Perhaps you’ve been on a solo bike trip before, but the whole time were wondering – would this experience be better shared? Maybe you’ve always travelled with a friend or partner, but life circumstances changed? Possibly this is your first bikepacking trip, and you would be more comfortable cycling with someone else?

Whatever the reason, there has never been a better time in history to find a bicycle touring companion!

In this resource, I’ll be sharing the best websites to find a partner for your next bike adventure. You can either jump in on somebody else’s bike trip or cast your proposal into the ocean of bike travellers to see if you get any bites.

If you are sharing a touring proposal, I’d recommend including:
– A photo of yourself with your bike (a picture is worth a thousand words, right?)
– Your travel style (do you like to stop at museums, or go for day hikes, or try the ice cream in every town?)
– The start and finish locations and an approximate timeframe
– Your fitness level and expected distance per day
– The number of days off you prefer per week
– Your preferred accommodation (camping, hotels)
– Your approximate budget (are we talking two-minute noodles or Michelin star restaurants?)

Without further adieu, I’ve ranked the best places to find a bicycle touring companion or bikepacking partner.

Cycle Touring Companions Facebook Group

How Active? 5 to 15 trip proposals per month
Link: HERE

Cycle Touring Companions is a Facebook group of 5000 members (July 2021). You will need to request access to this group, but the admins approve requests pretty quickly. Now you can wade through the trip proposals or add your own.

Warm Showers Request Companions

How Active? 8 to 10 trip proposals per month
Link: HERE

WarmShowers is a popular hosting website for bike travellers. On the website, you’ll find a forum section specifically for adding your trip proposal, and it’s pretty active too.

Adventure Cycling Association Companions Wanted

How Active? 5 to 10 trip proposals per month
Link: HERE

The Adventure Cycling Association mostly provide resources for bicycle touring in North America. On their website, you can find a page for companions wanted. These are mostly USA-based trip proposals, and conveniently, they are organised into regions or specific routes (there are a smattering of trip proposals for Europe and Asia too).

CrazyGuyOnABike Companions Classifieds

How Active? 1 to 4 trip proposals per month
Link: HERE

CGOAB is mostly a journaling website for bike travellers, but if you dive into the classifieds section, you might just find your touring or bikepacking partner here.

CycleTouring.org

How Active? 1 to 2 trip proposals per month
Link: HERE

CycleTouring is a bit less active, but the trip proposals are seemingly for big overland journeys that are further into the future.

If you know of other *active* websites for finding bicycle touring companions, please let me know in the comments.

The post How To Find A Bicycle Touring Companion or Bikepacking Partner appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Drop bars or flat bars may be the best option for you, depending on your use case.

But when we take a look at both designs objectively, the best option for the most people is a flat handlebar – and it’s not even close.

In this article, we will analyse the differences between these two handlebar designs, covering everything from performance to frame geometry, product design to safety.

As rider comfort is a subjective experience, egonomics is not part of my analysis – some of you will find drop bars comfier, others will find flat bars comfier.

Let’s start with when flat bars are objectively better than drop bars, and later, we’ll flip the script.

The Case For Flat Bars

Flat Bars Offer Better Bike Handling

The wider your hands sit from the steering axis, the more leverage you have to steer your bike.

With a wide flat bar, you can expect better bike control at high speeds, as the additional leverage helps to counter the ground forces that are constantly nudging your handlebar, and at low speeds, as you can make small adjustments to help keep your balance.

A high steering leverage is also particularly important if you use front luggage, as any weight at the front of the bike requires additional effort to steer. Even with a very heavy front load, wide handlebars can provide a light steering response.

You can expect to ride with more confidence and more control with a flat handlebar, especially on rougher terrain.

But note: there are drop bar exceptions to the rule that make the most of a high steering leverage. The Curve Walmer is 600mm wide at the hoods, which is getting mighty close to offering flat bar levels of control.

More Stable Frame Design

As the grips are closer to your body when you use a flat bar, manufacturers need to increase the front centre of their flat bar frames by approximately 50-60mm to ensure rider hip, back and arm angles can be maintained.

This has multiple indirect benefits:
1. You get a longer wheelbase, which makes your bike more stable at speed due to a lower centre of mass.
2. You get a larger front endo angle, which makes it harder for a bump, pothole or rock to send you over the bars.
3. When you stand up, your centre of mass is better centred between your tyres, which maximises both front and rear tyre grip.

As a result, flat bar bikes are more stable and confidence-inspiring to ride – in particular, on steeper or rougher sections of trail.

Again, there are drop bar exceptions to the rule that design-in long front centre lengths. I made a frame geometry masterclass around one such bike (Evil Chamois Hagar), which you can watch up here.

No Toe Overlap

You have toe overlap when you turn your handlebar and your front wheel makes contact with your forward foot. This is usually a problem on drop bar bikes in the small to medium sizes, but can be a problem on bigger bikes with fenders too.

With the longer front centre lengths of most flat bar frames, we can virtually eliminate toe overlap for riders of all heights, which improves low speed riding safety, in particular.

The Brake Performance

One finger braking is easy on a flat handlebar, which leaves your thumb and three other fingers to get a firm hold on the small-diameter grips.

In comparison, drop bars typically require more fingers on the brake levers (especially in the hoods) which results in a less firm hold. This is particularly noticeable if you try to brake into bumpy corners.

In addition, flat bar brakes offer more stopping power with the same lever force. This is thanks to mountain bike brakes being available with more pistons and larger pad surface areas, as well as larger-diameter rotors.

Lower Gear Ratios Are More Common

Low gear ratios are absolutely essential if you want to make riding in the hills nice and easy.

If we compare the lowest gear ratios on bikes in the “off-road touring” category in my buyer’s guides, the flat bar bikes have a 20% lower average climbing gear than the drop bar bikes!

This is because flat bar shifters are easily paired with mountain bike drivetrain components. As these parts are intended for the steepest terrain, they come with the gear ratios to match.

There are many ways to hack drop bar drivetrains, but ultimately, low gear ratios are more commonly found on, and are easier to retrofit to flat bar bikes.

My Touring and Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guides are updated yearly, for free, and will teach you everything you need to know about the bikes, before allowing you to compare over 200 bikes at the back of the books. You can find a link to my guides in the description below!

The Price Is Often Lower

If we take a look at the Marin bike range, we can see that the drop bar Gestalt X10 and flat bar DSX 1 share a very similar aluminium frame, carbon fork and specification (in fact, the spec on the flat bar bike is a touch better).

The extra cost for the drop bar model? $400.

We see similar price differences with Specialized bikes. The Sirrus X 5.0 carbon is $550 cheaper than the Diverge Base Carbon. Again, the flat bar spec is undoubtedly better, but the price does not at all reflect this.

The price discrepancy could be attributed to the shifters of drop bar bikes being more expensive to manufacture. For example, a set of Shimano Ultegra road shifters is three times the cost of the equivalent flat bar shifters (I know, you get brake levers too – but still).

Another explanation could be that the drop bar market will simply pay more for the same thing. Whatever the reason, flat bar bikes almost always represent the best value-for-money.

A Broader Range of Handlebar Designs and Hand Positions

While drop bar handlebar designs do vary, especially in terms of width and flare, it’s nothing compared to flat bar designs!

It’s a bit of a myth that drop bars offer more hand positions. These days, you can find flat bars in a crazy number of configurations!

Bar-ends fitted inboard? Sure. Outer bar-ends? Of course! How about a nice loop? Yep. Butterfly wings? They make that. Backsweep? Get it in whatever angle you want.

It’s hard to imagine there isn’t something for everybody. I’d recommend playing around with the website WhatBars to get a sense of your flat bar options.

More Bikepacking Bag Capacity + Better Access

Handlebar pack volume is much less restricted on a flat handlebar, as the bar and levers do not interrupt the width of the bag at all. The bag volume is often twice as large on a flat bar!

In addition, the roll closures are much easier to access as the drops don’t get in the way.

Bar Grips > Bar Tape

Bar tape is susceptible to tearing, moving about or unwrapping itself with use. On a long bike trip, this just means more bike maintenance.

In comparison, flat bar grips are tough enough for mountain biking, long-lasting and super easy to replace given they often slide straight on and are fastened down with bolts.

Additionally, it’s MUCH easier to replace and maintain brake and shift cables on a flat bar bike, as you can do so without unwrapping and rewrapping any bar tape.

Low Risk Of Sweat Corrosion

If you’ve ever worked in a bicycle repair shop, you’ll know all about sweat corrosion!

This is a chemical reaction that occurs between your sweat and aluminium handlebars, in particular, and the corrosion is often eating away at your handlebar without your knowledge.

This is a good reminder to periodically peel back your bar tape if you use aluminium handlebars.

While sweat can destroy a flat handlebar too, it turns out that bar tape is the ultimate sweat sponge, which results in corrosion almost exclusively being a drop bar problem.

Better For Gearbox Shifters

If you like the idea of a gearbox drivetrain, a flat handlebar holds the advantage.

While there are many workarounds for getting a Rohloff or Pinion gearbox shifter onto a drop bar, the twist shifter is easier to access on a flat bar as it sits right under your hand at all times. It also allows you to dump at least eight gears at once, which is surprisingly useful when touring or bikepacking.

Flat Bars Often Come Down To Safety

There’s a strong safety argument for using flat bars.

Think about it – better handling and control, better braking, a more stable frame design, no toe overlap and less risk of handlebar corrosion. All of these factors ultimately help to keep you upright.

This is important to note for riders who aren’t yet super confident with their bike handling skills. If you’re new to bike travel, or are spending a lot of your time off-road, I’d recommend honing in on flat bar bikes.

Right, it’s now time to find out when drop bars are objectively better.

The Case For Drop Bars

More Aerodynamic

By the time you’re cycling at 30KPH, as much as 90% of the resistive force experienced comes from aerodynamic drag. For those who intend to travel further or faster, there is a strong case for drop bars.

Drop bars are faster at higher speeds because the hand positions on offer will help you to tuck your elbows in and lean forward, putting your body in a more aerodynamic shape. Additionally, you’ll get a reduction in your body’s frontal area thanks to the narrower width.

This allows you to ride further with the same effort, or the same distance with less effort. Drop bars are great in headwinds too!

That said, some flat bars (KOGA Denham, Velo Orange Crazy Bar, Surly Moloko) are designed with aerodynamic handholds in mind. Alternatively, you can add bar-ends on the inside of your grips for a speedy ride position, or better yet, fit some aero bars to your bike.

Better In Traffic

Drop bars are often best in urban environments. This is due to their 15 to 30cm narrower width, making splitting traffic, riding near close-passing cars, negotiating pedestrian areas, and riding through narrow alleyways much easier.

The Drops

A unique hand position on a drop bar is the… drops!

In this position, you can lower your hands to adjust your hip angle, stretch out your back and take some weight from your backside. These adjustments may keep you feeling fresher on a long ride.

That said, butterfly bars are a flat bar option that provides a similar high and low ride position, and aero bars fitted to any bike allow for similar body tweaks to the drops.

Why Are Drop Bars So Popular?

I said this would be an objective analysis, but perhaps there’s a subjective reason why drop bars are popular. Could it be that drop bar bikes simply look better? After all, it’s a FACT that you’ll get more Instagram likes with drop bars!

It’s worth noting that drop bars aren’t popular everywhere.

There is a clear cultural divide between drop bar and flat bar touring bike manufacturers. Mainland European brands will almost always spec a flat bar on their touring bikes, while North American and British brands cling dearly to drop bars.

If everyone around you, and every shop is selling bikes with one particular bar type, it’s very easy to assume that that handlebar will be the best option for you too.

Summary

While drop bars do excel on faster and longer rides, as well as in urban areas, when we take an objective look at both handlebar designs, it’s clear that flat bars are the best option for most people.

The higher steering leverage allows for better bike control, both at high and low speeds. We can also use this steering leverage to better overcome the slowing effect of any front luggage, and the leverage also better resists the forces coming from the ground on rougher terrain.

The frames themselves work out to be more stable thanks to the long front centres, and this helps to eliminate toe overlap almost entirely as well.

Flat bar bikes often brake better and offer a firmer handhold at the grips. The cables are easier to access, the grips aren’t delicate like bar tape, and there is almost no risk of handlebar corrosion.

If this list isn’t exhaustive enough for you yet, there’s also more space for handlebar packs with larger volumes. The cherry on the top of all of this is the lower cost.

The post Flat Bars Are BETTER Than Drop Bars For Most People (Objective Analysis) appeared first on CyclingAbout.

If you’re not that enthusiastic about the additional weight of most gearbox drivetrains, perhaps the new Kindernay VII internal gear hub will pique your interest.

This new 7-speed version of the Kindernay gearbox is within a few hundred grams of a 1X drivetrain, it’s more efficient than ever, and it has fewer internal components.

In this article, I’ll first bring you up to speed on the original Kindernay 14-speed hub. We’ll then compare the 7-speed at 14-speed versions, and later, we’ll discuss some of the practical implications of using a hub with fewer gears.

What Is A Kindernay Hub?

Kindernay burst onto the gearbox scene in 2016 when they showed off a prototype 14-speed internal gear hub that could replace the derailleur gears on your bike.

Like other planetary gear hubs, the Kindernay promised a long-lasting drivetrain with less maintenance, zero gear adjustment, instant shifts, and components that are less susceptible to wear and damage.

There were a few defining features of the Kindernay XIV:

The gearbox was separate from the hub shell.
As you can see in the image above, the gearbox slides into a separate hub shell. A big advantage of this modular design is that you can have one expensive gearbox that swaps between multiple bikes. For example, you could have a mountain bike that houses your Kindernay year-round, but another hub shell built into a fat bike wheel that you only use in winter. The time it takes to switch the gearbox between bikes is about the same as fitting a new tyre – so it’s not quite ideal for swapping between bikes you use regularly.

It was using a hydraulic gear shifter.
By using hydraulic shift lines, shifting speeds were quicker, and debris could not work its way into the cables, affecting shifting performance. It also allowed a simple way for Kindernay to use thumb shifters instead of a twist shifter found on other gearbox systems.

It was designed for 12mm thru-axles.
Most gear hubs are quick release (or bolt-up) and are not compatible with modern thru-axle bike frames (the Rohloff A12 is the exception). The Kindernay was designed specifically for 12mm axles and can be stepped down for quick release too.

It was lighter than the competition.
The 14-speed Kindernay hub fitted to a bike was 365 grams (0.8lb) lighter than a 14-speed Rohloff hub.

It had a higher torque rating than other internal gear hubs.
The Kindernay was rated up to 160Nm, which is 30Nm higher than a Rohloff hub.

It had a wider gear range than other internal gear hubs.
The 14-speed Kindernay had the widest gear range of any hub available (it still does) at 543%, which is a touch wider than the Rohloff (526%).

After a few more years in development, production units of the Kindernay XIV began shipping in 2019/20.

Kindernay 7-Speed vs. Kindernay 14-Speed

Kindernay VII 7-Speed:
+ 250 grams lighter
+ 250 euros cheaper
+ Even more efficient (fewer internal components need to be engaged)
+ Compatible with 6-bolt rotors
+ Available in black

Kindernay XIV 14-speed:
+ More gears (obviously)
+ Wider overall gear range
+ Smaller steps between each gear
+ Available in silver

The New Onesie Shifter

Kindernay has also released a second shifter called the HYSEQ Onesie, which importantly, can be used with both the 7-speed and 14-speed hubs.

You can change one gear at a time, or multiple gears by pushing the lever a little further.

While some will prefer the more compact form factor of the dual-sided shifters (HYSEQ Twosie), mountain bikers often need space on the left-hand side of their handlebars for dropper post levers or suspension lockout switches. The Onesie keeps that space free.

Kindernay VII Weight

I’m using my Nukeproof Mega’s drivetrain to determine the weight difference between the Kindernay VII and a 1X drivetrain. This is because I may or may not be planning to upgrade to a Kindernay VII and am curious about the weight difference!

This weight comparison isn’t entirely fair due to the price discrepancy between a Shimano Deore 1×12 drivetrain (€244) and the Kindernay drivetrain (€1065), although when you factor in the running costs over time, the price difference will be less significant.

In any case, let’s instead use a SRAM XX1 AXS drivetrain with a DT Swiss 350 hub (€1011, 1107 grams) to better match the pricing. The weight difference is now 750 grams (1.65lb).

But then again, a fairer comparison would be to match the gear range, number of gears, and price. This would require the 14-speed version of the Kindernay hub, which jumps up to 1990 grams. In this comparison, the weight difference is closer to 900 grams (2lb).

The shorter chain and spoke length on the Kindernay bike will pull a little weight back. But depending on your current drivetrain and whether you need to fit a chain tensioner, expect the Kindernay VII to add between 200 and 1000 grams to your bike.

Kindernay VII Gear Range

The gear range of the Kindernay VII is 427%. This simply means that the biggest gear ratio is 4.27 times bigger than the smallest.

With a bigger gear range, we get gear ratios that allow us to pedal across a broader range of cycling speeds.

Here’s how the VII compares to other drivetrains:
Kindernay 7-speed – 427%
1X XT drivetrain – 510%
Rohloff 14-speed hub – 526%
Kindernay 14-speed hub – 543%
2X XT drivetrain – 623%
Pinion 18-speed gearbox – 626%

The Kindernay VII clearly has a smaller gear range than most off-road drivetrains. Whether this is a problem or not will depend on your typical cycling speeds.

If we set the lowest gear ratio on the Kindernay VII so that you’re pedalling at 5kph up a hill (60RPM), the highest gear will have you ‘spinning out’ at 43kph (120rpm). In comparison, the top gear of a Shimano Deore 1X drivetrain would have you spinning out at 51kph (120rpm).

Kindernay VII Gear Steps

Gear steps are the percentage difference in gear ratio when you change your gears.

A bike with smaller gear steps is particularly nice at higher speeds, as you can better fine-tune your gears to achieve the cadence (crank revolutions per minute) you’re most comfortable riding.

Most 1X drivetrains for mountain bikes have an average gear step of around 16%. The Kindernay VII? It has very large 28% gear steps due to its relatively wide gear range for a 7-speed hub.

Gear steps are a bit abstract, so I will now use ‘cadence differences’ to illustrate what 28% gear steps mean for you.

The graph above shows the range of speed for each gear between two selected RPMs. In the case of the Rohloff hub, whenever you shift gears, your cadence will change by 11RPM. If you’re in the 6th gear and pedalling at 90RPM, by switching to the 7th gear, you will now be pedalling at 79RPM.

In comparison, the Kindernay VII will require a cadence change of 20RPM per shift. Whether this suits you will depend entirely on the terrain you ride.

As you can see in the graph above, the speed range between two cadences gets wider as you go faster. Maintaining your preferred cadence is harder to achieve at higher speeds, and easier at lower speeds.

To illustrate this, let’s say you were riding at 30kph (90RPM) using the Kindernay VII. If you switched up a gear, it wouldn’t be until 38kph when you’d hit 90RPM again. You essentially have to ride at 30 or 38kph if you want to maintain your preferred cadence.

The differences aren’t as dramatic at low speeds. At 8kph (90RPM) in the first gear, you’d hit 90RPM in the second gear by 10kph.

In short, the 28% gear steps will be totally fine for steep mountain bike trails where you spend a lot of time climbing slowly or descending fast. However, they might be frustrating on long flat roads. If you ride the latter, you’ll be better off with the XIV, which has 13.9% gear steps instead.

It’s worth noting that big gear steps work well on eBikes. This is because eBikes accelerate much faster than regular bikes, so riders will often find themselves shifting two or more gears at a time. SRAM actually makes an eBike-specific cassette to solve this problem, which has 24% average gear steps.

Summary

The Kindernay VII looks like a great addition to the range.

Due to the larger gear steps, I suspect it will prove popular on gravity-focussed mountain bikes and eBikes. For those who need the bigger gear range, or simply prefer smaller gear steps, the Kindernay XIV will better fulfill your needs.

I can’t wait to fit a Kindernay VII to my enduro bike! I’m interested to find out how the extra 300 grams of unsprung mass affects the suspension performance, and how the 28% gear steps work on my local trails.

The Kindernay VII is available in Q3 2021 and if you’re heading to Eurobike, you can meet the Kindernay crew at Hall B1, Stand 505. The Kindernay website is HERE.

Gates Carbon Belt Drive: Everything You Ever Need to Know

• Bike Gear

byAlee Denham

February 25, 2019

16 Reasons To Tour With A Rohloff Hub (And 9 Reasons To Not)

• Bike Gear

byAlee Denham

September 19, 2018

11 Reasons To Tour With A Pinion Gearbox (And 8 Reasons To Not)

• Bike Gear

byAlee Denham

April 3, 2019

The Kindernay XIV Hub: A 14 Speed Internally Geared Rohloff Competitor?

