What do you think about bikepacking? Is it a hard no? A hell yes? Or, “I’m keeping my options open, thank you!” What gravel bike do you own… or wish you owned?
My dream gravel bike is the *Ritchey Outback* (namesake company of Tom Ritchey, a pioneer of the earliest 1980s mountain bikes - I think you'd both enjoy a ride with Tom). See the review of this bike on "The Bike Sauce" YT channel. Like him, I'd set that bike up with 650B wheels & higher volume tires.
Absolutely a hell yes! I have done a bikepacking last autumn on my road bike and can recommend that kind of trip just to anyone having a love for cycling. I've done 1000km in 9 days and I've enjoyed it so much, especially because the fact you're riding is kind of more important than the whereto. Being on the road bike was quite re-assuring for me as it was my first trip over more than 2 days and I wanted to be somewhat fast and in an environment I am familiar with. On the other hand, a gravel bike seems so much more versatile to explore unknown terrain that I am looking out for such a bike now. My current favourites are currently the Orbea Terra and the Ridley Kanzo, but if budget didn't matter I would probably go for a 3T Extremo instead
This is an extremely well laid out instructional, especially the 'fit part. When I purchased my MTB a couple years ago, I knew nothing about fit, or geometry. Now that I'm in to my second bike (unintentionally forced due to cracked frame and extremely slow warranty process) geometry and fit sit at the top of the list, followed by components/spec, LBS/Brand warranty. In the meantime, I picked up a hybrid bike and have been hitting the waterfront trails more often, east of Toronto. WOW! what a DIFFERENCE when you're rolling on 700c x 40MM tires with minimal tread. And yes...seeing all the Road and Gravel bikes zip by, is allllllmost pushing me a little further along the rabbit hole plank. 😄 Thanks for sharing your knowledge, sub'd and shared.
Thanks, Ryland! I'm loving exploring the waterfront. We rode to Oakville for lunch and back recently. And way past the bluffs to the east. I'm seeing neighbourhoods of Toronto I've never seen before. And sooo thankful for not pushing my 2.4" Maxxis DHRs on pavement now. See ya out there!
I crash up and down a railtrail between Cambridge and Paris Ontario on a 23mm kevlar tire at 85 psi. Yea, I need a upgrade and super glad to have found this video/CH. The weather shut me down for the season and my chainring is beyond worn and just now sat down to look into a gravel bike. It's hard not to notice the huge jump in price once you get into hydraulic brakes and light weight. My road bike is 25 lbs and flys on a hard packed railtrail but it's a super rough ride. Really enjoyed your video and the scenery is fantastic. thx
Thanks for watching! I know, the bikes are spendy. Gravel bikes are great for Ontario. So many gravel roads/rail trails. Good luck with the hunt. Let me know how it goes.
LOVE THIS! This is EXACTLY what I needed! 53 yo MTB'r in New England. Love tech but am also looking for gravel FOR Gravel, have multiple MTBs but some days want to just pedal easy and far. My 34 pound enduro bikes just dont cut it any longer. Many thanks for this video!
@@CenturyRide can't wait for it! We've been out there a few times, absolutely one of my favorite experiences! Can't wait to see what you settle on for a gravel. Do you find it hard to get used to drop bars?
@@SuzeM_C_GravityRider yeah, it doesn't feel natural yet. But we did a road trip to Mallorca last year which was unexpectedly awesome! I actually enjoyed the climbs and the 10+ km descents. So fast and really beautiful.
Bikepacking's awesome! My wife and I live on the east coast of Australia and we've done several small multi-day adventures in our region as well as The Tasmanian Trail last year (Hobart - Devonport). In 2020 we did NZ South Islands Alps 2 Ocean Trail including bikepacking up from Christchurch. In March we're returning to do the West Coast Wilderness Trail Greymouth to Ross. Those adventures we've done on a Specialized Fate hardtail and for me , a Cannondale Fsi hardtail, with a mix of custom bags by Australian company BikeBagDude and Ortlieb. We're now looking at using our gravel bikes for future adventures to mix things up (wife's Focus Atlas and my Bianchi Arcadex). BTW- I'm 61 and my wife's 58 so for any in our vintage out there thinking of getting into it - don't let age hold u back! PS: As someone who used to live in the Kootenay Valley (BC) love your area!
Oh wow - those trips sound amazing! Will also check out your bikes. The older I get (I'm 56) the more committed I get to adventures like this! Thanks for sharing. Hope to make it to Australia and NZ one of these days.
Cool! NZ is adventure capital when it comes to cycling trails especially the Sth Island! They've nailed it with their outdoor adventure!! Australia has great adventure trails too including the Hunt1000, (NSW -Vic),the Mawson Trail (S.A)and the Munda Biddi Trail in sth west corner of W.A, plus many more.(All on RUclips). We're in the process of turning a lot of disused train routes into rail trails now here which are really kicking off. We're hosts on Warmshowers so if u ever get to Oz, u must stay! We live in Valla Beach, NSW- a stunning part of the NSW coast!@@CenturyRide
I'm on my second gravel bike now. I got my first gravel bike (Giant AnyRoad) to train and do my first (and so far the only) century ride from Key Largo to Key West. It took me about a year to train for the ride. A friend of mine wanted to do the ride to celebrate his 50th birthday and convinced me and one other guy to do it with him. So after the ride I sold my AnyRoad because I figured I didn't need it anymore. As soon as I sold it I had seller's remorse so I bought another (Trek CrossRip) to replace it. I picked a gravel bike over a road bike because I prefer to have wider tires and a more relaxed geometry of a gravel bike vs. a road bike.
I was in same boat, roadie & commuter who wanted a gravel bike. overall I’m content with road & 90s mtb. bike fit a must. can be costly but worth it. besides you can outfit current bikes for bags & go on adventures. 👍🏾
I bought the Giant Revolt Advanced last year. The frame is 1 size to small, but with handlebar a bit higher its now perfect. I'm weirdly shaped. Those Giant Crosscut tires are terrible, and after I replaced them, I started loving the bike. First replaced them with Pirelli Gravel Hard40, and later with Tufo Thundero HD40/Tufo Speedero HD40. So bottom line: a bad gravel bike can still be tuned and become a lot better
Totally agree. It's amazing how changing a stem or stack height can change a problem. You'll learn a lot about tires growing up watching F1 with your dad... Applies to bikes! Makes a huge difference.
