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swell6

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hi,

I just bought a Traitor Crusade. It's a complete bike and built as a SS. It has a derailleur hangar on it. Under the cassette spec description, it says that the bike has a 9 to 1 converter on it to make it singlespeed.

I'm curiuos how I'd find out what cassettes will fit. I'm interested in fitting a 10 or 11 speed on the bike, but unsure of what will fit on the stock wheel. I'm a bit of a newbie around bike mechanics, but typically handle my own repairs and such, so if someone could point me in the right direction, that would be great. Is this something I'd need to confirm by looking at the free hub? I'd prefer not to have to take the spacers off just to confirm what type of cassette I can run.

On a related note - Am I going to have to do anything with the crank in order to setup a 1x system on the bike? I'm hoping to leave the front stock at first, and just shift in the back to start out.

Thoughts?

Here is a link to the page that describes the bike: https://www.evo.com/outlet/urban/tr...vd=c&esvaid=30559&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpe7Es-Pz1QIVRJ7ACh0vmQAVEAQYASABEgJi4PD_BwE
 
#2 ·
Hi,

I just ordered one too though I'm going to be leaving it in SS mode.

To answer your questions:

9 and/or 10 both work on the same sized freehub body so you can use either.

If you want to go 1x, you will either need to get a narrow/wide chainring or a chainguide to avoid dropping the chain in the front. It looks like the included crankset may come with a narrow/wide ring, but if not, one of these would work: https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=81136

Out of curiosity, why did you buy the SS if you want to run gears? You will probably have to use a bar end shifter rather than have shifting integrated with the brakes.
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
AmericanTemplar said:
Hi,

I just ordered one too though I'm going to be leaving it in SS mode.

To answer your questions:

9 and/or 10 both work on the same sized freehub body so you can use either.

If you want to go 1x, you will either need to get a narrow/wide chainring or a chainguide to avoid dropping the chain in the front. It looks like the included crankset may come with a narrow/wide ring, but if not, one of these would work: https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=81136

Out of curiosity, why did you buy the SS if you want to run gears? You will probably have to use a bar end shifter rather than have shifting integrated with the brakes.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply and the information. I thought 9 and 10 are the same, but wanted to confirm. In regards to why I bought an SS, there were a couple reasons:

1) I love SS bikes. They're simple, and super relaxing to ride. With that being said:
2) I see the Traitor as a flexible bike that can run SS when I want, and run geared when I want.
3) I am thinking about going with a Gevenalle setup. Are you familiar? (https://www.gevenalle.com/product/trp-hylex-gear-upgrade/) I'm not in love with integrated shifters, and I thought that if I was going to swap anything out with a different setup, it didn't really matter if I bought a geared bike.
4) They don't sell the crusade as a geared bike, and while I could have bought a frame and fork and built from there, since I have the complete bike now, I can ride while I gather parts, and do research about a geared build.

Why did you buy the crusade? Is it gonna be for CX races? What color/size did you get?

I got a 55, and I think the reach is a little long for me. I'm in the middle of a handlebar swap now.

- Chris
 
#4 ·
My pleasure! You could also run 11 speed shimano, which would be the best option if you want to stick to 1x. You probably want to get a bigger ring up front though--maybe a 42 or 44. You could get pretty close to double range with that gearing if you put a 42 or bigger on the back.

The flexibility is cool. I have an Ibis Tranny that I generally keep geared but I set it up SS for my last race, knowing that I'd be more competitive in the SS category on that course than in the Expert category, where most of the top finishers would have full suspension XC bikes. Turned out to be the right choice!

I wasn't familiar with Gevanalle until yesterday, but it looks pretty awesome! I thought Traitor had a geared CX bike for roughly the same price but I didn't look very closely at the other models.

