Let’s explore the incredible desert, paramo, alpine and rainforest environments of Colombia. While we’re at it, we’ll cycle up the highest road in the country; a lofty 4700m/15400ft! But shh… in order to access the active volcano areas, we’ll be breaking a few rules.

Value my videos? Consider helping me get my hands on a professional-level drone:
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MY BIKE: KOGA WorldTraveller-S
MY 24KG GEAR LIST: HERE
MY ROUTE: HERE
MY CAMERAS: Panasonic G9 + GoPro Hero 6
MY MUSIC: Synth tunes from Martin Sturtzer HERE and a selection of songs from THIS synthwave mix

The post Video: Forbidden Roads // Cycling Into Volcanic Areas In Colombia [EP.13] appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

The post Ask Me Anything: Hand Numbness, Fear, Mexico, Rain Capes, Suspension & More appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

Getting the ball rolling for the new model year is the 2020 Kona Sutra range!

Kona has always been a progressive bike company in terms of design and specification. Whether it’s playing with the steering speed, developing a progressive size range, adding small frame details or simply fitting parts that people like – Kona tend to keep tabs on the market and innovate regularly. The 2020 Kona Sutra has received a raft of changes for the new product year, and to a lesser extent, so has the 2020 Kona Sutra LTD.

Let’s take a closer look.

The 2020 Kona Sutra Touring Bike

The 2020 Kona Sutra Touring Bike.

Beyond the obvious change of colour to Desert Green (which looks brilliant IMO), the Sutra frameset finally gets some 3-boss cargo cage mounts on its fork. The Sutra forks had the regular 2-boss mounts last year, but hey, it’s never a bad thing to have more luggage options for your fork!

The 12mm thru-axles (100mm and 142mm rear) caused a bit of a stir when they were introduced to the Sutra last year, but this axle standard is becoming more and more common on road and gravel bikes. The biggest benefits are that your wheels always sit perfectly flush in the dropouts, and the axles rarely loosen themselves.

But getting a replacement hub in Africa, Central Asia or South America will likely require getting it shipped in. I personally don’t find this a problem as I find that good quality gear needs to be shipped in any way, but some might find it off-putting. It’s worth noting that the Formula hubs spec’d with the bike are quite unlikely to fail.

The barend shifters on the bike are now from Microshift. These shifters are ‘indexed’ as standard, which means that every click changes one gear at a time, but they can also be adjusted to run as ‘friction’ shifters too. In short, you can manually adjust the gears like a 1970s road bike, which is a handy feature if you haven’t mastered tuning your derailleurs.

With the new model year comes a new crankset. Shimano Deore M6000 has recently rolled out on new bikes, and the Sutra is no exception. This touring crankset has a nicer finish than previously, with a new chainguard and 48-36-26 tooth chainrings to help achieve a massive gear range of 20-119″. With a 119 gear inch top gear, you’ll be able to pedal downhill at 57kmh/36mph while still maintaining a reasonable cadence.

Along with the crankset update, the rest of the Sutra has been changed to Shimano Deore M6000 parts too. This includes the front and rear derailleurs, as well as the chain and cassette. The cassette now has a 36t ‘bailout’ gear – resulting in a super low 19.7 gear inch climbing gear. This translates to hill climbs at 5.7kmh/3.5mph with a 60RPM pedalling cadence. Perfect for most paved road climbs and many off-road climbs too!

The WTB 36-hole rims have been changed too. You’ll now be getting the same rim but with a wider internal width that is 23mm (up from 19mm). This increased width better suits fatter gravel tyres (45-55mm), but will still allow you to fit a fast 700c x 35mm slick tyre for the ultra-smooth roads. The bike comes with Schwalbe Mondial 40mm tyres as standard which are ultra puncture-resistant and long-lasting for touring.

Rounding out the build is a tan Brooks B17 leather saddle (definitely a touring favourite), a rear rack, full-length fenders and TRP Spyre cable disc brakes. The Spyre brakes have a similar braking performance to many hydraulic calipers thanks to the fact they pull both brake pads in at the same time – again, making them a great component choice by Kona.

You can find the 2020 Kona Sutra for US $1499.

The 2020 Kona Sutra LTD Bikepacking Bike

The 2020 Kona Sutra LTD Bikepacking Bike.

The Kona Sutra LTD uses the same steel frame as the Sutra touring bike, but it’s kitted out with more of a gravel / bikepacking build. This sheds a few kilograms off the bike to bring the weight under ~13kg (28.7lbs).

Compared to the regular touring bike, the LTD has received fewer changes for this year. The colour is now Earth Grey which looks like it’ll do a pretty good job of hiding the mud on your bike. The earthy colour, along with the mud, will also complement nicely with the tan tyre sidewalls!

The biggest changes to the Sutra LTD are found at the wheels. Kona has upped the internal rim width to 25mm on a WTB KOM Light rim (up from 23mm). This width is now perfect for tyres in the 700x45C to 29×2.0-2.2″ size range. Kona has also matched these new wider rims to some WTB Venture 29×2.0″ tyres, up from 700x45C.

It’s worth noting that this wheelset uses a lightweight rim and 32 spokes, while the regular Sutra uses a heavy-duty rim and 36 spokes. If you’re hard on your gear or want something more bombproof, the standard model is the better pick.

Like previous years, the Sutra LTD uses a 1×11 drivetrain – the SRAM Rival 1 shifter and derailleur have been matched to a wide range 10-42t mountain bike cassette. With the 36 tooth front chainring, this yields a 25 to 104″ gear range, a little high for off-road touring really, but ok on flatter terrain. Switching the front chainring out to a 30 or 32t will likely be necessary if you like big mountain roads like me.

Both the Sutra and Sutra LTD have a very generous tyre clearance of 29×2.2″ without fenders. Word on the street is that 27.5×2.6″ tyres squeeze in too. However, you will need to be careful when using tyres this wide because they have a significantly reduced ability to shed any sticky mud! I know from experience…

The LTD employs a wider and more flared handlebar (16-degrees) than the standard Sutra model to provide additional steering leverage for the off-road stuff. If you’re spending the majority of your time on rough trails, I’d suggest going even wider with a Crust Shaka or Salsa Woodchipper handlebar!

SRAM Rival hydro disc brakes pull the Sutra LTD up on a dime. These have a bit more braking power and require less maintenance than the cable disc brakes of the Sutra, but the annual brake bleed will be a bit more complicated (might be a job for a bike shop).

The price of the 2020 Kona Sutra LTD is now US $2199.

Want To Compare The Kona Sutra With Dozens of Others?

Check out the Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide which compares touring bike steering, sizing, gear ratios, specification, pricing and more. The Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide does the same thing, however, with a focus on lighter bikes and models with more off-road capability. Both of these guides are updated annually with the latest models at no extra cost!

The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide helps you compare touring bikes, side-by-side.

Helpful Resources

All About Touring Bike Brakes
Frame Materials for Bicycle Touring
How to Select Touring Bike Gearing
Understand Bicycle Frame Geometry
What’s the Difference between Cyclocross and Touring Bikes?

Touring & Bikepacking Bike Overview

2016 Advocate Lorax
2018 All City Gorilla Monsoon
2016 Basso Ulisse
2016 Bianchi Volpe and Lupo 2016
2016 Bombtrack Beyond
2017 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Arise Tour
2019 Bombtrack Beyond
2016 Brodie Elan Vital
2016 Cannondale Touring
2016 Cinelli Hobootleg Geo
2018 Co-Op ADV 4.2
2017 Curve Grovel V2
2017 Diamondback Haanjo EXP Carbon
2016 Fuji Touring
2017 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring Disc
2016 Genesis Tour de Fer
2016 Giant ToughRoad
2017 Giant ToughRoad
2018 Giant ToughRoad and ToughRoad GX
2016 Jamis Aurora and Aurora Elite
2019 Jones Plus SWB
2020 KOGA WorldTraveller-S
2016 Kona Big Rove
2016 Kona Roadhouse and Sutra LTD
2016 Kona Sutra
2017 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra LTD
2019 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2016 Marin Four Corners
2017 Marin Four Corners
2018 Marin Four Corners
2016 Masi Giramondo
2018 Masi Giramondo
2016 Niner RLT9
2016 Rawland Ulv and Ravn
2016 Salsa Deadwood
2017 Salsa Fargo
2018 Salsa Fargo Ti Frameset
2018 Salsa Journeyman
2016 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Marrakesh
2018 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Vaya
2019 Salsa Warbird
2016 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized Diverge
2018 Specialized Diverge
2019 Specialized Diverge
2017 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Specialized Sequoia
2019 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Surly Bridge Club
2017 Surly Troll
2016 Traitor Wander
2019 Trek 520
2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 & CrossRip
2017 Trek CrossRip
2018 Trek 920
2018 Trek 1120

The post The New 2020 Kona Sutra Touring and Sutra LTD Bikepacking Bikes appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

As a KOGA sponsored rider, I have the difficult job of test riding their bikes across continents! This video is an in-depth look into the 2020 KOGA WorldTraveller frame details, the components I’ve selected and the customisations I’ve made for my bike ride from Panama (July-2019) to Alaska (late-2020).

Transcript

Two months ago I had no idea that I would be standing here in Panama with a brand new touring bike! But as you’re probably aware, KOGA is my personal bike sponsor and they were super keen for me to test ride their latest model, the KOGA WorldTraveller 2.0.

Today, we’ll be going bumper to bumper on this wild rig. We’ll be taking a deep dive into frameset details, as well as the components, and all of the small customisations that make this my own.

Alright, let’s start with the heart of the bike, which is always the frame.

The first thing you’ll notice is the colour that I’ve chosen which is Madagascar Orange. This is a limited edition colour for this year and I selected it because I thought it was elegant, but at the same time, quite understated. If you’re a James Bond fan, this is actually the exact colour of the villain car in the latest 007 film! The paint is a powercoat which I’ve found to be the most durable finish for touring, and the paint detailing is very exquisite. Before riding KOGAs, I didn’t know powder coats could be this intricate!

The frame is super stiff for touring and its constructed out of aluminium, which is lighter and more customisable than steel thanks to the way you can shape the tubes and butting profiles. While some people perceive aluminium to be weak, this is simply a myth. Frame material is just one factor when it comes to strength. What’s more important is the frame design, the engineering and the overall build quality. I have no doubt that my KOGA can handle the same or even more abuse than what my steel bikes can. I mean, you’ve seen the type of terrain I ride on aluminium bikes…

New for this year is the super smooth welds, and these look insane! It looks like the frame is made out of carbon fibre because all of the frame tubes all morph into each other. Other new things about the frame are the head tube lengths which are all 25mm taller and the KOGA WorldTraveller frame is now derailleur compatible, which brings in a lower entry point for the KOGA bike pricing.

The internal cable routing is one thing that differentiates a KOGA from any other aluminium touring bike. There are guides inside the downtube all the way to the bottom bracket shell, and these prevent the cables from rattling inside the frame, it keeps the cables hidden away from the elements, it makes the bike look really nice and it also makes the cables super easy to install.

Inside the headtube is a steering limiter, which prevents the handlebars from being able to twist too far with the front panniers. It also makes the bike much more stable with the kickstand deployed.

The frame is covered in mounts, including under the top tube, inside the front triangle and under the down tube. On the fork, there are also two cargo cage mounts if you prefer more of a bikepacking setup.

My 2020 KOGA WorldTraveller S.

My signature handlebars are something I’m super proud of. I actually designed these with KOGA, and the idea is that you get best of a drop handlebar and a flat handlebar. With your hands on the bullhorns or the bar tops, you make your body much more aerodynamic, which allows for faster speeds on smoother surfaces. In the grips, you can take advantage of the big steering leverage to manoeuvre the front of your bike with ease. I couldn’t ride the difficult terrain I do AND speed along the highways without a handlebar like this.

I use five different hand positions on these bars. In the bullhorns, which are actually angled inwards, I’m either at the very end or closer to the base. On the bartops, which are angled backwards, I’m jammed either into the nook of the bullhorn, or much closer near the stem. And then there are the grips for when I need to access the brakes or gears.

The Ergon GC1 grips are designed specifically for a sweptback handlebar like this, and they are a game-changer. They actually feel like they’ve been custom moulded for my hands. There’s a rise in the middle that cups inside my palm, and a wing out the back that distributes hand pressure over a larger surface area. I’ve also cut down the right-hand grip so that I can get a bit more space around the base of my bullhorns.

In the middle of the bar, I’m using a double bartape wrap to squeeze the maximum comfort out of the front of the bike. As I have largish hands, I definitely prefer the feel of a bigger handhold.

Inside my headtube is my dynamo hub USB charger by Cinq. A little ratcheting door reveals the USB-C charging port, and this is actually the most powerful charger available for cycling at speeds below 20km/h. You can generate enough power from these to run your smartphone on full-screen brightness in navigation mode between just 14 and 17km/h. As the smartphone needs 12km/h to get a smooth charge, there’s actually a buffer battery hidden inside my headtube which provides backup power while I crawl slowly up hills. And if I cycle at 17km/h, it takes me about 7 hours to fill a 5000 mah power bank.

The low stack height of the Plug5 Plus charger allows me to mount my smartphone on my stem! I use a Quadlock case which uses a spring-loaded mount to ensure the phone will always stay on the bars even on the rough terrain. And with this kit, it’s just super easy to mount and remove from my phone from my bike.

To power my USB charger and lights is a hub dynamo by Schmidt. These are easily the best in the business, offering unparalleled performance and by far the best reliability.

