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Most of the stock gravel bikes I’ve seen are not really geared for stiff climbs, at least for those of us who do not have the genetics of a tour de France climber. As an example, the Canyon carbon fiber Grizl CF SLX 8 has a front chainring of 40T and a rear cassette of 10-44 giving a lowest gear of about 30 gear inches. This retails for $6500. A Hardtail mountain bike might have a front chainring of 32T and a rear lowest gear cog of 50 T (or higher). I guess one question is what you will be using the bike for.
I’d like to add something based on my background in running for over 60 years, which might be applicable here. To begin, there was an article recently in the NYT about how racist jogging was and how jogging started in lily white Oregon and has excluded POC.
My memory, having lived through this time, is that Bill Bowerman, while he was track coach at the University of Oregon, went to New Zealand to learn about the training methods of Arthur Lydiard and was introduced while there to the sport of jogging, popular in NZ at the time. In his memoirs he fared poorly in his first jogging event there, but on return to Oregon thought that this would be a fun and healthy way for people in his community to recreate. He formed a club and in the 1950’s wrote a 20 page booklet, later expanded into a book. At the time there was no formal venue for runners after college, and the sport blossomed. It was aided considerably by Ted Corbitt, a black athlete who co-founded the New York Road Runners club, of which he was the first President. He was also active in the Road Runners Club of America and was elected to be the third President of that organization. His contributions to the sport of amateur competitive running are too many to list here (see the wikipedia article on him) , as are his athletic achievements for which he was among the first five runners to be inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in 1998. I was blown away reading about his training, which consisted of running the 15 mile distance to and from his workplace twice a day, which his wife referred to as “Ted’s little exercise”. Many of us at the time idolized the phenomenal black runners blazing new records. On my bathroom mirror I had two photos for inspiration – one of Emil Zatopek, the “Czech locomotive” who won the 5K, 10K and marathon in the same Olympics, and the other of Abebe Bikila, the Ethiopian marathon demigod. Bud Greenspan’s series on the Olympics 30 years ago had an entire episode devoted to the African Runners. I think the author of the NYT article was uninformed about much of this.
I am sure that some racism was exhibited on the running routes, but I also am sure that the vast majority of us at the local road races and clubs tried to treat everyone with respect. My own small running group in Ohio consisted of white and black members. I also am pretty sure that the vast majority of mountain bikers would welcome anyone on the trails regardless of color though I’m sure there are rare exceptions.
The barriers here as I see it are threefold. First, there are many black role models in running, since they absolutely dominate both the longer distances and the sprints. In fact many elite white track athletes make pilgrimages to Kenya to train with the runners there. This will be corrected with time, hopefully. Second is availability of trails and safe, convenient areas to ride. Short of creating new parks with bike paths in underprivileged neighborhoods this is a difficult problem to overcome especially in areas where concerns of safety and basics like clean water take priority in funding. Finally is the expense, as alluded to by many with suggestions already put forth.
In response to the post calling e-bike users “lazy MF’s”, there have been a couple of studies comparing the amount of exercise done by e-bike vs regular bike users. One, reported in the magazine “Outside” if memory serves me correctly, actually found that the e-bike users got more exercise than the control group, mainly because they enjoyed it more and therefore did more cycling. Here is a link to another study out of Utah comparing intensity levels on a set route: https://news.byu.edu/intellect/e-bikes-provide-intense-exercise-but-it-doesnt-feel-like-a-workout
If someone will get out and exercise using an e-bike, whether they absolutely need the pedal assist or not, when the alternative is that they would not cycle at all, then this would be a great boon to that person, as well as getting another person into the cycling community. What’s not to like? Why should it bother you if someone else just decides they prefer a pedal-assist bike?
There are some folks do not want anyone using the trails outside their niche group, whether it be hikers, horse people, regular mountain bikers, etc if because of concerns about safety, trail integrity, impact on wildlife etc. These are valid concerns. Keeping other folks off trails just because they don’t meet your ideas of who should be worthy to use the trail is not, in my opinion.
