Posted by: pedalhound
Should I gravel bike my Rootdown?
100% (if it makes sense to do so).
Once I'm happy with my set up I'm keen to give the drop bars a try on the Solaris to see how it goes.
My 07ish Gary Fisher with kona p2 fork, brooks saddle, bb7 brakes, dmr single speed conversion, soma dream bars and 26x2.1 gravel kings is a fun city/gravel bike.
Posted by: pedalhound
Should I gravel bike my Rootdown?
As an old Rootdown is my only mountain bike I'm both insulted and intrigued by this question. There have been times I've thought it might make a decent drop-bar 29er if running a super short stem. :)
Posted by: TristanC
Not my pic, but I am getting excited to build up my Stooge Rambler when it arrives this summer. I think it slots into the same category of "not quite a mountain bike, not quite a gravel bike." I'm building mine up with parts salvaged off my smooshed groad bike, 27.5x2.6 fast rolling tires, 1x11. I expect it will get me into lots of trouble.
That is hot. Those bar end shifters...do people ever bash their knees on them? Asking for a friend.
Posted by: BC_Nuggets
My 07ish Gary Fisher with kona p2 fork, brooks saddle, bb7 brakes, dmr single speed conversion, soma dream bars and 26x2.1 gravel kings is a fun city/gravel bike.
We're gonna need some pics I think.
IME touring/ riding endless gravel roads its all just boring mostly flat roads with no asphalt so need for lighting shift or super brakesbut the right tire is important
so I have a lot of boring ratehr low teck things on a > 20 yr old kona, a 9spd changer with the original old acera der seemed to work fine
no pict so just imagine itin red, note that red is a faster color
Looks a bit different from this now (no frame bag, singlespeed, removed fender attachment thingies) but this is the general idea. Running 38x16 single speed which is killer on hills but it's always nice to use that super low gear known as walking when necessary.
It's aluminum but so is this
Posted by: BC_Nuggets
Posted by: TristanC
Not my pic, but I am getting excited to build up my Stooge Rambler when it arrives this summer. I think it slots into the same category of "not quite a mountain bike, not quite a gravel bike." I'm building mine up with parts salvaged off my smooshed groad bike, 27.5x2.6 fast rolling tires, 1x11. I expect it will get me into lots of trouble.
That is hot. Those bar end shifters...do people ever bash their knees on them? Asking for a friend.
I've run bar ends extensively on touring and road bikes, I don't recall bashing my knees on them regularly. They stick out a little from the bars but not a ton, so if you're not regularly bashing your knees on your bars, then you probably won't on the shifters.
I always thought CX = a frame large enough you can shoulder and run with. Thats not one 🤣
tashi - with a longer steerer, shorter stem and riser drop bars I reckon you could have got close.
It does look cool tho.
"Riser drop bars", kind of an oxymoron?
The Diverge I reviewed had 'em.
" Handlebar " is so Ubiquitous you can't even google a decent explaination.
The real reason I didnt post a picture of my gravel bike is that it has bar ends and they aren't even ano,
but they work and are handy for leaning a fully loaded bike avec panniers against a 500 yr old rock wall in yurp
One of my biggest issues with the Rootdown is the super low stack (I am old and like a more upright position) so that's the one thing really keeping me from trying this. The frame is just sitting in my garage collecting dust...this would be more of an ATB/bikepacking build than full on gravel, I have a Norco Search steel for that...but it can only take up to 45c tires...I want something a bit more beefy.
I doubt I will do it, but man it would be a fun project...lol.
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