Fellow GTA rider here. Went down the exact same path a couple years back, settling on a Revolt Advanced 2 which has been absolutely fantastic. The 2x 48/32 is a great compromise for both road and gravel riding, and easy to swap wheel/tire combos for different rides if needed. That said, I picked up a set of carbon rims on sale this summer, along with Pathfinder Pro 42 tires and don't need to swap at all. Fast enough on road, excellent on gravel and light single-track. I'm also working in reverse to you, having just picked up an MTB as there's only so far one can take a gravel bike into the off-road world.
Hey GTA'r! Let's just say I don't want to watch someone on a gravel bike ride the g-out on Trash Panda on The Don trails! #certaindeath Confession time: I'm pretty sure the Revolt was the best fitting bike I've tried so far but this year the livery is sparkle paint... like a bass'n boat and I can't get past it. (But I should, lol.)
Hubs and I have Trek Xcaliber MTB (Aluminium) hard tail for mainly winter riding and trails. Ribble CRG AL for road riding Autumn/Winter/Spring and hard compact Summer Rd/Gravel riding x2 by but upgraded the wheels to carbon, the speed is fab even though aluminium frame, (we’d rather pay extra for the wheels over electronic shifting) then carbon road bikes for Summer. It’s great we have all these options and are very lucky and fortunate. None of our bikes are electronic shifting and we aren’t worried about bike packing so opted for the Ribble over a x1 by gravel bike. Ribble CGR AL = Commute/Cross - Gravel - Road (Aluminium) it took us a year to actually decide for the Ribble but established it was more for road/autum winter spring with summer gravel either having the MTB for more off rd,trails, and muddy slop. Enjoy your gravel rides 🙌🏻
I looked at Ribble but Canada's import duties on bikes is CRAZY. We just pulled the trigger on the gravel bikes... stay tuned! They're on their way from Vancouver to a bike shop in Toronto. Very exciting!
Trek Procaliber for road and mtb in Ontario. Ive lived in the area and thats all you need unless you collect bikes. Even riding in the coast mountains where I am now it fine for a lot for trail unless you get into really steep chunky terrain. There are no real hills or mountains in the east so a well done hardtail with 2 wheel sets will be best for summer/winter.
I bought a Lynskey GR300 titanium gravel bike with GRX 600 2x drive train and stock wheels for $3k during Covid. I've since bought 3 better alu wheelsets and can run road 28-32mm, gravel up to 40something and 650B at 47-50mm for "MTB" riding. Usually I run a Redshift flext stem and a Suntour flex seatpost because descending on trails gets Rough. But I love it! I may have $5000 invested by now but it's like 3 bikes in one; swapping the wheels is easy-peasy and it's the best bike I've ever bought. I still have a Ti hardtail MTB and full travel carbon Stumpjumper for seriously rough stuff. The gravel bike and hardtail Ti MTB are my favs. For climbing, the gravel bike excels, for descending , the MTB is better. Many Ti bikes are super expensive, but not Lynskey. Well worth a look and made in the USA!
I've never heard of Lynskey before. GCN just did a poll and I think only 8% of people had a titanium frame... 'cause $$$$. So that's a good tip! Your gravel bike is the ultimate rounder. No dropper?
thanks for the tips. I've got a Decathlon road bike (48-34T chainring 11-34 cassette) and a Giant MTB (22/30/40T 11-34) and always wanted a mix of both worlds, the range of gears of a MTB and the nimbleness of a road bike. Thought a gravel bike would be it but I find most of them lacking either the wide range or the top speed. By sheer chance, as of recently I found my dream bike recently, the Canyon Roadlite 6. 1X drivetrain (1x12), 46T chainring and 10-51T cassette in the rear makes it the kind of bike I always wanted and didn't know it existed, the best of road and MTB (gears and 1X)
Thanks for this! I would like to add another tip: check the maximum system weight of the bike. I am quite tall (1,93m) and heavy. But most of the gravel bikes have a quite low system weight (bike+rider+additonal weight) of about 115 or 120 kg. So if I want to go bikepacking with this I am out of the game... there are just a few with higher system weights, the Giant Revolt is one of them.
I picked up my gravel bike in 2018. Breezer Inversion Team steel with carbon fork and carbon seat post. Ultegra 2x11; 50x34 & 11-34, with hyd. disk brakes. Love riding the bike. Last year I upgraded to Bontrager Aeolus carbon wheels for my 70th b-day and I wondered why I waited so long to upgrade. In my option the GRX groupset has better options for climbing with weight than the Ultegra groupset. I think you should also consider 700c v 650b though most modern frames with disk brakes can handle either or.
Nice! And I have a little secret to share... I bought my new bike. Video coming soon! Can't wait to share what I landed on and why with you soon! And btw, I too am loving riding this. Sooo much faster than trying to do my fitness rides on my big rig mtb.
I’m getting a 2nd gravel bike. Ritchey Outback steel bike. First gravel bike is the Cervelo aspero. Very racey. Got the aspero in the middle of lockdown and my size in my part of the world is hard to come by; 58. So I got the aspero cos it was there to be got. I’m 187cm with stoooooopid long legs. And even tho the “chart” sd 61, like u the reach was too much for my battle scarred back (2 slipped discs and facet joint syndrome). Aspero will be road and champagne gravel. Ritchey for anything beyond that. The ritchey outback also comes in a “breakaway” model…it disassembles into 2. But it’s gotta use “mainly” mechanical disc. Best recommendation is a Growly Zero something or other. This ramble is so u can have a look at a non cookie cutter gravel bike. Have fun in your search.
@@CenturyRide keep us updated on ur final choice. I’m in the midst of building my Ritchey Outback. I’m in Kuala Lumpur malaysia and the bike is being built in bangkok Thailand by the official dealer there. Opting for Sram Eagle GX cassette 10-52, Sram Rival everything else. 42t chainring. The “mullet” setup. Mtb at the back and road in the front.
I just built up my Trek Checkpoint SL from a frame and did a 1X mullet setup, SRAM Force AXS 1X wide with a SRAM XO 12 speed 10-52 on the rear. Will give me all the range I will need and if I need to get lower, I can always choose a smaller chain ring to give me some additional lower gearing if I am bike packing in some higher altitudes. I am actually considering selling a couple of my bikes now as this bike gives me so many options and abilities.
Oh wow... that's a really nice setup. It's so tempting to go 1x... I love my XO, 1X on my YT Izzo mtb. I love not having a shifter on the left (just my dropper lever). And I totally agree, after riding my big mtb tires on pavement in the city, the gravel bike will be super-speedy. Can't wait!
