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Ron

Seeking the next best ski
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Canyon was the premier sponsor of the STB GRVL race so there were a bunch of folks on them and they had a large booth/exhibit. That's a fine looking bike and I love the color ways of their products. they just looked refined and of quality.
 
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Erik Timmerman

Erik Timmerman

So much better than a pro
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Did a little adventuring today trying to follow the dotted line on this old map. Kinda blew it as Belvedere Mountain Road had a s different name at the East end.
E8120020-4CED-4FFD-A39B-3B630A029243.jpeg

This giant wasp thing did not sting me. It was about three inches long!
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Logging in progress. There was some walking.
C44A4027-8E0C-4C78-837F-799121419189.jpeg

Josh - what kind of vehicles drive on this road?
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Found this beautiful Beaver Pond at the top of the hill, but it proved to be the end of the road for us, now I know which way to go next time.
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Anyway, really fun challenge to ride the Grail on this stuff. Wet soft roads, tons of logging debris. Waterbars, ledge. I start to worry that the bottom is going to drop out when frogs are jumping out of my way.
 
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Josh Matta

Skiing the powder
Pass Pulled
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Dec 21, 2015
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Here are the roads me and Erik were riding lol.

IMG_4832.JPG
IMG_4833.JPG
 
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Erik Timmerman

Erik Timmerman

So much better than a pro
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My creak came back, so I installed the Hope BB. Blessed silence has returned.
 
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Erik Timmerman

Erik Timmerman

So much better than a pro
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Finally made it up to the East Mountain Radar Base. I tried last week, but missed a turn and pedaled past it. This time we made it. I posted the Strava screenshot because I like how pointy the profile is. That's what it felt like. You'd be going around a 20% switchback hoping it flattens and just ride into a ramp. The pavement once we got past the lower base was surprisingly good, though covered in moss and likens and some wet leaves. Very slippery, we descended quite slowly because of the skidmarks we had seen on the way up. I had been hoping for nice views at the top, but instead it was cold, wet, and very windy. I'm definitely going back on a sunny day. I was psyched that I made it up not only without walking, but I even kept one cog in reserve and had more to give.

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cantunamunch

Meh
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Nov 17, 2015
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21,912
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Behavioral sink
The Hoverbar! I really like the aesthetic of the hoverbar, but for me, if I could wave a magic wand at it, I'd like to be able to make the lower bar more droopy and have it connect lower in order to allow more room for my hands when in the drops. As it is now, the connecter bar does let me hook my thumbs, but it kind of pushes on the meat of my hand behind my thumbs and pushes me back from the brake levers just a little bit.

Bottom line, great bike, would buy again. Depending on what next year's Grail is speced like, I might flip this, and buy a Di2 GRX model next year.

Did you see Peter Verdone's biplane bar build?

http://www.peterverdone.com/bi-planes-are-the-future/
 
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Erik Timmerman

Erik Timmerman

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That bike! Wow. Reminds me of Steve Bauer's "stealth bike" from Eddy Merckx. Maybe that thing was 20 (25?) years ahead of it's time.
 
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Erik Timmerman

Erik Timmerman

So much better than a pro
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My creaking sound has come back. I realized the other day that if I stand to climb it goes away, so it pretty much had to be seat or seatpost related. The seat post is that cool leaf spring design where it is two halves that are able to slide against each other. That also means that there is all of this gunk in between the two halves. I'm not really sure if it is gunned up fibergrip, mud grit, or a combo of both. Clearly, fine particles are able to migrate down the length of the post. I cleaned it the best I can, and lubricated and reassembled and hopefully it will be quiet now. If it does not cooperate I will look for a warranty replacement of the post.
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martyg

Making fresh tracks
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Borrowed a 56cm Specialized Diverge for a couple of hours today. My very first thought was that it's a little small at 56cm, by the end of the ride, it seemed reasonable, but I'd have liked t try a 58 if I could. I think that mountain bike bars are ridiculous at 800mm plus, but buy do roadie bars seem narrow now! Tires were 35c and I ran them at 70 psi even though it said 75-100 on the sidewall. I thought 35 sounded a bit on the wide side, but maybe not. I don't think I'd go narrower. Praxis works cranks, no thanks, reminded me of late '80's Shimano, glad I escaped without bloody ankles. Brakes were TRP pulled by cables from 105 shifters. They were not one bit stronger than my DA rim brakes - disappointing I was expecting to stop like Dave Stohler with the pump in his spokes. Can I assume hydraulic road brakes stop a little harder? Also, I don't know if it was the bend of the bar or what, but I could barely get my fingers on the brakes from the drops. Anyway, first data point.

The current gen Diverge has a bottom bracket that is #super low. It brings stability, but sacrifices clearance. If you put anything but stock tires on it the bb height is even more of a handicap.
 

martyg

Making fresh tracks
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I get to ride and review a lot of bikes. I did a review of the Niner RLT Steel. I liked the platform so much that I bought the Carbon RLT RDO. Super versatile and capable platform. A little more sporty geometry than many gravel bikes. You will see a few at ‘cross races.

I went with GRX 2x and switched bars to S-works Carbon, which is the same touch point on all my other drop bar bikes.
 
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Erik Timmerman

Erik Timmerman

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The RLT Steel looks really nice, I feel like I'd go for that over the carbon.
 
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Erik Timmerman

Erik Timmerman

So much better than a pro
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6,304
The current gen Diverge has a bottom bracket that is #super low. It brings stability, but sacrifices clearance. If you put anything but stock tires on it the bb height is even more of a handicap.

Interesting comment about the Diverge BB, since apparently the next-gem Diverge goes lower and they say that you can switch to 650B wheels. Even with real fatties, I expect 650B will put you even lower than stock.
 

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