There's nothing quite like the thrill of riding parts from Aliexpress while bombing down a trail and knowing you could go over the bars at any moment. Or through the bars. But in all seriousness I haven't personally experienced any breakages or problems beyond the usual rough edges.
Totally an mtber! Did you see how filthy the bike was when he started the swap? What roadie would ever even contemplate doing such a procedure without cleaning the bike first.
A little late now but you can definitely use the compression style plugs in an aluminium/steel steerer tube, just you can't use a star nut in a carbon steerer.
OK cool, good to know. I had just assumed that the aluminium plug would struggle to hold against the inside of the aluminium steerer tube. But I guess you can really up the torque on the compression plug compared to a carbon steerer... I'll def bear this in mind for next time! Thanks for the tip chaz 👌👌👌
@@TraceVelo Use an old stem (slightly higher mounted on the fork shaft) and the top cap as a guide next time. Don't screw the screw all the way in and then just hammer it in, it will be straight afterwards.
Sometimes the inner diameter of metal steerers is too small for some compression plugs. I have also used it on steel forks. They also seem to slip less on steel or aluminium than on carbon forks. The only thing to keep in mind is that it adds a few milimeters to the steerer length because the plug sits on top.@@TraceVelo
@@alexsch9956 too much of a hassle and risk of hammering the star nut not straight. the drift tool used for this that Luke showed a picture of is dirt cheap and it will last a life time for a home mechanic so I see no reason in bodging this work.
A little note as you begin to talk about suspension, damping makes you fast (controls your suspension) dampENing makes you wet. Very common mistake but you’ll be silently made fun of by snobby suspension nerds (no comment on how I know ;))
That little blue ring helps you gauge the suspension pressure - push it right down and go for a ride, when you get home you'll be able to tell how much of the range you're using. Add or remove pressure accordingly.
no, it's actually used for measuring sag. On a normal air fork you want around 20-30% sag but on this I have no idea since it's only 40mm of travel. It can be used to see how much range you're using but that's not really it's purpose.
Hi Luke, top tip for the future - instead of cutting down the brake pipe, you can carefully cut a slot in the olive and then twist with a flat blade screwdriver to crack and spread the olive. You then just use a new olive and keep all the hose length. 🥖
I'll soon be in a situation where I'll have replumb my brake lines for something stupidly minor. I had considered what you are suggesting but having no experience with that (always replaced brake lines in the past) I am concerned the new olives wouldn't work as effectively due to compression of the hose from the previous olive. It sounds like you DO have experience so am I overthinking this or worrying unnecessarily?
@@vaulthecreatorthe new olive will crush down just as well as the old one did using the same spot on the hose, and seal just as well against the calliper / lever and the compression fitting. It’s common practice in domestic plumbing to reuse the same pipe with a new olive, even on plastic piping.
@@DandBGhostHunters that's great to hear., that will save me so much time. The LBS here won't sell brake hose and getting anything posted to regional Western Australia is easily a 2 week wait. Thank you so much mate, you're a legend 👍
"A bit soggy", you are indeed very much a British person. Here we'd refer to that as a canal. I am actually planning to do the opposite on one of my bikes; get rid of the suspension and install a rigid fork, save some weight. There's no gravel here anyway, just tarmac and such. Being adamant on keeping the V-brakes makes it quite daunting to find a replacement though. 🥖Enjoy your rides, Luke! 🥖
Luke..followed your channel for ages..love your humorous style. As a MTB er, a roadie and a fanatical snowboarder you should let your viewers know your discount code applies to Siroko Skiing gear as well. Just bought some snowboard trousers for next week from them so I hope you get your kickback.....they look pretty good, although I think their sizing is a little on the tight size... Just means more time on the turbo this week... I think there are a lot of cyclists who enjoy winter sports so get the word out....
Hey Luke in the years I have watched your channel, the one type of bike you haven't done is a time trial build. Just watched Paris-Nice it had great TT section .your next challenge should be a TT bike on cheap w/gear too . Except for the crazy helmets 😅 ok .
