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#31
10-02-2018, 03:37 PM
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I was riding my carbon Stigmata last week and had a pretty wild wreck. I am 220lbs and was riding rutted up trails next to the canal in the rain. While riding through a giant puddle I flung myself over and was caught in the roots and plants growing out of the side bank over the canal. I was literally hovering on sumac trees over the water and the Stigmata rolled with me and was flung a few feet from me. The frame wasn’t even scratched. I was very impressed with the durability of this bike and it is also lighter than my titanium gravel bike and very close to my aluminum Zanc cx. Santa Cruz makes a very solid carbon bike. I am confident that the bike will take just about anything I can throw at it.  This is the same puddle when there wasn’t any rain. I went right off of the right side as the road was completely enveloped in water.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 
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#32
10-02-2018, 04:02 PM
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#33
10-02-2018, 04:10 PM
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Ive been in a carbon gravel bike for a year and have zero regrets. It has curved seat stays and I find the ride to be quite nice and not jarring at all. It’s plenty stiff side to side. I’ve pushed it pretty aggressively on terrain arguably more appropriate for a hardtail mtb. I do lots of single track, rail it around berms and with big fat 2.1” tires I take a lot of the rocky stuff at speed and it holds it’s line very well. I have zero concerns about durability. I’m 168’ 5-11” on a 56cm frame. The only situation where I draw the line is drops more than a couple feet or jumps and getting air time...not concerned about carbon fork blades there, but a carbon steerer tube does worry me.
That said my dream gravel rig would be Ti...just a little more peace of mind. I’m not concerned about carbon damage when riding as much as I am if it tipped over and the TT slammed into a jagged rock... Quote:
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#34
10-02-2018, 04:21 PM
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To elaborate on the CF durability question here’s some very short 1min video clips from rides I’ve done where there is some pretty rocky & technical terrain. The first one I sought out big muddy deep puddles after a recent storm. It was a blast :-)
https://instagram.com/p/BjVbtAPHW7tG...dccJrtXA7HJM0/ https://instagram.com/p/Bin_UNIHkLn5...-7tGfYuhEfd80/ https://instagram.com/p/BgyeqPtgm1Gj...-9udBG23u7F00/ https://instagram.com/p/BfaICHvFlgyK...jq3js3-dBE6g0/ https://instagram.com/p/BdN-GN-lsVaD...rxEOW94KFAmw0/
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#36
10-04-2018, 06:37 PM
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around here, the gravduro monstersled is the jam. dirt-capable, but with the endurance of a spandex bike. stringing together some utterly stupid **** becomes a magical, easy thing. the riding position/drop bars own any mountain bike for fireroads and pavement mix, especially with modern long front center mountain bike geo. i mean, if the riding here were moderately technical, i'd change my tune, but when the roughest you'll find is a whopping 1000ft of tenderfoot...
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#37
10-30-2018, 12:10 PM
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While the 700c Tiagra build kit was underwhelming, I do think Salsa did a great job with this redesigned frameset. The fork has everything you could want (fender/headlight/cage mounts, dyno routing, etc) and still looks svelt and not overdone. Clearances are generous. The mechanic swapped in my 27.5x2.0 wheels (~51.5mm measured). Tons of fork clearance, good rear clearance. An honest rear 2.1 would be max, depending on knobbiness etc. Sadly, my too-small rear rotor would not allow a test ride with my 27.5 wheels. The pedaling felt peppy for a gravel bike. The handling is appropriately neutral. Comfort was reasonable and would have been terrific with higher volume 650b tires on nicer wheels. The new Warbird would be a great dirt-road 650b do-whatever bike for me. Last edited by sparky33; 10-30-2018 at 12:18 PM.
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#38
10-30-2018, 12:33 PM
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Nice to have more choice as needs arise.
