Bicycle Guys! (4 Viewers)

[The Longtime Lurker]

Let's just say I'm a hazard on singletrack.

This is why I gave up mountain biking. Had 4 wipeouts on one ride after riding for about a year. Decided I didn't need to spend my elder years tore up from being in the woods. Always enjoy being on the trails but I'd rather gravel or road at this point.

This is totally understandable. I've been riding a mountain bike so long it feels second nature, but it is dangerous. I know a lot of the older guys and some of the younger guys in our bike club are doing a lot less tech and either riding exclusively flow trails, or getting into gravel or bike packing. I watch 17 year olds huck 25 footers now and i can feel my own bones start to crack just watching. Probably ego and pride that makes me push my limits, but it would be smart to tone it down before i get hurt rather than after.

 

[Dickies]

Let's just say I'm a hazard on singletrack.

This is why I gave up mountain biking. Had 4 wipeouts on one ride after riding for about a year. Decided I didn't need to spend my elder years tore up from being in the woods. Always enjoy being on the trails but I'd rather gravel or road at this point.

This is totally understandable. I've been riding a mountain bike so long it feels second nature, but it is dangerous. I know a lot of the older guys and some of the younger guys in our bike club are doing a lot less tech and either riding exclusively flow trails, or getting into gravel or bike packing. I watch 17 year olds huck 25 footers now and i can feel my own bones start to crack just watching. Probably ego and pride that makes me push my limits, but it would be smart to tone it down before i get hurt rather than after.

I'm fine riding techy singletrack, but my rule is to keep the tires on the ground as much as possible. All the YouTubers do 20+ foot doubles and I have too many other responsibilities to risk spending time in the hospital.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Any of you gravel guys have any tips as to what's the most important things to look at in a gravel bike? Special bars, tire size, drivetrain, that kind of thing. I'm currently using an a sram AXS drivetrain on my mtb I'm guessing they have similar for gravel, but as a 2x or 3x?

Typical riding would be crushed gravel paths, to more chunky atv type trails.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Also got signed up for my first race of the year. It's not till later in the summer, but they fill up fast. 24 hr race, laps are 13ish miles, chunky, but not crazy single track, I'll be on a team for this and am thinking I'll do 2-3 laps. Did this one last year and it was awesome. It starts and ends at a campground and the entire place is booked with participants. It's like a hippy biker Woodstock kind of thing. Not real serious and everyone is just there for a good time.

 

[matttyl]

Any of you gravel guys have any tips as to what's the most important things to look at in a gravel bike? Special bars, tire size, drivetrain, that kind of thing. I'm currently using an a sram AXS drivetrain on my mtb I'm guessing they have similar for gravel, but as a 2x or 3x?

Typical riding would be crushed gravel paths, to more chunky atv type trails.

I’m not racing my gravel bike (though I have entered some “races”), but at least for me, it comes down to versatility of the frame. What I mean is that the bike can be a bit of a “Swiss Army knife” - can mount some pretty wide/gnarly tires if needed, plenty of mounting points for racks/bars/bottles/fenders if I want to go “bikepacking”. Certain features are gonna be “must haves” like internal cable routing, disc brakes, and for me comfort for longer paved trips as I don’t have a dedicated “road bike” (family and I just did a 25 mile paved trail in Northern Va this past weekend). You can upgrade or change around your gearing, use different bars - but you can’t change stuff that the frame doesn’t allow.

So mine is a Salsa Journeyman, nicknamed Sargent Peppers, light blue color with red/orange/yellow accents - where the only thing original is the frame and fork I believe, everything else upgraded to shimano grx (or similar).

 

[Jaysus]

Any of you gravel guys have any tips as to what's the most important things to look at in a gravel bike? Special bars, tire size, drivetrain, that kind of thing. I'm currently using an a sram AXS drivetrain on my mtb I'm guessing they have similar for gravel, but as a 2x or 3x?

Typical riding would be crushed gravel paths, to more chunky atv type trails.

Tire clearance

1x is prob most common on gravel, and 2x for those who gravel faster

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Any of you gravel guys have any tips as to what's the most important things to look at in a gravel bike? Special bars, tire size, drivetrain, that kind of thing. I'm currently using an a sram AXS drivetrain on my mtb I'm guessing they have similar for gravel, but as a 2x or 3x?

Typical riding would be crushed gravel paths, to more chunky atv type trails.

I’m not racing my gravel bike (though I have entered some “races”), but at least for me, it comes down to versatility of the frame. What I mean is that the bike can be a bit of a “Swiss Army knife” - can mount some pretty wide/gnarly tires if needed, plenty of mounting points for racks/bars/bottles/fenders if I want to go “bikepacking”. Certain features are gonna be “must haves” like internal cable routing, disc brakes, and for me comfort for longer paved trips as I don’t have a dedicated “road bike” (family and I just did a 25 mile paved trail in Northern Va this past weekend). You can upgrade or change around your gearing, use different bars - but you can’t change stuff that the frame doesn’t allow.

So mine is a Salsa Journeyman, nicknamed Sargent Peppers, light blue color with red/orange/yellow accents - where the only thing original is the frame and fork I believe, everything else upgraded to shimano grx (or similar).

Thanks. I like to take the swiss army approach aswell. I have a salsa bear grease fat bike (orange and black) and it's awesome. Love their color schemes too.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Any of you gravel guys have any tips as to what's the most important things to look at in a gravel bike? Special bars, tire size, drivetrain, that kind of thing. I'm currently using an a sram AXS drivetrain on my mtb I'm guessing they have similar for gravel, but as a 2x or 3x?

Typical riding would be crushed gravel paths, to more chunky atv type trails.

Tire clearance

1x is prob most common on gravel, and 2x for those who gravel faster

Cool. I thought gravel guys were still doing 2x. Good to know some of the old parts i have would probably fit. Tire stuff like that is where I'm least informed. Without travel I'm still looking for shock absorption, but without too much of a rolling resistance penalty. I'm comfortable with this on fatbikes, but i don't care if it's efficient or not with them.

 

[Jaysus]

Any of you gravel guys have any tips as to what's the most important things to look at in a gravel bike? Special bars, tire size, drivetrain, that kind of thing. I'm currently using an a sram AXS drivetrain on my mtb I'm guessing they have similar for gravel, but as a 2x or 3x?

Typical riding would be crushed gravel paths, to more chunky atv type trails.

Tire clearance

1x is prob most common on gravel, and 2x for those who gravel faster

Cool. I thought gravel guys were still doing 2x. Good to know some of the old parts i have would probably fit. Tire stuff like that is where I'm least informed. Without travel I'm still looking for shock absorption, but without too much of a rolling resistance penalty. I'm comfortable with this on fatbikes, but i don't care if it's efficient or not with them.

wide tires set up tubeless on a compliant frame makes for a fairly comfortable gravel ride. I have a suspension stem and a plush grip tape setup to help smooth things out a bit too.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Any of you gravel guys have any tips as to what's the most important things to look at in a gravel bike? Special bars, tire size, drivetrain, that kind of thing. I'm currently using an a sram AXS drivetrain on my mtb I'm guessing they have similar for gravel, but as a 2x or 3x?