@CenturyRide yea I live in a very flat area, so I have a 46 chain ring, so I can get over all the bridges in my area with lots of gears left. I did visit some area with hills not too long ago and the last 3 cogs came in handy but I never struggled and never found myself grinding up the hills, I kept a lovely Cadence and never felt frustrated in the ever present headwinds. I am running Pirelli Cinturato All-Road tires in a 700x40. Avg 18 to 20 on smooth road surfaces 16 to 17 on more gravely bit. Nice tires
This was almost eerie... I've taken interest in picking up a gravel bike because I'd been riding my Izzo more on longer mixed/gravel loops than the trails lately. I was toying around with getting a second wheel set with some faster rolling tires and swapping as needed but with my taste I was 1/2 way to a used gravel rig. Also been obsessing over the idea of bikepacking. Thinking it's time to get serious about the search for a second rig. Thanks for the video!
Ha! I love my Izzo. What a perfect bike for our trails here in Ontario. But yeah, we started trying to go further and further on non-trail days and so maybe it's time for a second bike. Right now, when I think about bikepacking... it ends at a comfy inn or B&B 😂.
So glad I found you video. Currently in the market for a gravel bike, and the Checkpoint is on top of the shortlist (not the only entry though) - currently bouncing between the 52 or 54 for sizing.
The bike fitter at the Trek store also mentioned there were a couple of tweaks he would make to dial in the fit. As I mention in the video he eyeballed me as a 54... but instantly changed his mind when I got on the 52 AND... I don't need to swap out the bars on the 52. But I would have had to on the 54 (they were too wide for me). It's a learning process!
@@CenturyRide I'm dubious of some of Canyon's non-standard equipment choices, although they're certainly not alone. Check the specifications carefully so as not to be hung out to dry when servicing or replacing consumable parts.
I own two BMC gravel bikes. The URS One is more of a endurance gravel bike and is very comfortable. It also has a micro suspension in the rear that is just enough to smooth out the rough spots. My other bike is a BMC Kaius 01 Three which is essentially a race road bike with wider tire clearance and longer wheelbase.It also has SRAM electronic shifting. trust me. Once you go electric, you'll be done with wires. As for batteries, its not like a smart phone or watch. I've ridden close to 10K miles on my SRAM Force road bike and I've charged the batteries 8 times. And finally, I actually sell bikes and I have an unpopular opinion. Whether you buy a Trek, BMC, Specialized, Cannondale or Giant, at a given pricepoint, your essentially getting the same bike. Nobody has a secret formula. its all a matter of preference.
I did enjoy the electronic shifting on our rental bikes in Mallorca. I think it'll come down to price (since we're buying 2 bikes). I agree on the different brands at similar price points - the geometry and comfort is important. Because I'm mtb'r they all feel a little low and stretched out. But I'll get used to that, I'm sure. 😊
There are some wonderful places to ride and a lot of RUclips videos call attention to them ! However , due to e bike restrictions I find I have to use my pedal bike . No problem but be aware of nature trails with restrictions . If you ever get down to Columbia SC we have some wonderful river walk trails !
Before that, you should be SURE you need a gravel bike - perhaps you are better with a hard-tail MTB (assuming a urban / road bike has been discarded). You need a gravel bike if you do a bit of road but mostly flat tracks. Then depending of how flat or rocky your tracks are, you just need to decide between a speedy one (basically, wheels < 40mm) or a off-road one (wheels > 42mm). You may also try "gravelizing" your road/urban bike, which is what I did with my urban one, by just changing sleak 35mm sleak tyres with 40mm gravel tyres + switching cassette to 34 teeth instead of 28.
Definitely need/want a full squish mtb for our trails. But I do a lot of my good weather training miles on pavement. For years that's been on my mtb. On weekends at my parents' place I'm riding gravel roads and rail trails. I've actually never owned a road bike (as an adult)! Can you believe it?
For 1by, the jumps between gears are only large between the climbing gears, which are the first 3 or 4. For the rest of the gears, the jumps are identical to 2by. The main advantage of 2by is that you have gearing for climbs as well as gearing for downhill sprints. On my 2by road bike, I've never used the highest three gears even on downhill sprints where I go 60-70km/h. And for those, I don't pedal anyway and prefer to just aero tuck. I have no desire to go any faster than that. So for my gravel bike, I went for 1by. Also, 2by bikes are cheaper because you need a higher end derailleur to accommodate a wide range of gears on a 1by. Whereas you only need two cheap derailleurs for 2by.
Excellent comment! Thank you. I've been heads down reading about this stuff over the holidays. Gearing is kinda complicated but you boiled it down nicely. 🎉
I always size down on my gravel bikes, since the stack is usually taller and I want it to feel closer to my road bike, I go with the smaller frame. Plus, I have short legs.
Good point: Glen and I are the same height... but my legs are longer so sometimes he's a size down. I think I want the stack higher because I'm used to the slackness of my mtb!
I went with titanium with my latest gravel bike. I wanted something that would stand up to the rigors of international travel and still have a fantastic ride. I also had to buy two!
(1) Always *_fit first_*_ & buy second_ & (2) I agree 100% on mechanical shifting, aka K.I.S.S. (3) & I've found there are some excellent non-carbon wheel options, e.g. HED and others.
@@CenturyRide my last geared bike was a Trek Madone. I had my LBS swap in an entirely different groupset (SRAM Force mechanical) & house-built wheels - really made it my own. I miss it, but I wouldn't buy that bike today.
@@CenturyRide I prefer the responsive almost-springy & lively feel of steel frames, much more than carbon; it also has natural vibration dampening characteristics. I still have romanticized memories of my custom Columbus SL steel _Medici_ road bike from ~1990; also my current _Wabi_ single speed commuter is delightfully steel.
A note of caution. Gravel bikes can have rather low gearing, eg riding in dirt, up hills, etc. I'd be careful having a 1 x 11spd, with a 36t chainring. I ride a flatbar with 35mm tyres, on gravel rail trails/country roads (Vic, Oz) for overnight trips, with conventional rack and pannier setup. 48'36'24t triple crank and 11-34t cassette. It has mounting lugs (bidon, mudguards, & rack) that MTBs often lack, and is easier rolling than an MTB (56mm tyres). Works fine. I'm 71y. A bike built down to a price will economise on wheels, tyres and saddle. Online bike e-retail sites are useful for researching/comparing bike components & may offer user reviews, too.
