Coinciding with today’s Reportage is this video from the trip Sami worked on for Komoot.
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Reportage
Team Tourist in the French Alps’s Bostan Refuge
“We have four kilometers to go with six hundred meters of climbing.” “Well, we can always walk.”
Self-named French “Team Tourist” is sitting cross-legged on a patch of gravel. Regardless of the weather or terrain, Mathias, Sophie, and Elise are smiling and calm, ready to take on anything.
Rue finds a tick behind her knee and Sophie lends us a tiny pair of plastic pliers to get it out. Then, she gives them to us as a gift.
“My hope is that we’ll all regroup here.”
Gaby’s phone rings.
“Okay. Well, that sounds like a good plan. How much is it? Okay. That’ll work.”
It’s day one and Sami is onto her second e-bike of the trip. She burned through the first one near Samoëns. She’s getting ahead and shooting from behind to make a video about our trip. E-bikes are incredible tools for media projects. Ali, the local expert, took her to a bike shop there to see if they could get a new battery and they said for some reason, it was so fried it wouldn’t charge. Instead, she’ll rent a new one with bigger tires, more suspension, and better brakes. With one camera enclosed in a scuba diving protective case, another strapped to a carabiner on her waist, a full backpack, and a drone in her hip pack, she looks like Lara Croft. On the new rig, she’s ready to rip.
Radar
The Cannondale Super Six EVO SE
Cannondale is a on a different plane from a lot of brands, particularly when it comes to their gravel bikes. We’ve reviewed a few over the years here (see below in our Related column), mainly the ones that have tried to push the envelope in various ways. Yet, with all the suspension gimmicks intended to “soften” hard rides, the Super Six EVO SE has returned in a no-fluff gravel bike experience. With clearance for a 45mm tire, the Super Six EVO SE relies on tire pressure to ensure your ride is comfortable and with a light weight carbon chassis, it leaves no room for excuses.
See the full spec list at Cannondale.
Can we just say how great the colors are in this launch? Kudos, team!
Radar
State Bicycle Co Teams Up with the National Parks Foundation
Our friends at State Bicycle Co have worked with the National Park Foundation on a capsule collection of bikes, jerseys, and accessories. Included in this collaborative effort is the Joshua Tree All Road and matching Handlebar bag, the Redwoods Jersey, and more. Check it all out at State Bicycle Co!
Reportage
Squid Bikes Took their Gravtron Gravel Bikes from Reno to Sacramento
Today we’ve got a special bit of Reportage from the crew at Squid Bikes showcasing their new handmade in Taiwan steel gravel model, the Gravtron. Read on below for a look at the owners’, Chris and Emily, personal Gravtron builds as well as a friend Nick’s bike loaded down for a trip from Reno to Sacramento with a trip report by Emily. Check it out below!
Radar
Readers’ Rides: Hurl’s 7 Eleven Inspired Breadwinner B-Road
This week’s Readers’ Rides comes from the person behind Cars-R-Coffins, Mr. Hurl Everstone with photos by Billy Sinkford. We love a good classic homage on a modern bike, so read on below for the full story, written by Hurl!
Radar
ENVE’s All Terrain Bicycle (ATB) Challenge!
ENVE just announced the first-ever ATB Challenge. Five challengers will be selected to participate in the ATB-themed reality TV Gameshow that will tackle a yet-to-be-announced course that’s being aptly named the World’s Most Challenging ATB Route. The chosen contestants will have a bike built to their specs, then be flown to a secret, rugged and remote location somewhere in the United States where they’ll be given the opportunity to complete the route. The episodic series will introduce the selected contestants, their story, bike setup, and finally, their day on the World’s most Challenging ATB Route.
On the popular show Alone, contestants choose the gear they believe will give them the best chance of outlasting the other participants when they can rely on nothing but their own survival instincts and the limited gear available. The ATB Challenge isn’t all that different, but rather than receiving fishing line or a saw, the participants will choose between 650b or 700c wheels, flat, riser, or drop bar, and gearing selections in order to create what they believe is the best All Terrain Bicycle to conquer the route. Big watts and a high Vo2 Max won’t be enough to find success on the route – choosing wisely with equipment and being ready for any course challenge that comes their way will more than level the playing field.
See more at All Terrain Bicycle Challenge!
Radar
Our RockShox Rudy and XPLR Video
We posted this video within today’s Reportage but here it is in a stand-alone post. Thanks to Kyle Klain for whipping this up on such short notice.
Music by Afsky…
Reportage
The RockShox Rudy XPLR Gravel Fork and SRAM AXS XPLR: John Reviews His Sklar Gravel Bike
We joke that time is a flat circle in cycling all too often. Gravel bikes are just ’90s mountain bikes, etc. Yet, we have to accept that we’re in an era of electronic shifting and yes, suspension forks on gravel bikes. This tech, however, is nothing new especially not for RockShox, who for the 1994 Paris Roubaix unveiled a suspension fork on team Lemond GAN’s bikes. In that same year, Mavic even had some Zap electronic groups on the exact same bikes.
Now, 27 years later, we have my Sklar gravel bike which is familiar to most of you, with a suspension fork and electronic shifting, under the banner of SRAM and RockShox’s new XPLR lineup (explore, not explorer). While I haven’t taken on the Hell of the North, I have spent a lot of time being a weirdo in the woods on this kit and have a really fun review to share with y’all, so read on below.
