Gravel / Gravé / Gnarmac / Groad / ATB

There's a lot of 3t stems that never cracked?

Say that to Hippy, I was just taking the opportunity to shoehorn in a Simpson’s reference

That's pretty fucked. Does the "T" in 3T stand for Terrible or Trashed?

Transitory

The longer my wife rides one, the more I wish I'd just bought a Carbonda than a horribly expensive 'brand' that seems to do the same job and is actually slightly lighter.

Especially for a gravel bike, where there's a high probability of me killing it.

fao @M4xime

I have some.

Anyone want to buy a 3T stem?

Salisbury plain experts: is the Imber path usually accessible and not red flagged?

I've got holiday to use up and have booked Monday off. Thinking about revisiting Salisbury plain for the first time in a few years. Last time I didn't even check the firing times and obviously just got lucky. This time I've planned ahead and looked at the firing times; on Monday, there's firing on Larkhill / Westdown, Bulford and Warminster ranges.

Try as I might I can't find exactly where these are located, but was planning to pick up the Imber range path at Westbury, following it round to Netheravon, then seeing if I could loop around there then re-tracing my steps. Does that sound plausible? I don't want to waste a trip!

Thanks for any help.

Fucking hell, Shimano rep can get in the fucking seas.

I guess Shimano rep was trying to sell Shimano

Can anyone help me to discern the best option between these for some gentle gravel and bikepacking?

Vel 23 GRL - £200
https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Vel/23-GRL-Alloy-Gravel-Disc-Wheelset/TW4Y?id=1394676

Prime Attaquer - £180 with code CLEAR2023
https://www.wiggle.com/p/prime-attaquer-disc-alloy-wheelset

Vision Team 35 - £150
https://www.merlincycles.com/vision-team-35-disc-clincher-road-wheelset-179495.html

The Vel wheels are the only one specifically marketed for gravel, but reviews (in Japanese) on Wiggle mention CX for the Primes, and the Vision ones seem very deep and heavy so I'm guessing they're fairly robust.

I have the 28mm deep version of the Vels which are good, only thing is the freehub is very loud. It may not bother you but I’d actually choose a different wheelset if I’d known.

If the Prime wheels are actually 1370g that’s pretty impressive. I’d get em.

The reviews suggest they're around 1500g which is still a sight lighter than the other two.

Good info on the noisy hub, that would be a consideration, thanks.

These might be of use

https://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/whats-on/imber-open-days-p2531933

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/salisbury-plain-training-area-spta-firing-times

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=124321.25

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=125928.0

I don't know if people have clocked that the Prime hubs use the DT Swiss star ratchet on those

I didn't realise gravel wheelsets were so cheap. Dafuq is all that enve/zipp bullshit doing on everything. I love a star ratchet, I do. Wish more manufacturers embraced dynamo hubs though.

I don't think they are (normally), it's just a combo of Black Friday and all the big bike retailers being in financial trouble. Good time to be a #buyer

Not if you want posh kit without paying £££. I want a Crux or something flash dripping with Di2 but they're stupid money new or they're used and covered in SRAM or mech groupsets.

Is that a good or bad thing, I'm ignorant on these matters.

For instance, ignorant of the fact you have to buy a lock ring separately to the wheels, to keep the brake rotors from falling off. Helpfully it seems like Prime's own ones don't even work on that front. See the reviews. https://www.wiggle.com/p/prime-12mm-center-lock-lockring

Star Ratchet is good I'd say, it's the same internals at DT Swiss 240/350 hubs which most people rate.

I got burned by internal-spline lockrings on a 15mm hub before. I got the external ones after that https://www.wiggle.com/p/prime-15-20mm-center-lock-lockring

Worse luck, I have a cassette tool for internal but not a BB one for external.

56mm deep carbon prime wheels for road tyre use are very tempting for £300. Seems like a perfect storm of black friday, wiggle melting and me building a new bike :/

I know this problem. I bought a second BB tool just for it to live in my flight case because I run both types on the same bike due to dynamo hub.

I'm literally just riding around on my 404s trying to wear them out so I can just go back to my normal boring shallow wheels and never have to worry about valve extenders and crosswinds again. :D

Deep section carbon does seem a bit perverse paired with the 46mm wide mudguards I won't bother taking off.

Haha what a combo! :D

I'm going to make some clocks out of my Zipps I think, although a new plan I formulated yesterday was to stop 'wasting' the 404s and ship the road bike with its fat rims over to Poland to live out its days with the Tripster. The 404s can then stay with the Shiv for training (if I ever take it outside again).