro and a small strap to hold the bag firmly in place);
Rear rack: Tubus Logo
I wanted to go with the LKLM rear rack, but got a good price on the Tubus rack. Two things that I like about the Tubus rack - it sits slightly farther back than most racks, and there are small stop pins on the far back which keep the pannier clips from sliding off. The rear panniers are a set of modified Jandd Expedition panniers (bright red, of course!) and the extra length comes in handy;
Wheels: Sun RhynoLite rims with Shimano Deore axles.
This set of wheels was on sale, but I might have a new set hand built using Shimano Deore XT axles and possibly Velocity AeroHeat rims;
Fenders: Velo Orange stainless steel
Beautiful chromed fenders with sturdy mounting hardware. I might spray the insides with automotive undercoating to take out the tinny sounds from tire gravel hitting them. Most people seem to think that fenders are only to keep themselves dry, but more importantly they keep mud and silt out of the drive train. These fenders sit nice and low on the front wheel to protect the crank and chain;
Tires: Vittoria Randoneur Trail 38 mm, reflective sides
Nice thick tread, tight tread pattern which is perfect for packed gravel rail trails, and a slick center for pavement. Good grip on pavement. A bit heavy, but they wear longer than some other tires due the extra tread thickness. These tires tend to kick up gravel, so the fenders were a necessity;
Seat: Gyes GS-17A with copper plate rails
I have a couple of Brooks B17 saddles on other bikes, but have really come to like the Gyes saddles even more. The designs are similar, and the Gyes has a thick 3mm leather from Australia with a laminated backing. The backing makes them a bit stiffer to break in, but once broken in they hold their shape better than the Brooks. The Gyes also comes with the adjustment key, something that Brooks charges extra. This particular seat has copper plated rails which makes it very gaudy, perfect for a bright yellow bike;
Seat post: Velo Orange with an offset, silver
Headset: FSA sealed bearing
Pedals: Shimano M520 SPD
Nothing fancy, just basic pedals;
Brakes: Shimano Deore XT cantilevers
Yes, disc brakes might work better, but I have not had any problems stopping with cantilevers and did not want the extra complexity of discs. V brakes would have been nice, but the fenders were too tall. Fortunately the LKLM frame has a cantilever bridge on the seat stays, something that you don't see too often these days;
Handlebars: Nashbar mountain trekking bars
These bars are a little wider than most trekking bars, and work well with this style of bike;
Handlebar tape and padding: Profile Design cork
The bar wrap by itself was not thick enough for my tastes, so underneath the tape on the lower part of the bar is a set of old Morgan/Endurance neoprene grips. These grips were made back in the 1970-80's, and are the most comfortable handlebar grips that I have ever used. Using the tape overtop gives a very comfortable feeling of a firm base with a softer outer 'give'. PD calls the color 'Rust' which is a ridiculous name for tape on a steel bike. It took two strips of tape per side to cover the Morgan grips.
Water bottle holders: Bike Buddy (UK)
These stainless steel mounts are still the most solid system that I've ever come across. They use flat spring loaded pegs on the bike with rails that have keyhole slots (commonly seen in shelving units) which are attached to the bottle. Simple and indestructible. Just don't lose the bottle! In regards to the frame, the water bottle pegs are placed far apart enough so that two large bottles don't interfere with each other.
My overall opinion of the LKLM frame is that this is a serious, well made, well designed touring bike. I've put a few hundred miles on this bike and am extremely pleased with the stable ride and handling. Anyone looking for a decent touring bike should consider giving these folks some serious attention.
