Rode my acoustic today.

[EMGX]

Not all carbon frames are good, or even safe. There is a lot of science and testing that goes into the design and manufacture of a carbon frame. Sometimes taking a chance on a bargain bike can cost more in the end, (and be dangerous).

I still ride my Wilier Carbon road bike and my Canyon Grizl CF carbon gravel bike. They both handle and perform well and I never doubt their integrity. Canyon sells direct and their prices are very good. Their bikes are world class too. You can get a Canyon Grizl CF6 for about $2000.00.

“Buyer beware” and “if it seems too good to be true, it isn’t” comes to mind when I see a Carbon bike for $1200.

point well taken but I've seen no negative reviews or comments about this bike frame/fork. Bikesdirect elicits ambivalent reactions but almost all independent owner reviews that I've read are very positive, including for their carbon bikes (here's one for a different frame bike https://robrobinette.com/Motobecane_Immortal_Disc_Pro_SL_Gravel_Bike.htm ). Several years ago I bought a mid range mountain bike from them at an unbeatable price at the time, it was completely flawless and as advertised. Most of the negative comments that I've seen are from vocal sceptics who have never owned or even seen one. One member here reported a bad experience which I assume was from one of the very low cost bikes they sell but the poster never really defined which bike that he bought or how much he paid for it so that doesn't count for much in my book.

The only thing that's stopping me is that I have way too many bikes already but don't want to get ride of any of them because they're all used for different specific reasons.

PS
one of the reasons I wouldn't consider the Canyon Grizl that you mentioned is that they cut the steerer tube too short. If someone wants a shorter steerer they can just cut it or have it cut but it can never be made longer like those that come with what bikesdirect sells. I don't want to have to use a steerer extender on a new purchase, I'd rather have it right for me out of the box.

 

[EMGX]

Yeah, I had considered carbon bikes, but I’m cheap and also worried about quality of cheaper carbon frames. They need to be made from a larger more established mfg or UCI certified.

So I instead went with an under 18 lb Single Speed Al frame carbon fork $700 bike

https://www.statebicycle.com/collections/black-label/products/6061-black-label-v2-candy-apple-red.

An absolute joy to climb hills with a light acoustic bike

The lightest bike I have is 26 pounds without fenders/kickstand/pedals. In your opinion is a 8 pound lighter bike that much of a better riding experience? I know that I want to try one, just not a single speed.

 

[Prairie Dog]

This year I’ve likely ridden slightly less on my e-bikes and more acoustic as the opportunity to hit the local roads daily for me is more inviting for the latter. There’s something to be said about an ultra light analog CF road bike that can easily cruise at 35 kph when the heavier Creo tops out at 32. For us, our e-bikes serve a relatively menial purpose and that’s conquering longer distance rides/touring or over hilly/mountainous terrain making these mechanically doped machines truly indispensable even on occasion without PAS. But for shorter 30-50km training runs, hitting the road on a light weight, non-powered bike that is nimbler, accelerates faster and is just more fun to ride is a tough act to follow. Having said that, it maybe best saved for sunny days and smooth roads. Just goes to show that you can have your cake and eat it too.

I occasionally also ride a 3yr old Scott Metrix 10 and likely won’t give it up anytime soon even though a family member has expressed interest in taking it off my hands.

 

[PSm]

This year I’ve likely ridden slightly less on my e-bikes and more acoustic as the opportunity to hit the local roads daily for me is more inviting for the latter. There’s something to be said about an ultra light analog CF road bike that can easily cruise at 35 kph when the heavier Creo tops out at 32. For us, our e-bikes serve a relatively menial purpose and that’s conquering longer distance rides/touring or over hilly/mountainous terrain making these mechanically doped machines truly indispensable even on occasion without PAS. But for shorter 30-50km training runs, hitting the road on a light weight, non-powered bike that is nimbler, accelerates faster and is just more fun to ride is a tough act to follow. Having said that, it maybe best saved for sunny days and smooth roads. Just goes to show that you can have your cake and eat it too.

