I kind of hear you on the fox 36 grip2

I have one, it’s incredible and I love it, but you are one accidental click away from it feeling awful! Literally, on the recommended setting from Trek it is spot on, just enough small bump compliance, supportive, stiff, never gets overwhelmed and spiky. One click on any adjuster and it’s worse 😂 Also needs it annual service, noticed mine was losing performance in a noticeable way after about 11 months. A refresh at tf tuned and it’s back to being the best thing since sliced bread, so long as you don’t touch the dials!

Plus one for dorking, it’s where I would be if I didn’t have to daily to London. As it is I’m just down the road in Reigate (redhill station) which cuts the commute time a little. Dorking has the best mtbing but it’s an hour just to Victoria/Waterloo.

Surrey hills straight out the door need no introduction though 👌

I like to think doing it since 1998 pretty consistently means I‘m quite good. (I know, I know now I feel really arrogant and and gonna have a bike crash)

What I’m good at:
– Top 10 in masters in both southern enduro races I’ve entered, so going dh reasonably fast, on pretty much any terrain.
– Taught myself to jump a bit over the last year so what would have been a suck at is now a perfectly acceptable at for my needs (have hit some of the biggest Surrey hills jumps)
– Fitness is as high as it’s ever been so I’m fast uphill and can cope just fine with technical climbing. (Eg 175k gravel ride in 9 hrs a couple of weeks ago on a whim)
– crossing disciplines, currently have road, gravel and Mtb’s. Current mtb being a nice trek remedy. Have had xc race bikes and 36lbs coil bikes in the past. All bikes are great 😁

What I still suck at:
– wheelies and manuals, have practiced a bit over lockdown and it’s coming but never nailed these which feels like a missed opportunity given how much of my life I spend on bikes.

It’s nice to reflect and of course there are far better riders than me but I’m happy with where my riding is right now. Just need to find someone to ride with who can push me on further! Progression is so rewarding 👌

“he did get singled out when he commented on the cycling weekly piece where he was accused of sexism” – FFS who was the victim here? you saying he was!?

Flouncing off this thread, he is vile lets not defend him

Richie – have a good think about whether she ‘hid behind a defense of sexism’

I get the feeling she was genuinely appalled and offended by the sexual nature of the insults directed at her. you give the impression you think she ‘decided to be offended’ by the sexism just because she didnt like the video

he showed he was a very nasty piece of work in that episode

(ps pick holes in journalism all you want, cycling weekly dont exactly have a wind tunnel budget, but dont go after the person, especially with sexual and objectifying language)

I used to find him a little annoying but funny, then he did this:
https://road.cc/content/news/shockjock-vid-seeks-refute-sexism-claim-reinforces-it-272869

Do not give this douchebag your views and your time

Cable discs came on my topstone, knew they wouldn’t be great after years on hydro but I really couldn’t stand them. Just not the power I wanted and was used to. Come into a corner a bit hot and need a stab of brake? Tough luck!

I threw a full grx hydro groupset at it within six months.

Caveat being that I actually use my gravel bike on hilly off road rides and easy singletrack so need the control

As you guys suggest the mechs are 1x or 2x specific

I bought a full GRX 810 1x group set, running 40 x 11-42 and also have the wooftooth 38th front ring for when my wife rides it and any loaded touring i do.

All in all been ive been very impressed, but very minor things
– the unused left lever still moves sideways slightly, i wish it didnt
– the clutch stopped working for me but i opened it up and the internal adjustment screw had shaken loose, keep an eye on it. dont run it clutch off and if it stops working just open it up yourself
– the limit screws are a tiny bit ‘wandery’ and i dont have any loctite
– the easiest gears can make noise and pop down when back pedaling as its quite ‘crosschainy’

Highlights:
– fantastic braking
– slick shimano shifting
– light weight

in deciding 1x vs 2x i would suggest:
if you want to either loaded tour or group ride on the road or you hate hills get 2x
if your riding is largely unloaded and off road and you are powerful then 1x is great

Id deffo say yes. noticed my 36’s performance fall off after just under a year of riding, its a slow degradation though so easy to miss.