Hi, I just watched your video and liked it a lot. I am currently evaluating a gravel bike as well and the one I really like a lot is the Orbea Terra, on which I have read so many good reviews. You ranked it rather low, so I'd like to ask, what are the weaker points you've identified and would be worth for me to have a closer look at? Would appreciate your comment
Actually, it doesn't really rank lower. I asked my 50+ Cyclist group what their favourite gravel bike is. The list is just a popularity poll... I too looked at the Orbea. If I remember correctly, it does not have the bikepacking lugs.🤔
Ah ok, thanks for the clarification. The Terra does not come with a lot of mounts indeed, which to me is somewhat less of an issue though, as I am using a Tailfin rack and bags. These work with a prolongated thru-axle and rubber bands instrad of mounting points. This makes the system extremely versatile also for road bikes
Thank you for the tips and for sharing the top gravel recommendation. I feel better now about purchasing a Giant Revolt than the Merida Silex, even though it has better parts.
Trek is so expensive, i like the new kind of endurance bikes, that can go to big tire clearance. Like the new canyon endurance, giant defy or the expensive option trek domane@@CenturyRide
Can ride those roads on a roadbike with wide tire clearance. No need for a gravel specific bike if riding those roads. Btw, for about 5 years I lived on a 'true gravel road' which was best negotiated on a mtb with 2.1 inch tires. Selection of bike in addition to paying for low weight is all about riding venue. If roads are true gravel roads, a mtb is best. If they are hard pack with pea gravel pressed into the dirt, a road bike can be used. There is the concept of 'under versus over' biking that the public is largely ignorant of. Under biking is using a bike outside of its confort zone for a given riding venue...like a road bike on a true gravel road. Over biking would be using a gravel or mountain bike on a paved road which will cost the rider speed relative to exertion level.
Carbon frames, in general, are not what makes bikes more comfortable. It is true... they are non-metallic and do not have the harmonic "zing". However, most entry-level frames are super stiff since advanced compliance designs cost money, and bike frames in general are a bridge truss design (back to back triangles). Instead, the 40 to 55 wide, low-pressure tires are doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to comfort. This often gets overlooked, and the frame material gets the credit. Where carbon excels is with weight bearing components (seat posts, handlebars, stems... even wheels) where the items are "cantilevered" and supporting your weight. Secondly, another negative of carbon frames for gravel is that the finishes (paint/primer) do not hold up at all. So if you like a pretty bike, you won't be happy with carbon. A third negative is that they can't be recycled, whereas aluminum, steel, and Ti can. Also, a huge geometric to look out for is toe overlap. Pay attention to the "front center" dim on the geo charts. Be aware of how much the front of your shoes hang out in front of your pedals and do the math. Slacker head angles, shorter cranks, and smaller wheels (650B/27.5) will reduce this. Most physio experts say the bike industry punts with crank lengths anyway. They are most always too long for each bike size. You'll regret overlooking toe overlap the first time you climb through switchbacks or make a U-turn.
Really good points! Thanks for weighing in. This might be a stupid question: but is the toe overhang for road-specific pedals. I use SPD with mtb shoes allowing me to move the cleat forward and back. This fall the ball of my foot was getting really sore but I've since moved my cleat back and voila! The pain is gone... but my toes hang over my spd pedals more.
@CenturyRide No, it can happen on road and gravel. Currently, I have this issue on my gravel bike. As far as the pain you were feeling... you were getting a "version" of what we call "hot foot," which can manifest itself with anything from burning, numbness, or simply pain. I have the same issue and have both my SPD (gravel/mtn) and SPD-SL (road) slid back too. So yes, this will make toe overlap more of a potential. I simply clip my shoe into a pedal without my foot in it. Your feet are different... so get the longest overhang between the two. I then measure the distance from end of shoe to pedal spindle CL. I then make a note of crank length. It will be stamped on the backside by pedal threads if real time or listed in spec list. After this, I measure the radius of the front wheel plus tire (tire height will vary). Just take "front center" from geo chart or measure it real time if not shown. Then simply do the math: Front Center - wheel and tire radius - crank length. The resulting answer should be larger than your shoe overhang.
@CenturyRide No problem. You can also take your shoes and pedals when test riding new bikes. This is a better option for folks who hate math and geometry. 😊 This issue started when the industry started sloping top tubes to get the tube lower (for better stand over) and the handlebars higher (for better stack) in an attempt to reduce the number of sizes needed per model. So... if looking at the drive/right side of the bike, they essentially rotated the rear of the bike counterclockwise on the computer during the redesign (from a classic horizontal top tube). Tucking the rear triangle and bottom bracket and raising the head tube... all while leaving the front wheel in place. It's kind of like a dog tucking its tail. One of the cons to this was that it moved the bottom bracket shell closer to the front wheel.
What do you think about bikepacking? Is it a hard no? A hell yes? Or, “I’m keeping my options open, thank you!” What gravel bike do you own… or wish you owned?
Sure
Perhaps someday, sounds like fun, even though I'm more of a "city mouse."
My dream gravel bike is the *Ritchey Outback* (namesake company of Tom Ritchey, a pioneer of the earliest 1980s mountain bikes - I think you'd both enjoy a ride with Tom). See the review of this bike on "The Bike Sauce" YT channel. Like him, I'd set that bike up with 650B wheels & higher volume tires.
@@malcontent_1 Will definitely check that out! Thanks. 😄
Absolutely a hell yes!
I have done a bikepacking last autumn on my road bike and can recommend that kind of trip just to anyone having a love for cycling. I've done 1000km in 9 days and I've enjoyed it so much, especially because the fact you're riding is kind of more important than the whereto. Being on the road bike was quite re-assuring for me as it was my first trip over more than 2 days and I wanted to be somewhat fast and in an environment I am familiar with. On the other hand, a gravel bike seems so much more versatile to explore unknown terrain that I am looking out for such a bike now.
My current favourites are currently the Orbea Terra and the Ridley Kanzo, but if budget didn't matter I would probably go for a 3T Extremo instead
This is an extremely well laid out instructional, especially the 'fit part.
When I purchased my MTB a couple years ago, I knew nothing about fit, or geometry.
Now that I'm in to my second bike (unintentionally forced due to cracked frame and extremely slow warranty process) geometry and fit sit at the top of the list, followed by components/spec, LBS/Brand warranty.
