Ozark Trail vs Specialized Crux | Upgrade Or Replace 

A $250 bike vs a $2300 bike I have the $250 G1 I currently cannot afford a $2300 bike So I get to ride now instead of just wishing I had the $2300 bike. Quality or options is irrelevant in that regard. I’ve been happy with my G1 and like it much better than I expected to. It’s been good to see that many people have been enjoying the G1 and other budget bikes and the upgrades that they may or may not make. Another RU-vidr got one, modified it a couple ways, decided it wasn’t for and returned it. Bought something else he liked better. “Gravel bike” is still a concept I have trouble wrapping my head around. Seems like a marketing term. Probably because the first time I heard it was from a salesman. Ride whatever works for you. No shade for $2300 or pricier bikes, there’s quite a few on my wish list. If I stop buying budget bikes, I could probably save up for one.🤪

Bro, I think it’s time to admit you have an addiction to buying bikes. 🤣

Seems like a lot of RU-vidrs are putting the Ozark gravel against high end bikes. Maybe because of all the good things with it. But again better brand maybe better bike. But then park comes with the G1 gravel. It makes ya think. Add new parts can be a good bike. Just know some people only have 248 for a bike. I like the videos you are doing. Nice keep em going.

In my opinion, you would probably have more fun using a full-sus or hardtail XC bike for a Gravel bike. Mount Gravel tires and cut the flatbar to around 25" wide. My Gravel bike is 110/120mm travel Specialized Epic Evo Comp (which I bought for 35% off) with 700x47 Specialized Pathfinder Pro tires and a 25" wide riser bar. I ride road, gravel, and up to blue singletrack on this bike. It rolls very fast on pavement and gravel while still being quite capable on easier singletrack and is extremely comfortable.

Another very good video, with good information, and presented well. Really hope this channel takes off. Wishing you the best…!

Lots of people are reviewing the Ozark bike because they realized the bike industry has duped them into thinking things need to be expensive and fancy. They dont!

Cool bike! I had a road bike in college back in the day. You got me thinking of the awesome 40 mile rides with nothing to think about but the open road ahead of you. There is definitely a reason it's so popular.

Gravel-nator 😎 cool vid bro! You got me wanting to get a gravel bike now hahaha

I have zero carbon frame experience really, but my road bike has a carbon fork and I'm amazed at how well it does soaking up the road. I've whacked some pretty wicked potholes and rode over some gnarly asphalt. It really does great absorbing it all and giving me a more pleasant riding experience around town. Perhaps upgrading the Ozark Trail to a carbon fork would be a cheaper option to most people, increasing ride quality and comfort.

I have had problems with the carbon developing cracks over time. I started hearing squeaks and realized one bike had a crack in the bottom bracket and had to stop riding it and my second bike by a different brand had a crack in the head tube or where the top tube joins the head set. luckily they gave me my money back on that one. I will probably never buy another carbon frame bike again. There great for saving weight but to me they are not worth the money when they break and they were not ridden that hard. I'm going back to aluminum and just up grade the components so I don't have to worry about breakage. The Ozark is not just a commuter bike it is meant to also be a touring bike with bags and racks added to it.

I stopped buying bikes by their brand. Instead I went by material,, I have aluminum 6061, 7005. Steel 853,953 from Reynolds. Carbon is trash after the first Crash. Ask yourself what Gruppo goes with what bike frame? What’s the difference in 53-11 from Shimano or 53 -11- from Campagnolo .? Absolutely nothing… your legs are the most important. And you are right ,,, La vida es ventajosa….❤ love it

I'd buy one just for the hell of it, but I can't seem to find any in Large.

Keep it real, dude. I like this.

The OZ-TR needs some bags and a basket it becomes the perfect grocery bike. Its desined as an entry level do everything bike.

Congratulations on you new bike!!! What a coincidence. 3 years ago, I purchased a $400 Walmart road bike to get some exercise. Although I was not very impressed with its performance, or comfort, it did the job. It also started to break allot after only a year of riding. Did some minor upgrades to it but I never got that "fast, in the wind" feel on it like when I was a kid. What I didn't count on was that this cheep $400 bike would pull me into riding so much. After weeks of research, this weekend I pulled the trigger on a Giant Revolt Advanced 2. I feel like that kid again on a fast bike. Irony is, I mocked people paying over a thousand $$ for a bicycle. I did not understand nor did I want to. Now I know, feel, and... I get it. I will be keeping the Walmart $400 bike not because I'm sentimental or have plans for it, but because there are dozens upon dozens of Walmart bikes like it on FB Marketplace and other for $50~$20. It is a cheap Walmart bike but its not worthless. I rather keep it as a backup then give it away for that kind of money.

Check out the Ensenada rosarito 50 mile ride. It’s a pretty cool experience. I think one is coming up in September

The OZ-TR has a place, it fills a spot that specialized, or Cannondale, and track cannot fill. In my own opinion it is a very well made bike. Is it perfect, for the price? Yes .

