Dem bicicletas dos, doe.

[coogles]

I mean no reason a fancy squish squish can’t do dad duty?

I’m with you though. Indiana is also pretty flat, I imagine the trails are kinda just ok?

Eh a full squish could pull dad duty I guess but it seems silly.

The trails closest to me are pretty garbage. You really don't want a full squish on them if you want to have any fun. The best trails in the immediate Indianapolis area are at Southwestway Park, which is about 40mins from me. They have a couple nice flow lines, but there's an hour and 20 mins on top of the riding just to get there and back.

The southern ~40% of Indiana is actually pretty hilly. There are some fantastic trails at Brown County State Park and Griffin Bike Park in Terre Haute is amazing, but both are about an hour and a half away. Doing either requires a day of PTO and really making a full day of it.

[D Griff]

I mean no reason a fancy squish squish can’t do dad duty?

I’m with you though. Indiana is also pretty flat, I imagine the trails are kinda just ok?

Eh a full squish could pull dad duty I guess but it seems silly.

The trails closest to me are pretty garbage. You really don't want a full squish on them if you want to have any fun. The best trails in the immediate Indianapolis area are at Southwestway Park, which is about 40mins from me. They have a couple nice flow lines, but there's an hour and 20 mins on top of the riding just to get there and back.

The southern ~40% of Indiana is actually pretty hilly. There are some fantastic trails at Brown County State Park and Griffin Bike Park in Terre Haute is amazing, but both are about an hour and a half away. Doing either requires a day of PTO and really making a full day of it.

I’m not surprised there are some south of you that are great. I drove from Indianapolis to Louisville last time I was up recently, and there are definitely some nice flowing hills as you get closer to Kentucky. I imagine Kentucky has some nice trails as well.

I need to get off my ass and do some bike races and trips this year, we are still trying on the kid thing and that may come in the future soon so may as well enjoy the freedom while I have it.

[coogles]

I’m not surprised there are some south of you that are great. I drove from Indianapolis to Louisville last time I was up recently, and there are definitely some nice flowing hills as you get closer to Kentucky. I imagine Kentucky has some nice trails as well.

I need to get off my ass and do some bike races and trips this year, we are still trying on the kid thing and that may come in the future soon so may as well enjoy the freedom while I have it.

Those trails are just close enough to make me think I'd be able to get out to them, but far enough away that I almost never would.

You and me both! This should be the year I finally do the Mass Ave Crit and the Hilly Hundred.

[Johnny_P]

I actually went for a road ride last week. It was nice out so I went local to some good roads and such I used to love riding on. I’d like to say it felt great but I had no power and could hardly do the hills. I have lots of catching up to do if I even want to hang on the casual shop rides.

Hopefully I can get out once a week and use the spin bike in the meantime to get my fitness back up.

[coogles]

I actually went for a road ride last week. It was nice out so I went local to some good roads and such I used to love riding on. I’d like to say it felt great but I had no power and could hardly do the hills. I have lots of catching up to do if I even want to hang on the casual shop rides.

Hopefully I can get out once a week and use the spin bike in the meantime to get my fitness back up.

At least you're out there. I found by body snapped back to being a least decently fit fairly quickly with about 3hrs/week on the bike. It's not a ton, but it's enough for some meaningful improvement.

[D Griff]

Got out for the Monday night group ride tonight. Pretty good time, felt a bit slow in the A Group.

[coogles]

It's supposed to rain all evening starting at ~5pm here. Another morning on the Peloton.

[SAWCE]

Been hitting my stationary bike every morning bros. Bumped the resistance level to 13 last week and this week and keeping 90rpm for 30 minutes. Legs definitely feel that resistance and pace mornings like today where I trained legs the night before.

[coogles]

Trek just reduced the price on a ton of their bikes.

The Roscoe 8 is down to $1,600
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bike ... 8/p/35117/

and the Top Fuel 9.7 is down to $3,500
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bike ... 7/p/35178/

[D Griff]

Trek just reduced the price on a ton of their bikes.

The Roscoe 8 is down to $1,600
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bike ... 8/p/35117/

and the Top Fuel 9.7 is down to $3,500
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bike ... 7/p/35178/

As cool as that Top Fuel is, the Roscoe would be a great dad bike/solid for most trails in your area from the sound of it. Not a terrible price point at all.

I think I'll actually get out to some trails tonight, has after work plans

[coogles]

As cool as that Top Fuel is, the Roscoe would be a great dad bike/solid for most trails in your area from the sound of it. Not a terrible price point at all.

I think I'll actually get out to some trails tonight, has after work plans

The Roscoe would definitely be sufficient. I actually like hardtails too.

