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I'm pretty sure some of yall follow Anton Krupicka, but he just did a big ride from Boulder, CO deep into Nebraska and back over the last week and took some really cool pictures. Very Spirit of Gravel.   Pics from these posts: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdQUF7uOLn2/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CdV6QTxuiEK/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CddOIrtukQC/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CdhnTXsOPWf/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CdoEz_hOYFx/
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May 17, 2022 23:26
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| # ¿ May 21, 2024 02:22 |
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e.pilot posted:the colorado high plains and nebraska sand hills sure are pretty Yeah I really hope I can get a few rides in around Pawnee Buttes or somewhere out there this year. Southern Wyoming would be good too if it’s not too windy.
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May 18, 2022 02:12
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Are Co-op frames any good? I know they’re using the same frame mfr as Giant now. I see co-op gravel bikes pop up lightly used in CL/FB marketplace at pretty good prices, and if the frames aren’t too bad I’m thinking about getting one as a base for a gravel build.
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May 21, 2022 20:20
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I want to build a gravel rig on my old aluminum K2 Zed frame that currently is a 26" ss mtb. As is it's really not that enjoyable as a commuter so I don't ride it. It's heavy and climbs like poo poo. (Surly singulator has since been removed.) Rear triangle accommodates a 700c x 25 with plenty of room to spare in diameter and width, and a buddy offered me a carbon straight gravel fork. Realistically this will be 70% road/30% dirt, towing a kid trailer frequently. Dirt in question is standard gravel FS/BLM/county roads and chill singletrack without much roots or rocks, but some occasionally. Road is mainly commuting or general just getting around town 1.) 700c or 27.5? It seems like a 27.5 with 40ish mm tires offers a decent amount of suspension but still not a ton of rolling resistance on the road around town, or even for a fun road ride. Or would that be close enough to just riding an mtb on the road? 2.) Handlebars? I currently have cyclocross bars on my commuter, a 1988 Cannondale SR500 with 700c x 28 cyclocross tires. I really like the cross bars. Rarely use the drops, mainly the full width of the top of the bars all the way out to the hoods. Maybe only ever on the drops if it's really windy. Would one of the many new funky bar styles I've been seeing around lately be a good use case for my riding? I would like to do more gravel roads and longer rides, so a variety of hand positions would be nice. Or would mountain bike brake levers and shifters on my cx bar plus a set of stubby bar ends in place of the roadie hoods be a good solution? Is that something that's even done? e: Looks like the Surly Corner Bar actually accomplishes that setup pretty well. HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 06:20 on May 23, 2022 |
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May 23, 2022 05:17
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kimbo305 posted:At 30% dirt, I would be going to 40mm tires. 25mm is something I wouldn't ride normal roads on anymore. At least not in this application. This is really helpful, thank you. The 40 mm tires sound pretty perfect for my use. I’ll probably take my commuter back to 25 mm road tires and a traditional drop bar for regular paved stuff, and the gravel bike will be actually used more for gravel and easy dirt. The frame pictured that I’ll most likely use has a pretty short stem and a really wide bar on it and is super comfortable for ergos. I might just start out with my Salsa cx so I’m not changing too many variables at a time. What advantages do 27.5 have over 700c?
