Not sure I can deal with two more years of this. I wish the general population had a clue about this. Customers tell me how popular biking is now. That I should really order more bikes.
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Gravel Bike recommendation?
- Thread starter babanff
- Start date
Cuz, like, what do YOU know about the bike business, right?!
First nice day here yesterday..never seen so much Cervelo and Rapha. Passed a few bike shops..lines were 6-10 deep outside. Every single store. Didn't used to get this busy until May...
I'm reading reviews of stores I personally know and people are really not very reasonable. You know, "I dropped my bike off on Friday at noon and it STILL wasn't ready at noon on Saturday! Like, the whole summer is going to be gone!" Yeesh..
Look at facebook marketplace, people are selling used bikes and used AT gear for big $. Absolutely garbage setups are being sold for way too much.
1x's on gravel setups are not there yet. the gearing has far too wide of jumps.
Oh, I know. People buy rusted out department store bikes for full retail price. Then bring it to us to actually make it rideable for a few hundred more. They only get upset about the two week wait.
My LBS was getting tired of having to tell the people who bought 10-15 year old bikes their components are no longer made or the parts are 6 months out. that "cheap" bike just became really expensive.
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interestingly, my friend who needs a 52 found, Diverges, Checkpoints, Stigmata', Giants and Moots to test ride in the Denver area. I was pretty surprised.
I still clearly remember the blank look on people's faces when I told them their $199 bike was going to require $200 in repairs.. And them just asking us to throw it out for them.. We got scads of used parts that way.. Times have changed man.
This!
Funnily enough this is exactly what I did.
No SL7 this year, but plenty of money for Stockli, POC, Atomic and other stuff. Cant complain really.
I do not miss this.
I'm probably going with the Trek Checkpoint SL5... trade in my 10+ year old hardtail and road bike for a couple hundred bucks... to the LBS.
If you're going to do all the wrenching on the bike... pick whatever brand you want. For those of us that use a LBS for maintenance.... I personally think choosing the right LBS is key for the choice of bike (I can't for the life of me replace my cables and have the derailleurs function properly afterwards)
If you're going to do all the wrenching on the bike... pick whatever brand you want. For those of us that use a LBS for maintenance.... I personally think choosing the right LBS is key for the choice of bike (I can't for the life of me replace my cables and have the derailleurs function properly afterwards)
????
They use off-the-shelf cassettes with gearing that has been in use for about a decade now.
I can under understand an 11-speed cassette that goes from 10-42T.... but... regular sized cassettes have been that used for a long time now, even a 11-36T.
If you want less of a jump, then don't go for a huge difference between small cog and climbing cog.
SRAM PG-1130 cassettes for example:
11-26t: 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19,21,23,26
11-28t: 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19,22,25,28
11-32t: 11,12,13,14,15,17,19,22,25,28,32
11-36t: 11,12,13,15,17,19,22,25,28,32,36
11-42t: 11,13,15,17,19,22,25,28,32,36,42
Compare to a 10-42T
10,12,14,16,18,21,24,28,32,36,42
About 10 years ago, people started to use 32T cassettes, while being mocked by others, though that was with 10-speed cassette... (I have a Shimano 9-speed XT rear derailleur to use a 10-speed 11-32T cassette with my 107 crank and shifters)
Plus, 1x is already used on cyclocross...as you really don't need to worry about a chain drop like you would a 2x crank. I personally wouldn't mind a 1x on a gravel bike... it's one less thing to worry about, except for those long, steep climbs
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2015
- Posts
- 6,357
You don't really need to worry about riding a gentle downhill in a group with tailwind either though.
As one that has a 1x on my OPEN (SRAM AXS eTap Force/Eagle Mullet) - I havent really found the cog jumps to be too bad. I run a 10-50 out back and one of 3 chainrings up front (actually cant remember what I am running now, think a 42). At least in my experience, riding the rig around town - im not shifting all that much, and that 50t is lifesaver in many places on the long fire roads up to the BRP. It actually feels like the cassette is bifucated - flat, "around town" cogs and mountain cogs. havent dropped a chain (use wolftooth rings). I wouldnt go back to 2X on the gravel unless it was my only bike <- kind of hard to stay with the fast group on 1X around town, for any length of time, that 10t is "theory".
doesnt work in CO. I need a 1:1 as we regularly ride on 10-12% extended climbs and fast descents. It just not there yet. if they go to a 15 gear rear it would work but not now. I am very happy with my AXS. its setup very close to my road bike so I am used to the steady cadence and close gears. fwiw, for gravel, I ride a 46/33, 10-33. beyond 1:1 I dont like the gearing, it feels like im just spinning and even on short sections of 14-15% I can peddle ok, not great but ok. .
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over 12 and im ok ONLY for a couple hundred yards!