Monday, August 6, 2012

Raleigh Clubman Long-Term Test: The 992-Mile Review

This was supposed to be a 1,000-mile review, but our Senior Graphic Designer here at The Cycle just about ripped my legs off tandeming yesterday, so I could barely limp the eight miles home tonight that got me to 992, much less add another eight. I'm sure I had some miles on the bike before I installed the computer, so you can call it 1,000 if it quiets your particular obsessive-compulsive demons. Me, I promised that this would be the year I stopped obsessing about mileage, so I'm trying to be good.

In the grand tradition of bike reviews, I'm going to say some nice things about the Clubman before I nit-pick. I am astounded at how well this bike fits me, how well-balanced I feel over it, and (as a result) how nicely it handles. Other than one stem swap (120mm to 100) and a change of cranks (175mm to 170, and I wouldn't have done that if I hadn't bent the 175s in a crash), it is a bone-stock 59cm. All my contact points are exactly where I want them, and my (sometimes substantial) weight seems perfectly positioned over the wheels. It also has perhaps the lowest bottom bracket (75mm of drop) of anything I've ridden. Can't tell if that impacts handling at all, but it does give a "planted" sensation of sitting down in the bike rather than perching on it. The result is bucketloads of confidence -- I know where I am on the bike and I know how it's going to respond, so I feel comfortable flinging it into situations where it might not otherwise belong.

Now, with that said, on to the nit-picks -- or, "how to make a good bike even better." Raleigh USA, are you listening? Because three quick, cheap, and easy changes would take this thing from a pretty conventional skinny-tired British "winter bike" (as seen in Cycling Plus... off-season race bikes that can just get fenders over 700x23s) to an absolute do-it-all wolf in British Racing Green clothing:
  • Step 1: Fatten up the fenders! Those stock painted-to-match steel fenders are absolutely gorgeous... but make them wider! I know you can get them -- after all, you make the Port Townsend with 700x35s and steel fenders.
  • Step 2: How 'bout bigger brakes too? Don't get me wrong... I'm impressed that you chose the mid-reach (47-57mm) Tektro calipers with the nicer quick-release that opens further to clear a wider tire. But if you're going with a wider fender, why not match it to Tektro's long-reach (55-73mm) R556 brake? If you want to get nuts, nudge the brake bridge up a little higher and use slightly longer fork blades to use even more of that big brake, too.
  • Step 3: Put some meat on those rims. This was the goal all along. You made some space in Steps 1-2, now fill it with a fatter tire. A true 32mm should fit, no problem.

Now in most cases, I'm just flapping my jaws out here in cyber-neverland without my money ever getting close to my mouth. This time, though, I have crafted a proof-of-concept for either your viewing pleasure or nausea. Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and see the freak of nature:

 

That, dear reader, is the front end of my Clubman, modified as suggested above (save for the longer fork blades -- a framebuilder I am not). Tektro R556 brake over battered 45mm Planet Bike fenders (which are due for a Hail To The Cheap honor someday) over a gaping clearance over a 700x28 Continental tire (which is probably an undersized 28). The only downfall here is aesthetic... the brake is at its minimum reach, so the empty slots are hanging down like basset hound ears. 



Okay, so you can't see the gaping clearance or the 700x28 in the rear shot, but trust me, they're under there... and the clearance would be even more gaping if I hadn't used the thick plastic Planet Bike fender bracket under the brake.

So why take a perfectly good "slightly more versatile than a road bike" road bike and do this to it? First, because I'm not capable of leaving well enough alone. But more importantly, for my money, this bizarre creation is the perfect bike. Once I get some legit 32s on there, everything will have scaled up together... tire, fender, brake. It just looks normal, like any other road bike. Heck, the brake is even a dual-pivot sidepull like just about every other conventional road bike out there. Go to the club ride and nobody will think you brought a knife to the gunfight (and I can't say these mods have slowed me down at all, though that's like saying a glacier hasn't lost a step). But when the urge to turn off pavement strikes, you're ready. Chipseal? Who cares? Gravel? Pshaw. Cyclocross? Just add cowbell.

Not bad for "just a road bike," eh?

17 comments:

Roadscrape88 said...

Jason, nice to see the changes you've made to the Clubman.

At work (REI) there is a Clubman next to a Port Townsend on display. I love the ride of the Clubman, but I agree that versatility is lacking without wider tires/fenders. I like the Port Townsend, but it doesn't feel as lively as the Clubman. Like most things, you have to pick your compromise!
Bill in Roswell, GA

Jason T. Nunemaker said...

Bill -- totally agree on the Port Townsend. The shop where I bought my Clubman sized me up using a PT since that's what they had in my size (the Clubbie was a special order). I thought it was quite nice during my extended test ride, but as you say, definitely more of a touring feel -- not that there's anything wrong with that. As you say, pick your compromise.

The only problem I can see with the modified Clubman is that it's gong to inspire me to do stupid things (singletrack, anyone?) that I'm guessing my wife would prefer I avoid. :-)

- Jason

redapemusic said...

I am not sure if you still get notifications from this blog, but I have a 2013 Clubman and I recently moved. Where once I had bike paths to ride on, now I have a two lane highway and dirt roads. I would like to put some 32's on my Clubman but I'm not sure how to go about it. I've talked to two LBS's but I get the feeling that they don't think that it can be done.

Jason T. Nunemaker said...