Typical riding would be crushed gravel paths, to more chunky atv type trails.

Tire clearance

1x is prob most common on gravel, and 2x for those who gravel faster

Cool. I thought gravel guys were still doing 2x. Good to know some of the old parts i have would probably fit. Tire stuff like that is where I'm least informed. Without travel I'm still looking for shock absorption, but without too much of a rolling resistance penalty. I'm comfortable with this on fatbikes, but i don't care if it's efficient or not with them.

wide tires set up tubeless on a compliant frame makes for a fairly comfortable gravel ride. I have a suspension stem and a plush grip tape setup to help smooth things out a bit too.

Maxxis tires, or is there a better brand for gravel? How does the stem work, is it hydraulic or spring? Tape options are another thing i wouldn't have necessarily thought about. I deal with some thumb and elbow tendinitis so this stuff really matters. Carbon forks help I'm sure, but this stuff is good to know.

 

[Jaysus]

Any of you gravel guys have any tips as to what's the most important things to look at in a gravel bike? Special bars, tire size, drivetrain, that kind of thing. I'm currently using an a sram AXS drivetrain on my mtb I'm guessing they have similar for gravel, but as a 2x or 3x?

Typical riding would be crushed gravel paths, to more chunky atv type trails.

Tire clearance

1x is prob most common on gravel, and 2x for those who gravel faster

Cool. I thought gravel guys were still doing 2x. Good to know some of the old parts i have would probably fit. Tire stuff like that is where I'm least informed. Without travel I'm still looking for shock absorption, but without too much of a rolling resistance penalty. I'm comfortable with this on fatbikes, but i don't care if it's efficient or not with them.

wide tires set up tubeless on a compliant frame makes for a fairly comfortable gravel ride. I have a suspension stem and a plush grip tape setup to help smooth things out a bit too.

Maxxis tires, or is there a better brand for gravel? How does the stem work, is it hydraulic or spring? Tape options are another thing i wouldn't have necessarily thought about. I deal with some thumb and elbow tendinitis so this stuff really matters. Carbon forks help I'm sure, but this stuff is good to know.

Maxxis is popular, but there are all sorts of gravel-specific options. I was actually running MTB tires on my old gravel bike (Conti Race Kings).

There is also a few stem options, I have the Red Shift one, it is a spring - they also make a suspension seat post. Both offer minimal travel for a minimal weight penalty... but they help smooth things out.

 

[Sand]

Any of you gravel guys have any tips as to what's the most important things to look at in a gravel bike? Special bars, tire size, drivetrain, that kind of thing. I'm currently using an a sram AXS drivetrain on my mtb I'm guessing they have similar for gravel, but as a 2x or 3x?

Typical riding would be crushed gravel paths, to more chunky atv type trails.

Tire clearance

1x is prob most common on gravel, and 2x for those who gravel faster

Cool. I thought gravel guys were still doing 2x. Good to know some of the old parts i have would probably fit. Tire stuff like that is where I'm least informed. Without travel I'm still looking for shock absorption, but without too much of a rolling resistance penalty. I'm comfortable with this on fatbikes, but i don't care if it's efficient or not with them.

I have 2x GRX on my gravel bike. I like having gears - I hate spinning out. As something that should be able to do anything spinning out at 28mph is unacceptable to me.

Anyway, most important thing on the bike, like mattyl said, is the frame. Good clearance (i.e. not 43mm max, more like 56mm max), lots of attachment points. The next is tires. Unless you're doing something really loose or chunky there are a number of options with small knobs that are a jack of all trades king of thing. I have Gravelkings on mine and they seem to grip pretty well. Oh, and I do consider some shock compliance to be necessary on trails. I have a Redshift stem on there and it makes a massive difference in the ride. I see people putting one piece stem/bars on there; those folks are nuts.

Bike I built up: https://imgur.com/a/25gaxbv

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Any of you gravel guys have any tips as to what's the most important things to look at in a gravel bike? Special bars, tire size, drivetrain, that kind of thing. I'm currently using an a sram AXS drivetrain on my mtb I'm guessing they have similar for gravel, but as a 2x or 3x?

Typical riding would be crushed gravel paths, to more chunky atv type trails.

Tire clearance

1x is prob most common on gravel, and 2x for those who gravel faster

Cool. I thought gravel guys were still doing 2x. Good to know some of the old parts i have would probably fit. Tire stuff like that is where I'm least informed. Without travel I'm still looking for shock absorption, but without too much of a rolling resistance penalty. I'm comfortable with this on fatbikes, but i don't care if it's efficient or not with them.

I have 2x GRX on my gravel bike. I like having gears - I hate spinning out. As something that should be able to do anything spinning out at 28mph is unacceptable to me.

Anyway, most important thing on the bike, like mattyl said, is the frame. Good clearance (i.e. not 43mm max, more like 56mm max), lots of attachment points. The next is tires. Unless you're doing something really loose or chunky there are a number of options with small knobs that are a jack of all trades king of thing. I have Gravelkings on mine and they seem to grip pretty well. Oh, and I do consider some shock compliance to be necessary on trails. I have a Redshift stem on there and it makes a massive difference in the ride. I see people putting one piece stem/bars on there; those folks are nuts.

Bike I built up: https://chinertown.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4724.0;attach=24435;image

Excellent, thank you. I know a lot more this morning than i did last night about things to look for.

That link won't let me see anything without logging in. If your bike has that frame you linked before it's a beautiful bike. We have a pivot trail 429 in a similar color and it looks badass imo.

 

[Jaysus]

Bike I built up: https://chinertown.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4724.0;attach=24435;image

Can you post another link, that one did not work. Here's mine: https://imgur.com/a/q1ytjBs

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Bike I built up: https://chinertown.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4724.0;attach=24435;image

Can you post another link, that one did not work. Here's mine: https://imgur.com/a/q1ytjBs

Very cool bike, love the color and looks like a great build. My wheels are certainly turning about the idea of a new bike. I can probably flip some of the fleet if i want to upgrade the old stock ozark trail. I already know it won't compare to a better bike, but I'll get the idea and go from there.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles Inc.

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles, Established 1981. Santa Cruz, California. Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models.

www.ibiscycles.com

Here's my primarily bike (red color). Sram GX AXS build with a Bluetooth reverb dropper, not a huge fan of the dropper for the price, i think bikeyoke or oneup would be all i need. It's pretty much a fancy way to carry a spare battery. A dropper lever and an internally routed cable isn't a huge deal. I do however love the AXS Bluetooth transmission. That's worth the money. Also has carbon wheels and I9 hydra hubs.

edited to put in the right drivetrain

 

[Dickies]

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles Inc.

