Gravel / Gravé / Gnarmac / Groad / ATB

I don't know anything about electronics so I won't ever try but I have been dreaming about buying 3 or 4 of these

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10050064­53801691.html
wiring them into a chain along a top tube to charge Di2 or Garmin as you ride.
Does someone wanna collab?

I built a solar generator for overlanding (on a slightly bigger scale). I'm not an expert, but it was really easy. Just need a controller to regulate the charge.

Not sure top tube would be the best place - probably better on saddle bag.

Saddle bag would probably be better yes but I'm thinking that it would be nice to attach it semi permanently to the frame and have it really neatly integrated. It wouldn't need to be super efficient and charge your devices to 100% but if it could extend the battery life of your di2 by an extra 500km or your computer by an additional few hours, it could be useful for audax etc

So long as they also kill off cable discs I'd be happy to see the end of rim brakes.

Really? No more Junction B? How do they split or are you assuming 1x?

Not that I care. I've had Di2 running schweet for more km than most people do in their lives and there's been two cable breaks (install error), one shifter cable full of sweat/blood/tears that needed cleaning and one proper wtf when the whole system died atop a mountain in Transiberica and it all turned on again as soon as it was plugged in at the shop down the bottom.

Yep no more junctions at all. The battery now has 3 ports instead of one so you have one wire going from the battery to each of the derailleurs and that's it. It's very clean.

I don’t think I’d want fewer cables than on latest di2. I’d prefer the big battery in bike then smaller batteries on derailleurs.

Arkose for £470 in Newport https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1099047907799156/

Ah nice. If only they'd hurry the fuck up with 12s GRX.

Only I've just spent a bunch on Di2 11s again so I won't be upgrading for years anyway. Oh well.

How are you getting on with the Odyssey on the pizza rack after a while? Does it sit ok if it's not fully stuffed?

V brakes are v nice brakes.

This calls for a sticker.

It is fantastic and bloody massive when it needs to be (for a bag on nappies on top of usual daily load) or it sits happily empty.

(If anyone wants to buy my gorilla monsoon hit me up)

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Maybe interested in the GM, what size?

It’s a 58, need to swap a couple of bits of finishing kit then I’ll put it up.

NLD7 not far now. I really don't think I've done enough prep for it. Only been getting 4-7 hours of riding in a week lately, with lots of shorter rides (1hr/~20mi) due to Ramadan and way too much out-of-hours and on-call work.

Thought I'd be able to jump back into consistency mid-April, but have had the strangest and most random of injuries/pains which a physio couldn't really diagnose, and this weekend was another flop. Oh well, whining won't help.

I also have a potentially spare ticket (for sale at cost), so if anyone is eager to go, DM me. Still trying to convince a friend to join though, so can't confirm until later this week.

Without wanting to get into a tubeless debate, what are people's thoughts on Tubolito vs butyl tubes?

To save the debate, the answer is no.

I had three THREE explode, literally explode around the valve. Avoid.

(The two I bought and one of the free warranty replacements - didn't even bother with the other warranty replacement, thing I gave it to someone on here for free).

Tubolito

Keep reading reports of failures so they're off my list as a spare. You want a spare to work when you need it so I'll take the extra pack size and weight of a proper tube that can at least be patched easily.

Ah - seemed too good to be true. They would solve a few minor problems for me. Have read good things about the Pirelli ones, but suspect they are just a similar design with similar issues. Also dead pricey.

Might buy a couple and try anyway. YOLO etc.

They might work for a bit, but when you get a puncture you can't really fix them, so they'll just go in the bin, and you can't trust a single spare cos if you get another puncture you're pushing home.

I think there is a reason that normal tubes and patches haven't changed for a long long time.

Just ride it? What's the worse that can happen?

That's how I'm feeling. I'll just take it easier and hopefully social.

I'm keeping my ticket and still going (I have a spare), just disappointed I feel so off-season unfit this far into the year lol.

Park super patches work.

Ride Now hasn’t failed me, but they do puncture in the same way butyl does.

I’m still on the tubes as topping up sealant and faffing around seems like a ball ache. Happy to just pump up tubes when I need to, and they appear to hold air better than tubeless set ups?

That said I also swear by the Park patches, never done me wrong, a bit sad I can’t chuck them on a £13 wiggle order anymore to make up the shipping

Park patches did well in latex tubes too.
+1 for ridenow too, few months no flats no drama

I think I built a gravel bike

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