It was 2021.
The world was in LockDown.
That made Iceland even more like a Forbidden fruit than it already seemed.
We got our jabs and took the cheapest flights possible.
For four days I rode my aero gravelbikes with 40mm fast Conti Terra Speed, and my friend his alu allroad bike with 40mm across the most amazing and insane terrain.
Really.
In hindsight we could not have had more fun, better weather of more epic scenery in those days.
Iceland 10/10 recommend - because 13/10 isnt an option.

I'm going there again in 2027. Any suggestions to take notion off?

Fairlight Secan Desert. 1x12 GRX and 650b tyres 😎

Always wanted a gravel bike and I finally pulled the trigger. If anyone in the UK and knows nice routes up North, I'd appreciate recommendations

I’m happy with my new large Zephyr, it rides like a dream and fits very well. I’m annoyed though, that the mounts under the down tube only allow for a tool keg, and not an actual water bottle. I’ve ordered a Wolf Tooth adapter to try and remedy, but I’ve had plenty of bikes with lower mounts and they ALL allowed for a large bottle. The online info. refers to them as bottle mounts. Lynskey said I should try the mini fidlock.

What are your preferences for riding gravel?

I find it a bit hard to decide, because generally I like to ride in a group on road with friends, but when it comes to gravel, I find it better to slow down, enjoy the scenery, take in the experience, while my friends are rushing through it with friggin zone 4 pace. It might be a skill issue, I know, git gud, but still if I'd be Pog with 300W zone2 endurance, I still wouldn't really want to be flying through the scenery.

Do y'all go easy and take gravel rides alone or with friends in conversation pace, or rather enjoying going fast?

Last year I got into biking after supporting my daughter at the Leadville 100MTB. Seeing all those bikers was mind altering and inspiring! After visiting multiple stores, I saw the hot pink/watermelon 2024 Crux (on sale at that), tested it in the parking lot and was SOLD! I was 61, in decent shape, and to the salespersons credit, they did try to get me to try a diverge....but they weren't as pretty. Needless to say the bike is a bit too large at size 54, I am 5'7". I did a bike fit, shortened the stem and it feels okay, hands not going numb as much, feet still do. I love the zippiness of it, but gosh, I wouldn't mind a little less jarring over rough patches, and perhaps a more relaxed geometry. Learned a lot in the last year about all that stuff. As a beginner, I had no idea bikes could be so different.

I have since tested the diverge, almost bought it, the checkpoint, the salsa flyway-which felt so smooth, but looking at its geometry, it seems similar to the Crux, also the Stigmata, not so comfy. It is so hard to tell on short test rides on pavement how they will feel after 2 hours.

Basically, is it sensible to have a more race oriented gravel bike AND a more relaxed gravel bike? Does anyone have 2 like this? I do dirt roads, gravel trails and some county park trail riding on it. Some days I want to zip around fast, and some days I think I want to take a longer, more sightseeing kind of ride. Just trying to justify it in my head.

My 2018 diverge finally got end-of-life, and repairs were so much (bottom bracket, drive train, calipers) that it made more sense to upgrade. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself!

Despite fairly large geometry changes between 2018 and 2027, I had to make minimal changes to get the new ride to fit perfectly.

Riding the Spirit World 50 this fall, and I think I will really appreciate the wider tires!

This is the only photo the seller has posted, but I was wondering if this would be a good price for this bike as it would also be my first gravel bike.

Hi everyone! I'll be traveling to Iceland next summer for the Rift Gravel Race and wanted to share my journey with anyone who's interested. I'll be posting daily (hopefully) on my training plan, group rides, solo rides, nutrition, things I've learned, etc. I am by no means an expert, but the goal is just to finish The Crevasse course (87 miles; 5,577 feet of elevation). Feel free to follow if interested.

Jamis Renegade, carbon. Loving the electronic shifting.

​I’m retuning to biking after over a decade away. I could use advice from more experienced folks. My primary usage is commuting (with panniers), but I love the outdoors and would love the option of hitting some mild trails while camping, etc.

I got a medium Ozark Trail Rebel G.2 ($648) a couple of weeks ago, set it up with a rack, Shimano hybrid pedals, lights, and planned to install compressionless housings and fenders last weekend...which is when I found an open-box large REI Co-op ADV 2.1 ($675!) that has nearly identical components (and already equipped with Jagwire brake housings).

I either return the Ozark or sell the ADV.

​On paper (and by reputation?), the REI sounds like it could be the better product long-term but the Ozark feels better when ridden. Yes, the "medium" OT is more my size on paper, but I don't think the frame size on the ADV is causing the difference in feel. I'd much rather support REI than the Great Value bike, but idk if that trumps bike-feel.