In the meantime, I picked up a hybrid bike and have been hitting the waterfront trails more often, east of Toronto.
WOW! what a DIFFERENCE when you're rolling on 700c x 40MM tires with minimal tread.
And yes...seeing all the Road and Gravel bikes zip by, is allllllmost pushing me a little further along the rabbit hole plank. 😄
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, sub'd and shared.
Thanks, Ryland! I'm loving exploring the waterfront. We rode to Oakville for lunch and back recently. And way past the bluffs to the east. I'm seeing neighbourhoods of Toronto I've never seen before. And sooo thankful for not pushing my 2.4" Maxxis DHRs on pavement now. See ya out there!
I crash up and down a railtrail between Cambridge and Paris Ontario on a 23mm kevlar tire at 85 psi. Yea, I need a upgrade and super glad to have found this video/CH.
The weather shut me down for the season and my chainring is beyond worn and just now sat down to look into a gravel bike.
It's hard not to notice the huge jump in price once you get into hydraulic brakes and light weight.
My road bike is 25 lbs and flys on a hard packed railtrail but it's a super rough ride.
Really enjoyed your video and the scenery is fantastic. thx
Thanks for watching! I know, the bikes are spendy. Gravel bikes are great for Ontario. So many gravel roads/rail trails. Good luck with the hunt. Let me know how it goes.
LOVE THIS! This is EXACTLY what I needed! 53 yo MTB'r in New England. Love tech but am also looking for gravel FOR Gravel, have multiple MTBs but some days want to just pedal easy and far. My 34 pound enduro bikes just dont cut it any longer. Many thanks for this video!
💯... I'm ready to go FAST on gravel and pavement, LoL! BTW, we just got back from Sedona... Wow, amazing. Video coming!
@@CenturyRide can't wait for it! We've been out there a few times, absolutely one of my favorite experiences! Can't wait to see what you settle on for a gravel. Do you find it hard to get used to drop bars?
@@SuzeM_C_GravityRider yeah, it doesn't feel natural yet. But we did a road trip to Mallorca last year which was unexpectedly awesome! I actually enjoyed the climbs and the 10+ km descents. So fast and really beautiful.
Bikepacking's awesome! My wife and I live on the east coast of Australia and we've done several small multi-day adventures in our region as well as The Tasmanian Trail last year (Hobart - Devonport). In 2020 we did NZ South Islands Alps 2 Ocean Trail including bikepacking up from Christchurch. In March we're returning to do the West Coast Wilderness Trail Greymouth to Ross. Those adventures we've done on a Specialized Fate hardtail and for me , a Cannondale Fsi hardtail, with a mix of custom bags by Australian company BikeBagDude and Ortlieb. We're now looking at using our gravel bikes for future adventures to mix things up (wife's Focus Atlas and my Bianchi Arcadex). BTW- I'm 61 and my wife's 58 so for any in our vintage out there thinking of getting into it - don't let age hold u back! PS: As someone who used to live in the Kootenay Valley (BC) love your area!
Oh wow - those trips sound amazing! Will also check out your bikes. The older I get (I'm 56) the more committed I get to adventures like this! Thanks for sharing. Hope to make it to Australia and NZ one of these days.
Cool! NZ is adventure capital when it comes to cycling trails especially the Sth Island! They've nailed it with their outdoor adventure!! Australia has great adventure trails too including the Hunt1000, (NSW -Vic),the Mawson Trail (S.A)and the Munda Biddi Trail in sth west corner of W.A, plus many more.(All on RUclips). We're in the process of turning a lot of disused train routes into rail trails now here which are really kicking off. We're hosts on Warmshowers so if u ever get to Oz, u must stay! We live in Valla Beach, NSW- a stunning part of the NSW coast!@@CenturyRide
@@soloist777 bookmarking all of this! 😊
This is actually good. I was going your way in thinking about the gravel bike and you cleared the path with your tips!
Right on! Glad it was useful. We just pulled the trigger on our new gravel bikes... stay tuned for the reveal.
I'm on my second gravel bike now. I got my first gravel bike (Giant AnyRoad) to train and do my first (and so far the only) century ride from Key Largo to Key West. It took me about a year to train for the ride. A friend of mine wanted to do the ride to celebrate his 50th birthday and convinced me and one other guy to do it with him. So after the ride I sold my AnyRoad because I figured I didn't need it anymore. As soon as I sold it I had seller's remorse so I bought another (Trek CrossRip) to replace it. I picked a gravel bike over a road bike because I prefer to have wider tires and a more relaxed geometry of a gravel bike vs. a road bike.
@@tmwei396 same here!
I was in same boat, roadie & commuter who wanted a gravel bike. overall I’m content with road & 90s mtb. bike fit a must. can be costly but worth it. besides you can outfit current bikes for bags & go on adventures. 👍🏾
This is the first ive seen your channel, excellent content and story telling/ editing.
Thank you!! We're new at this. Appreciate the feedback. 😊
I bought the Giant Revolt Advanced last year. The frame is 1 size to small, but with handlebar a bit higher its now perfect. I'm weirdly shaped. Those Giant Crosscut tires are terrible, and after I replaced them, I started loving the bike. First replaced them with Pirelli Gravel Hard40, and later with Tufo Thundero HD40/Tufo Speedero HD40. So bottom line: a bad gravel bike can still be tuned and become a lot better
Totally agree. It's amazing how changing a stem or stack height can change a problem. You'll learn a lot about tires growing up watching F1 with your dad... Applies to bikes! Makes a huge difference.
Fellow GTA rider here. Went down the exact same path a couple years back, settling on a Revolt Advanced 2 which has been absolutely fantastic. The 2x 48/32 is a great compromise for both road and gravel riding, and easy to swap wheel/tire combos for different rides if needed. That said, I picked up a set of carbon rims on sale this summer, along with Pathfinder Pro 42 tires and don't need to swap at all. Fast enough on road, excellent on gravel and light single-track. I'm also working in reverse to you, having just picked up an MTB as there's only so far one can take a gravel bike into the off-road world.
Hey GTA'r! Let's just say I don't want to watch someone on a gravel bike ride the g-out on Trash Panda on The Don trails! #certaindeath Confession time: I'm pretty sure the Revolt was the best fitting bike I've tried so far but this year the livery is sparkle paint... like a bass'n boat and I can't get past it. (But I should, lol.)