• Bike Gear
• Gear

byAlee Denham

October 21, 2016

The post The New Kindernay VII Gearbox: Just 300 Grams Heavier Than A 1X Drivetrain appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Here’s your Eurobike 2021 round-up!

Eurobike is the world’s biggest bicycle trade show, but this year it was much smaller than usual given the pandemic.

Let’s take a closer look at the adventure bikes and gear that made it to the show, including a new 9-speed gearbox, a light mounted on a gimble, a wooden gravel bike and some ultralight bikepacking bags.

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

Acepac

Acepac normally has a tonne of bikepacking bags at their stand, but this year, it seemed that the focus was more on backpacks and camping gear.

Aeroe

Aeroe had their new Spider Rear Rack on display that will firmly hold three large drybags on a bike without any rack mounts.

At the other end of the bike, the Aeroe Spider Cradle stabilises your front bag, separates your front bag from your cables, creates more hand clearance at the bar tops and makes for quicker bag installation and removal.

Busch & Müller

Busch & Müller were showing a new fancy front eBike light called the Leval, which uses a motorised gimble to keep the front light level with the ground at all times. You can now corner as hard as you like and your beam pattern will always be perfect!

By.schulz

Attention suspension seatpost aficionados who also like dropper posts. By.schulz make suspension dropper! You can see two more models in my suspension seatpost resource.

Here Are The Best Suspension Seatposts For Touring & Bikepacking

• Bike Gear
• Gear

byAlee Denham

May 9, 2021

Centurion Bikes

The Centurion Crossfire 2000 EQ is a gravel bike that doubles as a commuter. It comes with dynamo lights, fenders and a rear rack – all for €1899.

Cyclite

Cyclite is a new company that were showing some ultralight aero bikepacking bags. The full ensemble you see here is just 705 grams (1.5lbs).

The handlebar aero bag is the most unusual bag of the lot, offering 4.9 litres volume and a dual access zipper that opens the bag wide like a crocodile’s mouth.

Effigear

The most exciting thing at Eurobike this year (for me) was the new 9-speed Effigear Mimic gearbox, which is smaller and lighter than Effigear’s previous model.

While Pinion gearboxes are currently compatible with more than 100 different bike brands, Effigear never achieved the same broad adoption as they required a different frame mounting plate to house their gearboxes.

Until now…

We might start to see Effigear gearboxes appearing on many more bikes because the frame mounting plate is now identical to Pinion. This also means that if you have a Pinion bike currently and are not fully satisfied, you can shop around just like you would for a derailleur drivetrain.

The Effigear Mimic gearbox has a 469% gear range with an average gear step of 21%.

Interestingly, the gear steps are different for each gear – they’re bigger at low speeds (24%) and smaller at high speeds (17%), which works out better for maintaining your cadence. I discuss gear steps in my recent Kindernay article if you’d like to understand this concept more.

Another big advantage to the Effigear gearbox is that it’s compatible with SRAM drop bar and flat bar shifters. Effigear had their new Mimic gearbox set up on a swoopy Caminade gravel bike, which is the first drop bar bike I’ve seen with an Effigear box.

Kindernay

Kindernay had its new 7-speed gearbox and hydraulic trigger shifter on display. I’ll spare you the details – I’ve written an in-depth article about the Kindernay VII over HERE.

The New Kindernay VII Gearbox: Just 400 Grams Heavier Than A 1X Drivetrain

• Bike Gear
• Gear

byAlee Denham

August 25, 2021

KTM

The KTM stand was showing a new X-Strada gravel bike with a fresh geometry, 48mm tyre clearance and internal brake and shift cables. This particular aluminium model is set up with lights, fenders and a rear rack.

The top-of-the-line KTM X-Strada model features a lightweight carbon frame (980 grams), SRAM wireless shifting and the new Rockshox Rudy gravel suspension fork.

My Esel Wooden Bikes

My Esel was showing off this interesting wooden gravel bike.

Wood is known to offer an incredibly smooth ride thanks to its excellent vibration dampening properties. They’re a little heavier than metal or carbon frames, but not by much – a My Esel road bike with disc brakes and Ultegra components is just 8.5kg/18.7lb.

My Esel complete bikes start at €1999 and custom geometry adds €800 to the price.

New Motion Labs

New Motion Labs are currently on a mission to develop low-friction, long-lasting chain drivetrains (they are claiming a 30% longer wear life).

Their Enduo Evolve Track drivetrain achieves its low friction by using half as many teeth on the chainring and cog, and a unique chain link design that prevents the chain from sliding into the gulleys of the teeth as they engage.

How much friction does it save? 1%. This is not much for us mere mortals, but it might be enough for the right athlete to win a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Nicolai Bikes

Nicolai was showing the mack daddy of off-road electric touring bikes, the Nicolai GT1 Eboxx.

This enduro-style eBike uses top-tier components including a Bosch CX 85Nm motor, Fox 36 suspension fork, EXT rear shock, Rohloff 14-speed gear hub and Gates belt drivetrain.

The Explorer Kit gets you all the touring stuff – lights, fenders, panniers, and a rear rack and kickstand. Don’t expect any change from €10,000…

Niner Bikes

The Niner RLT9 was updated last year, but it’s still sweet!

This steel gravel bike will clear 700 x 50mm tyres and is available with seven different specifications. The bike pictured is the “4-Star” build that comes in at US $3700.

The Niner RLT E9 RDO is an electric gravel bike made from carbon fibre. With a 500Wh battery in the downtube, this bike will allow you to ride further, or faster, or up steeper hills than a regular gravel bike.

Pinion

At the Pinion stand was this neat Nicolai Argon CX gravel bike with a 12-speed Pinion C-Line gearbox and Gates belt drivetrain.

Pinion also featured a Santos 4.29 kitted out with the latest all-black Ortlieb bikepacking bags and a P-Line gearbox. The P-Line is now using the same cable box as the C-Line, and has a slightly wider chain line (2mm).

You can learn more about Pinion gearboxes HERE.

SKS Germany

Bike accessory company SKS have just released their own range of bikepacking bags. Presumedly they will be priced very competitively.

Stronglight

Stronglight was showing a very neat front rack for a suspension fork with fender integration. The rear rack and fender combos were looking great too.

Vaast Bikes

Vaast is the only bike company using magnesium to make gravel bikes. Magnesium is lighter than aluminium (this frame is 1200 grams or 2.6lb) and is said to offer a superior ride quality.

James at CyclingTips seems to think so too. He writes in his review, “there’s a strange quietness and smoothness to how the Vaast A/1 rolls across coarse tarmac and rougher dirt roads”.

Magnesium is also more eco-friendly than aluminium – it takes half as much energy to extract and manufacture, it puts less wear on the tooling during the manufacturing process, and it’s easier to recycle.

The post Eurobike 2021: Gravel Bikes, Bikepacking Bags, A New 9-Speed Gearbox & More appeared first on CyclingAbout.

The Effigear Mimic is an exciting new addition to the growing range of bicycle gearboxes.

You might not have heard of this small French gearbox manufacturer before, but they’ve actually been in the gearbox game for around a decade.

The Effigear Original was larger in size than the Pinion P1.18 gearbox, it had a smaller gear range and fewer gears. While Pinion began by pushing their 18-speed gearbox drivetrain into the touring and urban bike markets, Effigear was forging their own path into the mountain bike world with just nine gears.

And this was for good reason.

Unlike the Pinion gearbox, Effigear had its drive sprocket located separately from the crank assembly. This allowed full-suspension frame designers to build their swingarm pivots around the upper axle of the gearbox, creating a simple and silent drivetrain (with belt drive) but also reducing the effect of chain forces on the rear suspension (this is known as ‘pedal kickback’).

The downside to building frames around a large-volume gearbox is that it significantly restricts what frame designers can do with the linkages, which largely determines the ride characteristics of a full-suspension bike.

Instead of waiting for bike manufacturers to adopt their gearbox design, Effigear actually created their own bike brand, Cavalerie Bikes, to showcase the potential of their drivetrain.

While a few brands did adopt the gear system (notably Nicolai and Starling Cycles), Effigear gearboxes have remained very niche over the last decade as a result of the gearbox packaging.

But that’s all about to change.

The New Effigear Mimic Gearbox

The Effigear Mimic uses a much more compact design than the Original, which provides more flexibility when it comes to frame design.

You’ll find nine gears inside the gearbox, with the equivalent range (469%) of a 1X drivetrain using an 11-50 tooth cassette (455%).

As the output sprocket has been moved to the crank assembly, the weight has also been reduced by 15% compared to the Original design, making it competitive with Pinion’s 9-speed gearbox.

In fact, the Mimic will now install to the same frame plate as a Pinion gearbox (it’s an open design). As the Pinion frame plate is used by over 100 bike manufacturers, Effigear can now sell its gearboxes to a much larger market.

This also means we finally have a choice of crankset gearboxes (there’s another in the works too).

Before we dive into the defining features of the Effigear Mimic, let’s discuss why gearboxes are fantastic for some bikes.

Why Gearbox Drivetrains Are Great

1. There’s much less maintenance. Gearboxes don’t ever need to be adjusted and there are just two sprockets to clean. The gears themselves are sealed away and impervious to mud, grit, snow and sand. All you need to do is periodically drain the oil and fill it back up.

2. The components are less susceptible to damage. With no exposed derailleurs, delicate hangers or brittle cassettes, you can stress less about rocks, sticks and the aftermath of your crashes. I also love travelling with gearbox bikes as the drivetrains cannot get damaged by baggage handlers.

3. There are fewer wear items. The gearbox is designed to last 100,000km and the external chain and cog wear at a significantly reduced rate compared to a derailleur system.

4. The straight chain line. The chain line on an Effigear drivetrain is perfectly straight, resulting in less chain wear. This equates to a longer chain life; expect more than 10,000km from a chain.

5. It’s belt drive compatible. Belt drivetrains can last longer than 30,000km, are silent, lightweight and require very little cleaning and lubrication.

6. Instant gear changes. You can make gear changes without pedalling, and you can even shift up to the harder gears at max power. However, you will need to back off on your power momentarily when shifting down.

7. Less unsprung mass on the rear wheel. On full-suspension bikes, the rear swingarm can respond quicker to ground forces when there is less weight at the rear wheel, offering better small bump sensitivity.

8. The stronger rear wheel. As the hub doesn’t need to accommodate for a cassette, the flanges are spaced wider, which results in extra wheel strength and durability thanks to the larger bracing angles and more even tension across the spokes.

Now that I’ve got you all stoked on gearboxes, let’s discuss the features unique to the Effigear Mimic.

Key Feature: Variable Gear Steps

Gear steps are the percentage difference in gear ratio when you change your gears.

A bike with smaller gear steps is particularly nice at higher speeds, as you can better fine-tune your gear ratios to achieve the cadence (crank revolutions per minute) you’re most comfortable riding. Smaller gear steps work out to be much less necessary at lower speeds, as your riding speed changes very little for each shift (1-2kph).

To squeeze the most out of any gear range, a drivetrain ideally starts with big gear steps in the easier gears, and ends with small gear steps in the harder gears. This is exactly how derailleur drivetrain manufacturers design their cassettes.

Currently, top-tier gearboxes like Pinion, Rohloff or Kindernay use uniform gear steps from the first gear to the last. In comparison, the Effigear uses variable steps that mimic a regular cassette.

As you can see, the lower gears on the Effigear Mimic have bigger gear steps, while the higher gears use smaller gear steps. This is not dissimilar to the Box Components Prime 9 cassette.

I covered gear steps in more detail in my Kindernay VII gearbox article and my comparison between the Pinion gearbox and Rohloff hub.

Key Feature: SRAM Shifter Compatibility

Another big drawcard for the Effigear Mimic is that it uses SRAM flat bar or drop bar shifters (with a modified pull-ratio to suit the gearbox). These styles of shifters are often preferred over the typical twist shifters that come with most gearboxes.

You can upgrade a Pinion gearbox to trigger and drop bar shifters, but it’s not cheap. Cinq aftermarket shifters on a flat bar bike add €300 to the purchase price, and for a drop bar bike, it’s €600.

To achieve the appropriate spring tension for shifting, a separate spring-loaded tube needs to be fitted along your downtube (see it HERE).

Key Feature: 48 Engagement Points

Gear pickup determines how quickly your drivetrain engages when you start pedalling.

On most bikes, you’ll notice a small clunk when you apply power to the pedals at low speeds, which is usually the pawl system in your rear hub engaging. Ideally, we want instant engagement, but bike hubs usually offer between 24 to 36 engagement points per wheel revolution.

Gearbox bikes use a second freewheel built into the gearbox itself that also needs to engage when you pedal, increasing the gear pickup time.

The number of engagements varies between gearboxes. Pinion gearboxes have between 14 and 22 engagement points depending on the gear, so even with a high or instant engagement rear hub, there is still a noticeable delay at low speeds.

In comparison, the Effigear Mimic gearbox uses 48 engagement points on every gear, which means it can pickup the same or better than most bikes.

Effigear Fixed Gear Hub

An even faster way to engage the rear wheel is with the optional Effigear fixed gear rear hub!

This results in the chain or belt constantly moving with your rear wheel, which could be an issue should a rock or stick jam into your sprockets. That said, Cavalerie Bikes have been using fixed gear hubs for many years now, so perhaps it’s not a problem in practice.

Also, note that a continuously spinning chain or belt will experience more wear.

Effigear Mimic vs. Pinion C1.9XR

The Effigear Mimic and Pinion C1.9XR gearboxes match up pretty closely in terms of specs.

Let’s find out the key differences:

The key differences include:

• The gear range and gear steps are bigger on the Pinion C1.9XR, so it will be better suited to steeper terrain or for eBike use where you experience quicker acceleration.

• The distance between the pedals (q-factor) is 11mm narrower on the Pinion gearbox, which might be preferred on a road, gravel or commuter build.

• The Pinion gearbox requires less frequent oil changes.

• The warranty is three years less on the Pinion. That said, Pinion have also had five years of production to iron out any issues with their gearbox.

Effigear Mimic Price

When I add all of the components required to complete a gearbox drivetrain*, the Effigear Mimic is a touch cheaper than the Pinion C1.9XR and slightly more expensive than the new Kindernay VII.

Pinion C1.9XR – €1367 // $952 gearbox, $113 shifter/cables, $142 sprockets, $166 crank arms, $251 hub
Rohloff Speedhub – €1279 // €1110 gearbox/shifter/cables/sprocket, €149 crankset/sprocket, €20 BB
Effigear Mimic – €1237 // €990 gearbox/shifter/cables/crankset, €85 sprockets, €162 hub
Kindernay VII – €1168 // €999 gearbox/shifter/cables/sprocket, €149 crankset/sprocket, €20 BB

*To make this a fair comparison, I’ve made sure all drivetrains include a crankset, front and rear sprockets, a rear hub, a shifter and cables.

Effigear Mimic Drive Efficiency

Like all other gearboxes, the Mimic will transfer less of your pedal power to the rear wheel than a derailleur drivetrain in perfect riding conditions. This is simply because there are two sets of cogs that always mesh together inside a gearbox, as well as oil moving between them.

But the type of riding conditions is key here.

In poor weather conditions, there is likely an efficiency advantage to using a gearbox system as the exposed part of the drivetrain has fewer moving parts and things for the mud and debris to get clogged in.

While we don’t have any data on the Effigear Mimic, we do know that a Pinion gearbox with similar straight-cut gears loses an average of 6.5% across the drivetrain compared to a single-speed chain setup (200-watts power output).

And compared to a derailleur drivetrain, we can expect the Mimic to be around 5% less efficient in perfect conditions.

What’s The Difference In Speed Between Gearbox Systems? Rohloff, Pinion, Shimano

• Bike Gear
• Gear

byAlee Denham

August 2, 2017

Is Electronic Gear Shifting Coming?

Effigear posted a video last year on their social media showing smartphone-controlled electronic shifting. While it’s very early days, this might give us a glimpse into what Effigear are currently working on.

What About eBikes?

The Effigear Mimic will comfortably handle the torque of most rear hub motors but they’re just about to release another gearbox with a built-in eBike motor!

Interestingly, the Valeo Smart eBike System uses seven-speed gearing with automatic gear changes, which will be perfect for urban use but might not be ideal for off-road use (it depends on the software).

Expect to see these gearbox/motor units on bikes early next year.

Summary

I’m very excited to see a new gearbox on the market – fingers crossed it proves as reliable as other gearbox systems.

While the specs are very similar to the Pinion gearbox, the Mimic offers variable gear steps, more engagement points, SRAM shifter compatibility and a longer warranty.

Pinion gearboxes, in comparison, offer a narrower distance between crank arms, longer oil change intervals, and multiple options in terms of the number of gears and gear range. Additionally, Pinion has had the time to sort out any production issues with their gearboxes.

The Effigear Mimic is available for pre-order right now and will be available in December 2021.

16 Reasons To Tour With A Rohloff Hub (And 9 Reasons To Not)

• Bike Gear

byAlee Denham

September 19, 2018

11 Reasons To Tour With A Pinion Gearbox (And 8 Reasons To Not)

• Bike Gear

byAlee Denham

April 3, 2019

What’s The Weight Difference Between Derailleur and Pinion / Rohloff Bikes?

• Bike Gear
• Gear

byAlee Denham

January 24, 2019

The post The New Effigear Mimic 9-Speed Gearbox: Better Than Pinion? appeared first on CyclingAbout.

My friend Airy and I pushed our bikes deep into the beautiful mountains behind Oaxaca City. We then camped at the top (we heard pumas!) and spent the next day descending on one of the longest enduro trails in Mexico.

We started at 3300 metres and dropped all the way down to 1500 metres (10800 to 4900ft). Hopefully, after seeing the terrain here, you will understand why I need a full-suspension bikepacking bike with 170mm travel.

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!)

MY BIKE: Nukeproof Mega 290 Comp with Apidura Backcountry bags
MY CAMERAS: Panasonic G9 + 14-140mm Lens + GoPro Hero 9 + DJI Mavic Air
MUSIC: Standoff (Wastelander), Synthetic Minds (Delbony), Redemption (Snow Bones), Golden (Midnight Daydream), Reveille (Breathe In Breathe Out), Dusty (Makenna Susan), Touch My Soul (Dr Delight), Tropicana (Dresden), Remember (NOVVA), Crowheart (The Realist)

The post Bikepacking Mexico’s Wild Enduro Trails On My New Bikepacking Bike (Video) appeared first on CyclingAbout.

I, Iohan, want to see the world.
Follow a map to its edges, and keep going.
Forgo the plans. Trust my instincts.
Let curiosity be my guide.
I want to change hemispheres.
Sleep with unfamiliar stars.
And let the journey unfold before me.

This is the printed manifesto that Iohan Gueorguiev carried when he set off on his ride on the ice highways of northern Canada. Whenever things got tough, Iohan would take a peek and remind himself of his dreams, his skills and his flexibility.

Over the years that followed, Iohan would see the world, and then some. He cycled the most remote routes imaginable in the Americas, beginning at the Arctic Circle, and finishing all the way down in Argentina. And he graciously brought us all along on his journey too.

Unfortunately, Iohan’s journey in this world came to end on August 19th, 2021. Iohan had been struggling with insomnia caused by obstructive sleep apnea for several years, and it finally became too much to bear.

Iohan lived the life that many of us have always dreamed of. He was outside and free, connecting deeply with people, animals and his surroundings. He was out experiencing everything the world had to offer.

Iohan was a friendly, generous and humble guy. He would always share his routes, travel tips and filming tips with other folks in the community. He even supported other YouTube creators financially, despite living on a shoestring.

Iohan showed us that the world is beautiful at a time when the news reports are often so grim. He taught an entire generation of bike travellers how to calculate risk, be calm in adversity, trust themselves, and to find humour in very difficult situations. He is personally responsible for exposing thousands of people to the idea of bike travel, many of whom are now carrying his flag.

Thank you Iohan for the journey so far. We will always be travelling with you in our hearts.

RIP

Please consider supporting suicide prevention organisations or sleep disorder awareness foundations. And please check in with your friends and family as regularly as possible to see if they need help.

HERE is a list of suicide crisis phone numbers in every country.
The Sleep Apnea Foundation

Please keep watching and enjoying Iohan’s films.
And reading his blog.

The post A Tribute To Iohan Gueorguiev (1988-2021) appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Iohan Gueorguiev
Born January 20, 1988, Bulgaria
Died August 19, 2021, Cranbrook, Canada

Iohan’s journey was one of discovery. However, he was not interested in going places where nobody had gone before but more in exploring his inner self. How far he could push himself, and his bike, in some of the most remote places on the planet?

When we first meet Iohan on his journey, he’s conversing with a trucker while both are rolling down a stretch of ‘highway’ plowed onto the ice somewhere in Canada.

