Gerber Vise is teeny tiny

It is and I ordered one. I was going to keep it but the finish was so rough / sharp that I sent it back and got the Nextool – which is much better finished.

If you’ve already got the Edge Explore 2 then it can be made to do exactly what it sounds like you want.

You might need to spend an hour or so playing about in the settings but you can thin down all the screens, turn off virtual partner & turn off the climb pro setting so it doesn’t pop up – you can either hide it completely or leave it there but swipe to it.

Do you have a tech savvy younger and less grumpy person that could help you set it up?

No experience of the tyres to help but someone posted a PSA about cheap tyres the other day.

Lots of half price teravails on this site

https://www.lyonequipment.com/tyres/tyre-size/teravail-rutland-650-x-47-durable-black__3592

I presume you’re looking at just 29ers? Otherwise I could be tempted to sell my much loved ML Bird Aether 7

….always worth a cheeky mention on a thread like this :-)

Depends what / where I want to ride.

I could say my preference is my nicely sorted gravel bike, but that would’ve been rubbish in Switzerland last month. The bike I took to Switzerland would’ve been rubbish last week bike packing across Wales.

I guess I like variety, I just like riding bikes.

Nextool Mini Sailor with a knife this time.

32×50 is pretty low, I’d think any lower than that and you’d be quicker walking

I’d rather ride at walking pace than get off and push.

My mountain bikes have 30 x 51 & 52 – both are perfectly rideable in their lowest gears.

I run 32 with an 11-51 on my Camino. When I wear it out I’ll probably go for a 30T chainring as occasionally when I’m tired I click for that extra low gear and find it’s not there. I’d consider a 28 too but not sure I’d need it.

I only spin out on tarmac downhill which I don’t ride much but have a 38T ring I can put on for that if needed.

I squidge them with my hand until they feel about right. When I hear the rim dinging off things a bit too often I put a couple more PSI in.

I usually like to run as low as I can get away with it.

Yes. It’s also NBD :-) So far it’s lovely, very happy.

Dunkeld.

The sun came out.

I bought 3:

Victorinox Tinker Deluxe – well made, feels good quality. Too big, which is a shame.

Nextool Sailor – I thought this was the one to have, except I managed to buy the Lite with no knife…

Gerber Vise – decided to keep this one, tools and size are good. The finish of the metal sides is disappointing though it’s very rough and not nice to hold and will likely scratch anything it gets put next to. Which I couldn’t tell until I’d cut it out of its packaging.

Tubeless on MTB & Gravel bike, no inserts, Stans. Have had to use a tube once in about the last 5 years when I dented the rim so badly it wouldn’t keep a seal.

If I stop carrying a tube I’ll be guaranteed to need it the next ride.

I’m assuming the “point” of being up on the hills near the end is for the views, which I’m sure were out there somewhere

Probably my favourite photo of the trip. Somehow my mate managed to clear the ditch and land with both feet on the dry side.

Never on my own bike.

Once for my wife’s and once for a random guy in Switzerland last month. He was looking a bit lost beside a stream, I found his chain and put it back together for him.

I always carry it though as otherwise it would be ride ending and potentially a long way from home.

Most of what I carry is used on other people’s bikes. We’ve just been away for a 6 day trip and my multi tool was used once on my bike to do up some cage bolts but used multiple times a day by the rest of our group I think.

Done.

Tough 6 days doing the Trans Cambrian first.

The quarry section was ace.

Gravel bike was probably the right bike.

did it very much on the spur of the moment, if I’d spent a couple of days beforehand poring over maps,

We decided ages ago we were doing it, but then have spent no time actually sorting anything. Oops!

@Ambrose thanks. If we get a chance to re-look at a map I might tweak the last bit again.

Anyway, breakfast and then heading off from Knighton.

It’s raining. The forecast lies!

Great suggestions thanks.

I was all set on the Squirt as per the first reply, but others look good too.

Sorted.

The quarries section definitely worthwhile and looks like it cuts out a bit of a slog of a climb up a road.

The other bit might be a hard sell to everyone at the end of day 6… I’m sure the view is glorious, but it adds about 350m on. Will see how we are all feeling.

@tillydog just messaged you so no need to reply but thanks!

@Simon thanks for that, I’ll grab the GPX later and compare it to ours.

All the extra bits OK to ride?

Thanks, yep I just read that and realised what the issue is.

So from the Cycling UK article it suggests that it should be OK to ride but technically not allowed.

I wonder if I’ll get a chance to faff about with my GPX route and tweak it in time!

This is what we’re planning

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/21485176/trans-cambrian-traws-eryri-complete

I’d hate to climb so far only to limp back down on a rigid gravel bike.

Oh.

We set off for Wales tomorrow. Trans Cambrian for 3 days followed by the TE over 3 days.