Ha! At least he's nice and light, it will survive longer than it would under my weight. I love watching his videos but basically everything is too lightweight/low grade engineered for a stocky guy to trust.
Actually, you can use the compression plug with no problem in aluminium steerer tubes. They're just a little more expensive and have not much functionality. It's only function is to allow the cap (and stem) to be lowered. Also, the stem itself is not held in place by this bolt, but by the other two.
To fit a star nut like that you need the fork in the frame and the stem fitted - that way the top cap locates in the stem and holds the screw straight as you tap it down.
Please try a suspension stem next Luke. Much simpler upgrade, much lighter, no geometry change. In short, of great interest to a wider range of riders. Probably. 😊
Not tried all the stem options. Just the eesilk from Cane Creek. It's helpful on some of the chatter. But, recently got a Szepter Core 4 with the Rudy Ultimate. No comparison. It's not as much travel as my MTB, but it is so much smoother in the rough stuff. I do venture onto single track on my GB rides fairly often. So, that makes it the best choice for me, while for others it'll likely be overkill. I just mean to say that the two are not equal. That said, I do agree with you in the specific aspects you listed.
i use an ikea desk leg (€4.95) and a threaded bar as my star fangled nut driver, its a little long but it fits nicely over the steerer tube and the rubber foot on the leg makes a good pad for the rubber mallet to hit.
Good job. That (higher end version) reminds me of my first MTB with the old yellow version of RST suspension fork back in the 90's. Except that it runs on drop bars 😅
Just so you know for the future you can use an expansion plug in a an aluminium (or steel) steerer tube, as long as it fits/grips enough to set the headset preload, as it serves no other function you could even use one of those dodgy lightweight ones. Star fangled nuts are a PITA to remove/reposition if you ever need too as well so an expander is the better option IMO.
@@MDZPNMD A lot of people who's main experience is with carbon think the top cap/star fangled nut does more than it does on a metal steerer, and if you're not sure it's always a safer bet to use what the manufacturer states/supplys I guess.
Nice. This would be nice on my alloy semi-gravel Giant Contend commuter. The city where I live has utterly appalling roads - my 28mm tyred Giant Defy was perfect in the last town I lived in, but it’s bad road repairs and random recessed manhole covers here that get quite sketchy on a roadie…
Thanks Luke, are you reading my mind? Every winter, to my wife's regret, I do a build/rebuild of a bike. Next winters project (2024-2025) is rebuilding urban commuter into a gravel bike...with suspension gravel forks. You have definitely convinced me to go ahead.
When i broke my carbon fork, i installed rigid steel fork.. +1kg. But got used to it, and dont think i'm going back, cuz steel is real! In terms of servicing that fork, the cost of service at bikeshop would cost a half of that forks price, so.. yeah. Cheers!
For the same money ($100CAD) i got a used 27.5 rock shox fork, that is just a little longer at 100mm. You can find these cheap if they use the older non-boost width. But that means they fit gravel/road wheels so thats a win. And 27.5" forks fit 700x45c tires pretty comfortably
It would be great if you had a look at the kinds of stem suspension Cycling About made a video of recently. The Chinese knockoff might be a bit more accessibly priced than what they were featuring. Weight wise you're looking at something like 200g instead of a 1000g. Although they might not suit what you're dealing with, according to Cycling About they are better for vibration.
I just came across news about a new wireless group from the Chinese brand "Wheeltop" -- the EDS-TX. It's available with hydraulic disc brakes and also for use with cable-operated brakes. And it's supposed to be offer the same performance as SRAM AXS at half the price! It sounds too good to be true. Perhaps TraceVelo can tell us whether it's worth the money or just another money pit! Cheers
I feel like the best part of a suspension fork on a gravel bike would be being able to run 40mm tyres for speed on smooth stuff but still being able to absorb bigger bumps. Just like how MTBs don't use fat tyres, they use fairly wide tyres and suspension.
