There is a major recent trend for gravel bikes to be equipped with non-standard shapes of drop handlebars: flared bars, riser bars, and dual-level bars. I explain why I wouldn’t recommend any of these odd handlebar shapes over using a standard drop handlebar of the preferred width and an appropriate-height stem. I instead give better solutions for how to achieve each of the goals of these oddly-shaped bars while using a standard drop handlebar.
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Over two-thirds of cyclists are using cranks that are longer than recommended. Using cranks that are too long can cause cycling discomfort and injuries, especially when riding longer distances, due to excessive articulation of the knee and hip at the top of the pedal stroke; using cranks that are too short is far less likely to cause problems. I give general recommendations on what crank lengths are suitable for people in various height ranges.
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I did some amazing gravel riding above Zermatt, Switzerland that became the cover story for the Spring 2020 edition of Cyclist – Off Road magazine. The dirt roads were good quality and the scenery was incredible, with the Matterhorn always looming nearby and we rode up close to giant glaciers.
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The RedShift ShockStop suspension seatpost makes a massive improvement in riding comfort and reduces fatigue when gravel biking and doing long-distance cycling. I found that it outperformed the similar Cirrus Kinekt seatpost on almost every criterion: comfort/function, aesthetics, price and weight.
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We had a great time at the Lausanne screening of the Onboard The Transcontinental Race film last night. The film was excellent – making us laugh, cry and be inspired.
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10 years of personal cycling data are analyzed. Yearly and monthly variations are visualized in charts and the 100+ rides of more than 200 km and 3,000 m climbing are each presented. Maps showing the extent of my exploration across Europe are also included.
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If you’re at all interested in the bikepacking community or self-supported, ultra-distance bike races then Emily Chappell’s new book “Where…
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Because of the current proliferation of bikepacking races, individual events are becoming less important, so I’m removing some pages about…
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Because of the current proliferation of bikepacking races, individual events are becoming less important, so I’m removing some pages about…
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Many gearing options have become available since the Gear Ratios page was written in 2016 that make it easier to get lower gearing on road bikes. This includes super-compact gravel cranksets, 12-speed systems, and single-chainring setups. I therefore re-wrote the page to be clearer and include all of the latest options including extensive tables of all useful cassettes.
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