I bought the Crusade for racing. I've only done the three local races we have here a year for the past two years, but I told myself after my very first race that if I were ever to get into CX, that I would get a SSCX. Two years ago I was on a geared CX bike but I sold it to buy an All Road bike, which is much better for doing the kind of riding that I usually do than the CX bike, but it wasn't very good on the CX course. The more relaxed geometry with the taller front end and slacker headtube required me to stay in the drops the whole race to maneuver around the tight corners and after three days, my back was killing. I've been thinking that I'd pick up a Nature Boy over the past could of years, but hesitant as I'm not sure how much I would use a SSCX outside of doing a handful of races each year. But with the Traitor being $500 with the best brakes available, seemed like a low risk way of seeing if a SSCX belongs in the quiver, as I could probably sell it without much of a loss if I never ride it. I don't like having bikes that don't get ridden.

I went with the 55 in Chrome. It was a tough call on the colors. A friend has the green so that was the main reason for my selection. I prefer the color options and the internal cable routing of the prior years models, but there were no complete builds. From looking at the numbers, I think it should fit me pretty well. If the reach is too long for you, then a shorter stem would be the primary way of remedying that. How tall are you?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
In order to put an 11 in the back, I think I'd have to buy a new freehub?

In regards to getting a bigger chainring, we'll wait and see. I'm hoping to put a chainguard on, and run it with the stock one to begin with.

The Ibis Tranny looks like a sweet bike. It's funny that you mention that you went with the SS category in your race. I bought the Crusade to get into cx racing, and wonder if I'd get smoked in the CAT 5 class as an SS rider. Got any insight? I think I'd be more competitive in CAT 5 than the SS class. I'm having an internal debate about whether I want to try my first race as SS or geared, so while I have big plans for throwing gears on this bike, I'm still debating whether it's a late fall project or a now project.

The $500 crusade is the hottest deal on the interwebz right now as far as bikes go. Traitor sells a geared "reuben" bike that could be a CX bike, but I preferred the geo of the crusade, and since I want to throw the GEN. shifters on, it didn't make sense for me to go that route really.

BTW, the reason these bikes are so cheap is that Traitor is out of business. I contacted support to ask about the freewheel and they told me they're OOB. Kinda stinks if you need assistance in the distant future in regards to the bike. Of course, I think Transition (traitors sister company) isn't going anywhere, so I guess you could always contact them. They sell the same bike as the crusade under the name "rapture."

I'm about 5'11" or 6'. I ride a large Jamis Dragon, and a 56 Kona Big Rove. Both those bikes fit better out of the box, but I don't have extensive experience on drop bars, which might be why the Crusade feels a little large. The stock handlebars have a reach of about 125mm, which is pretty long. My buddy had a pair laying around wiht a reach of about 80mm, so I'm swapping those out instead of replacing the stem. The stock stem is an 80, so I didn't want to go too much shorter, especially since I had the option of using these handlebars for free.

What all road bike do you have?
 
#6 ·
swell6 said:
In order to put an 11 in the back, I think I'd have to buy a new freehub?

In regards to getting a bigger chainring, we'll wait and see. I'm hoping to put a chainguard on, and run it with the stock one to begin with.

The Ibis Tranny looks like a sweet bike. It's funny that you mention that you went with the SS category in your race. I bought the Crusade to get into cx racing, and wonder if I'd get smoked in the CAT 5 class as an SS rider. Got any insight? I think I'd be more competitive in CAT 5 than the SS class. I'm having an internal debate about whether I want to try my first race as SS or geared, so while I have big plans for throwing gears on this bike, I'm still debating whether it's a late fall project or a now project.

The $500 crusade is the hottest deal on the interwebz right now as far as bikes go. Traitor sells a geared "reuben" bike that could be a CX bike, but I preferred the geo of the crusade, and since I want to throw the GEN. shifters on, it didn't make sense for me to go that route really.