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles, Established 1981. Santa Cruz, California. Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models.

www.ibiscycles.com

Here's my primarily bike (red color). Sram NX AXS build with a Bluetooth reverb dropper, not a huge fan of the dropper for the price, i think bikeyoke or oneup would be all i need. It's pretty much a fancy way to carry a spare battery. A dropper lever and an internally routed cable isn't a huge deal. I do however love the AXS Bluetooth transmission. That's worth the money. Also has carbon wheels and I9 hydra hubs.

My neighbor would be jealous. He likes all things the color red. He was going to buy it, but his wife wouldn't let him. His brother works at Ibis and most of his bikes are all older Ibis hand me downs, so he is crossing his fingers this one ends up in his garage in a year or two.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles Inc.

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles, Established 1981. Santa Cruz, California. Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models.

www.ibiscycles.com

Here's my primarily bike (red color). Sram NX AXS build with a Bluetooth reverb dropper, not a huge fan of the dropper for the price, i think bikeyoke or oneup would be all i need. It's pretty much a fancy way to carry a spare battery. A dropper lever and an internally routed cable isn't a huge deal. I do however love the AXS Bluetooth transmission. That's worth the money. Also has carbon wheels and I9 hydra hubs.

My neighbor would be jealous. He likes all things the color red. He was going to buy it, but his wife wouldn't let him. His brother works at Ibis and most of his bikes are all older Ibis hand me downs, so he is crossing his fingers this one ends up in his garage in a year or two.

It's my favorite bike I've ever had. It's like a hot knife through butter in all but the biggest impacts. I can overpower the fork at times, but not all that often if I'm riding it where it's meant to be ridden. I'm an ibis fan, so I also have a Ripmo for what that bike can't handle. I rode santa cruz for awhile, and they descend awesome, but it was peddle strike city. The DW link suspension ibis uses I like a lot better. I have a rocky mountain instict aswell and think it is also a better peddler than the santa cruz bikes on the trails i typically ride.

 

[matttyl]

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles Inc.

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles, Established 1981. Santa Cruz, California. Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models.

www.ibiscycles.com

Here's my primarily bike (red color). Sram NX AXS build with a Bluetooth reverb dropper, not a huge fan of the dropper for the price, i think bikeyoke or oneup would be all i need. It's pretty much a fancy way to carry a spare battery. A dropper lever and an internally routed cable isn't a huge deal. I do however love the AXS Bluetooth transmission. That's worth the money. Also has carbon wheels and I9 hydra hubs.

The only time I’d buy a Bluetooth dropper post is if it came with speaker for a slide whistle sound when the dropper is activated.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles Inc.

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles, Established 1981. Santa Cruz, California. Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models.

www.ibiscycles.com

Here's my primarily bike (red color). Sram NX AXS build with a Bluetooth reverb dropper, not a huge fan of the dropper for the price, i think bikeyoke or oneup would be all i need. It's pretty much a fancy way to carry a spare battery. A dropper lever and an internally routed cable isn't a huge deal. I do however love the AXS Bluetooth transmission. That's worth the money. Also has carbon wheels and I9 hydra hubs.

The only time I’d buy a Bluetooth dropper post is if it came with speaker for a slide whistle sound when the dropper is activated.

By the time i got done adding components it seemed like a drop in the bucket and i got a solid deal on it, but i wouldn't recommend it. It works great, but definitely not worth the price difference to other decent quality droppers.

The slide whistle idea had me literally LOLing. Maybe you're on to something there.

 

[Dickies]

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles Inc.

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles, Established 1981. Santa Cruz, California. Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models.

www.ibiscycles.com

Here's my primarily bike (red color). Sram NX AXS build with a Bluetooth reverb dropper, not a huge fan of the dropper for the price, i think bikeyoke or oneup would be all i need. It's pretty much a fancy way to carry a spare battery. A dropper lever and an internally routed cable isn't a huge deal. I do however love the AXS Bluetooth transmission. That's worth the money. Also has carbon wheels and I9 hydra hubs.

My neighbor would be jealous. He likes all things the color red. He was going to buy it, but his wife wouldn't let him. His brother works at Ibis and most of his bikes are all older Ibis hand me downs, so he is crossing his fingers this one ends up in his garage in a year or two.

It's my favorite bike I've ever had. It's like a hot knife through butter in all but the biggest impacts. I can overpower the fork at times, but not all that often if I'm riding it where it's meant to be ridden. I'm an ibis fan, so I also have a Ripmo for what that bike can't handle. I rode santa cruz for awhile, and they descend awesome, but it was peddle strike city. The DW link suspension ibis uses I like a lot better. I have a rocky mountain instict aswell and think it is also a better peddler than the santa cruz bikes on the trails i typically ride.

I have a Ripley AF. I share time almost equally between it and my Commencal hardtail.

Right now I suspect my hardtail needs a new cassette as I installed a new chain and it jumps cogs. Gonna take it to the LBS to get it checked out, but I'm preparing to need to shell out some $$$. I guess I can't complain as I got almost 3,000 miles on an NX cassette. Thinking of upgrading to GX if I need to replace

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles Inc.

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles, Established 1981. Santa Cruz, California. Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models.

www.ibiscycles.com

Here's my primarily bike (red color). Sram NX AXS build with a Bluetooth reverb dropper, not a huge fan of the dropper for the price, i think bikeyoke or oneup would be all i need. It's pretty much a fancy way to carry a spare battery. A dropper lever and an internally routed cable isn't a huge deal. I do however love the AXS Bluetooth transmission. That's worth the money. Also has carbon wheels and I9 hydra hubs.

My neighbor would be jealous. He likes all things the color red. He was going to buy it, but his wife wouldn't let him. His brother works at Ibis and most of his bikes are all older Ibis hand me downs, so he is crossing his fingers this one ends up in his garage in a year or two.

It's my favorite bike I've ever had. It's like a hot knife through butter in all but the biggest impacts. I can overpower the fork at times, but not all that often if I'm riding it where it's meant to be ridden. I'm an ibis fan, so I also have a Ripmo for what that bike can't handle. I rode santa cruz for awhile, and they descend awesome, but it was peddle strike city. The DW link suspension ibis uses I like a lot better. I have a rocky mountain instict aswell and think it is also a better peddler than the santa cruz bikes on the trails i typically ride.

I have a Ripley AF. I share time almost equally between it and my Commencal hardtail.

