Gravel / Gravé / Gnarmac / Groad / ATB

Avoid WTB byways

I enjoy Terravail Cannonballs surprisingly quick on road, decent on trails...just not in total slop

Shwalbe G-One billion variants, Hutchinson, Gravelkings, WTB... List is endless.

Dry or wet? WTB Resolute in 42c is good on dry dirt, fast enough on pavement. Not enough knobs for thick mud but does everything else well.

Are they almost identical to Sparwood which is what I have ?

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I'll say 'dry' but it's only because I'm prepared to sacrifice wet off-road grip for speed on tarmac.

Speed also gets challenging with 650b also because of the wall created by the fat tyre being forced into the wind, it's not all rolling resistance. I don't mean to teach you to suck eggs.
I use continental race kings in 2" and like them a lot but because of that haven't ever really tried much else.

Had to walk this climb because the tread quickly filled with snow melt mud. Dry snow/ice/dirt/pavement all good though. By the time I got home - 10 miles paved - it had shed all of that and didn't even need washing.

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Happy dirt

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Nanos trump Resolutes IMO

because of the wall created by the fat tyre being forced into the wind

Stop riding so fast.

Only in 2.1 650b I think

Ha its only ever been an issue once - trying to hang on to the back of our CFC charity ride group. Happy bimbling otherwise.

I had both in same-ish width and felt completely the opposite. Resolutes faster, more capable. If anything, Nanos are more durable.

Keep looking at a new frame to port everything off my Kepler, just unsure what to go for.

Carbon, titanium or steel custom, was supposed to have a custom steel this made but the company seemed to not want my busy with them making an excuse for not contacting me until I chased them and so left a bad taste.

Keep looking at Open but think they could be over priced, plus want to go big on tyre sizes on 700/29.

Anything good out there currently will need a xl or similar size due to long legs

If you want custom designed and finished in Manchester but built in China Ti then I know a guy (it's my boss, sorry for the spam). Can do fun stuff with paint and anodising too.

Have you seen one in flesh / test ridden? They are spendy but worth it IMO. Open WI.DE may be worth looking at if you want big tyres.

Personally I cannot get my head around a carbon framed gravel bike.

Personally I cannot get my head around a carbon framed gravel bike.

Yep. I'd take one that was given to me but hard pass on shelling out £££ for one.

I think the cannonball is designed for gravel racing (whatever that really means in the U.K.)
The sparwood is a little more robust and is aimed for endurance.

what makes you want to jump from a kepler to a carbon/ ti something?

cant help but think of the brother bikes guy on a podcast like "oh yeah, the keplers great, ideal, but people wanted to spend more money so we made the meteh chuckles"

Several years ago I didn't approve of non-steel bikes, didn't see the point of di2 and was pretty dubious about gravel bikes.
I now own a carbon di2 gravel bike.
I still don't really approve of them and not really sure how this came about (though it's sort of Amey's fault and sort of my fault for being unable to resist a bargain), but it's a lot of fun.

Lighter weight? More responsive ride? Fun?

Just really wanting more tyre clearance, everything else about the Kepler is fine. Able to tackle all the terrain to me locally fine, but on the odd time could do with more cushioning but not sure 650b looks very good on a 60cm frame. Hence looking at options

Have seen Open in the flesh, but have also heard they are over priced for the carbon and layup used.

Not ridden as never in my size

I like my Kepler, but main thing I'd change is moar clearance.

I have been looking at the big bro as a possible placement keeping in the Brother family but unsure on the size to go for