I’ve done it

I wouldn’t recommend but if needs must! I had a hacksaw Blade to make vertical cuts as deep as I could, then a sharp screwdriver and a hammer to break up the layers and peal them apart. Make sure your ‘screwdriver’ type implement is long enough to get the the bottom of the post. I had real trouble with getting anything to reach the bottom section, hacksaw or screwdriver.

Took me many many hours, I remember being on the verge of tears at 1 in the morning because I had an event I really wanted to do with mates the following day and I thought I’d **** it. Ended up getting to bed about 2:30am before my 200k the next day!

It also fills your frame with carbon shards And it’s really hard not to mark the frame at some point with the hacksaw. I ran out of options but, try everything else first is my advice….

Razorra – as u suggest there is an issue with riders on land that is NOT hurtwood managed (and privatly owned) on winterfold being ridden which has lead to closure of evian

This particular post is the level of unsanctioned building of massive jumps and large cutting into the hillside within hurtwood land. Where we are basically biting the hand that feeds (eg the only land manager that is broadly supportive)

Maxtorque – see the post from sui earlier, there is already “Tilworth, Rogate, BullTrack, Swinley (park bit) ”

Part of what makes (made) the surrey hills great was the natural feel of a lot of small singletrack trails in a beautiful setting. It shouldnt be a bike park and is always a shared use area that is in a quite densely populated bit of the country.

I’ve been very happy with my topstone aluminium which has none of these issues and rattles your teeth out like a gravel bike should :)

My new dt350 hubs on the gravel bike are very quiet. With the standard ratchet (18t I think)

Could get louder once they wear in and the grease thins out though

Blimey I feel like this thread would put me right off! I’ve been doing it for years and it really is easy and worth it!

Home setup is a track pump which does me 80% of the time and co2 for the one or two awkward ones. Leatherman for core removal and a syringe for sealant top up.

Trail setup is – pump, plugs, tube and levers. (Occasionally add a c02, esp if raining or cold)

Very worth while, and really not hard and always been able to get home with that.

I used to run 32*17 based out of reigate. Some careful route choice and very little I couldn’t get up. See if you can get 17 or start at 18, easier to shorten a chain than lengthen!

Bar bag? A little one of those is perfect for gravel bike rides with nothing on your back. Just make sure to protect the frame from rubbing

Some lockdown weight saving for my gravel bike. It has become the most used of the mtb/gravel/road/brompton stable over the last few weeks, so deserved some non OEM weight wheels and a tubeless setup.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_7QYFoFaZy

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Today’s ride, 75k off road following the chalk ridge west. Beautiful day, exploring new bridleways, lots of quiet sections and new bike goodies. The sections around St Martha’s, Wey navigations and Blackheath were relatively new to me and real highlights!

A post shared by Calvin Ferns (@calvinferns87) on May 8, 2020 at 10:38am PDT

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_aLfQDFXBS

Rapha core from post 2 now back in stock…

Well I await photos with baited breath, but mostly I just wish I had enough space to garage and hang on to all my old bits. Have to sell or throw them so jealous of your parts bin bikes!

Very fond memories of my 26inch Cotic simple, Deffo got a soft spot for their hardtails.

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A little 2 year anniversary of @filamentbikes ownership. She still kicks ass and looks pretty. 15,000k in all weathers up mountains and down farm tracks. Stiff, light, comfy and fun, would recommend . . Last bluebell shots for this year, I promise.

A post shared by Calvin Ferns (@calvinferns87) on Apr 23, 2020 at 2:32am PDT

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More pottering about the woods enjoying the #topstone this time. Lots of people out and about but being pretty sensible. Needed to get out this eve after giving my usual Wednesday morning slot a miss to get some work out.

A post shared by Calvin Ferns (@calvinferns87) on Apr 15, 2020 at 10:45am PDT

And just to finish the one of each bike theme, but this is last year
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwhzrhWlU5g

Thanks, that was bloody brilliant :)

It easier said than done but stepping away from online platforms/ daily news can be hugely positive.