“What’s your name” screams the trucker.
“Iohan” he replies.
“Where are you going?” asks the trucker.
– “Argentina”
“On your bike?”
– “Yeah”
“Oh man, I love you!” replies the trucker.

That iconic opening set the stage of an epic journey that played out over seven years, covering two continents and fourteen countries, with detours, twists and turns, good times and bad times.

All throughout, Iohan remained this unflappable force, responding to dire situations with characteristic good humor, willpower, and optimism. We know of his journey through his videos, photos and writings as he documented his passage through the vast landscapes and his interactions with the animals and the people he met along the way. Always pushing forward, looking for the next route, he moved inexorably toward his goal.

The videos he produced were sparse, but lush at the same time. He eschewed the self-centred introspection and the generated drama seen in many travel logs, opting for more of a documentary approach. The star of his videos was the natural world and all its inhabitants. He just happened to be there, filming it all as it unfolded before him.

Iohan did make it to Argentina, though not to the tip of South America as he had hoped. His journey was cut short by the Covid pandemic, and he was caught in Canada when the borders closed.

During this time, largely unable to travel, a battle with latent insomnia took its toll on his psyche. Angry and frustrated at being unable to sleep, he eventually sought help.

He was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which a person’s airways relax while sleeping, preventing the flow of oxygen to the brain. This lack of oxygen to the brain causes it to react, waking the person in order to deal with the problem.

Any person that has spent a night at a high altitude will recognize these symptoms and will know how debilitating the lack of sleep and lack of oxygen can become. Life becomes a waking dream, the brain processes slow and its chemistry changes. People suffering from sleep deprivation and low oxygen levels show a lack of concentration and poor memory, they are irritable and moody.

He later confessed to me that he had been dealing with insomnia since 2018, though it was certainly made worse by his lack of travel. It was also, not surprisingly, aggravated by the time he spent at high altitude, most recently in February of 2020 when he attempted to climb Ojos del Salado. He hoped the cause of his insomnia was this diagnosis of sleep apnea and had acquired a CPAP machine to ensure his brain would get enough oxygen so he could sleep. With help from friends, he started looking forward to the future and making plans – we were hopeful he would work past his struggles.

What the CPAP machine could not treat was the depression that had accompanied his insomnia. After seven years of constantly moving forward, he was trapped by circumstances beyond his control.

His lack of concentration meant he had great difficulty producing the videos he loved. His inability to produce weighed on him and he felt unable to please his fans.

This is a trap that many creators come to face. As they becoming increasingly famous, the pressure on them grows. It might not even come from external sources – it may spring from an internal drive to be perfect or present a perfect image to their fans. Iohan was no exception to this trap.

Despite his calm and measured exterior, he had a typical internal life, rife with all of the struggles and all the doubts that people face. However, what caused him to ultimately take his own life (suicide) will forever be a mystery and my musings here remain nothing more than mere speculation.

As tragic and, perhaps, unnecessary as his death was, his legacy will be in his interactions with the people he met along his journey.

Picture yourself as an arriero, a Chilean mountain cowboy, riding along on your horse on some isolated trail high in the Andes mountains, when you come across a foreigner pushing a heavily-loaded bike.

“De dónde viene?” (“Where are you coming from?”)
– “Alaska”
“De dónde? Nunca he escuchado de esa” (“From where? I’ve never heard of that”)

That memory of this stranger with a bike appearing out of nowhere, hailing from far off lands would remain indelibly etched in your consciousness. Maybe at times, you’d think you imagined it all. But what a memory it would be.

Many of the people Iohan met along the way would help him, and some would become friends that he would return to visit with when he could. Those personal connections ground the story of Iohan’s voyage, offering a hopeful vision of humanity, one not of selfishness and greed, but of altruism and good intentions.

Likewise, his interactions with animals showed Iohan’s true nature. Cows and horses were often protagonists in his story, sometimes as a comic foil (“I’ll call you Big Mac”, he once said to a cow), sometimes as threats of bodily harm (facing down a bull angered by his attempt to pass), and sometimes as traveling companions.

However, the most constant protagonists in the story Iohan told were the dogs. He would gravitate towards them as much as they would towards him. The forgotten street dogs seemed to be his favorites.

I’ve often speculated on the reasons behind this affinity – was it because he recognized them as kindred spirits and identified with them? Was he in need of the unquestioning affection they provided? Did he recognize their freedom and sympathize with their struggles?

Answering these questions would require a deeper understanding of Iohan as a person, and here things become difficult. I don’t know much about his early life. I know from interviews that he immigrated to Canada from Bulgaria to live with his uncle when he was 15. What happened to the rest of his family? He didn’t share and I didn’t ask. Some demons are better left unearthed, I felt, and still feel.

The people who he gravitated towards – those who knew him best – shared common traits. Despite the small age gap, I often remarked to my wife that I felt like he was our adopted son. Later I would find out that many of the people who helped him along the way felt the same.

Was that born of his early life? Were we subconsciously recognizing some inherent need that drove him? Once again, I can merely speculate, as the people he confided in were few – and they had a shared reluctance to ask him those difficult questions.

So now we come full circle, back to the start of his journey, to ask the most difficult of questions. Why? Why did he make this journey? Why did he choose the hard routes? The solitary routes, where people were few and far between?

I said at the start that he was exploring himself. Iohan once talked to me of his admiration for the documentaries of the director Warner Herzog. These documentaries are marked by a common examination of the human spirit in an indifferent and uncaring universe.

One of the more fascinating subjects of Herzog’s lens was Reinhold Messner, the mountain climber who first attempted to climb Everest without oxygen. Messner said, “I’m doing this high altitude climb to know myself. It is not important for me to explore the mountain. What’s important to explore is myself”.

Was that a self-destructive impulse, born from the loss of Messner’s beloved brother earlier in his life? Or did it stem from the primal draw that the unknown holds for humankind and the desire to challenge that unknown? Herzog pondered these questions in his documentary, but never presented an answer.

I see echoes of them in Iohan’s videos and story – in the first video of his voyage he asks “Where am I?” “How did I get here?” “Why am I doing this?” as he wrangles his bike through a blizzard. Later he finds his answers – “I’m at the top of a mountain peak somewhere in the arctic”, “I chose to challenge myself” he says as a response to the first two questions.

He left the last unanswered, unvoiced, instead choosing to show us a pristine landscape of mountains covered in snow.

This is not the end of his voyage. Everyone he touched, through his videos or in person, will carry his light with them. Please spread that light to other people.

“Let us all just be as kind and calm and curious and humorous as he was, so that at least this part of him will stay and grow in this beautiful world he showed us so uniquely.”
– Karin Koch

The post The Hard Road: Insights Into Iohan Gueorguiev (From A Close Friend) appeared first on CyclingAbout.

When the pandemic hit, it was time for me to put my big bike journey on hold and go back to my mountain biking roots.

Today, I’ll talk you through how I’ve optimised my new bikepacking bike for my current backcountry adventures.

Even if you’re not into mountain biking or bikepacking, I hope to teach you something about frame design, suspension setup, tyres and the tuning involved in squeezing the most performance out of a full-suspension bike.

But first, how did I end up with a long-travel enduro bike for bikepacking?

A Bikepacking Bike For A Very Specific Purpose

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to suggest that Oaxaca offers the best gravity mountain biking in Mexico.

Sierra Norte, the mountain range behind Oaxaca City, provides more than a dozen trails with 1000 metres (3300ft) or more of elevation drop. Most trails started life as ancient paths carved into the mountains over thousands of years, taking the most direct route from point A to point B. The trails are often natural, rocky, loose and incredibly steep.

My current mission is to explore as many of these ancient paths as possible and the best way to do that is on an enduro bike.

My Enduro Bike Criteria

To find a bike for steep, technical terrain, I set some minimum requirements:

• Full-suspension bike with more than 160mm travel to give me traction on the roughest trails.
• 63 to 65-degree head tube angle to provide a long front centre length and desirable steering characteristics.
• 78-degree effective seat tube angle to keep my front wheel planted on steep climbs.
• Long frame reach (510mm+) to suit my obnoxious arm span.
• Dropper seatpost so I can place my body weight almost anywhere I need between my front and rear tyres.

Luckily, I got a stock alert on a bike that ticked all boxes (Nukeproof Mega 290 Comp), I hit buy and it was shipped to Mexico.

The Nukeproof Mega 290 Frame Geometry

Let’s start with the frame geometry of the Nukeproof Mega. The Mega follows the ‘long, low and slack’ mantra of modern mountain bikes.

By increasing the wheelbase length (longer), lowering the bottom bracket height (lower) and slackening the head tube angle (slacker), you end up with a bike that:
1. Lowers your centre of mass compared to other bikes, making it more stable on steep and rough terrain.
2. Increases your front endo angle, making it harder for you to pitch over the bars after hitting a rock or root.
3. Offers a high mechanical trail figure, which acts as a stabilising force to straighten out your steering after your front wheel has been knocked off-line.

One downside to a bike with this geometry is that it hinders your ability to climb steep, technical trails with tight turns. Luckily, most of my climbing is on fire roads.

Slack head tube angles result in a heavy steering feel, so you might be thinking my 64-degree bike is a bit of a handful. This is actually not the case, and that’s because I’m using an 800mm wide handlebar that has ample steering leverage to overcome the steering, front bag weight and low front tyre pressure.

To get a sense of how much leverage helps a slack bike to handle well, all I have to do is ride with my hands further inboard – the reduction in steering control is huge.

A downside to a slack bike is that you also get a lot of wheel flop, which is a destabilising force that pulls your front wheel to the left or right when you ride at slow speeds. Again, steering leverage reduces this effect significantly, but it is always noticeable when I’m climbing.

The steep effective seat tube angle at the back of the bike makes climbing surprisingly easy. This is because my centre of mass is further forward of my rear axle than other bikes, which means my front wheel doesn’t want to lift up, even when I’m grinding up 15% inclines.

Right, let’s move on to the suspension.

How I Optimised My Suspension

The Mega has 170mm (6.7″) of travel up front and 160mm (6.3″) at the back. It uses both an air fork and shock, which is better for bikepacking as I can easily add or remove air in accordance with whether I have luggage or not.

It’s clear the Mega has been optimised around descending. The frame design allows the rear shock to be very active under rear braking (low anti-rise), especially when it’s deep in its travel. I find this characteristic useful on the loose, chunky terrain as it gives my rear wheel the most opportunity to grip.

When riding uphill, the rear shock is definitely too active, bouncing up and down much more than I’d like (the bike has low anti-squat values). Unfortunately, this particular model of the Mega doesn’t come with a compression lockout switch on the shock to save costs.

I know this doesn’t sound great, but I’ve found a workaround!

I slow the speed at which the shock returns from an impact (rebound), which dulls the suspension response significantly. I then ride fire road climbs with a high cadence, which prevents my shock from dipping too far into its travel. It’s actually a very effective solution.

I’m really happy with the shock damper tune when it comes to descending. It seems really well-suited to my bike and body weight. I’ve set my shock up very soft for the loose terrain, which helps to maximise traction as it’s super reactive to bumps. It works well on the trails here as there aren’t many big gaps to send, which would likely bottom out my shock.

I’m generally happy with the performance of the fork, although it could be better. I again run it soft with zero compression damping to get the highest small bump compliance and grip possible.

The downside is that it sits a little deeper into its travel than I’d like. More compression damping would allow it to sit higher, but even just one click feels harsh on the fast, repetitive bumps here.

A more advanced suspension damper would allow me to better tune my fork (high-speed compression adjustment, in particular). There’s actually a Rockshox damper upgrade kit available with more tuning capability, so I might drop one of those in soon.

How I Optimised My Tyres

Tyre choice is absolutely critical for the terrain I ride.

With the loose, scrambly, Oaxacan trails, I cannot push my tyres into corners for additional grip like I would on a well-groomed trail. This terrain calls for tyres with an aggressive tread pattern and lower pressures.

With low tyre pressures, my tyres can deform more, increasing the contact patch, and therefore, ground grip. It also reduces the effective spring rate of the front of my bike, providing even more grip over high-frequency bumps.

The grip isn’t the only thing a lower tyre pressure optimises. Your tyres play a key role in increasing bump compliance, which reduces the ‘harshness’ of a trail for your hands and upper body. I often drop more than 1000 vertical metres in a single run – low tyre pressures help me to minimise how far or fast my handlebars move over bumps, resulting in significantly less arm and hand fatigue.

To dial in my tyre setup, I’ve recently teamed up with Schwalbe to test tyre models in different widths, tread patterns, rubber compounds and sidewall constructions.

I figured 2.6″ wide tyres would best serve the loose terrain here, as I’d be able to use lower pressures to increase grip and reduce fatigue.

But strangely, the most aggressive front tyre model, the Schwalbe Magic Mary, was not providing enough grip when I was cornering hard on soft surfaces compared to my outgoing 2.4″ tyre. This was even occurring down at 11psi/0.8bar in my front tyre!

I was initially quite perplexed but I think I’ve worked it out. When the tyre is scaled up from 2.4″ to 2.6″, the tread pattern simply becomes too open. I solved my front grip problem entirely by switching to a 2.4″ model with 15-16psi/1-1.1bar.

Another interesting thing is that Schwalbe sidewalls are really, really stiff. This provides much more puncture protection and prevents the sidewalls from collapsing in hard corners. But the downside is that they ride harsher than other tyres at the usual pressures.

To give you an idea, my previous Michelin front tyre had the same amount of ‘harshness’ with almost 50% more tyre pressure (22psi instead of 15psi). This means that you will always need to experiment with pressure when switching between tyre models.

The rear tyre I’ve settled on is called the Schwalbe Big Betty. I’m happy with the 2.6″ version, which I run at 17-18psi. The less aggressive Schwalbe models worked out fine on rockier, hardpack trails, but the Big Betty is the only option for me when the surface is loose.

Ok, you’re probably hearing my low tyre pressure and wondering how I’m not rolling tyres off my rims and ploughing my rims into rocks…

The Benefits Of Tyre Inserts

To run low tyre pressures, I’ve fitted Schwalbe Procore tyre inserts to my bike.

You can think of Procore as a separate road bike tyre fitted inside your mountain bike tyre. A special inner tube then allows you to choose to inflate the inner tyre or the outer tyre.

Tyre inserts prevent pinch flats and protect my rims from impacts. Instead of a rock slamming directly into my rim; the rock will instead bounce off the inner tyre. Ultimately, I can run lower tyre pressures to get more grip and comfort, without the risk of denting my rim or getting a flat.

Procore also puts outward pressure on my tyres, locking the bead to the rim. Before using this system, my Michelin tyres would regularly ‘burp’ on rocky trails, losing small amounts of sealant and air pressure. This simply doesn’t happen anymore using Procore.

Another really handy feature of Procore is that it makes tubeless setup really easy with a hand pump! I just partially inflate the inner tyre first, which seats the outer tyre to the rim without the need for a large rush of compressed air.

And finally, Procore makes switching tyres easy, as the inserts take up almost no volume compared to foam inserts like Cushcore, so you can easily manipulate your tyres to get them on and off. I can change my tyres just as quick with this system as with no tyre inserts.

Apidura Backcountry Bikepacking Bags

Let’s change the tune a bit and talk about luggage. I needed waterproof bags as it was guaranteed I’d be riding in super wet conditions sometimes.

The Apidura Backcountry bags looked perfect, using a mix of soft X-Pac VX21 fabric for the rollable areas and Apidura’s own 420D nylon for the areas that require stiffness and abrasion resistance.

No other company is seam-welding VX21 fabric to be waterproof, as the fabric coatings make it very hard to adhere seam tapes. I’m glad that Apidura found a way.

The bags are super stable – people have literally accused me of using bubble wrap inside my bags instead of regular luggage as they sit that stable. The handlebar pack is the only noticeable bag when I’m riding. On slow, tight turns it makes the bike want to tip harder into corners due to its high centre of mass.

The only thing bag that I think needs improvement is the Accessory Pack – the velcro closure is simply not secure enough. On my first few rides, I lost a few items on rough trails and quickly learned to move my gear to other bags when the trails pitched down.

I’m using my dropper post seat pack about 20% of the time. Surprisingly, it doesn’t hit my wheel at full travel thanks to my massive inseam. When the trails get steep, I definitely prefer to use a backpack so that my legs and bum have much more freedom to move about.

One thing I didn’t consider was that stem/feed bags wouldn’t fit due to the short stem. There is simply not enough space left for turning when I fit them!

I’ve stuck some ISC surface protection tape to my frame to make sure my bikepacking bags don’t make a mess of my paint.

The Nukeproof Mega 290 Components

The Mega uses the latest Shimano Deore 1×12 drivetrain.

It has a really low climbing gear (17.3 gear inches) that I’ve calculated will take me comfortably up long climbs with an average gradient of 13%, even when I’m fully loaded. I’ve probably only used my highest gear just once or twice since I got my bike, so I could actually benefit from a smaller front chainring to make climbing even easier again.

The Deore drivetrain is great for the price – it’s quiet and shifts well even though my derailleur has taken some big hits.

The drivetrains biggest downfall has been in muddy/gritty conditions. The shift performance suffers much more than other derailleur drivetrains, and it gets pretty loud and crunchy too.

As you may know, I’m a big proponent of gearbox drivetrains, so I have a Kindernay 7-speed gearbox coming in just a few weeks. I’m excited to share with you how the extra 300 grams (10oz) of unsprung mass affects the suspension performance and whether I notice a suspension performance gain from the lack of a derailleur clutch.

My brakes are Shimano Deore four pistons, which offer large surface area brake pads, and big-ish 203 and 180mm rotors. This is enough power for my needs as I’m pretty light on brakes.

The Shimano Deore brakes do lose power after repeated braking on long descents though (brake fade). I’d love to test out some Hayes Dominion A4 brakes, as Bike Magazin’s lab test shows that they offer 15-25% more power and appear to be significantly more resistant to fading (see comparison HERE).

The Brand-X dropper has performed flawlessly, although 170mm is not enough travel for an XXL bike – Nukeproof should have specced the 200mm model instead, or even better, a 210mm OneUp post.

You might be familiar with my saddle. It has been on all of my touring bikes since about 2013. I kept getting a saddle sore in a specific spot with the flatter and wider Nukeproof saddle – going back to this familiar model keeps me comfortable all day long.

Summary

I hope you’ve enjoyed this in-depth enduro bike analysis!

I think my choice of bikepacking bike is almost perfect for my current adventures. The frame geometry pairs particularly well with the steep and loose terrain here. It’s been fun tinkering with my suspension and tyres to achieve the maximum grip and comfort down Oaxaca’s epic descents.

The frame’s build quality and suspension components have exceeded my expectations of a $3000 full-suspension bike. I cannot think of another enduro bike that offers better value-for-performance.

I’ve just released a bikepacking film that will give you guys a better sense of the terrain here, along with how I travel on this bike, so make sure to check it out.

The post Why The Nukeproof Mega Is The Ultimate Bikepacking Bike (For Me) appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Over half a million people have now watched my video explaining the amazing features of my KOGA WorldTraveller touring bike.

Two and a half years have now passed and I’ve pedalled this bike over 30,000km – almost entirely off-road. So, how’s the bike holding up?

Today, I’ll be giving you an update on everything I’ve broken, upgraded, liked and disliked about this bike.

Disclosure: I am sponsored by KOGA to travel on this bike. But KOGA hasn’t paid for this video, they’ve had no input into what is discussed, and they’ll be watching this at the same time as you.

Frame Details

Ok, let’s start with the frame.

The powder coat finish has proven extremely durable over the last few years. Other than a few chips, the paint honestly looks brand new. I’ve found Madagascar Orange to be the perfect colour for touring as it’s very understated and almost never looks dirty.

The bike rides very comfortably thanks to the high vibration damping of my luggage, the shock absorption of my suspension seatpost and saddle, and my wide 27.5 x 2.6″ touring tyres.

The frame is incredibly stiff laterally, which results in a very stable and predictable ride – even with my heavy loads. I’ve never experienced the speed wobbles that sometimes occur on other loaded bikes.

Handlebars & Grips

As you may recall, the KOGA Denham Bars are my own design. They’re now available in an oversized 31.8mm version, which is what I have fitted.

I’m still really happy with the shape, as these bars offer ample steering leverage at the grips, a more aerodynamic position in the bullhorns and multiple hand positions for all-day comfort.

They can still be improved, however. I think the bullhorns could be angled up more for riders who use a more upright ride position. I’d like a bit more upsweep at the grips, and a bit less backsweep so that the bars are better suited to ‘progressive’ geometry bikes that use longer top tubes and shorter stems.

I’m still using the original Ergon GC-1 grips, which are designed specifically for sweptback handlebars. I’ve found them to be both very comfortable and durable.