The biggest change compared to my previous bike are the 27.5×2.4” tyres, which are up from 29×2.0”. The fatter rubber is basically a trade-off between on-road and off-road speed, but given I’m finding myself on more off-road trails than I initially expected, these will definitely be a welcome addition.

I still do compromise by using slick Schwalbe Super Moto-X tyres because my multiyear trips still have a really big percentage on the pavement, and these allow me to comfortably ride about 1000km per week if I need. I run the tyres at 4bar on smooth surfaces and I can drop them to 2bar on bumpy roads.

I actually use tubes with any touring tyre just because they’re that puncture-resistant. I haven’t had a puncture in 16 months, in fact.  But it also means I don’t have to mess around with seating a tyre and I don’t have to both with changing the sealant.

You’ll have noticed that I almost never hold back when it comes to riding rough terrain, and the key to my strong wheels are both my super stiff rims and even spoke tension. The Ryde rims are definitely the stiffest and most burly rims in existence, but the downside is that they often weigh 30-40% more than other touring rims. They’re so stiff they almost never go out of true, and I rarely ever break spokes either.

My wheels are laced with 36 spokes, which are double butted and Rohloff hub specific. I carry 2 front and 2 rear spokes as spares.

The drivetrain is centred around a Rohloff-14speed internal gearbox hub. I’ve been using these for the past 100,000km and would find it really hard to travel with anything else. All the gears are sealed away from the elements, they’re almost maintenance-free, they’re not susceptible to external damage and they build into a super-strong wheel. The Rohloff hubs usually add about half a kilo when compared to derailleurs, and they have similar drive efficiency to a 1X drivetrain.

I’m using a Gates belt drivetrain on my bike. And again, these offer almost zero maintenance and I can get more than 30,000km out of a drivetrain, which is 3-4 times further than I could with a chain! I’ve selected a 50 to 22 tooth drive ratio, which will give me under 18 gear inches, and with that, I can cycle uphill at about 5km/h with quite a reasonable cadence.

I run my belt drivetrains at a SUPER low tension, which isn’t recommended by Gates or KOGA but it reduces the amount of resistance in the belt drivetrain so it’s comparable to that of a chain. I can get away with this because the KOGA has such a stiff rear triangle and my pedalling technique is quite smooth. Even at this crazy low tension, I can’t make the belt skip, and I consider myself a pretty strong cyclist.

I’m carrying one spare belt, which is around 80 grams and fits into the pocket of one of my panniers. If I need a new chainring or cog I’ll have to get them shipped in, but in the last 10 years, I haven’t ever had to do this. I’m using the new Gates crankset with a direct mount chainring, which looks amazing, and I’m looking forward to seeing if it can handle my abuse. I’m also testing this belt care stick to see if it can keep my belt running smoother and quieter for longer.

When you travel off-road, your pedals always take a huge beating, and the most durable clip-in pedals I’ve found are Shimano XT. I clean and re-grease these pedals every two years and they ALWAYS go back to feeling like new. I’ve put over 50,000km into a set of these before, so I don’t actually know their limit.

Contrary to popular belief, at constant rates of power on constant gradients – there is no advantage to clipping in. But I choose to clip in because it helps me generate short bursts of power on steep off-road climbs, it also keeps my feet in place on rough terrain and I can optimise my foot positioning on my pedals.

My brakes are Shimano XT hydros. These have been great to me the last two years – they have ample power and I’ve found that they need to be bled about once per year on average. I prefer to use sintered metal brake pads as they tend to last about 2-3x longer than any organic pads I’ve ever found.

I’m testing the Cane Creek eeSilk suspension seatpost. It’s barely heavier than a carbon flex seat post, but it has an adjustable spring rate to suit your body weight. I like that it has only 20mm of travel, as I’ve found most other suspension posts just offer too much vertical movement for my liking.

My seat was purchased in Cambodia on a whim. It was the only seat I could find in a local bike shop, and it turned out to be the perfect shape for my bum! It has been on many bikes over the years, and will hopefully survive many more bikes to come.

I use Schmidt dynamo lights on all of my touring bikes. The Edelux 2 front light has enough brightness to light my way even at 5km/h while I’m crawling up a hill. The beam pattern is great for the mix of riding I do, it uses a reflector to make sure that the light doesn’t go into the eyes of drivers and other cyclists coming the other way. The rear light is bright and also nice and compact, and the wiring actually runs up the inside of my rack.

Mudguards are a must for me. They do get clogged up with mud a handful of times per year, but I don’t mind because they keep me dry and clean all the other times when the road is super wet.

I use steel racks on all of my touring bikes because along with your wheels, they’re often the most likely component to fail on a bike trip. Tubus definitely make the best racks in the business, I’ve never broken any of mine. But if you do manage to break a rack, they’ll send replacements anywhere in the world for free, for the first five years.

My bottle cages are BBB FuelTank XLs but unfortunately, these have been discontinued. But I really like them though because I can just use 1.5-litre soft drink bottles to store 3-litres of water all inside my frame.

This bike is essentially the pinnacle of what is available; if you’re into cars, the equivalent would be a top-model Mercedes Benz with every optional extra. The KOGA WorldTraveller starts at €2600 with derailleur gearing, with a Rohloff hub it’s €3500, with a Rohloff hub and belt drive it’s €3800. And, if you select every upgrade like I have, expect to pay a bit over €5000.

Check out the KOGA configurator HERE.

My KOGA WorldTraveller S Touring Bike Specs

Frame: Koga WorldTraveller-S Alloy (60cm / Jaguar Madagascar Orange)
Fork: Koga WorldTraveller-S Alloy
Headset: Koga Sealed Bearing Steering Limiter
Stem: Koga Signature Alloy
Handlebars: KOGA Denham Bar
Grips: Ergon GC1 and KOGA Bartape
Seatpost: Koga Signature Alloy
Saddle: Velo Unbranded

Gears: Rohloff Speedhub 14 speed Internally Geared Hub
Shifter: Rohloff Grip Shifter
Front Hub: Schmidt SON28 Dynamo
Rims: Ryde Bull 27.5
Spokes: Sapim DB
Tyres: Schwalbe Super Moto-X 2.4″

Brake Levers: Shimano XT Hydraulic
Brakes: Shimano XT Hydraulic

Crankset: Gates S550
Chainring: Gates Carbon Drive Centertrack 50T
Cog: Gates Carbon Drive Centertrack 22T
Pedals: Shimano XT T8000

Fenders: SKS P65 Chromoplastics
Charger: Cinq Plug5 Plus
Lights: Schmidt SON Edelux II and SON Tail Light
Bidon Cages: BBB Fuel Tank XL
Phone Mount: Quadlock
Front Panniers: Ortlieb SportRoller Plus
Front Rack: Tubus Duo
Rear Panniers: Ortlieb BackRoller Plus
Rear Rack: Tubus Logo 29
Kickstand: Pletcher Comp

Weight: ~16kg or 35lbs

You Can Read More About The 2020 KOGA WorldTraveller S Touring Bike HERE.

The post New Bike Day! The 2020 KOGA WorldTraveller Is An Indestructible Touring Bike appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

The Kona Unit X is a steel bikepacking bike that will take you to places few bikes can. It’s available with and without gears, but don’t write off that pesky singlespeed just yet – I’ll share why in a few paragraphs. The 2020 Kona Unit X has received many updates for this year, but the biggest change is the wheel and tyre specification, which I think is a superb move.

Let’s dive into the big changes for this year!

The New 2020 Kona Unit X Bikepacking Bikes

The 2020 Kona Unit X bikepacking bike.

Let’s start with the frame geometry.

The 2020 Kona Unit X is a mountain bike through and through. The head angle has been slackened to 68 degrees, which slows the steering responsiveness a tad, allowing the bike to ride more capably at higher speeds. The downside is a bit less stability at low speeds, especially when you factor in some luggage weight on the bars or fork. The frames are 20mm longer across the board, however, this extra length is offset by the steeper seat tube angle which will help maintain a similar reach to the bars.

The headtubes are all longer for 2020, providing about 15mm more stack than previously. This will be more ideal for the bikepacking crowd where a higher front end adds comfort for long days in the saddle.

The chainstays have been shortened to 430mm thanks to the new boost axle spacing and chainstay yoke. Without luggage, this will allow you to easily lift the front wheel over obstacles, but on this other hand, this brings your (potential) rear panniers a bit closer to your heels when you pedal. No stress though, HERE is a list of racks that will set your panniers further back.

The bottom bracket drop is now 5mm lower, but the overall BB height on the Unit is actually 10mm higher than previously. Huh?

The bottom bracket is higher because the Unit is fitted with larger diameter wheels; the bike has gone from 27.5+ in 2019, back to 29″ wheels for 2020. I think this is a great move as it gives the bike a bit more flexibility.

The stock tyres are 29×2.6″ WTB Rangers which actually have a similar footprint size to the 27.5×2.8″ tyres from last year thanks to the increase in rim diameter. As a result, the bigger wheels roll over rougher terrain better, yet with the equal tyre footprint, they’ll still float over softer surfaces very well. If the 2.6″ tyres are too much for the terrain you ride, you can still swap in some 29×2.25s and maintain the same BB height as last year.

You might think the 29×2.6″ specification is used to save weight, but the WTB Ranger TCS 29er tyres actually hit the scales at 600 grams more for the set than the 27.5×2.8″. This is offset marginally by the narrower 30mm rims which save about 100 grams compared to last year, however, the net result is an extra half a kilogram to the bike. But don’t despair. You can easily get the weight back down by switching to the highly-recommended Maxxis Ikon or Vittoria Mezcal 2.6″ bikepacking tires.

If you want, the frame will still likely fit a 3.0″ tyre in the 27.5+ specification. This will, of course, mean building up a new wheelset but it will also offer a larger footprint and less tyre deformation under a heavy bikepacking load.

The 2020 Kona Unit X now comes with a SRAM Eagle drivetrain. The recently released SX Eagle 1×12 groupset offers a wider gear range than previously, setting the bike up for a 19″ low gear (same as last year) and an 86″ high gear (up from 73″). This means you can now pedal at 41kmh/26mph in the top gear, which is up from 35kmh/22mph – a welcome feature for both descents and tailwind days!

The Kona Unit has also been updated to boost 12mm thru-axles which help to provide a shorter chainstay length in particular. In addition, the thru-axles will stiffen the fork and allow for easier wheel alignment in the dropouts. The brakes are the same SRAM Level T hydro disc brakes as previously, a 180mm rotor on the front and 160mm on the rear.

You can find all the braze-ons you need for bikepacking on the Unit X, including three bidon mounts on the frame, two cargo cage mounts on the fork, plus eyelets for front/rear racks and full fenders. The fork is 470mm long which is on the short side for anything but an 80mm suspension fork, but a really nice swap-in for bikepacking would be the Lauf Boost TR carbon fork that uses zero moving parts (no maintenance required) while still providing 60mm of travel.

The handlebars are super wide to optimise the bike’s steering leverage. This provides great stability at both high and low speeds, especially with a heavy front load. It also offers big real estate for a handlebar pack that exceeds 15 litres in volume. You will be able to get the 2020 Kona Unit X for US $1399.

The 2020 Kona Unit Singlespeed

The 2020 Kona Unit singlespeed.

Right, I’ve kept you hanging on that singlespeed version of the Unit. So why is this even an option for bikepacking? It will make for an awesome starter kit for a Rohloff 14-speed internal gearbox build! For a touch over $1000 you’ve got your bike, then add $1731 for the Rohloff A12 hub and parts, plus new spokes and a custom wheel build and you’re looking at well under US $3000 for a very capable Rohloff bikepacking bike. Not bad, not bad at all.

Want To Compare The Kona Unit X With Dozens of Others?

Check out the Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide which compares the steering speed, sizing, gear ratios, maximum tyre widths, chainstay lengths, pricing and weight of 180+ different bikes. It’s updated annually with the latest models at no extra cost!

Helpful Resources

All About Touring Bike Brakes
Frame Materials for Bicycle Touring
How to Select Touring Bike Gearing
Understand Bicycle Frame Geometry
What’s the Difference between Cyclocross and Touring Bikes?

Touring & Bikepacking Bike Overview

2016 Advocate Lorax
2018 All City Gorilla Monsoon
2016 Basso Ulisse
2016 Bianchi Volpe and Lupo 2016
2016 Bombtrack Beyond
2017 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Arise Tour
2019 Bombtrack Beyond
2016 Brodie Elan Vital
2016 Cannondale Touring
2016 Cinelli Hobootleg Geo
2018 Co-Op ADV 4.2
2017 Curve Grovel V2
2017 Diamondback Haanjo EXP Carbon
2016 Fuji Touring
2017 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring Disc
2016 Genesis Tour de Fer
2016 Giant ToughRoad
2017 Giant ToughRoad
2018 Giant ToughRoad and ToughRoad GX
2016 Jamis Aurora and Aurora Elite
2019 Jones Plus SWB
2020 KOGA WorldTraveller-S
2016 Kona Big Rove
2016 Kona Roadhouse and Sutra LTD
2016 Kona Sutra
2017 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra LTD
2019 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2016 Marin Four Corners
2017 Marin Four Corners
2018 Marin Four Corners
2016 Masi Giramondo
2018 Masi Giramondo
2016 Niner RLT9
2016 Rawland Ulv and Ravn
2016 Salsa Deadwood
2017 Salsa Fargo
2018 Salsa Fargo Ti Frameset
2018 Salsa Journeyman
2016 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Marrakesh
2018 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Vaya
2019 Salsa Warbird
2016 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized Diverge
2018 Specialized Diverge
2019 Specialized Diverge
2017 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Specialized Sequoia
2019 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Surly Bridge Club
2017 Surly Troll
2016 Traitor Wander
2019 Trek 520
2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 & CrossRip
2017 Trek CrossRip
2018 Trek 920
2018 Trek 1120

The post The New 2020 Kona Unit X Bikepacking Bike appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

The KOGA Denham Bar has recently been added to the WhatBars database, so today we’ll be using this handy web tool to lay different handlebar shapes over each other. This will help you to visualise how the KOGA Denham Bar compares to other popular alt handlebar designs.

