Quiver killer? Tired of swapping wheelsets.

[radsmd]

Lured into the idea of a “quiver killer”, a bike that can potentially do it all with something as simple as swapping out a wheelset.

The bikes:

Parlee Chebacco - great bike. Fine on the road and off. Ended selling it to a buddy after finding the following:
Firefly - gravel bike that can fit 650 x 50

Wheelsets:

Enve M60 650b with WTB resolute
Enve G23 with Terevail cannonballs
Enve 3.4 AR with 32mm gravelking slicks
LightBicycle Carbon 700c with Compass/RH Barlow Pass 38mm slicks

This should yield the perfect “quiver killer”, but I’ve decided that although the FF can be set up for anything, be it a road ride, gravel, or off road single track, it is not great at any one of these (except maybe gravel).

The allure of a single bike being enough for everything one wants to ride is a pipe dream. The bike almost never has the correct wheelset of the type or ride I feel like doing. Swapping out wheelsets usually necessitates adjusting the disc brakes, maybe topping off the sealant.

SOLUTION:

N+1!!!

- FF with the 650b wheels, resolute tires. May toss in some thunder burts for fun. Great for gravel, mixed surface rides.

- Moots RSL rim brake with Enve 3.4 tubbies for road.

- Moots Mooto X RSL with 2.35 Rekon race tires on DT Swiss XMC1200 wheels for off road/singletrack.

Essentially a perfect “quiver”.

Cliff notes: tried finding that one bike that will replace multiple and only found compromise. Much rather have the right tool for the right job. And it is more fun with more bikes.

Only thing I may want to try is an “all road”, road geometry that fits wider tires. Eg SL7 Tarmac? Breadwinner Lolo disc? FF or 22 something or other?

Thoughts?

[Hilltopperny]

I hear ya! I have my Drifter which can do it all, but it isn’t an all out race bike. It can do light single track and such, but a mountain bike does it better. It does ride gravel/dirt and rough rounds great though. It does ride good on the road and over single track, but there are sections that you would definitely be under biking. It is still my favorite bike!

I also have a Chebacco and it can pretty much do the same type of riding with a little less rear clearance, but a little lighter. It is an excellent bicycle, but a pure road bike is still better for strictly road rides. A mountain bike is still better over more technical trails. Still an absolutely killer bike though!

Since I have been riding a lot more off road these two bikes work for me and are just different enough to keep things interesting.

I did just build up a Battaglin to ride on the road when I feel like it. I have not had it out much yet, but it will do for now and the Winters up here give me plenty of opportunity to ride my carbon fat bike.

I am currently running both of my gravel bikes 650b, but have a set of 700c for the Parlee if I want to switch things up and am building up a set of 700c carbon wheels with Dt 240s hubs once the rims arrive.


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[radsmd]

I hear ya! I have my Drifter which can do it all, but it isn’t an all out race bike. It can do light single track and such, but a mountain bike does it better. It does ride gravel/dirt and rough rounds great though. It does ride good on the road and over single track, but there are sections that you would definitely be under biking. It is still my favorite bike!

I also have a Chebacco and it can pretty much do the same type of riding with a little less rear clearance, but a little lighter. It is an excellent bicycle, but a pure road bike is still better for strictly road rides. A mountain bike is still better over more technical trails. Still an absolutely killer bike though!

Since I have been riding a lot more off road these two bikes work for me and are just different enough to keep things interesting.

I did just build up a Battaglin to ride on the road when I feel like it. I have not had it out much yet, but it will do for now and the Winters up here give me plenty of opportunity to ride my carbon fat bike.

I am currently running both of my gravel bikes 650b, but have a set of 700c for the Parlee if I want to switch things up and am building up a set of 700c carbon wheels with Dt 240s hubs once the rims arrive.


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If I had to only have 1 bike, the Chebacco would probably be the one. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I can have more than one.

[dbnm]

I got really tired of riding my Moots Vamoots RSL which can only run 25c tires so I bought an Alchemy Chiron all-road bike.

I run Enve 3.4AR wheels with 38mm Gravel King SS+ tires and I am having a blast.

I bounce between the roads, the bike path, the gravel paths. The only thing I change is the air pressure.

[Hilltopperny]

If I had to only have 1 bike, the Chebacco would probably be the one. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I can have more than one.


It is a great bike! I had one of the originals years ago and liked so much that when I saw a good deal on a new one I pulled the trigger. I like variety too much to just have one bike right now!


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[Miller76]

I have a Breadwinner Lolo disc and I don’t think it fits “wider”’tires... https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200920/74019f14f3971ef60744a9bdd77900c2.jpg


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[Hilltopperny]

I got really tired of riding my Moots Vamoots RSL which can only run 25c tires so I bought an Alchemy Chiron all-road bike.

I run Enve 3.4AR wheels with 38mm Gravel King SS+ tires and I am having a blast.