Damn, we are pretty much neighbors. I've been riding the shit out of my YT szepter gravel bike. Maybe I'll see you around sometime. I'm in central park

Podrías hacer un video en español yo compre una G1 explorer pero no se mucho de ella! Solo se que me gusta mucho y me ha salido buena la bicicleta! Gracias

nice vid! btw what size is your ozark trail and what's your height?

oh man! 🤦‍♂️ why oh why? the ozark was killing it! 👍 the ozark can teach you a lot of improvization when you go for the divide tour. lachlan basically was on single speed for like hundreds of miles. imperfection is good! 👍

here's what you dont know!! I went out and bought a g-1 gravel bike. I really like mine. ya see dude, i noticed some things about that g-1 bike that nobody else noticed. here's what makes it so special. first of all its got a long wheel base. the comes from the factory built for bike packing and touring. yes long distance touring. double wall rims and 36 spokes. a steel fork. oh my gosh somebody got it right. it aint a plastic carbon fork yahoo. it comes with braze on s 3 on each side and braze ons everywhere. yes its cheap, but it's a 2x drive train. what!!!!!! really. and internal cable routing and index shifting, and a 6061 aluminum frame built esp for touring which is exactly what i was looking for. for 250 dollars. really even with the cheap compontents, this bike could easily sell for 700 dollars. When i get done with mine, i will put it up against any touring bike out there or bike packing bike. the bikes ready to upgrade. i have done all kind of upgrades on this bike already. rides as good as my 2000 dollar gravel bike. the tolorences and the componantry is no where near as good, but who cares. my bike shifts really good and the brakes are good. my 2000 carbon fork gravel bike is collecting dust. the g-1 is getting rode everyday. dude, you wasted yo money on dat ygly carbon plastic bike. yes carbon is a plastic and it will break. you cant do anything with a carbon fork. no pack mounts or panniers. you may could put water bottles on it but that.s it. carbon is junk!! steel is real. ha ha dude, go get yo money back on dat plastic bike. don't wreck it, it will break.

Im looking at polygon path F4 or X4 $799 to $950 on sale.

it's good to have that bike that you wouldn't mind lending to a friend or using as a grocery getter. it should look cool but not too ratty to be a pub bike.

The bike is good for what it is IMHO. I’ve done 40 mile rides on this bike and while yeah not the most luxurious ride, it’ll do what it needs to! I bought this bike with the intention of throwing all my spare parts at it and making it my own. So far I’ve got an ergon suspension seatpost, fizik saddle, Renee hurst 47c tires, and some other bits. And yeah the dropped chains are a bummer on this one, can’t go too hard on it 😂

Hola señor MILTONATOR from Tejas!! Looks like @ 0:57 you gots a little bit of frijoles on your back tire 🙂 🙂.

Nice bike!

Sick crux dawg

Steel fork aluminum frame. Ozark. Now your correct the frame you can not change but the parts yes. And yes the frame will vibrate. Just remember it rigid. And tires. Matter. Mtb 29 1.1. Can make it maybe better. Now I own the park gravel but it will make someone get into the sport at the low price. I’m gonna upgrade mine and my wife’s Ozark. Just finding parts. I don’t want to add more exspensive parts. But if I find good deals then yes. I like the bike I ride the parts on it then upgrade it.

This bike just needs a bigger rear casette/derailleur (11-40) and better tires (GK or Conti TS) and it's good to go. Another $150-200

Looks sick bro. My dream is that one day you will have a 200mm front and rear e bike. Next.🙏🙏🙏🔥

That downhill on the drop bars is unnatural for me. Slumped over the bars seems like a guaranteed endo whether I use the brakes or not. The upright position without brakes feels like death roulette 👻 I’m enjoying the videos and the scenery. 👍😎

dude, you talk about getting a better bike for performence, what? that carbon bike aint even got mounts on da fork for bike poacking or touring, and carbon aint gonna give you a better ride qaulity than that 6061 aluminum frame ozark trail. if you wont top ride qaulity, you should have bought a steel frame gravel bike. i really don't get what you are saying. yes the bike is faster and lighter, but you cant bike pack with it like a solid frame aluminum or steel gravel bike. why did you get talked into a specialized carbon plastic bike, and its ugly. sorry dude, i call it like i see it. for 1000 dollars i could have put you on really nice gravel bike that could do it all. sorry dude, you really need to go get yo money back on dat carbon bike.

It seems to me the price difference doesn’t completely justify the price difference & the Ozark look like more of a gravel bike with appropriate tires & they way it’s set up the Specialized looks more like an efficient bike but looks more like a road bike. If I’m buying a bike labeled as a Gravel bike I expect the parts to reflect that as well I just don’t picture the Specialized as being a very at more technical gravel roads. And yes the Carbon is nice at dampening the vibrations but it’s those vibrations & also when you hit something hard on the road that lead to frame failures so carbon I has a shorter life span & cracks much easier. I’ve seen Carbon rode bikes literally break while at high speeds sending the rider to the hospital & even worse are carbon forks I’ve seen them just snap & cause the rider to crash hard. Also carbon bars especially off road just snap with no warning at least aluminum will bend or show signs of damage. I’ve had carbon bikes & aluminum after being in cycling over 30 years unless I’m racing I’d buy a aluminum frame & never look back carbon is ok but it just has a shorter life span & fails a lot more. I’d replace the drivetrain on the Ozark put clipless pedals on it & ride the heck out of it. And anything labeled Specialized costs a lot more just because of the name.

I take the specialized any day.

Its the indian, not he arrow