Only just seen the chat of closed bits, any chance you could send me the route please so I can check how it compares to what we’ve got planned?

Yeah chain needed :-)

You can do what ive done, im runningSram Rival AXS and replaced the Rival AXS rear mech with a GX one and fitted a 10-52 cassette, works a treat

Yes but I don’t want electronic shifting on a bike that I go camping in the middle of nowhere on.

Think they officially say 34

I think GRX 2x might be 34, but my wife runs an 11-40 on hers. GRX 1x must go bigger?

this is an apex mech designed to work with an eagle (MTB) cassette.

Ah cool ta. Wonder why it’s Apex only and not an option for Rival upwards? But it’s definitely a good thing, I think Gravel bikes are generally all geared too high out the box, good to have options.

Yeah that’s what led me to it, the bike popped up in my fb

Oh, and it’s 12 speed

Wow thanks, great info. Will go through it all when I get a chance.

And yes some low level ideas also welcome.

We might actually only get 2 days riding in this trip but definitely won’t be the only time we visit, so lots of options very welcome!

Well if you were going this week it would be absolutely horrendous so there’s a good chance October will be better!

I went in April and got lucky with wall to wall sunshine.

I’ve got it very tentatively pencilled in for mid September or beginning of October.

I’m not ready to switch to it yet but if it came on a bike I was buying, especially an e-bike that needs charging anyway, then I would definitely keep it.

If you’re just swapping left to right and don’t need to cut anything then just undo them, do them back up on the opposite levers and bleed?

Yes it will be slightly lower, unless whatever motor it uses has the option to change wheel size.

FWIW I ran a 27 wheel in the back of my Rise for a while and didn’t really notice any difference, I guess the difference will be more pronounced on a full power bike as it’ll be easier to hit the cut out speed.

I’ve only been up that way on the Gravel bike, looks a good option for the off piste though so might give it a go next time we’re over there.

Yeah but they’re not as durable. So you’re saving weight (and space) but potentially getting worse performance when you need to rely on it.

From smoke?

I’ve used it indoors with windows open and it’s seemed fine. I just put a metal tray underneath to protect the worktop.

There’s a CO alarm nearby too and it’s never upset that.

It’s the size not the weight that’s a big difference.

Ah fair enough!

Same way I vent my gas hob and my gas oven.

Admittedly I’ve never used one but will you really notice the weight difference between them and a proper tube?

Maybe 80grams saved.

Anyone tried the indoor Ooni electric one or similar?

No, but due to the shit weather this year my gas Ooni has been used inside a few times.

Oooft, just looked it up. That’s expensive. Just take the gas one indoors.

Let’s think…

First off why I didn’t go for other options:

– Stumpy Evo – cracky carbon frames, poor seat post insertion.

– Bird Aeris 9 – a bit too big, bit too slack and heavy for what I ride most of the time.

– Bird Aeris AM – my wife beat me to it. I was right between sizes, which on the plus side meant I could get away with either size, on the downside meant I spent hours pondering which one I would go for. Would I forever wish I’d gone the other way? Who knows.

– Marin Alpine Trail XR – really liked the look of them, same cons as the Aeris 9. They look ace in the pink & blue.

– Ibis Ripmo – Ugly. Although the new one would be a consideration now.

– Canyon – I had a brief look into Canyons but came across a few horror stories of nightmares with customer service waiting for parts etc.

So the Highlander II. I’ve ordered the 2023 non UDH version with an included Ohlins shock, which helped bring the price down.

I wanted a full 29er, Deviate are just up the road from me & when you go to a demo day you actually speak to the people that design & build the bikes (Bird also score highly here, Orbea for example scored terribly on this), I think it looks lovely, I like different and high pivot is different, the sizing sits pretty much in between the 2 Bird sizes so I feel like it fits me really well.

I had another demo on one, I was going to Comrie Croft anyway for a couple of days and they sorted me out one for the day, with no charge which was a bonus. It instantly feels really good for me, both pedalling and descending. I can’t really jump so the “growing chain stays feeling weird” isn’t something I notice. What I do notice is that it feels pretty nimble but also confidence inspiring – time will tell though if that feeling continues when riding more at my limit of steepness / tech. Vittoria tyres on the demo bike didn’t like gripping on the Comrie rock.

The 65º HA is still in the back of my mind but the theory is that it won’t steepen like other bikes due to the growing chain stays so doesn’t need to start as slack, I’ll have to wait and see if this holds true.

I’ve just been in Switzerland for a couple of weeks on my Orbea Rise (160f/140r) which has a selection of everything that I love riding and I very rarely felt like I’d want or need a full on enduro bike.

This was the second demo bike, the rear didn’t feel as good as with the Ohlins but I think it might have just been a bit too much air in the Fox shock.