[brooksb5]

You will spend a lot more time and money building from scratch, doing gearing research, parts sourcing, etc…

I’ve built both my bikes from scratch. Definitely for the pleasure of it. If you have the tools and the time it’s easy. It’s much harder and more expensive if you have to run back and forth to the shop all the time

[brooksb5]

I can get a picture when I get home; frame manufacturer is Foundry (they went under in 2017)

[brooksb5]

So what software have you been using to stabilize the video?

The 360 cameras sound cool, but depending on where I mount, it’ll probably devolve into the same question on how to stabilize and get good feed. Not to mention the Rylo is still way more than I’d ideally like to spend.

I may just end up not recording my trail rides, which is kind of a bummer but I probably am not doing anything super thrilling anyways. More of to catch that deer that runs out in front of me every time at the state park that nobody else ever sees.

[brooksb5]

vapidoscar, tires make a MASSIVE difference. For instance, I did the Love Valley Roubaix (49mi mostly gravel back country NC mountain/logging road) race two years in a row. First year, I did it on my 29er hardtail (carbon, 21 pounds) with 2.1″ tires. Finished just above five hours. Year 2, I did it on 38c gravel tires, and finished in just UNDER four hours, similar conditions to the first round.

I agree with OP, that just putting skinnier tires on a MTB and using that for gravel is all well and good….but I’ve found that riding 50 miles, I want to be able to shift around a little bit and remain in control (hand positioning), which is something that flat bars can’t really do, and converting a MTB to drop bars COULD be just as expensive as getting a cheap gravel bike. (Converting means you’re screwing with the fit dimensions, buying tons of extra components, etc…).

Don’t get me wrong, a hardtail is great for long distance, but the issue with gravel/road riding is you’re in the saddle  almost 100% of the time, whereas on the trail my buttocks are an inch or two above my saddle as I’m going over bumpy sections or cornering, or over the back wheel when descending. I physically move my positioning a lot more, whereas that doesn’t really happen on gravel track.

[brooksb5]

Welcome Matt!

Before you buy…TEST RIDE like crazy. You can do all the homework on every little itty bitty detail that you want, and know the performance difference of ceramic versus steel ball bearings, but it won’t mean squat until you go and ride it. I’d also recommend NOT spending near your budget for a bike, especially for your first one after a long hiatus. Especially if you’re not quite sure if you’re going to stick with it. Plus, there’s always something that comes up i.e. you don’t like how the tires grip, seat not the right size, or you want wider bars, or a dropper post, clips and shoes, more well ventilated helmet, etc…these items WILL come up later.

Ask shops if they allow you to put money spent on rentals towards the purchase of a bike, I know that quite a few do, and they sometimes sell their demos at a discount!

I’d recommend a plus bike (larger tire) and a hardtail (front suspension only) as your first bike. IMHO, hardtails are much better in helping (re)teach you how to read and ride the trails, and the larger tire gives you a little extra cushion. The gearing out of the gate won’t matter as much, as you’ll be just getting into it and not sure how much or what the trails are riding. Personally, I ride a 1×11, with a 34 front chainring and a 11-46 in the back. I rarely use the big ring in the back except for when I go west a bit to the mountains. Ride whatever’s on the rental when you get to RI, and find out what you like and what you don’t.

 

For specific brand/model recommendations, I’ve had great luck with Salsa, the Timberjack in particular is a VERY flexible ride (you can customize and tweak like crazy, and you can run several different wheel sizes if you want), and comes in less than $2k, which gives you plenty of budget left for upgrades! Specialized Fuse or Trek Stache would be great options as well, I’ve either owned or have friends who own.

[brooksb5]

I have a Fenix 5.

What I like:
I agree with an earlier comment that the Fenix line is bullet proof. I’ve fallen on it, dropped it, whacked it on stuff in the shop (crankarms and chainrings being the common culprit). It’s a little bulkier than I like in a watch, but again, durability is awesome. Feature-wise, it’s a great stunt double for a smartwatch. Does a decent job tracking heart rate on a bumpy ride, lots of apps/watch faces to choose from, good/great battery life. Pairs with every phone I’ve had in the last couple years, easy to pair with your sensor accessories (you’ll need speed/cadence for better distance tracking).  Very easy to set up and use the few dozen sports widgets that come with, in addition to the tri sprints I’ve used it for DH/XC skiing.

Things I don’t:

Price, even a for a refurb one, is pretty high (I got mine brand new). This isn’t the one that I can load music to, sadly. That was released about six months after I got mine (definitely wasn’t happy).

The bulk is the other thing I don’t like. It’s big (it’s not as big as the 5X, but still) and weighs just enough that it is really hard to get the band tight enough on my wrist so it doesn’t bounce around on the gnarlier trails…and go too tight and it cuts of circulation. I’ve kinda stopped wearing it on my mountain rides and wear it for a gravel one instead.

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