Radar
Steve Potts’ Mountain Type II R Rigid Fork and Gravel Fork Is a Perfect Upgrade for a Gravel, Mountain or Touring Bike
Say you’ve got an older mountain bike frame or a newer adventure-style bike with a threadless carbon fork but you really want a steel fork on it. Well, look no further. Steve Potts has taken his tried and true Type II fork design and broken it into two categories, a Mountain fork, and a Mini Gravel fork. Both of which have cargo bosses on the fork legs, that iconic sleeved unicrown design and thru-axles. The retail for both forks is $500 a pop, which is not bad at all!
Mountain fork specs:
Chromoly construction:
Steer tube 1.125″ x 350 mm long, ( threadless)
IS disc mount
Everything pack mounts
Standard rack mount ( Pass and Stow, etc.)
12 mm x 100 mm thru – axle
Axle to crown: 419 mm
Rake: 47 mm
Stock color: Silver crown, black legs:
Will fit tires up to 75 mm x 736 mm tall, ( 27.5 ” x 3″ 0r 29 ” x 2.25″ )
Gravel fork specs:
Same chromoly specs as the Mountain Fork but with:
Axle to crown: 401 mm
Will fit tires up to 700c x 50 mm
See the full lineup at Steve Potts Cycles.
Radar
The New Kona 2022 Sutra LTD is the 2021 ULTD
When Kona launched the ULTD last year, I don’t think they anticipated its success. What began as an experimental model has now replaced the Sutra LTD for 2022 and the 2021 LTD has been discontinued. So why did Kona do this? It could be a change in consumer demand. People want big, meaty tires, dropper posts, and more expedition-oriented tourers. If you want to learn more about the 2022 Sutra LTD, check out our review of the 2021 Sutra ULTD from last year and see more on the 2022 model at Kona.
Radar
Ride All the Bikes with Korey Hopkins
Different forms of cycling mean different things to cyclist Korey Hopkins and in the latest video from Pearl Izumi, we get to see Korey’s love of two wheels…
Reportage
Alexandera Houchin’s New Custom Chumba Sendero Titanium and Terlingua Titanium Bikes
Chumba Cycles has been supporting ultra-endurance and all-around badass athlete Alexandera Houchin for some time now, outfitting her with a variety of bikes for her endeavors. Yet with the announcement of Chumba’s in-house titanium manufacturing earlier this year, Mark and Vince, the owners of Chumba, wanted to get Alexandera on some new frames. You might recall our coverage of the Sendero Titanium from this year’s ENVE Builder Round Up. After the show, I reached out to Chumba to see if they’d share some photos of Alexandera’s new bikes, so let’s check them out below…
Radar
Readers’ Rides: Chris’ Kruch “All-Country” Drop Bar 29er
Today’s Readers’ Rides is going to stoke a lot of you out. Chris sent in his Kruch “All-Country” Drop Bar 29er and it’s a real looker, so let’s jump right in!
Reportage
GRAVEL IS DEAD: Dain Zaffke’s Evil Chamois Hagar
Am I the only one here that cringes every time I hear the word gravel? It’s been a common word in my world for a few years now, and believe me, I hear the word a lot… but I just can’t embrace it. The word gravel still brings to mind all-day slogs across flat/windblown prairies on the type of surface that’s devoid of traction yet still slowly and steadily saps your spirit. In other words: somehow, somewhere it firmly lodged in my brain that “gravel” is the antithesis of “fun.”
Reportage
FAIL 4: No Word for Stranger at the Migration Gravel Race
“Expect the Unexpected”
The MGR is a 650 km gravel route, 4 stages, about 8000 meters of elevation,
some like to call it a disguised mountain bike race with a bit of gravel,
some will argue that this is the spirit of gravel, a limitless exploration of where the bike can take you.
Radar
Revel’s RW23 Fusion-Fiber Gravel Rims
Lighter, stronger, made in America and 100% recyclable thanks to Fusion-Fiber. There are no environmentally harmful or brittle epoxy in this carbon- it is a toughened, high-performance composite polymer that makes for a significantly more durable, and lighter wheel. Revel took this technology and made the RW23, their first gravel wheels with a 23mm internal width, 24 or 28 Hole, and available as a wheelset or rims. Head to Revel to read more.
Radar
State Bicycle’s 4130 All-Road Gets a New Look
State Bicycle Co is based in Arizona, aka the copper state, so it makes sense their in-demand 4130 All-Road would get an updated paint coating to match the state’s beloved mineral called “Copper Brown.” Yet if that color ain’t doing it for you, there’s also a “Black Canyon” version…
The 4130 All-Road can be built out with either 700c or rugged 650b, an 11-speed drivetrain, and accessory mounts galore. You can switch between 700 or 650b wheels with ease, making the 4130 All-Road a very versatile and affordable option. Best of all, these bikes are in stock now. Yep. No wait list here!
Specs:
4130 Chromoly Steel Frame and Fork, 12×100/12×142 thru-axles
4 sizes XS-L, fit riders from 5’1” to 6’5”
Two Wheel Set Options:
700c: Tubeless Compatible Wheelset w/ Vittoria Terreno Zero 38c Tires
650b: Tubeless Compatible Wheelset w/ Vittoria Barzo 2.1″ Tires
Custom State Bicycle Co. All-Road 1 Bars
Brakes – Promax DSK-300R Flat Mount Disc
Drivetrain- State Bicycle Co. All-Road 1 (1×11 Drivetrain)
Crank – State Bicycle Co. All-Road 1 (42t)
Cassette – 11-42t
MSRP: $899.99
Add BOTH 700c and 650b wheelsets for $389.99
Frameset MSRP: $429.99
See more at State Bicycle Co.
