Gravel/Bikepack nerds enter...

[Peruvian]

Didn't know where else to post this. Holy shit. ::::throws bikes in dumpster:::::

https://www.strava.com/activities/3642227868

Was this a fundraiser?

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Was this a fundraiser?

https://gf.me/u/x9f2pg

[huckbucket]

Dude didn't sleep for almost 3 days?

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Dude didn't sleep for almost 3 days?

Pretty nuts. 60 hours moving and 72 hours total time. Maybe a nap in there at some point?

Sofiane did one of the Trans Somewhere in Europe races last year in 87 hours with 2 hours of sleep. He was coherent at the end. Guy is a fucking alien.

[east or bust]

So by my paper napkin math he rode up a 540' hill 186 times.... word

[simple]

Good roads

[turbomike15]

First bikepacking Trip on the Kokopelli trail this weekend. Kinda got my ass kicked. We didn’t stash any water... so carrying up to 7 liters of water at a time was harder than anticipated. Day 1 we got caught in some bad thunder storms out on the plains that turned everything to mud and made for a 12 hour day on the bike (instead of a hopeful 7 hour day). Day 2 featured 8000 feet of climbing and on tired legs and wet shoes. Broke a Shimano XT pedal in the descent toward rose hill, which was the biggest accomplishment of the trip. Day 3 easy pedal and cruise down sand flats for an early finish.

I need to figure out how work on this bikepacking fitness... ifs just different than normal bike rides. A long day on the bike is one thing, waking up again after sleeping in a tent than doing it again... not sure how to train for that.

A very similar expierence on the kokopellie put me in the ER a few years ago in May. Got a nice case of heat stroke at a dry camp on day 3. An evening of vomiting made me decide to pull the plug. Good on you for toughing it out. I think bikepacking might always be hard? I've started doing more weekend trips to try and normalize the fully loaded bike feel. who knows

[huckbucket]

[Tailwind]

Yikes.

I could totally see how this would happen.

Desert Travel is really mentally taxing for me. I’m always assessing risk and water / heat exposure are the real deal. “If I bonk and can’t make the next camp do I have enough water to rally and get there tomorrow”.

I’m getting ready for the Colorado Trail which is physically harder but on terrain I’m much more comfortable with.

Some review : Revelate Pronghorn Handlebar Bag is awesome. Revelate Vole seatbag - works really well with a dropper.

A very similar expierence on the kokopellie put me in the ER a few years ago in May. Got a nice case of heat stroke at a dry camp on day 3. An evening of vomiting made me decide to pull the plug. Good on you for toughing it out. I think bikepacking might always be hard? I've started doing more weekend trips to try and normalize the fully loaded bike feel. who knows

[Tailwind]

Any favorite bikepacking tents (yeah tent not tarp or bivy).

Current lead contender is the Tarptent Double Rainbow, maybe the Li.

I have a hilleberg for most backpacking but I’m looking to shave some weight and volume for bike trips. Current setup with stakes is around 70oz.

Hopefully : bugproof, 2 person, around 2lbs + a little, packs small, solid construction (no Big Agnes) and can fit someone 6’3”.

[east or bust]

Any favorite bikepacking tents (yeah tent not tarp or bivy).

Current lead contender is the Tarptent Double Rainbow, maybe the Li.

I have a hilleberg for most backpacking but I’m looking to shave some weight and volume for bike trips. Current setup with stakes is around 70oz.

Hopefully : bugproof, 2 person, around 2lbs + a little, packs small, solid construction (no Big Agnes) and can fit someone 6’3”.

Just curious why no BA?

The Tigerwall UL2 seems like it checks all of your boxes. Only thing I’d be skeptical about is the packability. I haven’t owned a ton of tents in this category so have nothing to compare to in that regard. The poles seem pretty damn strong to me.

[climberevan]

As a data point, I've had a BA Fly Creek UL1 for many years and possibly hundreds of nights out and it keeps on keeping on. When I bought it the absurdly light fabric and mesh seemed fragile but it's really surpassed expectations. BA tents are really popular for a reason.

My GF has a Nemo Hornet that has also been more durable than its gossamer fabric would seem to suggest, and we use it when we do trips together. It's barely large enough for us, and we're average height.

I've tried several of the more tarp-like options and have finally decided that I can't be bothered with the more fiddly setup and large number of stakes. Single wall non breathable fabrics also don't work for me because I'm not disciplined enough to manage the condensation, and don't want to be limited in where I set up my camp, so my bag just ends up wet. So I'll just keep using the ol' trusty Fly Creek.

