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Who of you are thinking about buying a gravel bike?


FloatingPivot

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So... how many of you are running Shimano GRX? Any reviews or comments?

I'm running GRX 810 derailleurs, crank and 105 shifters (grx shifters were way too expensive). My gearing is 2 x11, 48/31 crank and 11-32 cassette. So far i'm loving it.

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A 100km shortcut between Laingsburg and Ladismith is reason enough - the added challenge of no suspension just adds to the excitement.  Did learn quickly that your rear mech must have a clutch or smooth gear shifts are not possible 

Looks very cool

I don't believe I am familiar with that pass

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I have the 1 x 11  Rival 1  with Apex shifters combo

42 front and 11 - 42 in the back

Love it!    When time comes to replace the chainwheel I will definitely put a 44 on it and ...

If I ever get to the point of getting a second wheelset then I might consider an XD hub with 10-42 which will complement the setup on the down and straights.

 

Can't fault the setup - with already 3800 km's on it and going smooth and strong.

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So what decent bars are available...

Curve make some - personally just switched to some really wide ones and love them

So many hand positions

Edited by Waynemol
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Curve make some - personally just switched to some really wide ones and love them

So many hand positions

What did you switch to?

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My gravel bike on my way to the start of the CTCT on Sunday . Maxxis Ramblers 43's on , was considering buying a set of 35/38C road tyres but did not want to spend that for one tar event per year . Had a fantastic ride , nice gearing for and old man , good grip , hydraulic discs and no worries about punctures . On our dirt roads I sometimes long for a shock and I have a Lauff on the shelf but that will spoil a beautiful bike ?

OMG. Dream bike material.If it was the bike alone I would have had a wank. But would feel creepy with you looming back at me. Maybe forward me a pick of the bike alone?
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What did you switch to?

Curve bars 500 - wider than that at the drops - when you ride on the hoods, because of the flare, your wrist is completely straight which helps in terms of comfort

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You are not the only one

 

Also not a fan - especially on our super fast Lynskeys (nudge nudge) - so found the Salsa Cowbell 440mm is a healthy compromise - enough flair to allow for my handlebar bag but still fits in with the morning roadie group 

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Haven’t tried the wider bars ( don’t personally like the look of them ) so cant say. But have the same itm bars as on my road bike. I like the hand cut out on the bars. Never considered going wider really.

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I ride with Spez AWOL handlebars. Only 12 degs of flare so quite road-like but with a bit of extra width. Sitting in the drops is actually quite comfy.

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Hi Dylan, thanks for the shout-out.  Looking forward to get you riding on your CALCULUS asap. 

 

Nice and racy geometry on this project for a gravel.

 

 

I bought myself a gravel bike and then subsequently started selling my other bikes. The only bike I have left other than the gravel bike is my MTB which I am also planning on selling. In my opinion a gravel bike is the only bike you need. When you ride on the road you are a bit slower but you have the option to hop onto the gravel shoulder which is super fun. It is definitely not as capable on the technical stuff as a MTB, but that's part of the fun. On actual gravel it's amazing, you can really put the hammer down like you do on a road bike, but you are out there somewhere rather than on the roads.

 

I recently contacted the guys at Calculus Bikes ( http://calculus-bikes.com/ )  who are putting a gravel frame together for me. So I will move my components over from my current gravel bike onto their custom geometry frame. I'm really excited. I had the option to make it more on the aggressive side, super relaxed or anywhere in between. I went for a fitment where we played around with my position until it felt perfect. I haven't ridden the bike yet, but I'm eager to see how it fares on bike packing and gravel touring missions.

 

I attached an image of their design, for interests sake.

 

post-27202-0-13947600-1583913236.jpg

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