I occasionally also ride a 3yr old Scott Metrix 10 and likely won’t give it up anytime soon even though a family member has expressed interest in taking it off my hands.

View attachment 158173

Agree 100%. Nice looking bike!

 

[PSm]

The lightest bike I have is 26 pounds without fenders/kickstand/pedals. In your opinion is a 8 pound lighter bike that much of a better riding experience? I know that I want to try one, just not a single speed.

Depends on your use case. If you mainly ride the flats or minor hills, do shorter rides, and/or already have low RR tires … you might not notice a huge difference.

If you don’t have low rolling resistance tires, I’d HIGHLY recommend the first thing you do for road use are the Continental Grand Prix 5000 tires and if you have presta tubes change to super lightweight TPU tubes like RideNow. That can make as much difference as losing pounds off your bike. Saved me maybe 20 watts or more reduction in rolling resistance, and lower rotating weight.

For me though, since I do a lot of climbing and 40-60 mile rides, the 18 lb bike makes a HUGE difference. Drastic change, and brings me great joy

 

[EMGX]

Depends on your use case. If you mainly ride the flats or minor hills, do shorter rides, and/or already have low RR tires … you might not notice a huge difference.

If you don’t have low rolling resistance tires, I’d HIGHLY recommend the first thing you do for road use are the Continental Grand Prix 5000 tires and if you have presta tubes change to super lightweight TPU tubes like RideNow. That can make as much difference as losing pounds off your bike. Saved me maybe 20 watts or more reduction in rolling resistance, and lower rotating weight.

For me though, since I do a lot of climbing and 40-60 mile rides, the 18 lb bike makes a HUGE difference. Drastic change, and brings me great joy

I live on a mountain, so there's that. This AM I took a ride before it gets hot. The private road I live on is 1 mile long and gains 410 feet in that mile - all up then all down. Rode up and down twice early to beat the heat so 820 feet elevation gain in the 2 miles of uphill, then 40+mph coasting downhill. I'm psychologically getting closer to buying one.

 

[EMGX]

A few of the places that I've hiked and rode in the past 3 weeks

 

[Djangodog]

point well taken but I've seen no negative reviews or comments about this bike frame/fork. Bikesdirect elicits ambivalent reactions but almost all independent owner reviews that I've read are very positive, including for their carbon bikes (here's one for a different frame bike https://robrobinette.com/Motobecane_Immortal_Disc_Pro_SL_Gravel_Bike.htm ). Several years ago I bought a mid range mountain bike from them at an unbeatable price at the time, it was completely flawless and as advertised. Most of the negative comments that I've seen are from vocal sceptics who have never owned or even seen one. One member here reported a bad experience which I assume was from one of the very low cost bikes they sell but the poster never really defined which bike that he bought or how much he paid for it so that doesn't count for much in my book.

The only thing that's stopping me is that I have way too many bikes already but don't want to get ride of any of them because they're all used for different specific reasons.

PS
one of the reasons I wouldn't consider the Canyon Grizl that you mentioned is that they cut the steerer tube too short. If someone wants a shorter steerer they can just cut it or have it cut but it can never be made longer like those that come with what bikesdirect sells. I don't want to have to use a steerer extender on a new purchase, I'd rather have it right for me out of the box.

My comment was just meant as a caution. The frame on that bike could very well be made ate the same facility as Canyon or Specialized, I just wouldn’t take the chance.

Just as an informational note, Canyon ships this Grizl with a 30mm spacer stack beneath the stem. I think that they advertise the bike with a slammed stem for looks. The first image is my Grizl and the second is from Canyon’s site. The Grizl comes with decent components and DT Swiss wheels, 50 mm tire clearance and a carbon seat post. It’s a nice ride.

Just to stay on topic, I rode the Grizl today.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

A few of the places that I've hiked and rode in the past 3 weeks
View attachment 158179View attachment 158180View attachment 158181View attachment 158182View attachment 158183View attachment 158184View attachment 158187View attachment 158188

Landscapes don't get much more volcanic than that! You can really feel the power of the planet in places like these. Makes you feel very small — in a good way.