Hubs and I have Trek Xcaliber MTB (Aluminium) hard tail for mainly winter riding and trails. Ribble CRG AL for road riding Autumn/Winter/Spring and hard compact Summer Rd/Gravel riding x2 by but upgraded the wheels to carbon, the speed is fab even though aluminium frame, (we’d rather pay extra for the wheels over electronic shifting) then carbon road bikes for Summer. It’s great we have all these options and are very lucky and fortunate. None of our bikes are electronic shifting and we aren’t worried about bike packing so opted for the Ribble over a x1 by gravel bike. Ribble CGR AL = Commute/Cross - Gravel - Road (Aluminium) it took us a year to actually decide for the Ribble but established it was more for road/autum winter spring with summer gravel either having the MTB for more off rd,trails, and muddy slop. Enjoy your gravel rides 🙌🏻
I looked at Ribble but Canada's import duties on bikes is CRAZY. We just pulled the trigger on the gravel bikes... stay tuned! They're on their way from Vancouver to a bike shop in Toronto. Very exciting!
@@CenturyRide oooo look forward to seeing them. Enjoy 🙌🏻
Thanks so much for such a practical, informative video. I'm glad to hear your perspective on gravel bikes. Definitely looking at one in the future.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching. 😊
Trek Procaliber for road and mtb in Ontario. Ive lived in the area and thats all you need unless you collect bikes. Even riding in the coast mountains where I am now it fine for a lot for trail unless you get into really steep chunky terrain. There are no real hills or mountains in the east so a well done hardtail with 2 wheel sets will be best for summer/winter.
I bought a Lynskey GR300 titanium gravel bike with GRX 600 2x drive train and stock wheels for $3k during Covid. I've since bought 3 better alu wheelsets and can run road 28-32mm, gravel up to 40something and 650B at 47-50mm for "MTB" riding. Usually I run a Redshift flext stem and a Suntour flex seatpost because descending on trails gets Rough. But I love it! I may have $5000 invested by now but it's like 3 bikes in one; swapping the wheels is easy-peasy and it's the best bike I've ever bought. I still have a Ti hardtail MTB and full travel carbon Stumpjumper for seriously rough stuff. The gravel bike and hardtail Ti MTB are my favs. For climbing, the gravel bike excels, for descending , the MTB is better. Many Ti bikes are super expensive, but not Lynskey. Well worth a look and made in the USA!
I've never heard of Lynskey before. GCN just did a poll and I think only 8% of people had a titanium frame... 'cause $$$$. So that's a good tip! Your gravel bike is the ultimate rounder. No dropper?
thanks for the tips. I've got a Decathlon road bike (48-34T chainring 11-34 cassette) and a Giant MTB (22/30/40T 11-34) and always wanted a mix of both worlds, the range of gears of a MTB and the nimbleness of a road bike. Thought a gravel bike would be it but I find most of them lacking either the wide range or the top speed. By sheer chance, as of recently I found my dream bike recently, the Canyon Roadlite 6. 1X drivetrain (1x12), 46T chainring and 10-51T cassette in the rear makes it the kind of bike I always wanted and didn't know it existed, the best of road and MTB (gears and 1X)
I came *this* close to buying the Canyon Spectral MTB but it was too much travel. I'll check out the Decathlon.
Wow ,really informative guys!
You're welcome, Helen!
Thanks for this! I would like to add another tip: check the maximum system weight of the bike. I am quite tall (1,93m) and heavy. But most of the gravel bikes have a quite low system weight (bike+rider+additonal weight) of about 115 or 120 kg. So if I want to go bikepacking with this I am out of the game... there are just a few with higher system weights, the Giant Revolt is one of them.
Wow, good point - especially when you consider the added weight of bags and racks. 👏🏻
I picked up my gravel bike in 2018. Breezer Inversion Team steel with carbon fork and carbon seat post. Ultegra 2x11; 50x34 & 11-34, with hyd. disk brakes. Love riding the bike. Last year I upgraded to Bontrager Aeolus carbon wheels for my 70th b-day and I wondered why I waited so long to upgrade. In my option the GRX groupset has better options for climbing with weight than the Ultegra groupset. I think you should also consider 700c v 650b though most modern frames with disk brakes can handle either or.
Nice! And I have a little secret to share... I bought my new bike. Video coming soon! Can't wait to share what I landed on and why with you soon! And btw, I too am loving riding this. Sooo much faster than trying to do my fitness rides on my big rig mtb.
I’m getting a 2nd gravel bike. Ritchey Outback steel bike. First gravel bike is the Cervelo aspero. Very racey. Got the aspero in the middle of lockdown and my size in my part of the world is hard to come by; 58. So I got the aspero cos it was there to be got. I’m 187cm with stoooooopid long legs. And even tho the “chart” sd 61, like u the reach was too much for my battle scarred back (2 slipped discs and facet joint syndrome). Aspero will be road and champagne gravel. Ritchey for anything beyond that. The ritchey outback also comes in a “breakaway” model…it disassembles into 2. But it’s gotta use “mainly” mechanical disc. Best recommendation is a Growly Zero something or other. This ramble is so u can have a look at a non cookie cutter gravel bike. Have fun in your search.
I looked at the Aspero online... I like Cervelo but as you say, a bit too racey. Will check out the Ritchey! We like boutique brands. 😊
@@CenturyRide keep us updated on ur final choice. I’m in the midst of building my Ritchey Outback. I’m in Kuala Lumpur malaysia and the bike is being built in bangkok Thailand by the official dealer there. Opting for Sram Eagle GX cassette 10-52, Sram Rival everything else. 42t chainring. The “mullet” setup. Mtb at the back and road in the front.
@@tariqkamil7853 Will do! I'm getting close. It got cold here and I procrastinated. 😂I'm sure you're gonna love your new ride! #exciting
I just built up my Trek Checkpoint SL from a frame and did a 1X mullet setup, SRAM Force AXS 1X wide with a SRAM XO 12 speed 10-52 on the rear. Will give me all the range I will need and if I need to get lower, I can always choose a smaller chain ring to give me some additional lower gearing if I am bike packing in some higher altitudes. I am actually considering selling a couple of my bikes now as this bike gives me so many options and abilities.
Oh wow... that's a really nice setup. It's so tempting to go 1x... I love my XO, 1X on my YT Izzo mtb. I love not having a shifter on the left (just my dropper lever). And I totally agree, after riding my big mtb tires on pavement in the city, the gravel bike will be super-speedy. Can't wait!