Right now I suspect my hardtail needs a new cassette as I installed a new chain and it jumps cogs. Gonna take it to the LBS to get it checked out, but I'm preparing to need to shell out some $$$. I guess I can't complain as I got almost 3,000 miles on an NX cassette. Thinking of upgrading to GX if I need to replace

I like those ibis AF bikes. They make really nice stuff.

Go with the GX if you have to replace more than just the cassette imo. I don't think you'd be disappointed. It's a nice little jump in quality.

 

[matttyl]

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles Inc.

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles, Established 1981. Santa Cruz, California. Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models.

www.ibiscycles.com

Here's my primarily bike (red color). Sram NX AXS build with a Bluetooth reverb dropper, not a huge fan of the dropper for the price, i think bikeyoke or oneup would be all i need. It's pretty much a fancy way to carry a spare battery. A dropper lever and an internally routed cable isn't a huge deal. I do however love the AXS Bluetooth transmission. That's worth the money. Also has carbon wheels and I9 hydra hubs.

The only time I’d buy a Bluetooth dropper post is if it came with speaker for a slide whistle sound when the dropper is activated.

By the time i got done adding components it seemed like a drop in the bucket and i got a solid deal on it, but i wouldn't recommend it. It works great, but definitely not worth the price difference to other decent quality droppers.

The slide whistle idea had me literally LOLing. Maybe you're on to something there.

My mountain bike club has literally been talking about it for years. Seriously maybe 6 years ago we said the only way to properly do it would be with a Bluetooth protocol - then we realized that those popular JBL Bluetooth speakers fit perfectly in most bottle cages. We just needed the lever to not only activate the dropper, but also to play the sound on the speaker.

 

[Dickies]

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles Inc.

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles, Established 1981. Santa Cruz, California. Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models.

www.ibiscycles.com

Here's my primarily bike (red color). Sram NX AXS build with a Bluetooth reverb dropper, not a huge fan of the dropper for the price, i think bikeyoke or oneup would be all i need. It's pretty much a fancy way to carry a spare battery. A dropper lever and an internally routed cable isn't a huge deal. I do however love the AXS Bluetooth transmission. That's worth the money. Also has carbon wheels and I9 hydra hubs.

My neighbor would be jealous. He likes all things the color red. He was going to buy it, but his wife wouldn't let him. His brother works at Ibis and most of his bikes are all older Ibis hand me downs, so he is crossing his fingers this one ends up in his garage in a year or two.

It's my favorite bike I've ever had. It's like a hot knife through butter in all but the biggest impacts. I can overpower the fork at times, but not all that often if I'm riding it where it's meant to be ridden. I'm an ibis fan, so I also have a Ripmo for what that bike can't handle. I rode santa cruz for awhile, and they descend awesome, but it was peddle strike city. The DW link suspension ibis uses I like a lot better. I have a rocky mountain instict aswell and think it is also a better peddler than the santa cruz bikes on the trails i typically ride.

I have a Ripley AF. I share time almost equally between it and my Commencal hardtail.

Right now I suspect my hardtail needs a new cassette as I installed a new chain and it jumps cogs. Gonna take it to the LBS to get it checked out, but I'm preparing to need to shell out some $$$. I guess I can't complain as I got almost 3,000 miles on an NX cassette. Thinking of upgrading to GX if I need to replace

I like those ibis AF bikes. They make really nice stuff.

Go with the GX if you have to replace more than just the cassette imo. I don't think you'd be disappointed. It's a nice little jump in quality.

So I've heard. The NX has worked flawlessly for me over thousands of miles though so I am always shocked at the hate it gets. My ibis is Shimano Deore, which everyone says is superior, but it has given me nothing but fits.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles Inc.

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles, Established 1981. Santa Cruz, California. Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models.

www.ibiscycles.com

Here's my primarily bike (red color). Sram NX AXS build with a Bluetooth reverb dropper, not a huge fan of the dropper for the price, i think bikeyoke or oneup would be all i need. It's pretty much a fancy way to carry a spare battery. A dropper lever and an internally routed cable isn't a huge deal. I do however love the AXS Bluetooth transmission. That's worth the money. Also has carbon wheels and I9 hydra hubs.

The only time I’d buy a Bluetooth dropper post is if it came with speaker for a slide whistle sound when the dropper is activated.

By the time i got done adding components it seemed like a drop in the bucket and i got a solid deal on it, but i wouldn't recommend it. It works great, but definitely not worth the price difference to other decent quality droppers.

The slide whistle idea had me literally LOLing. Maybe you're on to something there.

My mountain bike club has literally been talking about it for years. Seriously maybe 6 years ago we said the only way to properly do it would be with a Bluetooth protocol - then we realized that those popular JBL Bluetooth speakers fit perfectly in most bottle cages. We just needed the lever to not only activate the dropper, but also to play the sound on the speaker.

They also have those little stem cap speakers. Wouldn't be loud enough to scare the birds, but might fit nicely under the seat, or just pop it in the stem. It's a funny idea. I like it. There's probably a few sounds or phrases that would be pretty good.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles Inc.

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles, Established 1981. Santa Cruz, California. Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models.

www.ibiscycles.com

Here's my primarily bike (red color). Sram NX AXS build with a Bluetooth reverb dropper, not a huge fan of the dropper for the price, i think bikeyoke or oneup would be all i need. It's pretty much a fancy way to carry a spare battery. A dropper lever and an internally routed cable isn't a huge deal. I do however love the AXS Bluetooth transmission. That's worth the money. Also has carbon wheels and I9 hydra hubs.

My neighbor would be jealous. He likes all things the color red. He was going to buy it, but his wife wouldn't let him. His brother works at Ibis and most of his bikes are all older Ibis hand me downs, so he is crossing his fingers this one ends up in his garage in a year or two.

It's my favorite bike I've ever had. It's like a hot knife through butter in all but the biggest impacts. I can overpower the fork at times, but not all that often if I'm riding it where it's meant to be ridden. I'm an ibis fan, so I also have a Ripmo for what that bike can't handle. I rode santa cruz for awhile, and they descend awesome, but it was peddle strike city. The DW link suspension ibis uses I like a lot better. I have a rocky mountain instict aswell and think it is also a better peddler than the santa cruz bikes on the trails i typically ride.

I have a Ripley AF. I share time almost equally between it and my Commencal hardtail.

Right now I suspect my hardtail needs a new cassette as I installed a new chain and it jumps cogs. Gonna take it to the LBS to get it checked out, but I'm preparing to need to shell out some $$$. I guess I can't complain as I got almost 3,000 miles on an NX cassette. Thinking of upgrading to GX if I need to replace

I like those ibis AF bikes. They make really nice stuff.

Go with the GX if you have to replace more than just the cassette imo. I don't think you'd be disappointed. It's a nice little jump in quality.

So I've heard. The NX has worked flawlessly for me over thousands of miles though so I am always shocked at the hate it gets. My ibis is Shimano Deore, which everyone says is superior, but it has given me nothing but fits.