BTW, the reason these bikes are so cheap is that Traitor is out of business. I contacted support to ask about the freewheel and they told me they're OOB. Kinda stinks if you need assistance in the distant future in regards to the bike. Of course, I think Transition (traitors sister company) isn't going anywhere, so I guess you could always contact them. They sell the same bike as the crusade under the name "rapture."

I'm about 5'11" or 6'. I ride a large Jamis Dragon, and a 56 Kona Big Rove. Both those bikes fit better out of the box, but I don't have extensive experience on drop bars, which might be why the Crusade feels a little large. The stock handlebars have a reach of about 125mm, which is pretty long. My buddy had a pair laying around wiht a reach of about 80mm, so I'm swapping those out instead of replacing the stem. The stock stem is an 80, so I didn't want to go too much shorter, especially since I had the option of using these handlebars for free.

What all road bike do you have?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure about needing a different freehub. I went from 9 to 11 on my MTB with the same freehub, but I'm not sure if road standards are different. You may need to use a MTB derailleur anyway if you wanted to run a 42 or bigger cassette. Not sure if GEN shifters are compatible with an 11 speed MTB derailleur, but probably worth contacting them to find out. Does the bike come with a narrow/wide ring? If so, you don't need a chain guide, though a derailleur with a clutch would be a good idea.

If you're going to be racing SS, you should race in the SS category, otherwise it's apples racing oranges. You may finish towards the back this year, but you'll move up in time. I personally think that the simplicity of SS is better for CX racing. It may or may not be faster depending on your riding style and the course, but I think that it will be better at helping you learn to carry speed through the corners, since you can't downshift on the exit. I wouldn't really consider myself to be a singlespeed specialist in MTBing, but I do have strength and skills that most people that only ride gears don't have, thanks to the time I've spent on a one speed. I'd say throw gears on it once CX season is over.

Thanks for the info about Traitor going out of business. I'm not concerned as I don't think much can go wrong with this bike.

80mm is on the short side for a stem on a CX bike, so sounds like the shorter reach bars are the right choice. Generally you will be a little more stretched out on a CX or road bike than a MTB but you should be comfortable and not straining your neck. Have you played with saddle fore/aft poisoning at all? Though that adjustment isn't so much used to make you less stretched out, it does have an effect.

I have the Ridley X-Trail and I love it! If I only could have one bike, it would be the one.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#7 ·
Mine arrived yesterday and I'm going to take it out on its maiden voyage today. My initial impression is that the frame and fork look even nicer in person than they do on the website. Nice, thin tubing, clean welds and the paint looks to be good quality. The headtube badge is awesome! The brakes also look and feel really good and the crankset also looks nice. BTW, the ring is a narrow/wide design so there is no need for a chain guide if you choose to gear it.

The negatives, well, the stock gearing is good if you intend to use it as a commuter on fairly flat ground. I can tell that it's too high of a gear for my intentions, which is actual cross racing as well as mostly dirt riding with fairly long climbs. I'm going to throw an 18t cog on the rear, which will give it a 2:1 ratio that should work well for my purposes. Also, the stock bars are horrible. I see what you mean about the changing the bars rather than the stem to improve the reach. The TRP brakes have really long hoods, as it is, so those bars were a bad choice. In addition, they're way too thin and sized for a child's hands. I think that I'm probably going to pick up a pair of the FSA Omega bars as those seem like they would work well with the TRP brakes. I'm also going to throw on a Thomson stem and straight seatpost that I have in my parts bin. The stock seatpost has way too much setback and a single bolt design is also not the safest option for a cross bike.

Overall, it was a good buy for $500, even if you buy it just for the frame, fork, brakes and cranks. Looking forward to getting it out on the dirt and seeing how it rides.
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
AmericanTemplar said:
Mine arrived yesterday and I'm going to take it out on its maiden voyage today. My initial impression is that the frame and fork look even nicer in person than they do on the website. Nice, thin tubing, clean welds and the paint looks to be good quality. The headtube badge is awesome! The brakes also look and feel really good and the crankset also looks nice. BTW, the ring is a narrow/wide design so there is no need for a chain guide if you choose to gear it.

