Hello! Nice video! Been your channel's constant viewer from the Kyrgyzstan videos! I am from Kazakhstan and would be pleased to see you and Bellen doing bike tourism thorugh Kazakhstan
I like having it function separately; now I get to charge my external battery fully without running a light all day, and get to run my M99 at full brightness when necessary. That battery life pulled me in 👍🏼
@@tristanbogaard Interesting, thank you. I use a Dynamo light with an on/off switch allowing me to prioritise charging. It’s supplemented where necessary with a lumen adjustable high power head torch which doubles as my camping light. Two very different systems producing much the same result.
Sounds very handy! If I have the chance in the future, I’d like to experiment with the Cinq plus 6, which charges a battery inside the head tube so you can charge from a USB C port without ever needing an external battery.
@@tristanbogaard I did look at that, it’s undoubtedly a very neat solution. Very much personal choice but I prefer to use 2 detachable smaller capacity batteries, (2 as they tend to charge faster than one larger one). I value the detachability as I supplement the Dynamo battery charging in areas of good infrastructure by taking the battery packs into cafe/restaurant/campsite communal room to charge from the mains supply wherever possible. Thanks for the videos, I enjoy them immensely.
Great video. It's a great bike for those who can afford it. In long term, well worth the money in my opinion. I was looking for information for the road to Song Kul and discover your channel. I will start my trip in Bishkek in a few weeks and go pass Song Kul. I know it's probably a few weeks too early to visit there. However my schedule is quite tight. I hope the road isn't too muddy and snowy.
Thank you kindly! To get to Song Kul, do consider riding the first part of our Bishkek Spectacular loop, that crosses Kegeti pass. Be very careful with the weather up there. When down, you can continue your climb to Song Kul from its northwest side. Not sure what that pass is called but it crosses Bash-Kuugandi and Karakeche. It’s gorgeous. Wishing you safe passage.
@@tristanbogaard I plan to head east to near Issyk Kul to Balykchy, then turn west to the Kyzart pass. Then to Bash-Kuugandi. I see many horse back riding trips will go through Kyzart pass. Thanks for the information.
how comfortable is it with the flat bar? I have bad wrists and have found that drop bars are best for me. Is it possible to put drop bars on this bike?
It’s not possible in the TT configurator but your bike shop may be able to do it… although you’d need other shifters for the Pinion gearbox. Let’s say it would be complicated and probably costly. I like the flat bars, and there’s small solutions such as those add-on bullhorns I forgot the name of…
@@tristanbogaard I may look at trying it with the flat bars. I bet I can set it up comfortably the more I think about it. Love your videos! And thanks for the reply, I appreciate it!
Beautiful bike and great set up! Quite pricey though 😅 is that a 9L or 15L handlebar bag? Those new ortlieb bag look fantastic, I have the old ones, not as good looking but just as good, cheers!
It is pricy indeed. Having ridden it for two years with little maintenance though, I’d say it’s slowly becoming worth that tag… I carry the 15L bag. The color is amazing, blends in so well with nature. There’s a few new details but you’re not missing out; the gray ones are just as good!
sorry, one more question: Do you have any problems with the dirt accumulating duo to the design of the belt tensioning, right now the only concern i have with buying the bike. normally the pinion is designed to integrate into the frame and give strengh as well without leaving big space. looks like half a kg of dirt can go in that space...
Good point! Pedals are from Tout Terrain, clip and clipless in one, pretty indestructible. My shoes are the Pearl Izumi X Mesa, bought those because of the water resistant, quick drying materials, comfy fit and rugged sole. Can recommend!
@@tristanbogaard Köszi Tristan, I was not able to find this pedal exactly, but as I see the flat part is relatively big, so I guess it can give you better grip and change your sole position more freely, that makes longer rides more comfy. I have some knee issue, this might help ;-)
Without any gear on (but some accessories like mounts) this XL Outback model weighs about 15kg. With all my gear… I only have wild guesses! But most likely 25kg before food and water.
