Gravel/Bikepack nerds enter...

[mntlion]

yes: I swapped out a fork 29 on my van dessel WTF depending on trails.

[Tailwind]

Anyone have any expletive with bikepacking seat bags and dropper posts?

I am looking at the revelelate Vole. I have also though about modifying a porcelain rocket Mr Fusion.

Any thoughts or preferences? Needs to be at least 6L and ideally larger.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Scrub you got 650's on that rig?

Where did you fellas buy them?

Found mine on Pinkbike. "Ridden 5 miles". As far as I can tell the 2019 and 2020 Ragley Trigs are sold out everywhere.

[klauss]

As I just bought a nukeproof mtb for the kid, and all this ride from home talk, the nukeproof digger looks like a good setup. Appears to be sold out though

My super old kona major jake with cantilever brakes is getting crusty. don't love the geo and wouldn't mind something edging closer to Ned Overend/Tinker Juarez style

[RootSkier]

Found mine on Pinkbike. "Ridden 5 miles". As far as I can tell the 2019 and 2020 Ragley Trigs are sold out everywhere.

You still thinking about selling it? If so, what size and how much?

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

You still thinking about selling it? If so, what size and how much?

It's a size medium. I get it in the mail Wednesday. Gonna ride it at least 50 miles and see if for some reason I don't like it. Will let you know if I want to unload it.

[Peruvian]

My WTB Riddlers have both blistered at this point. I could continue to run them with tubes, but instead I ordered some WTB Byways. I hope they provide a good performance balance for bike path, Vermont pavement, plenty of gravel roads, class IV/jeep track and a slight bit of singletrack.

[mntlion]

Anyone have any expletive with bikepacking seat bags and dropper posts?

I am looking at the revelelate Vole. I have also though about modifying a porcelain rocket Mr Fusion.

Any thoughts or preferences? Needs to be at least 6L and ideally larger.

do you need both at the same time? how RAD do you get bikepacking?

but other answer is not many will work, and often not at full "drop" too.

[Falcon3]

Salsa Fargo vs Trek Stache

Purpose: some gravel, some bikepack, really looking for a Swiss Army bike.

[Toddball]

Anyone have any expletive with bikepacking seat bags and dropper posts?

I am looking at the revelelate Vole. I have also though about modifying a porcelain rocket Mr Fusion.

Any thoughts or preferences? Needs to be at least 6L and ideally larger.

I just installed a dropper with the remote in the drops, and if I go bikepacking (might happen one day) I will probably be too lazy to undo my wrap job to get the remote out. So, I'm sort of in the same boat. I have resigned myself to not having much drop at all with a seat bag. Several seat bags make use of the Wolf Tooth Valais, which reduces dropper travel in a way that doesn't suck for your stanchion.

Porcelain Rocket used to make dropper-compatible seat bag like the Mr. Fusion, except the rack part attaches to the seat rail clamp instead of the seatpost. It was called the Albert. Maybe they could still make one for you?

[Tailwind]

I’m looking at the CO trail. It’s pretty gnarly in sections and while I get you don’t need a dropper it would be helpful. For my wife, a dropper really helps, I would probably be fine without one but it sounds like a nice luxury. I am slightly worried about a post failing on the trail as well... trying to setup a 12-14 lbs trail weight (including food but excluding water) that will let riding feel a little more normal.

Also thinking for times I don’t feel like swapping posts for a quick overnight. More than anything, the ideal bag could be run with a dropper with an adaptor, or could be used on a rigid post.

do you need both at the same time? how RAD do you get bikepacking?

but other answer is not many will work, and often not at full "drop" too.

[simple]

CO trail on a gravel bike? That sucks the fun out of a lot of great singletrack...

[Tailwind]

I was reading the forum title as gravel or bikepacking. I

Not gravel bikepacking

CO trail on a gravel bike? That sucks the fun out of a lot of great singletrack...

[Conundrum]

Salsa Fargo vs Trek Stache

Purpose: some gravel, some bikepack, really looking for a Swiss Army bike.

Have not ridden a Stache. Picked up a Fargo (the one with 3.0 tires) on a wim when my LBS buddy was trying to unload the last one cheap.

I don't bike pack but I do have good gravel climbs out of the house. My other bike is a Spartan. The Fargo makes me giggle. It's super fun. I ride trails on it when I'm not looking to go fast downhill, around town to the bars, gravel roads, whatever. It's just fun. All my buddies have tried it and really liked it. The geo is fairly upright and comfortable and the bigger tires soften the ride and the traction is great.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Arrival. The moto/UK brake setup is interesting. Kind of an ordeal to switch it. Wondering if I can swap the hoses without needing to do a bleed. Probably not. Got me an amazon special frame bag too.

