Gravel/Bikepack nerds enter...

[evdog]

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

Cheapest option is to buy a compression sack and a couple straps and strap that sucker to your bars. I used that setup for quite a while.

[jamal]

Went way up the ninemile yesterday, had a lollipop route in mind but ran into snow. Saw a moose up there near where I turned around, luckily it was scared too and ran away. Then took a little detour on the way back and found a bit of trail. New tubeless wheelset is here, going to get those on tomorrow and possibly try them out although I was thinking about just a road ride. Didn't buy new tires and probably should but would like to put that off for awhile because I need mtb tires too, and to do some other maintenance.

[mntlion]

this is what I love about gravel bikes. Suck everywhere, but can go anywhere.

[ticketchecker]

Cheapest option is to buy a compression sack and a couple straps and strap that sucker to your bars. I used that setup for quite a while.

This^^

I have a couple revelate pieces and supplement them with dry bags and compression straps. Big fan of the salsa everything cages, one on each fork leg.

[Peruvian]

This^^

I have a couple revelate pieces and supplement them with dry bags and compression straps. Big fan of the salsa everything cages, one on each fork leg.

Thoughts on plastic vs metal anything cages, salsa vs blackburn vs any other brand?

[ticketchecker]

Right, anything, not everything forgot the actual name. Stoopid pandemic

I've only used the plastic anythings so no comparo's to offer. Buddy of mine who does quite a bit of solo bikepacking around Maine uses them too, he's got the Salsa anything bags too which I'm envious of when we go on a trip and I'm squeezing my dry bags into the cages.

Jetboil fits into the anything bag/cage combo pretty slick like too and jetboil is a mini pantry.

Seat bag, frame bag, handlebar roll, tank and cages will keep you from having to carry much on your back. As a touring sea kayaker I've been packing in lots of small bags for years, bikepacking is another level of efficiency in packing. Still getting my kit dialed

[jamal]

Tubeless on this thing finally




Reasonably light, 350 hubs, 18mm internal width, which isn't huge but it makes that nano about 3mm bigger than it was on my old wheels. Rear tire was pretty worn (well, both were), and it was easiest to buy one new tire for the front and put the old front nano on the back. They fit and there was one on the shelf. And if I get a disc brake cx bike in the near future I can still use them on my road bike. If I don't it'll be nice to have a second wheelset I can race on, will probably get some file treads and then keep more aggressive/mud tires on the tubs.

Easy to setup. Just put them on, added sealant, and they're seated and holding air. Then went on a dumb ride where I went way the hell up a road and walked through snow for awhile, got to a saddle and realized I wasn't making it through, had to walk back down through the snow. If it hadn't been 7pm I might have tried to keep going. Maybe in another week.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Tubeless on this thing finally




Reasonably light, 350 hubs, 18mm internal width, which isn't huge but it makes that nano about 3mm bigger than it was on my old wheels. Rear tire was pretty worn (well, both were), and it was easiest to buy one new tire for the front and put the old front nano on the back. They fit and there was one on the shelf. And if I get a disc brake cx bike in the near future I can still use them on my road bike. If I don't it'll be nice to have a second wheelset I can race on, will probably get some file treads and then keep more aggressive/mud tires on the tubs.

Easy to setup. Just put them on, added sealant, and they're seated and holding air. Then went on a dumb ride where I went way the hell up a road and walked through snow for awhile, got to a saddle and realized I wasn't making it through, had to walk back down through the snow. If it hadn't been 7pm I might have tried to keep going. Maybe in another week.

Nice. How do you like the Nano tread? I am running the WTB Resolute 650x42 that came on my bike. I think they are great, but a little too spaced knobs in the center and some pretty good road hum on pavement. I can squeeze 2.1" tires on my bike. That's factory claimed numbers, so I am guessing even some 2.2" would actually fit. Gotta take into account mud buildup if I get caught in some gumbo.