I think it's fun to get 100% of the feedback from the trail.

Trek hits a home run on the sizing for me. Being 5'10" I usually fall right between a medium and a large, and they are one of the very few manufacturers to offer a M/L.

[D Griff]

As cool as that Top Fuel is, the Roscoe would be a great dad bike/solid for most trails in your area from the sound of it. Not a terrible price point at all.

I think I'll actually get out to some trails tonight, has after work plans

The Roscoe would definitely be sufficient. I actually like hardtails too.

I think it's fun to get 100% of the feedback from the trail.

Trek hits a home run on the sizing for me. Being 5'10" I usually fall right between a medium and a large, and they are one of the very few manufacturers to offer a M/L.

Nothing with a hardtail! It's a funny/slippery slope - you've got gravel bike, hard tail, CC full squish, trail full squish, and that's not even every category. Gotta find the right one(s) for the area you have to ride.

[coogles]

Nothing with a hardtail! It's a funny/slippery slope - you've got gravel bike, hard tail, CC full squish, trail full squish, and that's not even every category. Gotta find the right one(s) for the area you have to ride.

Yeah, I learned that lesson the heard way with the Trance. It was really fun on the trails in southern IN where I did the demo day, but it was way too much bike for the local loops. For me, a roadie and a versatile hardtail are really all I can reasonably make use of.

[D Griff]

Nothing with a hardtail! It's a funny/slippery slope - you've got gravel bike, hard tail, CC full squish, trail full squish, and that's not even every category. Gotta find the right one(s) for the area you have to ride.

Yeah, I learned that lesson the heard way with the Trance. It was really fun on the trails in southern IN where I did the demo day, but it was way too much bike for the local loops. For me, a roadie and a versatile hardtail are really all I can reasonably make use of.

I still really want a gravel bike but I'm hesitant to pull the trigger as I don't know how much use I'll really get. The main thing would be there's some really fun/fast MTB trails down in SC I can get to from my house almost entirely by paved greenway. It's about 12 miles each way, so it's a slog on the full suss, and the trails are pretty smooth/would work well on a gravel machine. I'd love to do some gravel events, but will I?

It would also be a better thing for commuting than my old Raleigh, but will it then make the Raleigh irrelevant? I don't really want to dump that as it was my dad's since new. It's also kind of fun commuting around on a vintage bike, it's like classic car ownershit for people who don't have time/money for a classic car.

[coogles]

I still really want a gravel bike but I'm hesitant to pull the trigger as I don't know how much use I'll really get. The main thing would be there's some really fun/fast MTB trails down in SC I can get to from my house almost entirely by paved greenway. It's about 12 miles each way, so it's a slog on the full suss, and the trails are pretty smooth/would work well on a gravel machine. I'd love to do some gravel events, but will I?

It would also be a better thing for commuting than my old Raleigh, but will it then make the Raleigh irrelevant? I don't really want to dump that as it was my dad's since new. It's also kind of fun commuting around on a vintage bike, it's like classic car ownershit for people who don't have time/money for a classic car.

Gravel bikes make me scratch my head a bit. They seem to me like they just aren't particularly good at anything. They aren't quick on the road if they have actual gravel tires, but then they aren't capable enough on true singletrack to make much sense there. If it's just rough roads you're trying to deal with, most endurance frames have clearance for like 40C tires now. If it's a more demanding "gravel" ride, some pros are going with drop-bar hardtails with an actual suspension fork.

Old roadies are cool but it has to kind of suck if you can't fit some fatter tires in there. Riding on 23s blows.

[D Griff]

I still really want a gravel bike but I'm hesitant to pull the trigger as I don't know how much use I'll really get. The main thing would be there's some really fun/fast MTB trails down in SC I can get to from my house almost entirely by paved greenway. It's about 12 miles each way, so it's a slog on the full suss, and the trails are pretty smooth/would work well on a gravel machine. I'd love to do some gravel events, but will I?

It would also be a better thing for commuting than my old Raleigh, but will it then make the Raleigh irrelevant? I don't really want to dump that as it was my dad's since new. It's also kind of fun commuting around on a vintage bike, it's like classic car ownershit for people who don't have time/money for a classic car.

Gravel bikes make me scratch my head a bit. They seem to me like they just aren't particularly good at anything. They aren't quick on the road if they have actual gravel tires, but then they aren't capable enough on true singletrack to make much sense there. If it's just rough roads you're trying to deal with, most endurance frames have clearance for like 40C tires now. If it's a more demanding "gravel" ride, some pros are going with drop-bar hardtails with an actual suspension fork.

