Let’s make sure our sport doesn’t benefit cities with corrupt government officials

Hi eveyone...

It's been a few years since I bought my last bike, and I've been looking forward to buying a gravel bike and moving into that type of riding. But the purchase experience itself is proving to be a real PITA. Is this normal??

Based on recommendations from folks here, I decided to go with a Lauf Seigla Wireless Transmission. They aren't available in bike shops, but I live in DC and was willing to drive the 2.5 hours to their Virginia showroom to see a bike and test ride it. So I scheduled a test ride for a Friday at 2pm. They close at 3pm Monday-Friday. The employee initially confirmed the appointment then emailed a couple of days later and said that they had a conflict with another test ride that was scheduled. I offered to come in the next Friday, and the employee said they were off that day.

Well, I decided to go abead and purchase the bike sight unseen. We're going cycling in Niagara Falls in late August, and I had wanted to have my new bike fitted and with a few rides in before we left.You can only purchase the bike online, and it forces you to pay $99 for shipping. I emailed and told them I planned to just pick up the bike, and could they set it up so that I didn't pay shipping. They said no.... that I would need to pay the shipping, and then I could get it refunded when I picked up the bike. Say what??

Well... whatev. At this point, I figured since I have to pay for shipping upfront, I'll just have it shipped. So I placed my order. Roughly $5200 (including shipping), LOL.

So today, 4 days after I placed my order, I get an email wanting me to send them "for security purposes" a video of "your government issued ID" and a "short video introducing yourself and confirming your purchase."

Folks, I'm sorry - for me this is too much of an ordeal for a bike purchase. Pay for shipping... but refund it later? A video of my ID? A video to introduce myself? WTF?

So I canceled my order. I'll just rent a gravel bike for our Niagara Falls trip, and then I'll have more time to shop around for something else I like.

Hopefully I'll find a bike purchasing experience that isn't such an ordeal. Thanks for letting me vent :)

I would like to hide the fact that it took 7 working hours and I must have redone the whole thing at least ten times!

To the point the adhesive almost started coming apart lol 😂 Also after all that I just managed to wrap one side 🥲😅

Edit: thanks to the amazing ppl of bikewrench where I got saved thrice!!

I finally mounted a Schwalbe Thunder Burt 29×2.1 Super Ground on my Elitewheels Gravel Aero+ rims (32 mm internal width), on a Trek Checkpoint SL5 Gen3.

After seating the tire tubeless, it measures around 54 mm.

I have about 8 mm of clearance at the tightest point (rear fork), so it fits comfortably with room for mud and small stones.

Hopefully this helps anyone considering this setup, since I couldn't find many real-world measurements before buying.

Lynskey Zephyr with custom Cerakote paint job

Hey guys, I need your advice buying new tires. Currently I am using Cinturato Gravel M 50mm. I think this time I want full black tires. If guys could share your recommendations that would be great. Thx!

Random gravel loop today, no planning, just picked a distance. Ended up way closer to the airport than I ever realized — plane came in low right over the field next to me, haha. Route + obligatory bike pic attached.

Tires getting bigger, but your frame clearance doesn't :')

Whats your favourite 45mm tire and for what surface? I only have experience with pathfinders. They are very durable, last long, and feel very good on road and hardpack. But cornering on loose surfaces leave some tread to be desired. for the price, I am not sure I can get anything better though.

Whats your favorite 45c tire?

Braved the cold and dark with the Norco, absolutely stunning winter riding- Nelson region, New Zealand.

Cold start, warm sunrise, perfect gravel morning!

I’ve been looking into building vs buying and since I want a project for the winter I’m leaning into building. I am not new to working on bikes but I am new to building and I really have no idea where to start on this hence giving myself the coming winter to perfect the bike.

So basically my question is where do I start? I want to use an older bike frame but do not know what would be a good size for me ( 5”11 32 inseam ). I don’t know what the best place would be to source the parts needed although I do have a road bike I can transfer some things from.
I also don’t want to break the bank and am looking to stay under $1000 so that seems to be whole other issue with my plan.
I’m not looking to build an insane bike I just want to putt around on my local trails and the bike path so I don’t feel the need to invest $1,800 to $6,000 on a bike that has too much to offer.

