All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

No harm in two wheelsets (or three, or four) horses for courses and all that.

WTB makes a lot of 650 tires but, in my experience, they're all pretty mediocre. I'm currently using a set of Maxxis Ramblers in 650 that I find pretty mediocre too. They're ok with the correct pressure but a few PSI in either direction leaves them either feeling squirrley or they ride like a garden hose. I'll probably bin them after this winter season.

I really like the Schwalbe G-One Speed or, my current favorite tire, the Pirelli Cinturato H. I have the Pirellis in 700x35, and 40, but may pick up a pair of 650x50. The Pirellis are the best gravel tire I've ever run on pavement. You barely even notice the tread on the road. I raced on them all summer and rode a ton of BC trail with them too.

 

Have you ridden the specialized pathfinder pro? My bike came with the ramblers in 42mm which were fine. I went to Rene Herse slick 44s (I forget the model) which were great until the turns got loose. the pathfinder pros have been pretty much best for everything, I'd be curious how they compare to the pirellis.

 

I have a Leer 180 on my Tacoma mid rise cap, I build a draw slide in the back for the bike.

which is their

 

I personally haven't ridden the Pathfinder Pro. I'd fit them in the same class.

A few friends have used them and one complaint is that they are almost like three different tires as you lean the bike over with sort of abrupt transitions between the different tread patterns. One of the reasons I like the Pirellis....the tread, though it gets deeper on the side of the tire, is a fairly predictable transition. The Pathfinder Pros are always fairly high rated by most so maybe my impressions are misguided.

I wish I could afford to ride every tire out there.

 

this post makes me uneasy about putting bikes under a cap

this post makes me feel a little better about putting bikes under a cap

 

For those with a short bed 3rd gen, and a shell/cap on the bed, can you fit a bike back there with taking the front wheel off?

Just sold my bike, but didn't even think to try to fit it in my bed under the Alu Cab. I usually transport with a 1up rack, but now with the cap I'd feel better about locking it up when I go to work, trips, etc.

 

It is very possible that I haven't leaned them over far enough to notice the transition. Most of my riding is gravel roads, I rarely go onto singletrack so it's possible I haven't gotten a chance to feel the transition. I can see how the design would lend to that feeling though since it has a slick center and a hard line to the actual knobs.

I also read some people saying the DHF has an abrupt transition, which I have never noticed on 2.5 or 3.0 tires so it is probably just me haha

 

I had transported my bikes that way numerous times before, the window was probably under too much tension, I think the metal clamp on my gravel bike lever is what did the damage but it was hard to tell, it easily could have been the mountain bike brake lever.

I think it all depends on the cap and bike. Like my stache has a shorter wheel base but longer stem and steeper headtube. I believe I am running a 40MM stem on my ripley af which also has a slacker headtube, so maybe it will fit. If it wasn't raining right now I would go test it out haha.

See my response above, The alucab design looks like the rear window is more vertical so there is at least more room to fit bars. With a short bed we are working with very small spaces haha. I can't imagine how people are getting away with these new trucks with 4 foot beds.

 

Some are definitely more in tune with what's happening than others.

If you're 100% gravel you'd likely worry about the transitions less. It's also very gravel dependent. Not everyone's road surfaces are the same. You're more likely to notice the transition (negatively) on pavement or hardpack than soft gravel or single track.

I'm far less picky about tires on my mountain bike than I am on road or gravel. I have Minions as well...they're more tire than I need for my local trails but they came on the bike and IDGAF enough to change them before they wear out.

 

I'm one of those people. I've tried Minions since everyone seems to love them, but that dead spot kills them for me. I think it depends on your riding style -- apparently I spend a lot of time leaning just enough to be in the area with no traction. That traction-no traction-traction thing is nuts.

 

it is definitely interesting because I 100% notice the lack of side knobs but not in between really haha. I'll have to see if I can notice it on my next ride haha.

 

It shouldn’t, that one seems to be a longbed. But seriously, when we had an ARE Z Series, which has a very stylish sloped rear window and a very bulky hinge, on our short bed, our mountain bikes barely fit and they are old-school (vintage 2015) with steep HTA and pretty short wheelbase by modern standards. IIRC the road bikes with dropped bars had to go in forks to the front, and I suspect bigger MTB’s would have to do the same. I tried that setup for a while but got tired of of crawling up front to secure the fork mount. Now I either just throw them over the tailgate … or take the van.

 

I'm getting the same contour canopy as you, and I don't think it would be possible, well with a gravel bike, no. My hoods measure at about 43" from the ground.
What is the interior height for the contour? about 39-40"? it might be possible with a flat bar mountain bike though! my seat is at about 38". I'mabout 5'10" tall.

 

Ya that sounds right for the height.

I'll have a spare tire back there, and a tote of stuff usually, so not much room to lay it on it's side. Although I guess I could pull the rear wheel for the longer trips if needed. For instance, Charlotte to Bentonville is about a 14 hour drive. Would prefer not to have my bike on a rack that entire time, but if I need to I guess it is what it is.

 

I like this setup!

 

I tried looking in the google cache, nothing. if you still have the account, i'm sure you can still access it. if not, I'm sure we could swarm a google doc as a draft before posting on here.

 

For some reason I have decided to bike the Erie Canal Bike Trail from Buffalo to Albany or about 360m. For me I live close to Albany and can ride to the rail station, train it to buffalo and ride back (sounds so easy doesn't it?).... I've already bought the ticket for JUN23, my bike (Canyon Traillite 7) should fit the bill and I've already installed panniers.

I'm just a regular rider probably 30 mile rides about 3 X a week sometimes more sometimes less. I do plan on knocking out some miles for conditionings sake prior to going and I have done a fair amount of primitive hiking/camping before so I plan on using alot of that gear....

-How many miles should I knock out in a day?
-My plan is to camp, camp, hotel kind of thing
-thoughts on stealth camping? Only to fill the void where there isn't anything.

any other thoughts/comments/wisdoms etc, etc are definitely welcome...

 

I saw their sale and almost bit the bullet and then I saw one on marketplace for $900 locally, previously owned by the guy's 13yo daughter so I scooped it up immediately! Loving it. I'm 5'7-8 and it's a size small but I was going for something small and throwable and I have no complaints. Good eye too! Yep it's a '93 Mark II Tourer V. Freshly broken and stored til Spring when I have the motivation to put a new crank pulley on it haha.

It's been here forever! Rockwell park in Bristol, CT. Awesome skate plaza, I'm an avid skateboarder too and been skating there for over a decade but it's been double fun having a bike for it. They've got a dirt pump track there too but honestly it's very poorly made and the rollers are too close together it's used more as an RC car track. They've also got some trails there with a few wooden drop features. The trails are also eh. If you're into all that, would totally be down to show you around it!

 

Ah it is Rockwell! Haven’t been there in a while and have only been 2 or 3 times. The area in that vid didn’t look familiar, then I watched it again and now it’s very obvious haha.

I heard something about a pump track being added there but never saw it. I definitely need to check it out again next time I’m in CT.

 

I keep going back there hoping the pump track is better but it isn't. I just have to bite the bullet and drive the distance to Madison if I want to ride any dirt pump track. Shame Powder Ridge isn't open beyond bike park season, their new asphalt pump track is incredible