What did you do TO / WITH / FOR your bike today!

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
As someone fairly new to modern mountain biking, what makes a gravel bike, with rigid or very short travel forks more suitable for fire roads/gravel, than a normal hard tail mountain bike with 100mm XC forks?
A grovel bike is a fat bike for roadies.

As for a direct answer to your question.... Basically nothing, it's all mucketing shit.
In the same vein as the "hybrid" bikes that have been around for the last 30-odd years that claim to combine the attributes of road & off-road bikes, the result is a thing that sucks for both...
 
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beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
Now I'm living in the flat-lands the GTB (Gravel Terrain Bicycle, lol), I kept 'spinning out' with the 32t chainring. Jumped to a 36t on a WolfTooth Camo spider. Should mean either more speed or at least less time in the 11t cog. Also added some drillium and re-routed some cabling. Fingers crossed I don't regret it in future...

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Also accidentally scared the bejeezus out some old bloke out for his arvo stroll when I went for the first grab of the brakes (after giving the bike a long-overdue wash) and forgot about the almighty goose-honk that was about to follow. Sorry ol' mate... :oops:
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
Now I'm living in the flat-lands the GTB (Gravel Terrain Bicycle, lol), I kept 'spinning out' with the 32t chainring. Jumped to a 36t on a WolfTooth Camo spider. Should mean either more speed or at least less time in the 11t cog. Also added some drillium and re-routed some cabling. Fingers crossed I don't regret it in future...

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Also accidentally scared the bejeezus out some old bloke out for his arvo stroll when I went for the first grab of the brakes (after giving the bike a long-overdue wash) and forgot about the almighty goose-honk that was about to follow. Sorry ol' mate... :oops:
So I could definitely go faster on the asphalt. Felt way more natural not feeling like I was dropping into angel-gear when spinning away "downhill" toward the "lower" end of town. It could happily go a 38t in future but 36 was a marked improvement as it was and I wasn't sure how chainstay clearance was going to pan out before buying (there's heaps as it turned out...). Best bit though was it got me two cogs up from the 11t on flat gravel path, so less side-load on the chain. Love this bike, even though it is 'just a gravel bike'. Having a working dropper again means so much more fun in flat loose corners as I can actually commit and trust the front grip without the saddle hinting it wants to kick me off with a swift shunt up the backside...

Still plenty of water around, but got further than I've been able to previously. Another week or so and and I should get some decent range .
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Labcanary

One potato, two potato, click
I finally dragged myself out for a group MTB ride. It's been way too long with this group and it was great catching up with people I haven't seen in over a year. We were standing around nattering when @moorey blitzed past us.
The weather was magic, the trails were in good shape and I've been promoted to "ride mechanic" status :D
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
Get an XD driver and get something with a 10t top end.


But seriously, the chainring swap was as much about trying to get out of the 11t at least some of the time to reduce the chain side-loading (I want those two free Watts and the reduced chain wear dammit!) - and it would be easier to change the ring again in future if needed. That bike's Hope hub also has a steel HG driver fitted, the cassette is still really fresh, and I prefer the HyperGlide shifting feel anyway - there's a method to my madness. :)
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
Smoother ramping when climbing into larger cogs from memory:
 

The Reverend

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Hit some of the more testing features on a couple of trails near Redhill.

Did ok until I didn't. Looks like new helmet time but thankfully no material damage to the bike or rider.
Fox full face wins again.

Managed to complete the ride and just a touch of soreness pretty much everywhere this morning.
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
the chainring swap was as much about trying to get out of the 11t at least some of the time to reduce the chain side-loading (I want those two free Watts and the reduced chain wear dammit!) - and it would be easier to change the ring again in future if needed. That bike's Hope hub also has a steel HG driver fitted, the cassette is still really fresh, and I prefer the HyperGlide shifting feel anyway - there's a method to my madness. :)
Just buy the Lycra and get those pins shaved.

#roaderburn
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
Only if your quick link is on the right way..
Ya what?

This is the future baby!
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[EDIT]
Lul wat... Apparently they have a right and wrong way too. Oh well! :p


Just buy the Lycra and get those pins shaved.

#roaderburn
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck no. Road is just a means of getting to the gravel. Ain't no curly bars in my world.
 
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