@@tristanbogaard tnx for the reaction. Since 4yrs I did a couple of trips. Started with a Santos travelmaster 3+ aka the Rolls Royce of the touringbikes. But it weighs 15,5kg which was way too heavy for me in the mountains/hills of north Spain on the Camino. So I switched to a gravelbike of 11,7 kg. Next week starting a trip with around 25kg. No tent and no coockingear possible if i want to keep it under 25kg. Arles, Girona, Valencia, Albacete, Sevilla, Almancil. I love your video's and information and have a book that you wrote! Many greetings V
You’re welcome, I try what I can within my sponsorship deals. They aren’t accepted unless the product is thoroughly used and I can speak freely, which is what I’ve attempted to do here. Hoping to make this bike last a long time and do a few more of these yearly reviews as Belén and I keep on cycling!
Hey Tristan, I really like your bike! Is there a way to hook up that Supernova M99 front light to your Cinq Plus 6? If this is technically not possible, there is also the Supernova M99 "DY Pro" which runs on 6V/3W AC dynamos such as your SON28. Best wishes L
Thanks! Since I have a Cinq Plug 5 I’m not sure I’d be able to hook it up. If I’d have the Plug 6 I’d probably be able to get a wire splitter installed and run a dynamo M99. But that’s for the future!
@@tristanbogaardAccording to Supernova, the two devices are not compatible, not even with a splitter. Tout terrain also says that two cables cannot be routed through the fork at the same time. On the other hand, Ulrich Bartholmoes rides the Cinq - Supernova combination by "switching cables" as required.
Hi Tristan, Nice bike and love the ortlieb panniers. What do you think about the Jones H flatbar or the Surly Moloko? You try one of them? Like these bike and setup reviews.
Thanks! I have no personal experience with either the Jones or Surly bar but from their designs I can clearly see the upsides in the H bar in terms of upright sitting position (perhaps a bit less climbing oriented) and in the Moloko “horns” as that construction adds many more hand / wrist positions to choose from. I’ll try to make another Outback video next year, with some more in depth info on wear/tear as well as additional specking options in the configurator!
Any chance you've talked to TT and they've given a hint as to whether we might see the "i" series gearboxes roll out in their product line? I'd love to buy one of these complete, but TT doesn't over the newest e-shifting drivetrain as an option yet...sigh
It’s worth the wait since I’m sure they’ll offer the spec at some point. However, having manual shifting is pretty nice considering it’s one thing less to think of charging.
@@MrProctitus thank you! That makes sense, but they also call this a "Bikepacking MTB" ...I'd much prefer to buy everything built together, but will do a frameset/build if I must...sigh.
That’s a payment for super high quality and durability of a Supernova light. If you do a lot of evening / night riding and don’t want any fuss, this is a fantastic light.
In the 1 year video, I mentioned that I’d snapped my initial belt because of a loose front sprocket and a lot of force on a particularly steep climb. However, this new belt has now lasted me about a year and three quarters. Soon it will clock 2 years!
Will have to calculate that from all my GPX tracks. Nevertheless, I don’t think it should be measured by km but rather by meters climbed. I feel like I put a lot of stress on this belt on every bikepacking trip due the fact that I prefer gravel / dirt tracks that tend to get steep. I think that number will be a far more significant stat to keep in mind.
@@tristanbogaard good point and it would be interesting to know these stats! And great to hear the belt handles steep climbs so well as I do like to ride tracks like this as well!
Hi, Tristan! I was wondering if You both considered the options of a Jones H Bar o similar ( BLB Drifter ), instead of the original flat bar. How do You feel during long day ride with the flat bar? I see you employ grips like Ergon, but I am curious if You ever tried the other models, especially during climbing...
I did consider it, but wanted to stay as close to the base spec Outback as possible. The TT flat bar is fine for all-round use, but on long rides I sometimes miss a variety of hand positions. The right grips help with that, and the Ergon grips are fine for the job.
Hi, mechanical or hydraulic break? The Ultimate touring bike for sure !!! Sad things is this bike is very very very expensive! Looking forward to your next super adventure!!
They’re hydraulic! It sure comes with a price but at least on my side it’s kept up with all the abuse… the longer you’ll use it the more it becomes worth the investment. I’ll check in again on this in the 3 year review!
@@tristanbogaard I will keep on dreaming. Meaby see you in Spain this summer 😁. We are finishing our trip in Taiwan with a mega earthquake scrary experience of a life time.