I bounce between the roads, the bike path, the gravel paths. The only thing I change is the air pressure.


The Chiron looks like a great bike! I really liked the Eros and could see how one of their allroad bikes could be a quiver killer for anybody who has the willpower to have just one drop bar bike.


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[radsmd]

I have a Breadwinner Lolo disc and I don’t think it fits “wider”’tires... https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200920/74019f14f3971ef60744a9bdd77900c2.jpg


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Nice. What is the max it can fit?

New ones listed at fitting 32’s.

[dbnm]

My Alchemy

[nmrt]

quicker killer is just that -- a killer that kills all the bikes and out of that is birthed a beast slouching it way into nothingness. ;)

there is nothing as pure on the road as a pure thoroughbred race bike. In all my bikes and all their iterations of 650b and 700c with this mm of tire and that mm of internal rim width, nothing approaches the sensation of pure speed and agility like a road bike made for the race.

for me, nothing other than another road race bike will replace my road race bike.

[untarded]

I'm looking at the Mason Bokeh. Drooling over the Ti version.

https://masoncycles.cc/shop/categories/bokeh-bikes

[radsmd]

FF
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[radsmd]

quicker killer is just that -- a killer that kills all the bikes and out of that is birthed a beast slouching it way into nothingness. ;)

there is nothing as pure on the road as a pure thoroughbred race bike. In all my bikes and all their iterations of 650b and 700c with this mm of tire and that mm of internal rim width, nothing approaches the sensation of pure speed and agility like a road bike made for the race.

for me, nothing other than another road race bike will replace my road race bike.


The gravel bike is totally fine on road, until you ride a true road bike again. The effortlessness, lack of weight, sharp and reactive steering. It’s sublime...

[nmrt]

exactly! my gravel bike with 40 mm tires is a blast a ride on the asphalt. i love it.

alas, i realize how much my gravel bike sucks on the road when i ride my road bike with 25 mm tubular tires.

The gravel bike is totally fine on road, until you ride a true road bike again. The effortlessness, lack of weight, sharp and reactive steering. It’s sublime...

[gavingould]

i ride a *rek Checkpoint on the road. only have one wheelset for it, some Roval carbon tubeless. WTB Exposure 700x36
previous tires were WTB Riddler 700x45 and those were fun but a little pokey on pavement.
"true" road bikes are cool and all, but if i can't hang on a group ride with the Checkpoint as-is, it's fitness that's the issue.

[Hilltopperny]

I have had so many gravel/cx/allroad bikes over the past few years in just about every material out there. They are great bikes and can definitely be the only one for those who choose the minimalist bike life!


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The multiple iterations of my Drifter


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[rain dogs]

This should yield the perfect “quiver killer”, but I’ve decided that although the FF can be set up for anything, be it a road ride, gravel, or off road single track, it is not great at any one of these (except maybe gravel).

The allure of a single bike being enough for everything one wants to ride is a pipe dream. The bike almost never has the correct wheelset of the type or ride I feel like doing.

The concept of a "Quiver Killer" is more about the rider than about the bike. If the rider doesn't want a single bike or a 99% of the time bike..., OR is the type of rider who really values every 3grams, or 3 watts or 3 seconds.... then its a bit of a pointless exercise.

The "Quiver Killer" concept doesn't have to be for everyone or anyone... you do you.

[Kirk007]

The concept of a "Quiver Killer" is more about the rider than about the bike.
The "Quiver Killer" concept doesn't have to be for everyone or anyone... you do you.

I agree with this assessment, but also with the OP. I have a real attraction to the quiver killer concept, but for me have realized, at least at this time, that the concept is more attractive than the reality.


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[dbnm]

I no longer care about PR's and segments. I care about the fun factor and the real option of riding nearly anywhere I want, at any time.

[NHAero]

It's about so much more than the tires, too. I put 25s on the Anderson for a few rides, and it still is not the same as the FF.
Sparky33 showed us his awesome FF 650B designed as a road bike. But then he showed us the Built road bike that followed it. A no compromise road ride.

[nmrt]

of course everyone is giving their opinions. for some a quiver killer it is.
for others, that exact same quiver killer is a compromise.

not saying a quiver killer is not fun. just saying that for some, a road race bike (even one that is not used for racing or chasing PRs and KOMs) is also fun. and fun in a different way than a mtb, gravel, or an all road bike.

[dmurphey]

Although I love high end steel and covet custom Ti, nowadays it is carbon composite construction that rules in aircraft, racing automobiles, tennis rackets... Carbon monocoque all road frame made for fast road work w hydralic discs, aero wide carbon rims, electronic shifting is the hot ticket for an all purpose road bike that can roam around and not get in trouble. The 3T Exploro looked the best for me. I've had one for 6 months and have only ridden something else when doing rough gravel. I am running Conti GP Urban 700 x 35's on the 3T and am very happy. A little more cushion is never bad.