My signature handlebar has been super popular, in fact, production hasn’t even been able to keep up with demand! I’m really glad to hear that people are enjoying the shape as much as me. If you haven’t read the considerations that went into their design, it’s worth getting your head around everything HERE.

Right, let’s look at some comparisons!

KOGA Denham Bar vs Velo Orange Crazy Bar

The KOGA Denham Bar was essentially born from my experience using the Crazy Bar, so there are many similarities. As a result of playing around with my hand positions on the Crazy Bar:
– I halved the length of the ‘bullhorns’ as I rarely had my hands at the end.
– I gave the bullhorns a tilt inwards by 15 degrees for better ergonomics.
– I curved the bar ‘tops’ by 8-degrees from straight, again, for better ergonomics.
– I reduced the backsweep to 34-degrees, rather than the Crazy Bar’s 45-degrees which put my hands diagonally across the grips (causing numbness).
– I increased the width by about 2cm on each side as a result of the reduced backsweep.

KOGA Denham Bar vs Jones Loop Bar

The Jones Loop actually offers a very similar ride position and bike handling to the Denham Bar. The most substantial differences include:
– A 45-degree sweep to the grips on the Loop Bar compared to 34-degrees (which is much more agreeable with my hands).
– Bar-tops that bend forward on the Loop Bar rather than backwards.
– An extra forward hand positioning at the front of the ‘loop’, but no bullhorn equivalent.
– No handlebar bag compatibility on the Loop Bar.

KOGA Denham Bar vs Surly Moloko

Surprisingly, there is almost ZERO overlap between the KOGA Denham Bar and Surly Moloko! While the sweep angle is the same between bars (34-degrees), that’s pretty much where the similarity ends. The only sections that overlap are next to the stem, and at the inner part of the grip section on the Moloko. The Moloko offers a very long forward reach, so it’s best paired with short stems. It’s also made of steel rather than aluminium, so expect it to add around 300g/11oz to your bike weight.

KOGA Denham Bar vs Flat Bar vs Wide Drop Bar

Here I’ve laid a bikepacking drop bar (Salsa Woodchipper), mountain bike flat bar (Salsa Salt) and the KOGA Denham Bar. This helps us to visualise the very close alignment between the Denham Bar ‘bullhorns’ and drop bar ‘brake hoods’ positioning of a drop bar. It also shows us the degree to which the sweptback design will bring the grips closer to your body, relative to a flat bar.

If you were coming from a drop bar, you wouldn’t need to change your stem. On the other hand, you might consider swapping your stem to something longer if coming from a flat handlebar (although this will also make the bullhorn position more of a stretch).

Play With Handlebar Overlays HERE And Read About My Signature Handlebar Design HERE

The post Comparing The KOGA Denham Bar Shape With Similar Alt Bars appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

The Cannondale Topstone is one of my favourite bikepacking bikes for fast n’ light dirt road tours. Named after a dirt road near Cannondale’s USA headquarters, the Topstone has been designed to be both quick on the pavement, but capable on the dirt. I’m quite excited about the 2020 Cannondale Topstone for a number of reasons…

Let’s take a look!

The New 2020 Cannondale Topstone AL Bikes

The 2020 Cannondale Topstone range offers some of the best performance and value of any gravel bike. All of the bikes have been spec’d with sub-compact cranksets (46-30 tooth chainrings) and wide-range cassettes (11-34t) which give the best gear range possible on a dedicated gravel bike – other brands take note! They’re also all using 16-degree flared handlebars which offer more steering leverage and allow for extra space for a front handlebar pack. The Topstone must have sold well last year, as it has been expanded to add two extra models.

The Topstone aluminium frames remain unchanged for this model year. They all feature a threaded bottom bracket shell (big tick), rear rack mounts, internal cable routing in the downtube, routing for a dropper seatpost, 3x bidon cage mounts, a cargo cage mount and top tube bag mount. The frameset has been built around modern axle and brake caliper standards (12×100 and 12x142mm axles / flat-mount disc). The maximum tyre size is 700x42C and it’s expected that a 650x47C wheelset will fit, however that would drop the already low bottom bracket by about a centimetre.

Up the front is a carbon fork with carbon steerer. A fork of this lightweight specification is very uncommon on bikes of this price range! Given the purpose of this bike, it’s interesting that Cannondale hasn’t yet provided any eyelets for cages on either side of the fork. They did include hidden full-fender mounts on the inside of the fork leg, however. The Topstone’s fork uses a longer-than-usual rake (55mm) which increases the wheelbase length to provide some additional stability on the dirt.

2020 Cannondale Topstone Sora // Approx US $1050
The budget Topstone model offers excellent value given it has the same frameset as its more expensive siblings. It uses the latest generation Shimano Sora gearing which works exceptionally well for the price. The 30-34t climbing gear gets you a 24″ gear which allows for a decent cadence right down to about 7km/h. But a cool thing about Sora is that it’s compatible directly with Shimano Acera MTB derailleurs and Sunrace 11-40t cassettes, lowering the gearing right down to 20.5 gear inches – perfect for those who love steep hills like me! To cut costs elsewhere, the brakes are cable operated, the crankset is square taper, the tyres are wire bead and the rims are not tubeless compatible. The only change other than the colour is a swap to WTB Riddler Comp 37mm gumwall tyres.

Expect the Topstone Sora model to hit the scales around 11kg / 24.2lb.

2020 Cannondale Topstone Tiagra // Approx US $1350
One of the new models in the Topstone range is this bike with a Shimano Tiagra 2×10 drivetrain. Over the Sora model, it receives lighter wheels that are tubeless compatible, WTB Riddler 37mm tubeless tyres, an FSA Omega ME crankset with external bottom bracket cups, hydraulic brakes and crisper gear shifting. If your budget extends this far, this is the model which offers the best performance for your money!

You can expect the Topstone Tiagra to weigh around 10.5kg / 23.1lb.

2020 Cannondale Topstone 105 // Approx US $1650
The mid-range Topstone model is the pick of the bunch for someone wanting 11-speed shifting components but without the high price tag. With this build you get the latest 7000-series Shimano 105 gearing (it shifts exceptionally well), hydraulic brakes, an FSA external BB crankset and tubeless-ready WTB rims (albeit a step down from the Ultegra build). Fit some narrower 30mm tyres and this would make a pretty decent road bike too. The gear range is 24-114″ which has you climbing at 7km/h and spinning out at 55km/h (60RPM and 100RPM respectively). A Wolftooth Tanpan SH11 will allow you to fit a Shimano 11s MTB derailleur and 11-40t cassette should you need additional climbing gears with this bike.

Expect the Topstone 105 to weigh around 10kg / 22lb.

2020 Cannondale Topstone 105 Women’s // Approx US $1650
One of the new models for this year is a women’s version of the Topstone 105. Not much changes from the regular version except for a different colour and a Fabric Scoop women’s saddle. It’s available in the XS, S and M sizing only.

Expect the Topstone 105 to tip the scales at around 10kg / 22lb. 

2020 Cannondale Topstone Ultegra // Approx US $2100
The top of the line Topstone model has been switched from a SRAM 1x drivetrain to a Shimano Ultegra 2x setup for this year. This is a great move as it has dropped the climbing gear ratio to 24 gear inches (from 26), and the top gear up to 114 gear inches (from 99). The result is the ability to pedal at 7km/h up a climb and descend at 55km/h (previously 8 and 47km/h). Other than the Shimano Ultegra shifting and braking components, it’s upgraded to some lightweight WTB KOM Light i23 tubeless rims and WTB Nano tubeless tyres in size 40mm.

Expect the Topstone Ultegra to weigh around 9.7kg / 21.4lb. 

Want To Compare The Cannondale Topstone With Dozens of Others?

Check out the Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide which compares the steering speed, sizing, gear ratios, maximum tyre widths, chainstay lengths, pricing and weight of 180+ different bikes. It’s updated annually with the latest models at no extra cost!

Helpful Resources

All About Touring Bike Brakes
Frame Materials for Bicycle Touring
How to Select Touring Bike Gearing
Understand Bicycle Frame Geometry
What’s the Difference between Cyclocross and Touring Bikes?

Touring & Bikepacking Bike Overview

2016 Advocate Lorax
2018 All City Gorilla Monsoon
2016 Basso Ulisse
2016 Bianchi Volpe and Lupo 2016
2016 Bombtrack Beyond
2017 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Arise Tour
2019 Bombtrack Beyond
2016 Brodie Elan Vital
2016 Cannondale Touring
2016 Cinelli Hobootleg Geo
2018 Co-Op ADV 4.2
2017 Curve Grovel V2
2017 Diamondback Haanjo EXP Carbon
2016 Fuji Touring
2017 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring Disc
2016 Genesis Tour de Fer
2016 Giant ToughRoad
2017 Giant ToughRoad
2018 Giant ToughRoad and ToughRoad GX
2016 Jamis Aurora and Aurora Elite
2019 Jones Plus SWB
2020 KOGA WorldTraveller-S
2016 Kona Big Rove
2016 Kona Roadhouse and Sutra LTD
2016 Kona Sutra
2017 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra LTD
2019 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Unit X
2016 Marin Four Corners
2017 Marin Four Corners
2018 Marin Four Corners
2016 Masi Giramondo
2018 Masi Giramondo
2016 Niner RLT9
2016 Rawland Ulv and Ravn
2016 Salsa Deadwood
2017 Salsa Fargo
2018 Salsa Fargo Ti Frameset
2018 Salsa Journeyman
2016 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Marrakesh
2018 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Vaya
2019 Salsa Warbird
2016 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized Diverge
2018 Specialized Diverge
2019 Specialized Diverge
2017 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Specialized Sequoia
2019 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Surly Bridge Club
2017 Surly Troll
2016 Traitor Wander
2019 Trek 520
2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 & CrossRip
2017 Trek CrossRip
2018 Trek 920
2018 Trek 1120

The post The New 2020 Cannondale Topstone AL Bikepacking Bikes appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

The 2020 Giant ToughRoad range delivers exceptional value once again! While there haven’t been any huge changes for this year, many of the components have had a refresh, which is beneficial in some cases but limiting in others.

The ToughRoad models are constructed with aluminium to drop over 1kg/2.2lb over similar steel frames. In addition, a carbon fork up front helps to further reduce weight, but more importantly, is able to dampen extra vibrations coming up from the road or trail. All ToughRoad models come with a D-shaped seatpost which flexes vertically for a more comfortable ride, but only one-out-of-four models come with the proper carbon seatpost (as opposed to aluminium) which offers the full 12mm/0.5″ of vertical flex (definitely get one aftermarket).

The Giant ToughRoad bikes are split into two versions:
ToughRoad SLR – the flat bar off-road tourer with a more ‘upright’ fit
ToughRoad SLR GX – the very capable drop bar gravel bike with a more ‘sporty’ fit

If you’re after a more traditional upright ride, the flat bar model offers a tall cockpit that also has a shorter reach to the handlebars from the saddle. The drop bar ToughRoad SLR GX is much more performance-oriented with a comparatively short head tube on each size.

The ToughRoad bikes offer exceptional tyre clearance for a touring/gravel setup. You can actually fit 29 x 2.20″ rubber into both models. You could even fit fenders and 2.00″ tyres (maybe 2.10″) which cannot be done with many other similar touring bikes.

The only component in question on the ToughRoad bikes is the wheelsets. They use 28 spokes and somewhat lightweight rims for heavily-laden tours (36 spokes and beefier rims are found on other similar bikes). If you’re a lightweight rider, or you’re planning on packing light, this won’t be a problem. But if your total body and equipment weight exceeds 100kg/220lb, you may want to think about building a stronger wheelset if you’re going on a multi-month trip.

Let’s take a closer look at the ToughRoad bikes.

2020 Giant ToughRoad SLR GX Drop Bar

The 2020 Giant ToughRoad SLR GX1.

2020 Giant ToughRoad SLR GX 1 // US $1270
The most expensive model in the GX range is of exceptional value. This model, only found in some regions, is built around a Shimano Tiagra 20-speed groupset that’s paired with a 48-32t crankset, yielding a 26 gear inch climbing gear. This gear ratio is decent for flatter terrain and unloaded adventures, but you may prefer swapping in some 46-30t chainrings instead for any bikepacking or hilly rides. The bike is otherwise fitted with Giant Conduct hydraulic disc calipers (these work superbly), a Giant SX2 tubeless wheelset and front/rear racks. Expect the GX1 to hit the scales a touch under 12kg (24-26lb) with racks.

The 2020 Giant ToughRoad SLR GX 2.

2020 Giant ToughRoad SLR GX 2 // US $1100
Dropping $170 off the sticker price actually results in quite a large drop in the specification. On the GX2 you get cable disc brakes (instead of hydro), a square taper crankset (instead of external bearing), non-tubeless wheels and a 2×8 speed Shimano Claris gearset. The biggest benefit of this model is that you can fit an older series Acera rear derailleur which will accommodate a 11-40t SunRace cassette. This will give the bike a climbing gear of 22″, which is much better for off-road riding.