I think everyone knows at this point! But yes, I’ve included the ‘paid content’ warning on YT and should’ve made it extra clear by voice too. Sorry about that!
The warning is not that obvious and "everyone" might refer to a few person that actually know you as a sponsored person so thanks Crculver for pointing this out.
WTF is that?? All you did was list the parts the same as if it was brand new. We learned NOTHING. WTH is the data, like total miles, speeds comparisons, top speed capability, service records, oil changes, tire wear miles, how do those knobbies do on wet downhills, what rattles/ doesn't, did the grips tar up your hands/ they sure did when I used those crap rubber grips, number of flats, how do you lube stuff like pedals? etc
Thanks so much for this! ❤
I'm eyeing this bike and can't get enough of it!
Hello! Nice video! Been your channel's constant viewer from the Kyrgyzstan videos! I am from Kazakhstan and would be pleased to see you and Bellen doing bike tourism thorugh Kazakhstan
Thank you! It’d be great to see Kazakhstan by bike some day.
Hello from Greece! Great video of a great cicycle! Wishing you a lot more beautiful adventures on it! One question though, what feed bags do you use?
Thank you, and hello from Spain! My feedbags are from Roadrunner bags, they’re the Copilot ones. Love them!
Hi, I’m curious why you’ve chosen a battery powered front light if you run a Son 28 Dynamo? Thanks in advance.
I like having it function separately; now I get to charge my external battery fully without running a light all day, and get to run my M99 at full brightness when necessary. That battery life pulled me in 👍🏼
@@tristanbogaard Interesting, thank you. I use a Dynamo light with an on/off switch allowing me to prioritise charging. It’s supplemented where necessary with a lumen adjustable high power head torch which doubles as my camping light. Two very different systems producing much the same result.
Sounds very handy! If I have the chance in the future, I’d like to experiment with the Cinq plus 6, which charges a battery inside the head tube so you can charge from a USB C port without ever needing an external battery.
@@tristanbogaard I did look at that, it’s undoubtedly a very neat solution. Very much personal choice but I prefer to use 2 detachable smaller capacity batteries, (2 as they tend to charge faster than one larger one). I value the detachability as I supplement the Dynamo battery charging in areas of good infrastructure by taking the battery packs into cafe/restaurant/campsite communal room to charge from the mains supply wherever possible. Thanks for the videos, I enjoy them immensely.
Hope they had a trigger shifter in place of the twist shifter
Thanks cobba no belt drive on the tumbleweed prospector so I'm looking at this fine Rig . Beers 🍻 up
Hi Tristan,
Are you thinking to create a video about the new Outback explore 2? The main differences specially. Thank you
Unfortunately I haven’t gotten my hands on one to experience the difference. Once I have the chance I’d like to work on that idea!
Great video. It's a great bike for those who can afford it. In long term, well worth the money in my opinion.
I was looking for information for the road to Song Kul and discover your channel. I will start my trip in Bishkek in a few weeks and go pass Song Kul. I know it's probably a few weeks too early to visit there. However my schedule is quite tight. I hope the road isn't too muddy and snowy.
Thank you kindly! To get to Song Kul, do consider riding the first part of our Bishkek Spectacular loop, that crosses Kegeti pass. Be very careful with the weather up there. When down, you can continue your climb to Song Kul from its northwest side. Not sure what that pass is called but it crosses Bash-Kuugandi and Karakeche. It’s gorgeous. Wishing you safe passage.
@@tristanbogaard I plan to head east to near Issyk Kul to Balykchy, then turn west to the Kyzart pass. Then to Bash-Kuugandi. I see many horse back riding trips will go through Kyzart pass. Thanks for the information.
cool bike and rig may I ask what s the weight of bike unloaded and loaded to get an idea? cheers
An XL Outback weighs around 14kg. With accessories around 15kg. With luggage… including food and water? For sure 25kg.
how comfortable is it with the flat bar? I have bad wrists and have found that drop bars are best for me. Is it possible to put drop bars on this bike?
It’s not possible in the TT configurator but your bike shop may be able to do it… although you’d need other shifters for the Pinion gearbox. Let’s say it would be complicated and probably costly. I like the flat bars, and there’s small solutions such as those add-on bullhorns I forgot the name of…
@@tristanbogaard I may look at trying it with the flat bars. I bet I can set it up comfortably the more I think about it. Love your videos! And thanks for the reply, I appreciate it!