Old roadies are cool but it has to kind of suck if you can't fit some fatter tires in there. Riding on 23s blows.

Indeed that bike I rented in Indy had 23 tires, not a fan! My Raleigh has 32 GravelKings which are amazing for commuting around. I really love that bike, I just wish the frame was a little smaller.

I ended up doing the ride I want a gravel bike for on my mountain bike last night. It was definitely a grind, 22ish miles of paved greenway and neighborhoods for like 16 miles of trails. The main fun trail system is flowy and fast and I think would be cool on a gravel bike but the greenway section would be much better than the squish squish. That said, a light hardtail would also be great.

It’s more actual gravel riding/races that I want to do, but it turns into the same problem you have, I’d have to drive at least an hour each way to get anything like that, whereas there are tons of MTB trails under 30 minutes, some I can even ride to.

[Johnny_P]

I still really want a gravel bike but I'm hesitant to pull the trigger as I don't know how much use I'll really get. The main thing would be there's some really fun/fast MTB trails down in SC I can get to from my house almost entirely by paved greenway. It's about 12 miles each way, so it's a slog on the full suss, and the trails are pretty smooth/would work well on a gravel machine. I'd love to do some gravel events, but will I?

It would also be a better thing for commuting than my old Raleigh, but will it then make the Raleigh irrelevant? I don't really want to dump that as it was my dad's since new. It's also kind of fun commuting around on a vintage bike, it's like classic car ownershit for people who don't have time/money for a classic car.

Gravel bikes make me scratch my head a bit. They seem to me like they just aren't particularly good at anything. They aren't quick on the road if they have actual gravel tires, but then they aren't capable enough on true singletrack to make much sense there. If it's just rough roads you're trying to deal with, most endurance frames have clearance for like 40C tires now. If it's a more demanding "gravel" ride, some pros are going with drop-bar hardtails with an actual suspension fork.

Old roadies are cool but it has to kind of suck if you can't fit some fatter tires in there. Riding on 23s blows.

With careful tire selection they’re not worlds slower than a road bike. And yes you will be under-biked on MTB trails so you have to select the trail carefully, but honestly that can be kind of fun. It certainly makes most trails feel way more gnarly and wild.

I dunno. Dan’s use case is exactly how I used my gravel bike. 10 mile ride to/from trails on the street or path, and it was still a lot of fun to ride the trails.



I don’t understand gravel racing. But bikes like this let you link a ton of stuff together.

[D Griff]

Gravel bikes make me scratch my head a bit. They seem to me like they just aren't particularly good at anything. They aren't quick on the road if they have actual gravel tires, but then they aren't capable enough on true singletrack to make much sense there. If it's just rough roads you're trying to deal with, most endurance frames have clearance for like 40C tires now. If it's a more demanding "gravel" ride, some pros are going with drop-bar hardtails with an actual suspension fork.

Old roadies are cool but it has to kind of suck if you can't fit some fatter tires in there. Riding on 23s blows.

With careful tire selection they’re not worlds slower than a road bike. And yes you will be under-biked on MTB trails so you have to select the trail carefully, but honestly that can be kind of fun. It certainly makes most trails feel way more gnarly and wild.

I dunno. Dan’s use case is exactly how I used my gravel bike. 10 mile ride to/from trails on the street or path, and it was still a lot of fun to ride the trails.



I don’t understand gravel racing. But bikes like this let you link a ton of stuff together.

Bolded is the big thing. If I can do the riding I want without touching my car, yes please. In an ideal world, my car would only be for pleasure drives, I want to commute where I need by bike and ride bikes for fun without getting my car dirty or burning fuel/time not riding.

I haven't done a gravel race but it looks fun. I'd like to do more large events but I have zero interest in shit where I could get hurt (no Crits, MTB short races). Gravel races seem to be abundant and the vibe I'm looking for to push myself.

How did/do you like the All City? I'm thinking of one, I have my 105 brifters, brakes, wheels, etc. from the Ribble I can use for a build, I'd like a steel bike with external cable routing as a gravel frame. It still might make more sense to just buy a built bike, but frankensteins are kinda fun. I'm also tempted to just grab a State frame, they're pretty darn cheap.

[Johnny_P]

With careful tire selection they’re not worlds slower than a road bike. And yes you will be under-biked on MTB trails so you have to select the trail carefully, but honestly that can be kind of fun. It certainly makes most trails feel way more gnarly and wild.

I dunno. Dan’s use case is exactly how I used my gravel bike. 10 mile ride to/from trails on the street or path, and it was still a lot of fun to ride the trails.



I don’t understand gravel racing. But bikes like this let you link a ton of stuff together.

