Cyclocross season might be in full swing, but that does not mean there is not time for a good Groadio here and there.

August was a busy month in the gravel world, with Gravel Worlds and SBT GRVL on the same action-packed day, and The Rift in Iceland and Rebecca’s Private Idaho providing bookends to the last full month of summer.

Amanda “The Panda” Nauman joined the Groadio crew for her first podcast as an official Groadio buckaroo to talk about those races and help Bill Schieken of CXHairs speculate on the need for a national gravel series.

You can have a listen via the embed below, the Wide Angle Podium website or Apple Podcasts.

Also, ICYMI, check out the latest episode of Cyclocross Radio that covers Jingle Cross Day 3 and the World Cup Waterloo weekend.

The post Podcast: The Groadio Returns from Gravel Worlds, SBT GRVL and More appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

A new mostly-dirt course and wintry conditions complete with snow and hail didn’t deter Katerina Nash (Clif Bar Pro Racing) and Stephan Davoust (Giant Factory Off-Road) at the 2019 Grinduro.

The two versatile pros conquered the 59.5-mile-long 2019 Grinduro with commanding wins, both taking more than a minute over four timed segments to win their respective pro fields. Both pro fields were stacked with plenty of cyclocross and gravel pros.

Grinduro was historically the final stage of the Lost Sierra Triple Crown series, which also included the Lost and Found gravel race and the Downieville Classic mountain bike race. The three events help raise funds for the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship.

Fire-Altered Course, Wintry Conditions

While the 2019 event still featured camping, a handmade bike show, meals and music, the devastating Walker Wildfire in Plumas County forced Grinduro organizers to re-route the course.

Camping at the start with the sounds of a lumbermill in the background lull racers to sleep. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

Despite firefighters containing the fire before the event’s start, organizers changed Stages Two, Three and Four to avoid any chance of racers approaching the burn area.

The new course turned Stage Two from a pedal-y descent into a ripping downhill, on a gravel road that local framebuilder Cameron Falconer described as a “gravel superhighway.”

The third stage transformed from a paved time trial into a dirt 4.64 mile-long segment.

And Stage Four, a technical singletrack descent, moved further up Mt. Hough.

Mother Nature added to the new terrain challenges with a mix of everything she had on tap.

Rain, snow, hail and cold temps kept down the dust but still presented visibility issues and numbed extremities.

Katerina Nash Tops Stacked Field of Cyclocrossers

Nash, fresh off her 2019 World Cup Waterloo win, showed she’s still got a lot more than 45 minutes of pedaling in her legs this time of year.

Katerina Nash celebrates her muddy win. Faces of the 2019 Trek CX Cup weekend. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

Nash tackled the 59.5 mile-long course and climbed 8,432 feet over the wildfire-altered course. Yet the efforts that counted were perfect in duration for the cyclocross star, as her winning overall four-segment total time was 47 minutes and 33 seconds—similar to a UCI cyclocross race.

2018 Mountain Bike World Champ Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM MTB Race Team) lost time to Nash on the climbs and descent, but took some back on the flatter dirt time trial on Stage Three to finish second.

Other cyclocross and gravel stars took part with Caitlin Bernstein (Easton/ Velocio/ McGovern Cycles) in 3rd, Courtenay McFadden (Pivot Maxxis pb Stan’s NoTubes) in 6th, Serena Gordon (Liv Racing) finishing 7th, 2019 Singlespeed Cyclocross Champ Sarah Sturm (Specialized Rocket Espresso) finishing in 8th, retired cyclocross pro Meredith Miller (Rapha) in 10th, CXM contributor Caroline Nolan (Voler / Easton / HRS / Rock Lobster) in 11th, and 2019 DK 200 winner Amity Rockwell in 12th.

Full 2019 Grinduro Pro Women Results below.

Davoust Devours Quincy Dirt

Stephan Davoust (Giant Factory Off-Road) seems to excel in the Sierra mountains. We saw him at the front of the 2018 Cyclocross Nationals in Reno, then battling the top pros at the same venue in Reno Cross.

Stephan Davoust rode aggressively to a sixth place. 2018 RenoCross men’s race. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

On Saturday, further north in the California Sierra, Davoust took Stage 1’s climb and Stage 4’s technical descent to claim the 2019 Grinduro crown ahead of past winner Duncan Riffle (SRAM/ZIPP/RockShox).

Veteran cyclocross racer Carl Decker, Davoust’s teammate, finished fourth, while stairmaster Cody Kaiser (LangeTwins / Specialized) took Stage Three on his way to sixth, Grant Ellwood (Pivot Maxxis p/b Stan’s NoTubes) finished seventh, with defending champ Ted King (Cannondale) finishing in eight.

World Tour pro Taylor Phinney skipped the road worlds in Yorkshire to take the Grinduro start.

I’m not going to be in Yorkshire … going to #grinduro instead because all I do is shred now #findmeinthewoods

— Taylor Phinney (@taylorphinney) September 23, 2019

Phinney shredded his way to 28th in the Pro Men.

Grinduro now heads to Japan on October 12.

2019 Grinduro Results - Pro Women

2019 Grinduro Results - Pro Men

The post Katerina Nash, Stephan Davoust Take Wintry 2019 Grinduro appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

Why do we ride and race off-road? For most of us, it’s not about glory but for a physical challenge, some adventure and perhaps scenery.

Cyclocross Magazine contributing photographer Dave Mable not only works hard to capture the drama and faces of our beautiful multi-lap sport, but also the ultimate adventures in the form of multi-day, point-to-point events like the Iditarod Trail Invitational.

Steve Cannon on the world’s longest run-up. Dave Mable’s “1000 Miles to Nome” takes viewers on the ultimate two-wheel offroad adventure.

The Iditarod Trail Invitational has been dubbed “The World’s Toughest Endurance Race.” Since 2002, only 56 have stood beneath the famous burled arch in Nome, marking the end of the one thousand mile race through remote Alaska on the Iditarod Trail.

Steve Cannon on the world’s longest run-up. Dave Mable’s “1000 Miles to Nome” takes viewers on the ultimate two-wheel offroad adventure.

Mable has just released the culmination of that effort in the form of his new feature-length film, “1000 Miles to Nome.” Here’s the trailer:

“1000 Miles to Nome” follows several adventurous souls (including several prominent gravel racers) as they rode or ran west on the historic trail in February and March of 2019. Mable produced, filmed and edited the film with help from a crowdfunded campaign.

Starting at Knik Lake one week prior to the start of the infamous sled dog race, Mable, in his hired Piper Super Cub plane—a motorcycle with wings—played leapfrog with the participants who would be riding and running to checkpoints along the trail.

Dave Mable’s “1000 Miles to Nome” takes viewers on the ultimate two-wheel offroad adventure, sometimes through the air.

Mable gathered images that bring the beauty and history of the Iditarod Trail to viewers, as well as the hardships, challenges and extreme difficulties in traversing a thousand miles through some of the most remote and unpopulated areas in the world.

The movie is worth it for the scenery alone. Dave Mable’s “1000 Miles to Nome” takes viewers on the ultimate two-wheel offroad adventure.

Steve Cannon, one of the participants who was attempting his first crossing of western Alaska in 2019 on a fat bike, plays a prominent role and also helped make the movie happen.

Mable’s challenges, apart from simply finding a way from one place to another, included filming in wide-ranging temperatures from 40 degrees above to 20 degrees below zero, blinding snowstorms, rugged mountain ranges and vast woodland forests, as well as on a pre-maturely melting Bering Sea.

Dave Mable braved Alaska’s worst to create the movie “1000 Miles to Nome.”

Mable encountered moose, howling wolves, muskox, seal and bald eagles as he traveled across Alaska, while the riders themselves encountered an early-rising grizzly bear hunting for breakfast as they began a crossing of the Bering Sea.

Rebecca Rusch makes a brief appearance during her ITI 350 attempt. Dave Mable’s “1000 Miles to Nome” takes viewers on the ultimate two-wheel offroad adventure.

This full-length movie attempts to not only describe the hardships faced by participants in the event but also give viewers a better understanding of the Iditarod Trail itself, as well as some of the challenges faced by the dogs and their mushers as they seek to navigate through the same terrain during the same period of time. At one point, Mable found himself on the edge of a rescue mission to bring a stranded musher and her dogs to safety in Nome.

Dave Mable’s “1000 Miles to Nome” takes viewers on the ultimate two-wheel offroad adventure.

“1000 Miles to Nome” will take you on an emotional, gripping modern-day adventure, giving you a glimpse into the lives of those whose curiosity drove them to pack their belongings on a bike or in a sled and begin their own journey on an isolated trail to Nome.

Watch the trailer above. You can purchase and download the full-length movie here:

https://www.expandyourpossible.com/online-store/Movies-c35278181

Until October 9, if you use code “cxmag” you’ll get a free bonus download of Mable’s first film, “Reach for the Stars: Booneville Backroads Ultra Marathon” and will be supporting Cyclocross Magazine and David Mable’s coverage of the sport of cyclocross.

Gather a few loved ones, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the warmth of your couch as you follow these athletes through their ultimate two-wheel offroad adventure.

The post “1000 Miles to Nome” – Photographer Dave Mable’s Movie on the Ultimate Cycling Adventure appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

The CX Heat Check Power Rankings have been the talk of the domestic cyclocross community this season, but they are not the only power rankings on the power rankings block.

The Groadio podcast returns with its latest Groad Power Rankings through Rebecca’s Private Idaho. Last time Amanda Nauman and your humble editor sat down to take stock of the gravel and groad landscape, we speculated on how riders stacked up through the Crusher in the Tushar.

With The Rift, Rooted Vermont, Gravel Worlds, SBT GRVL and Rebecca’s Private Idaho all taking place in August and early September, there were plenty more results to throw into the groad abacus.

You can listen to the latest episode of Groadio via the embed below or the Wide Angle Podium website.

The post Podcast: Groadio Power Rankings Through Rebecca’s Private Idaho appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

[caption id="attachment_140409" align="aligncenter" width="1214"] The Terra CLX wheels are Roval’s lightest disc brake clincher wheelset at 1296g including tape and valves. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Roval Components officially unveiled its family of carbon Terra wheels today, with a sub-1300g, 25mm-wide 700c Terra CLX, and 30mm-wide Terra CLX EVO in both 650b and 700c sizes.

[caption id="attachment_140391" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Terra CLX EVO 650b wheelset is 30mm wide and tips the scales at just 1303g including tape and rims. photo: Dylan VanWeelden[/caption]

Based on our first two weeks of testing, the new Roval wheels appear to check all the boxes. Read on for the details of the three new wheel models, as well as our early review impressions.

A Return to Roval’s Roots

The Terra launch represents a new effort by the brand to make serious inroads into the aftermarket wheel market. While many think of Roval as a Specialized house brand for its bikes, the brand aims to compete with companies like ENVE and Zipp for high-end wheel upgrades.

The new Terra wheel models are the first Roval wheels since Specialized acquired the name that are not designed or launched around a new Specialized bike model.

In some ways, Roval is returning to its roots. In the 80s and 90s, before it became part of the Specialized portfolio, the French company produced aftermarket wheels that were coveted by triathletes and cyclists for their aerodynamic benefits. They were cutting edge at the time, with low spoke counts, slotted hubs, bladed spokes and hidden nipples that sat on nylon washers inside the rim. Truing was labor-intensive, as it involved removing the tire (often a tubular), relying on pliers to hold the bladed spoke in place, and using a nipple driver with some effort to break the thread locker on the nipples.

The Roval brand and product eventually lost its way, and after a period when the once-heralded brand simply slapped its name on Alex brand wheels, Specialized acquired the name in 2005 and began its resurrection.

That resurrection included countless wins on Specialized bikes and under sponsored athletes (notably cyclocrossers Peter Sagan and Julian Alaphilippe), and a few missteps in innovation, like the leaky plastic rim plugs and the Fusee Star hubs.

To launch Roval’s new Terra gravel wheels and kick off its renewed push into aftermarket wheels, Roval hosted a few journalists in Downieville, in California’s Lost Sierra. I tested the wheels on three gravel rides in Downieville, and have been riding them on more familiar terrain after the event.

Terra Enters New Terrain

The new Terra gravel wheels roll Roval into new territory in several ways. It’s not only the first Roval wheel designed without a new Specialized bike in mind, but it’s also the company’s first wheelset aimed specifically at gravel and cyclocross riders.

[caption id="attachment_140396" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The 25mm-wide Terra CLX is designed with offroad riding in mind. Shown with a Specialized Trigger 38mm gravel tire. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

It’s also Roval’s first drop-bar oriented rim designed specifically for disc brakes. Previous Roval wheels all featured a rim that had both rim brake and disc brake variants, forcing the company to use extra material for a brake track, whether or not it was going to be used. The disc-only Terra rims help the company break into weight weenie territory, as the wheels shave major grams off both previous Roval models and competitor products.

[caption id="attachment_140400" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Because the disc-only rims are molded and drilled specifically for this spoke pattern and lacing, the nipple and spoke are angled perfectly. Roval sheds weight without the extra carbon needed for a brake track. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Think that the Terra gravel wheels mean they’re overbuilt wheels unworthy of a road bike? Think again. The Roval CLX, with its 25mm internally wide rim, is the lightest disc brake clincher wheelset the company produces. The Terra CLX boasts a 368g carbon rim paired with lightweight spokes, alloy nipples and new Roval hubs with DT Swiss internals and freehub. The entire wheelset 1296g including tape and valves.

[caption id="attachment_140399" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The tape job on the Roval Terra wheels is an overlooked detail, but it’s tight, secure and airtight thanks to Roval’s own press-down machine. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Need an apples-to-apples comparison with another company’s weight? We estimate 30-35g per wheelset for tape and valves, which translates into a 1266g per wheelset. That’s about 84g lighter than Roval’s lightest road disc clincher, the CLX 32, and lighter than most carbon tubular wheelsets we see.

Roval didn’t stop there. The team says it put “the monster in monster cross” with its Terra CLX EVO wheels. The CLX EVO models are 30mm wide internally, feature the same hubs and barely weigh more than the CLX. With tape and valves, the Terra CLX EVO 650b, with a 360g rim, tips the scales at 1303g per set, while the 700c version, with a 377g rim, weighs just 1357g per set.

[caption id="attachment_140390" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Terra CLX EVO 700c wheelset is 30mm wide and tips the scales at just 1357g including tape and rims. photo: Dylan VanWeelden[/caption]

The CLX rim is narrower but deeper than the CLX EVO models, at 32mm deep. The wider CLX EVO rims are 25.3mm deep. The CLX EVO rims are barely heavier than the CLX rims because they are both shallower and are hookless, while the CLX has a hook to retain narrower, higher pressure tires.

All three models could easily save one or two pounds off a stock bike, some of which is rotating weight.

The major weight savings come at a major price, of course. All three models retail for $2500.

Roval Terra: Premium Ingredients

The Terra wheel line uses the same hubs, spokes and nipples for all three models. It pairs DT Swiss Aerolite T-Head spokes with alloy Pro Lock nipples and Roval AFD1 and AFD2 hubs.

Roval still uses its 2:1 spoke lacing pattern, with doubling the spoke count on one side (drive on the rear, disc rotor on the front). Up front, the right side is radially laced, while the left side is 2x. Out back, the drive side uses 2x lacing, while the rotor side uses 1x. Spokes, nipples and hubs are all black.

[caption id="attachment_140407" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Roval Terra CLX and CLX EVO wheels share Roval’s traditional 2:1 spoke pattern. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The hubs are interesting in that they feature DT Swiss internals, including bearings, freehub and end caps. The freehub is not your standard DT Swiss Ratchet freehub as seen on the popular 240s hubs, but the new Ratchet EXP freehub the company unveiled in May.

[caption id="attachment_140415" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The new DT Swiss EXP freehub is lighter than the standard freehub and comes with both Shimano 11 and SRAM XDR driver options.[/caption]

In designing the EXP freehub, DT Swiss went from two springs to one, fused the inner ratchet to the threaded ring, and widened the bearing stance.

[caption id="attachment_140413" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The new DT Swiss EXP freehub is lighter because it has fewer parts with just one spring and ratchet. The hub features steel bearings and a 36-tooth ratchet, but DT Swiss ceramic bearings or its 54-tooth ring can be swapped into the Roval hubs. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The result is fewer components, and according to DT Swiss, a stiffer hub with some (undisclosed) weight savings.

The hub offers tool-free disassembly. The end caps pop off by hand, and the freehub also can be disassembled easily by hand. That’s great for maintenance, but can also be problematic. When I was photographing a wheelset, a gust of wind knocked over the rear wheel and the entire freehub and cassette popped off with the spring falling into the dirt. Thankfully, it was almost as easy to put it all back together, but if you’re lucky enough to have Terra wheels in the cyclocross pit, keep them from getting knocked over. (Before disc brakes and thru axles, the quick release would keep it all together.)

Why didn’t Roval just use DT Swiss’ own 180 hubs that feature the EXP freehub? Roval stayed true to the brand’s heritage, using its AFD hubs that feature the iconic flanges that shield the spoke heads from the wind. The look is sleek and elegant and might save you a few seconds if you’re racing for an hour (or all day) in the wind.

[caption id="attachment_140404" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Roval AFD hubs feature flanges that hide the spoke heads, just as Roval hubs did decades ago. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Beyond the Components

A good wheel can be more than the sum of its parts, and Roval stresses that in the case of the Terra, that’s especially true. The Terra rims (currently) are not available separately. That allows all three rim models to be engineered, laid up and drilled exactly for the lacing pattern, spoke angle and tension required by the Terra wheel design and Roval hubs. Specialized calls this an “Integrated Systems Approach.” Marketing lingo aside, it does result in the nipple and spoke angles to be perfectly aligned.

[caption id="attachment_140400" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Because the rims are molded and drilled specifically for this spoke pattern and lacing, the nipple and spoke are angled perfectly. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

We typically don’t pay much attention to rim tape, but Roval’s rim tape job is worth some attention, not because of the tape material, but because it’s done well. Roval invented its own machine to not just tape the rims, but also to press the tape down tightly against the rim for maximum adhesion. This will save many a rider the headache of dealing with leaky tape, or worse, ripped tape due to popped air pockets where the tape was not conforming to the rim.

[caption id="attachment_140402" align="aligncenter" width="1184"] A deep, narrow center channel and wide shoulders that slope outward make for easy tubeless installation and burp-free riding. The tape job is excellent. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

If you’re going to spend $2500 on wheels, the last thing you’ll want to redo is the tape, and the Terra wheels should eliminate that worry.

Tire Installation: A Snap!

Roval Components’ Ben Capron emphasizes the Terra rims are designed for tool-free and compressor-free tire installation and burp-free performance. To accomplish this, the company adopted the tried-and-true features of a deep but relatively narrow center channel, with wide, downhill (towards the sidewall) sloping shoulders for the tire beads to sit on.