Going to a 32 does take some parts swaps coupled with a bit of luck. Check the position of your brake pads in the slots on your stock brakes (which should have 57mm of reach). Are the pads all the way at the bottom of the slots when they're properly lined up with the rims, or somewhere in the middle?

On my frame, the pads were right at the bottom of the slots, which meant that they were in the overlap zone between the stock brakes and a longer Tektro R556 brake. Switching to the R556 allowed me to use a wider (45mm) fender and still have space for a 32mm tire. If the pads had started out higher in the slots on the original brakes, it wouldn't have worked.

The stock brakes can probably clear a 32mm tire as-is if you don't mind taking off the fenders. That would at least provide a proof of concept before you commit to new brakes and fenders.

I've been a little quiet on the blog, but I'm still listening - feel free to respond here if you need more information. Happy to help!

redapemusic said...

I was thinking about discarding the fenders and maybe replacing them with a downtime fender for the front and nothing but my bike rack on the back. This should keep me "dry enough" for my commute. From what I've seen, if it is raining or had rained pretty heavily the night before, then the fenders don't help out that much anyway.

Jason T. Nunemaker said...

I'll bet that with the fenders off, a 32 should be an easy fit. The stock fenders are kind of the limiting factor with these bikes -- very narrow, barely suitable for a real 28.

Let me know how it works out!

MT said...

Hi, this post has been really helpful to me as I have a 2012 Clubman and have been meaning to replace the 25mm tyres with 28mms (probably Michelin Pro4 Endurance V2 Folding Tyres) but when I checked with a couple of shops whether the Clubman could take them they all said no.
I don't have the original mudguards on mine so will I be ok with the 28mm tyres, even with 57mm brakes?
I've also been wanting to replace the Tektro brakes with Tiagras (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-BR-R451-Tiagra-Deep-Drop-Road-Bike-Brake-Calipers-A-PAIR-/401008105808?hash=item5d5df21950) but they don't come longer than 57mm (as far as I can see)

MT said...

Sorry one more question!
I've read that those tyres can end up being bigger (25mm are really 27mm etc) is that something I need to consider? Don't want to waste £50 on tyres that don't fit!

redapemusic said...

I've had a 28mm on my rear tire forever and I haven't had any problems whatsoever. Pretty soon I will be moving up to 32mm's. From what I can tell, it shouldn't be that big of a deal, as long as you don't have the original fenders on it.

Jason T. Nunemaker said...

MT -- with the stock fenders out of the equation, a 28mm should fit just fine under the original brakes. My understanding is that Michelin tires run a little bit wider than their labeled spec, but I doubt that will be a problem. I test-fit mine with the original brakes and 32mm tires (no fenders) once, and it was fine.

If you replace the brakes, be aware that the shape of the Shimano 57mm reach brake might limit fender clearance a little. I found that a Shimano caliper would push down slightly on a 45mm fender when squeezed, where the Tektro would not. This was an older Shimano caliper, so maybe they've changed the shape to open up the clearance. Of course, with no fenders, it's a moot point -- your planned 28mm tires will fit under a Shimano brake, and the feel at the lever will probably be firmer (I found the Shimano less flexible than the Tektro).

And I just realized that I've been writing this whole reply in American when I should have been using English. Please translate all instances of "fender" to "mudguard" and "tire" to "tyre" with my apologies. :-)

MT said...

great, thanks so much for the advice (and translations)!

I reckon I'll leave the Tektro's on for now. It was just an aesthetic change as they've been pretty good since I changed the original pads.

Andy said...

Jason, I have this bike and have reached the limit of tires using the factory fenders with a 28mm Gatorskin that actually still rubs now and again. I want to move to 32s but keep fenders-- is this really possible on this bike (with long reach brakes)? Which model fenders did you use to fit with 32s?

Jason T. Nunemaker said...

Andy, it depends a little on the manufacturing tolerances of each particular frame. The stock brakes have a maximum reach of 57mm, so if the pads are all the way out at the very end of the slots in order to reach the rims, then you're around the minimum reach of a Tektro R556 brake (which starts at 55mm and goes to 73mm). The longer brakes don't buy you any more height, but the arch under them is wider, which allows a wider fender and allows you to cram that fender up further from the tire. Once I switched brakes, I was able to fit 700x45mm fenders (I tried a few different Planet Bike "hybrid" models and they all worked), and I could fit an actual 32mm tire (Panaracer Pasela) underneath with no rubbing. Hope this helps!

Andy said...

So it sounds like the limiting factor is not the height of the fender, but the width. In theory, if I could fit a wider fender under the stock brakes, a 32mm tire would work with that combination without needing new brakes?

Jason T. Nunemaker said...

Yep, if you can get the 45mm fender under the existing brake, you might be able to squeeze a 32mm tire in there. I've been able to run this combination on other bikes that use 57mm reach brakes, though I didn't try it on the Clubman. It's a tight fit but not impossible.

Andy said...

I have kind of been able to get 32mm Marathon Supremes under the stock fenders and brakes with a little bit of bending and some occasional rubbing. It's not a permanent solution because the fenders are under stress so I'll probably try to get some SKSs, but I really do like the look of those matching green fenders.

Raleigh really could have supported 32mm fenders by making the width and fender line a little big more generous. A shame, really.

Andy said...

I got 45mm SKS Bluemels and the rear fits fine, but the front is just too wide for the fork. I've forced it high under the crown so it doesn't rub on the tires but it really is too wide and it doesn't look good. I guess the only thing I can try is to re-form the SKS fenders with a heat gun or try to roll the OEM fenders to fit wider tires.