The 2020 Giant ToughRoad SLR Flat Bar

The 2020 Giant ToughRoad SLR 1.

2020 Giant ToughRoad SLR 1 // £1149 and AU $1799 
The SLR1 is a limited release model, found in a handful of regions around the world. It’s the only model that comes with the carbon D-Fuse flex seatpost. With the exception of the colour, very little has changed on the SLR1 compared to previous years. It’s still running a 2×10 Shimano Deore drivetrain with a 22 gear inch climbing gear (32t on the front, 42t on the rear) which tends to be a little high for off-road riding with luggage. If you like the idea of lower gears, it’d probably be best to switch the crankset out to a Shimano Deore M6000 with 36-26t chainrings which will slot straight in – this will add around $100 to the price. Elsewhere, the SLR1 is running Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, Giant SX2 tubeless wheels and Giant Sycamore tyres in a 2.00″ width. It comes with front and rear aluminium racks as a bonus!

The 2020 Giant ToughRoad SLR 2.

2020 Giant ToughRoad SLR 2 // US $1050
The SLR2 has received a much bigger change to its components this year. It switches from a 3×9 to 2×9 Shimano Alivio drivetrain. The result is a climbing gear of 22.5″ (28x36t). While the rear derailleur technically has a maximum cassette size of 36 teeth, I suspect an 11-40t SunRace cassette will also fit which will give a more appropriate 20 gear inches for the mountains. Otherwise, a Shimano Alivio M4050 crankset might be a nice part upgrade. Compared to the SLR1, the SLR2 gets more basic parts including non-tubeless compatible wheels, more simple hydraulic disc brakes and an alloy seatpost – but the price, of course, reflects this.

Want To Compare The Giant ToughRoads With Dozens of Others?

Check out the Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide which compares the steering speed, sizing, gear ratios, maximum tyre widths, chainstay lengths, pricing and weight of 180+ different bikes. It’s updated annually with the latest models at no extra cost! The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide does the same but with more heavy-duty touring builds (130+ models).

Helpful Resources

All About Touring Bike Brakes
Frame Materials for Bicycle Touring
How to Select Touring Bike Gearing
Understand Bicycle Frame Geometry
What’s the Difference between Cyclocross and Touring Bikes?

Touring & Bikepacking Bike Overview

2016 Advocate Lorax
2018 All City Gorilla Monsoon
2016 Basso Ulisse
2016 Bianchi Volpe and Lupo 2016
2016 Bombtrack Beyond
2017 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Arise Tour
2019 Bombtrack Beyond
2016 Brodie Elan Vital
2016 Cannondale Touring
2019 Cannondale Topstone
2020 Cannondale Topstone
2016 Cinelli Hobootleg Geo
2018 Co-Op ADV 4.2
2017 Curve Grovel V2
2017 Diamondback Haanjo EXP Carbon
2016 Fuji Touring
2017 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring Disc
2016 Genesis Tour de Fer
2016 Giant ToughRoad
2017 Giant ToughRoad
2018 Giant ToughRoad and ToughRoad GX
2016 Jamis Aurora and Aurora Elite
2019 Jones Plus SWB
2020 KOGA WorldTraveller-S
2016 Kona Big Rove
2016 Kona Roadhouse and Sutra LTD
2016 Kona Sutra
2017 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra LTD
2019 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Unit X
2016 Marin Four Corners
2017 Marin Four Corners
2018 Marin Four Corners
2016 Masi Giramondo
2018 Masi Giramondo
2016 Niner RLT9
2016 Rawland Ulv and Ravn
2016 Salsa Deadwood
2017 Salsa Fargo
2018 Salsa Fargo Ti Frameset
2018 Salsa Journeyman
2016 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Marrakesh
2018 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Vaya
2019 Salsa Warbird
2016 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized Diverge
2018 Specialized Diverge
2019 Specialized Diverge
2017 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Specialized Sequoia
2019 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Surly Bridge Club
2017 Surly Troll
2016 Traitor Wander
2019 Trek 520
2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 & CrossRip
2017 Trek CrossRip
2018 Trek 920
2018 Trek 1120

The post The New 2020 Giant ToughRoad SLR Touring Bikes appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

If you’re keen on charging electronics while you ride, you’re probably already aware of buffer batteries.

These special batteries provide continuous power to your devices during times when your speed is too low for USB charging, for example, when cycling on hilly terrain, or when stopped at traffic lights. This prevents your devices from receiving then losing charge (eg. smartphones) or switching themselves off entirely (Garmin eTrex models).

We’ll be taking a closer look at buffer batteries, battery storage, charging times and some dynamo chargers with in-built batteries in this article.

This resource was originally published Sept 2017 but has been overhauled in Aug 2019.

USB chargers are best used in conjunction with buffer batteries in order to supply a constant charge to your devices.

Pass-Through Batteries

Most batteries will either charge OR send their stored power to your device; rarely will they do both simultaneously.

Pass-through batteries are able to deliver power from your hub straight to your device, while also taking a charge if there’s any power leftover.

The reason many battery manufacturers don’t allow pass-through is that it can deteriorate batteries quickly, although you can still expect a minimum of 500 total charge/discharge cycles with most pass-through batteries (two half charges equate to one full cycle).

It’s worth noting that many manufacturers include “pass-through” as a feature on the battery spec sheet, but in my experience, this is rarely the case.

Battery Storage Losses

When power is stored in a battery, it experiences a storage loss of 15-20%. In order to minimise this loss, it is best to try to charge your electronics either straight from the USB charger or by using a pass-through battery. It’s nice to have that power on tap, but when it means you lose 1-hour of power per 5-hour ride… it adds up!

Lipstick Buffer Batteries

Batteries are getting smarter circuitry in order to reduce long-term deterioration. But not all batteries are smart!

Jesse Carlsson and Sarah Hammond use the cheapest lipstick batteries they can find to keep a constant stream of power running to their Garmin eTrex GPS units. It’s not guaranteed that the cheapest batteries will be ‘dumb’ enough to allow pass-through, but the odds are good and given they’re less than $10 – it’s worth giving them a go.

Check out Jesse and Sarah’s video on how to waterproof these cheap buffer batteries in their video HERE.

Variable Current Buffer Batteries

The Cinq Smart Power Pack II.

If lipstick batteries are dumb, variable current buffer batteries are smart!

A ‘current limiting’ buffer battery like the Smart Power Pack II is designed for dynamo hub charging, allowing you to switch between set charging currents (eg. 100, 400 or 900mA) for different riding speeds. The main advantage is that you can optimise your charging current so that your battery can draw a charge at really low speeds (eg. 6-8km/h). This kind of feature is also handy for charging with solar panels in low-light conditions.

You can find out which setting will be best (at different speeds) by looking at the ‘watts’ produced from many charging devices:

Horizontal Axis: Cycling speed. Vertical Axis: Maximum output power at the USB.

Charging Ceilings:
100mA Setting = Look at the speed @ 0.5 Watts on the graph (5V x 100mA)
400mA Setting = Look at the speed @ 2 Watts on the graph (5V x 400mA)
900mA Setting =Look at the speed @ 4.5 watts on the graph (5V x 900mA)

Example: Sinewave Reactor USB Charger
Under 7.5km/h (0.5W): 100mA setting
7.5 (0.5W) to 15km/h (2W): 400mA setting
15km/h (2W) t0 30km/h (4.5W): 900mA setting

How Long Will A Battery Take To Charge?

To understand this section well, you may need to learn about volts, amps and watts HERE.

A 3-watt dynamo hub will put out an average of around 6-volts at 500mA. Once the power has been converted from AC to DC the output will translate to roughly 5V and 500mA (or 2.5 watts), which for an hour of riding is 500mAh. Charging a 3000mAh battery from scratch will, therefore, equate to 6 hours of riding at 12km/h with the most powerful USB chargers, and 20km/h with other USB chargers.

However, there are also small losses in the charging circuitry, perhaps around 20% of the total generated power. Adding the 20% extra ride time (6 hours + (6 hours x 0.2)) and we’re looking at 7.2 hours of riding to fill the battery from scratch.

You can also use the above assumptions when determining how long it will take to fill a phone battery. My Apple iPhone SE has a ~1500mAh battery, so at 500mA per hour, it should take 3 hours. Adding in the circuitry losses and I’m looking at 3.6 hours of riding to fill it up. Other modern smartphones like the Samsung S8 will have 3000mAh batteries, resulting in 7 hour + charge times.

Having said all that, there are products which use special capacitors to achieve twice the power, charging smartphones in literally half the time. Many of them also come with build-in buffer batteries. Check out the Cinq Plug5 Plus and Forumslader V5 USB chargers which will achieve 4-5 watts power at just 17-20km/h.

Charging Regular Batteries

You can, of course, charge batteries without pass-through too!

Large capacity batteries (5000mAh+) are great for storing power but can sometimes be problematic to charge as they have more internal resistance in the battery cells. In order to overcome the resistance, bigger batteries require a higher input current (eg. 1A) which is easy for a wall outlet but harder for a dynamo hub at touring speeds. This is why many 5000mAh+ batteries don’t charge particularly well from dynamo hubs.

That said, if you’re cycling at speeds over 25km/h, or you use one of the powerful USB chargers, you can sometimes charge batteries up to 10000mAh – but I’d still recommend 2x 5000mAh batteries instead.

Dynamo Hub Chargers With In-Built Pass-Through Batteries

The Cinq Plug5 Plus has an integrated buffer battery.

As dynamo hub charging technology matures, we’re finding manufacturers fitting buffer batteries straight into their chargers. This simplifies the cabling, in particular, making for very neat charging solutions!

You can find integrated buffer batteries in the:
Cinq Plug5 Plus (1100mAh)
Forumslader Ahead (2100mAh)
NC-17 Appcon 3000 (3000mAh)
Lumi-Con P5 (5000mAh)
Busch & Muller USB Werk (300mAh)
ZZing (2000 or 2700mAh)

My full list of dynamo chargers is HERE.

Buffer Battery Recommendations

Cinq Smart Power Pack II / 3000mAh / 85g – €99 on Cinq
Lipstick Battery (I haven’t tested this battery, but it should do the trick) / 2600mAh / $9.99 on Amazon

Check Out Some Of My Other Resources On Dynamo Systems, Dynamo Lights and USB Chargers

The post All About Buffer Batteries With Pass-Through Charging For Dynamo Hub Systems appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

Here’s your Eurobike 2019 round-up!

Eurobike is the world’s biggest bicycle trade show, and today we’ll be taking a look at all the bike adventure gear that was on display, along with all of the touring and bikepacking rigs. And there’s a lot of them, so get ready…

A special thanks to reader Marco de Wit for running around and taking these great photos while I’m cycling through Costa Rica. This event coverage wouldn’t be possible without him!

AcePac

Acepac had a slimmed down display compared to other years (trade shows are expensive!). The bags on show were also a little more muted compared to the blues, greens, reds and camos of previous years.

Acepac offer their bikepacking bags in lots of different sizes depending on your intended use.

Argon 18

Argon 18 had their Dark Matter gravel bike at the show. This carbon rig has clearance for 45mm tyres and I really like the 3D Plus head set cap system (under the black spacers) that allows you to swap 0mm, 15mm and 30mm spacers up the front of the bike for a super clean look.

Blackburn

The Blackburn Outpost and Outpost Elite (waterproof) bags were displayed on a Look 765 Gravel RS. The Outpost Elite offers great value-for-performance compared to similar bikepacking offerings.

Brooks

Brooks has recently released some rubber bar tape to go with their non-leather series of saddles.

The full Cambium range is very neat and these days comes in many classy colours.

Cane Creek

The anodizing on these Cane Creek eeWings titanium cranks is a bit of a showstopper! I think I need some…

EVOC

EVOC only announced their bikepacking bags a few weeks ago. Their bags are not large, so these will be more interesting for ultra-riders or folks looking to tuck a new bag somewhere small.

The 1, 2 or 3 litre seat packs use a Boa cable system to attach to the seatpost and two velcro straps for the saddle rails.

The 2.5 or 5 litre handlebar packs have a single Boa dial to adjust both handlebar straps.

The EVOC bags are all considered ‘water-repellent’, so it’ll be interesting to see how wet they can get before your gear is soaked.

To finish off the ensemble EVOC also make small frame bags and top tube bags (with a neat cable port for electronics).

Extrawheel

The Extrawheel trailers are getting better by the year. The idea behind this trailer design is that they’re easy to pack for flying, you can use the trailer’s wheel as a replacement front wheel and the large wheel diameter means the trailer gets less ‘caught’ on bumps.

A fat bike trailer was recently announced, which will be great for epic desert crossings (hopefully I don’t get too many ideas).

FollowMe Cargo

The Fritz Cargo trailer from last year has been renamed to FollowMe Cargo.

It’s as light as 3.6kg in the SL version and 5.4kg in the regular. It connects directly to a QR rear axle but there’s thru axle adapters available.

Gentle Tent

I’ve seen concepts for ‘micro caravan’ tents before, but I didn’t know there were any in production!

The B Turtle has you covered though. Literally. This two-person tent is erected in 10 minutes using an electric pump. You can now buy it for an eye-watering 3000 euros!

Giro

Giro has been busy expanding their shoe range to suit casual mountain biking, touring and bikepacking.

Kindernay

Announced three years ago, Kindernay were finally ready to bring their 14 speed gearhub to Eurobike.