[caption id="attachment_140401" align="aligncenter" width="1192"] A deep, narrow center channel and wide shoulders that slope outward make for easy tubeless installation and burp-free riding. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

In my testing, it sure seems like Roval did its homework. Installing a new 38mm Specialized Trigger, a used 42mm WTB Resolut and used 33mm Islabikes Greim Pro was easy without levers. I did have to use a tire lever to get a brand new 50mm Soma Cazadero gravel tire on the rim.

[caption id="attachment_140394" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Roval Terra CLX wheels made for easy tire installation and setup. A 50mm Cazadero tire required a tire lever, but inflated with just a floor pump. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Inflation was amazingly easy without a compressor on all tires except the Greim Pro. With just a floor pump, I could inflate and seat the tires, and after two loud, satisfying pops, the beads were seated on the rim and held air overnight. I didn’t need soapy water or a compressor pump.

I’ve tested a lot of tubeless wheels and tires, and the Roval CLX is the easiest wheelset I’ve tested to install and seat a wide variety of tires.

With the Greim Pro, one of the harder tires to set up, I needed to guide parts of the tire bead near the valve onto the rim’s shelf, and then use a compressor pump. Once I did that, installation was, literally, a snap. To my surprise, I didn’t have to remove valve cores or use soapy water to get the tire seated.

[caption id="attachment_140393" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Roval Terra CLX wheels made for easy tire installation and setup even with the typically tricky Islabikes Greim tire. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

I’ve tested a lot of tubeless wheels and tires, and the Roval CLX is the easiest wheelset I’ve tested to install and seat a wide variety of tires.

The Roval Terra Ride

I tested two of the three models of wheels: The 650b CLX EVO model, with Specialized Pathway 47mm rubber in the rocky Sierra mountains, and the 700c CLX model with the above-mentioned tires in more familiar terrain.

Let’s get one thing out of the way first. Roval boasts “engineered vertical compliance” for “an exceptionally smooth ride.” Testing new wheels, on a new bike, on new, off-road terrain with new tires is not the perfect laboratory for deciphering ride comfort. So much of cyclocross and gravel comfort is tire choice, tire volume and tire pressure, and until I match these wheels with the exact same tires as another wheelset, I can’t make any ride quality claims, at least not at the level of the vibration-absorbing Spinergy PBO spokes.

What I can say is that on every ride, with every cyclocross or gravel tire I tried, on all the terrain I encountered, the Roval Terra wheels have been fantastically reliable. I hit rocks, stream crossings, brown powder, cement stairs and my regular trails, often riding with extremely low pressure, with nary a burp. I kept checking, and after each ride or race, the wheels have remained perfectly true and round.

[caption id="attachment_140411" align="aligncenter" width="1096"] Dirt roads and great Downieville scenery made for smiles while testing the Roval Terra wheels. photo: Billy Sinkford[/caption]

What’s also easy to notice while riding or scaling a run-up is that the wheels are very light. Some of the weight savings compared to other wheelsets is rotating weight, not just from flyweight hubs. The gram savings makes for spirited acceleration out of corners, and a smaller dent in your shoulder.

With a lightweight tubeless clincher on the Terra CLX, you could easily have a setup that’s lighter than most carbon tubular wheel and tire combinations and far easier to swap treads or fix flats.

Even the narrower Terra CLX has a rim width that adds welcomed tire volume. A narrow cyclocross tire like the 33mm Greim measures out just over 35mm wide—something most amateurs will appreciate. (Sorry, USA Cycling National Championship Masters and Singlespeeders, you might fail the wooden block test one day a year.)

[caption id="attachment_140397" align="aligncenter" width="1167"] With a 25mm-wide rim, many tires inflate to bigger than list width. The Terra CLX adds 1mm to the 38mm (list) Trigger tire. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Swap a cyclocross tire for a gravel tire, and you’ll enjoy good volume and a well-supported sidewall, whether that’s with the CLX or CLX EVO rim. Roval recommends 28-42mm tires for the CLX, and “up to 2.1″” on the CLX EVO, but I wouldn’t be really testing the product if I didn’t push the limits. The 50mm Cazadero, which measured 48mm wide at 20 psi, was my tire of choice for a dry, dirt and gravel road-filled cyclocross race. I raced it on the rear at 15 psi (I weigh 160 pounds) with success. I was impressed—it didn’t burp or squirm during the race despite a few high-speed downhill turns—exactly what you should expect on a race-worthy cyclocross or gravel wheel.

[caption id="attachment_140394" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Roval Terra CLX wheels made for easy tire installation and setup. A 50mm Cazadero tire required a tire lever, but inflated with just a floor pump. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

I’ve been particularly impressed by the wheels’ ability to remain airtight right after installing a tire. So often with other wheels fresh out of the box, we’ve had to find leaky areas, shake sealant around the area, and repeat in hopes of creating a reliable, ride-worthy seal with tires. And even after that process (or resting the wheel on each side on a bucket), tires, especially loose models like the Greim, would lose much of their air by the next morning. The Terra wheels have been impressively airtight with every tire I’ve tested.

How to choose between the models? If you want the option of throwing these on your road disc bike, or take your cyclocross or gravel bike out on a road ride, the CLX is the model for you. The hook bead and narrower width can handle tires as narrow as 28mm at higher pressures than the wider CLX EVO variants.

[caption id="attachment_140398" align="aligncenter" width="1218"] The Terra CLX can handle up to 90 psi with 28mm tires. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

If you never ride high pressure or narrow tires, go for the wider CLX Evo in either diameter. The hookless, wider and shallower rim will offer more tire volume and sidewall support for bigger tires.

Two weeks of riding does not make for a long-term test. I’m curious how they’ll hold up when the inevitable mud and crashes arrive. How will they emerge from the first crash and after multiple power washes? After the cassette and freehub fall off a few more times? Only time will tell. Yet if you’re inclined to wait for our long-term review before spending your hard-earned money, Roval hopes to ease your fears with its…

Warranty Includes No-Cost Crash Replacement

The Terra wheel line is covered by Roval’s new lifetime warranty from defects in material and workmanship, as well as a two-year “It Happens” no-fault policy that repairs or replaces the wheels for free if they are damaged in the first two years (and registered in the first 30 days).

That should offer peace of mind for anyone who can afford spending $2500 on carbon wheels but needs them to last. Even second owners are covered for two years after the original purchase date.

How does that stack up to its competitors? Other companies like Zipp limit the duration of the warranty to two years without crash coverage, while ENVE offers lifetime crash coverage but limits defect and material coverage to five years and restricts coverage to original owners.

The Verdict

The Roval Terra wheels impress both with their numbers, setup convenience and performance. The three Terra CLX and CLX EVO models offer climbing wheel weight with all-road and gravel wheel versatility.

$2500 is a lot to spend on any wheelset, by any measurement, but it’s in line with Zipp’s 303 wheels and $50 less than ENVE’s SES and GX models.

Roval, thanks to the impressive Terra line, should no longer be seen as just a Specialized house brand. The Terra’s specs, weight savings and warranty demand consideration if you’re in the market for a high-performance, ride-anywhere wheelset.

Stay tuned for a long-term test. Roval Terra wheels are available now through authorized retailers.

See the Roval Terra CLX EVO and CLX specs below the photo gallery.

Roval Components Terra CLX and CLX EVO Wheel Photo Gallery:

The Terra CLX wheels are Roval’s lightest disc brake clincher wheelset at 1296g including tape and valves. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

The post Ridden and Reviewed: Roval Terra CLX and CLX EVO Gravel Wheels appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

During the summer, we first took possession of a mechanical GRX-equipped Trek Checkpoint, and then in late August, a GRX Di2-equipped Pivot Vault with Iso Flex, to test the new components.

[caption id="attachment_140813" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Shimano’s gravel-oriented GRX mechanical components, reviewed on a Trek Checkpoint gravel bike. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Today, we offer up our in-depth review of the mechanical components from both a cyclocross and gravel perspective. Stay tuned for our in-depth review of the GRX Di2 group, and also our long-term review of SRAM AXS eTap.

GRX: It’s All in the Gearing

The biggest draw to Shimano’s new GRX mechanical shifting group is undoubtedly its gearing options. GRX has a plethora of choices and boasts one of the widest jumps between chainrings in a double crankset.

The 48/31 double chain ring combination offers an impressive range of gearing on any cassette, and paired with the 11-34 cassette, serves up a low and high gear that should be sufficient for almost any terrain you encounter.

The GRX-specific front derailleur handles shifting across the 17-tooth jump smoothly. Just as with the mechanical Dura-Ace equivalent we saw on the Specialized S-Works Crux, the front shifting is quick, precise, and if set up properly, offers rub-free performance. It’s a bit tricky to get the cable tension and limits completely dialed, but once they are, the front derailleur’s dual trim settings in both the small and big ring keep you rolling quietly.

Out on rolling, undulating terrain, the jump between the 48 and 31 chain rings is so big you’ll almost always have to compensate with a few rear shifts, but the double ring setup offers smaller jumps in the back while still offering a very low and very tall gear for steep climbs and descents, respectively.

[caption id="attachment_140811" align="aligncenter" width="1275"] Shimano’s gravel-oriented GRX mechanical components offer wide range 2x gearing with a 48/31 chain ring combination. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Think 1:1 is as low as you need? Everyone has different pedaling styles and strengths. I used to fall into that category and found a 42/42 gear low for any mixed terrain ride on 32mm cyclocross tires. But longer gravel rides, age and ballooning tire sizes all contribute to making what once felt like a cheater granny gear into an essential for any mixed terrain adventure in hilly California. Swapping a 32mm tire for a 45mm gravel tire can make your gearing as much as 4% harder. Of course, you could always opt for a corn cob rear cassette if you prefer 2x gearing and want to avoid the 31/34 low. Shimano’s GRX gearing offers options for many different types of riding and riders.

GRX: Shimano’s First Drop Bar 1x

Cyclocrossers rejoiced when Shimano also announced its 1x option with the GRX groups. Shimano brought 40t and 42t chain ring options to its top-shelf RX810-series crank, and a 40t chain ring to the RX600 series crank. Both 1x chainring options in the U.S. are for 11-speed chains. Europe, however, gets a 10-speed 1x crankset as well.

[caption id="attachment_140804" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Shimano’s gravel-oriented GRX mechanical components come in both 1x and 2x drivetrain options. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Although we have not yet reviewed the 1x chain ring itself (stay tuned), we have tested the 1x-specific rear derailleur with cassettes up to 11-42t. The clutch-based derailleur offers similar gearing range we’ve seen with the popular SRAM Force 1, Rival 1 and Apex 1 groups, with 11-34, 11-40 and 11-42 rear cassettes.

[caption id="attachment_140815" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Shimano’s gravel-oriented GRX mechanical components include a 1x and 2x rear derailleur. The RX812 pictured is designed for 1x drivetrains and rear cassettes with up to a 42t large cog. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Old school cyclocrossers may scoff at such low gearing options for cyclocross racing, but those of us without pro-level fitness or paid mechanics may value the low gearing for longer midweek rides or hilly race courses. Of course, such wide-range gearing is also well-suited for 1x gravel riders.

Up front, Shimano has some work to catch up to SRAM’s offerings, with just the 40 and 42t wide-narrow chain ring options, compared to SRAM’s 6 different 11-speed 1x chain ring offerings, starting at a 36t and ending with a 46t (SRAM’s 12-speed crank comes with a whopping 8 chain ring options from 36-50t).

[caption id="attachment_140821" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Shimano’s gravel-oriented GRX mechanical components include 1x and 2x crankset options. There are 40t and 42t chain ring options. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

We’d bet money that the company will eventually expand this offering. Need something smaller than a 40t? You can count on a third-party company meeting your need, but since it relies on the omnipresent 11-speed chain, you could also swap in a crankset from Easton, FSA, Praxis, SRAM or others to get your optimal gearing.

GRX: Clutch-based Chain Retention for 1x or 2x

While SRAM with its 11-speed Force 1, Rival 1 and Apex 1 drivetrains has dominated the 1x drop bar offroad drivetrain market, its popular roller bearing clutch derailleurs have been 1x only due to their limited capacity. With the exception of the new AXS 12-speed components, SRAM double chain ring drivetrains have been constrained to the non-clutch derailleurs.

Shimano’s GRX group offers clutch-based chain security, or as Shimano officially calls it, “integrated chain stabilizer mechanism,” both for 1x and 2x. Shimano already offered the switchable, adjustable chain stabilization on its Ultegra RX800 mechanical and RX805 Di2 rear derailleurs, but now has five different GRX rear derailleurs. There’s a 10-speed mechanical GRX rear derailleur oriented to 2x drivetrains (but will work with up to a 36t rear cog), mechanical and Di2 2x rear derailleurs (RX810/RX815), and mechanical and Di2 1x rear derailleurs (RX812/RX817).

[caption id="attachment_140816" align="aligncenter" width="1252"] Shimano’s gravel-oriented GRX mechanical components include a 1x and 2x rear derailleur. Due to a mix-up, our test bike came with a 1x derailleur paired with the 2x crankset. It shifted well but was more challenged with chain wrap duties. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Both the 2x-oriented RX810 and 1x-oriented RX812 rear derailleurs offer the crisp shifting you’d expect from Shimano, without chain slap. With the clutch engaged, shift action isn’t exactly light action, but it’s precise and most importantly, the chain stays on the chain rings. With the clutch off, it feels similar to Shimano’s non-clutch road offerings.

What makes a GRX derailleur 1x or 2x? The 1x derailleurs will work with rear cogs as big as a 42t, while the 2x derailleurs have more chain capacity through larger 13t pulleys and a different pivot position for the cage.

The downside is that if you want to swap between the most popular 1x and 2x drivetrain configurations, Shimano recommends swapping rear derailleurs. That project will set you back about $300 if you’re running Di2, or $110 if you’re running mechanical, for the derailleur alone. The good news is that if you’re already running GRX 2x, you can swap to 1x without a derailleur swap if you’re content with a maximum 34t big cog out back.

[caption id="attachment_140814" align="aligncenter" width="599"] Shimano’s gravel-oriented GRX mechanical components include three mechanical derailleurs, including the two 11-speed options here. The 1x RX812 is on top, with the 2x RX810 below. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Of course, there’s a difference between what’s recommended and what actually works. Due to a mix-up, our test bike arrived with a GRX 2x RX810 crankset, front derailleur and front and rear shifters, but with a 1x RX812 rear derailleur. It did the job without complaint or issue, and I likely wouldn’t have noticed until I asked Shimano’s Nick Legan why his bike had oversized pulleys while mine did not. Legan diligently followed up, and discovered by mistake I was supplied the wrong derailleur for the 48/31 and 11-34 drivetrain. In a day I had the proper unit.

[caption id="attachment_140812" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Shimano’s gravel-oriented GRX mechanical components feature a 2x-oriented RX810 rear derailleur with a clutch that comes with oversized pulleys for more chain wrap. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

I swapped the RX812 derailleur out for the RX810, made a few adjustments and hit the dirt again. The shifting was crisper across the two chain rings as the upper pulley of the RX800 derailleur remained consistently closer to each cog across the cassette. However, I’m thankful for the mixup, as it revealed the effectiveness of the Shimano clutch, as the 1x derailleur handled shifting duties without a chain drop, even though the drivetrain was 9 teeth over the derailleur’s stated capacity.

Similarly, the 2x derailleur can handle duty with larger-than-stated rear cogs with some aggressive B-screw adjustment. We’ve done the same with the RX800 and RX805 derailleurs. Shifting may not be optimal, but it’s certainly possible.

Shimano GRX boasts gearing versatility, but it’s actually even more than the specs indicate.

GRX Hits the Brakes

[caption id="attachment_140808" align="aligncenter" width="1219"] Shimano’s gravel-oriented GRX family of components include hydraulic flat mount disc brakes. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

While the GRX has its own calipers that look, feel and perform like the Ultegra equivalent, its mechanical shifting/ hydraulic brake levers offer a few differentiation points.

The first is relatively subtle but welcome—the STI brake levers now have a slightly rubberized texture—and offer more grip with or without gloves. It’s especially noticeable when it’s wet or when your hands are sweaty.

[caption id="attachment_140810" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The new GRX mechanical STI levers feature a matte, grippy, slightly rubberized coating. Shimano’s gravel-oriented GRX mechanical components, reviewed. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The mechanical shift lever hoods, while the same shape as the R8000 Ultegra hoods, have a new raised texture. The texture might look a bit aggressive, but it offers a comfortable and secure perch with or without gloves. When conditions get sloppy, the extra texture should offer more security.

[caption id="attachment_140806" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Shimano’s gravel-oriented GRX mechanical drivetrain features a new textured hood and a new grippy lever coating. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Another brake offering that caught our attention when GRX was first announced was the inline brake levers, officially called “sub brake levers” by Shimano, or by old-timers, Runkel levers, after World Champ Dieter Runkel.

Inline levers on a drop bar’s tops were popular among cyclocrossers when rim brakes ruled the world.

[caption id="attachment_45227" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Inline brake levers were all the rage before hydraulic disc brakes. We’re happy Shimano brought them back with the RX812 sub brake levers. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The gravel bike craze didn’t bring such a braking option because hydraulic disc brakes were already the default, but some of us still longed for them. Often while riding along in a group or paceline on bumpy, dusty gravel rides, we reminisced such easy-access braking.

[caption id="attachment_140803" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The GRX sub brake levers offer more hand positions on technical terrain and in group riding. Shimano’s gravel-oriented GRX mechanical components, reviewed. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Inline brake levers are back thanks to Shimano’s RX812 sub brake levers, and they’re a fun addition to the handlebar. The levers a bit limited in that they are absurdly short, barely fitting two fingers, and their clamp requires them to be mounted near the stem clamp in a very narrow stance. Even so, they still greatly expand your usable hand positions in technical terrain. I’d love the ability to mount them wider on the bars for a position closer to a mountain bike flat bar, but still feel the braking convenience is worth the weight penalty.

If you’re running 1x, there’s also a left RX810-LA left brake lever designed to actuate a cable-pull dropper post. We did not test that component, yet, but look forward to pairing it with the new PRO Discover dropper post.

Overall, the RX810 GRX brake levers keep what we love about the R8020 Ultegra levers, including the Servo Wave technology (to move through initial pad travel quickly) and reach adjustment, and refined it for off-road riding.

GRX’s Limitations

The Shimano GRX family meets so much of what we’d expect in an off-road drop-bar component group. It offers great gearing and braking options, compatibility with a lot of existing Shimano and third-party components, and off-road-oriented features like chain security and grippy hoods and levers.

Its crankset is where you’ll find a few limitations. The crankset and chain rings are spaced 2.5mm further out than the Ultegra equivalent. This design should allow bike companies and frame builders in the future to maximize tire clearance without lengthening chainstays, and bigger chainrings on bikes where clearance by the chainstays is already tight. The downside, for some, is a wider Q-factor and a mandatory matching GRX front derailleur on 2x drivetrains.