Suspension Stem

One component change I’ve made at the front of this bike is the Redshift Shockstop suspension stem.

If you haven’t seen these stems before, they have a form of suspension built-in, which reduces the shock transmitted to the rider at the grips. They’ve very effective too – GravelBikes.cc have measured an 18% reduction in handlebar vibrations compared to a regular stem on dirt roads.

As the pivot is in the middle of the stem, it relies on leverage to flex up and down. This means my grips don’t move whatsoever, there is a minor amount of movement at the bar tops, and a lot of movement at the bullhorns. I now find myself using the bullhorns much more on rough dirt roads, which is pretty cool.

A quirk of this stem is that it feels weird when it’s flipped upside down. This is because the direction of force coming from the ground is different to its movement. I’d recommend using these stems in the positive orientation to get the best results.

A better stem for a sweptback bar could be the new Vecnum Freeqence, which uses a linkage system to provide its travel. This would allow for suspension at my grips too, but unfortunately, I suspect it won’t work with my handlebar bag mount.

Cinq Plug5 Plus USB Charger

The performance of my Cinq Plug5 USB charger is absolutely top-notch… when it works.

It’s the waterproofing that has been the downfall of this product – the electronics would get wet periodically and I’d have to take the charging cap off and dry it in the sun. For a long time, this would bring the Plug back to life, but now it’s not working at all.

I’ve just received a warranty replacement, which is considerably more waterproof when compared to the old version. I’ll report back if it’s still not waterproof enough for long-term touring.

Quadlock Mount

The baseplate on my Quadlock phone case cracked and now rattles about. This has happened multiple times now, the cases normally last 1-2 years of use.

Despite this annoyance, I still think the Quadlock system is great. The phone case is slim, and the mounting is minimal, easy to use and very secure.

Tyres

I was initially happy with the Schwalbe Super Moto-X tyres, which rolled really well, but I found them to not be as puncture-resistant as I’d like for long-term touring. I had no problems on most dirt roads; it was the truck tyre wire on highways and tiny thorns in desert regions that got through just to the side of the GreenGuard layer.

I’m now using a new tyre model called the Schwalbe Pick-Up in a 2.6″ width. According to Schwalbe, it is faster rolling, more durable and more puncture resistant than the Super Motos.

As it’s a cargo tyre model, it’s designed to be more stable with luggage thanks to the six layers of nylon reinforcement under the tread and five down the sides. They honestly seem perfect for touring – I’m looking forward to putting big miles on these.

Rims and Spokes

Wheels are usually the most likely component to fail on a bike trip. I’m happy to report my wheels haven’t required any spoke tensioning since new. That’s really impressive given how much I’ve abused them!

I did, however, crack my front rim and bend a spoke when a sausage-shaped rock went into my spokes. I’ve been keeping an eye on the crack for a year now and it doesn’t seem to be growing.

Rohloff 14-Speed Gearbox Hub

The Rohloff 14-speed hub has been absolutely flawless. I’m still on the original shift cables, the only maintenance I’ve done is a handful of oil changes and I’ve installed a replacement shifter grip.

Belt Drive

Amazingly, I’m still on the original belt components too.

The only time I’ve had problems with the belt is when I’ve hit sticky volcanic mud that’s combined with small rocks – the rocks can stick to the belt and jam the drivetrain. This has only been once over the last few years.

I’m using a very low belt tension; well under the recommended tension by Gates. This appears to have given me an even longer wear life than normal, and a lower belt resistance too. This is only possible because the KOGA’s rear triangle is built particularly stiff, so the belt simply cannot walk off the cog.

The Hanseline belt care stick I originally used was terrible. If you’re riding in dry, dusty environments where your belt can squeak, 100% silicone treadmill lubricant is my pick. I use less than 50ml per year as belt lubricant is only necessary for the dust.

Bottom Bracket

Eccentric bottom bracket shells have a reputation for making noise, but my experience is that Bushnell BBs will remain completely silent. The sealed bearings in my FSA BB are still spinning ok, but they’re on their very last legs – I’ll be installing new cups this week.

Pedals

Although my original Shimano XT pedals could probably go on and on, the pedal body got a bit sloppy for my liking, so I’ve just fitted a brand new set. I’ve clocked 50,000km on these pedals a few times, they seem to wear out a bit quicker off-road.

Brakes

The Shimano XT hydraulic brakes have been reliable as ever. I’ve only completed one rear brake bleed so far, and I’m likely on my tenth set of brake pads. The rotors needed changing at 18 months as they had literally thinned in half.

Seatpost

I still love the Cane Creek eeSilk seatpost. With its 20mm of vertical travel, I think it’s perfect for mixed terrain as I never feel it moving underneath me.

After 30,000km+ of use, it’s developed play in the bushings but this is not noticeable when I ride. I take the elastomer out every three months and add some silicone lube around the edges – the movement gets a bit sticky otherwise.

Saddle

The foam on the beloved saddle that I’ve been using for the last eight years has gotten a bit firm. I also wanted to see if I could travel without padded shorts, so this year I ditched my cycling shorts and got a saddle with extra padding.

This Selle Italia MAN Gel Flow saddle is almost identical in shape to my previous saddle, making it instantly familiar and comfortable. I haven’t needed to use padded shorts at all with this seat.

I have, however, found it’s necessary to sit more upright on this saddle, as the extra padding puts too much pressure on my pubic arch in a performance ride position. As a result, I’ve moved my handlebars a bit higher than previously.

Fenders, Racks, Kickstand

Racks are another likely component to fail on a bike trip, but I’ve found that Tubus racks are up there with the toughest available. While they now have surface rust, the racks continue to work as new.

The only thing to note is that the front rack required regular bolt tightening for the first few weeks. It could be worth using Loctite on the bolts if you want to expedite this process.

My original fenders took a big hit in my sausage rock accident, which resulted in both of them breaking. The ones you see here are a brand new shiny new set.

I normally destroy kickstands after 18 months or so. The springs always get sloppy and sometimes the pin that holds the kickstand together will just fall out. Luckily, kickstands are cheap and easy to replace – this one is a few months old.

Now that we’ve been through everything I’ve broken, upgraded and replaced, let’s talk about my new frame.

New Frame

This is my new WorldTraveller frameset!

I wanted to test an even more upright ride position, so I got the bigger frame size (63cm). Coincidently, KOGA had a new limited edition colour to promote.

It’s called ‘Viper Green’ and you can order a WorldTraveller in this colourway right now. It’s the same green that Volkswagen Group has used on various performance cars, including Lamborghinis.

Summary

I’m still very happy with my KOGA WorldTraveller after 30,000km+ use. I’m amazed at how new it still looks, which is a testament to the quality of finishing for both the frame and components.

I’ve found this bike handles luggage better than most touring bikes due to its high lateral stiffness. The maintenance is absolutely minimal when you use a belt drivetrain and Rohloff hub – I’m really just changing brake pads, keeping the bolts tight and adding a few drops of silicone here and there.

For the most part, I just get on this bike and ride.

The post Here’s My $6000 KOGA WorldTraveller Touring Bike After 30,000km Use appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Comfort is paramount when you’re spending large amounts of time on your bike.

With rigid gravel bikes gaining in popularity, bike and component manufacturers are currently finding ways to add minimally-damped suspension to our bikes to make them both more comfortable and faster (I will be making my case for increased speed in an upcoming resource).

Additionally, we have studied the effect of whole-body vibrations on the human body, and it turns out they can be quite damaging. Over time they can increase the risk of various ailments, including low back pain and spinal degeneration. This is one reason why we regulate vibration exposure in industries that use heavy machinery.

With comfort, speed and health in mind, let’s take a look at the suspension stems, seatposts and handlebars that have been released in the last year.

I’d recommend having a poke about CyclingAbout for more information about comfort components. I have in-depth resources on:

• Suspension seatposts
• Carbon flex seatposts
• Gravel bike rear suspension
• Suspension stems
• Tyre pressure
• Steel bicycle frames (and why they are not more comfortable)

Vecnum Freeqence Suspension Stem

Suspension stems are nothing new. You might have seen them on rigid mountain bikes in the mid-1990s before suspension forks really took hold.

After a small hiatus, suspension stems are back, and can significantly reduce the shock transmitted to your upper body on rough surfaces. GravelBikes.cc have measured an 18% to 26% reduction in handlebar vibrations compared to a regular stem on gravel roads.

The main difference between a suspension fork and stem is that only your hands and upper body are suspended with a suspension stem. This is great for keeping you comfortable, but it will only minimally improve your bike’s performance.

In comparison, a suspension fork suspends not only your upper body but the front of your bike too. This improves your front-wheel grip and makes for a more stable bike on rough roads. The downside to suspension forks is that they add weight, complexity and the need for regular service intervals.

The Vecnum Freeqence stem looks to be a great new option. Unlike the Redshift ShockStop stem (that I use on my touring bike), it uses a parallelogram linkage design so that the handlebars do not tilt forward under compression. This allows the Freeqence to feel more like a suspension fork in its movement.

The Freeqence uses a coil-spring setup with 30mm of travel, which can be adjusted to accommodate riders from 50kg through to 120kg. Coil springs are highly reactive over fast bumps, making them particularly effective on rougher surfaces.

But this high reactivity can also be a downside on smooth surfaces, as coil springs often feel ‘springy’ (for lack of a better term) when you’re riding along. This is where elastomer-spring stems like the Redshift ShockStop tend to be better, as they feel more ‘muted’.

The Freeqence uses premium materials, which results in a stem weight ~40% lighter than the closest linkage stem competitor, the Kinekt Suspension Stem. However, these premium materials and German manufacturing result in a very high purchase price.

Cane Creek eeSilk+ 35mm Suspension Seatpost

I’ve been using the Cane Creek eeSilk seatpost on my touring bike for the last 30,000km, and I really like it. With just 20mm of travel, I can ride comfortably on most dirt roads without noticing it working underneath me.

Cane Creek has just released a new model called the eeSilk+, which has about twice the suspension travel (35mm). Being elastomer-based, you get the advantage of it feeling quite ‘muted’ on smooth surfaces, but with the boost in travel, the eeSilk+ can isolate your body from even bigger holes and depressions.

I suspect this might be the suspension seatpost to go for if you’re both riding long stretches on smooth surfaces (as it’s not too springy), but also want as much comfort as possible on rough dirt tracks.

Redshift ShockStop Pro RT Suspension Seatpost

The new Redshift ShockStop Pro RT is a direct competitor to the Cane Creek eeSilk suspension seatpost.

Like the eeSilk, it uses an elastomer spring and has 20mm of travel, making it ideal if you just want to take the edge off everything. This should be a great product for a mix of road and smooth gravel surfaces.

While it’s 100 grams heavier than the eeSilk Carbon, the elastomer is hidden deep inside the seatpost, which should result in less maintenance (I am cleaning and lubing the elastomer in my eeSilk every few months).

Redshift Shockstop Pro Suspension Stem

Along with the Pro RT seatpost, Redshift has released a Pro version of their suspension stem. This stem uses titanium hardware and weight-reducing CNC machining to get the weight down to between 230 and 250 grams, depending on the stem length.

Functionally, it’s the same as the regular ShockStop stem that I have fitted to my touring bike. There are 15 different spring rates, which suit flat bars and drop bars, heavy riders and lightweight riders.

As I mentioned earlier, the biggest downside to this simple and lightweight stem design is that the handlebars tip forward under compression. This takes a little getting used to.

It also feels strange in the negative stem orientation as its direction of movement is different from the forces coming up from the ground – I expand more on my experience with the Redshift stem HERE.

Fasst Flexx Alloy Handlebar

Fasst Company has been making shock-absorbing handlebars and footpegs for motorbikes for years now. But more recently, they’ve delved into the mountain biking world with a handlebar that flexes up and down while you ride. And it reviews very well.

The Fasst Flexx Enduro handlebar is intended to reduce rider fatigue and arm pump, allowing you to ride faster, longer, further and with more control. While it is primarily designed for mountain biking, there is no reason why it wouldn’t suit other flat bar bikes too.

There are four different elastomers that can be fitted to optimise the flex for both light and heavy riders. You can also optimise the elastomers around the terrain – for example, on mellow dirt roads you might prefer a softer elastomer than if you were riding down rutted out singletrack.

An interesting alternative to the Fasst Flexx is the Baramind BAM MTB.

Instead of using elastomers and pivots, this handlebar is constructed using a mix of carbon fibre and fibreglass, resulting in a lighter 290g/10oz handlebar. It can be adjusted with two different spring rates and it’s about half the price to boot.

Looking at the slo-mo video of it in action, it’s very effective too.

Another option again is the One Up Components Carbon Handlebar. This handlebar has been engineered with vertical compliance in mind, and according to various testers, does exactly what it says on the tin. This option is also the cheapest (US $140) and lightest (220g/8oz).

There is no adjustable spring rate to these bars, so they’ll be most effective under a heavier, more aggressive rider on rougher terrain.

FSA NS VAS Stem

An interesting new comfort product is the FSA NS VAS stem. It sandwiches an elastomer between the stem faceplate and your handlebar to reduce vibration transmission to your hands and upper body.

FSA are claiming 47% more vibration attenuation, but who knows how this was measured. Given the vibration testing of different suspension stems, under most gravel riding speeds, I’d expect this stem to offer closer to 10% more vibration attenuation than a regular stem – which is not to be scoffed at.

The post Comfort Goods! The Latest Suspension Seatposts, Stems and Handlebars appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Over the years, I’ve made it pretty clear that for rougher terrain, I think many cyclists would benefit from flat handlebars. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that I’m very excited to write about flat bar gravel bikes.

Wait… aren’t these just hybrids, 1990s mountain bikes and rigid mountain bikes?

You could definitely argue that case, but ultimately, I don’t think it matters. These bikes have the latest bike technology, they are available in shops right now and they are a direct alternative to their drop bar gravel bike brethren.

Right, it’s time to go deep down the flat bar gravel bike rabbit hole…

Don’t miss my article about the BEST gravel bikes under $1000 HERE.

8 Reasons Flat Handlebars Are Great For Gravel

1. You get better bike control thanks to the additional steering leverage (especially with any front luggage).
2. You have much more handgrip while braking on bumpy surfaces.
3. It opens gravel bikes up to MTB-specific components (brakes, shifters, derailleurs, in particular).
4. It’s easier to change/maintain gear and brake cables.
5. Flat bar grips are often more durable than bar tape.
6. Mountain bike parts are usually cheaper, resulting in great value gravel bikes.
7. Mountain bike parts have more suitable gear ratios for dirt roads (can be steep!).
8. There is more space for bikepacking handlebar packs and accessories.

I’ve got an in-depth article on the topic of flat handlebars HERE.

Flat Bar Gravel Bike Frame Geometry

Best practice flat bar gravel geometry is not the same as drop bar gravel geometry.

The most obvious change is the length of the frame. As the grips are closer to your body on a flat bar bike, manufacturers often increase the length of their frames to ensure your hip, back and arm angles can be maintained.

The difference in frame reach is somewhere between 25mm and 50mm depending on who you ask. Salsa Cycles have a ~50mm difference in ‘reach’ between their frame types, Norco uses ~35mm, Specialized run ~30mm and Marin go with ~25mm.

The bike’s steering speed also requires amendment on a flat bar gravel bike.

To make a flat bar gravel bike feel nice and stable when we ride, we need to adjust the steering geometry of the frameset so that the bike turns slower than a drop bar bike. This is to help counter the additional steering leverage. With both quick steering and lots of leverage, you end up with a very twitchy handling bike (ie. it feels less stable at speed).

Bike designers typically slacken the head tube angle to account for the additional steering leverage.

We can get a good idea of how quickly a bike will steer by measuring the “trail” in millimetres. Less trail means faster steering, and more trail means slower steering. For a flat bar gravel bike, approximately 20% additional trail is enough to counter the higher steering leverage.

You can understand the basics of bicycle frame geometry HERE.
And understand advanced-level steering HERE.

Flat Bar Gravel Bike Conversions

There are a handful of drop bar bikes that could be great candidates for a flat bar conversion (if you don’t like anything below!). This is because they are built with a “progressive” frame geometry that already incorporates a longer frame reach and a slacker head tube angle.

Here are your options: Bjorn Recycled, BMC URS, Canyon Grail, Curve GMX+, Evil Chamois Hager, Fustle Causeway GR1, Knolly Cache, Liteville 4-ONE Mk1, Marin Headlands, Merida Silex, Nukeproof Digger, Rocky Mountain Solo, Saracen Levarg, Whyte Glencoe.

Scoring The Best Flat Bar Gravel Bikes

I have prioritised flat bar frame characteristics in my scoring because I think well-designed flat bar bikes should rise to the top (30% of the score). In particular, this list penalises bikes with short top tubes and quick steering.

Having appropriately low gear ratios is important for the steeper-than-typical gravel ascents – the gravel bike’s weight will also help here (both total 30% of the score). A few more points are up for grabs for frame features, value-for-money and tubeless compatibility (the remaining 40% of the score).

• Frameset Quality (/4) – Based on frame features, fork material, cable routing, mounts and axle type.
• Flat Bar Sizing (/3) – Flat bar frame length is 3 points, a bit longer than normal is 1 point, drop bar geo is 0 points.=
• Steering Speed (/3) – 70mm+ steering is 3 points, 65-70mm steering is 2 points and sub-65mm steering is 0 points.
• Low Gear Ratios (/3) – Sub 23″ is 3 points, 23-26″ is 2 points, 26-28″ is 1 point, 28″+ is 0 points – learn more HERE.
• Bike Weight (/3) – Sub-10kg is 3 points, 10-11kg is 2 points, 11-12.5kg is 1 point, 12.5-15kg is 0 points.
• Value For Money (/3) – A subjective score based on my opinion of the frameset and specification.
• Tubeless-Ready (/1) – An extra point for tubeless tyre compatibility.

TOTAL: /20

If you’d like to learn everything about gravel bikes, check out my in-depth book, The Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide.

Ranking The Best Flat Bar Gravel Bikes

FLAT BAR GEOMETRY GRAVEL BIKES

• Norco Search XR – 19/20 – A killer bike with low gear ratios, modern features and 27.5″ wheels for small sizes.
• Marin DSX 2 – 18/20 – My favourite ‘affordable’ gravel bike. Deore 12-speed, 29×2.1″ clearance, carbon fork.
• Specialized Diverge Expert EVO – 18/20 – The nicest frameset here with an excellent array of components.
• KTM X-Strada 20 FIT – 16/20 – Nice frameset, Shimano GRX 2X drivetrain, internal cable routing.
• Commencal FCB Essential – 16/20 – A 29×2.0″ gravel bike that’s light enough, with all of the modern frame features.
• Surly Bridge Club – 16/20 – The highest-scoring steel bike, exceptionally low gears, affordable.
• Priority 600 – 15/20 – A 12-speed Pinion gearbox and belt drivetrain built into a well-priced flat-bar package.
• Giant Escape Disc – 15/20 – A very compelling $930 option that is available in shops all around the world.
• Kona Dew Deluxe – 15/20 – Another well-priced bike option, with excellent gear ratios and 27.5″ wheels.
  
• Marin Muirwoods – 14/20
• Salsa Journeyman Sora – 14/20
• Whyte Portabello V3 – 14/20
• Stevens C12 Lite – 13/20

DROP BAR GEOMETRY FLAT BAR BIKES

• Specialized Sirrus X 5.0 – 16/20 – A best-kept secret, exceptionally well priced, 20mm of suspension, sub-10kg.
• Rose Backroad Multicross – 16/20 – Super lightweight (8.7kg!), fully internal cables, nice GRX components.
• Cube SL Road Race – 14/20 – Shimano GRX 2×11, hydro brakes, carbon fork, very well priced.
• Focus Atlas 6.6 EQP – 14/20 – Nice frameset, Shimano GRX, lots of touring accessories included.
• Poseidon Flatbar X – 13/20 – Cheapest bike on the list ($749!), 10-speed components, carbon fork.
• Octane One Gridd Flat – 13/20
• State Bicycle 4130 Flat – 11/20

Flat Bar Gravel Bikes (Flat Bar Geometry)

2022 Norco Search XR Flat Bar – Global – $1299

19/20 – Excellent frameset with all of the modern features, great flat bar geometry, 650B wheels in the smaller bike sizes and perfect climbing gears. The 42mm maximum tyre size will be limiting for people heading into rougher terrain, so this will be more suitable on smoother gravel roads.

• Frameset Quality (4/4) – Lightweight aluminium frame, carbon fork, thru-axles.
• Flat Bar Sizing (3/3) – Dedicated flat bar frame.
• Steering Speed (3/3) – 77mm trail is appropriate.
• Low Gear Ratios (3/3) – 21.4″ climbing gear is fantastic.
• Value For Money (3/3) – Excellent value build with all of the right features.
• Bike Weight (2/3) – Approximately 10.9kg without pedals.
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) – Tubeless compatible.