I’ve deleted Facebook account and minimised news consumption for a couple of years now and it really is a blessing.

In terms of changing personalities, I have had some success. In my case growing areas that like empathy and inclusion of others that I wasn’t naturally coming to. Mostly through some online work training in unconscious bias and some really deep and meaningful thoughts about how I treat my wife. I found that genuinely motivating to me. If I can directly make the one I love happier by how I act and treat others then that is so so worthwhile.

http://Www.cyclingtips.com

Is doing some very excellent gravel bike reviews atm. Look at them. And don’t under any circumstances get cable discs 😂

It’s fine, really!

I’m 10-50 eagle with a 34 front ring and I can get up anything and spin out only on steep road descents where it doesn’t matter.

I really do not miss the rattly, chainsucky mess that was gears from the early 2000s

I do miss properly light cassettes, IMO it’s worth scouting around/spending a bit more for a light cassette. It’s unsprung weigh out there and the difference between cheep and expensive is a lot!

https://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/shop/core-cargo-bib-shorts/product/CCB01XX

Or

https://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/shop/cargo-bib-shorts/product/BRC01XX

Both make great mtb liner shorts and although pockets are not zipped they are very secure. And on offer till Tuesday!

Just bite the bullet and buy hydro sti’s and brakes. I don’t care if u have to break the budget it is so so much better. Tiagra or grx 400/600 can’t be that much surely. Depends what speed existing setup is

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-zGzx6ljvs

Do some excel weight calcs and work out a ballpark of where u might end up if you care about weight. I was looking at custom steel with disc brakes and basically came to the conclusion that the two together would make it disappointingly heavy.

I went custom carbon to try and keep weight down but still have the experience of working with a builder and something designed for me. (This was also pre-race bikes with discs/thru axle/ flat mount being widely available) My build would have been over 8kg on steel

Deffo look through the bespoked show catalogue and see what takes ur fancy!

And I can’t not show you mine
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvM0VvVAQcU

Yup, flat handlebar 2 speed here, in very happy daily use until corona. Wicked little things, super convenient, fun and just work and work and work without any care or love. Just keep the tyres pumped up and either keep it clean or service it every couple of years!

No expert but should work, Shimano say u need the specific grx front mech but I’d see if u can make ur old one work with limit screws right out first

👌 merak that is quality, I hope it gets run until it’s cracked and dusty and looks like a proper rally car! 😂

(Although I wouldn’t blame u to not!)

Rapha explore? 25% off atm

I very much like the look of tallpauls trail, looks north downs’y to me 🤔

Am i allowed video?
Biggest thing i ever hit which took a LOT of talking to myself to get done is the new 2020 gap jump on Pitch. Might never go as big again even if it looks like nothing from this

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#sendit This scared me, a lot. But has been playing on my mind since I first saw it and then @alec_pedaler hit it and I just had to go get it done #peaslakemtb #peaslaketrails

A post shared by Calvin Ferns (@calvinferns87) on Jan 25, 2020 at 9:37am PST

TLDR but the answer is yes:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B92GXoUlnmf

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More gravel today, just suits lockdown so well. No hurry, no gnar, riding from the front door.

A post shared by Calvin Ferns (@calvinferns87) on Mar 29, 2020 at 5:39am PDT

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Had a sore throat and headaches for a few days since sat, really put me on edge given the circumstances. Felt loads better this morning and just had to get out this aft. So so glad I did, took it as easy as I could and stayed well away from everyone! Best of luck all in these strange times

A post shared by Calvin Ferns (@calvinferns87) on Mar 25, 2020 at 1:07pm PDT

While not always true the flat mount calipers are v small and often have smaller pad contact patch that off road calipers. This means faster wear and less friction area. I have also had and heard of many seal and piston issues on flat mount shimano road calipers.

Certainly have to watch the wear on my durace and grx calipers quite closely compared to the XT (admittedly 4 pistons so not fair comparison)

Having experience of both i wouldnt choose the flat mount standard for off roading

Thanks man 🙏
Took a long time to decide spec and that paint!