I need a bigger tire of I am gonna try to bikepacking with singletrack sections. Any suggestions anyone? I would rather have better pavement rolling and worse on dirt vs. good on dirt and slow pavement riding if that makes sense. I like the look of the WTB Venture, but I wish it came in a wider size. Oh and I am one of those jerks now who likes skinwall tires. Looks rad and that's important!

[jamal]

They're fine. Decent off road grip, rolls pretty well and is quiet on pavement thanks to that pretty continuous centerline down the tread. Main complaint is the cornering bite isn't great, but I'm pretty used to flimsy, narrow, fast rolling tires for xc and cx so not a big issue.

I was planning to go with something different but couldn't decide what to order. I kind of like having a faster rear tire and grippier front on this and also the hardtail. The nano front, tracer rear was ok. Conti's new terra, with the speed rear, regular front, or staggering some combination of g-one all around, bite, ultrabite are ideas. Just need to be sure that the tires don't actually measure over 40mm.

[XXX-er]

havent looked at the previous 18 pages but i got a Salsa fargo sitting in the front room, its waiting for its new owner to PU so i took it for a spin around the hood, a bikepacking off road touring bike

1x on a bike with drop bars seems weird ?

with 29x2.2 tires the bike is pretty stable running over curbs and things which is as far as i could ride it

edit: I think I would have been more impressed by wider bars at the brake hoods not just flaring the ends out to 25" on the Salsa woodchipper bars

[springsproject]

I got a set of the pnw coast bars in 520mm. They're so wide, so right. Climbing out of the saddle is like using bar ends on a mtb. So much more control in the drops on chunky decsents too. They make the midges that I took off look so small.

The better half's gravel rig got some shiny bits too. I replaced the bar end 10 spd deore with 11 speed xt, still bar end shifting but a much bigger range now. She's also rocking new tubeless 44c wtb radlers and some wider bars.

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[Peruvian]

Hey, springs - did you have to redo all your brake lines and shifter cables to accommodate the wider bars?

[mntlion]

Hey, springs - did you have to redo all your brake lines and shifter cables to accommodate the wider bars?

odds are yes. you have new bars, so new tape, so while you can route the cables in easily, why not? I guess hydro lines are a bit pricy, but cable/housing is cheap

[springsproject]

As far as length goes? Nope. They worked, there was enough slack to fit the new width

[Peruvian]

As far as length goes? Nope. They worked, there was enough slack to fit the new width

Thanks.

[XXX-er]

so before this bike goes to its new owner I took my tape and measured, those flared bars are 25" at the ends but only 18" at the hoods which is the same spacing as my road bike

I almost never spend any time down on the drops so the wide part i am not gona use and those flared bars impress me less and less the more i think about it

something else to thing about if you are touring or bike pack or WTF I don't think those flared bars are going to be very stable for leaning up against something

[Fenris]

I've only used the plastic anythings so no comparo's to offer. Buddy of mine who does quite a bit of solo bikepacking around Maine uses them too, he's got the Salsa anything bags too which I'm envious of when we go on a trip and I'm squeezing my dry bags into the cages.

What have you found for good rides around Maine? I've been thinking of around Richardson, the Mahoosucs or Baxter, Scientific Forest, Woods and Waters.

Now I'm just waiting to be able to pick up my bike to actually get used to longer and multi-day rides.

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

I need a bigger tire of I am gonna try to bikepacking with singletrack sections. Any suggestions anyone? I would rather have better pavement rolling and worse on dirt vs. good on dirt and slow pavement riding if that makes sense. I like the look of the WTB Venture, but I wish it came in a wider size. Oh and I am one of those jerks now who likes skinwall tires. Looks rad and that's important!

I run these in a 700x38. It's a staple in the gravel world as a do all tire with solid pavement performance. I've raced them, done a few thousand miles of gravel roads, singletrack (Bozeman town trails + Triple Tree), and a lot of road rides. No complaints at all, in fact, I'm buying a pair of 43's to use on bigger gravel rides this summer.