Typically I'm more of a shimano guy too. I've never had any major issues with sram, just like the feel of shimano better, which honestly is nit picking and not the same for everyone.

I had a bike with NX and upgraded because it was always hard to get shifting as smooth as I'd like, but 3000 miles is a hell of a test and if it's working great aside from an old cassette I'd also consider running it until it falls off. Then i would get GX

 

[Sand]

Bike I built up: https://chinertown.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4724.0;attach=24435;image

Can you post another link, that one did not work. Here's mine: https://imgur.com/a/q1ytjBs

https://imgur.com/a/25gaxbv

I had them do custom paint - nice and sparkly with some color shift. I have road tires in there right now as I was planning a Natchez Trace run. Work keeps blocking me from doing important stuff.

 

[Jaysus]

Bike I built up: https://chinertown.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4724.0;attach=24435;image

Can you post another link, that one did not work. Here's mine: https://imgur.com/a/q1ytjBs

https://imgur.com/a/25gaxbv

I had them do custom paint - nice and sparkly with some color shift. I have road tires in there right now as I was planning a Natchez Trace run. Work keeps blocking me from doing important stuff.

OOOH, she's pretty! (Reddit would yell at you for the non-drive side pic tho ). I have a trip coming up in a few weeks and am going to start mounting my racks and bags soon... I'll be sure to get a (drive side) pic to share when I do!

 

[Dickies]

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles Inc.

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles, Established 1981. Santa Cruz, California. Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models.

www.ibiscycles.com

Here's my primarily bike (red color). Sram NX AXS build with a Bluetooth reverb dropper, not a huge fan of the dropper for the price, i think bikeyoke or oneup would be all i need. It's pretty much a fancy way to carry a spare battery. A dropper lever and an internally routed cable isn't a huge deal. I do however love the AXS Bluetooth transmission. That's worth the money. Also has carbon wheels and I9 hydra hubs.

My neighbor would be jealous. He likes all things the color red. He was going to buy it, but his wife wouldn't let him. His brother works at Ibis and most of his bikes are all older Ibis hand me downs, so he is crossing his fingers this one ends up in his garage in a year or two.

It's my favorite bike I've ever had. It's like a hot knife through butter in all but the biggest impacts. I can overpower the fork at times, but not all that often if I'm riding it where it's meant to be ridden. I'm an ibis fan, so I also have a Ripmo for what that bike can't handle. I rode santa cruz for awhile, and they descend awesome, but it was peddle strike city. The DW link suspension ibis uses I like a lot better. I have a rocky mountain instict aswell and think it is also a better peddler than the santa cruz bikes on the trails i typically ride.

I have a Ripley AF. I share time almost equally between it and my Commencal hardtail.

Right now I suspect my hardtail needs a new cassette as I installed a new chain and it jumps cogs. Gonna take it to the LBS to get it checked out, but I'm preparing to need to shell out some $$$. I guess I can't complain as I got almost 3,000 miles on an NX cassette. Thinking of upgrading to GX if I need to replace

I like those ibis AF bikes. They make really nice stuff.

Go with the GX if you have to replace more than just the cassette imo. I don't think you'd be disappointed. It's a nice little jump in quality.

So I've heard. The NX has worked flawlessly for me over thousands of miles though so I am always shocked at the hate it gets. My ibis is Shimano Deore, which everyone says is superior, but it has given me nothing but fits.

Typically I'm more of a shimano guy too. I've never had any major issues with sram, just like the feel of shimano better, which honestly is nit picking and not the same for everyone.

I had a bike with NX and upgraded because it was always hard to get shifting as smooth as I'd like, but 3000 miles is a hell of a test and if it's working great aside from an old cassette I'd also consider running it until it falls off. Then i would get GX

My hybrid/gravel bike as over 4,000 miles on SX and it still works flawlessly. The derailleur cage looks wildly bent, but it somehow shifts up and down all 12 gears just as cleanly as the NX

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles Inc.

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles, Established 1981. Santa Cruz, California. Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models.

www.ibiscycles.com

Here's my primarily bike (red color). Sram NX AXS build with a Bluetooth reverb dropper, not a huge fan of the dropper for the price, i think bikeyoke or oneup would be all i need. It's pretty much a fancy way to carry a spare battery. A dropper lever and an internally routed cable isn't a huge deal. I do however love the AXS Bluetooth transmission. That's worth the money. Also has carbon wheels and I9 hydra hubs.

My neighbor would be jealous. He likes all things the color red. He was going to buy it, but his wife wouldn't let him. His brother works at Ibis and most of his bikes are all older Ibis hand me downs, so he is crossing his fingers this one ends up in his garage in a year or two.

It's my favorite bike I've ever had. It's like a hot knife through butter in all but the biggest impacts. I can overpower the fork at times, but not all that often if I'm riding it where it's meant to be ridden. I'm an ibis fan, so I also have a Ripmo for what that bike can't handle. I rode santa cruz for awhile, and they descend awesome, but it was peddle strike city. The DW link suspension ibis uses I like a lot better. I have a rocky mountain instict aswell and think it is also a better peddler than the santa cruz bikes on the trails i typically ride.

I have a Ripley AF. I share time almost equally between it and my Commencal hardtail.

Right now I suspect my hardtail needs a new cassette as I installed a new chain and it jumps cogs. Gonna take it to the LBS to get it checked out, but I'm preparing to need to shell out some $$$. I guess I can't complain as I got almost 3,000 miles on an NX cassette. Thinking of upgrading to GX if I need to replace

I like those ibis AF bikes. They make really nice stuff.

Go with the GX if you have to replace more than just the cassette imo. I don't think you'd be disappointed. It's a nice little jump in quality.

So I've heard. The NX has worked flawlessly for me over thousands of miles though so I am always shocked at the hate it gets. My ibis is Shimano Deore, which everyone says is superior, but it has given me nothing but fits.

Typically I'm more of a shimano guy too. I've never had any major issues with sram, just like the feel of shimano better, which honestly is nit picking and not the same for everyone.

I had a bike with NX and upgraded because it was always hard to get shifting as smooth as I'd like, but 3000 miles is a hell of a test and if it's working great aside from an old cassette I'd also consider running it until it falls off. Then i would get GX

My hybrid/gravel bike as over 4,000 miles on SX and it still works flawlessly. The derailleur cage looks wildly bent, but it somehow shifts up and down all 12 gears just as cleanly as the NX

That's really good. You must take pretty good care of it. Do you use wax or oil based lube? I tried wax last season for the first time and it smoked my chain in like 200 miles, but where i live it's always damp with dew in the mornings when i typically ride, no bueno. I know a few guys that live out west and love it for their conditions.

 

[Dickies]

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles Inc.