The Kindernay XIV is a modular system. The ‘gearbox’ is able to be removed from the wheel so that it can be installed on multiple bikes with different wheel and tyre dimensions. This means you could have a touring bike, mountain bike, folding bike and fat bike all running the same gearhub. Kinda cool! You can read my resource about this hub HERE.

Kona

The 2020 Kona Libre AL is a 6061 aluminum version of their popular off-road carbon adventure bike. Unfortunately, it’s only available in Europe (for now); it’s priced at £1800/1900€.

The 2020 Kona Sutra LTD is looking great! You can read about the details of this bike HERE.

KTM

One of the more unique bikes at the show is this aluminium step-through KTM gravel bike. Pretty cool that it’s spec’d with the new Shimano GRX groupset (more below).

A drop bar version of the gravel bike was also set up.

Along with a road/commuter edition complete with fenders and a rear rack!

Look

The Look 765 Gravel RS was unveiled a few months ago. It’s super light (sub-1600g frameset) and it’ll fit 27.5×2.2” (or 700x40mm) tyres if rough roads are your jam! Quite a versatile bike from a brand that’s usually quite narrow in their focus.

Lotus Bags

This is the first I’ve heard of Lotus Bags. It looks like they do every kind of bike bag imaginable.

The seat packs are stabilized and the cargo cages look gigantic!

Marin

This 2020 Marin Pine Mountain eBike is fitted up with 27.5+ tyres, a 120mm fork, a dropper post and ample frame mounts. This prototype Apidura frame pack looks super interesting too…

The 2020 Marin Pine Mountain 2 steps up to 29×2.6″ tyres, a 120mm fork, a dropper post and so MANY mounts. It’s priced really well at US $2099.

The Marin Nicasio Plus is a steel gravel bike running 650B wheels and an 11-46t cassette. All for US $899!

Stepping up to US $1575 gets you the steel Marin Nicasio 2, with a full-carbon fork and Shimano Tiagra groupset.

The 2020 Marin Four Corners remains mostly unchanged and is US $1099.

Maxx

Maxx had a top-of-the-line Pinion 18-speed touring bike with a belt set up.

And another touring bike with a Rohloff 14-speed hub and belt drivetrain.

Nicolai

Why not fit some panniers onto your super fancy Nicolai eBike so you can go on adventures!?

This Nicolai Pinion gravel bike was looking super neat.

Niner

The Niner MCR 9 RDO dual suspension gravel bike is shipping in November! Incredibly, the linkages work with front derailleurs and the bike will squeeze in 50mm tyres in 650B or 700C.

The Niner RLT9 steel now has 2.0″ tyre clearance, cargo cage fork mounts and frame eyelets for an upcoming bolt-on frame bag.

Ortlieb

Jonas Deichmann’s Curve GXR titanium bike was decked out with an Ortlieb bikepacking ensemble.

Ortlieb are using clear windows on many of their bags so you can easily find what you need.

Poison

Poison make lots of bikes, but their titanium Argentum model with Pinion 18s gearbox is easy on the eyes.

The Poison Cyanit Randonneur was fitted up with front and rear Tubus racks in a matching colour.

Redshift

Redshift Sports have done a lot of innovating over the years. The ShockStop stem uses elastomers to dampen vibrations coming up from the road.

The ShockStop suspension seatpost has a pretty nifty design too, and will be available soon. There’s even a dropper seatpost WITH suspension in the works!

The Redshift Kitchen Sink has multiple ergonomic grips built into it, along with an aero section.

Restrap

The Restrap panniers are looking pretty classy.

The olive green in particular is both elegant yet modest.

Restrap are now making cargo cage / fork bags too.

And a nice 4L seat pack.

There are some race bags in the works though… keep an eye out.

Ridley

The Ridley Kanzo has big clearance (700x47C or 27.5×2.0″) and lots of mounts for gravel adventures.

Roswheel

Roswheel has been showing some great value bike bags in recent years. They split their bag categories up into “road”, “off-road” and “tour”.

The tour bags are paired with the Roswheel racks.

The off-road series bags are stabilised with metal struts.

This Trek Crosscheck was decked out with the road series bags.

A Trek 920 with the tour series panniers.

And a Trek Procaliber was fitted with the stabilised off-road bags.

Salsa

The 2020 Salsa Marrakesh range has a new model with Shimano Sora STI shifters. It’s coming with front and rear racks for US $1799.

This Salsa Warroad is decked out with matching Salsa bikepacking bags.

Schwalbe

The new Schwalbe G-One UltraBite offers a very aggressive grip for gravel riding, in either 40mm or 2.0″ widths.

The Schwalbe Almotion gets a new tread to make it more suitable for the gravel (perhaps Schwalbe have been watching me cross South America) and the Hurricane is super slick in the middle with small knobs on the sides.

Shimano

Shimano were showing off their new gravel groupset, the GRX. It’s available with smaller chainrings (48/31 tooth!) and better hand ergonomics for rougher trails. This bike was fitted with PRO bikepacking bags that were first shown last year.

Surly

The 2020 Surly Bridge Club also got an update with a new colour and a 1X version with 700x41C tyres as standard!

Thule

Thule were showing some updated panniers to suit their clip-on racks.

Trickstuff

Here’s a random entry. 2x four-piston brakes = instant rear wheel lock up!

Topeak

Topeak has added a few models to ensure they have all bag types available.

They’re now making Thule-style mini-racks that clip onto the fork or seat stays. You can then strap a drybag to the top, or panniers to the sides.

A mountain bike with a full bag ensemble.

These cargo cages probably could’ve been set up a bit nicer…

This dropper seat pack has a very neat design!

A front clip-on rack running panniers.

A rear rack with the MTX style trunk bag that connects via a rail system.

Velo De Ville

Velo de Ville were showing a classic steel touring bike.

VSF

The VSF bikes continue to offer great value. This Shimano XT equipped ride (TX-800) is 1999 euros with Tubus racks, fenders and dynamo lights!

And the TX-400 is 1599 euros with a slightly lower spec.

Zefal

Zefal are now making a monstrous top tube bag with clear section for your phone. This is actually a pretty great place for a bag, as you can store food, electronics and valuables for easy access.

The top tube bag slots in with the other Zefal bikepacking bags first announced last year.

That’s It, Folks. Thanks Again To Marco For The Eurobike 2019 Pics!

The post Eurobike 2019: Bikepacking and Bicycle Touring Mega Gallery appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

The Bridge Club is one of my favourite adventure bikes because it offers off-road appropriate gear ratios, lots of wheel/tyre options and a sensible specification for a touch over a thousand dollars.

The 2020 Surly Bridge Club is now offered with two different wheel sizes, or as a frameset for US $525!

Let’s take a look.

2020 Surly Bridge Club 700C

The 2020 Surly Bridge Club with 700C wheels.

With all the surplus tyre clearance, the Bridge Club 700C is a pretty weird looking bike. But with some full fenders it should look a bit less like a cobbled-together build.

It’s the same steel frameset as usual, with endless cargo cage mounts for a bikepacking setup, or for a touring setup there’s the usual front/rear rack and fender mounts.

The space around the tyre is a lot, but it’ll neaten up considerably with some fenders.

The frameset is designed to accommodate three different maximum wheel/tyre dimensions: 26×3.0″, 27.5×2.8″ and 700x47mm. With 700x41mm wide Surly Extraterrestrial tyres as standard, this bike has a bit more room to grow if you’re seeking a bit more ride comfort. A cool thing about the Bridge Club 700C is that the rims and tyres are tubeless ready out of the box – just add valves and sealant.

The wheels and tyres are tubeless compatible, which is pretty sweet on a budget tourer.

This “pavement” bike is running a 1X drivetrain to simplify things. The good news is that the 34t front chainring and 42t rear cassette cog will get you a 22.6″ climbing gear, which will be fine for most paved conditions (maybe not where I am in Costa Rica!). But if you’re planning on getting up some bigger hills with a bunch of bags you’ll probably want to fit a smaller front chainring. Or if you don’t want to give up your top-end speed, you’ll need a shifter, front derailleur and an extra chainring.

The sweptback bars will be very well suited to some Ergon GC1 grips.

The bike is finished with Tektro hydro disc brakes, a Surly Terminal handlebar (34° sweep) and a WTB saddle.

The 2020 Surly Bridge Club 700C retails for US $1100.

2020 Surly Bridge Club 27.5″

The 2020 Surly Bridge Club with 27.5” wheels.

There haven’t been any significant changes to the BC 27.5 except a switch to a FSA Alpha Drive square taper crankset and a new colour.

It’s still rolling on 2.4″ WTB Riddler tyres and SRAM GX 2×10 drivetrain. The 2X setup is good for a 16.9″ climbing gear; lower than almost any production bike. The result is a gear ratio that will have you cycling up walls!

The bike is still running Promax cable disc brakes, a Salsa Bend handlebar (23° sweep), a WTB saddle and lock-on grips.

If I were picking a bike for a mix of adventures, it would definitely be the 27.5. With some Schwalbe Super Moto-X slicks you’ll be able to fly along the pavement, and with some grippier tread, you’ll have a great time off-road. Or better yet, alternate between a 700C on-road and 27.5″ off-road wheelsets depending on where you’re heading!

The Surly BC 27.5 retails for US $1200.

Want To Compare The Surly Bridge Clubs With Dozens of Others?

Check out the Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide which compares the steering speed, sizing, gear ratios, maximum tyre widths, chainstay lengths, pricing and weight of 180+ different bikes. It’s updated annually with the latest models at no extra cost! The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide does the same but with more heavy-duty touring builds (130+ models).

Helpful Resources

All About Touring Bike Brakes
Frame Materials for Bicycle Touring
How to Select Touring Bike Gearing
Understand Bicycle Frame Geometry
What’s the Difference between Cyclocross and Touring Bikes?

Touring & Bikepacking Bike Overview

2016 Advocate Lorax
2018 All City Gorilla Monsoon
2016 Basso Ulisse
2016 Bianchi Volpe and Lupo 2016
2016 Bombtrack Beyond
2017 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Arise Tour
2019 Bombtrack Beyond
2016 Brodie Elan Vital
2016 Cannondale Touring
2019 Cannondale Topstone
2020 Cannondale Topstone
2016 Cinelli Hobootleg Geo
2018 Co-Op ADV 4.2
2017 Curve Grovel V2
2017 Diamondback Haanjo EXP Carbon
2016 Fuji Touring
2017 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring Disc
2016 Genesis Tour de Fer
2016 Giant ToughRoad
2017 Giant ToughRoad
2018 Giant ToughRoad and ToughRoad GX
2016 Jamis Aurora and Aurora Elite
2019 Jones Plus SWB
2020 KOGA WorldTraveller-S
2016 Kona Big Rove
2016 Kona Roadhouse and Sutra LTD
2016 Kona Sutra
2017 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra LTD
2019 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Unit X
2016 Marin Four Corners
2017 Marin Four Corners
2018 Marin Four Corners
2016 Masi Giramondo
2018 Masi Giramondo
2016 Niner RLT9
2016 Rawland Ulv and Ravn
2016 Salsa Deadwood
2017 Salsa Fargo
2018 Salsa Fargo Ti Frameset
2018 Salsa Journeyman
2016 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Marrakesh
2018 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Vaya
2019 Salsa Warbird
2016 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized Diverge
2018 Specialized Diverge
2019 Specialized Diverge
2017 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Specialized Sequoia
2019 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Surly Bridge Club
2017 Surly Troll
2016 Traitor Wander
2019 Trek 520
2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 & CrossRip
2017 Trek CrossRip
2018 Trek 920
2018 Trek 1120

The post The New 2020 Surly Bridge Club Off-Road Touring Bike appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

Salsa’s dedicated touring bike, the Marrakesh, has been one of the best off-the-shelf options for a while now. The 2020 Salsa Marrakesh has received a few obvious and subtle updates which make it an even more compelling purchase.

Let’s take a closer look.

The 2020 Salsa Marrakesh Touring Bike

The new 2020 Salsa Marrakesh.

To start with, let’s talk about the frame, which is exceptional. The steel frame tubing is both internally and externally butted to create the stiffest front end possible. Butting to this level is quite rare on bikes at this price point.

The frame employs sliding rear dropouts to suit internally geared drivetrains like the Rohloff Speedhub or Shimano Alfine – ideal for a custom build or perhaps later upgrade. There’s clearance for wide 29×2.0″ tyres too, however, this drops to 40mm if you prefer to use fenders.

The frame geometry is flawless, with long chainstays, a slow steering speed and six frame sizes that get progressively larger based on their stack and reach measurements.

The 2020 Salsa Marrakesh.

The most obvious change to the specification is found in the gear system. Rather than using typical touring barend shifters, Salsa has opted for Shimano Sora brake/shift levers. STI shifters have become much more reliable in the past five years so I expect we will see them on more touring bikes soon (the Trek 520 is already using them).

Shimano Deore gearing has long been popular on touring bikes, but it has now moved on to 10-speed. Unfortunately, there are no Shimano STI shifters which will work with the new 10-speed Deore drivetrain parts, so Salsa has fitted Shimano Alivio drivetrain parts which pair perfectly with the shifters.

The new 2020 Salsa Marrakesh.

Outside the gear system changes, there have been a few small but important part upgrades. The brakes now use TRP Spyre-C calipers. These cable-operated brakes use a unique design that pulls both brake pads in at the same time, providing near-hydraulic braking performance (most cable disc calipers pull just one pad).

The headset is now a Cane Creek Forty, which is my favourite mid-range option and a model I usually recommend for a no-fuss custom build. It uses zinc-coated steel cartridge bearings and decent clip/face seals to keep the grime at bay.