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#39
10-30-2018, 12:53 PM
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I've got three flavors now that can function on gravel/dirt of varying degrees:
Spectrum ti all road that can take 33-35s reasonably easy and is fine on dirt roads, some gravel and nontechnical single track. 333Fab AirLandSea with 650b 47mm Byways - leans more toward a drop bar mountain bike with the steel fork in nature but with a Seven matador fork its more gravel/cx in nature, and more fun on the road. It's a little slower on the road, but that's its nature - I notice its about a mile, sometimes 2 slower per hour than my road bikes on a typical ride. Lynskey hardtail 29er. I've listed the bikes in order of enjoyment as the road/path/trail deteriorates. The airlandsea is really quite good on singletrack, even rooted singletrack, particularly with the steel fork. Not as much fun on the road as the Spectrum though. The Lynskey with a rigid Niner knockoff carbon fork and wide handlebars is better than either the Spectrum or the 333Fab when the road gets more technical, no surprises there really. With lower profile knobs like Maxxis Ardents its not too bad on the road, but I wouldn't want to go 10 miles road to get to the trail - a couple miles though and the hardtails offroad capabilities makes it more fun and relaxing than using the road bikes on semi gnarly stuff. I also think tire volume makes a big difference, at least it does for me in confidence of descending. I'd rather have 650b x 47 than 700c x 38-40. For 80/20 split, I'd be between the 650b and the Lynskey, but leaning toward the Lynskey - ti hardtails are really nice. But lots of good choices out there these days. If I was picking just one it would be a bike that could accomodate 2-2.1 650b tires.
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#40
12-17-2018, 12:57 PM
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Quote:
https://cyclingtips.com/2018/12/moots-routt-rsl-review/ Quote:
__________________
It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that certain je ne sais quoi. --Peter Schickele
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#41
12-17-2018, 01:56 PM
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I have an OPEN UP and its a fantastic bike. A few annoyances with it which might just be for me and not everyone. That said, as far as ridding go, that bike is amazing. On the road is as good as most road bikes I have ever ridden, gravel it is awesome with 50mm tires. The design is great, geometry is great, looks awesome. Only downside of the open is the price, its expensive and so there are some bikes that might be almost as good or as good (I had never ridden them) but are cheaper such as the new salsa and the ibis hakka. I chose the OPEN because of all the rave reviews, flat mount front and back (compared to the hakka), 3 bottle cages and I love the colors available.
Turns out the OPEN guys are also pretty rad so thats a plus. I have never ridden your other choices... the stigmata is cool but doest fit big 650b rubber... never heard of the cycles R.... the moots is cool but expensive and also no 650b I don't think. I am always for custom steel, would love to have a steel Breismeister and its probably what I would have done if I had some damn patience ahha.
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#42
12-17-2018, 03:31 PM
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Check out Rodeo Labs as well. Along with the Norco Search XR and Hakka MX, it’s another very worthy option alongside the super awesome Open UP offerings. FWIW, my Norco Search XR is far from flimsy, very stiff out of the saddle but handles the rough stuff very well. I take it on some seriously rugged mtb trails and generally abuse it...still going strong.
As others have said there are so many different segments within the realm of “gravel biking” some of them every bit as different from each other as cross vs road. A gravel bike on classic wooded Roubaix style gravel roads you see back east present a a different set of challenges than dry rocky loose stuff out west. If ones version of gravel biking is pretty constrained to traditional gravel roads winding through the hills anyone would be fine on 28-35mm tires. If it also includes single track, looking for opportunities to veer off the gravel road and explore a trail, bike packing, etc, Id argue that a 40mm tire would barely be adequate, ideally you’d want something much higher volume with some knobbies on the shoulders, maybe a little smoother down the middle. You’d also want more than 2 water bottles mounted, 3 or more, options to mount frame bags, etc. a strong case can be made for a dropper post as well. I keep propping the Norco, but it has all of the above, in addition to massive tire clearance :-) It’s not really traditional gravel bike. I’d say it’s more of a cross over into Adventure biking, where people are often on converted 29er style bikes like the Salsa Cutthroat, suspension, 3-4” tires, etc.
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#43
12-17-2018, 04:27 PM
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A solid addition to the growing list of gravel options;
https://www.argon18bike.com/en/bikes/road/dark-matter
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#44
12-27-2018, 07:10 PM
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Once you go to 40mm, you will soon want more, IMO. I run a foundry flyover with 44mm rubber, and I love it....but I can’t wait for my next one that can accept 2.0+.
I prefer Steel/ti on dirt for durability and comfort. I’ve seen a salsa warbird seatstay snapped in half from a minor crash that could easily happen on dirt road ruts. I would take a hard look at a BMC monster cross or bearclaw thunderhawk. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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#45
12-27-2018, 08:11 PM
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True
There is truth to this- I have gradually increased my favorite tire size.
I also ride mostly West Marin/Mt Tam. I started with 700x33mm Trigger Pro- loved them. Then 700x35mm Schwable G-One, and 700X36mm Donelley MSO Then 700x37mm WTB Riddler Then 700x40mm Maxxis Rambler Now riding 650bX2.1 Schwable Thunder Burt In the Wings 700X2.0 Schwable Furious Fred Quote:
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