Gravel / Gravé / Gnarmac / Groad / ATB

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Advent X.

My partner has that exact topstone, or maybe an earlier year, but same spec and it's been absolutely fine for over a year now. Never had to adjust the gears once and they're still very smooth.

Did change the brakes though as the promax ones are shite.

I will at some point change the shifters over to the Sword ones as they look nicer and don't have the sideways cable.

Ta

Wide is outboard, cranks + derailleur. If you get a wide derailleur but have a standard width crank you'll have to adjust it all the way inboard to the standard chain line.
I had to bodge this a few times, and it's not great, wide crank, wide derailleur or all standard but avoid mixing if possible

Any good grav routes from reading to London? East preferably

You could base one on the dirty winza which will get you from Swinley to London.

If you do this I would recommend reversing the ‘out’ route so that you head back on the southern part of the loop as the northern side via Slough is a bit shitty.

https://www.pearson1860.com/blogs/1860-hub/the-dirty-winza-editors-cut

no.

Peak gravel has been reached, Cycling Weekly are having a Gravel Week with content such as this:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/does-gravel-need-a-code-of-conduct

All I can say it's during Traka week was sickening to see Chads riding too fast and too close to local families dog walkers etc.

Is chad a word for a bell end?

There's actually a big anti cycling movement in Girona now because so many are dicks (plus housing issues). The riding I've seen often there is so arrogant.

A quick scan reminds me of articles I’d see in mbuk in the late nineties, early 2000s.

It was all about conflict with ‘red socks’ ie ramblers back then.

Are gravel races generally done on paths that are open to other users?

chad = "alpha male" but tongue-in-cheek

interesting about girona but i guess not altogether surprising. don't have to be empathetic to be an athlete and also the younger you are...

don't have to be empathetic to be an athlete influencer and also the younger you are...

More likely this

so many are dicks

Surely this must be the common underlying factor, regardless of it being Epping, Girona, Regents Park, on/off road..

Yup, same with any 'group'. But cyclists whizzing around on 4k bikes when locals make 1.5k a month is an easy target, especially when blasting through lights and pedestrian crossings running your granny over.

Locally we have the Gravel Super Highway and if you want to go fast you have to hit the crush at dawn. Any other time it’s Partypace™️ with very occasional quickish bursts. It’s far too busy with hikers, dog walkers, pushchairers and horse riders to do anything else. It would seem this is the case unless you are on either an eMotorbike or are wearing full roadie gear and are riding a high end race bike, so pretty much the same as road riding then.

Gravel Super Highway

Uxbridge Road? :)

That @RPM fella gets around.

Lol. Party-pace all-day, everyday when you hit Southall.

It’s far too busy with hikers, dog walkers, pushchairers and horse riders to do anything else.

Not in small part the reason why I prefer to ride at early hours or away from main paths when possible. Otherwise, as stated above, the general rule is don't be a dick and share the paths.

I prefer as early as possible too, but just can't do weekdays during term-time. I went out at 18:30 a few days ago, and the main paths were as quiet as in the mornings. Saw more deer and squirrels than humans.

Agreed, I ride in Epping Forest a couple of times a week and provided you go at the crack of dawn (or on a weekday evening) you can ride more or less as you like, as you'll encounter far more wildlife than people. The rest of the time, you've just gotta be considerate of other people and dial it back a bit.

There's also a slightly selfish element to it in that I love the forest – it's one of the best things about living in East London – and I don't want to cyclists to eventually get banned. But I don't understand how people don't get this. People lacking empathy? Just being straight up dicks?

People lacking empathy? Just being straight up dicks?

I'm willing to bet that Strava brings out the worst in some people too

and if you want to go fast you have to hit the crush at dawn

Shit fixie skidders say >>>>>

Would be silly hunting for koms/segments when there are people about.

Having/Setting KOMs on shared paths is golf clap shit in my mind.

Keep it in your pants and save it for when you've pinned a number on, ya straight up nodderz.