The tyres are now 42mm Teravail Ramparts with tubeless compatibility (rims are also tubeless-ready). The tyre sidewalls have a polymer composite reinforcement which is woven between outer and inner tyre casing. This will hopefully protect the tyre from abrasion on any rough dirt roads you choose to ride.

The 2020 Salsa Marrakesh on display at Eurobike a few weeks ago.

The 2020 Salsa Marrakesh also gets a front rack, valued at US $65. I’d suggest that the Down Under rack was included so that this touring rig could compete directly with the Trek 520.

The Salsa Marrakesh hits the scales at 14.5kg (or 32lb) with racks, which is typical of any modern steel touring bike. It’s available as a frameset for US $799 or complete for US $1799. You can also find the older Marrakesh models still available for US $1499 to US $1599.

Want To Compare The Salsa Marrakesh With Dozens of Others?

Check out the Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide which compares the steering speed, sizing, gear ratios, maximum tyre widths, chainstay lengths, pricing and weight of 180+ different bikes. It’s updated annually with the latest models at no extra cost! The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide does the same but with more heavy-duty touring builds (130+ models).

Helpful Resources

All About Touring Bike Brakes
Frame Materials for Bicycle Touring
How to Select Touring Bike Gearing
Understand Bicycle Frame Geometry
What’s the Difference between Cyclocross and Touring Bikes?

Touring & Bikepacking Bike Overview

2016 Advocate Lorax
2018 All City Gorilla Monsoon
2016 Basso Ulisse
2016 Bianchi Volpe and Lupo 2016
2016 Bombtrack Beyond
2017 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Arise Tour
2019 Bombtrack Beyond
2016 Brodie Elan Vital
2016 Cannondale Touring
2019 Cannondale Topstone
2020 Cannondale Topstone
2016 Cinelli Hobootleg Geo
2018 Co-Op ADV 4.2
2017 Curve Grovel V2
2017 Diamondback Haanjo EXP Carbon
2016 Fuji Touring
2017 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring Disc
2016 Genesis Tour de Fer
2016 Giant ToughRoad
2017 Giant ToughRoad
2018 Giant ToughRoad and ToughRoad GX
2016 Jamis Aurora and Aurora Elite
2019 Jones Plus SWB
2020 KOGA WorldTraveller-S
2016 Kona Big Rove
2016 Kona Roadhouse and Sutra LTD
2016 Kona Sutra
2017 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra LTD
2019 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Unit X
2016 Marin Four Corners
2017 Marin Four Corners
2018 Marin Four Corners
2016 Masi Giramondo
2018 Masi Giramondo
2016 Niner RLT9
2016 Rawland Ulv and Ravn
2016 Salsa Deadwood
2017 Salsa Fargo
2018 Salsa Fargo Ti Frameset
2018 Salsa Journeyman
2016 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Marrakesh
2018 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Vaya
2019 Salsa Warbird
2016 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized Diverge
2018 Specialized Diverge
2019 Specialized Diverge
2017 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Specialized Sequoia
2019 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Surly Bridge Club
2017 Surly Troll
2016 Traitor Wander
2019 Trek 520
2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 & CrossRip
2017 Trek CrossRip
2018 Trek 920
2018 Trek 1120

The post The New 2020 Salsa Marrakesh Touring Bike appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

I got my PONCHO back! This 130g/4oz sheet of plastic is THE best item of clothing for tropical areas like Panama. Ponchos don’t just keep your upper body dry, they keep the whole damn thing dry because you hook the front over the handlebars! Plus, you know how really expensive rain jackets are meant to ‘breathe’? Well, the air swoops up underneath the poncho while you cycle, making it the best ventilating rainwear for humid conditions. The obvious downfall is when cycling in the wind (or cold) where a rain jacket/pants are always best. My poncho/cape is made by a Korean brand which will be hard to get your hands on, but it’s the smallest/lightest available and has an elastic waist drawstring – I love it. The Brooks model is definitely the nicest of the lot, with a tonne of features, but it’s pretty pricey so there are two other good value models in there.

NEW VIDEO! If you want to learn about every detail of my super fancy KOGA WorldTraveller, you should check out my deep-dive video on YouTube. I discuss ALL the cool features, customisations and ways I like to set up my bike, including the five hand positions I use with my signature handlebars.

The lightest hammock is the one you don’t have to carry! Time for a rest after a week of mischief.

I found the most INSANE road!! It was 37% in sections but luckily only a few hundred metres long. I’ve spent a silly amount of time in my first gear in Panama so far, the only redeeming factor is the ultra-high-speed descents (think 100km/h), makes me feel like I’m back on a moto!

It was a surreal experience camping on the Panama Canal! I had ships that are over 360 metres long (1200ft!) passing within throwing distance of my little two-person tent. Crew members gave waves from the decks too, I guess navigating narrow canals with such a big vessel never gets old!

If there were a picture to summarise how DIFFICULT the jungle has been to traverse, well… this is it! The rocks are like ice, the clay mud has zero traction and the roots constantly throw you and your bike in separate directions. Mix in the fallen trees, giant spider webs and near 100% humidity – and you’ve got yourself a pretty rough time! I can’t really complain though, I get to go on adventures every day of my life.

In the jungle, the humidity is so high that your sweat completely soaks through your clothes so you NEVER feel dry! You get to slip over a dozen times per day, muddying your clothes, and you quickly realise that shoes are useless. It’s also a mission to use touch screens or keep your camera lenses clear! In short, I’m far from optimised for exploring the jungle, but I can see how tribespeople would thrive out here without clothes, technology, bikes or shoes.

Sketchiest bridge in quite some time! Half of it was held together using barbed wire, making it especially thrilling to drag a bike across.

I’ve slept in abandoned quarries twice this week! They’re super easy to spot from a distance and they always have a flat and protected place to pitch a tent. I’ve just got to make sure I’m not in the pathway of falling rocks (sometimes it’s best to camp up top) and then I’m guaranteed a great night’s rest.

My biggest strength is also my biggest weakness! I am fiercely independent and always have been. Ever since I could earn my own money (13 years old!) I’ve been using it to teach myself things, increase my skills, be more capable, take responsibility for my wellbeing, and chase after my crazy dreams. My desire for independence allows me to roam the world – alone – and trust that everything will work out fine. But here’s where I think being independent negatively affects my life: I feel uncomfortable asking for help, receiving gifts, delegating tasks and collaborating on things. Even something as simple as refilling water bottles, I often waste time looking for a tap when I could just knock on the first door I see. Yet I know how good it feels to help someone; I know that gift-giving isn’t a one-way street, and; I know how awesome it is working as a team. But even with all this knowledge, I’m never quite comfortable unless I’m doing things for myself. Do you think you’re TOO independent, or not independent enough? If you’re the latter, maybe we can trade skills.

More SAVAGE gradients! I wonder if a longtail fat bike with about 2psi in the rear tyre will allow me to cycle up these kinds of mountains? Unfortunately, this road only got steeper, so I turned around – even I have a steepness limit!

Why don’t I use suspension? OK, so here’s the deal: luggage on the front of a bike absorbs HUGE amounts of shock and vibration. I couldn’t ride half the stuff I do without my bags! Perhaps I could go even harder and faster with suspension, but keep in mind that forks need to be serviced every 100 to 200 hours, which for me is once or twice a month. In addition, I don’t ever suffer any hand/arm discomfort over the rough terrain I ride, so I might as well keep it light ‘n simple on a fully rigid rig.

6AM glow! So here’s a crazy fact for ya: in Panama, the sun rises over the Pacific Ocean and sets over the Atlantic! This had me so confused for about a week until I realised that Panama is really oddly shaped. I’ve actually been getting closer to Argentina, rather than Alaska, while I’ve been here!

I’ve done over 800km on highways in Panama! You wouldn’t think it looking at my photos, but hey, highways are usually far from photogenic places.

When I thought it couldn’t get any harder, it did! That’s the problem with using satellite maps to create routes through countries; you can’t see whether the trails are sticky (clay mud), slippery (loose surface), rocky (boulders), steep or simply on private land. I created a VERY ambitious route through Panama using just satellite imagery in RideWithGPS, as I was keen to find an alternative to the typical highway route. Unfortunately, I’ve had to turn around more times here than the rest of South America!

High-speed aqua g-outs never get old! Pretty cool that my 15” Apple laptop somehow survives all this madness. I honestly thought it would fall to bits within the first year, but it’s a sturdy beast! I do seem to blow up an expensive laptop charger every year though, and I’m wondering if it’s because of all the dodgy power sockets. Anyone else chew through chargers when they travel in developing countries?!

Panama has been insane for wildlife spotting, it’s so biodiverse when you disappear into the forests! I’ve seen sloths, armadillos, snakes, various monkeys, coatis, agoutis, metallic-coloured birds, giant insects and dozens of unidentifiable mammals. I was letting some shiny wasps crawl all around my toes the other day, but I later found out the Tarantula Hawk Wasp has the second most painful sting in the world, paralysing you for five minutes! Whoops.

After quite a few years in the game, it’s hard to picture a time when I won’t be going on adventures! It’s only just now that I understand how the most travelled person ever (Heinz Stücke) ended up on a 50-year, 609,000km, 195 country bike tour. He didn’t necessarily set off knowing this would be the result, he just did what he loved, made a tonne of sacrifices and followed the tailwinds. Who knows, maybe I’ll still be sharing my adventures with you when I’m 75 years young??

Crossing into Costa Rica tomorrow! I wonder if my time there will be as difficult as Panama? Any places/roads I shouldn’t miss on my bike?!

The film about my unique crossing of Panama will be delayed by a few weeks! After gloating about how my laptop survives so much abuse, Murphy has sent me on a detour (with my tail between my legs) to find a Mac repair shop. The film has come together really well, so I can’t wait to finally render and upload it.

The post Photo Gallery: Attempting To Cross Panama On Insane Backroads appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

I’ve been in discussion with bike manufacturers for a long time about fitting appropriate climbing gears on their touring and adventure bikes. These discussions have always sparked as I have a pretty firm idea of the average terrain in most countries (I’ve been cycling around the world for many years), but perhaps more importantly, a keen interest in the physics of riding a bike with all of your equipment.

While some cyclists may pick flat routes so they never have to shift into their lowest gear, the majority of travellers will undoubtedly find road gradients exceeding 5 or 10% on their bike tours. As a cyclist with a high power output, I’ve calculated that using a typical touring bike, the maximum hill gradient I can sustain without fatigue is around 10%. The standard touring drivetrain works fine for the majority of my riding, but yet even as a strong rider, I still yearn for lower gears. That’s why I’ve equipped my KOGA with gears that have me riding up 12% gradients for hours if I need, all without riding in the ‘red’.

Lopping 25% off my power output results in what could be considered the ‘typical’ fit male. Assuming the same touring bike, gear and body weight, this cyclist could expect to comfortably ride up a 7.5% road gradient. This would drop to a 6% maximum gradient for someone with a lower fitness level. You can find my tutorial on how to calculate the steepest hill you can ride up HERE.

Drop bar bikes with 2X drivetrains rarely offer gear ratios that can tackle the equivalent hill gradient of a classic 3X touring bike. But today, we’re actually getting closer to having 2X drivetrains with comparable low climbing gears.

Why Is 2X Gaining Prominence On Touring And Adventure Bikes?

Mountain bike drivetrains are changing, which is in-turn having a big influence on touring and bikepacking bike drivetrains. This is because we rely on mountain bike components to achieve our low gear ratios.

A 3X front derailleur and triple chainring crankset constrains the maximum tyre width, as it uses up space at the frame chainstay. In order to (1) increase the diameter of a mountain bike wheel; (2) provide wider tyres, and; (3) fit short chainstays to a mountain bike frame, drivetrain manufacturers developed wide-range cassettes with 40 or 50 teeth in their lowest gear. These new gear systems worked perfectly, allowing manufacturers to evolve mountain bike frame design without losing much gear range at all.

The only issue with drop bar bikes: shifter-to derailleur compatibility.

In the past, you’ve been able to mix and match road shifters and mountain bike derailleurs (7/8/9 speed with Shimano and 10/11 speed with SRAM). Currently, mid-to-high quality mountain bike drivetrains are using 12 speed rear cassettes, which unfortunately, are all incompatible with STI gear shifters.

SRAM hasn’t released a 2X mountain bike drivetrain in the last seven years, and they haven’t released a 3X drivetrain in the last 10. It is clear that SRAM have no intention in anything but wide-range cassettes for off-road use. Shimano on the other hand is producing multiple 2×12 mountain bike drivetrains, along with 2×10, 3×10, 2×9 and 3×9. Their products will be key for bike manufacturers wanting to fit appropriately low gears for bike travel.

Look, this isn’t a big deal yet, but with more drivetrains moving to 10, 11 and 12 speed – the only compatible parts soon will be from low quality, entry-level groupsets. Let’s hope the next generation of Shimano GRX will incorporate derailleurs with longer cages so that a wide-range cassette can be paired with a 2X front derailleur, without fuss.

2X Drivetrains For Drop Bar Bikes With LEGIT Climbing Gears

This is a resource that will show you how to achieve the equivalent low gear ratio of a touring bike using a 2X drivetrain. We will investigate drop bar bikes, in particular, as 2X mountain bike groupsets already offer good climbing gears.

We will be using ‘gear inches’ to compare the lowest and highest gears on a few different 2X drivetrains (you can read how the number is derived HERE). You don’t really need to know what this means other than (a) lower is better, and; (b) a typical 3X touring bike (26-tooth front chainring to 36-tooth rear cassette cog) has a low gear of around 20 gear inches. That’s the number we’re looking to match or surpass.