Ripley V4S - Ibis Cycles, Established 1981. Santa Cruz, California. Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models.

www.ibiscycles.com

Here's my primarily bike (red color). Sram NX AXS build with a Bluetooth reverb dropper, not a huge fan of the dropper for the price, i think bikeyoke or oneup would be all i need. It's pretty much a fancy way to carry a spare battery. A dropper lever and an internally routed cable isn't a huge deal. I do however love the AXS Bluetooth transmission. That's worth the money. Also has carbon wheels and I9 hydra hubs.

My neighbor would be jealous. He likes all things the color red. He was going to buy it, but his wife wouldn't let him. His brother works at Ibis and most of his bikes are all older Ibis hand me downs, so he is crossing his fingers this one ends up in his garage in a year or two.

It's my favorite bike I've ever had. It's like a hot knife through butter in all but the biggest impacts. I can overpower the fork at times, but not all that often if I'm riding it where it's meant to be ridden. I'm an ibis fan, so I also have a Ripmo for what that bike can't handle. I rode santa cruz for awhile, and they descend awesome, but it was peddle strike city. The DW link suspension ibis uses I like a lot better. I have a rocky mountain instict aswell and think it is also a better peddler than the santa cruz bikes on the trails i typically ride.

I have a Ripley AF. I share time almost equally between it and my Commencal hardtail.

Right now I suspect my hardtail needs a new cassette as I installed a new chain and it jumps cogs. Gonna take it to the LBS to get it checked out, but I'm preparing to need to shell out some $$$. I guess I can't complain as I got almost 3,000 miles on an NX cassette. Thinking of upgrading to GX if I need to replace

I like those ibis AF bikes. They make really nice stuff.

Go with the GX if you have to replace more than just the cassette imo. I don't think you'd be disappointed. It's a nice little jump in quality.

So I've heard. The NX has worked flawlessly for me over thousands of miles though so I am always shocked at the hate it gets. My ibis is Shimano Deore, which everyone says is superior, but it has given me nothing but fits.

Typically I'm more of a shimano guy too. I've never had any major issues with sram, just like the feel of shimano better, which honestly is nit picking and not the same for everyone.

I had a bike with NX and upgraded because it was always hard to get shifting as smooth as I'd like, but 3000 miles is a hell of a test and if it's working great aside from an old cassette I'd also consider running it until it falls off. Then i would get GX

My hybrid/gravel bike as over 4,000 miles on SX and it still works flawlessly. The derailleur cage looks wildly bent, but it somehow shifts up and down all 12 gears just as cleanly as the NX

That's really good. You must take pretty good care of it. Do you use wax or oil based lube? I tried wax last season for the first time and it smoked my chain in like 200 miles, but where i live it's always damp with dew in the mornings when i typically ride, no bueno. I know a few guys that live out west and love it for their conditions.

I use Muc-Off dry lube. I check my chain stretch regularly and I also take my cassette off and scrub it thoroughly every so often. On my mountain bikes I run the chain through the blue chain scrubber tool and re-lube after every other ride.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Zwift big spin ths morning, greater London 8, won a bmx, yippee

I'm going to lose my mind if it isn't outdoor riding season soon.....

 

[Sand]

On the positive side of the China crackdown I went ahead and ordered some wheels to get here before the de minimis goes away.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Now is the time that's forsure. I looked at all my inventory, spare tires, stans, cables, housing, bleed kits, ect. Want to have what i need now and not try and get it later, this stuff adds up. I know where I'm at anyway ebikes have really taken over the mtb scene. I have to wonder what sales on new regular old pedal drive bikes will look like this spring. Probably looking to offload a few for space reasons, but the used bike market won't be getting better. I'm probably just going to keep them on principle rather than sell a full suspension carbon frame for $300. Fun times ahead.

Gravel is a different beast, but do people seem to be switching to ebike versions there too? I'm guessing no? Kind of defeats the purpose of that kind of riding.

 

[Jaysus]

Gravel is a different beast, but do people seem to be switching to ebike versions there too? I'm guessing no? Kind of defeats the purpose of that kind of riding.

Not really. MTB, grandparents, and townies are the main people I see using eBikes.

 

[beer 30]

Now is the time that's forsure. I looked at all my inventory, spare tires, stans, cables, housing, bleed kits, ect. Want to have what i need now and not try and get it later, this stuff adds up. I know where I'm at anyway ebikes have really taken over the mtb scene. I have to wonder what sales on new regular old pedal drive bikes will look like this spring. Probably looking to offload a few for space reasons, but the used bike market won't be getting better. I'm probably just going to keep them on principle rather than sell a full suspension carbon frame for $300. Fun times ahead.

Gravel is a different beast, but do people seem to be switching to ebike versions there too? I'm guessing no? Kind of defeats the purpose of that kind of riding.

My thoughts are it's going to be similar to when COVID hit and first, bike supply dried up then second, it came back but at premium pricing. Once they sell through existing inventory and tariffs take hold you're going to be paying top dollar for most everything. If you have a inventory surplus of bikes right now, unless you simply have to get rid of them, I wouldn't sell right now.

Ebikes seem great for just ****ing around or even commuters but if you're serious about using cycling for fitness I don't get it. Just bought one of these used for $600. Looking forward to getting out on some gravel soon.

 

[Dickies]

Now is the time that's forsure. I looked at all my inventory, spare tires, stans, cables, housing, bleed kits, ect. Want to have what i need now and not try and get it later, this stuff adds up. I know where I'm at anyway ebikes have really taken over the mtb scene. I have to wonder what sales on new regular old pedal drive bikes will look like this spring. Probably looking to offload a few for space reasons, but the used bike market won't be getting better. I'm probably just going to keep them on principle rather than sell a full suspension carbon frame for $300. Fun times ahead.

Gravel is a different beast, but do people seem to be switching to ebike versions there too? I'm guessing no? Kind of defeats the purpose of that kind of riding.

There are absolutely ebike versions of gravel bikes. I see them on the fire roads where I mountain bike.

 

[beer 30]

Now is the time that's forsure. I looked at all my inventory, spare tires, stans, cables, housing, bleed kits, ect. Want to have what i need now and not try and get it later, this stuff adds up. I know where I'm at anyway ebikes have really taken over the mtb scene. I have to wonder what sales on new regular old pedal drive bikes will look like this spring. Probably looking to offload a few for space reasons, but the used bike market won't be getting better. I'm probably just going to keep them on principle rather than sell a full suspension carbon frame for $300. Fun times ahead.

Gravel is a different beast, but do people seem to be switching to ebike versions there too? I'm guessing no? Kind of defeats the purpose of that kind of riding.

There are absolutely ebike versions of gravel bikes. I see them on the fire roads where I mountain bike.

