extreme gravel bikes for shredding

[veloduffer]

This Moots Baxter 29" can also take a 100mm suspension front fork (purchased on the forum from soshi). The angles are not too crazy at 71 HTA/ 74 STA on this 56cm (ETT) bike. Chainstays are 44.45cm but I don't know the total wheel base.

I use this bike for more rough/big gravel, and use my Seven Evergreen and Mosaic GT-1 as all-rounder bikes. Note, this is my first bike with Shimano Di2 (GRX) and I'm impressed by the shifting. Also has my first flared handlebars, Whisky No 9 with 24 degree flare - very comfortable and better control in the rough. I like the flares so much that I put flared bars (lesser degree, though at 12 degrees) on the Seven and Mosaic.

[benb]

I'm watching the grim donut video and:

1. It's freakin hilarious
2. It's disturbing they go right to "the way you make a bike is to find someone in Taiwan to make it for you." Whatever happened to firing up a torch themselves or finding someone local.

[bicycletricycle]

Have you posted pics of your clockwork? I would like to see it
Never mind, found it . That bike is a monster

Originally Posted by kingpin75s

I have been watching forward geometry since Mondraker started pushing the concept around 2013. The fact that I primarily ride dirt drops make it interesting to me as I already run a longer and narrower cockpit than most on many bikes.

However, I am not a fan of all components of forward geometry and have coined what I call ForwardNotForward. Give me the longer front center but no thank you to extreme seat tube angles and pushing weight onto my handlebars. I prefer long front center and a balance geometry for the aggressive riding I do.

While I have not spent a lot of time on the custom Clockwork 29er I had built around this concept (as it is my travel bike for rougher riding, East, West and well North), I am very happy with the handling based on my limited seat time. Stable but very playful with a tight rear and balanced ride.

I would actually encourage anyone to take a look at the iterations of concept bikes built by Peter Verdone. I watched the progression of his builds with interest and it was how his geometry evolved from early frames having too little saddle setback to his later models landing right where I would expect that gave me confidence to pull the trigger on the concept with Joel. Peter's early bikes were functionally more what I am interested in and his later bikes were more aggressive than any needs I have, but the progression allowed me to watch him walk in that setback to a place where the bike had better balance.

My thoughts in general on this is that long F-C is here to stay but I do not think the super aggressive seat tube angles will stick.

As related to gravel specifically, I guess it depends on how rough you want to ride on how little a bike/tire or how much you favor stability. After plenty of gravel races and rides this past decade, I just do not see a need for a slacked out gravel bike but not sure they have much downside either. Will be interesting to see if they get as much traction as on the mountain bike side.

[Cantdog]

Originally Posted by benb

Almost all the gravel bikes in the thread look pretty heinous to me.

And I've run an 80mm stem on mine, which is a 58. It works fine. I have a 90mm on it currently.

Even the MTBs look a little crazy.

I assume the steep seat tubes are to keep them working when you have to go uphill? I don't think I could make those work. I'd need a setback seatpost to the point the steep seat tube wouldn't do a damn thing and I'd be back over the rear wheel to the point the bike wouldn't have enough weight on the front wheel and would wheelie out of control.

I am probably not that many years off needing a new MTB, mine is 15 years old (and F/S on top of that) and is "heavily reliced". But it still works really well. I had a fantastic ride on it earlier this week. I even rode it to the trail with the shock locked out.

It will be interesting to see what happens if/when I go try to get a test ride on one of these newstyle geo bikes. Going uphill AND downhill has to work for me.

I’d expect that you’d find that the new bikes both climb and descend better than your old bike.

[bicycletricycle]

that is a cool bike, that too long of fork look drives me nuts but the suspension option is kinda cool. Have you ridden it that way yet?

Originally Posted by veloduffer

This Moots Baxter 29" can also take a 100mm suspension front fork (purchased on the forum from soshi). The angles are not too crazy at 71 HTA/ 74 STA on this 56cm (ETT) bike. Chainstays are 44.45cm but I don't know the total wheel base.

I use this bike for more rough/big gravel, and use my Seven Evergreen and Mosaic GT-1 as all-rounder bikes. Note, this is my first bike with Shimano Di2 (GRX) and I'm impressed by the shifting. Also has my first flared handlebars, Whisky No 9 with 24 degree flare - very comfortable and better control in the rough. I like the flares so much that I put flared bars (lesser degree, though at 12 degrees) on the Seven and Mosaic.