 

[EMGX]

Landscapes don't get much more volcanic than that! You can really feel the power of the planet in places like these. Makes you feel very small — in a good way.

Hard but amazing hike.
"The eruption produced a force equal to 10–50 megatons of TNT, the equivalent of 25,000 atomic bombs released over the city of Hiroshima during World War II, and superheated gas and rock exploded out of the volcano sideways at speeds of up to 400 mph"

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Hard but amazing hike.
"The eruption produced a force equal to 10–50 megatons of TNT, the equivalent of 25,000 atomic bombs released over the city of Hiroshima during World War II, and superheated gas and rock exploded out of the volcano sideways at speeds of up to 400 mph"

For a better reference, I remember that the initial explosion shook our house loud enough to wake me on a Sunday morning. Our house was in Everett, WA about 150 miles from the volcano.

It is interesting to note a couple of things about the eruption:

Most of the people killed were in areas thought to be "safe".

If the blast would have been directed to the S or SW rather than to the N there could have been thousands of deaths.

If the blast would have happened on a weekday rather than a Sunday there would have been hundreds of loggers working in the woods that were devastated that day. And again far more people would have died.

So all in all we got off lightly, at least in terms of casualties.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

For a better reference, I remember that the initial explosion shook our house loud enough to wake me on a Sunday morning. Our house was in Everett, WA about 150 miles from the volcano.

It is interesting to note a couple of things about the eruption:

Most of the people killed were in areas thought to be "safe".

If the blast would have been directed to the S or SW rather than to the N there could have been thousands of deaths.

If the blast would have happened on a weekday rather than a Sunday there would have been hundreds of loggers working in the woods that were devastated that day. And again far more people would have died.

So all in all we got off lightly, at least in terms of casualties.

As renowned world historian Will Durant once observed,

Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.

The active explosive volcanoes making up the High Cascades could be the poster children.

The No. 1 take-home lesson from Geology 101: Best not to live on or even near an active explosive volcano if you can help it.

 

[PSm]

I live on a mountain, so there's that. This AM I took a ride before it gets hot. The private road I live on is 1 mile long and gains 410 feet in that mile - all up then all down. Rode up and down twice early to beat the heat so 820 feet elevation gain in the 2 miles of uphill, then 40+mph coasting downhill. I'm psychologically getting closer to buying one.

Ha! Mountain riding is a big differentiator. If money isn’t an object, I say go for it!

If you have gears though, and you’re not worried about speed, it might not be worth the effort. You might just have a case of GAS (gear acquisition syndrome), which I am afflicted with. But I’m also a cheapskate.

As a bargain hunter, my current stable of bikes have cost me a initial grand total of … $2400 (before upgrades). And all three have been fantastic, each in their own way. Ride1UP Roadster V2 SS e-bike $1100, State Bicycle Black Label SS track-based acoustic bike $800, Canyon Roadlite 5 geared 1x11 acoustic bike $500 on “scratch and dent, return, flash sale.”

 

[Prairie Dog]

A few of the places that I've hiked and rode in the past 3 weeks
View attachment 158179View attachment 158180View attachment 158181View attachment 158182View attachment 158183View attachment 158184View attachment 158187View attachment 158188

Very nice. I know that feeling all to well. E-bikes certainly do share a significant spot in the limelight especially when it comes to riding over less-than-ideal terrain. My hiking days might be over but, at this stage in my life, I’m still able to ride trails that I wouldn’t otherwise attempt on an analog mtb.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

As renowned world historian Will Durant once observed,

The active explosive volcanoes making up the High Cascades could be the poster children.

The No. 1 take-home lesson from Geology 101: Best not to live on or even near an active explosive volcano if you can help it.

Well, the densely populated areas of Washington and Oregon are mostly well out of danger range of any of the volcanoes.

