Anybody riding gravel?

CD155MX

Squirrel!!!
Location
Alta Loma, CA
You still got the tassels?

@Aquaholic
iu
 
Sold my bike this morning. Hoping my new one is here next week like they said last week it would be otherwise I am gonna be going crazy wanting to ride.
 
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Pulled my bike into the kitchen when I got home tonight and strioped off chain, degreased and went straight into a beaker of wax and teflon powder I had warmed up on the stove. Also included a pic of the steering stem, which houses the brake master cylinders for the front and rear brakes. Definitely a different way of doing things.
 
I have a Revolt 1..... Been riding more road here lately, Picked up a 2nd set of wheels with slicks.
So not getting off road much though the bike has handled pretty much whatever I have thrown at it. Ended up ordering a set of Ican 35mm deep carbon wheels and some continental 5000 tubeless tires in 25c to help increase my speed on road. I am waiting on second cassette and rotors to show up so I can finish these new wheels up and see what the weight difference and speed difference is.
 
So not getting off road much though the bike has handled pretty much whatever I have thrown at it. Ended up ordering a set of Ican 35mm deep carbon wheels and some continental 5000 tubeless tires in 25c to help increase my speed on road. I am waiting on second cassette and rotors to show up so I can finish these new wheels up and see what the weight difference and speed difference is.

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I tried the same thing. If you are solo on the road you will be fine. But if you ride in a group “road” you will get dropped. After all kinds of swaps I ended up grabbing an entry level road bike. I still got dropped on longer rides 50+ miles.


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Big Kahuna

Administrator
Location
Tuscaloosa, AL
So not getting off road much though the bike has handled pretty much whatever I have thrown at it. Ended up ordering a set of Ican 35mm deep carbon wheels and some continental 5000 tubeless tires in 25c to help increase my speed on road. I am waiting on second cassette and rotors to show up so I can finish these new wheels up and see what the weight difference and speed difference is.
I went with 30mm WTB Sticks on another set of OEM Wheels. Like the extra cush, and many road bikes are now coming with 30-32mm tires!
 
I’m so good with the CUSH! I built a Cujo up just to test those 3” rubbers. My next build will be a full suspension 29+. Going to let the SS take a long rest


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I have done one group ride with this bike and held my own pretty good. I dominated the other riders on hills with the gravel gearing. Im not riding over 50 miles at a time at this point, and most all my rides are 30-36 miles. Most of the local group rides are the same mileage, and should be easier in a group due to me not having to cut the wind myself. Either way I will have a set of wheels for the trails and a set for the road so I am excited. I wasnt able to get the tires mounted, so I dropped them off at the local bike shop to get it handled. Hopefully ready to go tomorrow and I can do a group ride tomorrow night.
 
So I finally managed to get these wheels finished up. Bike shop said there was no way they could mount my gp5000 tubeless tires on the rims, and charged me 45 dollars for retaping my rims and tried to sell me clinchers for another 120 bucks. So I ordered a bead jack on amazon for 13 dollars and with a zip tie, soapy water and the bead jack I made the bike shop look like the tool bags they are. Of course my rotors were external lockrings instead of internal so I had to order another tool, which luckily fits newer bottom brackets too. So once it was all setup, tires beaded and sealant added to rims, I saved 3.5 lbs of wheel/tire. Took them around my loop I do for quickies and almost died I was so short of breath. But I think they hold real promise for when my respiratory system isnt compromised. Total cost for this upgrade was just under 800 dollars. 40 of that was tools, 45 labor to the guys who cant mount tires, and 14 for the tape job I did so bad at cause I got tape that was too wide. So this can be done cheaper but I also got a smokin deal on the tires @ 50 for a pair versus 79 each online. They feel good and the rear hub is super quiet, which I prefer to the super loud ratchets in some hubs. 20200815_110806.jpgScreenshot_20200813-155012_Amazon Shopping.jpg
 
After the first 100 miles and a crash in some gravel on my first real ride, I am pretty stokes about these wheels. Silent rear hub, and so much less energy used to go fast. Nailed down a 19.6 mpg avg on a 37.5 mile group ride last night. Couldnt have done that on my gravel tires.
 
Yeah. I already felt like an idiot for having to take them in. I do all my own work on everything and hated to have someone else do it because I didnt have the right tools. i thought since this was my first time dealing with a tubeless tire that maybe my technique was bad. Turned out it wasn't me so that made me happy.
 

Big Kahuna

Administrator
Location
Tuscaloosa, AL
Never seen that tool you bought before. Just have always used regular tire levers. Now I have had Bontrager tires on Bontrager wheels that were tight (MTB), but not impossible............
 
Had never heard of it either. Appatently tire levers and carbon is a no no? At least thats what I was told. And I was freaked out prying on them so this tool worked out really good.
 
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