My belief is that my current bike will need to be replaced before race day, and possibly before I ride my first 60+ mile ride, much less on gravel. Is that belief accurate?
Assuming so, I have been looking at "gravel bikes". Brands so far: Giant, GT, Raleigh, Bianchi, Felt, and Salsa. I've been limiting my list to what I can get from a LBS. Although I suspect I could get one assembled correctly from a box with a little help from my hard core biker friends.
I'm similar in weight at 285. I'm on a Cannondale SuperX Rival CX1.
Here's a few of my thoughts for what they are worth:
For me clearance to fit 38c tires is a minimum...40c-42c is a huge plus. Even if you don't ride tires that wide...the extra clearance for mud could be a ride saver.
Hydro brake are a huge > over mech brakes. Of course they cost more too. But worth it IMO.
Thru Axles are a big plus but not a deal killer alone if the bike lacks them.
Carbon fork. Really helps soak up some of the bumps and vibration on the road and gravel.
Skip anything below Tiagra level (preferably go 105/Rival).
My perfect bike would be the Salsa Warbird...good luck finding one now. Maybe the aluminum frame but not carbon. I really really want the Carbon Rival 22 build.
I am strongly thinking about seeing about trading my SuperX in on a Niner RLT9 since the Warbird isn't available and RLT checks most of the boxes for me...great tire clearance. Hydro brakes. Thru Axles. Relaxed geo. Carbon fork. Only negative is no carbon frame.
Or I might ride the SuperX for most of the summer until the 2017 Warbird comes out late summer then talk trade although my bike will be worth less by then. But I might have a better chance selling around end of summer since it'll be getting close to CX season. I can sell pretty cheap and break even because I bought it for a great deal.
Hmmm, yeah, one of my hard-core friends (is currently riding Trans Iowa), recommends getting tires in the 40 range. He says they will work better on gravel for a person my size. However, most I'm looking at seem to fit tires of at least 40c, so that won't be much of a differentiator.
As for the 105's, I've been loosely thinking the same and the cheapest at the moment is a Norco Search Aluminum 105 that I just discovered.
@RoverAl - yup, those were front runners, but I don't like the service at the LBS that sells them. I will check to see if I have other options, though.
Craig Treptow wrote:@RoverAl - yup, those were front runners, but I don't like the service at the LBS that sells them. I will check to see if I have other options, though.
Hi Craig!
Fellow Iowan here... and also of the Clydesdale size (6'3 230lbs) I bought a Raleigh Willard 2 at Rasmussen last spring and have been pleased with it and with the shop; Greg Rasmussen aims to please! Whatever bike you get, make sure you pay for a professional bike fit; Gents 6.0 nearly ruined my knees this year because my fit was poor and the conditions were absolutely brutal. I think you'll find that gravel racing in the wind and hills, especially being of the heavier weight class, is going to require a solid fit and good riding technique to prevent injury.
I'd say look for something that's a year or two old, but well maintained. You'll get a lot more bike for your money. And get it sooner than later so that you can start to get a feel for what aspects of it fit you well and what you might want to tweak.
It sounds to me like you're "diving-in"....eventually/slowly, you'll become a more capable mechanic. Pick your friends' brains along the way.
Fellow Iowan here... and also of the Clydesdale size (6'3 230lbs) I bought a Raleigh Willard 2 at Rasmussen last spring and have been pleased with it and with the shop; Greg Rasmussen aims to please! Whatever bike you get, make sure you pay for a professional bike fit; Gents 6.0 nearly ruined my knees this year because my fit was poor and the conditions were absolutely brutal. I think you'll find that gravel racing in the wind and hills, especially being of the heavier weight class, is going to require a solid fit and good riding technique to prevent injury.