@CenturyRide yea I live in a very flat area, so I have a 46 chain ring, so I can get over all the bridges in my area with lots of gears left. I did visit some area with hills not too long ago and the last 3 cogs came in handy but I never struggled and never found myself grinding up the hills, I kept a lovely Cadence and never felt frustrated in the ever present headwinds. I am running Pirelli Cinturato All-Road tires in a 700x40. Avg 18 to 20 on smooth road surfaces 16 to 17 on more gravely bit. Nice tires
This was almost eerie... I've taken interest in picking up a gravel bike because I'd been riding my Izzo more on longer mixed/gravel loops than the trails lately. I was toying around with getting a second wheel set with some faster rolling tires and swapping as needed but with my taste I was 1/2 way to a used gravel rig. Also been obsessing over the idea of bikepacking. Thinking it's time to get serious about the search for a second rig. Thanks for the video!
Ha! I love my Izzo. What a perfect bike for our trails here in Ontario. But yeah, we started trying to go further and further on non-trail days and so maybe it's time for a second bike. Right now, when I think about bikepacking... it ends at a comfy inn or B&B 😂.
So glad I found you video. Currently in the market for a gravel bike, and the Checkpoint is on top of the shortlist (not the only entry though) - currently bouncing between the 52 or 54 for sizing.
The bike fitter at the Trek store also mentioned there were a couple of tweaks he would make to dial in the fit. As I mention in the video he eyeballed me as a 54... but instantly changed his mind when I got on the 52 AND... I don't need to swap out the bars on the 52. But I would have had to on the 54 (they were too wide for me). It's a learning process!
I got the canyon grizl 2by and it’s a really good bike. It’s fast on the street and you can do single track with it
That's it... I want to go fast on pavement. I like Canyon. I wish the import duties in Canada weren't so high.
@@CenturyRide I'm dubious of some of Canyon's non-standard equipment choices, although they're certainly not alone. Check the specifications carefully so as not to be hung out to dry when servicing or replacing consumable parts.
I own two BMC gravel bikes. The URS One is more of a endurance gravel bike and is very comfortable. It also has a micro suspension in the rear that is just enough to smooth out the rough spots. My other bike is a BMC Kaius 01 Three which is essentially a race road bike with wider tire clearance and longer wheelbase.It also has SRAM electronic shifting. trust me. Once you go electric, you'll be done with wires. As for batteries, its not like a smart phone or watch. I've ridden close to 10K miles on my SRAM Force road bike and I've charged the batteries 8 times. And finally, I actually sell bikes and I have an unpopular opinion. Whether you buy a Trek, BMC, Specialized, Cannondale or Giant, at a given pricepoint, your essentially getting the same bike. Nobody has a secret formula. its all a matter of preference.
I did enjoy the electronic shifting on our rental bikes in Mallorca. I think it'll come down to price (since we're buying 2 bikes). I agree on the different brands at similar price points - the geometry and comfort is important. Because I'm mtb'r they all feel a little low and stretched out. But I'll get used to that, I'm sure. 😊
There are some wonderful places to ride and a lot of RUclips videos call attention to them !
However , due to e bike restrictions I find I have to use my pedal bike .
No problem but be aware of nature trails with restrictions .
If you ever get down to Columbia SC we have some wonderful river walk trails !
Before that, you should be SURE you need a gravel bike - perhaps you are better with a hard-tail MTB (assuming a urban / road bike has been discarded). You need a gravel bike if you do a bit of road but mostly flat tracks. Then depending of how flat or rocky your tracks are, you just need to decide between a speedy one (basically, wheels < 40mm) or a off-road one (wheels > 42mm).
You may also try "gravelizing" your road/urban bike, which is what I did with my urban one, by just changing sleak 35mm sleak tyres with 40mm gravel tyres + switching cassette to 34 teeth instead of 28.
Definitely need/want a full squish mtb for our trails. But I do a lot of my good weather training miles on pavement. For years that's been on my mtb. On weekends at my parents' place I'm riding gravel roads and rail trails. I've actually never owned a road bike (as an adult)! Can you believe it?
For 1by, the jumps between gears are only large between the climbing gears, which are the first 3 or 4. For the rest of the gears, the jumps are identical to 2by.
The main advantage of 2by is that you have gearing for climbs as well as gearing for downhill sprints. On my 2by road bike, I've never used the highest three gears even on downhill sprints where I go 60-70km/h. And for those, I don't pedal anyway and prefer to just aero tuck. I have no desire to go any faster than that. So for my gravel bike, I went for 1by.
Also, 2by bikes are cheaper because you need a higher end derailleur to accommodate a wide range of gears on a 1by. Whereas you only need two cheap derailleurs for 2by.
Excellent comment! Thank you. I've been heads down reading about this stuff over the holidays. Gearing is kinda complicated but you boiled it down nicely. 🎉
I always size down on my gravel bikes, since the stack is usually taller and I want it to feel closer to my road bike, I go with the smaller frame. Plus, I have short legs.
Good point: Glen and I are the same height... but my legs are longer so sometimes he's a size down. I think I want the stack higher because I'm used to the slackness of my mtb!
I went with titanium with my latest gravel bike. I wanted something that would stand up to the rigors of international travel and still have a fantastic ride. I also had to buy two!
It's good news/bad news for spouses who ride together: no one has to be home by noon but... big bike & kit budget. (Worth it!)
(1) Always *_fit first_*_ & buy second_ & (2) I agree 100% on mechanical shifting, aka K.I.S.S. (3) & I've found there are some excellent non-carbon wheel options, e.g. HED and others.
💯... I'm *this* close to the Trek Checkpoint, but 10% unsure about size. That can probably be solved with a setup tweak or a stem change.
@@CenturyRide my last geared bike was a Trek Madone. I had my LBS swap in an entirely different groupset (SRAM Force mechanical) & house-built wheels - really made it my own. I miss it, but I wouldn't buy that bike today.
@@CenturyRide I'm sticking with steel framesets from now on.
@@malcontent_1 Yeah, I hear that a lot. Why is that your frame of choice?
@@CenturyRide I prefer the responsive almost-springy & lively feel of steel frames, much more than carbon; it also has natural vibration dampening characteristics. I still have romanticized memories of my custom Columbus SL steel _Medici_ road bike from ~1990; also my current _Wabi_ single speed commuter is delightfully steel.