My hope is that this page gives bike manufacturers an idea how they can spec 2X adventure bikes with appropriately low gears for travel. But it should also give you an idea what parts to use if you’re riding a 2X bike across countries.

NOTE: So we can make direct comparisons between drivetrains, all gear inch numbers below are calculated from a 700C x 38mm wheel.

Fuji Jari 2.3

Lowest Gear: 21.2″
Highest Gear: 100.2″

Crankset: Generic Alloy 44/28t
Cassette: Shimano Alivio 12-36t
Front Derailleur: Shimano Sora
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Alivio
Shifters: Shimano Sora

The lowest cost drivetrain in this list is found on a simple steel gravel/bikepacking bike by Fuji! The Jari 2.3 runs one of the lowest sub-compact road cranksets around with nice and small front chainrings – in this case, 28t to 44t. The Shimano Sora 9-speed STI shifters work well with the current generation Alivio derailleurs to result in a decent 21″ climbing gear.

You can find the Fuji Jari 2.3 for US $999.

Diamondback Haanjo EXP

Lowest Gear: 20.8″
Highest Gear: 115.2″

Crankset: Praxis Cadet 48/32t
Cassette: Shimano HG500 11-42t
Front Derailleur: Shimano Tiagra 4700
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore M6000
Shifters: Microshift M10

Diamondback have mixed a road crankset and front derailleur, with a mountain bike rear derailleur and cassette. Shifting is made possible on this 20-speed drivetrain thanks to some Microshift M10 barend shifters. This drivetrain could have easily been offered with a low gear that’s 19.5″, but unfortunately, the Praxis Cadet crankset spider is limited to 32t as the smallest front chainring.

Idworx Grandone

Lowest Gear: 20.5″
Highest Gear: 114.2″

Crankset: FSA Energy 46-30t
Cassette: Shimano XT 11-40t
Front Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra R8000
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra R8000 GS Long
Shifters: Shimano Ultegra R8000

The Grandone says ‘stuff it’ to the maximum permitted cassette size of Ultegra rear derailleurs (34t)! The big Shimano 11-speed mountain bike cassette looks to fit fine with the Idworx derailleur hanger. Combined with an FSA Energy sub-compact crankset and the Grandone has a 20.5″ climbing gear – all with very high-quality equipment.

You can get your hands on the Idworx Grandone for €3999.

Co-Motion Deschutes

Lowest Gear: 20.5″
Highest Gear: 114.2″

Crankset: FSA Omega 46/30t
Cassette: Shimano SLX 11-40t
Front Derailleur: Shimano 105 R7000
Rear Derailleur: Shimano SLX M7000
Shifters: Shimano 105 R7000
Shifting Converter: Wolf Tooth Tanpan

This Co-Motion does a high-quality 2×11 drivetrain a little bit differently to Idworx. They’ve chosen to pair a Shimano SLX rear derailleur with a 105 shifter (two components that are technically incompatible). Luckily, Wolf Tooth make a special component to adapt the different cable-pull ratios for a perfect match! The result is a Shimano 105 bike, with a mountain bike rear derailleur that can accomodate a wide-range MTB cassette. Match that with a sub-compact road crankset and you get a 20.5″ climbing gear that’s similar to a typical touring bike. The Shimano SLX derailleur will even handle a jump to an 11-42t cassette allowing for an even lower 19.5″ gear!

The USA-made Co-Motion Deschutes is US $2499.

Bombtrack Arise

Lowest Gear: 19.5″
Highest Gear: 114.2″

Crankset: Bombtrack Lyre 46/30t
Cassette: Microshift H103 11-42t
Front Derailleur: Microshift Centos
Rear Derailleur: Microshift M62L
Shifters: Microshift M10 Barend

Ok, now we’re getting into the sub-20″ gears! Bombtrack fitted a relatively obscure drivetrain to their Arise Tour. Microshift make some highly universal drivetrain and shifting components, allowing for lots of mix ‘n match. This bike in particular uses a rear M62L 10-speed mountain bike derailleur, a front Centos road derailleur, a 11-42t wide range cassette and Bombtrack’s own Lyre sub-compact crankset. Shifting is completed with M10 barend shifters.

You can get the 2020 Bombtrack Arise for €1799.

Co-Op Cycles ADV 3.1

Lowest Gear: 18.2″
Highest Gear: 94.4″

Crankset: Shimano Deore 38/24t
Cassette: Shimano HG50 11-36t
Front Derailleur: Shimano Deore
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore Shadow Plus
Shifters: Microshift M10 Barend

The Co-Op ADV 3.1 employs 20-speed Shimano Deore mountain bike components, pairing the smallest front chainring size of 24t with a 36t cassette cog. The result is an 18.2% gear that is well-equipped for most mountain roads. I suspect a 11-40t Sunrace cassette would squeeze in too, so technically the climbing gear on this drivetrain could be 16.4″!

The Co-Op Cycles is US $1399.

Moots Baxter

Lowest Gear: 17.8″
Highest Gear: 89.4″

Crankset: Shimano XT M8000 36/26t
Cassette: Shimano XT M8000 11-40t
Front Derailleur: Shimano XT M8050 Di2
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT M8050 Di2
Shifters: Shimano Ultegra R8000 Di2

If you have ultra-deep pockets, this Moots Baxter might tickle your fancy! While 11-speed cable operated road shifters are incompatible with mountain bike derailleurs, the Shimano electronic components are not. So Moots combined Shimano XT Di2 derailleurs and drive components with Ultegra Di2 shifters. With the 36/26t crankset, you can squeeze a really low gear out of this bike. You can even source a 24t front chainring if you’d prefer an incredibly low climbing gear (16.4″).

You can get the USA-made titanium Moots Baxter with a Di2 groupset for US $8999.

You Can Read More Resources About Low Gear Ratios HERE

The post Here’s How To Achieve Low Gear Ratios From Modern 2X Drivetrains appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

This was always going to be ambitious. The rocks are like ice, the clay mud has zero traction and the roots constantly throw you and your bike in separate directions. Mix in the fallen trees, giant spider webs and near 100% humidity – and you’ve got yourself a pretty rough time! Caminos Alternativos, or the alternatives roads of Panama, is a film about my traverse of this Central American country on as many backroads as possible.

Like my videos? Patreon supporters get early access to my films and exclusive access to my Q&As:
PATREON (Monthly rewards!)
PAYPAL (One-off donation to replace broken camera gear!)

INSTAGRAM: HERE
FACEBOOK: HERE

MY BIKE: Koga WorldTraveller-S 2.0
MY GEAR LIST: https://bit.ly/2C1BCKF
MY ROUTE: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31255637
MY CAMERAS: Panasonic G9 + GoPro Hero 6
MUSIC: Yemanjo

The post Video: Caminos Alternativos // Crossing Panama on Insane Backroads [EP.14] appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

Great news – Grace has just finished putting together Issue 14 of Bicycle Traveler Magazine! If you haven’t read it before, BTM is one of the only international bicycle touring magazines. Look out for Hana Black on the cover! You can download your latest copy HERE.

Inside you’ll find:
– Stories about the Red Centre (Australia), Saudi Arabia, the Annapurna Circuit (Nepal), Ecuador and the Tibetan Plateau.
– Photos from Tajikistan, India, Colombia, Peru, Guinea, D.R Congo, Tanzania and more!

And So Many Great Images From The Road!

In the magazine, you’ll find Javier’s brilliant camping photos from around the globe.

Click HERE To Download Bicycle Traveler Magazine

The post Free Download: Bicycle Traveller Magazine Issue 14 appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

Bikepacking bikes are a relatively new bike category, so it’s not at all surprising to see quite a lot of changes and innovation in this space. I’ve just finished updating the 2020 Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide, so I thought I’d round-up some of the biggest bikepacking trends for the new model year!

If you haven’t come across my book before, the front section is a detailed breakdown of the components that make up a bikepacking bike – that’s everything from frame materials, to gear ratios, tyre widths and handlebars. Next is a guide to comparing and selecting the right bikepacking bike for you. And lastly, the detailed listings of more than 190 bikepacking bikes, from gravel bikes, to full-suspension MTBs, to burly fat bikes.

In short, there’s lots of data to play with!

Today we’ll be examining the biggest bikepacking trends for 2020. The first two trends relate to frame geometry, so if you’d like to understand these concepts really well, I’d recommend first taking a read of my frame geometry resource HERE.

Adjustable Fork Rake

The 2020 GT Grade has an adjustable fork rake which allows you to change the steering speed of the bike.

In the last year, we’ve seen a handful of bikes offering forks with an adjustable rake. By switching between the 55 and 70mm settings on a GT Grade (or 45/55mm, 47/52mm, 46/51mm on other bikes), you can actually tune the steering speed of the bike. The longer fork rake setting result in faster steering speeds, while the shorter fork rake setting slow things down in comparison.

Adjustable fork rake is handy for three reasons:
(1) A small amount of front luggage slows the steering; you can use a higher fork rake setting to speed the steering up again.
(2) Switching between 27.5″ and 700C wheels also changes the steering speed; the adjustable fork rake helps maintain the same steering characteristics using both 27.5×2.1″ mountain bike tyres and 700x40C slicks, for example.
(3) You simply might prefer a faster or slower steering speed on your bike.

Whichever the reason(s) you choose, adjustable fork rakes are a very welcome addition to bikepacking bikes.

Examples: Cervelo Aspero, GT Grade, Kinesis Tripster AT, Rondo Ruut

Long Reach & Short Stems

The Curve GMX V2 is using a monstrous 491mm reach on their size XL, which is 70-80mm longer than typical.

A surprising number of gravel bike manufacturers have increased the ‘reach’ of their frames for 2020. To reduce the long distance to the handlebars, these bikes have been designed to work specifically with short stems. This is actually a great idea for gravel bikes as a longer wheelbase provides better stability on rougher terrain and a longer front centre provides extra toe clearance from the front wheel. As shorter stems increase the steering speed, manufacturers are using more ‘trail’ (the product of headtube angle (HTA), fork rake and wheel diameter) to slow the steering speed back to normal.

You’ll often find identical HTAs and stem lengths across all bike sizes in this niche. This results in the same steering characteristics, regardless of whether you’re riding a size small or extra-large, which is pretty damn cool (but not a new idea; mountain bikes have been designed like this for a long time now). Consistent HTAs and stem lengths are not without their flaws though – it throws off the front-to-rear weight distribution a little – but realistically, this will go unnoticed once anyone adjusts to the feel of their bike.

Examples: Bjorn Recycled, BMC URS, Canyon Grail, Curve GMX V2, Knolly Cache, Marin Headlands, Merida Silex, Nukeproof Digger, Rocky Mountain Solo, Saracen Levarg, Whyte Glencoe

Lower Gear Ratios

The 2020 Otso Voytek is making the most of the latest Shimano SLX 10-51t wide range cassette.

Wider range cassettes (for 1X drivetrains) and sub-compact cranksets (for 2X drivetrains) are bringing lower gears to bikepacking bikes. These types of components have been around for a few years, however, lower price point products and additional options from the big drivetrain manufacturers make them more common.

Look out for SRAM SX Eagle and Shimano SLX 1X spec’d on off-road bikes which are bringing all the low gears you need at reasonable prices. In the gravel bike categories, look for the new Shimano GRX gravel drivetrains, as well as any bike fitted with a 46/30 tooth chainring crankset for budget(ish) climbing gear ratios.

More Mounts!

The 2020 Marin Pine Mountain has a plethora of mounts so that you can get your gear in the right spots.

This one goes without saying – bikepacking bikes are getting more mounts. If you look carefully, you’ll find more mounts than ever before on the seat stays, top tubes and down tubes of bikepacking bikes. While 15 tiny nubs inside your frame triangle aren’t exactly pleasing on the eyes (can we call them frame pimples yet?), it’s nice to be able to shuffle your cargo cages and water bottles about the bike until you find the most ideal configuration.

A handful of frames like the Marin Pine Mountain above are offering ample braze-ons for direct mount frame packs too…

Direct Mount Frame Packs

The Salsa Cutthroat V2 has mounts for a direct mount frame pack.

Ok, so this one isn’t really a trend (2-3 bikes), but it’s cool anyway! The V2 update to the Salsa Cutthroat brings the option of fitting one of Salsa’s direct mount frame bags. Salsa offers five perfectly-fitting bags for the five different Cutthroat frame sizes, and the frame packs are installed using special thumbscrews for a quick and tool-free fitment. You can expect to see more bikes go down this route in the coming years.

Carbon Bikepacking Bikes

The Diamondback Haanjo EXP was one of the original carbon bikes intended for bikepacking.

Carbon is actually the most popular frame material amongst 700C Gravel and All-Road bikes in my guide. While carbon is generally perceived to not be durable enough for bikepacking, it can be engineered to handle the rigours of bike travel just fine. After all, if it can be designed to resist the stresses of enduro and downhill mountain biking, it can probably cope with a few bags too!

The main advantage is a frameset weight reduction of about 50% when compared to steel, which will undoubtedly be noticeable on a fast and light bikepacking setup. This weight reduction will be even more noticeable when riding around without any luggage.

The downside is that carbon is susceptible to damage from directions of force that it hasn’t been engineered to overcome. This includes tube crushing, side impacts and rear-end damage from sticks getting caught in the wheel. Manufacturers are getting better at mitigating this damage, but carbon bikes still don’t fare as well in crashes.