Which colour is your frame? Looking to pick one of these up and really like the colour
It’s Dark Ivory! Should be available in the color picker on the TT configurator for the Outback.
Beautiful bike and great set up! Quite pricey though 😅 is that a 9L or 15L handlebar bag? Those new ortlieb bag look fantastic, I have the old ones, not as good looking but just as good, cheers!
It is pricy indeed. Having ridden it for two years with little maintenance though, I’d say it’s slowly becoming worth that tag… I carry the 15L bag. The color is amazing, blends in so well with nature. There’s a few new details but you’re not missing out; the gray ones are just as good!
sorry, one more question: Do you have any problems with the dirt accumulating duo to the design of the belt tensioning, right now the only concern i have with buying the bike. normally the pinion is designed to integrate into the frame and give strengh as well without leaving big space.
looks like half a kg of dirt can go in that space...
True, but if it does (only when there’s thick mud) it just as easily washes out. I wouldn’t worry about it!
whats the colour name you have for your bike? there are many options on tout terain website not sure if i found it.
It’s Dark Ivory 1014 with a matte clear coat.
@@tristanbogaard thankyou very much
Hey, nice setup, what's the oversized bottle cage you have on the dowtube ?
Thanks. It’s the Cinq bottle cage that’s sold by Tout Terrain. Handy for that 1.5L water bottle!
@@tristanbogaard thanks, exactly what I was looking for for my 1.4 L nalgene !
How about the pedals and shoes? Thanks a lot😉
Good point! Pedals are from Tout Terrain, clip and clipless in one, pretty indestructible. My shoes are the Pearl Izumi X Mesa, bought those because of the water resistant, quick drying materials, comfy fit and rugged sole. Can recommend!
@@tristanbogaard Köszi Tristan, I was not able to find this pedal exactly, but as I see the flat part is relatively big, so I guess it can give you better grip and change your sole position more freely, that makes longer rides more comfy. I have some knee issue, this might help ;-)
Thanks for the information. What is the total weight of this bike plus setup, without water and food?
Without any gear on (but some accessories like mounts) this XL Outback model weighs about 15kg. With all my gear… I only have wild guesses! But most likely 25kg before food and water.
@@tristanbogaard tnx for the reaction. Since 4yrs I did a couple of trips. Started with a Santos travelmaster 3+ aka the Rolls Royce of the touringbikes. But it weighs 15,5kg which was way too heavy for me in the mountains/hills of north Spain on the Camino. So I switched to a gravelbike of 11,7 kg. Next week starting a trip with around 25kg. No tent and no coockingear possible if i want to keep it under 25kg. Arles, Girona, Valencia, Albacete, Sevilla, Almancil. I love your video's and information and have a book that you wrote! Many greetings V
You are my best ever🎉🎉🎉
Thanks, that was a very positive review. I feel some information is lacking. Are you sponsored by the brands mentioned here?
You’re welcome, I try what I can within my sponsorship deals. They aren’t accepted unless the product is thoroughly used and I can speak freely, which is what I’ve attempted to do here. Hoping to make this bike last a long time and do a few more of these yearly reviews as Belén and I keep on cycling!
Hey Tristan, I really like your bike!
Is there a way to hook up that Supernova M99 front light to your Cinq Plus 6? If this is technically not possible, there is also the Supernova M99 "DY Pro" which runs on 6V/3W AC dynamos such as your SON28.
Best wishes
L
Thanks! Since I have a Cinq Plug 5 I’m not sure I’d be able to hook it up. If I’d have the Plug 6 I’d probably be able to get a wire splitter installed and run a dynamo M99. But that’s for the future!
@@tristanbogaardAccording to Supernova, the two devices are not compatible, not even with a splitter. Tout terrain also says that two cables cannot be routed through the fork at the same time. On the other hand, Ulrich Bartholmoes rides the Cinq - Supernova combination by "switching cables" as required.
Hi Tristan, Nice bike and love the ortlieb panniers. What do you think about the Jones H flatbar or the Surly Moloko? You try one of them?
