How much gravel/cross bling is too much? How far can I take it on a ‘dream’ bike…?

Bar tape matches the hubs? Bottle cage bolts match your bar tape and hubs? Chainring bolts match your bottle cage, bar tape and hubs…? You get the idea show me what you’ve done! Or shoot me down in flames, from what I have seen on here that will happen either way 😳

Not mine, but this makes me feel all funny.

Mine. Subtle, IMHO. Enough bling, but practical with it. (Awaits seat post comment.)

Both have, as you can see, the vital elements fitted. Black bar tape and saddle being two of them.

I’ve not matched the hubs (which is not to say I wouldn’t)

[url=https://flic.kr/p/TDpJUJ]1040028[/url] by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

don’t think I’d keep my mountain morph there! 😯 😀

It’s a Road Morph, but why not?

Not flash but this is mine

Now with proper pedals back on and an Xtr cassette.
Force cx1, Thomson post n stem with specialized power saddle and Rum bottle stoppers as bar ends.(£64 for the pair including rum)
50×25 mm carbon wheels from lightbike.

One of my all time favourite builds from over 25 years of cycling.

Those the wheels I sold you on and on?

It’s a Road Morph, but why not?

cos I know what the back of my down tube looks like when it’s wet/muddy.

Hi chunky. I hope all is well.

yours were on this bike for a bit then moved onto my wife’s when these were delivered.
These are a little lighter but not much in it.

Adventure

Race

Custom pro edition saddle in my colours

Pink King hubs and painted ENVE (sponsored by them and fabric) stuff. Haters gonna hate!

These are a little lighter but not much in it.

What wheels are they?

Love that Tang, totally out there! Like em all so far – cant really see your bike on and on.

Come on – anyone beat Tang for matching bits?

Nothing too bling here I’m afraid…

[url=https://flic.kr/p/U64b2e]Camino[/url] by Scgwhite, on Flickr

Fairly standard, apart from a chi-ti seatpost, Brooks saddle, Hunt wheels, ti bottle cage and stem cap (yes, I know…)

tang – Member
Haters gonna hate!

Are they really? How very tedious …

with the racks on:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/UJspy3]image[/url] by Mikey Scott, on Flickr

Gravel bikes are simply brilliant… I love just heading off and following my nose, whether it’s a quiet lane or a bit of singletrack, it copes quite happily.

parts bin rummaging works a treat

Got a nice sticker from Reynolds

And jersey from Castelli

How you finding the Hunt wheels Si? Very tempted to
Upgrade and they are up there.

Tyres? Running G-ones. Good for 60 miles on the road and only seem a tiny bit slower than the 25’s on my road bike.

Thinking Nani or Clement x’plore for more muddy days/winter…

Not sure Chinese/far easten Ti and hunt wheels can pass as bling. Nothing wrong with it regular run of the mill yes.

Tang has it though.

A track too far but what a view; Glen Roy to Windy Corner (bringing a Gravel bike to a full suss fight…) – waiting for better tubeless tires before i risk my Hunt wheels…

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155613883765695&set=pb.569185694.-2207520000.1496181714.&type=3&theater

How you finding the Hunt wheels Si? Very tempted to
Upgrade and they are up there.

Seem great – Alpkit were happy to supply the bike without stock wheels, so the upgrade was only £100 or so. Lovely quality, very nicely packaged and all accessories (spare spokes, tubeless valves, spoke key etc) all included. I don’t think they are anything particularly special (rebranded hubs I think) but I liked the whole package and they seemed good value, reasonable weight and decent strength.

Not sure Chinese/far easten Ti and hunt wheels can pass as bling. Nothing wrong with it regular run of the mill

Compared to some above, not bling at all. For me, it is wildly exotic!

^^^impressed in Tang’s first pic even the flowering weed and the dead leaves match the bike

not so much bling but more tartiness, a bit like a “kiss me quick” hat:

Feels bling to me now I’ve added fancy gear electrickery…

Are the forks on back to front?

[/url]Untitled by singlespeed_shep, on Flickr[/img]

Singlespeed 18bikes handmade frame,
18bikes 853 seatpost
Paul dropouts, Hubs and Brakes.

No, just the design of those Kinesis forks – only real road disc fork I could get back in 2010 when I built it up!

Are the forks on back to front?

No Kinesis CX forks are like that, I assume it’s for the same reasons as Manitou suspension forks, it gives you a slightly shorter distance from arch to dropout (therefore stiffer) with more mud clearance.

Shimano def. need to bring out an option for 1x sti levers like SRAM have. Such a waste of money and complexity attached to your bike when you don’t use or need a front shifter.

or in white

Any excuse to post a photo of my CX love 8)

Bar tape matches the hubs? Check & check: Zipp and black.
Bottle cage bolts match your bar tape and hubs? Check, check & check: Zipp and black.
Chainring bolts match your bottle cage, bar tape and hubs…? N/A with am Absolute Black direct mount oval ring 8)

Full spec is:
Specialized Cruz Carbon frameset
Specialized CG-r carbon seat post
Zipp carbon bottle cage
Fizik Tundra M3 saddle
Zipp Course SL stem
Zipp SLC2 V2 Carbon bars (short/shallow) with Zipp Course CX tape
Zipp 303 Firecrest Tubular wheelset
Dugast Typhoon Tubs 33x700c
Ashima Ai2 discs; 160 front & 140 rear
CX1 Cranks
Absolute Black oval direct mount front ring
XTR pedals (25th anniversary blue)
CX1 rear mech
SRAM Red cassette
KMC X11SL DMC 11sp chain (black/red)
SRAM RED Hydro Levers; left hand ghetto tuned to remove front mech lever
SRAM RED Hydro brake calipers

The other one is more setup more as a tarmac/gravel/XC machine come winter road trainer with mudguards. Genesis Croix de Fer with Ultegra group set and hydros, wheels are heavy but strong.

Less glamour here I guess as not that pretty 😆

Lovely bikes but where do you find gravel suited to CX?

I regularly train on the Ridgeway south of Wallingford. Around this time of year I move from HT to FS as dry trails at speed gets completely debilitating even on 2.25s and front suspension with a HT.

Given a CX bike is geared and positioned for greater speed I am presuming people are riding on smoother surfaces – where?

Quite subtle I fink. But blingy all the same. The silver stickered road Ksyriums are a bit louder. Now has a tarty saddle too. The old one was creaking I tell ya!

Not blingy in any way at all, Jamis Renegade. Now has Hope 20Five wheels and is about to get some tubeless Schwalbe G-Ones.

Lovely bikes but where do you find gravel suited to CX?

Sustrans tracks, forest roads, rough back lanes and even easier singletrack is a hoot on bikes like these…

I am presuming people are riding on smoother surfaces – where?

Nope – I am riding local bridalways – some of which are literally the edge of a farmers field – bone dry and bone shaker city but great fun! Tubeless a must with all the hawthorne hedgerows! Schwalbe G-Ones with 35 front and 40 in the back seems to work ok to iron out some of the bone shaker

Great bikes but where are the matching coloured bolts, bar tape, hubs…!

You’ll have to take my word for it but there are red bolts and skewers on there. She is a beautiful bike and I am not missing my road bike at all! With G-One’s (finally tubeless) she’s not any slower and so comfy. Just need to upgrade the wheels when I can. Cant wait for the winter this year!