Watch out! Cyclist coming through

[ghostshaper]

Nice Ritchey GS!
i still have a fillet brazed hand welded by Tom, Ritchey frame around here someplace.

I have seen many 6/9er bikes, but yours may be the first 9/6er, what gives?
(run what ya brung, i had these parts laying around i'm guessing )

27.5 x 2.6 front and rear. Travel on the Reba is 120 mm but both fork and frame can run 29er, which is why it might look like a 26 up front.

 

[feralseppo]

In a way, bicycles are similar to surfboards. You can have one bike that does everything mostly ok or you can have many boards, each uniquely built for a set of conditions, and so forth.

To me a hybrid bike is a hardtail MTB crossed with a road bike with flat bars and plump tires.....sort of a commuter bike where you need the heads-up aspect to aid in survivability in traffic over the aerodynamic aspects of a road bike. Chuck on curly bars, and now it is gravel bike (but maybe the geometry isn't great for long hauls), though I am partially joking because I think more goes into it that just handlebars.

Anyway, I think the term 'gravel bike' is a marketing term when really, at least to me, it seems to harken back to the the day when road bikes weren't as focused on speed and aerodynamics like they seem to now. Having a bike that wins time trials on pavement on skinny tires is not conducive to multi-surface conditions or traffic where a little beefier frame, more relaxed geometry (better geometry?), and plumper tires makes for more utility. But we need words to describe things, so, gravel bike it is....though I do like the other marketing term "adventure bike" (in contrast to touring bike).

Recommendations? How much $ you got and how much are you really going to ride?

PS
Not a recommendation, but this small shop in Marin does a decent job at discussing his frames/philosophy. Road + and Monstercross.

Got your Black Mountain Monstercross right here.

 

[afoaf]

Got your Black Mountain Monstercross right here.
View attachment 98947

I'm goingoutside to buy some knobbies....

 

[$kully]

I'm goingoutside to buy some knobbies....

Get some gravelkings!

 

[manbearpig]

In a way, bicycles are similar to surfboards. You can have one bike that does everything mostly ok or you can have many boards, each uniquely built for a set of conditions, and so forth.

To me a hybrid bike is a hardtail MTB crossed with a road bike with flat bars and plump tires.....sort of a commuter bike where you need the heads-up aspect to aid in survivability in traffic over the aerodynamic aspects of a road bike. Chuck on curly bars, and now it is gravel bike (but maybe the geometry isn't great for long hauls), though I am partially joking because I think more goes into it that just handlebars.

Anyway, I think the term 'gravel bike' is a marketing term when really, at least to me, it seems to harken back to the the day when road bikes weren't as focused on speed and aerodynamics like they seem to now. Having a bike that wins time trials on pavement on skinny tires is not conducive to multi-surface conditions or traffic where a little beefier frame, more relaxed geometry (better geometry?), and plumper tires makes for more utility. But we need words to describe things, so, gravel bike it is....though I do like the other marketing term "adventure bike" (in contrast to touring bike).

Recommendations? How much $ you got and how much are you really going to ride?

PS
Not a recommendation, but this small shop in Marin does a decent job at discussing his frames/philosophy. Road + and Monstercross.

Sorry for late response. As far as $$ definitely can’t break the bank. Any good used outlets?

 

[afoaf]

Get some gravelkings!

you ready to do some miles, sally?

 

[Mr Doof]

Sorry for late response. As far as $$ definitely can’t break the bank. Any good used outlets?

I don't know of any "used outlets" other than Pink Bike, Craigslist and Ebay.

There certainly must be a used bike buying philosophy, but I've never seen one written down (and I haven't looked for such a thing). Maybe developing your own might help get you want/need for less $$, though sometimes more $$ = less headache.

Here would be my starting thoughts on such a used bike buying philosophy:

1 get up to speed with some bike terminology, knowledge is power!

2 try/inspect before you buy (new or used)

3 know your components/parts (aka 'do some homework')

4 frames are more important than "parts"

5 Are you handy, do you have some tools, do you like to tinker, stuff wears out and needs replacing and small jobs you do can save you labor costs.

6 Great wheels and tires can make up for lesser parts and can bring to life less state of the art frames

7 Everyone likes having the best, but doing more with less can be totally satisfying, so don't cater to snobbery (your own and others)

8 Don't buy cheap just for the sake of low price...poor can't afford to be cheap/wasteful and cheap crap is wasteful and a pain to deal with

9 big brands exist for a reason and therefore can offer a degree of "certainty of quality" but at the same time, I sometimes curse their proprietary parts/fittings

10 know yourself (no lying to yourself) and your purpose for the purchase

 

[griffinsurfboard]

Miles on non traiils are BORING !!!

 

[$kully]

I don't know of any "used outlets" other than Pink Bike, Craigslist and Ebay.

There certainly must be a used bike buying philosophy, but I've never seen one written down (and I haven't looked for such a thing. Maybe developing your own might help get you want/need for less $$, though sometimes more $$ = less headache.

Here would be my starting thoughts on such a used bike buying philosophy:

1 get up to speed with some bike terminology, knowledge is power!

2 try/inspector before you buy (new or used)

3 know your components/parts (aka 'do some homework')

4 frames are more important than "parts"

5 Are you handy, do you have some tools, do you like to tinker, stuff wears out and needs replacing and small jobs you do can save you labor costs.

6 Great wheels and tires can make up for lesser parts and can bring to life less state of the art frames

7 Everyone likes having the best, but doing more with less can be totally satisfying, so don't cater to snobbery (your own and others)

8 Don't buy cheap just for the sake of low price...poor can't afford to be cheap/wasteful and cheap crap is wasteful and a pain to deal with

9 big brands exist for a reason and therefore can offer a degree of "certainty of quality" but at the same time, I sometimes curse their proprietary parts/fittings

10 know yourself (no lying to yourself) and your purpose for the purchase

Sound advice.

 

[plasticbertrand]

Got your Black Mountain Monstercross right here.

http://instagr.am/p/CC5pBUFFYHC/

 

[afoaf]

http://instagr.am/p/CC5pBUFFYHC/

I love how he's wearing Bedrocks

bike/backpacking scene is peak nerdery

 

[plasticbertrand]

I love how he's wearing Bedrocks

bike/backpacking scene is peak nerdery

Ultraromance is the peak.

http://instagr.am/p/BEhiaS4J498/

 

[$kully]

you ready to do some miles, sally?

Whats your weekend looking like? I have a lot of posting to do.

 

[afoaf]

OH ME GLOB

 

[afoaf]

seriously though...I started looking at bike stuff to translate the backpacking
stuff over to long distance thru-biking.

have you seen http://www.reddit.com/r/MYOG

holy sh!t....next level!

I need a sewing machine...I could make my own frame bags and panniers

 

[rice]

I love how he's wearing Bedrocks

http://instagr.am/p/B0FNKM5HSW_/

 

[afoaf]

I just got a pair and have been doing some hiking

I also got these!



next up: VEGANISM

 

[plasticbertrand]

http://instagr.am/p/B0FNKM5HSW_/

Carbon soles?

Kyle is great.

 

[$kully]

http://instagr.am/p/B0FNKM5HSW_/

That’s like trunking it at Mavericks.

 

[afoaf]

don't judge me, rice