Luke, I've been patiently waiting for your review of the 4 piston Juin calipers. Pretty sure it's been more than a year since you introduced them on your channel. I own a road tandem with Avid bb7 calipers/230mm rotors. I'm tempted to "upgrade" to the Juin GT-P. If they prove worthy of more confident braking, cost is irrelevant. Spousal harmony is everything. Hope to see your review soon. Thanks for all of your past videos. I've found them very informative and entertaining.
Been riding the Redshift stem and seatpost with 43c tires. This looks very cool for a budget shock. Any little bit of suspension will totally change your gravel experience. Yosemite Sam would be proud
but to be fair - the fork was not much cheaper then the redshift stem and with all the work unclear customer service I would (and I have) go with the shockstop every time...
Also using the redshift on my gravelbike and satisfied with it, but while the redshift is giving some comfort to the rider, a suspension fork like this is also increasing the traction in general I think. But since I need some mounting points on my fork and I don't want to increase the bike weight by nearly 1kg, I will also remain with the redshift, good enough for my style of riding
Love it! Now throw a flat bar on it and we how ya like it! Plus I don’t think we’ve ever seen you do a flat bar build! Road or otherwise 🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖❤
Have you considered checking out the Wheeltop EDS groupset? Carbon, adjustable number of gears, 100% wireless, IP67 - sounds too good to be true and should be perfect for a test from your side.
Headline price is rather expensive, isn't it? L-TWOO is much cheaper, and in the US (I'm in Europe unfortunately) SRAM seems to be running massive discounts on groups for months now, inventory glut, I guess?
You'll be fitting a remote dropper post yet once you figure out how much more technical terrain you can tackle over you have one. I'll just sit here and wait for that video... 😂
Looks like that lockout dial can be cable actuated so if you had a 2x left shifter, you could try to link it with the dial same way as it is done with droper seatposts Ps. That mustache qualifies for an upgrade to cpt. price's one 👌🥖
I take it that your ERX derailleur was a replacement from your original which failed after water ingress. If they've fixed that issue then the product development is working - that's great news for pwople who are considering an L-Twoo groupset in the near future.
I use a redshift stem myself and honestly it's been perfect even on some pretty hairy mtb trail stuff (I'm also a mtber and roadie). absolute breeze to service and doesn't change the geometry of the bike, there are a few downsides, but so much easier than a suspension fork to look after and doesn't slow you down on road sections, plus super subtle on bumps. I've seen a non branded chinese model much cheaper that looks the same too. Much prefer the look with a rigid gravel fork too.
Interesting! I had a look, i couldn't find a similar looking one on Alix. There's a version with a spring in the middle of the stem, and a version with a very steep up angle. Nothing that looks like redshift?
@@pierrex3226 before I bought it about a year ago there were Chinese ones on eBay that looked the same, I nearly got one but in the space of a few days they went up in price from something like £50 to £90, so I didn't get the Chinese one, I got my redshift off Amazon in the black Friday sale for £123. I just checked on eBay and now can't find the Chinese ones so maybe don't do them anymore.
Oooooh.... so many ideas... I just rode a trail on my touring bike that is more suitable for this type of machine... i was very underbiked... I love the idea of a drop bar suspension bike. And capital mo! 🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖 and a 2 donut bonus🥯🥯
I've bought 4 of those forks for MTB, the Fox 36 copies, and they were bad. I upgraded the damper to an original Fox Fit4, and the bushings to original fox too, and it worked well for a less than a year, until the right lower leg started to crack and separate around the bridge. At least not good for MTB.
You can use a compression plug on aluminium steerer, no problem. In fact my cube nuroad has carbon fork with aluminium steerer and compression plug installed from factory.
You can use that expander for carbon forks, those star nuts are meh and pita to install, not to mention heavy. I use several expanders in alloy steering tubes, they work well.
I've always used a wrench socket for guiding the lugnut, works fine. But you could have used the compression fitting just fine. You can't use a star nut on a carbon steerer, but the other way around is perfectly fine.
U know u want to build a Allieexpress 10kg full suspension xc bike with dropper. Obviously pricier than road or gravel. But would be sweet wouldn't it.? U have great videos of Allieexpress bikes....and monkey was perfect.