I guess maybe it lets a set of folks who wouldn't ordinarily be out and about the ability to ride around

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Now is the time that's forsure. I looked at all my inventory, spare tires, stans, cables, housing, bleed kits, ect. Want to have what i need now and not try and get it later, this stuff adds up. I know where I'm at anyway ebikes have really taken over the mtb scene. I have to wonder what sales on new regular old pedal drive bikes will look like this spring. Probably looking to offload a few for space reasons, but the used bike market won't be getting better. I'm probably just going to keep them on principle rather than sell a full suspension carbon frame for $300. Fun times ahead.

Gravel is a different beast, but do people seem to be switching to ebike versions there too? I'm guessing no? Kind of defeats the purpose of that kind of riding.

My thoughts are it's going to be similar to when COVID hit and first, bike supply dried up then second, it came back but at premium pricing. Once they sell through existing inventory and tariffs take hold you're going to be paying top dollar for most everything. If you have a inventory surplus of bikes right now, unless you simply have to get rid of them, I wouldn't sell right now.

Ebikes seem great for just ****ing around or even commuters but if you're serious about using cycling for fitness I don't get it. Just bought one of these used for $600. Looking forward to getting out on some gravel soon.

I think I agree with this take and also that unless you don't mind taking a haircut selling used isn't going to make any sense unless it's absolutely necessary.

Have the same take on ebikes. I have a rad bike for going to the beach and just buzzing around town, but it's just for fun and getting places quick and easy with no gas bill. We didn't have chair lifts, shuttles, or powered bikes to get up the hills, we pedaled our *** up there and by the end of the summer we were in peak condition. I hear those 50 year old women bearing down on me now and all i can do is hope to get out of the way. To each his own though. It gets people out and the sport grows. That's good for everyone involved. And yes, get off my lawn too.....

 

[Sand]

Ebikes seem great for just ****ing around or even commuters but if you're serious about using cycling for fitness I don't get it. Just bought one of these used for $600. Looking forward to getting out on some gravel soon.

It has all the mounts. And for $600 you got GRX? Damn, man, that's a total steal.

 

[Sand]

Have the same take on ebikes. I have a rad bike for going to the beach and just buzzing around town, but it's just for fun and getting places quick and easy with no gas bill. We didn't have chair lifts, shuttles, or powered bikes to get up the hills, we pedaled our *** up there and by the end of the summer we were in peak condition. I hear those 50 year old women bearing down on me now and all i can do is hope to get out of the way. To each his own though. It gets people out and the sport grows. That's good for everyone involved. And yes, get off my lawn too.....

No problem with ebikes. But, at least with gravel and MTB, if it blows up in the woods and you have get home the manual way don't ask me to haul your *** out of there.

 

[Sand]

Now is the time that's forsure. I looked at all my inventory, spare tires, stans, cables, housing, bleed kits, ect. Want to have what i need now and not try and get it later, this stuff adds up. I know where I'm at anyway ebikes have really taken over the mtb scene. I have to wonder what sales on new regular old pedal drive bikes will look like this spring. Probably looking to offload a few for space reasons, but the used bike market won't be getting better. I'm probably just going to keep them on principle rather than sell a full suspension carbon frame for $300. Fun times ahead.

Gravel is a different beast, but do people seem to be switching to ebike versions there too? I'm guessing no? Kind of defeats the purpose of that kind of riding.

There are absolutely ebike versions of gravel bikes. I see them on the fire roads where I mountain bike.

I guess maybe it lets a set of folks who wouldn't ordinarily be out and about the ability to ride around

We have a guy who rides with us on group rides that is 65+ and doesn't have the watts to keep up. He has a pretty nice Trek ebike that gives him the 200 extra he needs to hang in there. This seems to be the perfect use for these machines.

 

[Jaysus]

Now is the time that's forsure. I looked at all my inventory, spare tires, stans, cables, housing, bleed kits, ect. Want to have what i need now and not try and get it later, this stuff adds up. I know where I'm at anyway ebikes have really taken over the mtb scene. I have to wonder what sales on new regular old pedal drive bikes will look like this spring. Probably looking to offload a few for space reasons, but the used bike market won't be getting better. I'm probably just going to keep them on principle rather than sell a full suspension carbon frame for $300. Fun times ahead.

Gravel is a different beast, but do people seem to be switching to ebike versions there too? I'm guessing no? Kind of defeats the purpose of that kind of riding.

There are absolutely ebike versions of gravel bikes. I see them on the fire roads where I mountain bike.

I guess maybe it lets a set of folks who wouldn't ordinarily be out and about the ability to ride around

We have a guy who rides with us on group rides that is 65+ and doesn't have the watts to keep up. He has a pretty nice Trek ebike that gives him the 200 extra he needs to hang in there. This seems to be the perfect use for these machines.

We have a guy with an eGravel bike in our crew, he has had multiple open-heart surgeries and I am happy AF every time I see him on 2 wheels!

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Now is the time that's forsure. I looked at all my inventory, spare tires, stans, cables, housing, bleed kits, ect. Want to have what i need now and not try and get it later, this stuff adds up. I know where I'm at anyway ebikes have really taken over the mtb scene. I have to wonder what sales on new regular old pedal drive bikes will look like this spring. Probably looking to offload a few for space reasons, but the used bike market won't be getting better. I'm probably just going to keep them on principle rather than sell a full suspension carbon frame for $300. Fun times ahead.

Gravel is a different beast, but do people seem to be switching to ebike versions there too? I'm guessing no? Kind of defeats the purpose of that kind of riding.

There are absolutely ebike versions of gravel bikes. I see them on the fire roads where I mountain bike.

I guess maybe it lets a set of folks who wouldn't ordinarily be out and about the ability to ride around

We have a guy who rides with us on group rides that is 65+ and doesn't have the watts to keep up. He has a pretty nice Trek ebike that gives him the 200 extra he needs to hang in there. This seems to be the perfect use for these machines.

We have a guy with an eGravel bike in our crew, he has had multiple open-heart surgeries and I am happy AF every time I see him on 2 wheels!

We have a couple in our group aswell. For people that need the extra push they're great. Nobody should ever have to give up on biking at this point until their own wheels fall off.

But as an old snobby purest (with fancy Bluetooth shifting, yes i hear myself) i like to see the younger guys earn it a bit more. When you have the cardio for the ascent it makes the decent just a little more fun. At the end of the day the lbs makes money, people are out riding, we get more donations to make more trails and buy fancy tools, and everybody wins. I've definitely come around on them as the future of the sport.

 

[Jaysus]

Now is the time that's forsure. I looked at all my inventory, spare tires, stans, cables, housing, bleed kits, ect. Want to have what i need now and not try and get it later, this stuff adds up. I know where I'm at anyway ebikes have really taken over the mtb scene. I have to wonder what sales on new regular old pedal drive bikes will look like this spring. Probably looking to offload a few for space reasons, but the used bike market won't be getting better. I'm probably just going to keep them on principle rather than sell a full suspension carbon frame for $300. Fun times ahead.