The negatives, well, the stock gearing is good if you intend to use it as a commuter on fairly flat ground. I can tell that it's too high of a gear for my intentions, which is actual cross racing as well as mostly dirt riding with fairly long climbs. I'm going to throw an 18t cog on the rear, which will give it a 2:1 ratio that should work well for my purposes. Also, the stock bars are horrible. I see what you mean about the changing the bars rather than the stem to improve the reach. The TRP brakes have really long hoods, as it is, so those bars were a bad choice. In addition, they're way too thin and sized for a child's hands. I think that I'm probably going to pick up a pair of the FSA Omega bars as those seem like they would work well with the TRP brakes. I'm also going to throw on a Thomson stem and straight seatpost that I have in my parts bin. The stock seatpost has way too much setback and a single bolt design is also not the safest option for a cross bike.

Overall, it was a good buy for $500, even if you buy it just for the frame, fork, brakes and cranks. Looking forward to getting it out on the dirt and seeing how it rides.
Click to expand...
Thanks for giving me an update! Glad you like the frame!

It's funny that you mention the seatpost, because the first thing I did was replace the saddle and seatpost. I was having reach issues so the setback wasn't working for me.

Good to know about the gearing being too high for CX. I've put about 50 miles on the bike so far (I know, I'm slacking) and I find the gearing fine, but I live in the DC area. Not too many hills. With that being said, when I find myself on a hill, I curse the SS.

I threw on a bontrager bar that I got for free from a bud(not sure if I mentioned that before in my posts) and the reach issue has been solved.

I love the brakes. These things are powerful. I've locked em up a few times accidentally. I've got hyrdos on my kona rove, but they're not as sensitive.

Did you switch out the saddle? The stock saddle was the worlds shittiest.
 
#9 ·
swell6 said:
Thanks for giving me an update! Glad you like the frame!

It's funny that you mention the seatpost, because the first thing I did was replace the saddle and seatpost. I was having reach issues so the setback wasn't working for me.

Good to know about the gearing being too high for CX. I've put about 50 miles on the bike so far (I know, I'm slacking) and I find the gearing fine, but I live in the DC area. Not too many hills. With that being said, when I find myself on a hill, I curse the SS.

I threw on a bontrager bar that I got for free from a bud(not sure if I mentioned that before in my posts) and the reach issue has been solved.

I love the brakes. These things are powerful. I've locked em up a few times accidentally. I've got hyrdos on my kona rove, but they're not as sensitive.

Did you switch out the saddle? The stock saddle was the worlds shittiest.
Click to expand...
I've only done one little 20 mile ride so far and I didn't have any problems with the saddle, but I tend to be less particular about saddles than most and I'm more comfortable on racey minimalist saddles than I am on more padded models.

I ordered a pair of compact Easton carbon bars from Nashbar for cheap and won't get the bike out on the road again until I get them installed.

Riding a singlespeed cross bike outside of cross racing is a bit tricky where I live because we have long stretches of flat roads and then steep dirt pitches once you get out into the parks. So there's not really any ideal gearing for these parts, but from what I've read, most people use a 2:1 gearing ratio as a starting point for finding the right gearing for CX racing.
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
No problems with flats. Sadly the bike has been gathering a bit of dust in the basement. I'm not sure I'm going to have time to actually race CX this season due to a busier than expected season at work. With that being said, I've commuted with it a few times, and am digging the bike. It doesn't have a rack/fenders obviously so its not a great commuter in rain or hot weather (since I have to wear a backpack vs. running a pannier).

I will say that the stock tires are noisy as hell on pavement. I've noticed they look fairly "plasticy."

I'm about 210 (pounds) and think I'm running em around 60 PSI.