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May 28, 2022 03:15
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kimbo305 posted:In this particular application, it gets you clearance. The rear could clear more tire on a 700c rim, but it looks like the front is the limiting factor. If that’s 2.3”, then you’re looking at max 45mm 27.5 on the front, maybe. Ok, right on. I measured seat post at saddle to center of stem on my commuter and the mtb frame and they’re the same length. That tells me that with my Woodchipper bars, hoods would be an identical reach. Right? I spent some time reading up on 26 to 27.5 conversions and most accounts say that rear triangle clearance is the biggest issue. I measured width of both spots on my triangle and believe there’s enough clearance for 27.5 x 40-45mm on my frame. Diameter of my 26 x 2” wheels should be 660.6 mm, and 27.5 x 45mm should be 674.0, so the new wheel radius will be fine in the frame, and new width of 45 mm (vs current width of 50.8 mm) should still be ample. My friend offered me a Toseek 26” mtb straight carbon fork. His measurements of that fork also confirm that there is enough clearance for a 27.5 x 45mm. He says he’s been riding it with 700c x 32mm (also on a 26” mtb frame) with no problem. I know it’s not a top quality fork, but I’m looking at it as an experiment to try the style before one day having the money to put toward a better fork. HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 20:49 on May 28, 2022 |
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May 28, 2022 20:32
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Hell yeah, this is sounding like it'll work. I know next to nothing about modern drivetrains, what is the best way to add a cassette and shifter? I'd like to keep my Avid mechanical disk brakes, as they work great. I'd like to keep 1x, as well. Would a rear brifter and front brake be the simplest way? I have a 36T SRAM chainring, so I'm thinking an 11 speed SRAM 11-36 cassette might make a good match, if geared a little low. 10-36?
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May 28, 2022 20:51
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kimbo305 posted:11t is the smallest cog possible on normal (Hyperglide) Shimano freehubs. The 27.5 QR wheels you could get are going to have Hyperglide and not the fancier new stuff. You might even consider doing your gravel build on the existing wheels just to prove out the shifting — i didn’t know your intent was going back to gears. Another thing is I'll still be towing a kid trailer for a while, and hopefully a tagalong bike before too long. I've been pulling the kid around on local ditch trails in her chariot behind the commuter and it's a drat hoot, especially when the dirt is a little wet. Drop bars and rigid fork with some 32 mm cross tires on a network of dirt shortcuts through town is just plain fun. But I need disc brakes and a frame that won't fail at the headtube suddenly from root, rock, and curb impacts. I dunno maybe I should just try smaller tires, a lighter rigid fork, and adding gears to the bike as is for now and see what that's like. It's just such a pig the way it is now that I'm kind of turned off 26" mountain bikes for good. quote:This is a combination I’ve used on two of my bikes: Clutches on derailleurs is a new concept to me. What's the advantage? My Avids are BB5, and I'm assuming long pull. I don't know much about disc brakes, but I guess now I'll need to plan a road set into my budget.
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May 29, 2022 05:46
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kimbo305 posted:Oh, I'm not opposed to going to 27.5. I'm just saying you can start working on the build without switching the wheels right away. Last step would just be to swap the wheels over, though you could stop early if you somehow decide the fit or other part choices don't work.  I keep having this mental block about how the neat thing about bikes is you can do a ship of Theseus with them. I think I'll start with this new fork, mtb drivetrain, and more road-oriented tires then. Losing that fat bastard of a fork and taking 10-15% off the tires plus gears should feel like a new bike. quote:I think I have a set of road BB7s, as well. Lemme know if you want me to look through my parts bin. I will check in with you, thank you for the offer. I still really appreciate the headset.
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May 29, 2022 06:34
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In my new side quest to make my 26” wheelset nicer to ride, I think I’ve settled on Continental Contact Travels in 1.75”. This should save me about 200g per tire. Will that plus swapping the very heavy Manitou fork for a carbon Toseek make a noticeable performance difference?
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May 30, 2022 20:49
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Those are rad. I've been thinking about making a couple simple bags for my bike. The tiny saddle pack for repairs just doesn't fit a couple other emergency things I'd like to have, like a first aid kit. HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 15:49 on Jun 20, 2022 |
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Jun 20, 2022 15:42
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drat you picked a perfect day for it. When is it open to vehicles again?
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Jun 27, 2022 04:51
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I made a grabble
HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 04:45 on Jul 24, 2022 |
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Jul 23, 2022 18:31
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 I also did gravel.