Oh, and I've owned 2 Hillebergs as well. They are amazing, but overkill for me at this point in my life. I check the weather forecast and just postpone a trip if a hurricane is scheduled.

[Peruvian]

Gravel ribbon

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

So are Gravelking 700c always a pain to setup tubeless? Guess it depends on the wheel. Gonna have to try leaving tubes in them overnight kinda thing.

[Tailwind]

I worked at a shop for a little and just saw a lot of BA tents have strange things fail. I understand some people love them and swear by them but the zippers seem like they fail rapidly and other little issues. I have the same issue with Yeti bikes, I know they're fine for a lot of people... but I just saw so many broken seat stays that I'm not overly interested in owning one. Probably a bit of bias, I know they're fine for a lot of folks and are actually nice products. Similar issues with a few other brands, I mainly mentioned BA because I figured that would be the first recommendation.

The Tiger Wall does look nice. The Tarp Tents I referenced are a bit more interior space and have a good reputation for durability. That being said, I've never used them. The Double Rainbow Li is $100 more than the Tigerwall but weighs a stated 8 ounces less and I trust the weights on the Tarptent more than the BA. The cheaper standard double rainbow is $250 cheaper than the tigerwall, more space, more durable fabric, and weighs about 6 ounces more (maybe less as the BA might add a few ounces).

Just curious why no BA?

The Tigerwall UL2 seems like it checks all of your boxes. Only thing I’d be skeptical about is the packability. I haven’t owned a ton of tents in this category so have nothing to compare to in that regard. The poles seem pretty damn strong to me.

[springsproject]

Any favorite bikepacking tents (yeah tent not tarp or bivy).

We have the Z Packs Duplex with the carbon poles. It's expensive but it packs down so small and is really spacious. I usually pack it the seatbag and attach the poles to the handlebar roll.

[huckbucket]

Tubeless tire install without a compressor. I'm a tubeless newbie and this vid helped. Worked the first time I tried it.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Tubeless tire install without a compressor. I'm a tubeless newbie and this vid helped. Worked the first time I tried it.

Nice. I have mounted dozens of tubeless tires and never tried the "pre-setting the bead" trick. May have to do that and possibly re-tape the rims or something. IDK.

New wheels and tires look nice though and will roll fast.

[rometheworld]

Anyone in Bozeman area looking to team up for a bike packing trip later in summer? Or just ride dirt? Moved from Denver in December so looking for folks to ride with.

[jamal]

Decent ride yesterday. Actually wanted to road ride but was put off by the forecast of high winds and t-storms and stuck a little closer to town.

Up Jumbo saddle



Down Marshall canyon



Up deer creek



Down to miller



ice cream stop



52mi, 4400ft. not bad for "yeah i guess i'll get out for a quick ride"

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Which rear derailleur to pair with a apex shifter which has a 46t capacity? Instead of going smaller on the front chainring I would like to keep the 40t and try to gain more in the back from the 11-42t and go up to 46t.

[jamal]

You have an apex long cage RD on there already? Technically outside the capacity but I'd probably try it first.

[sethschmautz]

Can anybody weigh in on Gravel bike geo? I'm looking at replacing a road bike (Scott CR1 from 2011) with a gravel bike. My use case is that I'll probably ride a combo of gravel and road - eventually buying a second wheelset for road riding.

There are a lot of ads on Pinkbike and elsewhere for "CX/Gravel bikes" which I'm assuming simply means that they are CX bikes with CX geometry but you can ride them on gravel if you'd like. What are some base numbers for HA and SA that I should be looking for? Any other numbers I should keep my eyes on? Is a CX bike a reasonable option for a starter gravel bike? Seems like those are more abundant.

Seth

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

You have an apex long cage RD on there already? Technically outside the capacity but I'd probably try it first.

Yeah I have apex long cage which is claimed at 42t capacity.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Can anybody weigh in on Gravel bike geo? I'm looking at replacing a road bike (Scott CR1 from 2011) with a gravel bike. My use case is that I'll probably ride a combo of gravel and road - eventually buying a second wheelset for road riding.

There are a lot of ads on Pinkbike and elsewhere for "CX/Gravel bikes" which I'm assuming simply means that they are CX bikes with CX geometry but you can ride them on gravel if you'd like. What are some base numbers for HA and SA that I should be looking for? Any other numbers I should keep my eyes on? Is a CX bike a reasonable option for a starter gravel bike? Seems like those are more abundant.

Seth

“Gravel bike” is such a stupid term. It’s like someone thinks they discovered a new type of bike/biking. I think a head angle between 69 and 71, seat tube angle 71-73 longer chain stays and a lower bottom bracket. Lots of older mtbs, sport touring and loaded touring bikes are built like this.


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