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| Continental's Country Plus |
Tires: Tires are still mostly a category where gravel riders are borrowing city/urban technology. Of course, Schwalbe offers some touring tires that will, (and have), work well. Continental showed this "Country Plus" model, which also shows some promise. However; this category really is owned by the aforementioned Schwalbe, and now Clement with its X'Plor series tires. Beyond that, all that was shown was commuter tires that were far too heavy.
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| Banjo Brothers Frame bags |
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| Cell Phone case |
The case is zippered and the construction is high quality, and it should be pretty good against showers.
Again, look for this to come out sometime early spring in shops.
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| Velo Orange's "Campuer" |
These are offered as frame/fork combos from Velo Orange and can be fitted with pretty good sized tires. The only possible negative here is the kickstand plate.
This isn't quite available yet, but should be in at Velo Orange very soon now.
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| Co-Motion's "Divide" adventure rig. |
Not only that, but Co-Motion made its own Rohloff shifter to mount next to the stem, instead of the bar end mount usually seen with drop bar Rohloff bikes. This keeps the overall look cleaner, and obviously routes the cables in a tidier way. This rig doesn't have to stop at night either with its self contained lighting set up centered around a Son hub generator.
That's it from Interbike this year!
8 comments:
Forget the Country Plus, touring tires aren't meant for gravel racing, too heavy, not supple enough. But, Conti's CX tires RACE and SPEED are some of the best gravel tires you can get. Conti also released the CycloXKing tubular this year. I know more and more gravel racers making the switch to tubulars.
@Magnetic: Definitely aware of Conti Speed CX. It has middling results around the Mid-West. Some smoother, finer/smaller gravel areas are okay with it. Others are cutting them down and having lots of flatting issues.
Tubulars simply are not an option in self supported, long distance gravel events. Your supported, shorter events, maybe. (But of the events I list here, not many allow supported wheel pits, for instance.)
That and the costs/labor involved make tubulars less appealing. Tubeless is definitely a much better option than tubulars.
Not an option? Hmmm, then why am I building tubular wheel sets for more gravel racers year after year, especially in the Mid-West. Here in Colorado where the gravel races are on average much longer, harder, and have that nasty equation called the goat head thorn, more tubulars being raced here as well. Carry a pre-glued spare, what's the problem? I've seen people carrying two. Keep in mind as well I'm from Minneapolis and started riding gravel roads on tubulars 1986 well before "gravel grinding" was even a concept. For most that "ride" the event's, I agree, not really a consideration to go tubular, especially if you have no experience with them. "Racing" gravel is a different story though. Has to be differentiated between the two.
Checking back on your comment about "middling results" with the Conti tires, you might want to recheck your stats there. I am well aware of many top 10's and some podium places in the AGRS since 2009 with the Conti selections. I would call that a bit more than middling, wouldn't you say? As a matter of fact, Conti Speeds and Vittoria XN's are far more durable than anything Clement has to offer without a doubt, I've ridden and raced them all. I never had so many cuts in a gravel race then when I rode those torrid LAS's. Maxxis Raze are also quite good on varying gravel conditions.
@Magnetic: Hey look- You are welcomed to your opinion, and that's cool. I run a site here that gets feedback from riders all across the country. I am in contact with riders from all across the country as well. I have it from first hand reports that the Conti tires you call out don't work well for some folks. that isn't my opinion- it is what I am told. Make sense? I am passing along what I get feedback on.
You ride in a part of the Mid-west where those particular tires are well loved, which I also happen to know from the same rider feedback. Middling results then makes sense to me. But hey- again- say what you will.
Tubulars are not, therefore, a good choice for most gravel riders elsewhere and again- from rider feedback that I get, this is what I have heard. Get back to me after you've ridden in the Flint Hills, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, and other points of data I get feedback from, and we'll see how tubulars fare for you then. I run Trans Iowa as well, and carrying extra tubulars is not a good option. Period. many other self supported races like that would also be a poor venue for tubulars.
There is no doubt that tubeless technology is far superior to tubular technology when it comes to gravel races in most places in the U.S. What tubulars are good at, (cornering grip), isn't a valued commodity in gravel racing. Flat resistance, smoother ride, a durability are valued, and tubeless tires can give you all of those.
No one is saying you are wrong for where you ride and how you ride, however; you are not the majority up there in Minnesota on those AGRS courses, which I am quite familiar with. That gravel lends itself to almost road bike set ups, (in fact, a lot of you guys up there do ride road bikes), so it isn't the norm for most of the country, it just happens to work up there on those courses.
Good luck next season on your set up.
I think you missed it somewhere along the line, I'm from MN but live in CO. I have done the COES events out here on tubulars, so have a few others, lots of reformed CX'rs are converting to gravel and they bring their CX tires glued and aquasealed. The terrain here in CO is much more unforgiving than all of the MN gravel for sure, and the events are much longer. Had no problems personally using tubulars, nor have the others. You can't discount a tire system that's been raced on for well over a century now, supported or not, on or off road. All of a sudden gravel racing in the new era doesn't work well on tubulars, and tubeless is the only answer, according to whom?
Sure I get pegged crazy all the time racing tubulars on gravel, mostly from people who have no experience with them, MTB'rs who don't know anything but tubeless. I get it. Satisfied in knowing that tubulars ride better than any clincher/tubeless set up out there, I'll stick with them.
If it makes the tubless zealots feel any better I do use Stan's sealant in all my tubulars, for insurance.... ;)
@Magnetic: Again- You are welcomed to your opinions. Again- I talk to a lot of avid gravel racers. Your opinions are not what I am hearing out there. It is what it is.
Personally,I've investigated tubular technologies and practices for several years, being a wrench at a shop for 15 years now. I understand how they work. I also understand they are quite expensive, labor intensive to set up, and not easily serviced in the field. This makes tubeless a better option for a lot of folks.
Most of the benefits, (and some tubulars do not have, like wider options than 34mm in width), so it just becomes a matter of practicality.
And ultimately, neither tubeless nor tubs rule the day on gravel, as most riders are riding and winning races on old fashioned clinchers/tubed set ups.
Opinions are great, but in the end, What I am observing and getting feedback on doesn't match up with your take. Not that your take isn't valid, mind you. It just doesn't add up when I take all the data points in that I am getting.
Again- good luck with your set up. Thanks for expressing your opinions here.
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