I’ve only just jumped into Orbital.

Tilda was a bit much. Glad to see normality quickly return Saaaaaaatan 🤭

Little Simz 👌🏻😎

Just flicked to the Streets. Great start 😎😎

I really enjoyed this write up.

Your type of bike and riding is so far from what I do the spectrum needs to be redefined but I love the detail and the technical bits.

I’d never heard of Ochain before reading this (https://www.ochain.bike/pages/for-nerds) what a fantastic piece of kit :-)  – Not sure my Orange Gyro warrants one though …

@woodlikesbikes – Good luck with this. I had the same quandary albeit on a different Specialized frame. I reached out to Specialized UK and Specialized in the ‘states. Sadly neither could.

I tried removing the “cups” as per the bikeradar article but the look like the had suffered galvanic corrosion and were not coming out. I stopped at cutting them out and sadly sent the frame for recycling.

I hope you have a better run!

you will join a club 🙂

I have!

It is a great and supportive club but everyone has about 10 pairs of trainers!

even the OP

I have feelings too ….. :-)

I’m interested in the stride length comments.

My stride length appears to fluctuate (natural I guess) between 1.12m and 1.23m according to Garmin – I did only look at a few runs.

A combination of longish legs and general size has me looking like Bambi on ice when I’ve tried shorter steps – it’s not pretty or efficient.

I tend to get a little pain and very occasional bruising from high tempo running/sprints – but its never bad enough to make me stop either in the moment or the following day.  I’m only running two – three days per week as it eats into my cycling time :-)

Thanks for all the replies. Lots of good advice and things or me to mull.

I’ve been into our local Runners Need shop and have to say was completely underwhelmed by the advice. I even went in on a second day to speak to someone else and got the same response. It may just be our branch but the selection was pretty small/limited.

Maybe I need to find a larger shop to try?

I have a Day One that is currently set up as a fixed gear gravel/road bike.

I wouldn’t say it was boring. Basic double butted Reynolds (520) spring but can take a 40mm tyre (with room) and the unused cable guides are very subtle.  135mm spaced (I run a Surly fixed disc hub) so good options available. Rarer now as they are getting on a bit but, IMHO, a worthy consideration:

My tuppence worth ( for what its worth) is that the frame or more specifically the rear triangle may be the culprit. Presuming 73mm BB shell the NDS looks good clearance wise – presumably better (by the width of a spacer) when using just one DS spacer as should be the case* with a 73mm shell and Shimano.

Does the chainring catch on the chain stay with just a single spacer (let alone the crank arm)?

A 55mm chain line crankset may work “better” presuming (again) that not just the chainring moves over.

Was the frame from Chiggle?

*there are always exceptions :-)

@honourablegeorge – Fair point. Idle hands.

The Solaris just doesn’t get used.

I like the multiple hand positions of drops.

I also like the idea behind the Cascade … if you are going to put a suspension fork on a gravel bike have it be a “proper” one – May not be how Cy put it word for word :-)

The Solaris is actually running bar ends inboard of the brakes to help mimic hoods but these are only really useful for sections where cover the brakes isn’t essential.

But mainly a combination of idles hand and why not.

Reach on the Fearless (Zipp bars) is 70mm, drop 115mm but only a minimal (5 degrees)  flare.

I’m not sure my wrists would cope with those Ritchey bars – I spend most of my time on the hoods even offroad.

To anyone that I haven’t already lost with the above rambling mess I managed to get some tinkering time earlier …

I don’t have a 60mm stem but do have a 50mm (zero rise) that I quickly cobbled together with a 440mm drop bar.

This creates an almost identical “reach” to my Fearless and Genesis drop bar builds.

The height of the flat of the bar is about 25mm higher on the Solaris. This might be a goer!

Okay … quick and rough initial measure.

Tip of saddle to centreline of bars (think stem plate  gap) in a straight line:

Fearless 56cm

Cotic 62cm with a 90mm stem.

6cm (I can Math)

Sooo 60mm stem and inline post may give me somewhere close to similarly 🤨😂

As to whether I could run a stem with positive rise 🤢🤢🤮😂

The tape measure is being dusted off as I type.

I will report back with photos when I have some spare time!

Proportion **cough** wise I am on the ape’ier end of the spectrum. This is my XL Fearless with an 80mm stem:

Thanks again all.

Good to see it wasn’t just a flat no :-)

Thanks All.

The plan would be that this (if it makes it to trial build) would retain a suspension fork.

@barney :-) Are you running a suspension fork? Do you have a photo of said gnarvel beast?

Thank you all and thank you @solarider for the offer. I’ve tried a trigger like that in the past (Giant?) and didn’t get on with it.

I’ve plumped for a MT500

Thank you again :-)

Yes.

I’m only musing this as some of the “gravel” routes around here vary hugely from “lovely” to “I wish I had my fatbike”

I’m happy to compromise speed for some more comfort on these routes.

There is still a place for the actual gravel bike though!

The Cotic geometry chart shows that the 71 comes from an 80mm suspension fork or 470mm rigid fork so a 110mm fork ought to slacken the HA by 1.5 degrees

Source

The 69 degree HA comes from a 483mm Rigid fork so again that should/could work … ?

I would keep the suspension fork for that full 2022 gravel feeling :-)

Perhaps I have a duff one. The bolt easily bent ( came that way ) and I couldn’t adjust of the free play.