I hike and bike in the South Hill trails of Helena, Montana and recently saw two older guys (one was 68, one 74) on bikes, which on close inspection of the bottom bracket, were e-bikes. No batteries were visible and without looking closely I would never have known they were not regular bikes. I live a short distance from a multi-use OHV trail system a short distance south of Helena. I know when a dirt bike is approaching 15 minutes before seeing the rider.
Do they both have motors? Yes. Are they the same thing? No. Should pedal assist bikes be allowed on non-motorized trails? Opinions vary on this or this thread would not exist. I suspect there is as much rationale for excluding all mechanized vehicles, including bikes, from trails, as is done in wilderness areas, as excluding certain people (who have as much ownership of the trails on public land as anyone else) from using public national forest or blm trails.
Personally I think expanding the number of folks using these trails is the best way to ensure they will not be blocked off, sold off or otherwise restricted.
Bike Nerd, I think there’s a difference between a motorcycle, where all the power comes from an engine, and a pedal assist bicycle, where the power is generated by the cyclist and augmented to some degree by an electric motor. A person can be against (or for) using pedal assist bikes on non-motorized trails, but to say that a pedal assist bike is the same as a motorcycle is just false. I think the difference is obvious to most people.
Will downcountry bikes make trailbikes obsolete? I doubt it.
Pennyfarthings are obsolete, for good reason as they are dangerous. They are ridden only by a few quirky folks. Are single speeds obsolete? Arguably the deraullier is the greatest advance in cycling since the “safety bike” was developed yet still single speeds are around. I live on the great divide mt bike route and am surprised at how many people are doing the route on them. I understand they are gaining in popularity as commuter bikes.
The industry now has road bikes, touring bikes, adventure or gravel bikes, track bikes, single speed commuter and mountain bikes, hardtails, enduro bikes, downhill bikes, xc bikes, cyclocross bikes, trailbikes and now downcountry bikes. Give it a few years and there will undoubtedly be more tweaks with new names.
I recently got a new trail bike because I was feeling sketchy on some routes on my hardtail with no dropper seat, and at my age have to to avoid spills, and I thought the dual suspension bike would be more fun (it is) and possibly safer. I suspect it is the last bike I will purchase. Dropping another few thousand or a few lbs in weight, or some other advance which might be nice but which I do not really need, is something I don’t think I could justify. If it means avoiding certain kinds of trails – well, I do that already.
Many people are “bike nerds” and drool over the technical aspects and specs. More power to you, the industry needs you. Many, I suspect most, just want a bike that will do the job – and trailbikes do that well, in addition to being like swiss army knives in that they that will handle just about anything. I suspect they will be around a while. Just my opinion and I am not a bike nerd so I may well be wrong.
The one recent bike development that has indeed been a major game changer in my area (Montana) has been fat bikes. I see people riding them up the south hills trails near Helena in the depths of winter, when other bikes would get bogged down immediately in the snow.
Roger Bannister, who once ran the first sub-four minute mile, once stated, “The interesting thing about track is that when you are doing it, it seems like the most important thing in the world. When you’re not doing it, it has no importance whatsoever.” When asked what his greatest accomplishment was, he stated, unquestionably, the work he did as a neurologist.
In perspective for the vast majority of riders this is recreational. At a certain stage in life competition and improving fitness add to the pleasure and are very important. Later, for most of us, the focus is on having the most fun in the time we can devote to the hobby. Excessive attention to numbers and fitness can decrease the fun factor.
Alex Lowe, a very famous American mountain climber, was once asked who the best climber in the world was. His answer: “The guy having the most fun”.
Trailforks is a very good resource. Locate the area on the site, and a map of trails with information on trails will come up – things like difficulty, length, elevation gain and sometimes some comments. This website has links to areas under “mob trails”. For gravel roads the site “gravelmap.com” has a lot of information.
Can I ask why you want to do this? The 2 x 9 setup you have has a pretty remarkable range of gearing with an incredibly low gear for climbing (22×36, somewhere around 16 or 17 gear inches). I don’t think converting to a 1 x system would give you a wider range, so the question is if you are having trouble with the front deraullier, want the simplicity of a single system, or are wanting to change because 1x systems seem to be preponderant now. Also, the bike has excellent ratings but the cost of conversion might be a significant percentage of the cost of the bike.