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Jan 17, 2023 19:15
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Slavvy posted:Riding somewhere far away by road then being able to explore even single track stuff fucken rules I have ridden my motorcycle maybe twice this year for this reason
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Jan 21, 2023 23:03
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gravel is my favorite kind of riding I've decided
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Embrace the honk
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Jan 23, 2023 03:53
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Awkward Davies posted:Thinking about getting into gravel. I live in LA and there's a ton of fire roads in the mountains that seem fun. Surely you will get some answers about ready to roll bikes very soon here, but Are you handy and/or into building bikes? I was able to build one up thanks to the generosity of some friends with their parts bins, rooting through my own parts bin, and getting a few things used at the local coop and used bike stores. I did have an older hardtail frame to start with, which is a big step. Definitely doesn't get you riding gravel anytime soon but I found it an enjoyable way to get into it. Until I got it into a rideable state, I just put the fattest cyclocross tires on my road bike that would fit and went after gravel/dirt anyway.
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Jan 27, 2023 21:21
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My riding buddy and I went to hit a good isolated gravel road but the wind was just godawful so I convinced him to take his bike on some single track instead and it was good.   
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Mar 20, 2023 17:01
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I've got a pair of Scott mtb shoes with spd. They're way better than road shoes to walk in, not quite as stiff soled. Just fine for hike a bike, in and out of stores or my office or kid's school.
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May 21, 2023 02:37
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I'm jealous of NZ greenery. But for about 6 weeks out of the year things are green here too! Found a snake.   
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May 30, 2023 20:12
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I rode a gravel race this past Sunday, the 53 mile course of the FoCo Fondo in Fort Collins. It was tough because I missed the last 3ish weeks of training due to a bad cold, which definitely showed. But it was fun, dusty, and extremely hot for the last 20ish miles. None of these pictures are mine. Immediately after going through the start gate, this jammed pretty much the whole pack up. I wish I'd just waited at the back, I got probably 15 minutes added to my chip time because of it.  This was an interesting challenge. We had ~3 miles of this lovely rutted goat trail. I could have ridden up all the ascents but when I was passing through it got so jammed with people just falling over and stopping unannounced to walk that I had to hike a bike for probably a mile. Descents were hairy, I got some nasty arm pump and there were water bottles and bags and lights yardsaled everywhere.  The majority of the course was this. Farm and county roads, lots of deceptively steep rolling hills. Some pretty fun descents as long as you stayed out of the deep gravel.    This is the only picture of me I found. Not any of the ones of me giving the horns to the camera or otherwise on a bike. Chugging a lovely beer at mile 47.  They had a couple pretty standard aid stations, but mile 47 was the "Oasis," which had a bar and some games and poo poo. New Belgium Brewing was a sponsor of the whole thing, and they really push the party animal atmosphere hard. It's pretty obnoxious, since they suck more and more as a brewery every day, but whatever.  Anyhow, will probably do it next year. I know dema rode the 118 miler, maybe he has some thoughts or experiences to share.
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Jul 28, 2023 19:10
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:spiritofgravel:
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Aug 9, 2023 13:56
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Clark Nova posted:specialized sawtooth? I got a pair when specialized had them on sale for $12 each. I can't really comment because I haven't set them up yet, but they are certainly a beefier tire than gravelkings I'm using these in 46 mm with WTB yellow tape and Orange sealant. I haven't had any punctures yet, but also no issues with leakage. I've had them in soft dry silt, hardpack singletrack, over rock gardens, deep gravel, rutty poo poo, sand, and even on pavement-only rides. Nothing to compare them to but I love them. Singletrack and rocky poo poo, they get good and sticky around 25 psi, and they're just fine on the road at 50 psi and up. Never gotten a puncture or cut either despite going through nasty rocks and miles of highway shoulder with blown up retread and loose hardware and glass scattered about.
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Aug 29, 2023 19:32
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Why did the bike fall over
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Sep 5, 2023 01:13
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Because it was twoo tired 
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Sep 5, 2023 01:15
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| # ¿ May 21, 2024 02:22 |
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Hell yeah man, good to see you here.
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Sep 30, 2023 05:07
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