A note of caution. Gravel bikes can have rather low gearing, eg riding in dirt, up hills, etc. I'd be careful having a 1 x 11spd, with a 36t chainring. I ride a flatbar with 35mm tyres, on gravel rail trails/country roads (Vic, Oz) for overnight trips, with conventional rack and pannier setup. 48'36'24t triple crank and 11-34t cassette. It has mounting lugs (bidon, mudguards, & rack) that MTBs often lack, and is easier rolling than an MTB (56mm tyres). Works fine. I'm 71y. A bike built down to a price will economise on wheels, tyres and saddle. Online bike e-retail sites are useful for researching/comparing bike components & may offer user reviews, too.
Great input! Thank you. Haven't pulled the trigger yet.. it's cold here in Toronto and all my miles are indoors. Still time for research. 😊
Hi, I just watched your video and liked it a lot. I am currently evaluating a gravel bike as well and the one I really like a lot is the Orbea Terra, on which I have read so many good reviews. You ranked it rather low, so I'd like to ask, what are the weaker points you've identified and would be worth for me to have a closer look at? Would appreciate your comment
Actually, it doesn't really rank lower. I asked my 50+ Cyclist group what their favourite gravel bike is. The list is just a popularity poll... I too looked at the Orbea. If I remember correctly, it does not have the bikepacking lugs.🤔
Ah ok, thanks for the clarification. The Terra does not come with a lot of mounts indeed, which to me is somewhat less of an issue though, as I am using a Tailfin rack and bags. These work with a prolongated thru-axle and rubber bands instrad of mounting points. This makes the system extremely versatile also for road bikes
Thank you for the tips and for sharing the top gravel recommendation. I feel better now about purchasing a Giant Revolt than the Merida Silex, even though it has better parts.
You are welcome. The Revolt feels good to me too. It's between that and the Trek Checkpoint. I'm procrastinating 😂
Trek is so expensive, i like the new kind of endurance bikes, that can go to big tire clearance. Like the new canyon endurance, giant defy or the expensive option trek domane@@CenturyRide
i bought a giant revolt. i dont know if you covered warranty i would say thats important as well.
Good point! I didn't mention warranty. The Revolt has made the final three. Which one did you get?
Giant revolt advanced 2 grx drive train
Can ride those roads on a roadbike with wide tire clearance. No need for a gravel specific bike if riding those roads. Btw, for about 5 years I lived on a 'true gravel road' which was best negotiated on a mtb with 2.1 inch tires.
Selection of bike in addition to paying for low weight is all about riding venue. If roads are true gravel roads, a mtb is best. If they are hard pack with pea gravel pressed into the dirt, a road bike can be used.
There is the concept of 'under versus over' biking that the public is largely ignorant of. Under biking is using a bike outside of its confort zone for a given riding venue...like a road bike on a true gravel road. Over biking would be using a gravel or mountain bike on a paved road which will cost the rider speed relative to exertion level.
My #1 gripe is training rides on pavement in the city on my MTB. But we'll ride a real mix in cottage country. 🤔
Carbon frames, in general, are not what makes bikes more comfortable. It is true... they are non-metallic and do not have the harmonic "zing". However, most entry-level frames are super stiff since advanced compliance designs cost money, and bike frames in general are a bridge truss design (back to back triangles). Instead, the 40 to 55 wide, low-pressure tires are doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to comfort. This often gets overlooked, and the frame material gets the credit. Where carbon excels is with weight bearing components (seat posts, handlebars, stems... even wheels) where the items are "cantilevered" and supporting your weight. Secondly, another negative of carbon frames for gravel is that the finishes (paint/primer) do not hold up at all. So if you like a pretty bike, you won't be happy with carbon. A third negative is that they can't be recycled, whereas aluminum, steel, and Ti can.
Also, a huge geometric to look out for is toe overlap. Pay attention to the "front center" dim on the geo charts. Be aware of how much the front of your shoes hang out in front of your pedals and do the math. Slacker head angles, shorter cranks, and smaller wheels (650B/27.5) will reduce this. Most physio experts say the bike industry punts with crank lengths anyway. They are most always too long for each bike size. You'll regret overlooking toe overlap the first time you climb through switchbacks or make a U-turn.
Really good points! Thanks for weighing in. This might be a stupid question: but is the toe overhang for road-specific pedals. I use SPD with mtb shoes allowing me to move the cleat forward and back. This fall the ball of my foot was getting really sore but I've since moved my cleat back and voila! The pain is gone... but my toes hang over my spd pedals more.
@CenturyRide No, it can happen on road and gravel. Currently, I have this issue on my gravel bike. As far as the pain you were feeling... you were getting a "version" of what we call "hot foot," which can manifest itself with anything from burning, numbness, or simply pain. I have the same issue and have both my SPD (gravel/mtn) and SPD-SL (road) slid back too. So yes, this will make toe overlap more of a potential. I simply clip my shoe into a pedal without my foot in it. Your feet are different... so get the longest overhang between the two. I then measure the distance from end of shoe to pedal spindle CL. I then make a note of crank length. It will be stamped on the backside by pedal threads if real time or listed in spec list. After this, I measure the radius of the front wheel plus tire (tire height will vary). Just take "front center" from geo chart or measure it real time if not shown. Then simply do the math: Front Center - wheel and tire radius - crank length. The resulting answer should be larger than your shoe overhang.
@@justpedal65 thanks so much for explaining!
@CenturyRide No problem. You can also take your shoes and pedals when test riding new bikes. This is a better option for folks who hate math and geometry. 😊 This issue started when the industry started sloping top tubes to get the tube lower (for better stand over) and the handlebars higher (for better stack) in an attempt to reduce the number of sizes needed per model. So... if looking at the drive/right side of the bike, they essentially rotated the rear of the bike counterclockwise on the computer during the redesign (from a classic horizontal top tube). Tucking the rear triangle and bottom bracket and raising the head tube... all while leaving the front wheel in place. It's kind of like a dog tucking its tail. One of the cons to this was that it moved the bottom bracket shell closer to the front wheel.
Get an Open U.P., Love love love mine.
I confess, I hadn't heard of this brand before others recommended it. Haven't pulled the trigger yet so there's time!
As long its a flat handle bar, its fun
Lol... I haven't had curly bars since I was a kid. But I think I'm heading in that direction. For gravel rides anyway ;)
My mtn bikes are fully capable of riding on any/all surfaces 😆😎
Mine too... but have to say, going fast when I'm not on trails is kinda fun 😊
You look like you’re 30!
You made my week... I'm turning 56 this week so thank you for that! I swear it's the mtb'g... makes me feel badass! 😊