2022 Marin DSX 2 – Global – $1349

18/20 – My favourite affordable gravel bike, Deore 12-speed, huge 29×2.1″ clearance, carbon fork. There is a $979 model too which ranks equally well.

• Frameset Quality (4/4) – Lightweight aluminium frame, carbon fork, thru-axles, 29×2.1″ clearance.
• Flat Bar Sizing (3/3) – Dedicated flat bar frame.
• Steering Speed (3/3) – 81mm trail is appropriate.
• Low Gear Ratios (3/3) – 22.9″ climbing gear is great.
• Value For Money (3/3) – Exceptional value for a Deore 12-speed build.
• Bike Weight (2/3) – Approximately 10.9kg without pedals.
• Tubeless-Ready (0/1) – Tubes only.

2022 Specialized Diverge EVO – Global – US $2700

18/20 – This is the bike that solidified the flat bar gravel category this year! It offers the nicest frame and fork here along with an excellent array of components. The front suspension, frame features and geometry make this a great pick, despite its price.

• Frameset Quality (4/4) – Top-tier aluminium frame, carbon fork, 20mm of suspension, thru-axles, lots of mounts.
• Flat Bar Sizing (3/3) – Dedicated flat bar frame.
• Steering Speed (3/3) – 70mm trail is appropriate.
• Low Gear Ratios (3/3) – 21.2″ climbing gear.
• Bike Weight (2/3) – 10.7kg without pedals.
• Value For Money (2/3) – Exceptional components and frameset quality, price is expensive but not unreasonable.
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) – Tubeless compatible.

2022 Surly Bridge Club – Global – $1399

17/20 – One of only a few steel bikes on this list, insanely low climbing gears, 47mm tyre clearance, hydraulic brakes and a great geometry for flat bar gravel riding. If you don’t mind a bit of extra weight the Bridge Club will make a really nice gravel rig.

• Frameset Quality (3/4) – Sturdy steel frame and fork, quick-release axles, lots of mounts.
• Flat Bar Sizing (3/3) – Dedicated flat bar frame.
• Steering Speed (3/3) – 77mm trail is appropriate.
• Low Gear Ratios (3/3) – 17.5″ climbing gear is insanely low (ride up anything!).
• Value For Money (3/3) – Great value for a Deore 11-speed build and decent frameset.
• Bike Weight (1/3) – 12.4kg without pedals.
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) – Tubeless compatible.

2022 KTM X-Strada 20 FIT – Europe – €1599

16/20 – The latest KTM X-Strada has a lovely aluminium frame and carbon fork, it’s lightweight, tubeless compatible and runs reasonably low gear ratios for most climbs.

• Frameset Quality (4/4) – Lightweight aluminium frame, carbon fork, thru-axles.
• Flat Bar Sizing (3/3) – Dedicated flat bar frame.
• Steering Speed (2/3) – 67mm trail is a touch quick.
• Low Gear Ratios (2/3) – 23.2″ climbing gear.
• Bike Weight (2/3) – 10.9kg without pedals.
• Value For Money (2/3) – A decent Shimano GRX 10-speed build with hydro brakes.
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) –Tubeless compatible.

2022 Commencal FCB Essential – Global – $1999

16/20 – A 29×2.0″ gravel bike that’s light enough, with excellent frame geometry and all of the modern frame features.

• Frameset Quality (3/4) – Lightweight aluminium frame and fork
• Flat Bar Sizing (3/3) – Dedicated flat bar frame.
• Steering Speed (3/3) – 75mm trail is appropriate.
• Low Gear Ratios (2/3) – 23.6″ climbing gear.
• Bike Weight (2/3) – 10.9kg without pedals.
• Value For Money (3/3) – SRAM GX 12-speed, hydro brakes and nice wheels for the price.
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) – Tubeless compatible.

2022 Priority 600 – North America – $2499

15/20 – This bike is different to many others because it has a Pinion 12-speed gearbox built into the crankset along with a belt drivetrain. This results in a silent, maintenance-free drivetrain (no lubricant or degreasers required) that will last as long as you will – ok, belts typically last around 30,000km. The only thing you need to do is change the gearbox oil every 10,000km.

• Frameset Quality (2/4) – Aluminium frame and fork, quick-release axles.
• Flat Bar Sizing (3/3) – Dedicated flat bar frame.
• Steering Speed (3/3) – 87mm trail is great.
• Low Gear Ratios (3/3) – 16.0″ climbing gear is crazy low (ride up anything!).
• Bike Weight (0/3) – Approximately 13.0kg without pedals, fenders and the kickstand.
• Value For Money (3/3) – Amazing price for a gearbox/belt drive bike including dynamo light, fenders & kickstand.
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) – Tubeless compatible.

2022 Giant Escape 1 Disc – Global – $930

15/20 – A very compelling $930 option that is available in shops all around the world. The gear ratios are low enough and the components have all of the modern tech, including tubeless compatibility.

• Frameset Quality (2/4) – Decent aluminium frame, carbon fork, flex seatpost, quick-release axles.
• Flat Bar Sizing (3/3) – Dedicated flat bar frame.
• Steering Speed (2/3) – 69mm trail is a touch quick.
• Low Gear Ratios (3/3) – 22.8″ climbing gear.
• Bike Weight (1/3) – Approximately 11.9kg without pedals.
• Value For Money (3/3) – One of the cheapest bikes here, yet still with nice frame features.
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) – Tubeless compatible.

2022 Kona Dew Deluxe – Global – $1099

15/20 – Another great ‘affordable’ bike option, with excellent gear ratios, 27.5″ wheels and Shimano Deore 11-speed.

• Frameset Quality (2/4) – Aluminium frame and fork, quick-release axles.
• Flat Bar Sizing (3/3) – Dedicated flat bar frame.
• Steering Speed (3/3) – 72mm trail is appropriate.
• Low Gear Ratios (3/3) – 20.0″ climbing gear is super low.
• Bike Weight (1/3) – Approximately 11.9kg without pedals, fenders and the kickstand.
• Value For Money (3/3) – Amazing price for Shimano Deore 11-speed, hydro brakes and a bunch of accessories!
• Tubeless-Ready (0/1) – Tubes only.

2022 Marin Muirwoods – Global – $999

14/20

• Frameset Quality (2/4) – Sturdy steel frame and fork, quick-release axles, lots of mounts.
• Flat Bar Sizing (3/3) – Dedicated flat bar frame.
• Steering Speed (3/3) – 99mm trail is great.
• Low Gear Ratios (3/3) – 20.8″ climbing gear.
• Bike Weight (0/3) – 12.8kg without pedals.
• Value For Money (3/3) – The Muirwoods offers exceptional value for money!
• Tubeless-Ready (0/1) – Tubes only.

2022 Salsa Journeyman Sora – Global – $1199

14/20

• Frameset Quality (3/4) – Nice aluminium frame, carbon fork, quick-release axles.
• Flat Bar Sizing (3/3) – Dedicated flat bar frame.
• Steering Speed (2/3) – 69mm trail is pretty good.
• Low Gear Ratios (2/3) – 24.1″ climbing gear.
• Bike Weight (1/3) – 11.3kg without pedals.
• Value For Money (2/3) – A decent frameset and reasonable spec for the price.
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) – Tubeless compatible.

2022 Whyte Portobello V3 – Global – £850

14/20

• Frameset Quality (3/4) – Decent aluminium frame and fork, thru-axles.
• Flat Bar Sizing (3/3) – Dedicated flat bar frame.
• Steering Speed (3/3) – 72mm trail is appropriate.
• Low Gear Ratios (1/3) – 26.8″ climbing gear is too high.
• Bike Weight (1/3) – Approximately 11.5kg without pedals.
• Value For Money (2/3) – Quite a well-priced package.
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) – Tubeless compatible.

2022 Stevens C12 Lite – Europe – €3099

13/20 – This is another low-maintenance Pinion 12-speed gearbox bike that runs on a silent belt drivetrain. It’s a bit more expensive than the Priority 600, but it’s available across Europe.

• Frameset Quality (2/4) – Hydroformed aluminium frame and fork, thru-axles.
• Flat Bar Sizing (3/3) – Dedicated flat bar frame.
• Steering Speed (3/3) – 80mm trail is great.
• Low Gear Ratios (3/3) – 17.5″ climbing gear is crazy low.
• Bike Weight (0/3) – Approximately 13.5kg without pedals, fenders and the kickstand.
• Value For Money (2/3) – Excellent price for a gearbox/belt drive bike including dynamo lights, fenders, rack & kickstand.
• Tubeless-Ready (0/1) – Tubes only.

Flat Bar Gravel Bikes (Drop Bar Geometry)

2022 Specialized Sirrus X 5.0 – Global – $2250

16/20 – Here is an industry secret: hybrid bikes aren’t as marketable as gravel bikes, so by choosing the Sirrus X, you can get 90% of the Diverge EVO for substantially less money. Just like the Diverge EVO, it has 20mm of suspension, lots of nice parts and all in a package that’s sub-10kg. The only downside is that the frame is a bit shorter than it should be (drop bar geometry).

• Frameset Quality (4/4) – Lightweight carbon frame and fork, 20mm of suspension, thru-axles.
• Flat Bar Sizing (0/3) – Drop bar frame with a flat bar installed.
• Steering Speed (2/3) – 66mm trail is a bit quick.
• Low Gear Ratios (3/3) – 21.6″ climbing gear.
• Bike Weight (3/3) – 9.6kg without pedals.
• Value For Money (3/3) – Amazing value for a carbon bike, with suspension and Shimano SLX gearing.
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) – Tubeless compatible.

2022 Rose Backroad Multicross – Europe – €2399

16/20 – Despite losing 3 points for using drop bar bike sizing, the Rose scored incredibly well thanks to the nice frameset and spec, including a flex seatpost. The Multicross is ultra-light, has decent gear ratios and includes all of the modern gravel features.

• Frameset Quality (4/4) – Ultralight carbon frame, full carbon fork, fully internal cable routing, flex post, thru-axles.
• Flat Bar Sizing (0/3) – Drop bar frame with a flat bar installed.
• Steering Speed (3/3) – 71mm trail is great.
• Low Gear Ratios (2/3) – 24.9″ climbing gear.
• Bike Weight (3/3) – 8.7kg without pedals, lightest bike here.
• Value For Money (3/3) – Expensive but very good value when you consider the quality of everything.
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) – Tubeless compatible.

2022 Cube SL Road Race – Europe – €1149

14/20 – The Cube SL Road Race represents amazing value for money, offering the same high-end equipment as many other bikes but at half the price.

• Frameset Quality (4/4) – Ultralight aluminium frame, full carbon fork, internal cables, thru-axles.
• Flat Bar Sizing (0/3) – Drop bar frame with a flat bar installed.
• Steering Speed (2/3) – 68mm trail is ok.
• Low Gear Ratios (2/3) – 24.5″ climbing gear.
• Bike Weight (2/3) – 10.6kg.
• Value For Money (3/3) – Nice frameset, excellent parts, lightweight.
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) – Tubeless compatible.

2022 Focus Atlas 6.6 EQP – Global – €1599

14/20 – This flat bar version of the popular Focus Atlas gravel bike has a great spec and comes with a whole bunch of accessories for commuting or touring.

• Frameset Quality (4/4) – Top-tier aluminium frame, carbon fork, thru-axles, lots of mounts.
• Flat Bar Sizing (0/3) – Drop bar frame with a flat bar installed.
• Steering Speed (3/3) – 70mm trail is appropriate.
• Low Gear Ratios (2/3) – 24.3″ climbing gear.
• Bike Weight (1/3) – Approximately 11.5kg without the fenders, rack or kickstand.
• Value For Money (3/3) – Exceptional components and frameset quality, dynamo lights, fenders, kickstand and a rack!
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) – Tubeless compatible.

2022 Poseidon Flatbar X – North America – $749

13/20 – This price almost seems too good to be true. It’s lightweight, uses 1X10 gearing and has some of the lowest gear ratios of all gravel bikes here.

You can see more pictures and the full specification on the Poseidon website HERE.

• Frameset Quality (3/4) – Quite a decent aluminium frame, full carbon fork, quick-release axles.
• Flat Bar Sizing (0/3) – Drop bar frame with a flat bar installed.
• Steering Speed (2/3) – 66mm trail is a touch low.
• Low Gear Ratios (3/3) – 21.5″ climbing gear is excellent.
• Bike Weight (2/3) – 10.9kg without pedals.
• Value For Money (3/3) – It’s almost too good to be true!
• Tubeless-Ready (0/1) – Tubes only.

2022 Octane One Gridd Flat – Global – €949

13/20 – Deore 10-speed, hydro brakes, carbon fork, reasonably light, sub-$1000!

• Frameset Quality (3/4) – Solid aluminium frame, carbon fork, front thru-axle.
• Flat Bar Sizing (0/3) – Drop bar frame with a flat bar installed.
• Steering Speed (3/3) – 74mm trail is great.
• Low Gear Ratios (2/3) – 24.6″ climbing gear.
• Bike Weight (1/3) – Approximately 11kg without pedals.
• Value For Money (3/3) – Decent price for a Shimano Deore 10-speed build with hydro brakes.
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) – Tubeless compatible.

2022 State Bicycle 4130 Flat Bar – North America – US $899

11/20 – A very well-priced 27.5″ gravel bike that can be ordered with 700C or 27.5″ wheels for under $1000.

• Frameset Quality (3/4) – Sturdy steel frame and fork, thru-axles, lots of mounts.
• Flat Bar Sizing (0/3) – Drop bar frame with a flat bar installed.
• Steering Speed (2/3) – 63mm trail is too quick.
• Low Gear Ratios (1/3) – 27.3″ climbing gear is too high.
• Bike Weight (1/3) – 12.4kg without pedals.
• Value For Money (3/3) – It’s amazing value.
• Tubeless-Ready (1/1) – Tubeless compatible.

If You’d Like To Learn Everything About Gravel Bikes, Check Out My Book: The Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide

The post The 20 BEST Flat Bar Gravel Bikes For 2022 appeared first on CyclingAbout.

I’m excited to announce the annual update of both the Touring & Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guides is complete. The latest versions now feature more than 270 different bikes each!

I’ve spent almost every day over the last few months researching the latest touring and bikepacking bikes, calculating various measurements, observing the latest trends, contacting bike manufacturers (for additional information), and updating all the terminology and general advice in my guides.

I’ll be sharing all of my favourite bikes in the coming months – stay tuned for that.

Bike-On-Bike Comparison Tool

A large proportion of my time has actually been spent inputting the latest frame geometry numbers of every bike in my books into the website Bike Insights.

If you haven’t seen this nifty web tool before, it allows you to visualise the size differences between any two bikes found in my guides. It is particularly useful when determining the best bike size for you, as manufacturers do not have a standardised way of sizing them.

For example, use this link to see the 63cm Bianchi Impulso gravel bike overlayed on the 56cm Kona Sutra. Given the sizing name, you’d think they’d be 3-4 sizes apart, but they actually measure up almost identically in terms of frame length and handlebar height.

While the sizing discrepancies aren’t always this stark, Bike Insights is a useful way of checking you’re getting the right-sized bike.

Another useful way to use Bike Insights is to borrow, hire, test or get professionally fitted to a bike that (1) feels good in terms of size, and (2) is listed in the Bike Insights database. You can then use this bike as a size benchmark for comparing any of the bikes in my guides!

Gearbox Bike Categories

You’ll have noticed that I write a lot about gearbox drivetrains, namely the Rohloff hub and Pinion gearbox. If your budget allows, I think these are the perfect drivetrains for long-distance bike travel – you can find an in-depth comparison of the two market-leading bicycle gearboxes HERE.

The biggest change for 2022 is that I’ve separated the gearbox and derailleur bikes. I’ve also boosted the number of gearbox bikes significantly – you will find more than 80 gearbox bikes featured in the Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide and more than 30 gearbox bikes in the Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide.

Almost all of these bikes are belt drive compatible too, which helps to create a virtually maintenance-free drivetrain.

Accessing The Update

Those who have already purchased one of my buyer’s guides will have just received an email with the latest editions attached. If you cannot find the email, there is a chance your email service has filtered it to the ‘junk’ folder. The email was sent right on the new year (31 Dec or 1 Jan).

Alternatively, you can search your email system for your original “Gumroad” receipt. That will take you to the portal with the current book(s), along with the buyer’s guides from previous years. Failing that, please get in contact with me using a private message on Facebook or Instagram – or via email.

If you’re a new customer, awesome! My guides will teach you everything about bikepacking or touring bikes, before allowing you to compare 270+ bikes at the back of the books. These guides are updated yearly – for free – so you can always keep on top of the latest bikes and information.

You can get the Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide HERE.
You can get the Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide HERE.

The post The 2022 Touring & Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guides Are Now Available appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Today, we’re talking about the best touring bikes you can buy – with their price factored in. This is going to be a long article with a tonne of advice, so strap yourselves in.

We’ll start by discussing the most important aspects of a touring bike. We’ll then go through each touring bike category where I’ll be revealing my picks.

The cool thing is that even if you don’t like my picks, you can apply this knowledge to any touring bike you’re looking to buy – expensive, cheap, new or second hand.

To arrive at this shortlist, I’ve narrowed down the 270 different models that are featured in my 2022 Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide. This book goes into way more detail than I possibly can in this article, so if you’re interested – grab yourself a copy.

How Did I Select The Best Touring Bikes?

The first thing I did was calculate the low climbing gear of every bike in my book.

Low climbing gears are important for bicycle touring as they allow you to ride up hills at a sustainable effort with all of your luggage. When your climbing gear is too high, you’ll be working much harder than necessary, which results in more muscle fatigue, and frankly, makes hills much less enjoyable.

To compare the lowest climbing gear of different touring bikes, we’ll be using a unit of measurement called gear inches.

This is the diameter of the wheel, times the size of the front chainring and divided by the size of the rear cog. With this information, we can compare bikes with different wheel sizes, tyre widths and drivetrain setups.

I’m looking for 20 gear inches or less for paved roads, and less than 18 gear inches for dirt roads. But really, the lower – the better!

Don’t worry about the fact we’re using inches as the unit. These numbers aren’t ever converted, and they are relative too. For example, a bike with an 18-inch gear will climb 10% slower than a 20-inch gear, which means you’ll either find the same hill easier – or you can use this mechanical advantage to carry more goods.

I next assessed the frame geometry for each of these bikes. I’m looking for bikes that are long, upright and have the appropriate steering characteristics for the handlebar type.

More specifically, I’m looking for long chainstay and wheelbase lengths, a tall ‘stack’ height up front, and slower steering speeds (more trail) on the bikes that offer higher steering leverage (flat bar bikes).

I then narrowed things down further by determining the bike’s value for money.

As touring bikes have a pretty hard life, the price points I have chosen are where you get the most reliability and performance for your money. These bikes are almost always priced between US $1000 and $2500. If these prices are still too high for your budget, find an older version of these bikes second-hand and you’ll never be disappointed.

Frame stiffness is another important consideration for a touring bike.

The majority of touring bikes support a front and rear load, and your frame is the medium that needs to resist the twisting forces between these two points. A bike that is not stiff enough will feel unstable, and can more easily induce speed-wobbles.

When it comes to the handling, stability and general feel of a touring bike, we want our frames to be as stiff as possible without weighing a tonne. An appropriately stiff bike will use oversized frame tubes that make it feel very stable when it’s all loaded up.

Due to the heavy loads and uneven road surfaces, touring bikes really benefit from wide tyres.

Narrow tyres work well on smooth roads, but the reality is that there is very little speed penalty to using a wide slick, which you’ll find is more comfortable and will take you on more varied terrain.

The optimal tyre with fender clearance for most on-road touring bikes is around 50mm or 2.0″. This configuration allows you to fit narrower tyres on the smooth tarmac, but also switch to 2.2″ mountain bike tyres if you find yourself on dirt roads.

If you’re riding exclusively on dirt roads, you will find tyres wider than 2.2-inches to be the best option.

And lastly, I’ve prioritised bikes that have kickstand mounts.

It’s crazy how many touring bikes don’t have the option of fitting a kickstand. My kickstand is just 250 grams (9oz) and I use it dozens of times per day – that’s whenever I pack my bike, re-supply at the shops, take a photo or maintain my bike.

Coronavirus Supply Chain Issues

One last note, COVID has wreaked havoc on the bicycle supply chain, and there is also unprecedented demand for bikes. This means that you will likely have to wait a while for these bikes after ordering – some more than others.

Best Touring Bikes: Long-Distance

Long-distance touring bikes are optimised to carry heavy loads on a mix of road surfaces, however, they specialise in smoother surfaces. This is the kind of bike suitable for cycling around the world on primary or secondary roads.