Shimano counters the Q-factor complaint by pointing to its shorter spindle XTR SPD M9100 pedal option. These spindles are 2.5mm shorter per side, negating the wider stance of the GRX crank.

The requirement to pair the GRX crank with the GRX front derailleur is academic for most consumers buying a complete bike, but it can impact cyclocrossers and those looking to piece a bike together from existing parts.

Most serious 2x drivetrain cyclocross racers won’t want a 16-tooth or 17-tooth jump between the two chain rings, and prefer the 10-tooth jump as found in the Ultegra R8000 46/36 configuration.

[caption id="attachment_140823" align="aligncenter" width="950"] Shimano’s Ultegra R8000 crankset with 46/36 chain rings is still the best option for a cyclocross double, but it won’t work with the GRX front derailleur.[/caption]

Unfortunately, those rings won’t fit on the GRX crankset, and Shimano doesn’t offer such a 46/36 option for its GRX bolt circle diameter. Thus, swapping between “gravel” and “cyclocross” chain ring combinations can get expensive, requiring different Shimano cranks and front derailleurs. While Shimano-sponsored cyclocross pros have embraced the GRX crankset in 1x format, 2x racers like Brannan Fix run a Dura-Ace crank with 46/39t rings, an Ultegra front derailleur and a GRX rear derailleur. Such combinations are essential for tighter, two-ring setups.

Of course, if you’re building up a bike from scratch, you’ve got lighter crankset alternatives like the Easton EC90 SL crankset that offer both 46/36 cyclocross and 16-tooth spread 46/30 “gravel” chain rings and work with a single non-GRX front derailleur.

The GRX crankset uses a proprietary 80mm four-arm BCD for its small 31 or 30 tooth inner ring, but a 110mm BCD outer ring. On paper, the 110mm four-arm BCD looks exactly the same as what its four-arm road cranksets use and third-parties have copied, but Shimano assured us that mix-and-match fans hoping to put a 46 or 50 tooth Ultegra ring on a GRX crank will be disappointed. They’re not compatible and won’t work without a file or Dremel. That’s a big bummer.

Shimano undoubtedly wants to control shifting quality by avoiding such unintended combinations, but the tweak of an existing standard certainly constrains cross-compatibility.

Owners of an existing Shimano Dura-Ace, Ultegra or 105 four-arm crank will also still have to rely on third-party companies to convert to a single ring drivetrain. It’d be fabulous for them to be able to buy a 1x GRX ring to go 1x for cyclocross or gravel, but Shimano says the GRX 1x rings won’t quite fit despite the same BCD and number of bolt holes. (Stay tuned as we explore what’s involved to do just that.)

GRX Wheels: A Killer Value

Lost in all the discussion about clutch derailleurs, gearing and cross-compatibility is the fact that Shimano has a sweet set of GRX wheels that deliver outstanding value.

In typical Shimano style, they aren’t revolutionary in terms of specs. They’re just 21.6mm wide, quite conservative and a far cry from the 30mm width of Roval’s latest ultralight gravel-oriented Terra CLX EVO wheels. They’re also just $419 and weigh around 1650g in a 700c size. Would you add 300g to save $2k?

The wheels follow Shimano’s long history of using easily adjustable and serviceable cup-and-cone bearings and avoiding easily-gouged alloy freehubs. The freehub material, in an area with minimal rotational weight implications, is durable steel. The brake rotor mount relies on Shimano’s Centerlock spline of course.

There’s also a 650b option that is 50g lighter.

[caption id="attachment_140817" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Shimano’s gravel-oriented GRX includes a lightweight GRX wheelset that packs a lot of value into its $419 price tag. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

During rides, GRX wheels gripped Vittoria Terreno Mix 40mm tires tightly without a burp at low-pressure riding. They’ve also been impressively airtight overnight and over time.

After several weeks of testing, the GRX RX570 wheels are still rolling true despite rough adventures in two states, several trips inside a bike box and a few spills.

[caption id="attachment_134734" align="aligncenter" width="1043"] Shimano’s new GRX gravel/cyclocross family of components has one wheelset, the 21.6mm wide RX570 wheelset. It comes in both 700c and 650b diameters.[/caption]

Anyone looking for a budget-friendly performance upgrade over stock wheels should give the GRX wheels a close look.

The Verdict

Shimano pulled out all the stops with its gravel-oriented GRX family of components.

The mechanical options I reviewed deliver expanded the gearing options and outstanding shift performance for not just cyclocross and gravel, but all types of drop bar riding. The wide-range 2x gearing will be welcomed by many road cyclists, while the 1x option could make an excellent commuter bike drivetrain.

[caption id="attachment_134725" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Shimano GRX components feature 1x, 2x, Di2 and mechanical options. photo: Serling Lorence[/caption]

Yeah, I’m greedy and impatient. I want more 1x chainring options, more cassette options, wider rims and more mounting positions for the inline levers, but I’m sure most of those are already on the drawing board. It’s also true that Shimano’s GRX group is a welcomed, if not overdue, step into the world of 1x drivetrains.

Yet with its wide-range 2x gearing, 1x options, inline brake levers, grippy levers, value-packed wheelset and even 10-speed compatibility, Shimano’s GRX family of mechanical components really has something for everyone.

Sure, it’s not 12-speed or bleeding edge, but for the way many of us ride, it doesn’t need to be. Shimano GRX is the most versatile group of drop-bar components, hands-down.

Stay tuned for our in-depth review of the Di2 GRX components, long-term review of SRAM AXS eTap Red, and initial review of SRAM AXS eTap Force and Eagle.

More info: shimano.com or shop now and support our coverage.

Shimano GRX Mechanical Drivetrain, Brakes and Wheelset Photo Gallery and Pricing:

The GRX sub brake levers offer more hand positions on technical terrain and in group riding. Shimano’s gravel-oriented GRX mechanical components, reviewed. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

The post Ridden and Reviewed: Shimano’s GRX Gravel Group and Wheels – RX810, RX812, RX570 appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

[caption id="attachment_141461" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Wave carbon handlebar from Coefficient Cycling features a unique 15-degree slope on the tops. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Coefficient Cycling’s Wave handlebar makes other drop bars look, well, quite flat. Could the extra curvy, curly bar be just what the doctor ordered to add speed and comfort to your cyclocross or gravel ride?

A Wavy Path to a Curvy Bar

Coefficient Cycling’s Don Sheff wasn’t content with any of the existing permutations of handlebar bends. The cardiovascular perfusionist had no bike industry experience, but that didn’t stop him from taking matters into his own hands, literally. He dialed around to find a manufacturing partner, built rideable and 3D-printed prototypes and held out an early version at Sea Otter in 2016 in hopes of finding welcoming hands and nodding heads.

One welcoming, connected hand was all that Sheff needed, and he found it in former frontman of the Sea Otter Classic, Rick Sutton. Sutton liked the idea, tried out the bar and soon was company co-founder and COO.

Sutton enjoyed the ride while cruising on the bar’s tops, but felt the rest of the bar needed some tweaks. The former Vice President of Retail Services at Specialized used his industry connections to help refine the design and line up carbon manufacturing.

The process, just like the Wave handlebar’s lines, wasn’t a direct path to a finished product. Some might even call the path meandering, or even, wavy. But with time, countless prototypes and testing, they got there.

Roughly three years later from Sheff and Sutton’s meeting, we had a $329, 200-gram production handlebar in our hands for testing.

Sutton praised the bar’s hand positions as ideal for gravel. I was anxious to find out if my hands and arms would agree.

Ride the Wave

The Wave handlebar can overwhelm you with stats. It’s got rise, flare, sweep, slope and then some.

We’ll give you the two most will care about. Our 42cm test bar weighed just 201 grams and retails for $329, direct-to-consumer only. If that doesn’t get your blood pumping in excitement or fear, Coefficient Cycling’s images should illustrate the other measurements you might care about:

The bar comes in four widths, with 38, 40, 42 and 44cm. Our 42cm test bar tipped the scales at a paltry 201 grams.

[caption id="attachment_141472" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] More bends doesn’t mean more grams. The Wave carbon handlebar from Coefficient Cycling. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

They feature relatively common 120mm drop and 77mm reach. It’s the rise paired with the slope up top that really differentiates the Wave.

Of course, handlebars are such personal items. Two riders of identical builds often prefer dramatically different handlebars. One might like a wide bar with a shallow drop and massive flare, while another may grab a narrow bar with a deep drop and no flare.

Companies like Zipp, Pro Components and Easton have launched handlebars under a strict media embargo, unveiling the XPLR flared bar, Discover carbon bar, and AX Series flared bars, respectively. Each launch suggested revolutionary innovation that needed to be kept under wraps, but in reality, they were mostly variations of existing bars. Those variations may agree with your riding style and terrain, but will they send consumers dropping their current bar to run to their retailer to get the new angled bend? It’s unlikely.

[caption id="attachment_141458" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Wave carbon handlebar from Coefficient Cycling. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The Wave handlebar is arguably a big departure from other bar designs (except this one, which has led to a legal barfight covered by Bicycle Retailer). Could the design really change a riding experience enough to send cyclocrossers and gravel cyclists furiously paddling to catch the wave?

Hanging Ten on Top

I quickly installed the Wave on a gravel bike with Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes and an 11-speed mechanical drivetrain, anxious to hit the road, gravel paths and trails. While I didn’t bother to internally route the hoses or cable housing, the Wave handlebar has internal routing options for hoses, wires and cables.

To avoid any unnecessary wrenching for a handlebar I wasn’t sure if I’d like, I routed everything externally.

[caption id="attachment_141450" align="aligncenter" width="1256"] The Wave carbon handlebar from Coefficient Cycling. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

My first impression mirrored Sutton’s initial impression of Sheff’s early prototype. Riding the bar’s tops is really comfortable. The 12° backsweep felt familiar, a more extreme version of the 3t Morphe and Ritchey Biomax handlebars I used to covet and hoard.

It’s the 15° slope that angles down towards the drops that really feels different. The slope of the tops encourages you to drop your shoulders, relax your elbows and just cruise along. The hand position feels natural, similar to the way your hands rest on a keyboard—not perfectly flat—but angled so that the outer edge of your palms rest first. After some time on the Wave bar, other bars’ tops start to feel pretty awkward.

[caption id="attachment_141470" align="aligncenter" width="1181"] The Wave carbon handlebar from Coefficient Cycling. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The Wave’s sweep and slope, paired with the rise near the stem clamp, put you in a comfortable, upright and relaxed position that’s conducive to cruising on non-technical terrain. Think road riding or smooth gravel pack riding, in a position that relaxes your entire upper body and has you breathing easy. It transforms your bike into a drop-bar cruiser.

It’s also a comfortable position for seated climbing, like a long gravel climb that never ends.

It’s not a position that feels superior for technical riding or cyclocross racing, however. At least for me, on bumpy cyclocross courses, the comfy raised and sloped tops seem to keep asking, “What’s the rush?” It’s a relaxed position that feels at home on smooth terrain while spinning. But on rougher, more technical terrain, I did not feel the position to be confidence-inspiring. I’d rather be wider and lower, especially when the terrain is bumpy (but I don’t need my brakes).

[caption id="attachment_141466" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Wave carbon handlebar from Coefficient Cycling features lots of slope and sweep but little flare. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Sure, you could lower your stem to offset the rise for a more aggressive position, but that would also lower your position in the hoods and drops. The natural hand position up top is raised a bit, and a tad narrow because your thumbs end up locked into the bend by the clamp area.

Familiar NeighborHoods

Many of us spend much of our time riding in the hoods, and that’s where the Wave handlebar feels most normal. The reach (77mm) and shape by the hoods mimic many other popular bars. Riding in the hoods while blindfolded (which I don’t recommend), you’d be hard-pressed to feel like you’re riding a unique handlebar.

[caption id="attachment_141463" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Wave carbon handlebar from Coefficient Cycling offers a relatively normal position in the hoods. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Out on the hoods, the position feels normal. You might never notice you’re riding a unique bar if you spend all your time in the hoods. The levers sit nearly vertical—there’s no severe angle due to dramatic bar flare—and the reach and width feel familiar.

It’s a small missed opportunity, though, at least in my hands’ humble opinion. Carbon allows for molded shapes, and the Wave handlebar could have gone further from the norm for comfort. My palms have found a happy home in the ergonomic contours behind the hoods on the FSA Metron 40 handlebar and its FSA K-Wing AGX sister, and I wished Coefficient Cycling took a similar approach.

Dropping In

The Wave handlebar’s drops are where I ran into an issue specific to my setup.

On paper, the 120mm drop, 77mm reach, ergonomic bend and slight 1.6° flare all look relatively familiar. In riding, your thumb might find a new home. The drops have a nifty “notch” that offers a secure thumb lock when the riding gets bumpy.

[caption id="attachment_141451" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Wave carbon handlebar from Coefficient Cycling. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Unfortunately, the significant backsweep of the tops paired with minimal flare in the drops put my hands in a position where my wrists would hit the rearward corner of the tops, just before the bar turns forward to the hoods.

[caption id="attachment_141471" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The sharp bend at the end of the tops has a chance to rub your wrists the wrong way. The Wave carbon handlebar from Coefficient Cycling. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Study the various photos of my setup and you’ll come to the same conclusion as I have. It would be quite easy for me to modify my setup to avoid this. I could lower my tilted-up hood position that I prefer for offroad riding. Doing so would position my hands lower in the drops, at least for braking. I could also just rotate the whole handlebar forward a bit, effectively pulling my hands back a bit to give more clearance by my wrists. And I could also install a longer stem to reduce my arm angle.

However, like most cyclocrossers and gravel cyclists, I spend the majority of my time in the hoods, and center my riding position around that. In the drops on steep descents, it’s less of an issue, because I slide further back, decreasing my arm angle to the bars. It’s when I’m out of the saddle sprinting that I notice the wrist-rubbing the most. Out of the saddle, leaning forward and in the drops, the angle of my arms makes wrist contact inevitable.

[caption id="attachment_141464" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The backsweep and slope force a sharp bend towards the hoods. Wave carbon handlebar from Coefficient Cycling. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Thankfully on the average ride, I don’t spend much time in the drops, and if I was to build a bike for cruising on the road or gravel, the comfort of the bar’s flats is worth the occasional wrist rub. I could feel it, but with padded bar tape, it didn’t hurt. And if you’re an old-school, levers-flat traditionalist, you probably will find riding in the drops to be rub-free and comfortable.

Wipeout or Winner?

Compared to just ten years ago, cyclocross and gravel cyclists are blessed with so many great options for equipment. The Wave handlebar is one such example. It adds a unique angle to a handlebar with a relaxed riding position, thanks to the sweep and slope on the bar’s tops.

I’ll keep the bar on the gravel bike. I like the position for longer rides, cruising around, breathing easy and seeing the sights. I wouldn’t want the sloped tops on my ’cross race bike, however.

Is riding the Wave worth $329? For a carbon bar, that’s competitive with bigger names charging $1 more for fewer curves.

More bends for your buck? That’s a slippery slope.

More info: coefficient.cc

Coefficient Cycling’s Wave Handlebar Photo Gallery:

The Wave carbon handlebar from Coefficient Cycling offers rise, slope, sweep and a bit of flare. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

The post Gripped and Reviewed: Coefficient Cycling’s Wave Handlebar appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

The second annual The Quick & The Dead Gravel Race was held on Saturday, September 28th in Pennsylvania.

Based in Confluence, which is situated southeast of Pittsburgh in the Allegheny Mountains, the event offered distances of 68 and 48 miles, both of which headed up and over the highest point in the Keystone State, Mt. Davis. All told, the long route included nearly 7,500 feet of climbing and plenty of gravel.

Riders roll along at The Quick & The Dead Gravel Race.

This year, 163 racers lined up at the start line for what would be an adventure most would soon not forget. With the warmer than anticipated temperatures which reached well into the mid-80s, it was a long day in the saddle for many.

The race started this year with the Confluence Fire Department leading the way through town in their shiny yellow fire truck with the lights a blaring. It was truly a sight to see! You see, it was a rolling mass start as normal, so the bicycle racers pretty much took Oden Street hostage for about 5 minutes.

Once they got past the Confluence VFW the race was on. With around 4 miles to go until the first sustained climb of the day, all the racers rode tempo chatting and finding their place in line. After the first climb, things began to change and by the time the race hit the first major intersection in Listonburg it had already strung out to be a few miles long.

Riders roll toward the first climb while on pavement. photo: The Quick & The Dead Gravel Race

The early leader for the women was Hayley Wickstrom of the Pittsburgh area, and for the men, a group of three that included Tim Mitchell from Boston, Matt Waller from State College, PA and Ben Meer from Columbus, Ohio broke off the front.

Wickstrom kept the Women’s lead throughout the rest of the race and took the “Annie Oakley” category win and finished 11th overall. Mackenzie Marcinko of Delaware took second and Alexandria Shewcyzk of Pittsburgh finished third.

Hayley Wickstrom took the Women’s win. photo: The Quick & The Dead Gravel Race

Meer had a mechanical around Mile 25, but he came roaring back to take over the lead and take the win in a time of just under 4 hours. Mitchell finished second and Walter third.

Ben Meer was feeling good vibes after his mechanical issue. photo: The Quick & The Dead GG

As with all gravel races, everyone who descended on the gravel confluence in Confluence had a story to tell from the 2019 The Quick & The Dead GravelRace. The stories being told at the end of the day were something to hear.

With the 2019 race a success, you can bet it will be back in 2019. The event drew racers from all around the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the United States. From as far away as Michigan to the local racers from Somerset County.

Reports from the 2019 The Quick & The Dead Gravel Grinder were laudatory of the organization and support provided by volunteers and the fire departments. The Confluence Fire Department hosted a post-race catered dinner for all participants and volunteers.

The volunteer fire departments of Confluence, Addison, Salisbury, Meyersdale, Garrett, Rockwood and New Centerville supported the race by flagging intersections along the racecourse and providing EMS support just in case of an incident. Thankfully it was never needed. All the racers returned safely with only a few minor incidents.

Results for the Long Course race are below. Full results are available online.

Women's Results: 2019 The Quick & The Dead Gravel Grinder

Men's Results: 2019 The Quick & The Dead Gravel Grinder

The post Gravel Race: Don’t Get Left Behind at Pennsylvania’s The Quick & The Dead appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

In 2018, Geoff Kabush won the Iceman Cometh Challenge using an OPEN U.P.P.E.R. gravel bike equipped with Maxxis Aspen 2.1” tires.

At first glance, the concept of racing a gravel bike in a mountain bike race seems absurd—unless your name is John Tomac, or more accurately, Jacquie Phelan, who raced fully rigid—but Kabush’s victory is proof that the right setup can work in the right circumstances.