It’s worthwhile to spend a little time learning about gear ratios and gear inches. The lower the “gear inches” calculated the easier climbing will be – the term refers to the number of inches the bike will go for each revolution of the pedals. The exact figure depends on both the chainring size, tire size and the rear cogs. Some bikes come with a 30T chainring and a 12 speed rear cassette with the largest cog being around 50 teeth. This calculates to about a 16 inch gearing for a 27 inn tire. This is about as slow as most people can go without spinning out or falling over. Anything less than 20 is considered pretty good for most climbing. To put it in perspective the old pros doing the Giro D’Italia climbing the Alps back in the day used a “small” 42t chainring and a “large” 24t rear cog – close to 47 inches. I think they use more reasonable gearing now. A 26t chainring and 42 tooth rear cog gives about the same gear inches as the 30-50. It will spin out out the descents in a big gear, if you’re concerned at all about that – most aren’t.
There’s also nothing wrong with doing an occasional “hike a bike”. It takes some pressure off your derrière and can save a fair bit of money.
Here is a link to a gear calculator: https://www.bikecalc.com/gear_inches
Five Ten shoes made a name years ago in the rock climbing community because of their ultra-sticky C4 rubber. Most of the climbers I know get their shoes re-soled with new rubber when the old sole wears out. Many who buy other brands of climbing shoes get theirs resoled with Five-Ten rubber when the time comes. I’ve got a pair I have had resoled several times. You can get half-sole, full sole, and rand repairs for much less than the cost of new shoes. Plenty of cobblers do this and some folks buy kits to do it themselves. This might work for bikers as well.
SKeen put it correctly. Where you live, how many other people and groups use the trails, how sensitive other users are to trial damage and ruts, the condition of the trails and how much damage they sustain when wet, etc play a role in whether you should ride on muddy trails. I live near Helena, Montana with its network of single track in the South Hills and dirt road riding in the mountains of Helena National Forest and know some bikers who do not ride single track when the trails are muddy for concerns about erosion and damage. Last year I was riding a dirt road in the south Elkhorn mountains and ran into a patch of gumbo. I got about 2 feet before the mud clogged up the tires and I spent the next half hour scraping mud so the the point the wheels would turn. Eastern people may be unfamiliar with gumbo – it is a clay dirt which can absorb about 12 times in weight in water and turns into viscous glue when wet. Step in it and your foot will come up with 6 inches of mud.
For a dispassionate view on this subject here is an article out of park City:http://parkcitymountainbike.com/riding-wet-trails/
Just a few thoughts about some of the replies above:
1) I know some wildlife researchers who use an electric bear fence around their campsites. These probably give more protection than anything else and aren’t extremely pricey, if you’re worried about bears. Of note, some national parks require a hard sided camper in some campgrounds. On yet another note, alcohol stoves are considered an open flame and are illegal during fire bans, where a gas stove would be ok. Best to check regulations before any trip you take.
2) I have a pickup with camper shell but have quit sleeping in it and use a tent instead. The problem I had was the incredible amount of dust that got in driving on dirt roads, which stirred up some reactive airway problems at night. If you plan on camping in one pay some attention to sealing it off somehow, at least if you get off pavement.
I personally car camp with a backpacking tent. A rooftop tent seems like a solution to a problem which doesn’t exist, but to each his own.
Walking or mountain biking outdoors where you maintain your distance from others, don’t share water bottles etc is not likely to spread the virus. Stating that “unless you live in a bubble or are 70 and have diabetes”, you should live life normally at this time, shows a lack of understanding (at best) or a total disregard (at worst) of the reasons behind the current recommendations of the CDC and NIH. Just as an aside more than half the coronavirus patients requiring ICU care in France are under the age of 60.
When people refuse to follow recommendations voluntarily then governments mandate what they feel is necessary – ergo the mandated closures we are seeing almost hourly in various countries and states on the news. Mandated school, restaurant, bar, and nonessential business closures have been done in many areas and some countries have pretty much shut down completely – with dramatic reductions in the number of virus cases seen. It remains to be seen whether in this country we will be forced to comply by government mandates or will step up to the plate voluntarily.