There is some mudflow risk to the communities south of Seattle, some of which are now quite densely populated. The prehistoric Osceola Mudflow buried parts of those communities in debris up to 100 meters deep. However, there was a lot more ice on Mount Rainier at the time of those eruptions (about 5600 years ago) and Mount Rainier itself was about 500m taller than it is today.

A large-scale eruption of Mount Rainier or Mount Baker would be a pretty catastrophic event, but probably wouldn't completely trash the Pacific Northwest. Honestly as a long-time resident a major Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake would likely be more destructive.

Also, there is lots of stuff that is poorly understood about the cascade volcanoes. The Three Sisters region has obviously had a lot of volcanic activity in the last few thousand years (and Bend, OR is on large pyroclastic flows from some recent eruption, probably from Mount Bachelor) but there has been relatively little study of that region compared to other more glamorous locations. Similarly, there are a couple of baby stratovolcanoes to the SE of Mount Rainier that have obviously had a lot of activity in the last few thousand years but comparatively little study. We have a lot to learn.

 

[BlackHand]

The active explosive volcanoes making up the High Cascades could be the poster children.

Your conversation w/ Mr Coffee reminded me of this sign that I saw while biking around the perimeter of Everett last month. As Mr Coffee said an earthquake/tsunami combo presents a greater(and more probable) threat to the region's population centers.

BTW, in case anyone needed a reminder that Google Maps still has a long way to go in bike navigation, I clicked on Glacier Peak to see how far away it is from my house and was given directions to bike there! Easy, just bike 80mi to Steven's Pass then you only have to walk the bike up the last 'little' stretch on the PCT from there.

 

[ampere1]

A few of the places that I've hiked and rode in the past 3 weeks
View attachment 158179View attachment 158180View attachment 158181View attachment 158182View attachment 158183View attachment 158184View attachment 158187View attachment 158188

Nice pics! What brand and model is the Saddle shown on the bike in the pictures?

 

[Kayakguy]

For a better reference, I remember that the initial explosion shook our house loud enough to wake me on a Sunday morning. Our house was in Everett, WA about 150 miles from the volcano.

It is interesting to note a couple of things about the eruption:

Most of the people killed were in areas thought to be "safe".

If the blast would have been directed to the S or SW rather than to the N there could have been thousands of deaths.

If the blast would have happened on a weekday rather than a Sunday there would have been hundreds of loggers working in the woods that were devastated that day. And again far more people would have died.

So all in all we got off lightly, at least in terms of casualties.

I am about 60 miles north of Everett, and we heard/felt the blast that morning. Wondered "Who is blasting in the Chuckanuts (range of small mountains south of Bellingham), and why?" We were lucky and got no ash, or at least very little. Last year, we drove up to the overlook area in our Rialta. The road is terrible, as they obviously were in great haste when they built it, and everywhere they had to cross a ravine, they didn't bother to settle and compress the fill, but just paved over it, so of course it sagged badly after 40 years.

 

[EMGX]

Nice pics! What brand and model is the Saddle shown on the bike in the pictures?

Thanks.
It's a Planet Bike ARS "Standard". I have them on a couple bikes, it's my overall favorite bike seat, not the lightest but it is comfortable for me, both in drops and sitting upright.

 

[EMGX]

I am about 60 miles north of Everett, and we heard/felt the blast that morning. Wondered "Who is blasting in the Chuckanuts (range of small mountains south of Bellingham), and why?" We were lucky and got no ash, or at least very little. Last year, we drove up to the overlook area in our Rialta. The road is terrible, as they obviously were in great haste when they built it, and everywhere they had to cross a ravine, they didn't bother to settle and compress the fill, but just paved over it, so of course it sagged badly after 40 years.

As you probably know Johnston Ridge observatory is unreachable due to a slide but Windy Ridge on the northeast side is a nice spot. The forest service roads aren't always in the best shape but it's worth a drive.
Pictures from 6 or7 years ago when I rode a scooter up there, probably late in the summer.