The race actually has a history of riders bringing a drop bar setup despite the popular choice being something more trailworthy. “I’ve actually done it on a cyclocross bike twice; some years, it’s totally the way to go,” Race Director Cody Sovis told Cyclocross Magazine. “It all comes down to the sand pits.”

The 30th edition took place on November 2, and some folks predicted drop bars to show up in force. “Kabush won on drop bars last year,” Sovis said before the race, “I think you’re going to see a ton of people try it this year.”

Geoff Kabush rode an Open WI.DE. at the 2019 Iceman Cometh Challenge. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

In the Elite wave, Kabush lined up with an OPEN WI.DE. and the same tires on which he won last year. Joining him was pro cyclocross privateer Jamey Driscoll, who brought the same Pivot Vault he is using this season, with a much wider than usual 2.1” Mavic Crossmax tire. He explained his thinking after the race, “The single biggest factor was that Kabush won last year on that setup.”

Although Alexey Vermeulen took the overall win and reminded everyone that Iceman Cometh is, in fact, a mountain bike race, Kabush stayed on the podium with a third-place finish and Driscoll rounded out the top 10.

The result left me wondering, especially after my own successful drop-bar run on my Specialized CruX, how the Iceman Cometh Challenge would fit into the emerging gravel category if it were founded today.

The author rode the 2019 Iceman Cometh Challenge on a Specialized CruX. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

Alternative History

Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge ran its first edition 30 years ago in 1989. At that time, mountain bikes were still evolving as a concept as was the racing format. The Iceman Cometh course is reminiscent of mountain bike racing’s early days and is comprised mostly of doubletrack, fire roads, and wooded singletrack.

The technicality of the route is largely dependent on the speed with which it’s ridden. “There wasn’t anything super technical in past years. I feel like anyone who’s ridden some technical cyclocross will have no problem riding the course,” Kabush told Cyclocross Magazine before the race.” Racing gets a bit more hectic but besides a few braking bumps in some singletrack you just have to pick your moments where to go fast.”

Likewise, early mountain bikes were do-it-all in nature, intended to do well on and off-road. They were at home on a variety of surfaces and were geared as such. Sound familiar?

The Specialized Stumpjumper is one of the longest-running lines of mountain bikes out there. Below, it is compared in its 1989 form to the bike I rode, a Specialized CruX, Kabush’s OPEN WI.DE. and Driscoll’s Pivot Vault.

1989 Stumpjumper vs. 2019 Drop Bar Bikes

While there are limited measurements available from the 1989 Specialized catalog, the numbers that are available show enough of the picture. Thirty years ago, a mountain bike (and even some road bikes), was pretty similar in design and features to the cyclocross and gravel bikes of today. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that a modern gravel bike can be ridden with success at Iceman Cometh.

The new Pivot Vault has a lot in common with mountain bikes of old. Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross / gravel bike with a SRAM Team Force 1 AXS eTap build.

Dirty Heretic

I would go a step further, though, and suggest that if the race began today we may be calling it a gravel race. One of the most intriguing things about gravel is the way that diverse terrain equalizes bike choice, as the last few editions of Iceman have shown.

One could compare, for example, the courses of much younger races such as Rasputitsa and the Red Kite Ronde, the former known for a stretch of course known as Cyberia and latter overlapping a substantial amount of the Mohican 100 mountain bike race route, and many parallels can be drawn. With both technical riding and extended stretches of pedaling in these races, almost any bike can be an advantage on at least part of the course and participants can be seen on a variety of equipment.

Why then, if Iceman Cometh is a mountain bike race, are younger events with comparable course features branded gravel?

I would refer back to the evolution of the mountain bike. In the last 30 years, mountain bikes have become more specific to the places they are ridden, which have become more specifically built for the purpose of riding.

The result? Bikes that are more capable more technical courses, but bikes that are less useful outside their specific context. Compare the same 1989 Stumpjumper to its 2019 counterpart, and the race-oriented Epic HT:

1989 Stumpjumper vs. 2019 Mountain Bikes

Across the board, mountain bikes have gained suspension and trail, their tire capacity has grown and their gear range has dropped as a response to the increasingly technical places they are ridden. It could be argued that the mountain bike has become so niche that gravel bikes exist to fill the void of a do-it-all bike, like the mountain bikes available some 30 years ago.

It’s not that much of a reach, then, to suggest that the industry has come full circle and once again provides bikes that are at home in the types of terrain common in early mountain biking. Kabush seemed to agree, “I wish more gravel events had sections like Iceman because it is a lot of fun to ride drop bars on that type of terrain,” he said. “The smooth singletrack is a lot of fun to rip and lean into corners with narrower bars. Iceman has a few little harsher, rough sections but if you’ve raced cyclocross it is no problem on the drop bars.”

Geoff Kabush ran 27.5″ x 2.1″ mountain bike tires at Iceman in 2019. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

Although Driscoll seemed disappointed in his result, he didn’t blame his bike choice. “Overall the bike did amazing and being familiar with how it handles in mud was an advantage,” he said. “Unfortunately the motor was the limiting factor. I just had a bad day on the bike.”

As for my own experience, I spent the drive to Traverse City wondering what I had done as I passed car after car porting hardtails and trail bikes and looked at the fat bike my travel companion had brought in the rearview mirror.

Once on course, however, I appreciated the tall gears and drop bars while trying to bridge gaps on doubletrack. I felt at home on the bike in the sand and mud. I never once wished for a different bike but then again, 30 years ago my CruX, at 19lb with 45mm tires and the ability to stop in mud, would have been as good as it gets.

The influx of drop bar bikes at the 2019 Iceman Cometh Challenge that some predicted did not really happen—in addition to Driscoll and Kabush I saw maybe a handful in my amateur race—but as we have seen at races such as the Crusher in the Tushar and others, bike choices can change over time.

The Iceman Cometh might retain its mountain bike roots, but as gravel bikes continue to develop, it seems chances are good we will see more Iceman-style races that fall into the growing gravel discipline.

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Earlier this month, Geoff Kabush returned to Traverse City to defend his Iceman Cometh title that he won in 2018 using an OPEN U.P.P.E.R. gravel bike equipped with 650b x 2.1″ Maxxis Aspen tires. Kabush’s victory showcased the versatility of modern gravel bikes and inspired riders to follow suit in the 2019 edition.

Kabush did not quite win this year—he finished third—but he did show that gravel bikes are quite adept at handling the challenges of the annual mountain bike race in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

We took a closer look at Kabush’s bike following his 30-mile ramble through the Michigan woods, snow, sand and ice.

Geoff Kabush rode an Open WI.DE. at the 2019 Iceman Cometh Challenge. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

Geoff Kabush’s 2019 Iceman Cometh OPEN WI.DE.

Kabush brought an OPEN WI.DE. in the same Yeti blue colorway as his U.P.P.E.R. for his Iceman encore. The WI.DE. (Winding Detours) frame is an evolution of OPEN’s gravel family designed to allow the use of both large tires and a road Q-Factor crankset. Although he stuck with 2.1″ tires, the WI.DE. frame will accept up to a 650b x 2.4″ tires thanks to a bottom bracket design that drops both chainstays.

The wide clearance of the OPEN WI.DE. fork allowed Kabush to run 2.1″ wide 650b tires. Geoff Kabush’s 2019 Iceman Cometh OPEN WI.DE. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

The chainstays on the WI.DE. are dropped for more clearance. Geoff Kabush’s 2019 Iceman Cometh OPEN WI.DE. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

The WI.DE. is designed as a 1x only bike. In an effort to increase tire capacity, OPEN moved the drive side chainstay outboard to occupy space generally reserved for an inner chainring. As a result, Kabush had to modify his gearing from the 46/34t crank he used in 2018.

Kabush ran a Shimano GRX 1x groupset on his 2019 OPEN WI.DE. For the rolling course of the Iceman Cometh Challenge, Kabush used a 42t chain ring mounted on an RX810-1 crankset paired with an 11-40t cassette, which provided a lower gear than his previous setup, although the course didn’t require it.

“My bike last year had my cyclocross gearing on it, 46/34t and an 11-30t and that gearing was no problem. I actually just kept it in my 46t as all the hills are quite short and punchy,” he told Cyclocross Magazine.

Kabush went 1x for Iceman this year, running a GRX 810-1 crankset with a 42t chain ring in the front. Geoff Kabush’s 2019 Iceman Cometh OPEN WI.DE. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

The GRX 11-speed mechanical group has two rear derailleur options. While both have a clutch and use Shimano’s Shadow geometry, they differ in total cog capacity. With his 11-40t cassette exceeding the capacity of the RX810, Kabush used the RX812 derailleur, which is compatible with cassette cogs as large as 42t.  It is also noteworthy that Kabush opted for mechanical GRX components and not the electronic ones we have seen in many of our cyclocross bike profiles.

Running a 1x system, Kabush used the RX812 long-cage derailleur to fit an 11-40t cassette. Geoff Kabush’s 2019 Iceman Cometh OPEN WI.DE. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

Kabush also commented on the GRX RX810 shift-brake levers, “The new GRX hoods give a ton more confidence and control riding in the hoods,” Kabush explained. The hoods on the mechanical GRX groupset got a grippier surface to help on rough rides like the Iceman Cometh Challenge.

Kabush ran the new GRX RX810 shift-brake levers. Geoff Kabush’s 2019 Iceman Cometh OPEN WI.DE. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

Kabush stopped with GRX RX810 calipers paired with RX810 levers. Interestingly, he had the shifting version of the RX810 left-hand brake lever despite a 1x-specific, brake only lever existing. The calipers clamped XTR-level MT900 rotors in 160mm.

The new GRX family of components includes RX810 hydraulic disc calipers. Geoff Kabush’s 2019 Iceman Cometh OPEN WI.DE. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

Kabush rolled on 650b Stan’s Crest CB7 rims, the brand’s cross-country oriented carbon wheel. It features a 23mm internal width designed for 2.00″-2.25″ tires. Built with Sapim Force spokes and alloy nipples with Stan’s Neo hubs, the 28-hole wheels have a 1,409g claimed weight.

Kabush set up his wheels with the same Maxxis Aspen tires he used last year. The Aspen features a low profile center tread with larger shoulder lugs for cornering. “I ran 2.1″ Maxxis Aspen tires which gave all the grip I needed,” Kabush said of his tire choice.

Like last year, Kabush ran 650b x 2.1″ Maxxis Aspen mountain bike tires on his gravel bike. Geoff Kabush’s 2019 Iceman Cometh OPEN WI.DE. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

As a Shimano sponsored rider, Kabush used components from sub-brand PRO. He mounted his Turnix Carbon saddle on a Vibe zero-setback seatpost.

Kabush used a Pro Turnix saddle and carried some extra gear in case of a flat or mechanical. Geoff Kabush’s 2019 Iceman Cometh OPEN WI.DE. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

On the front end, a Vibe stem held his handlebar, which he wrapped with orange Lizard Skins bar tape.

With GRX shift-brake levers and wide 2.1″ tires, Kabush was ready to rip at the Iceman Cometh Challenge. Geoff Kabush’s 2019 Iceman Cometh OPEN WI.DE. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

Kabush applied power with the newish Shimano XTR M9100 SPD mountain bike pedals we are seeing many Shimano-sponsored riders using this year.

Kabush ran Shimano XTR M9100 SPD mountain bike pedals. Geoff Kabush’s 2019 Iceman Cometh OPEN WI.DE. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

Kabush used a Stages Dash head unit to track his race, and had a map as well as the following data fields: Lap Time, Heart Rate, Distance (in KM), and Time of Day. Other accessories included two titanium King Cage bottle cages and a seat wedge.

Kabush used a Stages Dash computer to stay on course and track his ride. Geoff Kabush’s 2019 Iceman Cometh OPEN WI.DE. © B. Grant / Cyclocross Magazine

For a closer look at Kabush’s OPEN WI.DE., see the specs below.

Geoff Kabush’s OPEN WI.DE. Specs

Frame: OPEN WI.DE., carbon, 12mm thru-axle, flat mount disc
Fork: OPEN U-Turn fork, carbon, 12mm thru-axle, flat mount disc
Shift/Brake Levers: Shimano ST-RX810 hydraulic disc brake dual-control
Calipers: Shimano BR-RX810 hydraulic disc, flat mount
Rotors: Shimano SM-RT900, CenterLock, 160mm
Crankset: Shimano GRX FC-RX810-1, 42t chain ring
Cassette: Shimano 11-40t
Rear Derailleur: Shimano GRX RD-RX812
Chain: Shimano XTR
Wheels: Stan’s NoTubes Crest CB7, 650b
Tires: Maxxis Aspen, 650b x 2.1″
Saddle: PRO Turnix, carbon rail
Seatpost: PRO Vibe Alloy, zero-setback
Handlebar: Alloy
Stem: PRO Vibe Alloy
Pedals: Shimano XTR M9100 SPD
More info: opencycle.com

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by Carl Decker

The Grinduro “gravel enduro” concept is not new, really. It’s a purpler twist on Enduro MTB racing. Which was stolen from motorbike racing, which was preceded by four-wheeled Rally racing, and probably some sort of Enduro horse racing prior to that.

A long day in the field with intermittent bouts of all-out racing, separated by transits, or liaisons or whatever you’d like to call non-timed mileage—it’s a format that has appeal across several sports. The popularity of Grinduro’s fresh take, however, is as compelling as any of them.

There are four Grinduro events this year, as the “Party to Race Ratio” franchise has begun expanding thanks to the popularity of its event in Quincy, California—an event that has sold out every year since it began some five years ago.

It’s only the Quincy event that I’m familiar with though—a race I’ve ridden four times and won once. It is a race that is palpably different from any other event I’ve done, from the camp vibes at the Plumas County Fairgrounds to the unique mix of riders and revelers and industry insiders that attend it.

Quincy, a tired logging town experiencing a spark of renewal in the form of cycling tourism, is central to the Grinduro plot as well. The mountains there are big and beautiful, the riding the perfect amount of remote. That special place—and the food, and the custom steel Ron-Duh-Nay riding hipsters— make Grinduro what it is.

Or do they?

A New Way of Grinduroing

When I heard that Grinduro was coming to Japan this year, I was pumped. Of course, I wanted to go. And of course, it sold out immediately. I feared I’d missed the boat.

But my favorite adventure sidekick, Barry Wicks, was keen for some adventuring out East too, and being a Giro athlete (Giro produces the race series), he secured us a couple of entries. A few weeks later, Barry and I were on a plane headed for Tokyo. With no idea what the course was like, a vague idea where the venue was and only each other to rely on in getting there.

Fortunately, Barry had been to Japan several times for cyclocross events in the past. And for me, it would be my third trip to Japan, a place that presents bizarre challenges and surprising rewards around every corner.

Carl Decker and Barry Wicks teamed up for a Grinduro Japan adventure.

My first trip, in 2008, was actually to spectate at one of those Grinduro antecedents I mentioned earlier, Rally Japan, a perennial stop on the World Rally Championship circuit. On that first trip, I learned about the magic of electric Japanese toilets; the difficulty of driving on the wrong side of the road through Sapporo while effectively illiterate; and that rules in Japan are plenty and they are meant to be followed.

But simply being arrested for 8 hours and subsequently dressed down by 5 angry Japanese officials in some dark Hokkaido forest couldn’t deter me from falling in love with the Island. Japan is weird in good ways—and bad.

Once on the ground in Tokyo, with bike cases over one shoulder and duffle bags over the other, Barry and I shuffled and shrugged our way from one train to another as we made our way to the venue, 5 hours distant.

We’d sit serenely aboard the Hokuriku Shinkansen train at 160mph through the mountains that played host to the Nagano Olympics in 1998. Then, by taxi, we’d finally wind our way up an old pass to a mountain summit and Madarao Kogen, a large and mostly vacant hot-spring hotel that towers over a dilapidated but charming 1970s era ski village.

The weather was sunny, and our spirits were high. We’d made it to Grinduro! Hai! We went for a mountainous jog and hit the onsen (Japanese hot spring pool) after a traditional—and wild—Japanese dinner at the hotel.

Decker and Wicks spent some time relaxing at the hotel spa.

By then, of course, we’d heard of the coming typhoon. Hagibis was on a direct course for Tokyo, and the category 5 storm was expected to wreak havoc on central Japan. Grinduro was possibly going to be canceled.

With 46 hours until game time, we held out hope and went riding a lot, exploring the area that the event was rumored to take place in. We took pictures of shrines, drank Pocari Sweat from vending machines and admired the micro-farm covered hillsides of rural Japan. Micro tractors worked in micro fields. And microcars sat in narrow driveways.

Decker, Wicks and the crew got some exploring in before race day.

On Friday, we were delighted to hear that the race would be shortened from 80km to 34km. At this point, with Hagibis en route, we viewed it as lengthening the course from Zero to 34km—a pleasant surprise.

By Friday night, maybe half of the 400+ registered riders had rolled the dice and shown up at Madarao Mountain. Most of the racers were Japanese, but there were several riders of other nationalities as well. Very put-together natives astride beautiful custom bikes carefully color-matched to their Rapha riding gear stood beside kooky and unkempt (but maybe equally considered) foreigners on mid-fat touring bikes.

Without a car for transportation, food on the mountain had become a problem for Barry and me. The village restaurants were all closed for the season, save for the intermittent hours of the hotel buffet. When we’d come back from riding, we’d come back to Madarao hungry and often between buffet hours.

It was more than once we had dinner from the vending machines down the hallway. The first time you allow yourself ice-cream bars and $2 cans of beer for dinner is fun. But diminishing returns arrived quickly.

Race Day

We were obviously excited for breakfast on race day. Part of the draw of Grinduro California has always been great catering, after all.

We were up at 4:30 a.m. (jet lag, what?) ahead of the 7:30 start and were impatient for breakfast to begin at 6 a.m. at the Heidi ski area just down the hill. Breakfast would consist of a hot dog and a banana. I appreciated the good omen for an auspicious day of Japanese racing—two phalluses!

But Barry and I were still hungry. We asked for more weiners and were denied. We had our Japanese buddy, Daisuke ask for more bananas but were rebuffed—“This is not possible.” Moments later, I saw a mostly uneaten piece of sandwich bread in a garbage can and gave Barry a guilty look before grabbing and eating it. At least there were feed zones out on course—let’s get started already!

With the sound of a conch shell horn blown by a Shinto priest, we rolled from the start line and into the mist. Hagibis was just beginning to arrive, and the weather was warm and tropical, befitting the lush green mountainsides we were riding through. Course marshals were everywhere on the track, and they were rabidly cheering us on, evidently unaware of the uncompetitive nature of the untimed sections of the Enduro race format.

Stage 1 was an uphill time trial of undetermined length (some things were lost in translation). Barry and I rode hard, but slightly conservatively, together and Tydeman Nelson, a strong Junior rider from California, eventually came around us. We kept him in sight, and then at what I reckoned was about the midway point, Barry put in a huge effort to bridge to Tydeman.