29×2.6″ Replacing 27.5×3.0″?

The 2020 Kona Unit X has switched to 29×2.6″ for the new year.

In the off-road bikepacking section of my book, you’ll notice quite an array of 29×2.6″ bikes. Many of these models have actually replaced ‘plus’ bikes (eg. 27.5×3.0″) from the previous model years.

With a larger wheel diameter but slightly narrower tyre, 29×2.6″ works out to have a similar tyre footprint to a 27.5+ tyre. It will also squirm less on the trails, rolls over objects smoother and you can easily swap in faster-rolling 29×2.25″ tyres without needing a new wheelset. The disadvantages include a larger overall wheel diameter (which may not suit smaller riders) and less wheel size compatibility for a mix of terrain (27.5 x 3.0″ and 29 x 2.25″ wheelsets can be interchanged on the one 27.5+ bike).

Examples: Kona Unit, Marin Pine Mountain, Salsa Fargo, Salsa Timberjack, Surly Ogre

The 2020 Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide Is Updated For Free Every Year, Get Your Copy HERE

The post The Biggest Bikepacking Trends For 2020: Adjustable Fork Rake, Short Stems & More appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

The Nicoya Peninsula is Costa Rica’s crown jewel for adventure cyclists. Follow along as I traverse the beaches and jungle trails of this incredibly biodiverse pocket of the world!

Like my videos? Patreon supporters get early access to my films and exclusive access to my Q&As:
PATREON (Monthly rewards!)
PAYPAL (One-off donation to replace broken camera gear!)

INSTAGRAM: HERE
FACEBOOK: HERE

MY BIKE: Koga WorldTraveller-S 2.0
MY GEAR LIST: https://bit.ly/2C1BCKF
MY ROUTE: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/3125563
MY CAMERAS: Panasonic G9 + GoPro Hero 6 + DJI Mavic Air
MUSIC: Worldwide Soundsystem

The Nicoya Peninsula Bikepacking Route.

The post Video: The Nicoya Peninsula // Costa Rica’s Bikepacking Route [EP.15] appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

Only a few months ago I put together the 2019 Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide. This book has been designed to teach you the most important principles of a bikepacking bike, how to size up a bike, how to compare them, and how to, ultimately, choose a bike that best suits your needs. This guide goes alongside my other book, the Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide, which covers travel bikes with more of a heavy-duty component focus, as well as provision for a more typical pannier setup.

The cool thing about these guides is that I update them every year for free… and I’m excited to announce the updates are now available!

The 2020 Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide

This has been a BIG update. You’ll find:
– 25% more bikes
– More European bike manufacturers
– A new bike category (Trekking)
– A new topic on suspension
– Many updates in accordance with the latest trends and components available

You can download the 2020 Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide HERE.

The 2020 Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide

This is a minor update. But you’ll still find:
– More bikes
– Updates to the bike sizing and geometry
– Updates to the pricing
– The latest bike photos

You can download the 2020 Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide HERE.

Existing Customers

If you’re already a customer, you should have received an email about the updates. If not, there’s a chance this email made it to your ‘junk’ folder. And if you’re still coming up short, see if you can find your original download receipt email, as you can use the same links as previously.

If you need me to re-send the download links, simply shoot me an email at alee at cyclingabout .com and I’ll respond as quickly as possible!

The post Freshly Updated: The 2020 Bicycle Touring & Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guides appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

Every year I update the Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide, which provides me with a huge amount of data around bike geometry, parts, tyre clearance, pricing, bike weights and more. Today we’ll be taking a look at some of the key statistics from the 2020 update.

I’ve split bikepacking bikes into six distinct categories in my buyer’s guide, and that’s how I’ll present them here too. Everything is broken down using percentages to show the popularity of each of the bike features and components. I’ve also included average bike weights and climbing gear ratios.

Today we’ll be comparing:
Frame Material – The construction material used for the bike frame.
Drivetrain Type – 1X (no front derailleur), 2X (front derailleur and two chainrings) or other (3X, Rohloff hub, Pinion gearbox).
Max Tyre Width – The maximum tyre width that the frame and fork can accommodate.
Weight – The bike weights averaged out from the bike category.
Climbing Gear – The lowest climbing gears, in gear inches, averaged out for each category.
Colour – The most popular colour in each category.

700C Gravel & All-Road Bikes

The GT Grade is a typical gravel bike for 2020, utilising a carbon frame, 2X drivetrain and with clearance for 700x42mm tyres.

Gravel and all-road bikes are built to be fast on both sealed and dirt roads. The majority of bikes in this category are constructed out of carbon to keep the weight down, in fact, the lightest gravel bike in my book is just 8.5kg (18.7lb) and more than 50% tip the scales at under 10kg (22lb).

Frame Material
1. Carbon (40%)
2. Aluminium (27%)
3. Steel (25%)
4. Titanium (8%)

Given the need for higher gear ratios on sealed surfaces, it’s not surprising to see that 2X drivetrains are preferred over 1X. While the reduced gear range and bigger jumps between gears are fine for mountainous terrain, 2X is still the preference for smoother, rolling terrain.

Drivetrain
1. 2X (58%)
2. 1X (42%)
3. Other (2%)

Most gravel bikepacking bikes have a tyre clearance of between 42 and 45mm, but there are still many options that can squeeze in a 50mm tyre too.

Maximum Tyre Width
1. 41-45mm (62%)
2. 46-52mm (25%)
3. 35 to 40mm (13%)

The average weight across this category is 11.2kg, and the lowest climbing gear works out to be 29 gear inches. In my experience, this is a little over-geared for a loaded bikepacking bike, but you can easily choose the bikes with a more appropriate 23 gear inch low gear if you’re looking to be the best climber you can. As more manufacturers spec sub-compact cranksets and wider range cassettes to their gravel bikes, we can expect the climbing gear to lower over time.

Averages
Weight (11.2kg)
Climbing Gear (29 gear inches)

Interestingly, a third of all gravel bikes are given a grey colourway!

Most Popular Colour
Grey (33%)

27.5″ Gravel & All-Road Bikes

The Fairlight Secan is a typical 27.5″ gravel bike for 2020, with a steel frame, 1X drivetrain and clearance for 27.5×2.2″ tyres.

While steel frames only made up a quarter of the 700C gravel bikes, they make up over a third for the rougher-road-oriented 27.5″ bikes. Carbon is almost as popular (with another third of the share), and aluminium + titanium make up that final third.

Frame Material
1. Steel (35%)
2. Carbon (32%)
3. Aluminium (26%)
4. Titanium (7%)

Given the intended use of many 27.5″ gravel bikes, it’s not surprising to see that 1X drivetrains are more popular here. 1X drivetrains also help provide extra tyre clearance at the chainstay for knobby mountain bike tyres (2.1″ or wider) like those pictured on the Fairlight Secan above.

Drivetrain
1. 1X (66%)
2. 2X (30%)
3. Other (4%)

Maximum Tyre Width
1. 2.1″ or wider (68%)
2. 2.0″ or narrower (32%)

The average bike weight between the 700C and 27.5″ models is almost identical (11.2kg vs 11.1kg). The climbing gear drops a touch too, thanks to the wide range cassettes (often 11-42t) on the 1X drivetrains.

Averages
Weight (11.1kg)
Climbing Gear (27 gear inches)

Grey is the most popular colour for both 700C and 27.5″ gravel bikes, so it can be assumed that the majority of people who buy gravel bikes are accountants.

Most Popular Colour
Grey (26%)

29″ Off-Road Bikepacking Bikes

The Genesis Vagabond is a typical 29″ off-road bike for 2020, with a steel frame, 2X drivetrain and clearance for 29×2.1″ tyres.

Switching to the 29er off-road bikepacking bikes results in more steel and less carbon frames. Steel is often preferred in the backcountry as it provides great defect tolerance – if it’s going to fail, it bends and dents rather than shattering or snapping. It’ll also handle more directions of force, for example, a side impact or stick in the wheel.

Frame Material
1. Steel (54%)
2. Aluminium (23%)
3. Carbon (14%)
4. Titanium (9%)

Strangely, there are quite a few 2X drivetrains found on 29″ off-road bikepacking bikes! This is actually quite nice to see, as the 2X bikes almost all have lower climbing gears than the 1X options in this category.

Drivetrain
1. 2X (45%)
2. 1X (36%)
3. Other (19%)

You can use a 2.1 to 2.3″ tyre with most 29er bikes and many more are fitting even wider tyres too thanks to wider cranksets/BBs and ‘boost’ rear axle spacing.

Maximum Tyre Width
1. 2.1 to 2.3″ (68%)
2. 2.4″ or wider (32%)

The average 29er bike is a bit heavier than a 27.5″ gravel bike, but not by much (11.8kg vs 11.1kg). In addition, you get lower gear ratios for off-road use, and if you shop around, you’ll find many bikes with 20-23″ climbing gears too.

Averages
Weight (11.8kg)
Climbing Gear (24 gear inches)

The most popular colour for a 29″ off-road bikepacking bike is blue.

Most Popular Colour
Blue (18%)

Bikepacking Plus Bikes

The Bombtrack Beyond+ is a typical plus bike for 2020, with a steel frame, 1X drivetrain and clearance for 27.5×3.0″ tyres.

In the plus bike category – bikes which are tailored around off-road backcountry riding – the frames are overwhelmingly steel. And there’s not a single carbon bike in sight!

Frame Material
1. Steel (81%)
2. Aluminium (12%)
7. Titanium (7%)

Drivetrains for plus bikes are overwhelmingly 1X. This is mostly because a front derailleur almost always constrains the rear tyre clearance, especially if the bike manufacturer is looking to use short chainstays.

Drivetrain
1. 1X (70%)
2. 2X (19%)
3. Other (11%)

27.5+ bikes are twice as popular as 29+ bikes! One of the main reasons for this is that you can fit a regular 29×2.2″ wheelset into a 27.5+ bike to make it faster and lighter when you need. This is good for manufacturers because they can have one frame with two different build options, but it also means you can have one bike and two different wheelsets to optimise for all kinds of different terrain.

Maximum Tyre Width
1. 27.5+ (59%)
2. 29+ (30%)
3. 29×2.6″ (11%)

Plus bikes, with their steel framesets, tip the scales at 13.9kg on average. The climbing gears are almost all under 20 gear inches which is almost ideal for off-road backcountry stuff.

Averages
Weight (13.9kg)
Climbing Gear (19.5 gear inches)

The most popular colour is again blue!

Most Popular Colour
Blue (22%)

Full-Suspension Bikepacking Bikes

The Specialized Epic Comp Evo is a full-suspension bike for 2020, with an aluminium frame, 1X drivetrain and clearance for 29×2.4″ tyres.

Full suspension mountain bikes are either aluminium or carbon. Usually, it’s aluminium under US $3000 and carbon over $3000 but there are exceptions. These two frame materials are best for full suspension frame construction as they’re much more customisable (frame shapes, forming, butting profiles etc) than steel or titanium – in addition to being lighter.

Frame Material
1. Aluminium (50%)
1. Carbon (50%)

1X drivetrains make up 100% of mountain bike builds. A full suspension bike sees almost all of its time on trails, so this keeps things simple and allows for better frame design thanks to not needing space for a front derailleur mount.

Drivetrain
1. 1X (100%)

Most full suspension bikes that I’ve chosen for my book are designed around xc tyres, but as the 29×2.6″ tyre size becomes more popular, almost half of all bikes in this list will happily accept something fatter.

Maximum Tyre Width
1. 29×2.2″ to 2.4″ (55%)
2. 29×2.5″ or wider (45%)

Interestingly, a full suspension bike is on-average lighter than a rigid plus bike. While price certainly has something to do with this, it just goes to show how heavy most steel frames are. As you’d expect, the climbing gears on mountain bikes are universally suited to off-road terrain.

Averages
Weight (13.4kg)
Climbing Gear (18.6 gear inches)

Blue strikes again! Over one-third of full suspension bikes come in a blue tone. Must be the colour of 2020!

Most Popular Colour
Blue (35%)

Fat Bikes

The Kona Woo is a typical fat bike for 2020, with an aluminium frame, 1X drivetrain and clearance for 26×5.0″ tyres.

And finally, we have fat bikes! It might surprise you that the sheer majority are either aluminium or carbon, but this makes sense. Fat bike rims and tyres are really heavy, so if you can shave a few kilograms from the frame and fork the bike is going to ride much nicer. Not to mention that the tyres absorb so much shock that nobody could possibly tell if a steel or aluminium frame was underneath them…

Frame Material
1. Aluminium (47%)
2. Carbon (26%)
3. Steel (16%)
4. Titanium (11%)

All but one bike was using a 1X drivetrain to maximise the tyre clearance.

Drivetrain
1. 1X (95%)
2. 2X (5%)

26″ fat bike wheels are still the most popular size (and the only ones available in a 5.0″ width), although the 27.5×3.8″
mid-fat bike options are certainly growing.

Rim Diameter
1. 26″ wheels (68%)
2. 27.5″ wheels (32%)

Again, fat bikes are on average lighter than a plus bike because they employ much lighter frameset materials. The climbing gears are appropriate for fat bike use – you may even want to go lower.

Averages
Weight (13.7kg / 30.2lb)
Climbing Gear (18.4 gear inches)

Blue is again the most popular colour for fat bikes!

Most Popular Colour
Blue (25%)

If You’re Keen To Learn Everything About Bikepacking Bikes, Find My Buyer’s Guide HERE

The post Analysing The Key Stats From 191 Bikepacking Bikes: Drivetrains, Weights, Frame Materials appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.