you mentioned Salsa, might want to look around for a used Fargo. I have a 2012, my wife has a 2016, and we both love it. Versatility as far as tire size, great options for loading it down, and a fun all around bike
Check the following:\n\nTire clearance. What pressures are you running in the tires on your Crossroads (those are 38mm tires)?\n\nThink of it this way:\n\n1- Tire pressure / divided by weight = suspension feel and pinch flat protection, in other words how squishy the tires will feel.\nSo, if a 150# rider runs his tires at 35 psi, a 300# rider could run his tires at 70 psi for the same feeling and the same pinch flat protection.\n\n2- However, tire pressure on soft surfaces is absolute, in other words, in order to have good control and not dig a deep trench in soft gravel, sand or mud, 40 psi is 40 psi, (roughly, there is actually a difference in he real world but close enough for this discussion).\n\nSo, in order to get the same handling performance, a rider of twice the weight would need twice the tire size in order to be able to run similar tire pressures.\n\nConsidering that 35 is kind of an all around minimum gravel tire size for many riders in the 160# range, it would seem prudent to look for something in the 1.5 times that size, in other words, 52mm or 2.0.\n\nThat puts you squarely in "monster cross" / drop bar mtn terrain, but so be it. Better to shop longer for an less common bike than to walk a 'standard' bike with constant flat tres, or plowing furrows in the road.\n\nTwo of the few commercial, stock, complete bikes in that category are the Salsa Fargo and the Trek 920.\n\n\nThe other thing to check is maximum rim and tire pressure. Most tires will have the pressure printed on the sidewalk, but for rims you will often have to ask.\nTubeless would be nice to prevent pinch flats, but make sure the tire and rim can handle the pressure you need to run. This might be lower than the printed max on the tire sidewall.\nWide rims (>21mm)would be nice to reduce tire squirm during cornering on hard surfaces.\nHigh spoke counts (>32)would be good for easy truing of wheels.
Regarding fit:\n\nYou will most likely need a very upright (handle bars level or even slightly above saddle) and short (horizontal distance from saddle to handlebar) fit.\n\nIf you are looking at bikes, check their geometry:\n\nYou will be looking at 61-63 cm frames. Look for the ones with the shortest 'reach' and highest 'stack'. Those are the two numbers to compare from bike to bike.\n\nAgain, this is where drop-bar-mtb's come in, as they are designed like that.\n\nYou might also need pedal extenders.\n\nMake sure you get at least a decent sizing before committing to a bike, preferably an actual full bike fit. With your size there will be many bikes that simply can not be made to fit properly, better to find out before buying a bike than after.\n\nMake sure you can reach the hoods comfortably, without hunching your shoulders or stretching out your arms. Your shoulders should be down and your elbows should have a slight bend in them, like when you shake someone's hand.\n\n Make sure you can ride in the drops without hitting your knees on your torso. This last is important since riding in the drops is required for good control on downhills, and for riding on rough surfaces.\n\nMake sure the handlebars are wide enough, the hoods should be at least as wide as the outside of your shoulders.\n\nDrop bar mtb's are designed higher in front in order to let you ride in the drops whit a similar position to the hoods on a standard road bike.\n\nFargo's have been around for a while, maybe you can find a used XL somewhere, that would be my suggestion as a bike fitter.\n\n
Slim wrote:Check the following: Tire clearance. What pressures are you running in the tires on your Crossroads (those are 38mm tires)?
Yes, they are 38m tires. I was running 100 psi after working through all my flat issues on the front (turns out new rim tape solved it). My last couple of rides, I've reduced it to 85 psi and was thinking about dropping down to 75 psi.
Thanks for your comments, there is a lot to think about in there!
I'd say look for something that's a year or two old, but well maintained. You'll get a lot more bike for your money. And get it sooner than later so that you can start to get a feel for what aspects of it fit you well and what you might want to tweak.
It sounds to me like you're "diving-in"....eventually/slowly, you'll become a more capable mechanic. Pick your friends' brains along the way.
Good luck!
I'm probably a bit more mechanically inclined that I've presented, but it's always the details, I guess. I don't want to drop a lot of $$ on a bike, only to have unknowingly created problems for myself down the road at assembly time.
So, yes, I have and will pick their brains a lot more.
I have been searching craigslist and ebay occasionally for something used, close, and "the right size". Not much luck so far.
There's also the Salsa Cutthroat for another great looking monstercross option. There's a whole big thread on monstercross bikes over at mtbr too so you could get some ideas on mountain bikes that folks are setting up with drop bars successfully for even more homebrew options.
Nubster wrote:There's also the Salsa Cutthroat for another great looking monstercross option. There's a whole big thread on monstercross bikes over at mtbr too so you could get some ideas on mountain bikes that folks are setting up with drop bars successfully for even more homebrew options.
I'm pretty sure that will break the $1500 limit
Surly is not a bad bet for overbuilt plus-size bikes with lots of tire clearance. The LHT is very stable on gravel, one of my friends rode one for a couple of seasons with my group.
I just happen to be on the Raleigh website and you can buy directly from them now. Another option..
Some of the Raleigh stuff looks really good...I'm really loving the Roker line of bikes. But honestly...they are pretty overpriced for spec level. I mean $3000 for a 105 level bike (Roker Comp) is a bit high. Especially when it's not even all 105...there's some off spec stuff and house brand parts.
Other than the price...that bike really checks a lot of boxes for me. Even with the price I can get it for...I don't think I could pull the trigger. Thankfully it's out of stock at the retailer I'd have to buy from to get the discount so I don't even need to think about it...lol
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