You can be part of the solution or part of the problem. I’m not recommending eliminating outdoor activities. I am recommending following the CDC recommendations.
I was on the infectious disease committee at a local hospital before retirement and attended the county preparedness meetings during the avian flu outbreaks in Asia a few years back. As it was then, and now, the fact is that currently many communities, especially rural ones, do not have the ICU beds, critical care specialists and hospital beds to handle a major influx of patients. We’ve seen China have to build new hospitals and the Italian systems being overrun. During the 1918 epidemic warehouses an gymnasiums had to be converted into hospital wards. Inadequate numbers of ICU beds, ventilators and critical care specialists will mean that some people will die unnecessarily if the system gets overwhelmed. Dr Fauci has stressed trying to limit the spread of the virus to a level the health care system can cope with. Attitudes like at least one of those expressed above are incredibly selfish. The danger here for transmission is not so much those who are ill from the virus but those who are minimally asymptomatic and spreading it. The idiot basketball player who touched every microphone, 2 days later to test positive for the virus, potentially exposed dozens of people with his “joke”. Those dozens pose a risk to dozens more. In any crisis there are those who will do everything they can to limit the impact of the crisis for the benefit of society, and sadly those who will sabotage the efforts of those who are trying to help. The Virgin Islands are not going anywhere and travelling to them can wait. If social distancing is to have an impact we all should be on board with it.
Just my opinion but I have little respect for those who will not alter their behavior an iota at a time like this.
About three years ago a cyclist near Glacier National Park was killed when he and a friend ran into a bear. The friend escaped. Most of the riders on the Great Divide trail carry bear spray. It’s not infrequent to see bears on the trail and having spray along brings with it peace of mind even if it doesn’t need to be deployed. I think you’re wise to be somewhat concerned. I live in Montana and carry spray on my cycing trips. I’ve never had to use it but have seen bears on the trail when cycling. Many GD riders also use whistles or bells in densely vegetated areas.
As far as carrying a gun, Montana FWP wrote an article recently comparing the safety and efficacy of spray as a deterrent vs a gun. The results of their study STRONGLY favor bear spray, which is quite effective in preventing injury. Guns were much less effective and almost always ended up with the bear also being dead, many times leaving a wounded bear which had to be tracked and dispatched thus putting FWP wardens at risk. Here is a quote from an Outside article on the subject:
“Not only would it require the wherewithal to draw and fire a gun, you’d need expert skills to hit a charging bear in such a way that it would stop the charge. Examples abound of incidents in which bears get shot during an attack—and still keep coming. In one particularly unfortunate case in Montana last September, a man accidentally shot and killed his hunting partner while trying to defend the partner who was being mauled by a grizzly.
“Hitting a target the size of a baseball, especially when the target’s coming at you at 30 miles an hour and swaying side to side, isn’t easy,” says Stephen Herrero, who is among those who have actually accomplished such a feat. ”
Here is a link to Montana’s FWP website on using bear spray:http://fwp.mt.gov/recreation/safety/wildlife/bears/bearSpray.html
I live in Montana. A few months ago I bought a smart trainer after seeing a few reports on the Global Cycling Network on Zwift, Rouvy and Sufferefest. I had an old magnetic load trainer previously but was bored to the edge of a mental breakdown riding it. I ended up subscribing to Zwift and Rouvy for a combined total of $25/month.
For anyone not knowing about smart trainers the power output when pedaling is fed to the internet and determines your speed on the on-line route you are on, and there is feedback which adjusts your resistance to the gradient. Chris Om on GCN compared his real-life power output, time and perceived effort on the Alpe du Huez in France and the reproduction of this climb, with all 21 switchbacks, on Zwift. The results were almost the same. Zwift has a large competitive (group rides and races) and social component (other riders’ avatars show up onscreen – the record number of people using zwift at one time worldwide is about 15,000. You are always chasing someone or being chased.) . Rouvy is a collection of videos of routes around the world, with many classic climbs in the Alps and flatter routes elsewhere around the world.
