Ah... but which one then?
You know as well as I do...
You can only enter one bike in BBO.
Carl.
Anybody else can't wait for the BO12 ???
- Thread starter GuitarlCarl
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You know as well as I do...
You can only enter one bike in BBO.
Carl.
That would be cool to see! I have done a couple gravel grinders, most recently the Oskar Blues Old Man Winter Rally. Opted for the 100k, was nowhere near winning but had a blast on the ride, the shorter course didnt go up left hand canyon or anywhere near the mountains so I figured I had to challenge myself. There was a cutoff time halfway through the race I needed to make to do the whole course. Was riding different tires but I did it on my old trek 420, a early 90s cromo road bike with modern wheels and Ultegra 10spd. Would love to see a vintage gravel grinder build!
Lately I've been reading the phrase "Gravel Grinder" a lot. Is there a definition? Seems to be a touring bike with slightly bigger tires, an urban bomber in my book. I'm curious if my old Cad2 with 30mm tires and mtb bars fits the bill?
Carl.
Carl.
Somewhat. Think a mix between your C'dale and a traditional road bike, basically a road bike with larger volume tires similar to those on your hybrid. Geometry tends to be more relaxed than a road bike as you are riding anything from pavement to gravel roads to mild singletrack. Lots of fun, adds variety to a traditional road ride for us guys that like dirt more than pavement!
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Around here people use mountain bikes or if you are serious a cyclocross bike for gravel rides. There are weekly Tuesday 25 mile gravel rides and Wednesday 10 - 12 mile gravel rides. After our single track trails dry out and we remove the deadfalls we ride more of those. There are at least 3 long organized Gravel Grinders in our area this spring/summer. The first is soon but I won't have a bike. Basically a lot of people use cyclocross bikes with tires that are too wide for cyclocross, up to 40 or 42 mm. You need a bike with a frame that will accept these tires and some of the new cross bikes are set up to accept these. Some people call these bikes monstercross bikes. The ideal gravel bike has a long wheelbase to absorb the shock and are not as laid out as a road bike. Comfort is the aim. Hiawatha's revenge takes place in the West Unit of the Hiawatha National Forrest. I have a cabin in this forrest and there are way over 100 maybe 200 or more miles of gravel roads there. Each square mile unless it is swamp, wilderness, steep or lake riddled generally has at least a two track around it and they are connected. I ride for miles on gravel right from my cabin door. I have made routes using abandoned logging trails and old narrow gauge RR logging routes. I keep the entrances full of over hanging brush so the 4 wheelers don't notice them and keep only a narrow corridor open. Each spring I go and clean out all my secret connector routs. So the race I want to do is where my cabin is. Wonderful riding.
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That would work but you might have to change the gearing, depending on the course. I rode a lot in the past on 35 mm tires and that is about perfect, but sand is a problem with tires this narrow. If the course is sandy or has long sandy sections like along a power line then you need as wide as you can fit. That bike would work though especially on our weekly rides as they are about 25% rough asphalt, 50% hard base with loose gravel on top and 25 percent crushed rock bike trail. Sort of a wimp gravel grinder but tons of fun with over 40 people on each ride.
That Cannondale was set up as a road bike when I got it. But I broke my back in the past and can't ride drop handlebars comfortably for long. So I swapped out the bars, stem and brake levers and added a suspension seat post. Stuffed a set of 700x30 Bontragers on it and down the road I go. I love running shadow on the spandex Trek boys around here. Even tho I'll be 57 in a week I still got wheels and I've gotten under the skin of more than one wanna be racer. I was mostly curious about the Gravel Grinder bikes, sound like modern klunkers to me. I don't really want to swap the rims out on the Cad2 to go fatter, it's a quick bike now.
Carl.
Carl.
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Keep riding and spinning as long as you can. My knees and back have improved since I started riding again about 4 years ago. I stopped riding for about 20 years because my back and knees were bothering me but now I just ignore the pain and the pain has improved. There is quite a community of 60-70 guys I ride with here and we all support each other. One guy I ride with will be 71 in July and got lung clots in both his lungs last year and gets very winded on all the hills now and has to go real slow. He is riding with some 60 yo guys that are just getting started. He built an E assisted fat bike and has been riding it on our trails but the board recently met and banned them. I can see both sides, but for someone like him there should be a handicapped exception. He does gravel grinders on his 29er. He takes blood thinners and isn't allowed to fall on his head. He ski races and got 3 nationally two years ago at the NASTAR nationals in his age group. He still races bikes and skis.