“We’re not even halfway through!” I shouted limply, as I let him go. But seconds later, the finish line came into view. Oh shit! I’d missed the 500m go go sign, and they had not. Oops. Tydeman would eke out a small margin over Barry, and I’d finish third on the stage.

The first feed zone was well stocked, and Barry and I arrived greedy for the offerings there. Boxes were stacked high of large energy bars in shiny red wrappers that read “PROfit—20g protein”—and an excited Japanese dude enthusiastically thrust them at us as we rolled to a stop.

Once in hand, you could feel that they were weighty too—my stomach groaned in anticipation. But peeling the wrapper back had us looking at each other and then back at the PROfit—they were twin-packs of uncooked hot dogs. We had a good laugh and put them back in the box. Orange slices for us, thanks! But I’ll still count it as 4 phalluses in a row for Japanese good luck.

Stage 2 was mostly a downhill grass-track, again of undetermined length. The course was taped wide, with purple Grinduro ribbon held to freshly cut turf by unspilt pairs of wooden chopsticks. Barry, Tydeman, and I had ridden what we thought was the course the day prior, but it ended up finishing well short of what we’d practiced.

Regardless, it was a fun track reminiscent of 1990s downhill mountain bike racing and pretty wild on a gravel bike. I’d end up winning this one, gnarly Maxxis Ravager tires abetting my foot-out cornering antics on that track’s increasingly sodden grass and clay as the typhoon’s rains strengthened.

Decker’s Maxxis Ravager tires became more useful as the day wore on.

The third and final stage was an even shorter grass downhill track just below our hotel but with the addition of half a lap of both the (sketchy, square-curbed) go-cart track and the (incredibly boring, but safe) off-road buggy track as a preamble. It seems that goofy ski area summertime attractions are universal, be they in Oregon, France or Japan.

Barry, with his MTB tires and seat dropper got the, uh, drop on us here, winning that stage convincingly. Three stages. Three winners. Fun.

Despite Hagibis’ influence and the many changes and adjustments that the storm forced, the Grinduro staff did an outstanding job of staying nimble and keeping the event fun and the riders happy. It would have been reasonable—prudent, even—to cancel the whole damn thing, but their die-trying nature just wouldn’t allow it.

They worked doubly hard for the benefit of only half as many racers, and I’ll say that for me, personally, it salvaged my whole trip, getting to rip down those grass slopes carefully marked with chopsticks.

Post-Race Reflections

At Grinduro CA, awards are usually at about 9 p.m.—an intermission between bands at the fairgrounds. But with Hagibis bearing down on Grinduro Japan, awards were hastened to 3 p.m., as most of the party was hurrying to pack up and get off the mountain.

Barry would stand regally atop the podium with a 2-liter bottle of Sake and the other spoils of victory. I’d come second, only barely ahead of youngster Tydeman.  There aren’t many Juniors that can keep it together for an event like this, and Tydeman’s manner off the bike belies his age as well—an impressive kid.

The three of us had come a long way to compete in this event, and all of us had put our best foot forward in an effort to win here. But for most of the Japanese, racing results seemed to be secondary—it’s the trying, or even the appearance of trying—that’s paramount in their culture.

Even on the untimed segments, many would stand and attack or feign effort for cheering bystanders or course marshals. It was apparent that they were saving face in a strange scenario caused by onlookers’ lack of awareness of the rules of the game.

Eventually, even I was standing up to accelerate for cheering spectators during untimed sections—the minor effort being easier to muster than enduring the awkwardness that comes with not appearing to try at all. It’s rather opposite the Western racer’s usual goal of hiding one’s suffering, of playing it cool.

In America, high school kids use “Try-hard” as a put down to peers who are not nonchalant enough or appear too focused on a goal. I’ve never liked that sentiment. I want to try hard. I like it when other people try hard. But prizing the effort itself might have its own pitfalls.

As quickly as the race had arrived, it was packed up and gone, and Barry and I were again left in the nearly empty hotel. It rained a lot—not the most furious rain I’ve seen, but it was totally unrelenting for two days. By the time we were slated to leave we were told the road to the train station was closed by mudslides. And the train station was flooded anyway.

We extended our stay another night. We read books and tried the rest of the ice cream flavors in the vending machine. We played 15 games of ping-pong. Barry won nine. We laid in bed and talked about life, and I told him my remembrance of the very first time I saw him at a local Oregon race, back in the day. “We’ve been doing this shit together for 20 years, Barry!” I exclaimed.

We hung out at the onsen enough that we became almost used to the casual point-blank male nudity there. We became experts at what weird things to avoid at the breakfast buffet (pickled plums) and what weird things to enjoy there (octopus fritters).

Barry Wicks dines with Carl Decker at the nearly abandoned resort hotel.

And then, when the clouds lifted on Monday, Barry and I joined up with the hotel’s other 4 remaining Grindurists and chartered a van 2 hours north to the nearest functional train station. The following fast-forward tour of the Japanese countryside via Bullet Train didn’t reveal as much devastation as we’d expected—rivers were high and chocolatey, yes, but adjacent rice paddies seemed to shrug off the flooding with little care. Things looked surprisingly normal.

But there were casualties—both human and infrastructural. The very Hokuriku Shinkansen line we’d ridden north is still closed as of this writing, and the 120 of its high-tech cars destroyed by flooding will take an estimated $300 million to replace.

All things considered, Barry and I got out of there pretty easily. And with an adventurous little bike race to boot.

I’d call the whole trip a success. The good fortune portended by weiners is real.

The post Rider Diary: Carl Decker’s Grinduro Japan Barry Wicks Buddy Comedy appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

Earlier this year, Viathon Bicycles launched with a direct-to-consumer business model and a catalog of high-end carbon bicycles, taking an approach similar to the one Canyon has used.

[caption id="attachment_141608" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel bike is Walmart’s attempt to capture some of the high-end, direct-to-consumer bicycle market. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The brand, which is a property of Wal-Mart, is helmed by industry veterans with design and engineering provided by Kevin Quan Studios, one of the bright minds behind Knight Composites.

We welcomed a demo G.1 gravel bike for a review. Did Wal-Mart do its homework before its first foray into high-end bikes and gravel? We were anxious to find out.

The Frame

Some cyclists couldn’t care less about the owner of their bike’s brand, while others may steer clear of a bike from the famous big-box retailer without local bike shop service. The rest might be skeptical of such a venture. Perhaps the G.1’s stats could reassure wary consumers?

The G.1, one of 3 models launched by Viathon, is a modern gravel bike with a 1,010g claimed 54cm frame weight with hardware. Thanks to a dropped chainstay design, the G1 clearance for 700c x 40mm or 650b x 2.1” tires and a maximum chainring size of 50t, according to the viathonbicycles.com website, while walmart.com boasts 700c clearance up to 51mm tires. Take your pick, there’s a lot of room.

[caption id="attachment_141589" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Viathon G.1 has plenty of clearance for wide tires. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The Viathon G.1, like all Viathon offerings, is a full carbon frame and fork. As expected, the frame features 12mm thru-axles front and rear with flat mount brakes and internal cable routing by way of removable cable stops.

[caption id="attachment_141591" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel bike routes everything internally. (Our tough testing left a battle scar.) © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Home mechanics will rejoice at the inclusion of an English threaded bottom bracket. For further utility, the frame is equipped with fender mounts and threaded bosses for both front and rear racks as well as an adventure-ready three bottle cages.

[caption id="attachment_141587" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel bike review has you ready for wet riding or hauling gear with fender and rack mounts. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Geometry is versatile with 582mm of stack and 387.6mm of reach for a size 56. The frame boasts a moderate 72-degree head tube and 48mm fork rake, yielding 61.9mm of trail, coupled with 42.5cm chainstays and 6.9 cm of bottom bracket drop. Sizes 56 and smaller have slightly steeper-than-average seat tube angles, with the 56cm featuring a seat tube angle of 73.5 degrees. Racers with a more setback position will want a setback post, and consumers trying to decide on an appropriate size should value the reach numbers over top tube lengths.

Despite the gravel-oriented name, the G.1 could easily pass for a cyclocross bike with its geometry. While we try to avoid putting much weight on labels and categories used in marketing, could the G.1’s build justify the gravel label?

The Build

With a price tag of $2,999, the G.1 Ultegra boasts an impressive spec list, but one that skews a bit more cyclocross than gravel. It includes a full Shimano Ultegra R8000 hydraulic disc groupset with the cyclocrosser’s standard of 46/36t chainrings.

Out back, there’s an 11-32t cassette, not the 11-34t made popular by the RX and GRX drivetrains. Although the G.1 is built with a 2x drivetrain, we’re surprised to see a non-clutch R8000-GS rear derailleur rather than an RX800 or GRX clutch derailleur. (Update: new production models are shipping with the RX800 rear derailleur, as shown on walmart.com but not Viathon’s website.)

[caption id="attachment_141597" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] We’d replace the Ultegra Shadow rear derailleur for a clutch-based RX800 or GRX rear derailleur, but we only dropped our chain once. New production models now ship with the RX800, thankfully. Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel bike review. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

A common way to save money on a build is by using a cheaper third party option where it’s harder to spot like the bottom bracket, but the G.1 features an Ultegra level BBR60 bearing set. Similarly, the bike ships with a Shimano HG701 chain.

The G.1 Ultegra comes out of the box with HED Ardennes LT wheels, which feature a tubeless-ready 21mm internal width rim and straight steel spokes for a 1549g claimed weight. Braking is handled by 160mm RT800 Centerlock rotors front and rear.

The G.1 also skews more cyclocross than gravel with its narrow-for-gravel 35mm Continential CycloX King tires. Maybe the width is moot, as the CycloX King is a tube-only tire, which many gravel or cyclocrosser racers will end up replacing. It’s a shame, because it’s a grippy tread and has decent volume for cyclocross. Continental finally offers tubeless tires, and they’d be an appropriate spec on this bike.

[caption id="attachment_141603" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] HED Ardennes tubeless wheels unfortunately come with non-tubeless 35mm Continental CycloXKing tires. Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel bike review. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Viathon didn’t skimp in the area of cockpit components—no generics or house brand components here. The G.1 comes with alloy Zipp Service Course SL bits for the handlebar, stem and seatpost.

[caption id="attachment_141599" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel bike doesn’t penny pinch with house brand components and features a Zipp Service Course SL cockpit. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Interestingly, the G.1 ships specs list a zero-offset post, which in conjunction with a steeper seat angle, pushes the rider further forward than is typical of road or cyclocross fits. Thankfully, our test bike had some setback with a Service Course setback post for a familiar position, but Viathon made a running change and current models ship with the zero-offset but lighter SL version.

Viathon, just as with its cockpit, doesn’t cut corners in saddle choice. The post is topped with a name brand pick, a 138mm Fizik Aliante R3 saddle.

[caption id="attachment_141598" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] A two-bolt Zipp Service Course seat post offers a secure, name brand perch but production models ship with a zero-offset SL model. Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel bike review. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Notably, especially for a gravel oriented build, the bar is wrapped in white Fizik tape. Wash up after you make a mess, okay?

The entire package is reasonably light. Our 56cm test bike tipped the scales at 18.8 pounds, without pedals. If you’ve got your own race wheels, you’ll be putting them on a build that weighs a respectable 11.4 pounds without wheels. Of course, if you swapped out the heavy inner tubes for a splash of sealant and a lightweight tubeless tire, you could save more weight.

The Ride

Out of the box, the Viathon G.1 is capable but may send you riding to your local shop for some immediate upgrades. The Continental cyclocross tires are grippy and thankfully, at 35mm, don’t mistakenly adhere to UCI tire width rules. Still, they’re quite narrow and aggressive by current day standards for gravel.

Even worse, they’re not tubeless-ready, even though Continental has finally embraced tubeless and other brands have plenty of other capable gravel options. Spending $100 or more on new tires and valves to take advantage of the HED Ardennes tubeless wheels should be factored into any purchase decision. To avoid pinch flats and goat head flats, we spent much of our test time riding other wheels and tires, and the stock wheels and tires with Tubolito tubes (stay tuned for that review).

[caption id="attachment_141602" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] There’s plenty of clearance around the 35mm Continental cyclocross tires. We’ve fit 47mm gravel tires, and wish the bike came with something bigger that’s already tubeless-ready. Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel bike review. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Getting past the Viathon’s short-sighted tire choice, the Viathon is one of the more capable carbon frames we’ve tested recently. The G.1 boasts impressive tire and mud clearance for both gravel and cyclocross escapades. The frame’s official clearance is listed at 40mm on 700c wheels (and 51mm on Walmart.com), and it clears Soma Fabrications’ excellent 50mm Cazadero gravel tires (which measured 47mm on Easton EC90 AX test wheels).

That opens up a world of options for both cyclocross and gravel. Race cyclocross in the mud without pitting and ride the roughest gravel or chase mountain bikers with big-volume tires. Gravel tires keep getting bigger, and the Viathon is ready for tires bigger than 40mm. We picked the Viathon G.1, armed with 50mm tires, for a bumpy cyclocross race.

[caption id="attachment_142482" align="aligncenter" width="1043"] Mud clearance or tire clearance? The Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel frame and fork have both. A 50mm (47mm measured) Soma Cazadero gravel tire has some room to spare. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

If you do max out that tire clearance, watch your toes and front derailleur cable. With 40mm or bigger rubber, size 45 shoes had enough toe overlap that we noticed it while real-world riding technical terrain—not just in parking lot tests. By the crankset, the front derailleur cable end contacts big tires like our 47mm-wide Soma Cazadero.

[caption id="attachment_142479" align="aligncenter" width="1192"] Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel bike clears 47mm tires, but you’ll have to clip your front derailleur cable to be extra short to avoid generating unwanted buzz on your ride. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

All that tire clearance should be a godsend to cyclocross racers, as it translates into great mud clearance without as much toe overlap (unless you’ve stuck with the gravel tire in cyclocross philosophy).

[caption id="attachment_141594" align="aligncenter" width="1268"] Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel bike review features a seatstay bridge but that didn’t limit our ability to ride 47mm tires. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Mother Nature has not yet served NorCal with mud this season—at least at the time of writing—but the G.1 should keep any rider sprinting past the pit, rolling free and unclogged on muddy days. Let the traditionalists laugh at your gravel bike choice while you leave them stuck in the mud.

[caption id="attachment_141605" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel bike features a versatile frame. As equipped, the bike is better-suited for cyclocross than gravel. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Some might even mistake your ride for a Santa Cruz Stigmata, or you for Tobin Ortenblad. While the G.1 shares sloping top tube and dropped seat stay of the Stigmata, by the numbers, it’s nearly a carbon copy of a Specialized CruX.

You can do the full comparison with a 56cm Crux, but we’ll give you some proof. A 56cm G.1 shares the same stack, head angle, chainstay length and bottom bracket drop, while the trail and reach are within 1mm. The biggest difference? The G.1 has a 5mm longer head tube and 2mm shorter wheelbase and front-center (remember that toe overlap?).

[caption id="attachment_142483" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Mud clearance or tire clearance? The Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel frame and fork have both. This is with a 47mm (measured) Soma Cazadero tire. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

We gushed over the Specialized Crux frame and nitpicked our S-Works build package. While a bike’s handling is influenced by more than just geometry, it looks like Viathon took a winning cyclocross formula and added even more tire clearance. That’s a safe bet, and one that should serve a cyclist who races both cyclocross and gravel quite well.

Those with pro-level watts should be pleased as the frame is quite stiff. You’ll need to lean on tire volume and pressure for a compliant ride. The boxy tube shapes and compact rear triangle help translate your effort into forward momentum and tire flex. Sprinting out of corners, up steep hills and navigating taped hairpins, it feels and handles like a race bike, not like a bike aimed at gravel and bikepacking designed to go straight for hours at a time.

On the run-up, the big, boxy tubes are a plus when the G.1 is resting on your shoulder. Its light weight and big tubes don’t leave a dent thanks to its boxy, flattened top tube shape.

The Verdict

If you can ignore the big G in the model name, and don’t value local bike shop service, the G.1 makes a strong case for a one-bike candidate. It’s got fender and rack mounts for commuting, versatile and moderate geometry that doesn’t steer towards slow tours or grass crits. And it’s more-than-ready to tackle your local cyclocross race.

As a gravel bike, our Ultegra-equipped G.1 test bike misses the mark with its rear derailleur, cassette, chain rings and tire selection. It’s a build we might have applauded five years ago but feel it’s lacking many of the features we’ve grown to appreciate in modern gravel bikes: high-volume tubeless tires, low gearing and chain security. Thankfully production models are now shipping with the RX800 clutch-based rear deraileur, but we’re still longing for lower gears and bigger tubeless tires.

[caption id="attachment_141590" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Yay or boo? Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel bike came with 36/46 chainrings, perfect for cyclocross duty, but perhaps not quite as low or wide as we’d want for long gravel days. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

However, as a 2x cyclocross bike, the G.1 has so much potential. The build is appropriate, the geometry is spot-on and the mud clearance is supreme. With geometry that nearly mirrors a Specialized CruX, you can even argue the Viathon G.1 is more of a cyclocross bike in gravel clothing, if labels are your thing.

Many of us race cyclocross, ride gravel and hit the trails, all on the same bike. If racing cyclocross is what gets your heart racing the most, you’re in luck with the G.1.

Although the Ultegra build has a few flaws as a gravel build, Viathon offers other build kit options including SRAM Force AXS eTap and Shimano 105.

Want to build your own Wal-Mart dream bike? Viathon didn’t originally offer the frameset by itself through its direct-to-consumer model, but now it does. Rejoice, because the G.1 frameset is a winner.

Andrew Yee and Brandon Grant contributed to this review.