2022 Masi Giramondo (US $1299)

My drop bar touring bike pick for 2022 is the Masi Giramondo. This bike stands out thanks to its price, which surprisingly went down recently.

The steel Giramondo offers a great climbing gear of 18 gear inches, which is 14% lower than the average bike in this category. You’ll find a generous 50mm tyre clearance, long chainstays, bombproof bar-end shifters, and excellent TRP mechanical disc brakes.

When you consider this bike comes with Tubus steel racks valued at US $250, it’s even more of a bargain.

If you haven’t heard of Tubus racks, these are the best in the business. I’ve never broken one, but in the unlikely event that you do, Tubus will send you a replacement, free of charge, anywhere in the world – for the first three years. They then go on to provide a 30-year guarantee.

2022 Co-Motion Deschutes (US $2645)

With popular mass-produced touring bikes like the Kona Sutra now cracking the $2000 mark, this makes the slightly more expensive, but USA-manufactured Co-Motion Deschutes a very appealing option.

The Deschutes features larger diameter tubes than almost every steel bike available, which results in one of the stiffest steel touring bikes. Even when it’s loaded to the brim, you can expect this bike to handle very well.

The quality of drivetrain parts is better than most bikes in this category too. It’s fitted with high-performing Shimano 105 shifters that are hooked up to an 11-speed mountain bike derailleur (via a shift-ratio converter). This allows the fitment of a larger cassette to yield the 20″ climbing gear.

2022 Riverside Touring 900 (€1299)

Moving on to flat bar touring bikes, the Riverside Touring 900 made it onto this list thanks to its exceptional price point.

This tourer is fully decked out, ready to go. It has racks, fenders, pedal-power dynamo lights, an ever-popular Brooks B17 saddle, ultra-tough Schwalbe touring tyres and a full Shimano XT groupset, which is about as good as it gets.

You can even charge your electronics from the front dynamo wheel using a USB charger conveniently located in the steerer tube. Independent testing suggests the Cycle2Charge unit performs quite well at 20KPH too.

The Riverside frame offers long chainstays, the steering speed is suitable for a flat bar bike, and the climbing gear is under 20 gear inches.

2022 Cube Travel (€899)

Speaking of value, I still cannot get past the Cube Travel.

This bike is more capable than many touring bikes on a mix of surfaces, as it has 29×2.2″ tyre clearance with fenders. The climbing could be better (22 inches) but you can always improve that yourself by fitting a cassette with a 36 tooth cog.

The Cube Travel comes with lots of great features including a rear rack, kickstand, Shimano 27-speed groupset, hydraulic brakes and even a dynamo hub and light set.

The frame is available in five sizes, and there are an additional three step-through frames if you fancy something easier to get on and off.

2022 KOGA WorldTraveller (€2199)

If you are after a top-tier frameset without the top-tier price, I don’t think you can beat the KOGA WorldTraveller.

These frames are incredibly stiff laterally, which allows them to handle very heavy loads with grace. There is fully-guided internal cable routing inside the frame, super-smooth welds, a steering limiter to prevent your front wheel from turning too far, super long chainstays to maximise the ride stability, and an abrasion-resistant powder coat paint job.

The WorldTraveller comes with everything you need to set off around the world, including super-strong wheels, dynamo lights, Tubus racks, Schwalbe touring tyres, a Topeak pump and a low 20″ climbing gear.

You can choose between a step-through or a traditional frame, which are both available in five sizes. And if you wanted to do some off-road touring like me, you can buy some rims in the 27.5″ diameter and then fit some wide 2.6″ tyres.

Please note: I am sponsored to ride KOGA bikes. But I simply could not find a bike this good at this price point!

Best Touring Bikes: Trekking

Trekking bikes are long distance touring bikes built around a suspension fork. The fork adds comfort on rough dirt and cobblestone roads. The downsides are that it’s harder to fit a rack for front panniers (most people just use rear panniers) and the suspension fork requires regular maintenance.

2022 Rose Multisport 1 (€1249)

The Rose Multisport 1 is a great option at an exceptional price point.

It has a coil-sprung suspension fork up front, which works out a little heavier than an air fork, but is less likely to experience problems on a long trip. You can lock the fork for the smooth road sections to ensure you aren’t wasting your pedal power.

The 21″ climbing gear is decent for most touring applications and the frame geometry is both very upright and stable.

The Multisport uses a Shimano Deore 30-speed groupset, dynamo lights, rear rack, fenders, kickstand, lock, chain protector and suspension seatpost. It’s a killer deal.

Best Touring Bikes: Light Touring / Gravel

Light touring bikes are designed to be lighter and faster on smoother surfaces. They aren’t as bombproof as long-distance touring bikes, but will comfortably handle 10kg of luggage or so.

2022 Kona Libre AL (US $2099)

At a touch over 10kg, the Kona Libre AL sheds more than 4kg/9lb compared to a dedicated touring bike.

What really draws me to the Libre is the frame geometry. Most bikes in this category have evolved from a race bike lineage, which results in a long reach to the bars, and a substantial saddle-to-bar drop. This puts your body in a speedy ride position but tends to be less comfortable over long distances.

Touring is about enjoying the ride in comfort and discovering new places, so I think more bikes in this category would benefit from being as relaxed and upright as the Libre. An added benefit of a tall front end is that you put much less weight on your hands, so you’re unlikely to experience numb fingers after a long day. Plus, you have better access to the drop section of the drop bars, which means more powerful braking and much better bike control.

The Libre has excellent tyre clearance (50mm), good hydraulic brakes and all the mounts you’ll need – but there are two downsides to this bike.

The climbing gear is high, so you might need to swap in some new drivetrain parts. And the large seatpost diameter will likely provide inadequate comfort, so factor in a carbon seatpost or suspension seatpost. Check out my comprehensive articles on suspension seatposts and carbon flex seatposts.

2022 Focus Atlas 6.7 EQP (€1899)

If you’re after something fast, lightweight (12.7kg), and with dynamo lights, fenders and a rear rack – the Focus Atlas is looking very good.

This frame is the stiffest gravel bike ever tested by Tour Magazin, which is a good thing when it comes to a bike that’s loaded with luggage.

The bike comes with 37mm tyres as standard, however, will comfortably fit 47mm tyres if you were to remove the fenders.

While the 24″ gear is a touch high by touring standards, keep in mind that this bike is designed for tarmac roads and lighter loads. Should you feel like pushing the limits of the drivetrain, the Shimano GRX rear derailleur that comes with the bike is known to handle cassettes with much larger sprockets.

The Atlas also wins my heart because it comes with a kickstand, and there’s also a flat bar version of this bike if that’s what you prefer.

2022 Cube SL Road Pro FE (€1199)

My light-touring-bike-with-flat-bars pick is the Cube SL Road Pro FE.

Like the Focus, it’s been fitted with all the touring accessories you need to travel, right down to the dynamo lights. It also offers the same 24″ climbing gear and 47mm tyre clearance without fenders.

The reason I picked the Cube over the Focus is that value-for-money is next level on this bike – it’s €400 cheaper with similar quality components.

Best Touring Bikes: Off-Road

Off-road touring bikes are essentially mountain bikes with tougher wheels and provision for racks, fenders and extra water bottles. A key characteristic is the wide tyre clearance on offer.

2022 Brodie Mega Tour (CA $1625 / US $1300)

The Brodie Mega Tour caught my attention for a few reasons.

The first thing was the price. Brodie is a Canadian company, so when we convert to US dollars and we end up with $1300 – which is hyper-competitive in this segment.

The next thing I noticed was the choice of a 2X drivetrain. While almost every off-road touring bike has switched to a 1X drivetrain, Brodie opted for a front derailleur.

What’s the advantage? Well, you get smaller jumps between each gear change, which is especially handy on flat or rolling terrain where you can better fine-tune your speed in accordance with your pedalling cadence. It can be more efficient too. You can read more about 1X vs 2X drivetrains in my article HERE.

The Mega Tour has a low gear of 18″, generous 29 x 2.6″ tyre clearance, a sweptback handlebar, Shimano hydraulic brakes (with large 180mm rotors)… and there’s even a kickstand mount out back.

This is not only a recipe for a great off-roader, but it could easily be a long-distance touring bike with some slicks.

2022 Genesis Longitude (£1199 / US $1600)

In the ‘plus bike’ category with 3.0″ wide tyres, I’ve picked the Genesis Longitude.

It just so happens that this is another 2X bike, but I primarily picked it because it represents excellent value for money. The climbing gear is 18 gear inches, however, you can quite easily replace the front chainrings to achieve a 16″ should you need.

The frame is a bit taller than average and is decked out with mounts. It’s tough enough too – I know quite a few people who are currently or have previously cycled across continents with this bike.

If the idea of a 14-speed Rohloff hub piques your interest, the Longitude also has horizontal dropouts that make it an appropriate fit.

2022 Panorama Taiga EXP (CA $3199 / US $2500)

This new steel off-roader is a great buy!

The Panorama Taiga has a carbon fork to keep the weight down (11.8kg/26.0lb) but it will also accommodate a MTB suspension fork should you need it. The stats on this bike are great – there’s 29 x 2.6″ tyre clearance, a 20″ climbing gear, a 52cm wide handlebar and the ability to fit a Rohloff 14-speed gearbox hub and belt drivetrain.

To achieve the low climbing gear, a SRAM MTB 12-speed derailleur has been hooked up to an interesting Gevenalle indexed shifter. These shifters are not particularly elegant but having used one previously, they’re fast-shifting and extra durable.

As you can see, the Taiga’s frame geometry is super upright. This is so that you can comfortably use the drops for long periods of time, where you have the best access to the brakes. And when you use the hoods or bar tops, you will have less pressure on your hands than a less upright bike. The frame also features long chainstays to keep your front wheel planted on steep climbs.

The only thing to note is that the Taiga is using a lightweight 28 spoke wheelset that’s very light. If you weigh more than average or are carrying a heavy load, you will want to replace it with something much stronger.

2022 On-One Rocky Road (£1299 / US $1750)

Ok, I never expected a titanium bike to end up on a value-for-money bike list.

This is the On-One Rocky Road, which retails for £1300 but can sometimes be found for under £1000 (US $1350). That’s smack-bang in steel or aluminium bike price territory.

By using titanium, On-One can build a frame with the equivalent stiffness and strength of a steel frame, with an 850-gram (1.9lb) weight saving. But the modest weight reduction isn’t the reason I would buy a titanium bike – it’s the scratch and rust resistance that I like most. You can easily buff out any scratches on the frame so that it looks as good as new.

Interestingly, the head tube angle is quite steep compared to modern mountain bikes, which results in a quick steering feel and reduced wheel flop. Given your front luggage weight slows the steering back down again, this is not a bad thing at all.

The bike comes with a carbon fork, hydraulic disc brakes and a 1X drivetrain. As the SRAM SX derailleurs are not known for their durability, I’d recommend upgrading it to an NX or GX model if you’re cycling anywhere remote.

To round things out, the frame geometry is quite upright, the maximum tyre width is 29 x 2.6″ and the climbing gear is ideal at 17.5 gear inches.

Summary

That rounds out the best touring bikes for 2022, with price factored in!

It was super hard narrowing this list down to so few but can see all the other great models in my 2022 Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide. In this book, you’ll learn about all the important features of a touring bike and can then use the tools at the back of the book to compare over 270 different bikes. It’s updated yearly for free, so expect to get great value out of it.

Are There Any Other Good-Value Touring Bikes That Should’ve Made This List?

The post Here Are The 13 BEST Touring Bikes You Can Buy In 2022 appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Bikepacking bags have come a long way in the past decade. The materials are of higher quality, the designs are sleeker and almost all bags are fully waterproof.

So, where to from here?

Many bag manufacturers are now offering stabilized bikepacking bags and harnesses that promise a better user experience.

After trading in the rack and pannier set up, adding rack supports back on your bike may seem like you’ve come full circle. But there are a few reasons why it makes sense to offer stabilized bikepacking bags, past keeping them still.

Note: This article was originally published in 2018 but has now been updated in March 2022.

The Advantages of Stabilized Bikepacking Bags

Cable Clearance
Regular bikepacking handlebar packs naturally rest against the shift and brake cables of your bike. Unless you’re running really long cables, you might be hampering the performance of your brakes and gears. A stabilized handlebar pack will allow you to lift the load off your cables to prevent any performance hindrances.

Eliminating Bag Sway
Ahh, the dreaded tail wag of a bikepacking seat pack. The more modern seat packs are pretty good at eliminating this, but with a sloppy pack job, even the best will wiggle around a bit. Stabilized seat packs use rack supports to ensure that your rear load is stable at all times.

Clearance
Sometimes the gap between your seat and tyre, or handlebar and tyre is limited. This often means fitting smaller diameter bags with reduced capacities. Many of the stabilized bags increase this clearance by allowing you to lift a handlebar pack higher, or by cinching down a drybag further back behind the saddle.

Reducing Paint Rub
Handlebar packs often have a strap that fits the headtube of your frame to keep it in place. Over time, this strap will have a go at your paint, along with any other parts of the handlebar pack that are touching your frame. The obvious answer is to fit some clear tape to your headtube so that your paint doesn’t get scuffed, but that’s not necessary with a stabilized bag set up.

The Disadvantages of Stabilized Bikepacking Bags

Fragility
The biggest downside to a stabilized system is that they’re way more susceptible to damage. If you come off your bike or accidentally drop it, you can damage the somewhat fragile rack supports (your bags will be fine). Some products listed here are more durable than others – before buying, it’s prudent to research whether these products are lasting the test of time. I normally search the name of a product plus ‘broken’ or ‘cracked’ into a search engine (eg. ‘Arkel Seatpacker broken’).

Extra Weight
While most handlebar and seat packs are in the 300-450 gram range, the stabilized gear is anything from 400-1500 grams, but more often than not, it’s >600 grams. This may be a concern for those who are racing but won’t make much of a difference to your overall pack weight otherwise.

Front Stabilized Bikepacking Bags and Harnesses

Aeroe Spider Cradle // 479 grams or 170z (without dry bag)
The Aeroe Spider harness allows you to attach any drybag you like to your handlebar, although Aeroe sells a dry bag with webbing in the right spots to suit the harness straps. The maximum luggage weight on this harness is 5kg/11lbs.

Arkel Rollpacker 15 and 25 // 680-748 grams or 24-26oz
This dual-access bag has an accessory bag attached to the front, and it’s all supported with two arms that swoop under the bag to hold it in place. It’s available in either a 15-litre or a rather monstrous 25-litre configuration suited to flat bars. The maximum capacity is 7kg/15lbs.

Blackburn Outpost Elite Handlebar Roll // 795 grams or 28oz
The original Blackburn Outpost was one of the first stabilized bags. The latest version, the Outpost Elite, uses a plastic handlebar mount to attach the harness, and once your drybag is locked in place, two straps keep your bag riding high. The drybag that is provided with the Outpost Elite is 14 litres and the system has a maximum load capacity of 3.6kg/8lbs.

PDW Gear Belly // 1026 grams or 36oz
The Gear Belly uses a handlebar mount to secure the harness in place. It offers cinching straps on both the inside and outside of the harness which ensures your drybag is going nowhere. The Gear Belly without a dry bag is 850g, and it’s 1026g with a Revelate Saltyroll with a 15-litre capacity. The cradle has a 7kg/15lbs capacity.

Salsa EXP Series Anything Cradle Top or Side Load // 640 grams or 23oz
The Salsa Anything Cradle is one of a two products that will easily fit a front accessory pouch for a phone, wallet or food. There are two models to choose from: the “Top-Load” is a rolltop drybag that is suitable for drop bars as the bag width is fixed, and the “Side-Load” is a conventional dual-access dry bag. The volume works out to be a touch smaller on the Top-Load model (12.7L vs 13.7L). The handlebar mount can support up to 3.6kg/8lbs and will fit onto 31.8mm or 35.0mm diameter handlebars.

Swood Twisted T-Bar + BXB Goldback Bag // ~1100 grams or 39oz
The Twisted T-Bar takes up a headset spacer slot to support a front bag like the Bags x Bird Goldback you see pictured. As this is a new product, I’m keen to see whether it’s tough enough for long-term off-road use.

Vap Cycling Butterfly 2 // 660 grams or 23oz
Vap Cycling recently unveiled a neat stabilized harness kit to hold a drybag. The mounting kit includes an aluminium structure (two different lengths) that bolts to your handlebar and offers four points for the sling to grab on. The front section doubles as a light and GPS mount, or alternatively, a location for some bar-ends should you be using the optional aero bar elbow pads. The harness is made from a non-slip fabric called ‘Rubbotex’ which is used in the nautical industry, and it’s reinforced with two glass fibre sticks to keep the harness rigid even when not fully filled. The mounting kit and harness weigh in at 490g, which is boosted up to 660g when using the 11-litre dry bag.

Vincita Strada Handlebar Bag // 1.1 kilograms or 2.4lbs
Little known Thai brand Vincita produce a really neat harness called the Strada, which uses a Klickfix handlebar mount to attach and remove your harness from your bike. The supplied dry bag is relatively small at 8.9-litres, but the harness will fit a 15-litre dry bag if you use a flat handlebar.

WZRD Ritual Rack LITE // ~1.2 kilograms or 2.7lbs
The Ritual Rack handlebar is custom made by WZRD Bikes and integrates a dry bag cradle into the handlebar itself. This option is not cheap at all – expect around US $400 for a bar built to your every specification.

Rear Stabilized Bikepacking Bags

Aeroe Spider Rack // 971 grams or 28oz
This seatstay-mounted rack allows you to cinch a drybag to the top as well as up to two Aeroe “Quick Mount Pods” on either side. The rack will support a rather hefty 16kg/35lbs.

Arkel Seatpacker 9 and 15 // 640-720 grams or 23-25oz
The Seatpacker is the narrow bikepacking seat pack option by Arkel. It uses a mini-rack that mounts to both the seatpost and saddle rails to ensure the bag is free from tail wag. Given the design, it can be mounted to a dropper seatpost too if you’re that way inclined. The Seatpacker is available in 9 and 15-litre sizes and will handle 5kg/13lbs.

Note: A friend’s Arkel mini-rack snapped on the Baja Divide route. It’s worth researching whether this product has been recently updated, or alternatively, keep some hose clamps on hand.

Arkel Rollpacker 15 and 25 // 817-900 grams or 29-32oz
The same front Rollpacker bags can be used on the rear too, but you’ll need to purchase the quick-release saddle rack. If you have a limited distance between your saddle and tyre, you can mount these 15 or 25-litre bags on top of the rack (pictured) but if you’ve got ample clearance, hang it underneath the rack for a lower centre of gravity. The maximum capacity of this system is 7kg/15lbs.

Blackburn Outpost Elite Seat Pack // 572 grams or 20oz
The Outpost Elite uses a metal structure that mounts to the saddle rails to minimise bag sway. As the rack does not connect to the seatpost, it makes the Outpost Elite suitable for both dropper seatposts and carbon seatposts too. The maximum capacity is 4.8kg/11lbs.

Carradice Bikepacking Seat Pack // 600 grams or 21oz
This 12-16 litre seat pack (and the specially seat-rail-mounted rack) is made by Carradice, who have been making bike bags for almost a century. It’s available in black, neon or camo and will comfortably carry 3kg/6.6lbs. For heavier loads (6kg/13.2lbs) you can connect a compression strap from the saddle rails to the tab on the underside of the bag to ensure it gets the right support.

Carradice Super C with Bagman QR Support // 1.5kg or 3.3lbs
Carradice have been making canvas saddle bags for a very long time, and there are now more than a dozen models to choose from. These saddle bags can mount directly into the saddle loops behind Brooks saddles, but it’s recommended to use Carradice’s stabilizing rack (called the Bagman QR) that keeps your bag stable and allows you to install or remove the bag in seconds. The Bagman QR support (pictured) is good for up to 10kg/22lbs but is not rated for off-road use.

PDW Bindle Rack // 350 grams or 13oz
The Bindle Rack is a popular option for those with minimal clearance between their seat and tyre. You can use the included straps to cinch down a drybag such as the Revelate Terrapin pictured here. The maximum capacity is 5kg/12lbs and is not able to be used with carbon seatposts.

Rockgeist Mr. Fusion Seat Pack // 560 grams or 20oz
The Mr. Fusion seat packs consist of a dry bag and harness system that’s supported by a mini-rack. You can get the dry bags in large (8-12 litres) or XL size (10-15 litres). The mini-rack is not suitable for carbon seatposts.

Roswheel Off-Road Seat Pack // 600 grams or 21oz
Roswheel makes medium and large-sized seat packs (8-litre or 15-litre) that are suitable for off-road riding. A 27.2mm or 31.6mm diameter support rack keeps everything stable, but like similar rack designs – these are not suitable for carbon seatposts.