Bolded is the big thing. If I can do the riding I want without touching my car, yes please. In an ideal world, my car would only be for pleasure drives, I want to commute where I need by bike and ride bikes for fun without getting my car dirty or burning fuel/time not riding.

I haven't done a gravel race but it looks fun. I'd like to do more large events but I have zero interest in shit where I could get hurt (no Crits, MTB short races). Gravel races seem to be abundant and the vibe I'm looking for to push myself.

How did/do you like the All City? I'm thinking of one, I have my 105 brifters, brakes, wheels, etc. from the Ribble I can use for a build, I'd like a steel bike with external cable routing as a gravel frame. It still might make more sense to just buy a built bike, but frankensteins are kinda fun. I'm also tempted to just grab a State frame, they're pretty darn cheap.

State seems like a good deal but just know quality will be pretty spotty. A friend of mine had one and the head tube separated from the down tube on him. He was riding MTB trails but still.

The all city has been good to me overall. It takes a beating and keeps asking for more. I treat it really poorly and go on trails way more intense than I should and it’ hasn’t let me down. I’ve flipped on it, dumped it, crashed into rocks and hucked it off jumps. It’s heavy at like 25 lbs and flexes if you crank on it so it doesn’t feel fast on the road. But it’s my favorite bike I’ve ever owned. Super balanced geometry, fast handling since it’s cyclocross geometry. Mine has a steel fork and I think it would be better with carbon. It also has QR wheels and cable brakes and I wish I could take thru axles and that it had hydros. The tires max at 38-40 which is a bummer.

If I were to get rid of it I’d get another steel bike but with a CF fork. Wilde makes one called earth ship that I like. But there are a handful out there with good steel frames and CF forks.

[D Griff]

Bolded is the big thing. If I can do the riding I want without touching my car, yes please. In an ideal world, my car would only be for pleasure drives, I want to commute where I need by bike and ride bikes for fun without getting my car dirty or burning fuel/time not riding.

I haven't done a gravel race but it looks fun. I'd like to do more large events but I have zero interest in shit where I could get hurt (no Crits, MTB short races). Gravel races seem to be abundant and the vibe I'm looking for to push myself.

How did/do you like the All City? I'm thinking of one, I have my 105 brifters, brakes, wheels, etc. from the Ribble I can use for a build, I'd like a steel bike with external cable routing as a gravel frame. It still might make more sense to just buy a built bike, but frankensteins are kinda fun. I'm also tempted to just grab a State frame, they're pretty darn cheap.

State seems like a good deal but just know quality will be pretty spotty. A friend of mine had one and the head tube separated from the down tube on him. He was riding MTB trails but still.

The all city has been good to me overall. It takes a beating and keeps asking for more. I treat it really poorly and go on trails way more intense than I should and it’ hasn’t let me down. I’ve flipped on it, dumped it, crashed into rocks and hucked it off jumps. It’s heavy at like 25 lbs and flexes if you crank on it so it doesn’t feel fast on the road. But it’s my favorite bike I’ve ever owned. Super balanced geometry, fast handling since it’s cyclocross geometry. Mine has a steel fork and I think it would be better with carbon. It also has QR wheels and cable brakes and I wish I could take thru axles and that it had hydros. The tires max at 38-40 which is a bummer.

If I were to get rid of it I’d get another steel bike but with a CF fork. Wilde makes one called earth ship that I like. But there are a handful out there with good steel frames and CF forks.

Good feedback on State, that makes me want to steer clear honestly. What size is your All City (and you're like 6'4"?)?

[Johnny_P]

State seems like a good deal but just know quality will be pretty spotty. A friend of mine had one and the head tube separated from the down tube on him. He was riding MTB trails but still.

The all city has been good to me overall. It takes a beating and keeps asking for more. I treat it really poorly and go on trails way more intense than I should and it’ hasn’t let me down. I’ve flipped on it, dumped it, crashed into rocks and hucked it off jumps. It’s heavy at like 25 lbs and flexes if you crank on it so it doesn’t feel fast on the road. But it’s my favorite bike I’ve ever owned. Super balanced geometry, fast handling since it’s cyclocross geometry. Mine has a steel fork and I think it would be better with carbon. It also has QR wheels and cable brakes and I wish I could take thru axles and that it had hydros. The tires max at 38-40 which is a bummer.

If I were to get rid of it I’d get another steel bike but with a CF fork. Wilde makes one called earth ship that I like. But there are a handful out there with good steel frames and CF forks.

Good feedback on State, that makes me want to steer clear honestly. What size is your All City (and you're like 6'4"?)?

I’m about 6’2” and mine is a 58cm