I'm wondering if it was the stiff carbon rims that forced you into the fork upgrade? Not dissing the rims...I have a set on order and I'm a little concerned about that aspect.
So this is a very astute observation, but ultimately, no, they didn't force me down this route. The carbon rims I'm using are stiffer than regular spoked wheels, I discussed this in my review of them, but not enough to warrant having to upgrade to a suspension fork. You may feel a slight difference moving to them, but it's pretty minor. Plus on the flats, they absolutely FLY.
![KAYTRANADA - Witchy (feat. Childish Gambino) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jGK3YVmGZ3Y/mqdefault.jpg)
I can’t tell if I’m impressed with the continued dedication to cheap parts, or if you’re a mountain biker now. Either way: 🥖
For sure ordered cargo shorts with that fork 😂
There's nothing quite like the thrill of riding parts from Aliexpress while bombing down a trail and knowing you could go over the bars at any moment. Or through the bars. But in all seriousness I haven't personally experienced any breakages or problems beyond the usual rough edges.
Nah there's probably just no content left for road bikes. Time to branch out.
@@dbk81cargo thights is better suited 😂.
Totally an mtber! Did you see how filthy the bike was when he started the swap? What roadie would ever even contemplate doing such a procedure without cleaning the bike first.
The transition slowly begins as you lean more and more into MTB
Flat bars next to
And Im so here for it!
We are witnessing it first hand! 😂
Waiting for rear suspension on uhm gravel. Minimum 140mm of travel
All part of the plan 😂
What a nice 90s Drop Bar Mountainbike. John Tomac would be proud 😉 🥖🥖🥖
A little late now but you can definitely use the compression style plugs in an aluminium/steel steerer tube, just you can't use a star nut in a carbon steerer.
OK cool, good to know. I had just assumed that the aluminium plug would struggle to hold against the inside of the aluminium steerer tube. But I guess you can really up the torque on the compression plug compared to a carbon steerer... I'll def bear this in mind for next time! Thanks for the tip chaz 👌👌👌
@@TraceVelo Use an old stem (slightly higher mounted on the fork shaft) and the top cap as a guide next time. Don't screw the screw all the way in and then just hammer it in, it will be straight afterwards.
Sometimes the inner diameter of metal steerers is too small for some compression plugs. I have also used it on steel forks. They also seem to slip less on steel or aluminium than on carbon forks. The only thing to keep in mind is that it adds a few milimeters to the steerer length because the plug sits on top.@@TraceVelo
@@alexsch9956 too much of a hassle and risk of hammering the star nut not straight. the drift tool used for this that Luke showed a picture of is dirt cheap and it will last a life time for a home mechanic so I see no reason in bodging this work.
I can't stand star nuts, I always use a compression bung in my forks.
A little note as you begin to talk about suspension, damping makes you fast (controls your suspension) dampENing makes you wet. Very common mistake but you’ll be silently made fun of by snobby suspension nerds (no comment on how I know ;))
😂
That little blue ring helps you gauge the suspension pressure - push it right down and go for a ride, when you get home you'll be able to tell how much of the range you're using. Add or remove pressure accordingly.
no, it's actually used for measuring sag. On a normal air fork you want around 20-30% sag but on this I have no idea since it's only 40mm of travel. It can be used to see how much range you're using but that's not really it's purpose.
@@NonLegitNation2this. You have to love how everyone’s an 😅expert on here
Looking forward to the next carbon hardtail flatbar xc bike build! And the following full suspension 😅
I was beginning to forget why I moved to Mallorca years ago.......but now I mind after watching your bonus!!
Love the "new dad has no energy to shave" look!
Hi Luke, top tip for the future - instead of cutting down the brake pipe, you can carefully cut a slot in the olive and then twist with a flat blade screwdriver to crack and spread the olive. You then just use a new olive and keep all the hose length. 🥖
I'll soon be in a situation where I'll have replumb my brake lines for something stupidly minor. I had considered what you are suggesting but having no experience with that (always replaced brake lines in the past) I am concerned the new olives wouldn't work as effectively due to compression of the hose from the previous olive. It sounds like you DO have experience so am I overthinking this or worrying unnecessarily?
