The gravel near me is pretty much like what is shown in the Niner video. I grabbed an MCR frame at the sale price and matched it with a 50mm Rudy, 75mm Reverb AXS XPLR, and a Rival/GX mullet 1x12. I did have a FS XC drop bar conversion before but the geometry on this makes it so much better. I just wish it had a bigger seatpost diameter so I could fit a regular Reverb AXS for more drop. Other than that it is super solid all-road and mild single track bike.
Makes sense. The bike you are building sounds freaking incredible. And the sale Niner had on those frames was nutty. I like gravel/road but also dig XC mtb trails. I feel like if I could only have one bike to do all those things, it would be that bike.
I had a custom steel frame built up (Mahall bikes!) and using the Lauf fork up front, with the CaneCreek eesilk+ seatpost. About 30mm travel in both. Add in the long stays of the steel frame and 48-55mm 650b tires, it rides wonderfully. Even though I have taken it fairly often where a proper full-sus mtb would be better, aside from the miles of dirt/paved roads to get there. If I didn't have that bike already, I would be looking real close at the closeout MCR deal, or a Lauf Seigla.
Ty, I wanted to ask one more thing about your Aspero. I am curious about its performance on “softer” terrains- the very finely crashed limestone that tends to be softer when damp- you can see visible trace marks from bike wheels on it. Anyway, I went ahead and converted my Co-op ARD 1.4 endurance bike into gravel bike ($1000 cost and I think I still want the new Aspero!!!). When trying to ride it on the trail, I've noticed that I am about 4 mph slower than on hard pavement. I can typically average about 16-17 mph when going on pavement,My newly converted “gravel” bike can only give me 12-13 mph with the same, if not harder, effort on my part… so, my question is, how does Aspero do in terms of speed on a hard packed gravel / dirt road if you ride it after a light rain?? I'm just concerned whether or not it's going to feel “sluggish” as my makeshift gravel bike currently does… thanks a lot for any and all input!
Any bike is going to be slower on that type of surface. When you are on a soft surface, there is more drag. If your current bike is slower on that stuff, the aspero will be too.
High speed chatter? Just like sports motorcycles. Except those need to handle easily as they weigh200kg going around corners. I believe UCI roadbikes are really not that great for going fast. Longer and slacker like a xc mtb is more stable. I don't see how slightly more stubborn handling is a problem. Not even added weight. road downhill sections could possibly be ridden waaaaaaaaay faster. I think GCN found pretty fat(2.0?) Though road tyres faster downhill than normal too.
I don't like to think about stuff lol. Keeping up with the suspension on my mountain bikes is enough. These bikes are cool though. If I lived somewhere where the MTB trails were rideable year round, I'd probably have one of these bikes.
The gravel near me is pretty much like what is shown in the Niner video. I grabbed an MCR frame at the sale price and matched it with a 50mm Rudy, 75mm Reverb AXS XPLR, and a Rival/GX mullet 1x12. I did have a FS XC drop bar conversion before but the geometry on this makes it so much better. I just wish it had a bigger seatpost diameter so I could fit a regular Reverb AXS for more drop. Other than that it is super solid all-road and mild single track bike.
Makes sense. The bike you are building sounds freaking incredible. And the sale Niner had on those frames was nutty. I like gravel/road but also dig XC mtb trails. I feel like if I could only have one bike to do all those things, it would be that bike.
these prices are insane, just insane, bikes for normal people, not olympians…insane
I had a custom steel frame built up (Mahall bikes!) and using the Lauf fork up front, with the CaneCreek eesilk+ seatpost. About 30mm travel in both. Add in the long stays of the steel frame and 48-55mm 650b tires, it rides wonderfully. Even though I have taken it fairly often where a proper full-sus mtb would be better, aside from the miles of dirt/paved roads to get there. If I didn't have that bike already, I would be looking real close at the closeout MCR deal, or a Lauf Seigla.
That is very cool. Steel rides so smooth to begin with and then add the suspension and wider tires. I imagine that thing rides fantastic.
I know your boy the Rocket has the Lauf, I'd be curious to see a review of that fork and if it's deemed worth the money.
Cannondale topstone non lefty with redshift shock stem 👌
Wished niner have sr suntour/rockshox/fox rear suspension (matching the fork🤪)
Niner discontinued the MCR and this is the last year.
Explains why frames are so cheap right now.
Ty, I wanted to ask one more thing about your Aspero. I am curious about its performance on “softer” terrains- the very finely crashed limestone that tends to be softer when damp- you can see visible trace marks from bike wheels on it. Anyway, I went ahead and converted my Co-op ARD 1.4 endurance bike into gravel bike ($1000 cost and I think I still want the new Aspero!!!). When trying to ride it on the trail, I've noticed that I am about 4 mph slower than on hard pavement. I can typically average about 16-17 mph when going on pavement,My newly converted “gravel” bike can only give me 12-13 mph with the same, if not harder, effort on my part… so, my question is, how does Aspero do in terms of speed on a hard packed gravel / dirt road if you ride it after a light rain?? I'm just concerned whether or not it's going to feel “sluggish” as my makeshift gravel bike currently does… thanks a lot for any and all input!
Any bike is going to be slower on that type of surface. When you are on a soft surface, there is more drag. If your current bike is slower on that stuff, the aspero will be too.
Do you now the weights of these fs gravel bikes...that niner looks interesting
Not exactly sure. I think niner is pretty heavy.
If I was gonna go sus-gravel I’d do a Lauf ( great build options great prices) not a full-suspension which to me is just a MTB
High speed chatter? Just like sports motorcycles. Except those need to handle easily as they weigh200kg going around corners. I believe UCI roadbikes are really not that great for going fast. Longer and slacker like a xc mtb is more stable. I don't see how slightly more stubborn handling is a problem. Not even added weight. road downhill sections could possibly be ridden waaaaaaaaay faster. I think GCN found pretty fat(2.0?) Though road tyres faster downhill than normal too.
Yea for sure. Good points. I bet these bikes would be fun as hell going fast downhill.
BUY A REDSHIFT Shockstop seat post and stem...it's not cheap, true, but not as expensive as that frame either but the effect is just about the same.
Absolutely awesome idea. A great way to get a full squish gravel bike without getting a whole new bike.
I hd the shockstop on another bike before getting the MCR. Night and day with the 50mm travel and rebound control.
TBH, these are more like cash grabs then really a bike. bigger tiers would do the trick and would be less maintance and less complexity.
I actually agree completely. I think the suspension probably does something but not the type of bike I'm interested in.
Aspro Full
It's always been frustrating to me that cyclists are so allergic to any kind of added complexity.
I don't like to think about stuff lol. Keeping up with the suspension on my mountain bikes is enough. These bikes are cool though. If I lived somewhere where the MTB trails were rideable year round, I'd probably have one of these bikes.