I have to say that I am enjoying these workouts and usually am drenched with sweat with the windows in the room steamed up at the end of them. My FTP has increased by over 20 watts since I started. I was never able to generate the enthusiasm on my old trainer. It’s not as much fun as cycling outdoors but not the grind it used to be.
There are free apps out there as well and some such as sufferfest which are geared to specific workouts.
Most of my riding is on back roads up a mountain and then a long descent back. The problem I have in the winter is twofold – I can stay warm on the climbs (most of my routes involves a climb heading out, often for quite a few miles) but on the descents, with the windchill factor and lack of exertion, I’m pretty frozen by the time I get back to the vehicle. Second, I have yet to find any base layer which wicks as advertised, and I’ve tried merino wool, capilene, polypropylene, etc – they all get wet. My solution has been to do what I’ve done ice climbing, which involves postholing through deep snow up mountainsides to frozen waterfalls and then belaying motionless for long periods. I carry an extra base layer and a packable down jacket in a pack, strip the wet stuff off before the descent and put on a new dry layer. The brief exposure of skin to the cold is a small price to pay for a dry base layer on a long descent. I can’t say that this keep me warm but at least I’m not hypothermic. I’ve been hypothermic once in the past to the point where although I could get my key into my vehicle door I was unable to turn it. I finally got the door open by grabbing the key with both hands at waist level and rotating my entire body. With hypothermia, your muscles just quit working, a dangerous situation.
As far as feet I use a liner sock, wool sock or neoprene river wading sock, and boots (I’ve got platform pedals and want something I can walk out in if necessary). I also have some over-the-toe cover for the boots. I’ve heard of some folks wrapping their toes in aluminum foil before inserting them into a shoe but haven’t tried this.
As an aside, in the pack carrying the extra clothes I have a space blanket and fire starting material along with a personal locator beacon device if I’m heading up a remote road.
If it gets too cold I leave the bike at home and break out the skis and snowshoes.
I stumbled across this article which might be of some interest to some. Basically the study looked at the exercise levels done by e-bike users vs regular bike users. E-bike riders rode for longer hours and greater distances, basically using their bikes more often. Thus the total number of METS used per week was greater in the e-bike population than the regular bike population (“What’s more, e-bike riders reported similar—and even slightly higher—activity levels as those who rode a conventional bike. Reported physical activity levels for e-bikers was an average of 4,463 MET minutes/week, versus 4,085 MET minutes/week for conventional cyclists.”)
As many have said, if an e-bike gets you out and having fun, there’s a very positive gain from that. Here’s the link to the article. https://www.bicycling.com/news/a28819663/e-bike-fitness-levels-study/
I wouldn’t consider myself an expert on the subject but I have a few thoughts. First, determine what type of riding you want to do. If you want to gravitate towards enduro events or technical downhills on singletrack your needs will be different than if you plan on bikepacking or riding old dirt or gravel roads. They will be different yet if you want to race.
Once you’ve done that there will remain numerous choices of bikes which are suitable from bunches of manufacturers, for a variety of different budgets, and they’ll all work ok – which is why we see articles like “The 10 best bikes for Enduro”. You can get hung up on choosing among a variety of essentially similar models if you aren’t careful. Just be sure to get one that’s sized right for you.
About a year ago I switched from a 1990’s stumpjumper, a hardtail which in my hands should have been renamed the “stumpbumper” to a Salsa Timberjack. The main reason for this was that the Stumpjumper (which I loved) was bought secondhand and didn’t fit me exactly, so that after a few hours riding my neck felt like I had been belaying for 8 straight hours on some cliff wall staring straight up. The Timberjack allowed a more upright posture and was much kinder to my aging neck. Second, the local bike shop had them in stock and they got good reviews. Third, they could be fitted with racks for bikepacking. Fourth, I don’t do much technical downhill singletrack and don’t race so I didn’t feel the need for dual suspension or a superlight bike. And the price, about $1,000, was right. It’s not what I would choose for Enduro riding or any other racing for that matter but it works great for what I do. So would any number of similar well-fitted bikes out there.
Good luck with your search.