@@vaulthecreatorthe new olive will crush down just as well as the old one did using the same spot on the hose, and seal just as well against the calliper / lever and the compression fitting. It’s common practice in domestic plumbing to reuse the same pipe with a new olive, even on plastic piping.
@@DandBGhostHunters that's great to hear., that will save me so much time. The LBS here won't sell brake hose and getting anything posted to regional Western Australia is easily a 2 week wait.
Thank you so much mate, you're a legend 👍
You can also use a pair of pliers to crush the old olive too - use a rag to avoid any damage to hose.
That's how i reuse my barbs 2-3 times.
I'm slowly watching all these gravel bikes turn into... 2010 era XC bikes
I’ve been fitting star nuts with a hammer for over 25years, never considered using a socket as a guide, that blooming brilliant🎉
6:45 Instead of a star nut, you can actually use the expander plug in an alloy steerer tube. (may need a piece of inner tube as a shim)
Well, I was not ready for the moustache! Went a bit White Goodman at the end there. Kudos to you, sir. 🥖🥖🥖
that's who he looks like. good call. no-one makes him bleed his own blood.
Ummm, Luke, with that moustache.. you got the 70’s porn star vibe going! 😂
"A bit soggy", you are indeed very much a British person. Here we'd refer to that as a canal.
I am actually planning to do the opposite on one of my bikes; get rid of the suspension and install a rigid fork, save some weight. There's no gravel here anyway, just tarmac and such. Being adamant on keeping the V-brakes makes it quite daunting to find a replacement though.
🥖Enjoy your rides, Luke! 🥖
How does the steering feels? I reckon the head angle will be decreased by about 3 degrees, which increases trail significantly.
Luke..followed your channel for ages..love your humorous style. As a MTB er, a roadie and a fanatical snowboarder you should let your viewers know your discount code applies to Siroko Skiing gear as well. Just bought some snowboard trousers for next week from them so I hope you get your kickback.....they look pretty good, although I think their sizing is a little on the tight size... Just means more time on the turbo this week... I think there are a lot of cyclists who enjoy winter sports so get the word out....
Indeed, bought skiing socks with the tracevelo code 🤪
Hey Luke in the years I have watched your channel, the one type of bike you haven't done is a time trial build. Just watched Paris-Nice it had great TT section .your next challenge should be a TT bike on cheap w/gear too . Except for the crazy helmets 😅 ok .
Just a quick tip, if you put some neoprene fork covers on they will last years and not months as the grit destroys the seals. Thanks for sharing 😊
This Trace Velo video was sponsored by the kind folk at the NHS for when his fork breaks!
Ha! At least he's nice and light, it will survive longer than it would under my weight. I love watching his videos but basically everything is too lightweight/low grade engineered for a stocky guy to trust.
HA!
I bodged in a few star nuts before buying a cheap $15 installer. It is night and day better, well worth buying even for a single install.
Actually, you can use the compression plug with no problem in aluminium steerer tubes. They're just a little more expensive and have not much functionality. It's only function is to allow the cap (and stem) to be lowered. Also, the stem itself is not held in place by this bolt, but by the other two.
The compression plug is designed to bite into a carbon surface, so it is very likely to slide and slip on the aluminum
To fit a star nut like that you need the fork in the frame and the stem fitted - that way the top cap locates in the stem and holds the screw straight as you tap it down.
Another very interesting adaptation/experiment...as entertaining as ever. Nicely done.
I have a 3D printed saddle by that brand and the quality is pretty good so you liking these forks doesn't come as a surprise.
I feel like people also underestimate how much fatigue a stiff bike brings... smooth is fast ;)
I've been saying for a while that, people who say, gravel bikes don't need suspension, need to ride more wash board corregations....