Tailfin AeroPack Carbon and Alloy // 600-780 grams or 21-27oz
The AeroPack is a little different because the rack connects at both the seatpost and rear axle. The included 20-litre dry bag ends up sitting on top of the rack where you’d normally find a standard seat pack. Two long cinching straps allow you to expand your volume even further if you need to by adding an extra drybag as pictured. Given the solid rack design, the Tailfin is good for 12kg/26lbs.

Topeak Backloader X Seat Pack + Backloader Wishbone // 723 grams or 25oz
The Backloader X harness is designed to be used in conjunction with the optional Topeak Backloader Wishbone. With the harness connected to the stabilizer, bag sway is significantly reduced. A neat feature is the bottle cage mounts on either side of the Wishbone that add extra water capacity. The Topeak bikepacking harness is available with either 10 or 15-litre dry bags.

VAP Cycling Kangaroo Seat Pack // ~600 grams or 21oz
VAP Cycling makes a rear bikepacking harness with lower rack support. The system comes with a 15-litre dry bag and you can get the Kangaroo rack for 27.2mm, 30.9mm or 31.6mm diameter seatposts. This bag/rack combo is not suitable for carbon seatposts.

Other Bikepacking Bag Stabilizers and Protectors

Stabilizers: Woho, Topeak, Williamly, ECYC, Rhinowalk, Minoura
These products are designed to stabilize any seat pack you like, but please note: they get mixed reviews regarding whether they do an effective job. Woho came up with this rather simple stabilizing bracket that has now been copied by a handful of manufacturers. These brackets mount directly to your saddle rails and cradle either side of your seat pack to stop bag way. The bottle cage mounts on either side of the bracket are a bonus.

Rockgeist Armadillo Dry Bag Protector
And lastly, you can simply mount a rack to your bike and strap down a dry bag using rubber straps. If you are planning to do this, please protect your dry bag from wearing against your rack on bumpy roads. Rockgeist makes a bag protector called the Armadillo. Alternatively, you could cut some plastic to separate your dry bag fabric from the metal rack.

Click HERE to see the complete list of bikepacking bag manufacturers and HERE for my roll-top, basket bag and saddlebag resource.

The post The BEST Stabilized Bikepacking Bags & Harnesses (With Rack Supports) appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Panniers are the quintessential luggage option for on-road bicycle touring. They’re easy to take off the bike, they’re waterproof and they offer a large, easy to access cavity.

Panniers can also make a very useful contribution to an off-road bikepacking setup, especially if you’re cycling in remote areas and need to carry food for multiple days (or voluminous winter equipment).

Bikepacking bag manufacturers have acknowledged this need with an ever-growing array of off-road specific panniers, sometimes referred to as micro, mini, nano or simply small panniers.

Note: The article was originally published in Mar 2018 but has been updated for March 2022.

What’s The Deal With Bikepacking Mini Panniers?

• They’re small and narrow for riding through tighter spaces.
• They don’t get in the way when pushing your bike (hike-a-bike sections).
• They’re a great alternative bag option for small bikes with no space for a seat pack.
• They offer additional storage for food (7+ day adventures with no services) or high-volume equipment.
• The small frontal area results in less aerodynamic drag than full-sized panniers.
• They’re lighter than full-sized panniers.
• Many micro panniers are designed to be ‘rattle-free’ on bumpy roads.

Hooks vs. Straps

One of the genius things about touring panniers is that you can take them off instantly thanks to the locking hooks found on most panniers.

But there are a few drawbacks to hook systems:

• They can rattle on the trail.
• They can unhook and drop a pannier.
• They are susceptible to damage.
• They are heavier.

You’ll find velcro and Voile-style cinch straps on many bikepacking micro panniers. This allows for a tighter fit to the rack whereby the soft pannier backplate can mould to the shape of the rack, ensuring there’s no space for the bag to move.

That said, most hook systems still work well off-road, and very rarely experience failures.

If you like the sound of instantaneous bag removable but also a tight, silent and secure rack fit – check out the modular Rockgeist Microwave panniers (pictured above) that employ a neat removable dry bag from the pannier holster.

Pannier Profile Width

An important aspect of micro panniers is the profile width. The narrower the profile, the easier it is to squeeze between obstacles or, in the case of rear panniers, to push your bike. A smaller bag profile has the benefit of being more aerodynamic too.

The panniers I’ve featured below have front profile widths ranging from 7.5cm (3″) through to 14cm (5.5″). In comparison, touring panniers are usually 17 to 26cm (7-9″) in width.

Using Touring Panniers

You might be led to believe that you need micro panniers for your off-road adventures, but the reality is that lots of people simply use front touring panniers. Ortlieb actually re-named their ‘Front-Roller’ model to ‘Sport-Roller’ to make it clear their bags can be fitted front or rear.

There are many ways to make touring panniers work better off-road. Some people find they need to run a long Voile strap around their touring panniers to keep them in place. Others use a few zip ties to keep their panniers in check. Alternatively, you can add additional lower anchoring hooks to get a better attachment between your pannier and rack.

Right, let’s take a look at the best micro panniers, which I’ve separated into ‘hookless’ and ‘hooked’ categories. 

Micro Pannier Options For Bikepacking (Without Hooks)

Alpine Luddites HAB Panniers – US $275

The HAB (Hike-A-Bike) set has been designed around the demands of bikepacking. These bags are custom made, so you can choose between a few fabric types and two different bag compression styles. The back is stiffened with a thin layer of polyethylene to keep your gear out of the spokes and the panniers attach with velcro. The pannier profile can be built as thin as 7.5cm/3.0″.

Hookless | 14-18 Litres | Waterproof | 567g

Alpkit Toliari 12 Panniers – £80

The Alpkit Toliaris are a VERY cheap and lightweight pannier option for bikepacking. They are available with and without hooks, the latter being a bit heavier. The hookless version has webbing ladders on the back of the bag that allow you to perfectly adjust the mounts to your rack.

Hookless or Hooked | 24 Litres | Waterproof | 870g

Altura Vortex Ultralite Panniers – £100

These well-priced panniers have a particularly large volume while also being light, narrow and waterproof. They connect to the rack via two upper straps and a lower velcro hook.

Hookless | 30 Litres | Waterproof | 1000g | 11.5cm Profile

Arkel Dry-Lites Bikepacking Panniers – US $90

The Arkel Dry-Lites are cheap and well-known for their reliability; I’ve met people on very long tours who were happily using them. While they have a front profile width on the wide side, they taper from the bottom providing a little extra clearance. You can buy them in black or red.

Hookless | 28 Litres | Waterproof | 540g | 14cm Profile

Bedrock Hermosa UL – US $300

Bedrock Bags use both X-Pac and ballistic nylon materials to make a light and durable product. They have an excellent front profile width given their volume and mount using velcro straps. They’re available in six standard colours and eight custom colours.

Hookless | 26 Litres | Water Resistant | 630g | 10cm Profile

Buckhorn Waxed Canvas Panniers – US $295

Buckhorn panniers are handmade with green or tan waxed canvas (New Mexico, USA) for that classic look. Four Voile straps attach the pannier to the top of your rack and two straps connect up the lower bag.

Hookless | 13 Litres | Water Resistant | 794g | 10cm Profile

Mesabi Rear Rack Panniers – US $60

The low-cost Mesabi bags are a similar size and design to the Revelate Nano panniers. They have a simple roll-top closure and are secured to a rack using four small buckles.

Hookless | 12 Litres | Water Resistant | 450g | 7.5cm Profile

Outer Shell Adventure Pico Panniers – US $200

The Outer Shell Pico Panniers attach to 3-boss cargo cage mounts (or suspension fork lowers using the Clamp Kit Add-On) with no rack or cage necessary. The mounting plates are made of ultra-tough waterjet-cut polycarbonate. Each Pico Pannier can fit a 1.9l/64oz water bottle and you can buy them in 11 colours.

Hookless | Water Resistant | 1000g | 13cm Profile

Revelate Nano Panniers – US $160

Here we have one of the lowest volume panniers with the narrowest front profile width at just 7.5cm per bag. Unlike the other pannier options, the Revelate Nano Panniers use zips to access stored goods. They are optimised for Old Man Mountain racks but can adjust to most racks.

Hookless | 13 Litres | Water Resistant | 465g | 7.6cm Profile

Rockgeist Microwave Panniers – US $275

The Microwave Panniers are a modular bag set that has featured on dozens of bikepacking rigs over the years. The panniers incorporate two main components: a holster that straps directly to a rack using some neat Voile straps, and a dry bag that can be quickly removed and brought into your tent. The holsters are available in two different colours.

Hookless | 26 Litres | Waterproof | 920g | 10cm Profile

Stealth Mountain Panniers – US $175

These handmade micro panniers (New Zealand) are particularly narrow and are available in a variety of materials and colours. They attach using two upper velcro straps and one lower adjustable strap.

Hookless | 16 Litres | Water Resistant | 640g | 8cm Profile

Micro Pannier Options For Bikepacking (With Hooks)

Arkel XM-28 Bikepacking Panniers – US $240

These panniers are the heavy-duty, fully-featured version of the Dry Lites. They use upper hooks with a cam-lock to hold them in place, have a zipper than runs down the length of the bag, and have a skid plate on the lower section of the bag to prevent damage from rocks. You can get them in black or yellow.

Hooked | 28 Litres | Water Resistant | 1920g | 14cm Profile

Dyed In The Wool Panniers – €350

DITW panniers are on the larger side and are a bit closer to a touring pannier given the cam-lock hooks that make bag removal a breeze. These bags are handmade in Poland are available with either Cordura, X-Pac (pictured) or Dyneema fabrics.

Hooked | 26 Litres | Water Resistant | 794g | 14cm Profile

Helmut Rower Panger Bikepacking Panniers – €245

These French-made bags use the modular pannier design pioneered by Porcelain Rocket. This allows you to quickly remove the 13-litre dry bags from their holsters. Interestingly, the holster is easily removable too using Rixen Kaul pannier hooks. These panniers are available in three different colours.

Hooked | 26 Litres | Waterproof | 780g | 15cm Profile

North St Micro Panniers – US $200

These small panniers are constructed with a sailcloth fabric and attach to your rack using metal upper hooks and a lower bungee hook. The panniers come in nine different colours and are handmade in Oregon, USA.

Hooked | 20 Litres | Water Resistant | 766g | 12.5cm Profile

Ortlieb Gravel Pack Bikepacking Panniers – US $190

Ortlieb’s bikepacking-specific pannier set is built with a lightweight fabric and rolltop closure to shave 20% of the weight from their touring model. The bags come with two lower anchoring hooks for additional stability and are coloured the same as the rest of the bikepacking luggage range. Please note that Ortlieb panniers are known to rattle on the trail and sometimes drop their bolts on corrugated roads. It’s best to carry some spare bolts (same size as your water bottle bolts), washers and nuts on hand, just in case.

Hooked | 25 Litres | Waterproof | 1160g | 14cm Profile

RAL EX Loader – US $156

The RAL EX Loader panniers are made using Cordura fabric in California (USA), have easy-to-access zippers, and attach to your rack using two metal upper hooks and a lower bungee. You can get them in five different colours.

Hooked | 22 Litres | Water Resistant | 766g | 13cm Profile

Swift JR Ranger Pannier Set – US $380

Using X-Pac material combined with a more typical pannier backplate, Swift has come up with some panniers that are closer to touring panniers in terms of functionality, but these have a better profile for off-road riding.

Hooked | 20 Litres | Water Resistant | 1400g | 10cm Profile

Tailfin Mini Panniers – £160

Tailfin makes universal mini panniers that suit both the Tailfin QR rack or any front/rear rack you like. These are 100% waterproof, integrate neat compression straps and attach using Tailfin’s own aluminium stop-action clamp, which promises to eliminate all rattle when riding off-road. You can find the Mini Panniers in 5-litre or 10-litre versions; the smaller version has a super narrow 70mm profile.

Hooked | 20 Litres | Waterproof | 760g | 11cm Profile

Vaude Aqua Front Light Panniers – €116

The Vaude Aqua Fronts are a lightweight hooked pannier set. They have internal pockets to manage your gear and a cargo net over the top for quick-access items like a rain jacket. Due to the use of ultralight fabrics, the maximum load is 10kg.

Hooked | 22 Litres | Waterproof | 1000g | 15cm Profile

More Pannier Articles:
Where to Best Carry A Load When Bicycle Touring: Front or Rear Panniers?
What’s the Speed Difference Between Front/Rear Panniers and Bikepacking Bags?

Why Not Check Out More Bag Lists? Touring Panniers, Stabilized Bikepacking Bags, Bikepacking Rolltops, and Bikepacking Bag Manufacturers

The post Complete List Of The BEST Bikepacking Panniers For Off-Road Use appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Join us on a journey down the 1,800 mile long Baja Divide off-road bikepacking route.

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!)

Follow my adventures:
Instagram
Facebook

Route Info:
Our Exact Route: RideWithGPS
Baja Divide Information: HERE
Baja Divide Route Guide + More: HERE

Baja Divide Sections:
1:30 – Santo Tomás to Cataviña
7:43 – Cataviña to Santa Rosalillita
12:37 – Santa Rosalillita to San Ignacio
17:17 – San Ignacio to Mulege
26:17 – Mulege to Ciudad Constitución
33:36 – Ciudad Constitución to La Paz
41:57 – Cape Loop
51:13 – Baja Divide Bike Setup

Bike and Gear:
My Bike: KOGA WorldTraveller-S
My Gear List: HERE
My Cameras: Panasonic G9 + 100-300mm lens + GoPro Hero 9 + DJI Mavic Air

Music Track List:
Desert Drives (Brent Wood)
Wild Ride (Ian Kelosky)
A Thousand Lakes (Sounds Like Sander)
Just Remember (Adrian Walther)
Rivers of Green (Third Age)
Oathkeeper (Four Trees)
Firestone (Pete Stewart)
I’ll Be With You (Moments)
HAGFD (Alsever Lake)
Wolfe’s End (Alsever Lake)
Still (Alsever Lake)
Swamp Ash (Crack Skippy)
This Love (Emorie)
Subtlety (Acreage)
Get Your Party On (Dr. Delight)
Wherever You Go (Emorie)
Storm The Castle (Andy Ellison)

The post Video: Our Full Experience Bikepacking The Baja Divide (2937km / 60 Days) appeared first on CyclingAbout.

This lengthy episode of the Bike Tour Adventures Podcast is an interview with Heinz Stücke.

Starting in November of 1962 at the age of 22, Heinz rode out of his town on a 3-speed bicycle with a general plan to see the world. He would ultimately travel over 600,000km by bicycle in a journey spanning nearly 50 years and covering enough distance to circumnavigate the world 15 times around.

Never giving up on his beloved bike, it had been stolen and recovered five times and welded 16 times. Heinz lives by the motto “Be carefree – Be Mad – Be a little bit bad. It’s the unknown around the corner that turns my wheel.”

By the end of the tour, Heinz had cycled through 196 countries and 86 territories.

The post Heinz Stücke Talks About His 50 Year Bike Tour Through 196 Countries (Podcast) appeared first on CyclingAbout.

I’ve analysed many of the top-tier bicycle gearboxes on this website, but have spent little time discussing the Shimano Alfine internal gear hubs that offer almost unbelievable value for money.

So, how good is a $199 Shimano hub? And should you switch from your derailleur gear system to an internal gear hub?

I will answer all of this and much more in this in-depth Shimano Alfine resource.

By the way, according to Shimano, it’s not pronounced Al-fine or Al-feen. It’s Al-fee-nay.

I’ve actually spent many years using and abusing Alfine hubs, including on a mountain bike that I built specifically for wet and muddy conditions. But over the last decade, I’ve been riding around the world on expensive Rohloff hubs. With a good handle on both gear systems, I’ll be drawing comparisons between these hubs throughout this presentation.

What are the advantages of internal gear hubs?

Internal gear hubs replace the derailleur gears on a bicycle, and you can actually remove your derailleur drivetrain from your bike and fit one up right now.

Internal gear hubs usually offer between 3 and 14 different gear ratios that are hidden inside a weather-sealed hub shell. As a result, you get a significant reduction in drivetrain maintenance, and with fewer components exposed to the elements – a reduction in running costs too.

For example, I’ve known Shimano hubs ($199) to have worked well for around 90,000km (56,000mi). Add in the nine chains ($63), six rear sprockets ($18) and three front sprockets ($33) that your drivetrain will wear through over 90,000km, and you’re looking at US $313 to ride more than twice the circumference of Earth!

Additionally, should you crash or drop your bike, there is no rear derailleur (or hanger) to put out of alignment, or worse – destroy.

Other nice features include the ability to shift gears while stationary and the rear wheel can also be built stronger thanks to the shorter spokes and even spoke tension.

To cut down on drivetrain maintenance further you can pair gear hubs with belt drivetrains. These drivetrains are cleaner, quieter and longer-lasting. In fact, they can last upwards of 30,000km. I’ve been riding belt drivetrains across multiple continents for over a decade, and have worn through just four belts in that time.

In terms of gear hub manufacturers, Rohloff and Kinderney make very expensive hubs that in many circumstances can outperform derailleurs. Sturmey Archer has manufactured IGH hubs for over a century, and Shimano is easily the biggest manufacturer of gear hubs on the planet.

The Shimano Alfine IGH

Shimano released their first internal gear hub in 1957 and has slowly built on their multi-speed hub designs ever since.

The Alfine series components come under the “urban” umbrella in Shimano’s product range, and they’re the highest-quality internal gear hubs that Shimano manufacturers. You can get Alfine hubs with either 8 or 11 gears and they are only compatible with regular 135mm dropouts (sorry, thru-axle frame owners).

These hubs offer unparalleled value for money. You can find the 8-speed hubs for less than US $200 and the 11-speed hubs under US $400. That’s significantly cheaper than a Rohloff 14-speed hub (US $1500).

The low cost of the Alfine products also translates into complete bikes that are very well priced. For about US $1000 or €1000 you can get an 8-speed bike with a belt drivetrain that’s fully decked out and ready to go.

Keep an eye out for bikes with Shimano Nexus 8-speed hubs too, as these hubs are virtually identical to the Alfine 8-speed with the exception of the brake types available.

Shimano Alfine 8 vs. Shimano Alfine 11

So, what’s the difference between the 8-speed and 11-speed Alfine hubs?

1. Gear Range

The gear range of the 8-speed hub is 306% and the 11-speed hub is 409%.

This simply means that the biggest gear ratio is 3.06x times bigger than the smallest ratio on the Alfine 8, and it’s 4.09x bigger on the Alfine 11.

With bigger gear ranges, we can pedal our bikes across a broader range of speeds, which is especially handy for pedalling downhill or with a stiff tailwind.

To understand this concept a bit better, let’s set the lowest Alfine gears so that they have you spinning the cranks at 60RPM at 8.4kph. The wider gear range of the 11-speed hub will allow you to pedal up to 57kph (100RPM) in the top gear, while the 8-speed hub will only take you up to 43kph.

2. Gear Steps

Gear steps are the percentage difference in gear ratio when you change your gears.

A bike with smaller gear steps is particularly nice at higher speeds, as you can better fine-tune your gears to achieve the cadence (crank revolutions per minute) you’re most comfortable riding.

The Shimano Alfine 8 averages 17% gear steps across its gear range. To give you a sense of how this compares to a derailleur drivetrain, it’s a bit higher than a 1×12 mountain bike drivetrain (SRAM 10-52t, 15% gear steps).

In comparison, with the exception of the first gear (which is an unusually large gear step of 29%), the Alfine 11 averages a much smaller 13.5%. This is more like a 1×11 gravel bike cassette with 11-42 tooth sprockets (13% gear steps).

It’s worth noting that the 11-speed hubs offer consistent gear steps throughout their range. In comparison, the 8-speed hub has 14% to 22% steps between the gears, which means that gear changes won’t feel quite as predictable.

3. Lubrication System

The Alfine 11-speed hub operates inside an oil bath. The big advantage of this design is that it is hard for water and debris to make their way inside the hub shell.

The downside is that oil slowly leaks out the side, so you will need to wipe everything down regularly.

In comparison, the Alfine 8-speed rolls on thicker greases and oils. This is a pretty fuss-free design, although, if it’s not grease-packed appropriately for wet environments – water can and will work its way into the hub.

4. Drive Efficiency

Both Shimano Alfine hubs achieve around 90% drive efficiency on average.

This is approximately 5-7% less efficient than a clean and well-lubricated derailleur drivetrain. But note that this doesn’t mean you’ll be 5-7% slower on an Alfine bike – when you do the maths, it’s close to 2%, or a minute per hour when compared to a well-lubricated derailleur drivetrain.

That said, in poor weather conditions, it’s not unfeasible for the Alfine hubs to work out more efficient, as there are fewer places in the drivetrain for mud and debris to get caught.