Viathon G.1 Ultegra Gravel Bike Specs:

Frame: Viathon G.1 Carbon frame, 1010g claimed weight (54), internal cable routing, 12x142mm thru-axle, flat mount disc brakes, threaded bottom bracket, rack and fender mounts
Fork: Viathon G.1, full carbon, rack and fender mounts, internal brake routing, flat-mount brakes, 12mm thru-axle
Shifter: Shimano Ultegra R8020 integrated shift-brake levers, 11-speed mechanical shifting, hydraulic disc brake
Brake Calipers: Shimano Ultegra R8070 flat mount
Rotors: Shimano RT800, Centerlock, 160mm front and rear
Bottom Bracket: Shimano Ultegra BBR60, 68mm BSA
Crankset: Shimano Ultegra R8000, 46/36t chainrings
Cassette: Shimano Ultegra CS-R8000, 11-speed, 11-32t
Front derailleur: Shimano Ultegra R8000
Rear derailleur: Shimano Ultegra R8000-GS (on test bike), RX800 (on current production models)
Chain: Shimano Ultegra HG701
Wheels: HED Ardennes LT Disc, tubeless-ready, 21mm internal width, Centerlock disc mounts, 12mm thru-axle, 11-speed Hyperglide freehub, 1,549g claimed weight.
Tires: Continential CycloX King 700c x 35mm, non-tubeless
Handlebar: Zipp Service Course SL 70, alloy
Stem: Zipp Service Course SL, 110mm alloy
Seatpost: Zipp Service Course SL, zero setback, alloy (official spec, non-SL with setback on our test bike)
Saddle: Fizik Aliante R3, K:ium rails, 138mm width
Weight: 18.8 pounds without pedals, 11.4 pounds without wheels
More Info: walmart.com

Viathon G.1 Gravel Bike Photo Gallery:

Viathon’s G.1 carbon gravel bike review might be one of the best gravel frames for cyclocross. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

The post Ridden and Reviewed: Viathon G.1 Gravel Bike appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

We have been proponents of low pressure tubeless for cyclocross for nearly a decade now, starting with conversions that evolved to where tubeless for ’cross and gravel is now. Nearly every disc wheel for cyclocross and gravel is “tubeless-ready” with a beadshelf, and tubeless-ready tires now come with an air-sealing layer in the casing.

Before tubeless hit cyclocross in 2009, it was the rage with mountain bike enthusiasts—who arguably push the tire/wheel combination the hardest—and they found the tubeless system all but eliminated pinch flats and simultaneously reduced rolling resistance. Traction and ride quality improved with the ability to run lower air pressure, since pinching the tube was no longer a problem.

As tire pressure lowers, the risk of “bottoming” the tire onto the rim increases. That can lead to a pinch flat from a tire cut, or a rim dent or crack from the impact. Also tire rebound of a soft tire can sometimes be unnerving, as is sidewall fold-over with hard cornering.

The CushCore insert is a product designed to help address some of these issues that come with running low pressures in tubeless tires. We first saw the CushCore insert at Sea Otter, and we have now had a chance to put the company’s new Gravel/CX version to the test for ourselves.

The kit comes with two inserts and two valve stems. CushCore Gravel/CX Insert. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

CushCore Gravel/CX Kit

The CushCore insert is a closed-cell foam insert that fills a portion of the tire volume. Think of a foam ring that fits around the rim and with the tire fit over it.

In cross-section, the insert fills about one-third of the rim portion of the tire lumen. That has several effects—it disallows the tire from flattening out with impact, it damps the bounce of the tire by interacting with the sidewall, it keeps the bead on the bead shelf avoiding the burp, it supports the tire casing when the wheel leans in turns avoiding the fold-over and it adds 125g for the Gravel/CX version.

CushCore demoed how the Cushcore insert fits the tire. Cushcore Gravel Tire Insert, 2019 Sea Otter Classic. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine

Gravity enthusiast and KTM motorcycle suspension engineer Adam Krefting originally designed the CushCore for downhill mountain biking. The seemingly simple product took him two years of prototype design to arrive at his desired fit, durability and ride quality.

Although riding downhill is now a part of gravel events such as Grinduro, we were most interested in testing out the Gravel/CX CushCore kit. The kit comes with 2 inserts designed for 700c tires 33 to 46mm wide and 2 special valve stems. The kit costs $150, and each insert weighs 125g, which is 15g heavier than the claimed weight.

The CushCore Gravel/CX insert is designed to help with tubeless setups. CushCore Gravel/CX Insert. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

The inserts are also available separately for $75 without the valve stems.

The valve stems are a bit pricey, but they help allow the system to work properly. CushCore Gravel/CX Insert. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

Why would you want to pay an extra $75 for the valve stems? The stem is anodized, with the air holes opening parallel to the rim rather than perpendicular as with a standard valve stem. The design aids in sealant dispersion since the CushCore insert sits tightly above the stem.  The CushCore insert does have channels for the sealant to travel around, but it will flow in much more easily with the included valve stem.

The valve stem opens horizontally, not vertically. CushCore Gravel/CX Insert. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine

CushCore Installation

The CushCore kit provides installation instructions, and the website has instructional videos, but I still found a noticeable learning curve for installation and removal of the insert.

The CushCore insert stretches onto a tubeless-ready rim like a tubular would. Because the CushCore prevents sealant from swishing around, your rim taping skills definitely have to be up to snuff to get a full seal.

The design has gaps to allow sealant to move around. CushCore Gravel/CX Insert. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

Once the insert is in place, you lubricate the tire with soapy water and then mount it by pushing the tire bead into the rim channel below the insert. For my test setup, I mounted a 38mm Specialized Tracer tire on an Alex Rims Baxter 3.0 carbon rim that has a hookless profile and 25mm internal width.

I found this part of the installation process to be pretty challenging the first time around. In total, my first attempt took about half an hour to mount a tire that might usually take 10 minutes to get set up. It did, however, get faster and easier with experience.

Even with a 38mm tire and a wide internal width rim, I still had to work hard to push the tire bead below the CushCore insert. The 38mm tire width is in the middle of the recommended range for the Gravel/CX CushCore, which suggests narrower 33/35mm cyclocross or gravel tires might be even more difficult to mount. The CushCore itself is pliable and the instructions provided are helpful, so it is doable, however.

CushCore Ride Impressions

CushCore’s website recommends running tires 1-5psi lower than you normally would. For a setup such as the 38mm tires on 25mm internal rims, I might typically start as low as 18psi in the rear (I weigh 155 pounds), although the rim tends to bottom out on roots and I don’t really like the fold-over in corners. Usually I will ride around 24psi.

I decided to go all-in on testing the CushCore and started at 15psi front and rear, which definitely seems shockingly low, especially for a rear tire.

Starting out on the road, the ride was remarkably smooth, and the low pressure allowed the tires to soak up small vibrations and bumps. Most remarkably, the tires did not bounce out of small dips and cracks nor bottom out as they might have had I not been running the CushCore inserts. Pushing the pace through corners, the disconcerting feeling of a tire folding was largely absent. All of that was at just 15psi.

If I am being honest, the shallow tread of the Tracer often makes it a less-than-ideal choice for the dry, loose conditions of warm California autumns. With the surface area of the tire increased thanks to the low pressures I could run, the tires had remarkable—and maybe a bit unexpected—traction. I did not notice the tire bottoming out, even over roots and rocks, and handling through chicanes was solid and predictable.

Based on past experience with suspension saddles, seatposts and decouplers, the ride with the CushCore at low pressures was the smoothest of those options because the tires absorb the bumps at their source. CushCore’s website cites an independent study from Motion Instruments that support my experience. It is just a single study, but it is a start and certainly better than pure theory.

The CushCore insert provides sidewall stability. CushCore Gravel/CX Insert. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

The improved ride experience does come at a weight cost. The 125g for the insert and then 60g of tire sealant weighs more than a tube would.

To save weight, CushCore says you can potentially run lighter tires with the CushCore insert, which my experience supports given the sidewall support and protection provided by the insert. You could also potentially save weight by riding a less aggressive tread, although most tires in a given use and category generally weigh about the same.

Despite adding some heft to both tires, I did not immediately notice the additional weight. On the road, the tire felt similar to a normal insert-less tire at 24psi, but I did notice a bit of a decrease in snap and acceleration when sprinting hard.

For cyclocross, I think the CushCore is a net benefit, despite the increased weight. On one hand, the weight penalty will tax you during the constant accelerations for 30 to 60 minutes, but the lower tire pressures should allow you to carry more speed through turns thanks to the additional traction. The damped suspension effect would also be of benefit on technical, rocky, rooty courses where bouncing tires can really slow you down.

For gravel, unless you are coming to the line ala Land Run 2018, courses are long and the climbs are usually more steady. Add in the rough roads, and the extra cush is likely to make your ride smoother and more enjoyable. Even if you do not push the tire pressure limits like I did, I found pressures on the order of 18, 20 and 24 psi still provided a more comfortable ride than what I might have expected out of my tire/rim combination.

Not every ride is going to go perfectly, and sometimes tubeless setups get flats. For smaller punctures, a tire with the CushCore insert can be fixed with a plug and sealant. If your tire gets slashed and you have to go to a tube, you will have to remove the insert for it to fit. That means you will either have to stuff the sealant-y foam core in your kit or go old school by wearing it like a bandolier. At nearly $40 an insert, it would be expensive to leave it laying on the side of the road, and you shouldn’t litter anyway.

The Verdict

Our experience has shown that riding lower pressures for both cyclocross and gravel with tubeless setups greatly contributes to ride quality and handling confidence. The CushCore insert is a well thought out product that allows you to run a lower tire pressure than you normally would and access those benefits of a tubeless setup.

Our testing of the Gravel/CX CushCore showed increased compliance when going over bumps and roots, and the foam insert provided noticeable sidewall support.

The benefits of the CushCore do come at a cost, with a kit costing $150 and the setup adding 125g to each wheel versus a regular tubeless setup. I also found that setting the CushCore up can be a bit challenging and frustrating, so allot some extra time and patience at first.

Once you get rolling with the CushCore insert, the benefits are easy to experience as you take full advantage of what tubeless setups can offer.

CushCore Gravel/CX Kit Specs

MSRP: $150 for 2 inserts and 2 valves
Weight: 125g / insert
Tire Widths: 700c x 33-46mm
More Info: cushcore.com

The post Review: CushCore Gravel/CX Tubeless Foam Insert appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

We put the $679, 18.9-pound flat-bar Woom Off 5 24” wheel bike to the test.

[caption id="attachment_142668" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The lightweight Woom Off 5 24″ bike review is ready for any off-road riding and tips the scales at just 18.9 pounds. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The Search for a Youth Cyclocross Bike

Cyclocross is undoubtedly a great bike racing discipline for youth. The off-road and closed course nature of the racing presents a low-risk environment and the compact nature of most races makes for a family friendly activity. Go to just about any cyclocross race and you’ll likely find entire families participating at some level.

Unfortunately for the smallest racers, most major manufacturer’s dedicated cyclocross bikes fit range starts at 4’11” and feature 700c wheels. What about the smaller kids?

Some, like Vida Lopez de San Roman, turn to custom frame builders for what has been their traditional bastion, fit issues. Others embrace a “run what you brung’ attitude and ride their general-purpose kid’s bike. A third option comes in the form of smaller bike manufacturers that specialize in the unique market segment of high-end bikes for kids such as Prevelo, Islabikes and Woom.

Not many families or kids have the luxury of owning a quiver of off-road race bikes. Often, it’s a question of prioritization. A dedicated drop-bar race bike could be the way to go for a child focused on cyclocross, but what if a kid likes to ride trails, race cyclocross, grind some gravel, hit a few jumps and ride to school? A mountain bike is arguably more practical and definitely more versatile. Furthermore, most 8 to 10-year-olds are still much more confident on a flat handlebar.

[caption id="attachment_142658" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Woom Off 5 24″ bike offers a bit of handlebar rise. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Woom designs and manufactures kids bikes in a variety of sizes, starting with a 12” balance bike and maxing out with a 26” platform. Woom produces a rigid mountain bike, the Woom Off, a series of rigid, lightweight mountain bikes that start with 20” wheels and go up in size to 26″ wheels with the Woom Off 6.

Sure, the Woom Off may be a mountain bike, but with a rigid carbon fork and a lightweight aluminum frame, the 24” wheeled Woom Off 5 is a sub-19lb bike for kids ages 7-11, or 49-57” tall.

The Frame

The Woom Off 5 is built around a 6061 aluminum frame with fully manipulated tubing. The design has a low standover height for rider confidence and sports features usually not found on youth bikes, like thru-axles and a tapered steerer fork.

[caption id="attachment_142665" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Woom Off 5 24″ bike boasts plenty of standover clearance for the little ones. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The frame features a saddle height that ranges from 28.2″ to 32.3″ with the supplied seat post. The effective top tube is 21″. Think that sounds long? Keep in mind that the small bike has a slack 70-degree seat angle, which reduces the effective reach.

One of the things that sets Woom apart, for better or worse, is the amount of the bike that is built to spec for the company, and parts of the frame do depart from more standard dimensions.

The rear dropouts, for example, use a 135mm thru-axle wheel, providing a narrower stance for smaller riders. Similarly, the fork tapers from 1 ⅛” to 1″, rather than the more common 1 ⅛” to 1 ¼” or 1 ½” found on adult bikes. Although you could run an adaptor headset, parents hoping to swap between rigid and suspension forks will be hard-pressed to find 1″ steerer suspension forks in good working condition.

[caption id="attachment_142664" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Woom Off 5 24″ bike features a carbon fork with a unique 1″ to 1-1/8″ taper. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The frame geometry, listed only in Imperial units, follows mountain bike trends with a relatively slack front end and short stem. It’s built to be stable with a 38″ (965mm) wheelbase. For reference, a 47cm Trek Boone is only 3cm longer, despite being drastically larger overall. Also aiding in stability is the 69-degree head tube angle.

The Build

The Woom 5 is built using a large amount of house brand parts designed specifically for the bike as a package. Most notable are the 1″-1 ⅛” tapered fork and the Woom Off Disco Tec wheels, which use a 15x100m thru-axle in the front and a 135mm rear spacing.

The 9-speed SRAM drivetrain uses an X5 shifter and rear derailleur with an 11-34t cassette while a 28t narrow-wide chain ring mounted on 130mm crankarms keeps the front in check.

[caption id="attachment_142652" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] SRAM trigger shifters and narrow grips offer easy, comfortable operation for the small hands. Woom Off 5 24″ bike review. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

We’d love to see a clutch derailleur and even lower gear, as seen on the Prevelo Zulu Four bikes or Cleary Scout 24”, but those models are also heavier and come with suspension forks.

[caption id="attachment_142667" align="aligncenter" width="1149"] The Woom Off 5 24″ bike features a SRAM X5 rear derailleur. We’d love to see a clutch but the X5 keeps cost and shifting effort lower. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

A single chain guard keeps the chain from dropping on the outside, and keeps the young one’s pants clean.

Stopping is handled by Promax hydraulic disc brakes, which feature levers designed specifically for small hands and 140mm rotors.

[caption id="attachment_142657" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] No flat mount here. Post mount hydraulic brakes handle speed control. Woom Off 5 24″ bike review. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The handlebar is a 600mm flat MTB style bar with 20mm of rise and an anodized silver finish and is clad in custom silicon grips. The stem is CNC machined with a 50mm length and a +/- 15-degree design. The saddle, which was designed to fit the dimensions of a child-sized pelvis, is mounted to a 350mm 27.2mm seat post.

[caption id="attachment_142662" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The 24″ Rocket Ron tires are grippy and relatively light, but aren’t officially tubeless. Neither are the rims. Woom Off 5 24″ bike review. © A. Yee / Cyclocross MagazineThe 24″ Rocket Ron tires are grippy and relatively light, but aren’t officially tubeless. Neither are the rims. Woom Off 5 24″ bike review. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Woom also custom spec’d the wheels, using a 20 spoke, 2x lacing pattern front and rear on Off Disco Tec double-wall rims. The hubs feature sealed bearings and 15x100mm front and 12×135 rear thru-axles, not something you find in every bike shop. They’re relatively light, but not officially tubeless. That also applies to the Schwalbe Rocket Ron tires. Woom reports that they’ve had some success doing tubeless conversions, but we haven’t tried this ourselves yet.

The Ride

The Woom Off 5 impresses with its low standover, stable, confidence-inspiring geometry and ergonomically-accurate components. Woom ensures its contact points are designed for the smaller riders. The smaller saddle, narrow diameter grips and short cranks all ensure the youth have a comfortable experience. The cranks, at 130mm seem awfully short, even when compared to other brand’s 24″ wheel bikes, but crunch the numbers and for a 4’5″ they’re proportional to a 5’11” cyclist on 172.5mm cranks. Teaching the kids to spin and preserve their young knees seems like a good thing.

[caption id="attachment_142666" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Woom Off 5 24″ bike offers short, 130mm 1x cranks. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

We won’t oversell our tester’s ability to wax poetically about ride quality or handling, even if he’s nearing approaching records for bikes ridden by a nine-year-old. What we can tell you is that the Woom Off 5 is impressively light and is the most cyclocross-ready kid’s mountain bike we’ve seen.

Compared to the average kid’s mountain bike, the 18.9-pound Woom Off 5 makes barriers and run-ups a relative breeze. With its selective parts pick and lightweight carbon fork, the Off 5 is three to four pounds lighter than bikes nearly twice its price.

[caption id="attachment_142660" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] There is room for mud or bigger tires. Woom Off 5 24″ bike review. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

That weight savings will come in handy when the cyclocross course or trail points up, as the gearing is relatively tall for long or steep climbs. A 28×34 low gear will have them running on the steepest climbs—and parents will assure them it’s faster anyway. Some may long for the lower gears offered by 10-speed and 11-speed cassettes, but such an upgrade would require a new shifter, cassette and rear derailleur.

A lightweight 27.2mm two-bolt post both keeps saddle angle secure during remounts and allows weight weenie parents plenty of options for gram savings.

[caption id="attachment_142661" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] A lightweight two-bolt post for secure remounts. As the rider grows, you may want some setback. Woom Off 5 24″ bike review. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The wide riser bar paired with hydraulic brakes and grippy, wide Rocket Ron tires make for a confidence-inspiring ride when the terrain is bumpy, technical or drops down. We’d love to have tubeless options here, but understand that at $679, Woom had to make some compromises.

[caption id="attachment_142655" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The 24″ Rocket Ron tires are grippy and relatively light, but aren’t officially tubeless. Neither are the rims. Woom Off 5 24″ bike review. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Thankfully, those compromises are only in areas that a parent will notice.

Your kid’s smile may prove that the Woom Off 5 is the ultimate do-it-all kid’s bike.

Brandon Grant and Andrew Yee contributed to this review.

Woom Off 5 Full Specs

Frame: Woom Off 5, 6061 alloy, 135mm rear dropout, external cables, post mount disc brakes tapered headset
Fork: Carbon, 15x100mm thru-axle, post mount discs
Shifter: SRAM X5
Brake Levers: Promax, kids lever
Brake Calipers: Promax
Brake Rotors: Promax
Crankset: 130mm crankarm, alloy
Chain Ring: 28t narrow-wide
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X5
Cassette: SRAM 11-34t, 9-speed
Wheels: Woom Off Disco Tec, alloy, 20 spoke, 2x lacing, alloy nipples, 15x100mm front, 12x135mm rear.
Tires: Schwalbe Rocket Ron, ADDIX Speed compound, 2.35”
Handlebar: alloy, 600mm, 20mm rise
Stem: CNC alloy, =/- 15 degree, 50mm length
Seatpost: Alloy, zero-setback
Saddle: Woom, child-specific design
Pedals: fiber reinforced nylon flat pedal
More Info: woombikes.com

Woom Off 5 Kid’s Mountain Bike Photo Gallery

The lightweight Woom Off 5 24″ bike review is ready for any off-road riding and tips the scales at just 18.9 pounds. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

The post Ridden and Reviewed: Woom Off 5 24″ Wheel Rigid Mountain Bike appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

We previously looked at Atomik’s C38 road wheels and now a set of ultralight Atomik gravel wheels with Berd composite spokes has rolled in for review.