I just noticed the downtube shifters on the cannondale, what model is it? Does the model name/number start with a "T"? I thought it was a hybrid judging by the short seat tube and sloping top tube, but I stand corrected. It looks to be a small, really small, touring fame from C'dale back in the day. Would explain why it had drop bars! And why I am seeing a really long seatpost and high rise stem on that ride! Those frames make decent GG builds, but most prefer steel for a more forgiving ride, many miles off pavement on an alloy frame wont be nice to the back.
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I have several classic Klunkers with wide tires and have raced them in mountain bike races in the past. Gravel races are sort of a hybrid race with rough tarmac, miles of fairly straight rolling gravel and a little two track and a little single track. There are no obstacles like the steeple chase aspect of cyclocross with fences. You need a tire that is somewhere between a road tire and a a standard mountain bike tire to be the fastest. I have used the 1.5 inch (38 mm) tires I have in the past on a klunker but got pinch flats and took them off but since I have them I thought I would try them on gravel. They should work here as I have used 35 mm (26 x 1 3/8) tires in the late 80 on gravel at my cabin. My 1.5 tires are knobbies and don't have a smooth center section with lateral knobs like a lot of people use for gravel, seems like a special tire they use. If I like it I may get a different set of wheels and tires but this klunker inspired grinder might be good enough for me. I might go with 40 x 23 gearing but I don't know how many hills there are. I think the start is hilly and has some single and two track. The black flies will out with a vengeance for this race.
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I think I would need more spokes on my wheels. Gravel bikes usually have 36 and even 40 spoke trekking wheels. Folks here use 32 or 36. The gravel and tarmac roads here are bumpy with long sections of chatter bumps, but not nearly as rough as single track.That would be cool to see! I have done a couple gravel grinders, most recently the Oskar Blues Old Man Winter Rally. Opted for the 100k, was nowhere near winning but had a blast on the ride, the shorter course didnt go up left hand canyon or anywhere near the mountains so I figured I had to challenge myself. There was a cutoff time halfway through the race I needed to make to do the whole course. Was riding different tires but I did it on my old trek 420, a early 90s cromo road bike with modern wheels and Ultegra 10spd. Would love to see a vintage gravel grinder build!
I have personally ridden these Mavic Aksiums on some rough singletrack, more than once, they are quite solid. Highly recommended as an entry level road wheelset!
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I ride when I can. Probably could ride a little more. The back injury was in 85' so I'm ok now just don't like hunched down butt up riding for comfort (or lack thereof) I'm inspired by your tales of wind and snow. We almost didn't get any this year. I only had to shovel the sidewalks once for the church this year!
Carl.
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Argh! I hate going in my garage right now. There it is staring back at me. "Come on, let's play. Put a springer fork on me." I have to look away. I do so badly want to go at it wrench in hand. I took a bit of time to clean it up and mount some old wheels on it, but now I hear it crying out for more attention... NO. I will not work on it yet. Leave me alone or I'll hang you in the rafters!
Carl.
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Carl.
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It's an early 90's T400 that I've mildly modified. Losing the drop bars and solid seatpost. It was a touring bike. It's an aluminum frame cruiser now.
Carl.
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Yeah, us too. I bought a new snowblower and only used it 3 times.
Funkme
𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐚𝐤𝐞.𝐧𝐮𝐭
I am itching to build. Have ordered most of my parts. Have had this build on my mind for a couple of years. It will be another ode to a bike from the past. Just sorting out details, like what frame would suit best and 24 or 26 wheels...
I'm pretty sure where I'm going too. Although I am struggling to find the tire combo I want. Easy way out is to order a pair of balloons, in creme. But I also want to go Fat/Skinny, I love that dragster look on a Rat. I'm not having any fun trying to find a creme 26 x 1 3/8.
(besides that ugly schwalbe delta cruiser)
Carl.
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Funkme
𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐚𝐤𝐞.𝐧𝐮𝐭
pick a color any color...
Around $ 48 us, Shipping to me is free,but does not say anything for USA. Could ask them.
OR
Continental RIDE Tour E-25 Draht Reflex 26x1,75-1 = $14us ( need to ask if they will post to USA)
OR
2x tires + tubes 26X1 3/8-1 5/8 = $29us + shipping to USA.
OR
2 x Continental RetroRide Reflex Draht Reflex Reifen 26 x 1,9 | 50-559 creme =$26us
Maybe you can find them in the USA, Now that you have the brands . This is what is available over this side of the pond. Of course there is more in different sizes.
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I'd love to find the Kenda's over here, they make fat tires too, and then the color would match. I did see those from Italy, but shipping was twice as much as the tires were. I checked and my rat trap will clear a 700c tire and that gives me a lot more choices.
Carl.
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Carl.
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