5. Shimano Alfine Hub Weight

The Alfine gear hubs both weigh around 1700 grams (3.75lb) while regular rear bike hubs are often under 500 grams (1.1lb).

It might sound like an Alfine hub will add a significant amount of weight to a bike, but when we peg Alfine bikes against derailleur bikes at similar price points, we often end up with a weight penalty of less than half a kilogram (<1.1lb).

The lightest Alfine bike I’ve ever seen was just 7.6kg (16.7lb) – it’s pictured above.

Shimano Alfine vs. Rohloff Speedhub

Rohloff hubs are generally considered the gold standard of internal gear hubs as they are built incredibly well and experience very few failures.

They also offer 14 gears across a 526% gear range, which is about the same as a modern mountain bike drivetrain (1X drivetrain with a 10-52T cassette). In addition, they’ve been tested to be around 4% more efficient than the Alfine hubs across the gear range.

There is even a guy out there who has cycled 430,000km on a Rohloff hub, which is about five times the life expectancy of an Alfine hub.

These are all great characteristics, but the Shimano Alfine hubs are actually better in a number of ways. In fact, on balance, I think the Alfine is the best hub for most people.

So, what’s better about the Alfine hubs?

1. The biggest reason for me is that they run significantly quieter, especially in the lower gear ratios. The Rohloff hub is particularly noisy in gears 5, 6 and 7.
2. The price is more than US $1000 less than a Rohloff setup, resulting in a great price-to-performance ratio.
3. Alfine hubs are built around a trigger shifter, which many people prefer over Rohloff’s twist shifter design.
4. You can use some Alfine hubs with electronic shifters that will complete perfect shifts every time as there is no cable housing that can be affected by grime or grit.
5. Alfine hubs also tend to be better for drop-bar bikes as they’re compatible with various aftermarket shifters or the Shimano Di2 electronic shift levers.

Shimano Alfine Electronic Shifting

Ok, I’ve just mentioned that Alfine hubs are excellent thanks to their electronic shifting, so let’s take a closer look at these components.

You might be thinking that Di2 electronic shifting is a bit of a gimmick, but when you understand how Alfine hubs shift, it can definitely be worthwhile.

This is because it’s the shifter that controls the alignment of the planetary gears in an Alfine hub. That means that improper cable adjustment and dirty or damaged cables can prevent the hub’s internal components from engaging properly – which can result in gear slipping, grinding, or worse – internal components breaking inside the hub and making a mess of things.

Electronic shifters make perfect shifts every time, ensuring you do not damage anything inside the hub from improper cable maintenance. Out of the two Alfine hubs, electronic shifters make the most sense on the 11-speed model, as the cable adjustment is especially sensitive.

It’s worth noting that you cannot upgrade Alfine hubs from a mechanical shifter to an electronic shifter. The Di2 hub design is different.

Electronic shifters are also nice on drop-bar bikes as you can easily pair them with Shimano hydraulic brakes for an ultra-low maintenance brake setup too. Additionally, the Di2 drop bar levers can be programmed in a number of ways. You can change the buttons so that your left-hand shifts down and your right-hand shifts up. And you can hold the buttons and shift multiple gears at once.

How Do Shimano Alfine Hubs Feel In Comparison To Rohloff Hubs?

In terms of ride feel, the Alfine hubs are ‘spongy’ compared to Rohloff hubs due to the use of roller clutches inside the hub.

You can actually see how much forward movement there is in the hub when you step on the pedals from stationary. When riding, this is only noticeable if you mash your pedals at a slow cadence. It’s not at all noticeable at higher cadences.

The gear steps are actually quite similar between the Rohloff and Alfine 11 for the most part (13.6%). The thing you might miss is the extra-wide gear range of the Rohloff (526%).

The shifting on Alfine hubs is incredibly fast when the shift cable and cassette joint are running perfectly. But when either of these components gets muddy or gritty, shifting is not as instantaneous as a Rohloff hub. The Rohloff holds the advantage here as the gear indexing is inside the hub, rather than from the shifter.

Are Shimano Alfine Hubs Suitable For Touring & Bikepacking?

You will find lots of people who have successfully completed bike trips on Shimano Alfine hubs. In fact, the around the world record was once set on a Shimano Alfine 8-speed hub!

But there are two things that prevent me from recommending Alfine hubs to all bike travellers. Please note that these ‘issues’ do not apply to everybody in every situation.

1. Low Climbing Gears

Low climbing gears are important for bicycle touring as they allow you to ride up hills at a sustainable effort with all of your luggage. When your climbing gear is too high, you’ll be working much harder than necessary, which results in more muscle fatigue, and frankly, makes hills much less enjoyable.

Ultimately, the Alfine hubs are optimised for urban use, which usually means getting around town on flatter terrain.

Shimano’s lowest recommended gear ratio on the Alfine hubs is 1.8:1 (11-speed) and 2:1 (8-speed). When we calculate the climbing gear that this yields in “gear inches”, it’s simply not low enough for most bike travel. And it’s not by a little bit either; the first gear on the Alfine is about the same as my fifth gear on my Rohloff bike (27 to 30 gear inches).

Riding up steep hills with an Alfine either requires more power output or a lower pedalling cadence, both of which will tire you out faster.

2. Reliability, Spare Parts & Repairs

For touring, another thing an internal gear hub needs to be is reliable. This is absolutely paramount. Getting an Alfine hub fixed can waste a lot of time – potentially ruining a trip.

Now, Alfine hubs are often very reliable, especially the 8-speed model. But it’s still not uncommon to hear of people having problems with them.

I wouldn’t be too concerned about servicing and spare parts in the UK or Europe, as internal gear hubs are common and you are often close to a bike shop that can help. In the US, it’s probably ok too as long as you’re happy to ship your wheel to a gear hub specialist. But in the more remote parts of the world, you should be prepared to ship your wheel internationally for a repair.

You could say the same thing about a Rohloff hub, but with their track record for reliability, it’s a very safe bet.

How To Increase Shimano Alfine Hub Reliability

Ok, let’s now talk about maintenance and damage prevention.

Shimano Alfine hubs are low maintenance, but they are not zero maintenance. Here are three things you can do to keep your Alfine hub reliable for many years to come.

1. Shift Cable Maintenance

If you learn how to tune the Alfine gears and maintain your cables, you will likely have no problems with your hub.

In the electronic shifting section, I discussed in detail why cable maintenance can prevent gear slipping, grinding, or internal components from breaking inside the hub and making a mess of things.

As the 11-speed hubs are much more sensitive to cable adjustment than the 8-speed hubs, you will need to keep a closer eye on its shift components.

2. Make Careful Gear Shifts

Regarding gear shifting, it’s best practice to ease your pedal power momentarily when you change gears. I’m talking just a fraction of a second! This is because you can damage your hub by putting high loads into the internal components before the shift is 100% complete.

3. Check lubrication

As the oil slowly seeps out of the Alfine 11-speed hubs, you will need to conduct regular oil changes. The first oil change is the most important one, and it’s after just 500km. After that, it’s every two years or 5,000km.

If you’re using the 8-speed hub in wet and gritty conditions, make sure to get the hub re-greased every year. The grease helps to keep water and grit out of the hub, and will vastly improve the life of the hub.

Lowering The Recommended Gear Ratio

I discussed the issue of low gear ratios and Alfine hubs previously. But some users have reported using ultra-low gear ratios (eg. 24t front, 20t rear) to achieve a similar climbing gear to my touring bike – and with no problems at all.

But I’d be careful here, especially if you’re a heavier and more powerful rider.

With an ultra-low gear ratio (1.2:1), a 100kg/220lb rider can stand on the pedals and put 143Nm into an Alfine hub, which is more than the maximum input torque that Rohloff allows (130Nm) – and that’s a hub rated for tandem use.

Rider weight is critical for maintaining a low input torque. With a 1.2:1 gear ratio, a 50kg/110lb rider only puts 72Nm into the hub when standing on the pedals. But if an 80kg/176lb rider did the same thing, they would put 115Nm into the hub, increasing the chance of internal damage.

Here’s a table I made that shows the minimum gear ratios one could use without exceeding 100Nm of torque. But use it at your own risk, and please don’t tell Shimano.

Are Shimano Alfine Hubs Reliable?

The name Alfine is derived from the phrase “Always Fine”, but a quick search online reveals endless forums with examples of Alfine hubs that didn’t do their job.

The main culprit is the Alfine S700 11-speed hub that was in production between 2010 and 2017. Oil leaks were a-plenty, the cassette joint sometimes had manufacturing defects, and if the shift cable was not adjusted correctly – internal damage was much more probable.

The latest S7001 11-speed hubs employ six new internal components that were re-designed to prevent damage, but these hubs do still leak some oil that periodically needs to be wiped off the hub.

The Alfine 8-speed hub is considered to be the most durable option of the two.

Electric Bikes

The S7001-series Alfine hubs are rated for eBike use, but be careful as the maximum torque of the motor will need to be on the low side.

While there is no official torque rating for the Alfine hubs, the STEPS E6000 internal gear drivetrain comes with a 50Nm motor, so we can assume it’s about that.

Speaking of the STEPS internal gear drivetrains, they’re super cool! The Alfine 8 Di2 (or Nexus 5E Di2) hub will automatically change gears for you based on your speed, cadence and torque.

Summary

Shimano Alfine hubs are excellent, and for many people out there, I think they’re actually a better option than a Rohloff hub. This is because they’re cheaper, quieter and employ trigger or neat drop bar shifters. I especially like the drop bar electronic shifters.

With an Alfine-equipped bike, you will enjoy just how easy, cheap and low maintenance an internal gear drivetrain is. Better yet, pair an Alfine hub with belt drive and enjoy a grease-free and long-lasting drivetrain for years to come.

I recommend the 8-speed version for a simple grocery-getter or for someone who simply just wants a bike that works. For someone who rides a bit more seriously, the 11-speed version offers smaller and more predictable gear steps, along with a wider gear range.

I don’t usually recommend Alfine hubs for touring and bikepacking due to the climbing gear ratio that’s too high, and fact that mechanical failures are not unheard of. This is where a long-lasting and robust Rohloff drivetrain clearly wins out. But if you ride flatter trips and keep on top of the shift cable maintenance, Alfine hubs work out great.

The post The Incredible $199 Internal Gear Bicycle Hub: Shimano Alfine Explained appeared first on CyclingAbout.

The Tour Divide is an annual off-road ride traversing the length of the Rocky Mountains, from Canada all the way to the Mexican border. The course is over 4,418km long (2745mi), and along the way, riders will gain over 60,000 metres in elevation (200,000ft).

The clock begins at the grand depart and doesn’t stop until riders cross the finish line. And by the way, the ride is strictly self-supported. The fastest riders will complete the course in around two weeks, covering approximately 280 kilometres per day (174mi).

It’s safe to say that the Tour Divide is an extreme test of both the body and mind.

It’s also very interesting from a gear optimisation perspective, as a few small differences in bike setup will allow riders to make their lives a bit easier. In this video, we will be analysing 121 different bike setups from this year’s Tour Divide to find out what makes the best possible setup.

The statistics I will be drawing upon have been wonderfully collected by BIKEPACKING.com in the form of two articles (HERE and HERE), where riders from all around the world discuss their bike, bag and gear highlights.

As these articles separate bikes based on whether they use a drop bar or flat bar, this seems like a great place for us to start.

Handlebars

A bit over half of the riders interviewed this year are using drop bar bikes (55%).

When people think ‘drop bars’, they think ‘speed’. But speed alone is not how most will pick a handlebar for the Tour Divide. This is a very long event, so comfort is the likely reason that riders choose one handlebar design over another. Contrary to popular belief, the widespread use of the different bar types demonstrates that many bar designs can be ergonomic and comfortable – it’s really just a case of personal preference.

But comfort aside, there is likely an aerodynamic advantage to using drop bars.

When it comes to the aerodynamics of cycling, you ideally want to make your body shape more aerodynamic (Cd), your frontal area smaller (A) – or both. By using drop bars, your hands and elbows do not sit as wide, allowing you to reduce your frontal area and optimise your body shape.

A bit of napkin maths suggests that drop bars could save two or three hours over the full Tour Divide course (75kg/165lb rider, 15kg/33lb bike, 140 watts power output).

You can learn more about the aerodynamics of touring and bikepacking HERE.

Aero Bars

While we’re still on the topic of handlebars, one of the best possible ways to improve both your speed and comfort is to fit aero bars to your bike. Most Tour Divide riders seem to agree, as 77% of them are using aero bars this year.

This is partly because you can make your body shape more aerodynamic with an aero bar, allowing you to ride faster with the same effort. But arguably, it’s the additional comfort that’s the most appealing feature.

Consider this, Tour Divide riders at the pointy end of the race spend upwards of 20 hours per day riding their bikes. This results in a lot of localised body fatigue. Aero bars offer your body a break by providing a different riding position that reduces strain on your arms, wrists, hands and bum, and will allow you to stretch out your back and use different muscles.

If you want to go further down this rabbit hole, I have a detailed article about aero bars HERE.

Saddles

The saddle you choose is going to be the difference between completing the Tour Divide and having to scratch.

It’s hard to make saddle recommendations to a broad audience – you really have to try them first. But there are some trends here.

Brooks is the most popular saddle brand for the Tour Divide with 20% of riders using one, so they must be doing something right. Ergon saddles have really taken off recently and now more than 17% of riders have one fitted. And WTB has consistently been a popular brand, featuring on 15% of the bikes.

You can learn more about saddle comfort for touring HERE.

Seatposts

Only 13% of riders are using a suspension seatpost (including the carbon leaf-sprung Ergon CF3).

After extensively testing suspension seatposts, I think that many riders could improve their TD experience with one of these. Short travel posts are 100 or maybe 200 grams heavier (3-6oz) than a rigid post. That’s it.

You can read my detailed suspension seatpost article HERE and carbon flex seatpost article HERE.

Tyres

If you are racing the clock, your tyres are probably the most important component you can optimise over a 4,400km ride.

Some tyres that I’m seeing fitted to TD bikes have been tested on smooth surfaces to roll with 20-watts extra resistance over other tyre sets. A bit of napkin maths suggests that slow tyres could add more than 20 hours of pedalling to a TD run!

But that said, it’s hard to come up with an accurate time figure due to the mix of road surfaces, varying rider weights, tyre pressures and more.

The most popular tyre is the Vittoria Mezcal and you will find it on more than 1/3 of all bikes.

The Mezcal has become the go-to tyre for the TD as it does an incredible job of balancing rolling resistance, puncture resistance, durability and grip. When you move to faster-rolling options like the Schwalbe Thunder Burt, you end up with significantly less grip and a touch less puncture resistance too – which might not keep your mind at ease.

Essentially, there’s a trade-off on all tyres, and it seems that the Mezcal is where most people end up.

The second most popular tyre is the Maxxis Ikon. These are tested to be slower rolling but are known for their reliability – I know ultra racers who have been using them for years and have literally never had a puncture.

I’m not sure why the Continental Race King Protection tyres (7% of bikes) are less popular than in years past. These tyres are what the late Mike Hall used to set the current 13-day, 22-hour course record. They’ve been tested to be ultra-fast rolling, they’re protective of punctures, and some riders have even raced the TD twice on the same set (8,800km).

If you know why these tyres are less preferred nowadays – let me know.

Wheel Size

In terms of wheel diameter, there are three common sizes on bikes tackling the TD: 26-inch, 27.5-inch and 29-inch.

As the largest diameter wheel offers the smallest ‘angle of attack’ over bumps and depressions in the road, it can maintain the highest speed. 88% of riders are now picking the big 29″ wheels, and it drops off to just 7% of riders using the smaller 27.5″ wheels.

The average tyre width that’s used is 2.2″/55mm. This is likely the sweet spot where riders have the lowest rolling resistance and the most ride comfort on the long dirt roads.

Frame Material

Almost half of all TD riders (49%) opted for a carbon fibre bike frame. This is the obvious choice for an event with over 60,000 vertical metres (200,000ft) climbing, as a kilogram can make a measurable difference here.

A Salsa Cutthroat carbon frame weighs a touch under 1.5 kilograms (3.3lb). In comparison, a similarly tough titanium frame is often about 2.2kg/4.9lb, and steel is closer to 3.0kg/6.6lb.

Again, the napkin comes out and I’ve calculated an extra kilogram for the average rider to be about 1.5 hours over 4,400km. That’s not huge, but it could be the difference between first and second place.

Drivetrains

1X drivetrains now make up 82% of all bike setups using derailleurs. This should be unsurprising, as the Tour Divide is an off-road route that demands wide tyres and low gear ratios, and almost all bikes that accommodate these features now come with 1X drivetrains.

You’ll notice that there aren’t too many gearbox drivetrains at the Tour Divide this year (4%). But this event has previously been won on a Rohloff 14-speed bike (Ollie Whalley, 2012) – so these drivetrains can be a good idea.

That said, gearbox drivetrains are heavier and less efficient than derailleurs so I suspect that’s why they aren’t popular.

Again, my napkin is out, and I’d estimate the Rohloff would add 3-4 hours in good conditions as a result of its lower drive efficiency, plus you could add another hour or two due to the heavier weight. And the Pinion gearbox could add a total of 10 hours when we factor everything in.

Gear Ratios

If you want to get up the steep hills without going into the red, you’ll want appropriately low gear ratios on your bike. Tour Divide riders seem to know this well, as the average low climbing gear across all bikes is just 20 gear inches. This is about right for the course.

Achieving less than 20 gear inches is easy on flat bar bikes, but harder on drop bar bikes as there is limited compatibility between drop bar shifters and mountain bike derailleurs. I’m really impressed with the drivetrain workarounds on the drop bar bikes – about a quarter have been ‘hacked’ in some way to achieve 20 gear inches or less.

The most popular hack is the Wolftooth RoadLink. This extends the effective length of your derailleur, allowing you to accommodate a bigger cassette with lower gear ratios. Another nice hack is the fitment of the Ratio Technology upgrade kit that mates 11-speed SRAM road shifters to 12-speed mountain bike derailleurs.

If you have deep pockets, the SRAM AXS wireless road shifters pair with the wireless AXS mountain bike derailleurs to fit 10 to 52-tooth cassettes. It seems that few drop bars riders are on a small budget as one-in-three bikes are using this setup!

Pedals

Almost all riders are using clip-in pedals (86%).

Most of the performance advantages of clip-in pedals are found under acceleration, so there likely isn’t a big disadvantage to those who choose flats. I’d guess that clip-in pedals are simply what most people are used to when they ride their road or mountain bikes, and as a result, it’s just their preference.

Brakes

Hydraulic disc brakes are also preferred by the majority of riders (82%). They are very reliable these days and often require less grip strength to pull your bike to a stop. This is particularly important when your hands are fatigued after a couple of weeks of riding!

Suspension

Only 30% of all TD bikes are using suspension forks.

Suspension will undoubtedly reduce rider fatigue on the rougher sections of the route. And given that you can lock out most suspension, the biggest disadvantage is simply that it adds weight to your bike – most suspension forks are approximately 1.5kg heavier than carbon forks.

My napkin says that’s a bit over two hours of ride time for the average rider. So, what do you think? Is it worth it?

The Most Popular Tour Divide Bike

Incredibly, Salsa made up a whopping 39% of all Tour Divide bikes this year. In fact, there were 8X more Salsas than the second-most popular bike brand (Niner).

Salsa Cycles are the biggest adventure bike brand in the world right now, and the Cutthroat model, in particular, was designed specifically to excel at the Tour Divide. This model represents 52% of all drop bar bikes here, and it’s not hard to see why – when I take a look at my Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide, the Cutthroat is the only carbon drop bar bike that can fit wide tyres.

And if you’ve ever wondered where the name Cutthroat comes from, the Cutthroat trout is the state fish for all US states that the Tour Divide passes through. You’re welcome.

Summary

Through this analysis, I think the seatpost and tyres are the only areas where Tour Divide riders could squeeze out a bit more performance and comfort. But overall, these rigs are really well dialled in. Just lining up for this event requires a lot of research, so I’m not surprised that almost all bikes are perfectly ready for the course.

To finish up, here’s what the average Tour Divide bike is:

It’s a rigid carbon bike fitted with 29″ wheels and running Vittoria Mezcal tyres in the 2.2″ width. The bike has drop bars, clip-in pedals, hydraulic brakes, aero bars and a 1X drivetrain. The saddle is most likely made by Brooks.

There is a high chance that a SRAM wireless drivetrain is fitted, which allows for the pairing of drop bar shifters and a mountain bike drivetrain to give an appropriately low 20 gear inch climbing gear.

The post The Fastest Bikes of the Tour Divide Ultra Race (4,400KM Non-Stop) appeared first on CyclingAbout.