Halleluja, can't agree more that if you wrap properly (ie with enough tension) then it doesn't matter whether it's going forwards or backwards on the tops and drops.
@@TheWoogeroo that's the point, there is no particular advantage if you do it properly (with the caveat that I'm not racing and my ftp is terrible, so I'm never really putting that much force through anything - maybe in that case, for the pros, it would make a difference)
The advantage is, that you can go the way, your bartape is happy with. And you don't have to force the bartape in a certain shape, to make it look and feel good.
The ass savers stuff is all good. The mullet is promoted as something to keep your feet dry on wet roads but it also works exceptionally well as a way to stop dirt and mud being flicked onto your chain by your front wheel.
The redshift cruise controls have double sided tape that is incredibly sticky. Doesn't needed to wrap them like that. Mines are pretty fixed and the visual is cleaner this way. Just a tip. Also, I really recommend the other inserts! They are game changers! You can ride on the drops without any kind of discomfort and your hands don't bend. Actually, now I spend the majority of the time on the drops because of them!
From what I've heard those elastomer suspension parts get really stiff when temperatures get into the negatives, so I would personally definitely opt for the ones with actual suspension on them (which do exist and are very good options).
And same here. Work great on my giant revolt. And cheaper than the three asssavers things you need for less coverage. I do get a tiny bit of toe overlap with mine but you get used to it. Give you way more coverage and personally I think they look better. Probably weight slightly more but I don’t care about that.
Gravel bike riders will do everything possible and spend all sorts of money to get more comfort but heaven forbid riding a full suspension flat bar bike.
All good! Love how gravel bikes are following exactly the same roadie evolution as mountain bikes... skinny tyres to fat... flex stems... crappy Crud Catchers... short and steep geo to long and low... So, when are we going to see a gravel bike running 29" wheels, 50mm/2" tyres (min), bottle bosses for short, stay-mounted guards (how hard is this??), longer chain stays, and yes, full suspension. Not necessarily for adventure riding (reliability, simplicity, luggage mounting), but for speed and comfort in chunky conditions. 'Cos Nick is right - Gravel is all about comfort.
Hearing Nic rave about Enduro made me look up my bike's component specs and discover that the Wolftooth headset ships standard with Enduro sealed bearings with a stainless option 🦾
Hey, what's wrong with full coverage mudguards? No eyelets for the struts? Full coverage fenders stay in place, don't rattle, and the aluminum ones last forever. They don't add appreciable weight and may be actually more aerodynamic than exposed tires. they keep water out of the seatpost, BB and headset bearings, road grime off rider and bike when it rains. The main reason they're dismissed is style and that's just dumb. Those plastic ones you show are wimpy afterthoughts.
The fork mudguard is visibaly a bit too long and it will scratch the down tube to bare metal. It has to be snipped a bit. I've been there. As for the lizard skin bar tape - although the have great grip they are overpriced. And I find the diffucult to wrap so that the edges do not stick out, especially on the tops bents, because it's to thick. I think a better choice is to have a stanard tape and put some gel/silocon inserts underneath it.
Fenders will keep you dry and therefore warmer on long epic rides. Having cold, gritty water constantly soaking your backside and acting like sand paper will leave you with nasty sores.
LOVE Win Wing. Must have accessory for me. So light and small it stays on my bike permanently. I put one of those anti rattle stickers for presta valves over the central pin which hides the two remaining unused holes.
Build a set of wheels with berd spokes the vibration loss is huge. You could easily build with xc mtb wheels and have a crazy light wheels that do wonders in comfort
Hi Nick, I have bought myself a Hitmax DUB BSA BB. Absolute no brainer. What do you mean by they need servicing. Seals off and a re-grease? Before buying it I spoke to Extra, the Enduro distributor to check the about the lifetime warranty. They told me it is exactly that lifeline fit and forget?
Hey Dean, the Maxhit range is made from 440c stainless steel, and can last forever, but still runs a slight risk of corroding with time. But if you pop the seals, clean and grease them once every year or two they should last for years.
Not interested in group rides then. Or riding anywhere longer than a couple of hours in potentially shit weather. Flinging mud and farmyard stuff into the face and eyes of your friends is a good way to make them sick. Mudguards with mudflaps are just the decent thing to do. And the front mudguard is more beneficial than the rear one for yourself - keeps a constant flow of water off your chainrings and feet.
What you were saying about gravel bikes being like 90s mountain bikes is definitely true. When gravel bikes starting becoming popular I always thought they were just like the old school hard tail mountain bikes but with drop bars. History always seems to have a way of repeating itself, there are already front suspension gravel bikes too, the next step will be full suspension gravel bikes aha
@@TheWoogeroo true, there are many examples of dropbar conversions. I thought about doing it myself since a friend had a frame with the right size, but ended up just buying a new bike.
Yeah it's true, mountain bikes got a bit too good and terrain that's not especially challenging just becomes boring to ride on. A gravel bike can mean that whatever's on your doorstep is fun to ride on, depending where you live obviously.
Some people might say doing laps of a muddy field is crap but I think you should just let people enjoy things. What's definitely not fun is finding videos about things you're not interested in and leaving comments, it's kind of sad.
@@DMurdock lol, how about reversing my original message to… 1 watt can be the difference between last and 2nd to last place ! No, would that be worth fighting for? 😀