Very Dad from The Wild Thornberrys vibes going on there 😂
Please try a suspension stem next Luke. Much simpler upgrade, much lighter, no geometry change. In short, of great interest to a wider range of riders. Probably. 😊
Not tried all the stem options. Just the eesilk from Cane Creek. It's helpful on some of the chatter. But, recently got a Szepter Core 4 with the Rudy Ultimate. No comparison. It's not as much travel as my MTB, but it is so much smoother in the rough stuff. I do venture onto single track on my GB rides fairly often. So, that makes it the best choice for me, while for others it'll likely be overkill. I just mean to say that the two are not equal. That said, I do agree with you in the specific aspects you listed.
Great as always mate ! I have to admit I quite like Kocevlo bits and pieces !
You did better than I did at installing the star nut on my bike! 😬
Great stuff. Next step is an xc mtb with drop bars. After that you end up with an xc bike with flat bars!
i use an ikea desk leg (€4.95) and a threaded bar as my star fangled nut driver, its a little long but it fits nicely over the steerer tube and the rubber foot on the leg makes a good pad for the rubber mallet to hit.
Good job. That (higher end version) reminds me of my first MTB with the old yellow version of RST suspension fork back in the 90's. Except that it runs on drop bars 😅
Was waiting for someone to review this 👌
Just so you know for the future you can use an expansion plug in a an aluminium (or steel) steerer tube, as long as it fits/grips enough to set the headset preload, as it serves no other function you could even use one of those dodgy lightweight ones. Star fangled nuts are a PITA to remove/reposition if you ever need too as well so an expander is the better option IMO.
I support that statement and was also irritated why he didn't use one to begin with.
@@MDZPNMD A lot of people who's main experience is with carbon think the top cap/star fangled nut does more than it does on a metal steerer, and if you're not sure it's always a safer bet to use what the manufacturer states/supplys I guess.
I wonder if this hose has enough length if you get rid of all the spacers. Your stem would still be higher then with old fork.
Nice. This would be nice on my alloy semi-gravel Giant Contend commuter. The city where I live has utterly appalling roads - my 28mm tyred Giant Defy was perfect in the last town I lived in, but it’s bad road repairs and random recessed manhole covers here that get quite sketchy on a roadie…
Thanks Luke, are you reading my mind? Every winter, to my wife's regret, I do a build/rebuild of a bike. Next winters project (2024-2025) is rebuilding urban commuter into a gravel bike...with suspension gravel forks. You have definitely convinced me to go ahead.
Now keep your eyes out for a Cannondale Lefty fork!!
When i broke my carbon fork, i installed rigid steel fork.. +1kg. But got used to it, and dont think i'm going back, cuz steel is real! In terms of servicing that fork, the cost of service at bikeshop would cost a half of that forks price, so.. yeah. Cheers!
For the same money ($100CAD) i got a used 27.5 rock shox fork, that is just a little longer at 100mm. You can find these cheap if they use the older non-boost width. But that means they fit gravel/road wheels so thats a win. And 27.5" forks fit 700x45c tires pretty comfortably
Luke the faster you transition to MTB, the faster you 'll experience pure joy! Take my word - in form of baguettes - for it! 🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖
Keep the mustache!!! 🎉🎉🎉
It would be great if you had a look at the kinds of stem suspension Cycling About made a video of recently. The Chinese knockoff might be a bit more accessibly priced than what they were featuring. Weight wise you're looking at something like 200g instead of a 1000g. Although they might not suit what you're dealing with, according to Cycling About they are better for vibration.
I just came across news about a new wireless group from the Chinese brand "Wheeltop" -- the EDS-TX.
It's available with hydraulic disc brakes and also for use with cable-operated brakes. And it's supposed to be offer the same performance as SRAM AXS at half the price!
It sounds too good to be true.
Perhaps TraceVelo can tell us whether it's worth the money or just another money pit!
Cheers
I feel like the best part of a suspension fork on a gravel bike would be being able to run 40mm tyres for speed on smooth stuff but still being able to absorb bigger bumps. Just like how MTBs don't use fat tyres, they use fairly wide tyres and suspension.
get a set of Pit-Viper glasses with that lip rug!!
You can easely use carbon plugg in alu steerer - just dogt greace it.