Have you had all 4 on 1 wheel or 2 on each, or what? Have you noticed whats popping them? Glass? It's possible that there is either a tiny piece of plastic/metal/glass stuck in the tire that keeps popping the tube in the same place OR its a spoke poking through the rim tape. I'm assuming you've already looked into both those options, but if you haven't, I'd recommend it. I've had several experiences with a piece of glass the size of a large grain of sand being embedded in my tire and popping multiple tubes. Typically if you notice the hole in the tube is in the same spot over and over, you can identify where the glass is.

Did you switch over the bars? How are they? What color tape did you go with? I've got red on mine now, and everyone either jokes about the bike being a christmas bike, or a watermelon. You went with the silver, so I guess you don't have that problem.
 
Discussion starter · #12 ·
AmericanTemplar said:
swell6 - how are the stock tires working out for you? I've already gotten 4 flats and I don't usually flat very easily. What PSI are you running and what do you weigh?
Click to expand...
Btw. sorry for the delay in reply. I always forget my password on MTBR, so if I'm not near my computer for awhile (where the pwrd is saved) I don't log on here for a week or so.
 
#13 ·
Hey I got the crusade also. Just put a 11 spd SLX drivetrain on it with the Gevenalle shifter. The freebub is the standard one for 10 speed shimano or sram mountain stuff and 11 speed shimano mountain stuff. I verified with spare parts before ordering kit. Install was easy, shifting works great. Derailleur hanger was bent (typical) so had to fix that before shifting was any good.
 
Discussion starter · #14 ·
alex345 said:
Hey I got the crusade also. Just put a 11 spd SLX drivetrain on it with the Gevenalle shifter. The freebub is the standard one for 10 speed shimano or sram mountain stuff and 11 speed shimano mountain stuff. I verified with spare parts before ordering kit. Install was easy, shifting works great. Derailleur hanger was bent (typical) so had to fix that before shifting was any good.
Click to expand...
Which shifter did you purchase from Gevenalle? The "Road" or Dyna-sys one?

Also, to install the levers/shifter, do you have to do a brake bleed?
 
#15 ·
Dyna-sys means shimano mountain compatible -- shimano mtb stuff has different cable pull ratio than road I guess. I got the 11spd dynasys rear shifter to match with SLX derailleur and 11-42 cassette. It has a really good range now 36-42 gives a nice bailout gear for grinding up really steep stuff in SoCal and I am now spun out around 27 mph on high end (36-11). I use it for commuting and some road training rides to mix it up and get in more exercise. The cranks (FSA comet) use cannondale hollowgram compatible direct-mount chainrings if you need to replace that -- I did a bit of research before getting my new drivetrain to make sure I had it all figured out.

No brake bleed required. You just swap the brake levers with ones from gevenalle that have shifter mount on them.
 
Discussion starter · #16 ·
alex345 said:
Dyna-sys means shimano mountain compatible -- shimano mtb stuff has different cable pull ratio than road I guess. I got the 11spd dynasys rear shifter to match with SLX derailleur and 11-42 cassette. It has a really good range now 36-42 gives a nice bailout gear for grinding up really steep stuff in SoCal and I am now spun out around 27 mph on high end (36-11). I use it for commuting and some road training rides to mix it up and get in more exercise. The cranks (FSA comet) use cannondale hollowgram compatible direct-mount chainrings if you need to replace that -- I did a bit of research before getting my new drivetrain to make sure I had it all figured out.

No brake bleed required. You just swap the brake levers with ones from gevenalle that have shifter mount on them.
Click to expand...
Good to know! Thanks for sharing.
 
#18 ·
Yeah, I'm a little bummed on that. And actually kinda bummed on the bike in general to be honest. I think I'm too spoiled by nice bikes to be satisfied with a bargain bike. I'm going to be racing it for three days next weekend for the first time. If it doesn't end up working well for me, I'll probably just sell it. There is one pretty long run up on one of the courses where I shouldered the bike last year. Guess I may be pushing it instead this year.
 
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