Maybe I will try another.

Ive said many times before that when the fenix breaks ill go and buy another. It just works without any of the faff. in all conditions.
Yep. I have a Fenix 6 Pro Solar (47mm) and feel the same.

I’m 18 months into owning a Fenix 6 Pro Solar and I find it great for running, riding and general activity tracking. Not the most exciting watch to look at but I like the fact it is not shouty and attention grabbing.

The only thing I would change and when I come to replace it I’ll sort is the solar element. For the life of me I cannot say it makes any difference. I have a ridiculous tan line under the watch so it gets sun and the tracking element shows that it is recording this but … it makes no difference that I can tell.

The solar glass isn’t a mineral glass so can pick up a scratch – ask me how I know this.

So in summary the Fenix is a great package but dubious solar use.

Take a look at these:

https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Zipp/Service-Course-70-XPLR-Handlebar/SRIN?utm_source=google&utm_medium=base&co=GBR&cu=GBP&glCountry=GB&id=1342034&ds_eid=3823279037&ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=&ds_cid=20161697935&ds_ag=&ds_agid=&ds_k=&ds_kid=&ds_kids=&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIi7TItOPHhgMV7YBQBh0_kg7NEAQYASABEgIy2fD_BwE

I use the 46cm SL version on two bikes – same shape as these but slightly lighter.

The beauty of these, for me, is that the “flare” is only in the drops meaning your shifters aren’t at a jaunty angle that require wrists made out of tangfastics but you get the benefit of the width.

I tried a fair few of the bendier bars but my wrists were having none of it.

There are plenty of reviews about but they tend to be of the SL that is ~£100 but the non SL ^^ is the same shape:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/reviews/zipp-service-course-sl-70-xplr-handlebar-review

Expensive to solve a single issue but handy to have in reserve for other o ring related disasters:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/arctic-hayes-imperial-o-ring-selection-box-225-pcs/4874j

@bigblackshed … get them whilst you can as Panaracer have discontinued the 38mm and 43mm series of tyres.

Thank you @curto80.

I’m a real fan of the originals so this sounds very good!

Hmm 40 or 45mm choices, choices :-)

@klunk :-)

This was like going from a plush Pike to a Quadra 10 ;-)

I found the Apex rear mech pretty awful.

The shifter (mine is 1x) paired with a Rival rear mech though has been fine – I prefer this set up to my Ultegra shifters …

I like the pairing so much that I’ve not fitted the Force shifters I’ve had for over a year.

The one we had was platester board and presumably timber framed rather than block.

It makes practical sense e.g. having a defined space but I would say that the decision ought to be agreed in full by both parties not one telling the other.

We lived in a terrace of four cottages and had a “firewall” between us and our neighbour (we were an end terrace so only one side needed) – oddly there was a door in ours into their roof space!

If they go ahead without your contribution make sure it is in the right place.

Further down our terrace someone got the line “wrong” and so one neighbours roof hatch went into the neighbouring property’s roof space not theirs …

We lost the head of our doggie household at the end of last year, it still makes me sad and my eyes are leaking reading this – virtual hug. Things do get easier.

I have one, it’s either 80 or 90mm on my Fearless.

On anything other than straight up roads I think it works well, really well in fact at damping “trail buzz” but at above suspension is probably a little misleading.

On the road it’s less noticeable. That’s not to say it doesn’t work it just prefers gravel ☺️

@nixie – unfortunately this is a rear hub.

I watched this beastie rid itself of a cobweb that had it grounded:

The noise of it at work was haunting.

As it took off it was pretty epic to see.

It was bang on 35mm long 😳

An impressive beastie (presume European Hornet) and dwarfed the average wasp.

I image a sting from one of these really funking hurts.

As per @Nixie’s question what does the serial number say the fork/chasis is? I guess that is the starting point.

Why people feel the need up “up label” a fork is beyond me (not pointed at the OP).

I have a love/hate relationship with my Garmin devices.

As a (very) amateur runner I am encouraged with the data and tracking it provides.

On the bike it’s another story. I find the data to be anything but encouraging.

I actually did a couple of my regular rides last year with my Garmin in my jersey and I recorded a higher average speed not seeing live data than seeing it.

Go figure!

Grip damper, IIRC, is an open oil bath like good ole Bombers of old so the damper shares the same oil as the lower leg (damper side only).

How much is a “load” – I find with oil a little can often look like a lot more than it is.

May be worth sorting the lockout and seeing if it works and re access what to do.

Or …… drain it out into a measuring cup and add a bit more and pop it back in.

Um … I think you mean hybrid … ;-)

Nice to see one of those frames again.

I’m the same height as you.

I ride an XL Solaris Max (pre current model).

I have long arms but not super long legs.

I wouldn’t want a L.

Not sure if any of this is helpful nor how it tracks with the current sizing descriptors :-)

Edit … previously I had owned and ridden an XL Stanton Sherpa

@5lab – You are bang on – there are a couple of elastomers and a spring:

https://www.exposure-use.com/Brands/Ultimate-USE/Products/Spares-and-Accessories/Service-Items/Universal-Shokpost-Spring-Kit-SP

I’m just surprised that it doesn’t appear mentioned in any reviews – which makes me think its me :-(