Hello Luke, how about reviewing a suspension stem - much lighter - there's some available for £25 on Aliexpress.
I think the sleep deprivation is kicking in 🤣
waiting Luke for the other suspension things such as stem, seatpost etc.
Luke, I've been patiently waiting for your review of the 4 piston Juin calipers. Pretty sure it's been more than a year since you introduced them on your channel. I own a road tandem with Avid bb7 calipers/230mm rotors. I'm tempted to "upgrade" to the Juin GT-P. If they prove worthy of more confident braking, cost is irrelevant. Spousal harmony is everything. Hope to see your review soon. Thanks for all of your past videos. I've found them very informative and entertaining.
That bike is now basically my 1998 specialized stump jumper hard tail with drop bar.
Been riding the Redshift stem and seatpost with 43c tires. This looks very cool for a budget shock. Any little bit of suspension will totally change your gravel experience. Yosemite Sam would be proud
but to be fair - the fork was not much cheaper then the redshift stem and with all the work unclear customer service I would (and I have) go with the shockstop every time...
Also using the redshift on my gravelbike and satisfied with it, but while the redshift is giving some comfort to the rider, a suspension fork like this is also increasing the traction in general I think. But since I need some mounting points on my fork and I don't want to increase the bike weight by nearly 1kg, I will also remain with the redshift, good enough for my style of riding
Redshift is a game changer for gravel bikes. Luke should test the suspension stem and compare it with the fork.
Agree- we need some suspension stem tests from Luke!
Did you guys get your suspension seat post from Ali? Was thinking of a suntour
Love it! Now throw a flat bar on it and we how ya like it! Plus I don’t think we’ve ever seen you do a flat bar build! Road or otherwise 🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖❤
Love the camelchops bag. I've got the same but as a small top tube, and a different design as a bar bag! They're solid.
Thanks for that, Man. I was curious about the frame bag
Many thanks for the bonus clip jingle!!!!!!!
Luke, I was planning to create a gravel top bike from Ali...why you don't make a video about a complete dream setup? ❤
I'd argue that steerer is a tad too short if you want that height of spacers...
Great video Luke! If my wife would let me keep a moustache, I totally would!
As I keep saying, gravel adventure bikes will become flat bar mtbs with agressive geometry. And i think more drop bar mtbs are always cool.
19:27 - I grew up watching the inbetweeners and hearing "knee deep" put a smile on my face.
Are you a briefcase wanker? OMG that how is infinitely quotable.
I wonder what Dylan Johnson or Backwards Hat Dylan would think of this bike. It’s like the A. Express version of his ride.
Have you considered checking out the Wheeltop EDS groupset? Carbon, adjustable number of gears, 100% wireless, IP67 - sounds too good to be true and should be perfect for a test from your side.
Headline price is rather expensive, isn't it? L-TWOO is much cheaper, and in the US (I'm in Europe unfortunately) SRAM seems to be running massive discounts on groups for months now, inventory glut, I guess?
Meroca suspension stem next? 😂
John Tomac, the pre gravel hero
aliexpress has a guide for convenient pressing of the anchor into the fork
Thanks, Luke. In my book, you’re a real star nut 🥜
Wish they made a 650B version so the front end isn't jacked up so high.
Hey bud, you are incorrect. You can still use your expansion plug in an aluminum steerer should you want to.
You'll be fitting a remote dropper post yet once you figure out how much more technical terrain you can tackle over you have one. I'll just sit here and wait for that video... 😂
Hi Luke, great episode! But please lose the Freddy Mercury moustache especially if you plan to cycle around the Brighton area!!!😂😂😂😂😂😂
Looks like that lockout dial can be cable actuated so if you had a 2x left shifter, you could try to link it with the dial same way as it is done with droper seatposts
Ps. That mustache qualifies for an upgrade to cpt. price's one 👌🥖
How did the kiddo react to the mustache? That's the real tell, if they liked it keep it!!!!
You got strange mountain bike there, magic man.