[Toddball]

I need a bigger tire of I am gonna try to bikepacking with singletrack sections. Any suggestions anyone? I would rather have better pavement rolling and worse on dirt vs. good on dirt and slow pavement riding if that makes sense. I like the look of the WTB Venture, but I wish it came in a wider size. Oh and I am one of those jerks now who likes skinwall tires. Looks rad and that's important!

You want something wider than 50mm?

I have the Venture 700x50s and like them a lot. Don't feel too slow on pavement, but pretty comfortable on loose gravel and dirt. Braking traction on hero dirt singletrack is much worse than just about any properly knobby tire, but you could guess that from the tread pattern. I have about 2000 miles on my pair, and will probably buy another set when these wear out.

If you want even better pavement performance, the WTB Byways have smooth center tread, and are available in 47mm width.

[Peruvian]

I just loaded a set of 700x44 Byways on my Sutra LTD and got out for the first ride tonight. The were difficult to get the bead set but seem to be holding air just fine now.

Tonight was only 15 miles but on tarmac, gravel, jeep track and mt bike trails. Color me impressed.

They are light and supple. They roll very quickly on pavement and on the sandy single track they hooked up and I never totally spun out.

I would not want them when it gets wet or greasy as I doubt they would grip well enough in such conditions.

I was running them at 40 psi this afternoon so maybe at lower pressure they would be even better off road.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

I run these in a 700x38. It's a staple in the gravel world as a do all tire with solid pavement performance. I've raced them, done a few thousand miles of gravel roads, singletrack (Bozeman town trails + Triple Tree), and a lot of road rides. No complaints at all, in fact, I'm buying a pair of 43's to use on bigger gravel rides this summer.

Funny, I almost pulled the trigger on those exact tires yesterday in 650x47. I'm running WTB Resolute in 650x42 right now. I aired them up higher tonight and did a 23 mile loop of town trails out towards triple tree. Super fun. With just a little more air they were great on pavement too.

You want something wider than 50mm?

I have the Venture 700x50s and like them a lot. Don't feel too slow on pavement, but pretty comfortable on loose gravel and dirt. Braking traction on hero dirt singletrack is much worse than just about any properly knobby tire, but you could guess that from the tread pattern. I have about 2000 miles on my pair, and will probably buy another set when these wear out.

If you want even better pavement performance, the WTB Byways have smooth center tread, and are available in 47mm width.

The WTB Venture was my second choice after the Gravelkings, but still wanted something big....and cheap. So I found $29 Schwalbe Thunder Burts online in 27.5x2.1. Will really turn this rig into a monster truck.

I think the ideal setup for this bike is 2 wheelsets. One 700c set with gravelkings or ventures with a high 30s low 40s width and then the 650b set with some smooth XC mtb tires like the Burts. Gonna slap those on this weekend and might really hate the pavement performance. We will see.

[Peruvian]

There are usually good deals on Gravelking SKs. Most reviews note how they seem to pick up little pebbles and throw them into the downtube, chipping the paint. The Venture tread looks like it would be even worse for this, but I don't have any experience and haven't read enough reviews.

My wife runs GK slicks and she likes them well enough but she doesn't really go off road.

[Dromond]

Does anyone run mismatched tires for gravel or mixed surfaces? i.e. 47mm Byway rear and Venture front? For when you want to roll fast but not eat it suddenly when you hit a damp section...

[bizarrefaith]

Just bought a Salsa Journeyman for gravely adventures and general riding. I definitely wanted flat bar so options were relatively limited. Journeyman had geometry I liked best and seemed overall best bet for a flat bar. Journeyman was well under what I budgeted so thinking about using the savings on some upgrades. Any wheelset recommendations?


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[El Chupacabra]

What's the difference between a flat bar gravel bike and a hybrid?