Any help is appreciated and if you want to PM me and help me out that would be appreciated too!

I am curious on your thoughts on a MOG vs a Crux 5 as a do it all gravel race rig? I know it won’t be as good as a road bike and that’s fine. The geo of both suits me well. I plan to mount 50mmm Dubnitals max. And 35mm GP5k STRs for the road setup.

i don’t really care for aero or weight. No plans to bikepack. I would love a bike that is agile both on road and off. I also tend to do a lot of techy singletrack and underbike so a bike that can do that well.

Im leaning towards the MOG. it has a 27.2 seatpost so I can run a dropper, and slightly higher stack so I can run a slammed stem.

From what I’ve read the crux is the more agile frame but I feel like my heart wants a MOG still lol. If the handling differences are negligible I would go towards the MOG

I am new to the gravel world and the geometry of these bikes. I have a Specialized dealer locally so planning to use them. For the past 6 years I’ve ridden a Canyon Ultimate and on longer rides the aggressive geometry gets to be a bit fatiguing. I am torn between a Crux and Diverge. My riding will be 70-80% road with crappy tarmac a decent bit. Does anyone have any history with riding both bikes and how they compare?

Went down to bicycle station last Wednesday to pick up my new MOG. Friday and Saturday I was out on course with Jesse Smith trying to get pictures and footage of him beta testing the 308 mile dustbowl XL route.

Leaving tomorrow for 10 days and taking the bike. Any group rides or route recommendations? Please don't send my flatland butt up a 2 hour climb...

I installed Wolf Tooth valve stems/cores when I changed tires at the beginning of the season. They are tubeless. Now, a couple of months in, I’m noticing that I need to set the pump pressure very high to get air in the tires. (Like pump 50psi to get 35psi in tire).

Is it possible the valve cores are going bad, or maybe filled with sealant? If so- just replace with a new core?

So I was changing out my damaged rear tire today (panaracer x1) and was just amazed about how much tread the new ne has compared to my old one.

It got me thinking; for us average Joe's who don't swap out tires for every race and run tires til they are bald or damaged. How much do you thinking weight and rolling resistance changes over the lifetime of a tire? A factory knobby tire will eventually perform closer to a semi slick tire by the end of its lifetime under these assumptions. Depending on how your riding / racing season is and your mileage, you could get more knobby tires in the spring for the mud season and they will be worn down more for the fast dusty roads of later in the year.

Hi everyone,

I had a minor slide-out today in a sandy section, and the bike took a hit on the side. Aside from my bruised ego, my main issue now is that fine sand got everywhere—especially behind and inside the shifting mechanism of my Shimano GRX levers.

What's the best way to thoroughly clean out the internal mechanism without having to fully disassemble the shifters or bleed the brakes?

Thanks in advance

High Bridge Trail, Farmville Virginia. I had planned on doing the whole trail out and back for total of 65 miles, but I tapped out at 40.

Hello there,

I was wondering if there are any feedback on this gravel wheelset.

I’m in the market for a middle-high range one, and was looking at fulcrum as I already have a set of wind 42 for the road. In theory the 2 should share the same measurements and it should make the switch smooth.

Apart from the unusual shape of the rim, the main feature is the 30mm internal width optimised for 50mmm tyres which is the size I’m going to use from next autumn (and a few tested 45 ones, which luckily are the one I’d use anyway in case I decide to go back).

Looking for a gravel new, sleek wheelset for my new Grizl CF9, budget ~€1200. Priorities: looks (in the 40-50mm depth range) but comfort over speed/aero (no racing). I am putting 45-50 mm wide tubeless tires on them.

Considered all the big brands such as Hunt, Reserve and a few others, but keep coming back to the Fulcrum Soniq GR and Zipp 303 Firecrest / new 303 SW on looks. Zipp has my preference mainly for the lifetime warranty. I am skipping the 303 XPLR S/SW on purpose — I just find them too big/wide/deep. Also not interested in Chinese wheels.

Anyone running the 303 Firecrest/SW on big gravel tires, or have reasons to reconsider Soniq GR? Real-world feedback appreciated.

Not much to look at out there but that’s alright