Riding Bikes

Anybody else doing snow riding? Studded tires are nice but still squirrelly in some stacked slush or an inch of snow. Rode to dinner. Wish bike racks took 700C wheels.

 

Sorry for the delayed response. I took a break from the negativity of TTR. Struggling to keep my head in trucking as it is, without reading all the blight.

The Lauf Grit fork, with uncut steer tube, weighs 895g/1.97lbs. The Large frame weighs 1295g/2.72lbs. It’s pretty light, for not being designed as an “ultralight” frameset. I see people complain about the weight, yet, many of those keyboard warriors could stand to eat far fewer cheeseburgers.

As for the ride, it’s otherworldly. I don’t know how to convey just how good it is. I give no thought to bridge joints, frost heaves, rain gutters, etc. I simply hit them and keep on keeping on. What many don’t realize is this bike has ~15mm of suspension built into the rear triangle. The seattube is laid way back and designed to flex. With 30mm of travel up front, it’s just so compliant. Along with that, the bike isn’t torsionally stiff, like a race bike. Again, it’s like nothing else I’ve ever ridden. It’s the perfect gravel bike for weekend warriors.



I’ve seen posts where people try to compare the Grit fork to the Rock Shox Rudy. There’s no comparison. The Rudy acts like a short-travel MTB fork, because it has valving. That fork is better suited to someone hucking it down chunky singletrack, which gravel bikes are horrible for. A 100mm XC bike is way faster and more stable for that type of terrain. Conversely, the Grit fork is not hampered by valving. Therefore, it’s very quick to react to high frequency vibration, like gravel roads. It’s amazing to ride, especially for someone who mostly rides unpaved roads, like myself.

 

I bought a new MTB, during the Black Friday/overstock clearance sales. I picked up a 2022 Giant Trance Advanced Pro 29, for $2800 (~$6K MSRP). It’s a perplexing bike, because some of it was high end (frame, suspension, and wheelset) and some of it was just cheap (groupset, brakes, and co<kpit). It’s no wonder these didn’t sell. I had a break in work and set out riding it, nearly everyday, for a couple weeks. I raced in my first MTB race (a free-for-all charity event) and absolutely smoked some kids. One of them congratulated me at the finish and asked me how old I was (his grandpa’s age, as it turns out). After getting a feel for it, I ended up replacing the tires, co<kpit, drivetrain, and brakeset. It’s turned out to be way higher-end than I ever intended, but, that’s the way things go sometimes. And, it’s my last new MTB.



Media talks about the blight of the bike industry. I did my part to try and keep it afloat, this year, by building two custom bikes.

 

I got 75mi in, yesterday. Last time I was on the gravel bike was a New Year’s ride that was only 16mi, with a group. I pushed a headwind all the way north, counting on a tailwind to push me back. Unfortunately, as the sun started setting, it turned into a crosswind, from the west. I absolutely suffered, on the way back home. Luckily, the wind calmed down as the sun disappeared. I did eat at a killer sub shop I’ve never eaten at. They’ve been around for decades and I just dismissed them, as there are so many sub options in that segment. Definitely sore and fatigued, this morning. I’ll have all week to recover, though.

 

I've been thinking about getting a trailer for my 55lb dog to ride in or on when she gets tired on a long ride. Is that your standard axle mount 2 wheel trailer? Does it add a lot of resistance?

I'm out enjoying the 50-60° weather in Vermont today. No need to bundle up.