[caption id="attachment_143081" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Reduced rotating weight and a more comfortable ride? That’s the claim. Stay tuned to see if we can tell. Atomik’s Ultimate Berd carbon tubeless wheels with Berd polyethylene spokes. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Notable about our review set is Atomik’s collaboration with Berd Spokes. We have seen other composite spokes such as Spox, PBO and Tracomp, and Berd is a new, woven option in town.

Our review Atomik Carbon Ultimate Gravel wheels are built using Berd’s PolyLight spokes, which claim a strength-to-weight ratio 12 times greater than steel spokes.

[caption id="attachment_143076" align="aligncenter" width="1276"] Berd spokes are pulled through the hub flange and secured with a rod, which acts as a stop. Atomik’s Ultimate Berd carbon tubeless wheels with Berd polyethylene spokes. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Any of Atomik’s wheels can be built with Berd Spokes, but our test set uses the XC33 rim, which has a claimed weight of 435g and is 26mm internally wide. It’s a hookless rim with a wide bead shelf, and it comes pre-taped with valves.

[caption id="attachment_143084" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Atomik’s rim uses a hookless sidewall design, with a wide bead shelf. Atomik’s Ultimate Berd carbon tubeless wheels with Berd polyethylene spokes. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The Berd spokes connect the XC33 rim with Industry 9 Torch Centerlock hubs in a 28-hole configuration. Berd claims a wheelset with its spokes weighs about 100g less than its metal spoke equivalent.

[caption id="attachment_143085" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Berd’s polymer spokes claim 12 times the strength to weight ratio of steel spokes. Atomik’s Ultimate Berd carbon tubeless wheels with Berd polyethylene spokes. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Berd claims its spokes are the lightest on the market and advertises gravel and mountain wheelsets as low as 1,200g. That would put them in a competitive space with light wheels such as Roval’s Terra CLX EVO.

Our test set tipped the scales at 1394g with tape and valves. That’s a bit heavier than the list 1350g weight, but includes tape and valves, and is still quite light for a carbon disc wheelset and wider rim.

While weight savings is half of the Berd spoke story, the other half is the strength and ride comfort.

[caption id="attachment_143087" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Atomik and Berd claim higher strength-to-weight ratios for the Berd spokes.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_143088" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Berd spokes also boast vibration damping.[/caption]

Atomik boasts superior spoke strength while also reducing the vibration transmitted by each spoke. We’ve seen such claims before, including by Spinergy with its PBO spokes that we found to be quite comfortable.

All Atomik rims carry a no questions asked lifetime warranty.

Stay tuned as we put the wheelset to the test. See Atomik’s full press release below the specs and photo gallery.

Atomik XC33 with Berd spokes and Industry Nine i9 Torch Hubs Wheelset Specs:

Price: $1,899 introductory price, $2199 in January 2020
Weight: 1,350g list, 1,394g actual with tape and valves (the 1,290 list weight on its site is wrong, Atomik clarified)
Rim Weights: 435g (claimed)
Rim Width: 25.8mm internal (actual), 26mm list, 33mm external
Rim Depth: 24mm
Spokes: Berd PolyLight, 28 F/R
Hub: Industry Nine Torch, Centerlock
Axles: Quick release, 12 and 15mm thru-axle
More Info: atomikcarbon.com

Atomik Ultimate Berd Gravel Wheels with XC33 Rim and I9 Torch Hubs Photo Gallery:

Berd spokes are pulled through the hub flange and secured with a rod, which acts as a stop. Atomik’s Ultimate Berd carbon tubeless wheels with Berd polyethylene spokes. © Cyclocross Magazine

The post New Product Spotlight: Atomik’s Ultimate Berd Gravel Wheels with PolyLight Spokes appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

Alison Tetrick, Olivia Dillon and Sarah Sturm are among the riders who have made names for themselves on the bike at the discipline’s highest level, and the bike has proven a worthy option for many an amateur as well.

[caption id="attachment_135998" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Sarah Sturm is among the riders on the Specialized Diverge gravel bike. Sarah Sturm’s 2019 Lost and Found Specialized Diverge gravel bike. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Notable about the Diverge when it was first released was the Future Shock front suspension system. The spring-based system replaced Specialized’s old Zertz inserts by providing progressive compliance at the rider’s hands. The Future Shock system returns to the Diverge for the 2020 model year along with the bike’s FACT 9r carbon frame and Open Road Geometry.

We have done our share of gravel grinding on the 2020 Diverge Expert build for this long-term review. Find out if it is worth considering for your future gravel adventures.

[caption id="attachment_143041" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Gravel Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The Frame

The Specialized Diverge Expert has a Specialized FACT (Functional Advanced Carbon Technology) 9r carbon fiber frame. The numeric monikers refer to carbon fiber modulus and 9r is the lowest level on the Specialized scale now after the demise of 8r. The no-holds-barred Diverge S-Works is the only model that differs, offering the same frame with 11r carbon, the whole bike equipped with SRAM AXS for $10k.

Adding suspension to the front end of bikes is nothing new, with the practice starting with the Softride stem and Girvin Flexstem, followed by suspension forks, led by Rock Shox. One unique method of suspension was Cannondale’s Headshock located within the head tube of the frame.

With the renaissance of the 1980’s mountain bike, aka the gravel bike of present times, we have seen a renaissance of these inventions with the RedShift Sports ShockStop stem, the suspension fork (Lauf, Fox AX, Cannondale Slate Lefty), the Trek IsoSpeed decoupler and now a head tube integrated shock, the Specialized Future Shock.

The Future Shock suspends the rider via a cartridge housed within the steerer tube with a progressive mainspring and a booster spring at the top to adjust firmness. The movement is above the upper headset race and moves in a linear fashion, so there is no change in handlebar angle. The amount of movement is maximally 20mm.

[caption id="attachment_143054" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Future Shock features a progressive spring system that provides compliance at the rider’s hands. 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Gravel Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

When Specialized first released the Diverge, it said it wanted to move away from cyclocross geometry toward what it calls Open Road Geometry. After riding the bike, we would probably classify it as a “relaxed road” geo.

The head tube angle on the Diverge is a neutral 72.5 degrees on our 56cm review sample. The effective top tube length is 56.1cm. With a 60.4cm front center and 42.1cm chainstays, the wheelbase is 101.1cm.

It all sounds like a cyclocross bike until you notice the bottom bracket drop is an ultra-low 8.5cm. That’s 1.5 -2.5cm lower than most cyclocross bikes and 1.0-1.5 lower than most gravel bikes out there presently. Add big 700c rubber and you’re back up a bit, but by all standards, it’s low.

The reach for the Diverge 56cm is 379mm, and the 613mm stack height is a little on the high side and brings the handlebars up high.

There are three bottle mounting points, one under the down tube. The regular down tube and seat tube bottle mounts have three screws each for flexibility in placement or for a longer accessory cage.

[caption id="attachment_143043" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The seat tube features triple cage mounts for versatility. 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Gravel Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

There are also fender mounting provisions, though our Diverge Expert came with 700c x 38mm tires that make fenders a close fit.

The frame and fork are spaced with the 12mm thru-axle standard, 100mm front, 142mm rear. The control lines run internally entering the down tube, the derailleur lines with a cable stop so the cables are in the tubes without housing. There is a provision for a front derailleur cable, and a trap door below the bottom bracket shell to access the rear lines.

[caption id="attachment_143042" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Diverge has internal routing through the frame and fork. 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Gravel Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The bottom bracket is a BB386. Specialized says the Diverge will fit 700c x 42mm tires or 650b x 47mm tires maximally, and we would attest that to be true.

[caption id="attachment_143048" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Diverge has an extra cage mount under the down tube near the BB386 EVO bottom bracket. 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Gravel Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The full carbon fork has a tapered steerer with a flat mount for the brake caliper with an internally run brake line and mounting screws on the blades for a front rack. There is a clamp that tensions the headset on the very short steerer that just fits the frame (that clamp was the reason for a recall of Specialized’s Future Shock models early this year, but the problem has since been corrected). The Future Shock slides into the steerer and is held in place by a set screw. The stem mounts to the Future Shock directly.

The whole package is painted a very attractive though understated metallic blue.

The Build

All the Specialized Diverge models—except for the E5 alloy and S-Works carbon—use the same FACT 9r carbon frame and differ by build. We reviewed the Expert build, which is below the S-Works and Pro models, but above the Sport model.

Specialized spec’d the 1x drivetrain around the SRAM Force 1 groupset. Specialized modified the drivetrain with the addition of a Praxis Zyante Carbon 1x crankset with a 40-tooth Wave Tech chain ring. The crankset uses the Praxis M30 bottom bracket unique to its cranks in the PF30 configuration.

[caption id="attachment_143050" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The 1x drivetrain features a Praxis Zayante Carbon 1x crankset and 40t Praxis Wave Tech chain ring. 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Gravel Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The rear derailleur is a SRAM Force 1 model, and the KMC X11 EL chain shifts across a 10-42t SRAM XG-1150 cassette mounted on an XD driver.

[caption id="attachment_143049" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The 1x drivetrain features a SRAM Force 1 rear derailleur and a spinny 10-42t cassette spread. 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Gravel Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Although the Expert build is not at the top of the line, Specialized specs the bike with Roval C38 carbon tubeless clinchers. The 1,560g (claimed) 700c wheels have 38mm-deep rims that have 21mm and 26.5 external widths. Twenty-four DT Swiss Competition (2.0/1.8/2.0) j-bend spokes lace the rims to the DT Swiss 350 disc hub. The front has radial spokes on the non-rotor side, otherwise, the wheels are laced 2x.

[caption id="attachment_143053" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Expert Diverge comes stock with Specialized Pathfinder Pro 38mm tires on Specialized Roval C38 carbon disc wheels. 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Gravel Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The Specialized Pathfinder Pro 700c x 38mm 2Bliss tires shipped with tubes installed, but the set also comes with tubeless valves. We immediately and easily set the wheels up tubeless.

The cockpit has a Specialized Adventure Gear Hover aluminum bar that rises above the stem by a centimeter and flares 12 degrees toward the drops. The width is 42cm c-c at the brake hoods. The bars are clamped by a 100mm aluminum stem.

[caption id="attachment_143051" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The stock cockpit features a Specialized Adventure Gear Hover bar and Future alloy stem. 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Gravel Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The seatpost is a 27.2mm carbon CG-R Specialized model, sometimes nicknamed the “Cobble-Gobbler” from its early days, which is has a bend with and elastomer (Specialized Zertz) insert as a shock absorber and damper. The single-bolt clamp on the post is topped with a Specialized Body Geometry Power Expert with hollow titanium rails.

[caption id="attachment_143045" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Specialized CG-R carbon single bolt seatpost. Body Geometry Power Expert saddle with Ti rails. 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Gravel Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The full setup weighs 19.0 pounds without pedals and 12.0 pounds without wheels.

The MSRP for the Diverge Expert is $4,750.

The Ride

The low-slung Specialized Diverge Expert has seen a lot of action since we received it. You immediately notice a remarkable smoothness thanks to the Future Shock, which is quite active as long as your hands are on the bars.

The low bottom bracket drop is also immediately noticeable, first when you swing your leg over the saddle, then as you lean the bike hard into a turn it feels like you are on a cafe racer—the Future Shock no doubt helping keep the front wheel on the ground and you press the bar down.

For my 155 pounds of rider weight, I used the installed stiffest spring in the Future Shock. There was about 5mm of visible sag in the front when sitting on the bike with my hands on the hoods. It sags a bit more as you lean forward to reach down to the drops, but barely.

Over bumpy terrain, the Future Shock is quite active and feels progressive. I never bottomed out, even coming down a few stairs or on small drops. Since the movement is vertically in line with the steering axis, there was no change to the bike geometry—the front end merely moves up towards you as your bar stays in place over a bump less than 20mm.

At least that’s the theory, though in reality your hands and arms will still feel the bumps, but they are muted. The Future Shock has some damping, and it never felt like the rebound amplified any of the bumpiness.

The Diverge has certainly more road-oriented geometry than some of the new gravel bikes such as the Kona Libre DL we recently reviewed.

Compared to Specialized’s own Roubaix, the Diverge is a more relaxed road bike even with its 59mm trail (compared to the Roubaix’s 55mm trail calculation). Your position will be a bit more upright, and with the longer wheelbase and lower bottom bracket, the ride will be more stable in comparison. Just for comparison, an average cyclocross bike has around 65mm of trail and a standard road bike is around 55-59mm.

Enough with calculations and suspected effects on handling. The Diverge indeed handles like a road bike, carving through turns with just a lean, never wavering from your chosen line. With both the 38mm tubeless tires and the Future Shock, every road seems as if it’s newly paved, or at least one level of pavement better than it actually is.

The smoothness creates confidence with the road bike handling on poor road surfaces and especially in corners on those bad roads. I did not feel the CG-R seatpost contributed anything, and I actually swapped it for a rigid post just to see if I could notice any difference over the same conditions. It was not a blind test, but I could at least say I could not confidently say there was a noticeable difference.

Once off pavement, the bike felt worthy of our test tracks including fire roads with small buried rocks and some surface looseness, loamy trails punctuated with roots and singletrack trails of varying surface including some rocks and twisting tightly through trees. We pushed the Diverge hard on a couple of cyclocross courses and it was a reasonable contender.

The advantage of the Future Shock acted almost as a damper to the fast handling front end. Going down some steep, rocky sections, it felt as if I might go over the bar, but the mild shock absorption from the Future Shock helpe me regain composure and control.

The low bottom bracket came as both a merit and demerit—the low position kept the center of gravity low, but also produced more pedal strikes. Not every system is perfect, of course. In the tight tracks through the trees and chicanes, the minor bar movement from the Future Shock made precise steering a bit more challenging.

[caption id="attachment_143040" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Diverge has a very low bottom bracket, with a BB drop of 8.5cm. 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Gravel Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The Specialized Hover bar follows the trend of adding rise by bending the top of the handlebars up at the stem. I suppose this is a way to gain a higher position without a rise to the stem and there is a negligible aesthetic or even aerodynamic advantage. While I personally don’t love the look, the Diverge requires a tall stack above the headset to fit the Future Shock, so I think having a riser stem would look worse.

We are all familiar now with the SRAM Force 1 components, and though I thought the substitution of the Praxis crank is nice to give the small company some love, the SRAM Force bottom bracket is more universal and I dislike the fixed bearing of the Praxis M30 bottom bracket conceptually since it puts more strain on one side, potentially leading to premature wear.

Roval is a Specialized house brand (albeit one that’s now seeking its own time in the sun and gravel) and the included Roval C38 wheels get the job done. I’m glad they have proven DT Swiss hubs with normal J-bend spokes with external nipples. The Specialized Pathfinder tires are a good choice for this bike, but I’d prefer the Tracer Pro 2Bliss as a stock tire since my mixed-terrain riding veers mostly off pavement.

[caption id="attachment_143052" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Diverge Expert comes with 700c x 38mm Pathfinder Pro tires. Specialized claims clearance for tires up to 700c x 42mm and 650b x 47mm wide. 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Gravel Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

One odd occurrence we encountered is related to the rear derailleur hanger that has the axle shelf as part of its design. It is held on with a single screw. When reinstalling a wheel, the hanger was inadvertently rotated just so the thru-axle did not align to thread in, which was frustrating although the fix was easy. Two set screws would avoid such rotation, or separating the hanger from the axle shelf would also eliminate this issue.

The Verdict

The Specialized Diverge Expert is a fun bike to ride and truly embodies the all-road design. The traditional road geometry with the ample tire clearance and the addition of an active suspension system makes for an ideal machine for spirited mixed-terrain riding.

The smoothing effect of the Future Shock and the stability of the low bottom bracket render the bike suitable for long days in the saddle. The design of the Future Shock seems simple enough to be reliable and the headset is easy enough to adjust once you know the technique. All who tried the Diverge seemed skeptical at first but grew to quickly appreciate and like the bike. It has become a bike of choice for long days in the saddle on bumpy gravel roads.

For more on the 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert, see the specs and photo gallery below.

2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Specs

MSRP: $4,750 USD
Weight: 19.0 pounds, no pedals; 12.0 lbs, without wheels or pedals
Frame: Specialized FACT 9r carbon fiber monocoque, 12mm thru-axle, flat mount disc
Fork: Specialized FACT 9r carbon fiber, Future Shock, 12mm thru-axle, flat mount disc
Shifters: SRAM Force 1 hydraulic 11 speed
Brakes: SRAM Force 1 hydraulic, Avid rotors 160mm front, 160mm rear
Crankset: Praxis Zayante Carbon 1x
Chain Ring: Praxis Wave Tech, 40t
Rear Derailleur: SRAM Force 1
Cassette: SRAM 1150 10-42t
Wheels: Roval C38 carbon tubeless clinchers, 21mm internal width
Tires: Specialized Pathway 700c x 38mm 2Bliss clinchers
Cockpit: Specialized Future 100mm stem, 42cm Hover aluminum bar
Seatpost: CG-R carbon 27.2mm diameter
Saddle: Specialized Body Geometry Power Expert
Warranty: Lifetime, frame and fork, wheels against defects in manufacturing
Country of origin: Taiwan
More Info: specialized.com

Photo Gallery: 2020 Specialized Diverge Gravel Bike

2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Gravel Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine

The post Ridden and Reviewed: 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Gravel Bike appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

Heading into the 2019 cycling season, the EF Education First program drew attention with its proposed “alternative racing calendar,” targeting events such as the Dirty Kanza 200 and Leadville 100.

However, quietly planning a multi-disciplinary program of his own was then-Trek-Segafredo’s Peter Stetina. Stetina put his name on the groad map by winning the Belgian Waffle Ride in May and then grinding to a 2nd-place finish at the Dirty Kanza 200 (he even entered the lottery!). A narrow 4th-place finish at the Leadville 100 helped cap an impressive rookie “alternative calendar” season.

Doing those races, however, was about much more than just good results for the rider who made his WorldTour debut nearly a decade ago.

“[Alternative racing] had my complete attention after BWR and Kanza,” Stetina said. “BWR was pretty monumental in terms of how I viewed cycling in the U.S. and the grassroots scene. It was just so much fun, and it reignited a fire deep down. Then Kanza built on that and Leadville built on that. I just realized this was where I was happiest in bike racing at the moment.”

Peter Stetina won his groad debut at the 2019 Belgian Waffle Ride. photo: BWR Photo Pool

Somewhere in the midst of his grinding, Stetina made a monumental personal decision for 2020—he was going to leave the WorldTour and continue his career as a professional groad privateer.