Like these bike and setup reviews.
Thanks! I have no personal experience with either the Jones or Surly bar but from their designs I can clearly see the upsides in the H bar in terms of upright sitting position (perhaps a bit less climbing oriented) and in the Moloko “horns” as that construction adds many more hand / wrist positions to choose from.
I’ll try to make another Outback video next year, with some more in depth info on wear/tear as well as additional specking options in the configurator!
I have the Jones handlebar on this bike and love it
Any chance you've talked to TT and they've given a hint as to whether we might see the "i" series gearboxes roll out in their product line? I'd love to buy one of these complete, but TT doesn't over the newest e-shifting drivetrain as an option yet...sigh
It’s worth the wait since I’m sure they’ll offer the spec at some point. However, having manual shifting is pretty nice considering it’s one thing less to think of charging.
I did ask recently and they say they have no plans for their touring bikes
@@MrProctitus thank you! That makes sense, but they also call this a "Bikepacking MTB" ...I'd much prefer to buy everything built together, but will do a frameset/build if I must...sigh.
Love the frontlight, but the price 500 euro?
That’s a payment for super high quality and durability of a Supernova light. If you do a lot of evening / night riding and don’t want any fuss, this is a fantastic light.
What the luggage weight?
You don’t want to know 😉 But I’ll upload a full gear video alongside this at some point that’ll show what I’m carrying and why!
Is that the original belt after two years?
In the 1 year video, I mentioned that I’d snapped my initial belt because of a loose front sprocket and a lot of force on a particularly steep climb. However, this new belt has now lasted me about a year and three quarters. Soon it will clock 2 years!
Any idea how many km you did with this belt or the bike in general?
Will have to calculate that from all my GPX tracks. Nevertheless, I don’t think it should be measured by km but rather by meters climbed. I feel like I put a lot of stress on this belt on every bikepacking trip due the fact that I prefer gravel / dirt tracks that tend to get steep. I think that number will be a far more significant stat to keep in mind.
@@tristanbogaard good point and it would be interesting to know these stats!
And great to hear the belt handles steep climbs so well as I do like to ride tracks like this as well!
Hi, Tristan! I was wondering if You both considered the options of a Jones H Bar o similar ( BLB Drifter ), instead of the original flat bar. How do You feel during long day ride with the flat bar? I see you employ grips like Ergon, but I am curious if You ever tried the other models, especially during climbing...
I did consider it, but wanted to stay as close to the base spec Outback as possible. The TT flat bar is fine for all-round use, but on long rides I sometimes miss a variety of hand positions. The right grips help with that, and the Ergon grips are fine for the job.
Hi, mechanical or hydraulic break? The Ultimate touring bike for sure !!! Sad things is this bike is very very very expensive! Looking forward to your next super adventure!!
They’re hydraulic! It sure comes with a price but at least on my side it’s kept up with all the abuse… the longer you’ll use it the more it becomes worth the investment. I’ll check in again on this in the 3 year review!
@@tristanbogaard I will keep on dreaming. Meaby see you in Spain this summer 😁. We are finishing our trip in Taiwan with a mega earthquake scrary experience of a life time.
Oof, good that you remained safe, been reading up on it in the news here… hope you get to enjoy the end of your trip, regardless!
You are sponsored by this company. Don't you think this is something you ought to disclose from the very start of the video?
I think everyone knows at this point! But yes, I’ve included the ‘paid content’ warning on YT and should’ve made it extra clear by voice too. Sorry about that!
The warning is not that obvious and "everyone" might refer to a few person that actually know you as a sponsored person so thanks Crculver for pointing this out.
Are they offering any discount to your viewers? The bikes whilst good are incredibly expensive.
WTF is that?? All you did was list the parts the same as if it was brand new. We learned NOTHING.
WTH is the data, like total miles, speeds comparisons, top speed capability, service records, oil changes, tire wear miles, how do those knobbies do on wet downhills, what rattles/ doesn't, did the grips tar up your hands/ they sure did when I used those crap rubber grips, number of flats, how do you lube stuff like pedals? etc
That was indeed the point of this video, to update those interested on how the bike is keeping up. I’ll keep your notes in mind for the next review 👍🏼