Gravel is a different beast, but do people seem to be switching to ebike versions there too? I'm guessing no? Kind of defeats the purpose of that kind of riding.

There are absolutely ebike versions of gravel bikes. I see them on the fire roads where I mountain bike.

I guess maybe it lets a set of folks who wouldn't ordinarily be out and about the ability to ride around

We have a guy who rides with us on group rides that is 65+ and doesn't have the watts to keep up. He has a pretty nice Trek ebike that gives him the 200 extra he needs to hang in there. This seems to be the perfect use for these machines.

We have a guy with an eGravel bike in our crew, he has had multiple open-heart surgeries and I am happy AF every time I see him on 2 wheels!

We have a couple in our group aswell. For people that need the extra push they're great. Nobody should ever have to give up on biking at this point until their own wheels fall off.

But as an old snobby purest (with fancy Bluetooth shifting, yes i hear myself) i like to see the younger guys earn it a bit more. When you have the cardio for the ascent it makes the decent just a little more fun. At the end of the day the lbs makes money, people are out riding, we get more donations to make more trails and buy fancy tools, and everybody wins. I've definitely come around on them as the future of the sport.

My group of close friends includes one guy with an eMTB... he hears about it non-stop when we are together

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Now is the time that's forsure. I looked at all my inventory, spare tires, stans, cables, housing, bleed kits, ect. Want to have what i need now and not try and get it later, this stuff adds up. I know where I'm at anyway ebikes have really taken over the mtb scene. I have to wonder what sales on new regular old pedal drive bikes will look like this spring. Probably looking to offload a few for space reasons, but the used bike market won't be getting better. I'm probably just going to keep them on principle rather than sell a full suspension carbon frame for $300. Fun times ahead.

Gravel is a different beast, but do people seem to be switching to ebike versions there too? I'm guessing no? Kind of defeats the purpose of that kind of riding.

There are absolutely ebike versions of gravel bikes. I see them on the fire roads where I mountain bike.

I guess maybe it lets a set of folks who wouldn't ordinarily be out and about the ability to ride around

We have a guy who rides with us on group rides that is 65+ and doesn't have the watts to keep up. He has a pretty nice Trek ebike that gives him the 200 extra he needs to hang in there. This seems to be the perfect use for these machines.

We have a guy with an eGravel bike in our crew, he has had multiple open-heart surgeries and I am happy AF every time I see him on 2 wheels!

We have a couple in our group aswell. For people that need the extra push they're great. Nobody should ever have to give up on biking at this point until their own wheels fall off.

But as an old snobby purest (with fancy Bluetooth shifting, yes i hear myself) i like to see the younger guys earn it a bit more. When you have the cardio for the ascent it makes the decent just a little more fun. At the end of the day the lbs makes money, people are out riding, we get more donations to make more trails and buy fancy tools, and everybody wins. I've definitely come around on them as the future of the sport.

My group of close friends includes one guy with an eMTB... he hears about it non-stop when we are together

I feel like you put the target on your back don't be surprised when people shoot. The little old ladies get a pass, everyone else hears about it.

Eta people in the group or friends. Nobody's shouting down strangers.

 

[beer 30]

Ebikes seem great for just ****ing around or even commuters but if you're serious about using cycling for fitness I don't get it. Just bought one of these used for $600. Looking forward to getting out on some gravel soon.

It has all the mounts. And for $600 you got GRX? Damn, man, that's a total steal.

Former boss who got me into the sport and shortly after we rode an ultra together discovered a degenerative hip that precludes him from ever riding again. Really sucked but he had just bought this bike, got in about 5 rides on it then hung it up, been sitting since. I told the tight ******* to just give it to me since he couldn't ride anymore but I couldn't pass up $600 bones for it. Think he paid about $2k new in 2023.

 

[Tick]

Also got signed up for my first race of the year. It's not till later in the summer, but they fill up fast. 24 hr race, laps are 13ish miles, chunky, but not crazy single track, I'll be on a team for this and am thinking I'll do 2-3 laps. Did this one last year and it was awesome. It starts and ends at a campground and the entire place is booked with participants. It's like a hippy biker Woodstock kind of thing. Not real serious and everyone is just there for a good time.

Can you link to this? I'm guessing you're somewhere around Iron Mountain. I'm way down in the lower peninsula but tend to take one trip up to the UP to go to Copper Harbor or Marquette each year. Maybe this could fit into my trip.

Are there any youth riding teams up there? I know there's no team (and I think no riders) from the UP in the Misca races, I wonder if there are teams up there that compete in Wisconsin or anything.

 

[The Longtime Lurker]

Also got signed up for my first race of the year. It's not till later in the summer, but they fill up fast. 24 hr race, laps are 13ish miles, chunky, but not crazy single track, I'll be on a team for this and am thinking I'll do 2-3 laps. Did this one last year and it was awesome. It starts and ends at a campground and the entire place is booked with participants. It's like a hippy biker Woodstock kind of thing. Not real serious and everyone is just there for a good time.

Can you link to this? I'm guessing you're somewhere around Iron Mountain. I'm way down in the lower peninsula but tend to take one trip up to the UP to go to Copper Harbor or Marquette each year. Maybe this could fit into my trip.

Are there any youth riding teams up there? I know there's no team (and I think no riders) from the UP in the Misca races, I wonder if there are teams up there that compete in Wisconsin or anything.

Sure can. This race is about 10 miles west of Marquette. It takes place on the RAMBA trail system (my favorite trails on earth), also where the Marji Gesick takes place and this will be on those same trails if you're familiar. This race is more about having fun, but you could test yourself if you wanted.

RAMBA Shenanigans Online Registration

www.bikereg.com

I ride Marquette and Copper Harbor all the time, small world. I prefer Marquette for pure riding, but the Copper Harbor experience is second to none and the riding isn't to shabby either. If you've never hit up RAMBA don't sleep on it. Super technical XC type trails, but something for everyone, can't say enough good things about them. All the above are currently buried under feet of snow and looking like an early to mid May start to the season.

Yes, there's several youth teams, but I'm an old man with no kids so i can't say forsure. Marquette has a couple teams and I think there’s a team out of Ishpeming. That's about as much as i know though.

 

[Tick]

I've never ridden the RAMBA trails - just Marquette South trails 4x, Copper Harbor 3x, and one time riding Michigan Tech's trails. I've heard that Swedetown has some good trails also but never stopped there.

I also spent a week riding the trails in Duluth/Superior each evening after work and during the weekends on either side - that was pretty great, though I was a little tentative riding alone. That's about it for up-north riding for me to this point.