[Conundrum]

As a follow up on the Fargo, I do a little 12 mile loop from the house and this bike is perfect for it...just got done with one. About 4 miles of pavement, a mile of gravel, 4 miles of up and down easy single track, and 3 miles of gravel back to the house. I can skip the pavement and go dirt but the pavement adds a bit of climbing just for some exercise. I usually stop where this pic is taken and have a beer because there are no bars for happy hour right now, then a nice easy descent down to my house at the edge of town.

That about sums up the Fargo. It did nothing on that ride well and I didn't go fast but I was comfortable and had a good time. I ran into a friend on a Following and on the easy single track descents, I didn't give up much. He would of crushed me on rocky stuff but this ain't the bike for that.

[alfajores]

So I know I will wind up doing some serious "underbiking" on the Trig. Aka taking it on trails I should probably have a much more capable bike on while trying to connect fire roads, etc.

Is there any reason I can't run an MTB fork if the wheels size and axle matches my gravel wheels? As long as the axle to crown is the same? I know it will theoretically mess up the geometry of the bike and I haven't gone as far as asking Ragley if this is OK yet. Quick internet search yielded no results. Not a whole lot of people actually riding this bike yet or at least posting reviews/builds so far.

If I were to run a suspension fork it would be setup really firm anyway so as not to have alot of sag. Just to save on the biggest hits.

I know I am thinking too far ahead, but that's what I always do.

Go with a lauf fork. They can be had used for $450 and will work for all but brazeon attachement. Super big in the fat tire scene with the carbonara, but you could get 60mm of perfectly linear progression, low maintenance, and still ride stiffer on the occasional pavement.

[idahospud]

The dark brown tape/saddle look great. If I see you out, I'll say hey.

As a follow up on the Fargo, I do a little 12 mile loop from the house and this bike is perfect for it...just got done with one. About 4 miles of pavement, a mile of gravel, 4 miles of up and down easy single track, and 3 miles of gravel back to the house. I can skip the pavement and go dirt but the pavement adds a bit of climbing just for some exercise. I usually stop where this pic is taken and have a beer because there are no bars for happy hour right now, then a nice easy descent down to my house at the edge of town.

That about sums up the Fargo. It did nothing on that ride well and I didn't go fast but I was comfortable and had a good time. I ran into a friend on a Following and on the easy single track descents, I didn't give up much. He would of crushed me on rocky stuff but this ain't the bike for that.

Is that 3 Bears somewhere between the bottom of Freestone and start of Shane's? Picture won't quote because, well, it's TGR.

[Conundrum]

Yep. I live down by Military.

[idahospud]

Nice. When I was in Boise, I lived right on the edge of the VA. If we're able to make our way back there, it'd be tough to live anywhere else.

[Conundrum]

Agreed. Been in the neighborhood about 22 years.

[Peruvian]

Arrival. The moto/UK brake setup is interesting. Kind of an ordeal to switch it. Wondering if I can swap the hoses without needing to do a bleed. Probably not. Got me an amazon special frame bag too.

Initial thoughts on that cheap framebag? A longer term review would be cool, too.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Initial thoughts on that cheap framebag? A longer term review would be cool, too.

Hopefully gonna do the first ride with it today. Weather/work been getting in the way. I saw someone on a tour divide rig post was running these moosetreks bags. Figured they were worth a try for cheap price. Seems lightweight and maybe not very burly, but tougher than I expected for the price. Will update once I have ridden with it for a while.

Anyone have a line one a decent and price friendly bar bag/bed roll/compression sack system? Titan straps and call it good?

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Welp, my gravel bike fucking rules. I took the extra time today and swapped the hoses on the brakes so they weren't moto which involved all kinds of fuckery and tiny screws and having to fully bleed both brakes again and then retape the bars etc.

Then I got rid of those damn tubes and put in some matchy blue anodized tubeless valves and some goop.

Just a magical fucking ride. At first the steel felt weird, but after just a little while I really started to like it. Just a pleasant damn ride. Bike feels nimble and capable. So good to just ride and not have to worry about every damn pebble larger than a marble. Lots of pavement, fresh gravel, hardpack, etc on a fairly mellow 28 mile loop. Stock saddle was the worst, but it's definitely getting replaced with the one from my road bike. I can see how a Lauf fork would be really sweet too.

I saw a ton of birds, a gorgeous pheasant, a golden eagle. sandhill cranes, a million ducks, etc. Also a fucking killer full rainbow. Glorious.

[Peruvian]

I saw a ton of birds, a gorgeous pheasant, a golden eagle. sandhill cranes, a million ducks, etc. Also a fucking killer full rainbow. Glorious.

This.

This right here.