[kingpin75s]

Originally Posted by bicycletricycle

Have you posted pics of your clockwork? I would like to see it
Never mind, found it . That bike is a monster

I have not.

I think you found my Clockwork drop bar dirt fat. That is a more traditional midwest trail geometry fat bike for dirt. Not a long F-C by any means. Fun for the local tight stuff but did not like the traditional drop bars. Real dirt drops or Jones sweep for me.

I will post the long F-C 29er. I have been testing different bar and stem combinations and usually don't take pics until I have settled but will take one as built. The bike is built around a 130mm/160mm dual position Rockshox Lyrik fork. Joel had some old stock True Temper Supertherm tubing (beefier Platinum OX) to use for the strong DT needed for the fork. We were still able to cut almost 1/2 lb. off what custom production bikes like these tend land at which is nice and tunes the ride to my weight a little better. Also used Deda stays to be able to feather everything at the BB and get a 156mm Q-Factor on my White Industries 1x. Vari Wall ST for the curve and a tight R-C. Ti bars, steel frame ,150mm KS Lev Ti dropper and Reynold Black Label Carbon Wheels. 2.35" Hans in front and 2.35'" Nic in rear.

Really capable and playful but need more time on it and appropriate trails. Had planned to travel for some big rides with it this year, but things changed.

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by benb

I assume the steep seat tubes are to keep them working when you have to go uphill? I don't think I could make those work. I'd need a setback seatpost to the point the steep seat tube wouldn't do a damn thing and I'd be back over the rear wheel to the point the bike wouldn't have enough weight on the front wheel and would wheelie out of control.

They go uphill just fine - and you may also want to evaluate whether you 'need' a setback post - all modern mountain bikes have steep STA's and dropper posts with no offset, and all seem to work just fine both up and down.

What you're missing about the steeper STA is that it pushes the front center out without changing the 'reach' measurement, although that tells you nothing about the hand position only the steerer location, but thats another story. But the longer front center gives much better balance off road.

[sparky33]

How does the Salsa Cutthroat fit here? slack and long... is this the same kind of bike that we are talking about?

Size 56:
69 hta
1090 wheelbase
high stack
29x2.4s

[2metalhips]

I have 2020 Salsa Cutthroat, I wouldn't call it a shredder. It was designed for comfort and stable handling, long endurance/bikepacking rides. It is super stable on loose double track/fire road descents. Thoroughly capable of single track which I frequently throw in.

[Buzz Killington]

I just test rode the 60cm Salsa Cutthroat. I believe the OP is tall as well. Bike didn’t feel small at all when I was riding, but not much crotch clearance. I guess tall top tube to make more room for frame bag, bottles, kitchen sink. Would be hesitant to shred trails on it. But really, why would I be shredding on this, or any, gravel bike? If I’m on terrain to shred, I’d want to be on a mountain bike. In all reality, I don’t know how to shred. So whatevs.

[ridethecliche]

Originally Posted by veloduffer

This Moots Baxter 29" can also take a 100mm suspension front fork (purchased on the forum from soshi). The angles are not too crazy at 71 HTA/ 74 STA on this 56cm (ETT) bike. Chainstays are 44.45cm but I don't know the total wheel base.

Holy moly I love it!

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by bicycletricycle

long and low by bicycletricycle666, on Flickr

Don't know nuthin about mountain bikes. Haven't owned one since 1993. Can't even speel 'MTB' BUT..how many rear der cages have been smacked/broken/lost on rocks and stumps and stuff..hanging down so far?

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

BUT..how many rear der cages have been smacked/broken/lost on rocks and stumps and stuff..hanging down so far?

BB's are lower than they used to be, so it happens, along with some pretty sharp pedal spikes. RD's have also changed to be more tucked into the frame so there's less chance of them getting snagged.

[glepore]

Had a Slate set up with a long PBR that gave it a slack hta. It was really awesome on rough rough stuff, but it felt awful climbing out of the saddle. In the saddle it was fine. Ultimately went to a short travel Oliver.

[martinez]

I've also been having similar thoughts about gravel bikes and the changes some are making to make more capable, but it seems like some are just steering into an inefficient rigid/hardtail mtb...some folks even going as far as putting risers onto their gravel bikes! but to be honest, I'm still trying to figure out geometry and all that but it just seems what some people really want is a mtb. on the other hand, I think some people just love the concept of underbiking. I kind of enjoy taking that approach as it kind of makes things slightly interesting so I have no real hate towards some of these trends.