Here is how they stack up side-by-side:

There are a lot of side trails off of the various roads in the Santa Monica Mountains which are super fun on the gravel bike.

So I am really torn between the Canyon Grail CF7 and Specialized Crux Comp 5. This is going to be my second bike for light gravel in the Florida trails.
Which one has the best bang for the buck in terms of weight, aesthetics, features, and which one will hold its value kore over time in your opinion? Do you have any other recommendations aside from these two? Thanks in advance!

Just wondering if anyone has any pictures of the 2027 colours of this bike?
Obviously I can see the product picture online but I want to see how it looks in other settings.

Hey guys! Looking for some input on choosing my next bike. I’ve narrowed it down to two options:

the Salsa Cutthroat and the Lauf Seigla.

My background is primarily mountain biking. My current quiver consists of an all-mountain/enduro full suspension bike, a singlespeed 29er, and a fully rigid steel 29er with a truss fork. I enjoy everything from singletrack and bikepacking to long endurance rides.
What I’m looking for is a bike that can do a little bit of everything. Ideally, I want to be able to link up pavement, gravel roads, fire roads, and some singletrack for long rides in the 8–24 hour range, with bikepacking thrown into the mix.

I’m pretty new to gravel bikes, so this is a little outside my wheelhouse. I know the Cutthroat and Seigla are quite different bikes, but I’m curious to hear from people who have experience with either one, especially if you’ve used them for long-distance rides or taken them onto rougher terrain.
Would you lean toward one over the other for what I’m looking to do? I’m also open to other suggestions if there’s a bike you think I should be considering.

Thanks in advance! I appreciate any input.

Just finished setting up a pair of the new Pathfinder 29x2.2” tires tubeless and installing on my Fairlight Secan. Currently measuring 56.3mm on 32mm inner width rims. I expect they’ll stretch a small amount as I get some time/miles on them.

No ride review yet, but a couple laps around the neighborhood to swish around the sealant, and they feel really smooth and quick!

Included pics of clearance. Tightest spot on the Secan is the seat stay bridge- about 4mm of clearance there. Everywhere else is 5-6mm or more. It looks tighter between the tire and seat tube than it actually is.

No muddy conditions where I ride, so smooth tread and tight clearance isn’t an issue for me- YMMV!

I'm really stuck on which to get. I can get a discount on both that brings them to roughly the same price (well under $2k).

I love the idea of the Berds with the dampening. Being a 100+ mile racer and older (masters), it would be a nice relief. The 30mm internal allows for any tire size. And they are light. But they are so new that there are very few reviews, aside from influencers. I know the spokes have been around for a bit, but the wheels are new. My LBS can service Berds if they ever need it.

The XPLRs are proven aero wheels. We all know them.

I do most of my racing in Michigan, where wind is a bigger threat than elevation (100+ mile racing).

I've researched all other options as well and still side-eyeing the Reserve 48/53, but no discount on them; they are just as much as my other options. Enve and Roval are just too expensive for my needs.

I'm sort of leaning towards Zipp only because they treated me well when I torched my other Zipp wheelset in a crash. I know Berd has the same, but Zipp was such an easy seamless process.

Thoughts?

Hello All.

I can for the life of me not figure out the compatible parts between the two systems.

Background.

Both bikes mentioned is 1x

I have on my current gravelbike ( Ridley ASTR) SRAM 12 speed (AXS). The frame is UDH for the derailleur. I have 3 wheelsets all with XDR driver and 12 speed casettes.

I'm now looking at a Canyon Grizl. It's also with AXS, but 13 speed. And UDH frame.

My thought would be to keep the wheelsets so I don't have to change tires. I have one with 32mm slick for road, one set with 50 mm cinturato all road for hardpack and bike packing. And one set with 50 mm Cinturato gravel M for when it's more muddy and wet gravel.

I'm down to 3 solutions.

1. Change the 13 speed derailleur and cassette on the Grizl to a 12 speed setup.

( probably cheapest option 350 -400€ and the i maybe can resell the 13 speed derailleur and casette)

1. Change the derailleur and 3xcassettes to 13 speed. ( expensive as fck appx 1000 €).

2. Finding an alternative to the Grizl with a 12 speed axs setup from the get go ( but the Grizl tick all the boxes for my upcoming need, bosses for mounting racks front and back and so on).

I'm so annoyed if there isn't any backwards combability from SRAM. It's like apple, making small increments and the rendering a perfectly usable product unusable.

Am I missing something. Is there an easier solution I haven't thought of??