That aint a mtb mate, thats a gravel bike yeah
I take it that your ERX derailleur was a replacement from your original which failed after water ingress. If they've fixed that issue then the product development is working - that's great news for pwople who are considering an L-Twoo groupset in the near future.
Srsly. My 1x12 alu hardtail weighs about 11kg with 100mm Reba. What's the point?
Luke saw Dylan Johnson Unbound bike 😂
What a nice UK spring weather 🥖
There's also Redshift Shocktop stem clone on ali for £37
all hail trace velo, for he risks his teeth for the sake of our wallets.
Ace video.
You will be needing a decent suspension seatpost now!
buy the Wheeltop EDS TX it's seems so gooooddd
50mm tires and a sus fork - Dylan will be proud of you!
I have seen a few stem based suspension options, they might be worth a review
I use a redshift stem myself and honestly it's been perfect even on some pretty hairy mtb trail stuff (I'm also a mtber and roadie). absolute breeze to service and doesn't change the geometry of the bike, there are a few downsides, but so much easier than a suspension fork to look after and doesn't slow you down on road sections, plus super subtle on bumps. I've seen a non branded chinese model much cheaper that looks the same too. Much prefer the look with a rigid gravel fork too.
Interesting! I had a look, i couldn't find a similar looking one on Alix. There's a version with a spring in the middle of the stem, and a version with a very steep up angle. Nothing that looks like redshift?
@@pierrex3226 before I bought it about a year ago there were Chinese ones on eBay that looked the same, I nearly got one but in the space of a few days they went up in price from something like £50 to £90, so I didn't get the Chinese one, I got my redshift off Amazon in the black Friday sale for £123. I just checked on eBay and now can't find the Chinese ones so maybe don't do them anymore.
Love the video! What is the realistic maximum tire width of the new fork?
I’m just glad that even he’s a mountain biker now, his name is still Luke. I hope he doesn’t pickup triathlon next. Regardless 🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖
Oooooh.... so many ideas... I just rode a trail on my touring bike that is more suitable for this type of machine... i was very underbiked... I love the idea of a drop bar suspension bike.
And capital mo!
🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖 and a 2 donut bonus🥯🥯
I've bought 4 of those forks for MTB, the Fox 36 copies, and they were bad. I upgraded the damper to an original Fox Fit4, and the bushings to original fox too, and it worked well for a less than a year, until the right lower leg started to crack and separate around the bridge. At least not good for MTB.
You can use a compression plug on aluminium steerer, no problem.
In fact my cube nuroad has carbon fork with aluminium steerer and compression plug installed from factory.
You can use that expander for carbon forks, those star nuts are meh and pita to install, not to mention heavy.
I use several expanders in alloy steering tubes, they work well.
Forgive my ignorance but is a gravel bike a road bike with bigger clearances and possibly with suspension as well?
Pretty much, but importantly, the bottom bracket is usually higher off the ground to give the whole bike more clearance.
I've always used a wrench socket for guiding the lugnut, works fine. But you could have used the compression fitting just fine. You can't use a star nut on a carbon steerer, but the other way around is perfectly fine.
What are your thoughts on off-brand hydraulic brake hoses? I've always stuck to the official SRAM and Shimano ones. 🥖 🥖 🥖
I've used random off brand ones from ebay for a while now, no problems at all.
@@TraceVelo 🙏🙏 Thank you!
why didnt you just splice the front brake hose?
U know u want to build a Allieexpress 10kg full suspension xc bike with dropper. Obviously pricier than road or gravel. But would be sweet wouldn't it.?
U have great videos of Allieexpress bikes....and monkey was perfect.
I'm wondering if it was the stiff carbon rims that forced you into the fork upgrade? Not dissing the rims...I have a set on order and I'm a little concerned about that aspect.
So this is a very astute observation, but ultimately, no, they didn't force me down this route. The carbon rims I'm using are stiffer than regular spoked wheels, I discussed this in my review of them, but not enough to warrant having to upgrade to a suspension fork. You may feel a slight difference moving to them, but it's pretty minor. Plus on the flats, they absolutely FLY.
@@TraceVelo ok, thank you for the clarification.
Bring back the Trace!!!