“It was hard to take that initial step and make that decision to leave the WorldTour. That’s the tried and proven path,” Stetina admitted. “It’s cutthroat racing and a hard lifestyle with the traveling, but it was a known quantity for me. It’s definitely hard to take that leap, but once I took it, the outpouring and interest and the gratification that has already come have validated my decision.”

Sponsors for his program at the moment include Canyon, Shimano, Clif Bar, Sportful Clothing and IRC Tires, and his schedule is expected to include a mix of gravel, groad and endurance mountain bike events across the U.S. and abroad.

Stetina said his 2020 national-level program to kick off at the Land Run 100 in March, and he will also be targeting other big races such as Belgian Waffle Ride, the Dirty Kanza 200, Grinduro and the Leadville 100.

Part of why gravel has grown in the U.S. is the inclusive nature and friendly vibe fostered while riding roads less traveled across the country. Although he already has great results in just his first groad season, Stetina said his goal for 2020 is about more than just results.

“Lifestyle is just as important,” he said. “It’s about honorable racing. It’s about not skipping turns. It’s about attrition. And it’s about community. At the end of the day, we’re all going to have a beer together and talk about the trials and tribulations.”

“The great thing about a good IPA is it’s great for celebrating and it’s great for commiserating. At these events, everyone goes out and they go through their own personal hell. It’s very Type 2 fun. There’s really not much difference between me finishing DK and the person finishing in the middle of the night. They pushed to the absolute limit. There’s a communal aspect in that, knowing we all met our maker, but we got through it. I want to recognize that with everybody.”

I recently chatted with Stetina about his new professional groad privateer program and plans for 2020. You can read a transcript of our conversation below.

Interview: Peter Stetina, Professional Gravel Privateer

Cyclocross Magazine: We chatted after you won Belgian Waffle when the whole gravel and groad thing was new to you. What was the progression from doing that, doing the Dirty Kanza and getting a good result there to saying, ‘Hey, I want to be a professional gravel racer?’

Peter Stetina: It was the pursuit of happiness. It had my complete attention after BWR and Kanza. BWR was pretty monumental in terms of how I viewed cycling in the U.S. and the grassroots scene. It was just so much fun, and it reignited a fire deep down. Then Kanza built on that and Leadville built on that. I just realized this was where I was happiest in bike racing at the moment, and I could see through the social media interest, the interview requests, the industry interest that this thing has legs. In my mind, there is a real opportunity to make this financially viable and turn it into a full-time focus instead of moonlighting in it on the side.

I made the decision to pursue it. It was hard to take that initial step and make that decision to leave the WorldTour. That’s the tried and proven path. It’s cutthroat racing and a hard lifestyle with the traveling, but it was a known quantity for me. It’s definitely hard to take that leap, but once I took it, the outpouring and interest and the gratification that has already come have validated my decision.

CXM: I don’t want to necessarily call you a pioneer or whatever, but this is definitely a road less traveled, saying, ‘Hey, I want to do this new developing scene full-time.’ Did you look to other sources for motivation or a blueprint for what this could look like?

PS: Yeah, I’ve seen it can be somewhat sustainable. Ted King is doing this full-time now, and he’s had success with it. Granted, we have different career paths and different styles of how we’ve done things, but you can see he puts in the work and has done really well.

A big part of it is Gary Erickson at Clif Bar is one of the biggest mentors in my life, and they’re a big partner for next year, his entire story is taking the road less traveled and walking away from a guaranteed thing in the big-time to pursue his dream and what he believed was right. That’s the whole story of how Clif was born. He has fully supported me in this decision, and he believes in taking that shot if you believe in it. He was a big help and a big sounding board for making this choice.

Peter Stetina hits the road as the first pro gravel privateer in 2020. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200 Gravel Race. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

CXM: Your partners include Clif Bar, I think I read Canyon is on board? Who are your partners for the program?

PS: There are more to be announced, but I can currently tell you it will be Canyon bikes, Shimano tip-to-tail, including wheels, components, shoes, pedals, helmets, glasses. It’s the Lazer helmet. Then Sportful Clothing for my race kit and training gear. IRC will be my tire sponsor.

CXM: Does that mean you’ll be riding the Grail with Shimano GRX?

PS: Every race setup will be different. The focus will be on highlighting the compatibility of what you can do across different platforms. For the gravel races, I will be on the Grail, but how we’re going to build that out with Shimano will be a changing thing. The GRX is definitely robust and durable, however, sometimes I’m going to be on pure Dura-Ace for the lightest weight. For example, power meter training, I’ll be using the Dura-Ace crankset. The nice thing with Shimano is you can kind of mix and match to create the perfect gearing combo and part combination possible. You might see me on a GRX derailleur with Dura-Ace shifters, or something like that.

CXM: Gravel has a lot of grassroots support but no TV yet. We’ve seen where EF had some money to do some cool videos and stuff. What are your plans for producing value for your sponsors? That’s another thing that’s not set in stone for gravel.

PS: It’s always a revolving thing, but there are many different ways to make that happen. Content creation is an important part of being an athlete. Media and social media are important. Interviews such as this one are important for me and my sponsors. I’m lucky enough that I’ll have eyes on me next year. I know it puts a sense of responsibility on my shoulders, and it’s going to give me a reason to get out every day.

For a lot of my sponsors, content creation will be a big part of what we do. I’m excited to talk about the products, and every sponsor I’m working with, there’s a personal reason why I chose them. It’s not just reaching out for a paycheck and some parts. I have carefully curated and selected each sponsor, and there’s an expectation we will work together through media and R&D to tell a story about both of us.

For example, this is a multi-discipline program. You’re not just going to see me at gravel races. You’ll see me at mountain bike races and even some road races. With Canyon, I’m happy to highlight their full range of bikes. Most bike riders have more than one bike, and there is usually a bike for the job, and the content creation will be highlighting that.

I’m not a media, YouTube guy though. I’m a bike racer. I’m still focused on bike racing, but why I love this scene, and a lot of people love this scene, is it’s fun and it’s also a lifestyle. That’s going to be a really heavy focus as well. I think there’s a way to do both.

My position is gravel is legit now. This can be another viable option beyond just being a pro roadie. I want this to be an inclusive movement. I’m definitely not the only person who’s going to do this, and I hope this will set a trend for other athletes too. Just as the gravel community is inclusive, I want what I’m doing to be inclusive.

I’m going to treat this as a pro racer because I think it shows gravel is legit and here to stay, but at the same time, I hope more folks follow my idea.

Peter Stetina will be back at the Dirty Kanza 200 in 2020. 2019 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200 Gravel Race. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

CXM: Talking with you and seeing your reaction to enjoying the crap out of BWR and Dirty Kanza, I think that reflected the experience most amateurs have as well. I know it was true for myself. I think anyone who’s done gravel is not surprised you’ve kind of fallen in love with it and are taking this route. But you made your announcement, and there were people out there who were like, ‘Oh, gravel pro, that sounds stupid.’ What was your reaction to those folks and the bigger picture reception you got?

PS: You know, I can tell you I think it’s been 98% positive. It’s more positive than the normal announcement in any other regard on social media. There were way fewer trolls. For the trolls still out there, I’ll say, who hasn’t dreamed of being their own boss? It’s empowering, and there’s a chance to make a living and have validation that you can do it. And have people who support you in doing that. It’s following a dream. You have to be a pretty big sourpuss for calling someone out for following their dream and trying to find happiness.

CXM: You will be having a lot more fun than the trolls, that’s for sure.

PS: Yeah, yeah.

CXM: I was talking to Amanda Nauman, and she was really interested to hear about your plans for what kind of races you’ll be targeting? Did you make it in Land Run? What does your schedule look like?

PS: I’ll be at a lot of the biggest gravel races, and even some foreign ones. You’ll see me at the majority of the biggest U.S. gravel races. My first outing in 2020 will be the local Grasshopper Adventure Series [in California], but then my first national-caliber event will be the Land Run 100. Then you’re going to see me at the LifeTime events. SBT GRVL. I’m really excited they created the LeadBoat Challenge because as a stage racer, I think I have a lot of experience to offer to the riders taking on that adventure. Then you might even see me in Europe in Iceland, some Grinduros, even Japan.

CXM: Sweet. You’re doing the Rift?

PS: Yeah, I will be at the Rift. Of course, the Belgian Waffle Ride kind of kicked this whole thing off, so that will be a focal point of my season.

CXM: Part of being a professional bike racer is getting paid when you win and do well. Some gravel events don’t do payouts though, they give you a belt buckle. Are you going to be balancing events that have payouts with events that have prestige? Have you thought about ways translating, say, winning LandRun into getting paid?

PS: To be blunt, a big factor in making this decision was can this be financially viable. At the end of the day, cycling is my job, and I have to pay my mortgage. Everyone can relate to that. However, I also have to take a long-term view in knowing that this is a somewhat, to take words out of your mouth, of a pioneering step and realize that even if the money doesn’t come at the moment, that by highlighting certain events it will pay off in the long run. It’s a balance of that.

I can say now I’m lucky enough with the sponsors at my back and the support of the industry, I will be able to still treat my life as that of a pro bike racer and make a living. I mean, I’m taking a pay cut from the WorldTour, but it’s still going to work out. I don’t have to get a job at a cafe on the side, which I am very thankful for.

CXM: Is your training going to change at all? Have you given thought to how it will be the same and how it will be different?

PS: It’s a step into the unknown. It’s going to be a very exciting and fresh thing after a decade in the WorldTour. For one, there’s no more stage racing. A big part of how I trained was doing 4, 5-day blocks where I was riding 4 hours everyday kind of thing. Now it’s going to be more one-day races except for the LeadBoat and an appearance with a composite team at a road race here and there.

I’m going to have to totally re-think my training plan. My coach has decided to take on the challenge with me. I’m guessing I’m going to have to put on a little bit of upper body weight. It’s not going to be so much about being a super skinny climber as it is handling those Kansas rollers with a little more force. I think I will be changing my intervals to reflect that.

I think I will still be doing a majority of my training on the road bike just because I’ve done that my whole career. I know how to do the intervals, I know the right routes in town I want to take, the climbs I want to do and how to get the most out of myself because at the bottom line, gravel is still a fitness test.

CXM: Right after you had finished second at DK, you talked about it being a grind. You live in Cali, and gravel is a bit different there from DK. Lost and Found is different from DK is different from Grinduro. What skills do you think are important to develop or that you have to take on this challenge of being a gravel race?

PS: It’s going to take endurance. I think I will be doing a lot more long 7-8 hour training rides, where training for the WorldTour was doing more 5-hour rides but doing them back-to-back. You’re going to need that endurance. You’ll also need more technical ability. I think I will be doing more on the gravel bike, more adventurous training and kind of pushing it through loose corners and stuff.

Technical ability does make a huge difference, but I’m still a pro bike racer, so I want to have the best preparation I can coming into an event. I’m still going to do altitude training and watch my diet. I’ll still enjoy drinking a beer at the post-race festivals, but I won’t be partying hard.

It’s a step into the unknown. I think you and I should have this conversation again at the end of the season. What did I have to change to hopefully find success? What worked? It’s going to be more competitive than ever. This year it was like, ‘Oh the pros are coming to Kanza,’ and it was a new thing with Kiel [Reijnen] and myself and the EF boys, but I think that was kind of the trial to see how it would be received. It went well, and I think there will be another step again coming soon.

Stetina said training his technical and handling skills will be an important part of his program. 2019 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200 Gravel Race. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

CXM: Oh yes, it’s only going to get harder. I think there’s going to be more people like yourself who see all the energy and excitement behind gravel.

PS: At least in the U.S., yes. And I think Europe is watching closely.

CXM: Results are obviously going to be super important, but beyond winning races, if we talk a year from now, what will success look like?

PS: Results and podiums are definitely important, but they’re not the be-all and end-all like they are in WorldTour road racing. Lifestyle is just as important. It’s about honorable racing. It’s about not skipping turns. It’s about attrition. And it’s about community. At the end of the day, we’re all going to have a beer together and talk about the trials and tribulations.

The great thing about a good IPA is it’s great for celebrating and it’s great for commiserating. At these events, everyone goes out and they go through their own personal hell. It’s very Type 2 fun. There’s really not much difference between me finishing DK and the person finishing in the middle of the night. They pushed to the absolute limit. There’s a communal aspect in that, knowing we all met our maker, but we got through it. I want to recognize that with everybody.

Success to me is having a good season, results-wise, but also appreciating the two-wheeled community and giving back to the vibe that made me fall in love with this racing in the first place.

CXM: Well cool, I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me, and I’m really stoked to see how this goes for you.

PS: Definitely. Let’s chat again during the season.

The post Groad Pioneer: Peter Stetina Leaves WorldTour for Pro Gravel Privateer Program appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

Earlier this fall, Life Time, owner of the Dirty Kanza and Leadville 100, announced the creation of a new gravel race in Northwest Arkansas called Big Sugar.

Today, Life Time’s investment in gravel continues with the announcement the fitness and event company has purchased the Crusher in the Tushar. Straight from the source, the news was initially broken on Twitter by the Slow Ride Podcast.

OFFICIAL RUMOR: Lifetime Fitness continues in its conquest to own all of the Groadio Podcast National Gravel Calendar with its purchase of the Crusher In The Tushar.

(Breaking News, BTW)

— TheSlowRidePodcast (@TheSlowRidePod) December 5, 2019

Based in Beaver, Utah, the Crusher in the Tushar was started by Burke Swindlehurst in 2011, and it has quickly grown to be one of the biggest gravel events on the U.S. calendar. Set high in the Tushar Mountains, the course features two challenging climbs—including the famed Col d’ Crush—and one big descent down a washboard fire road.

Life Time has purchased the Crusher in the Tushar gravel race. 2019 Crusher in the Tushar Gravel Race. © Cathy Fegan-Kim / Cottonsox Photo

Swindlehurst will continue as the Event Director with Life Time providing support as it has for the Dirty Kanza and other events.

In a letter to past participants, Swindlehurst said the following:

“I know some of you might be wondering why this partnership and why now? Well, to be perfectly honest, even ol’ Tbird has only so much strength, energy and bandwidth to work with. Don’t get me wrong. The Crusher is what gets me out of bed in the morning, but it also keeps me up plenty of nights, too. I believe this partnership will bring a wealth of experience and resources that will enable the Crusher to march confidently into its second decade on strong legs.”

The 2020 Crusher is scheduled to take place on July 11, 2020. Stay tuned for more on the race’s future and the changes to the national gravel landscape.

Burke Swindlehurst’s Letter to Past Participants

The post Life Time Purchases Crusher in the Tushar Gravel Race appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

The growth of gravel has been a part of the narrative of cycling for several years now, and in 2019, one of the big entries to the ever-developing story was the pros are coming. Or more accurately, the WorldTour pros are coming.

Professional bike racers from mountain biking, cyclocross and even track racing have long been a part of the gravel scene, but at the turn of the new year, EF Education First announced it would be sending riders to the Dirty Kanza 200, Leadville 100 and Three Peaks Cyclocross.

As the spring progressed, there were questions about which riders would be a part of EF’s team as well as how the WorldTour pros would be received and whether or not they would “ruin gravel.”

The Year of the Gravel WorldTour kicked off in a bit lower-key fashion at May’s Belgian Waffle Ride when Trek – Segafredo’s Peter Stetina quietly entered the road and gravel (groad, if you will) race in Southern California and not-so-quietly took the win.

Peter Stetina took the win at the 2019 BWR. photo: BWR Photo Pool

When we chatted with Stetina after his win, it was clear he enjoyed the experience quite a bit and had plans to race more “alternative events” in 2019. One of those proved to be the Dirty Kanza 200, as Stetina and teammate Kiel Reijnen entered the lottery with the common gravel man and earned a spot on the start line in Emporia.

Joining them were the EF Education First squad of Alex Howes, Lachlan Morton and Taylor Phinney.

Lemme take a selfie. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200 Gravel Race. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Before the race, it was clear the WorldTour riders were cognizant of the attention on them, and they showed a desire to earn their way into the gravel community. Why, they even got in some twitter banter with Geoff Kabush about aero bars.

The WorldTour riders proved successful in the Dirty Kanza 200, with Stetina finishing second and Morton and Howes chasing for third. Reijnen finished an impressive sixth after an early flat, and Phinney had a day to forget, results-wise but still seemed to enjoy the 202-mile grind, as much as one can.

WorldTour riders helped chase hard after Colin Strickland when he attacked. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200 Gravel Race. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

More importantly, all reports suggest the WorldTour pros did not ruin gravel at the Dirty Kanza. The EF riders were minor celebrities in the expo area on Friday, and out on the course, they put in a valiant effort to chase down Colin Strickland (Meteor x Giordana x Allied) during his incredible 100-mile solo ride.

This year’s Dirty Kanza 200 was a memorable experience for WorldTour pros. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The Dirty Kanza 200 was not the end of the Year of the Gravel WorldTour. Morton, Stetina and Howes finished 3-4-5 at the Leadville 100, and Howes also raced at the Crusher in the Tushar.

Women domestic pros also got in the act, with DNA Cycling sending teams to the Belgian Waffle Ride, DK200 and Crusher. Lauren Stephens (Team TIBCO / Silicon Valley Bank) finished second at the Crusher in the Tushar and then a month later, teammate Brodie Champman and her went 1-2 at SBT GRVL.

Domestic road pro Brodie Chapman won the inaugural SBT GRVL. 2019 SBT GRVL gravel race. © Wil Matthews

One rider who really enjoyed the opportunity to race gravel and gravel/road events was Stetina. Like, really liked it.

Near the end of 2019, Stetina made the decision to leave the WorldTour and stake out a career as a gravel – alternative event privateer in 2020. As he said in our interview with him, signs point to more road professionals following his lead in the future.

Domestic road pro Brodie Chapman won the inaugural SBT GRVL. 2019 SBT GRVL gravel race. © Wil Matthews

2020 stands to be another big year for gravel. Fortunately for the folks already selling out events in like 2 minutes, the WorldTour pros did not ruin gravel when they traded their skinny tires for those plush, high-volume gravel tires.

The post 2019 Year in Review: The WorldTour Took on Gravel … And It Went Pretty Alright appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

The Golden Globes are this weekend and the Oscars a couple months away, so to fill the award show void, the Groadio podcast has stepped in with the 2019 Groadies award show.

The Groadies look back on the year that was in gravel and hand out awards in categories such as Rookie of the Year, Best Gravel Performance and Gravel Rider of the Year. Because gravel, there is also a category for the Best Gravel Controversy as well.

You can tune into the Groadio podcast hosted by Amanda Nauman, Bill Schieken and your humble editor via the embed below, the Wide Angle Podium website and your favorite podcast repository.

The post Podcast: The Groadio Presents the 2019 Groadies Award Show appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.