Gravel / Gravé / Gnarmac / Groad / ATB

Ogre https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/394534/

If you want to try the high rise stem I have the genetic version I can do for cheaps

What the fucking fuck wrong with Genesis?

They went back into thr early 00’s and completely messed up the geometry of the new Croix de Fer.

The Small and Extra Small both have a reach of 395mm

Only the Medium have 385mm reach.

For some fucked up reason, the new designer decided to not have proportionated sizing like a lots of manufacturers going nowadays and blatantly ignore shorter people.

Even the top tube remain near identical at around 55cm in the 3 smallest sizes.

Genesis, you done gone fucked up

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For comparison, the old geometry (likely by James Olsen) is much more proportionate;

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Is it not just a mistake in the data on the website?

Yeah, repetitive Copy/Paste often has a lot to answer for

I doubt it, recalculating it came out close to the number.

55.3cm top tube on XS, 55.7cm on S and 55.8cm on M.

They compensate by having different stem length.

That's crazy indeed 5mm difference between xs and m

Maybe the thinking is to provide a fit from omg racy he's real fast to relaxed as on a Dutch bike for average sized men, depending if they wear pns or baggy shorts?

Any recommendations for decent bar bags for a gravel bike?

It seems like every man and his dog makes them now but I don’t want to waste money on something that’ll fall apart after a few months use.

hell yeah.

My Terenno Dry tyres in 45mm haven’t been offering me any confidence inspiring grip for last month or two, but the only tyres I have in reserve are some 40mm Goodyear Connectors that measure out a little narrower anyhow. Can’t go skinny again.

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I’ve had one from @Buildhigh for a couple years. Is well made.

What sort of bar bag are you after? Small one for snacks and some bits, a roll with a dry bag you could remove, or something larger that would basically take everything for a bikepacking trip.

For the first - the Wizard Works Lil Presto seems to be well thought of.

Second - Restrap maybe? Bikepacking.com have this on most of the options: https://bikepacking.com/index/handlebar-harnesses-and-rolls/

And if the latter - I love the Wiz Works Shazam I’ve got, but it does need big wide bars.

Wiz Works bags aren’t cheap, but lifetime guarantee and made in London in a great range of colours and designs. You pays your money.

Alpkit also make decent more entry level stuff. Haven’t used it in ages, but is always spoken of highly.

Sell a kidney and buy a route werks

Is there a list of forum bags makers?

Is there a point in the year when the bridleways aren't covered in thorns and nettles but the trails are also dry? Has the UK ever had a weekend like this? I guess other countries would refer to it as summer but I'm specifically thinking Peak UK Grav with no mud and no blackberry bushes tearing eyeballs out.

Usually spring is the best time of year for this, April or May. However, this year spring was so wet that it was a mudfest.

when the bridleways aren't covered in thorns and nettles

I always thought landowners had a responsibility to keep bridleways and footpaths clear, but either no one cares anymore, or it's never been the way. Not sure what it is.

February last year. Amazingly.

I think I have built up a tolerance for nettles, yesterday was pretty relentless but I only felt the
initial sting and nothing afterwards. Maybe it's like spicy food for your skin.

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I wanted tto believe this was possible to the point where I’d go through some rigorous nettle bashing to come out with immunity but I think the science says no.
At one point earlier this summer I was thinking ‘surely I can pay someone some money and they inject me with something gives me immunity to these fucking things’
Now I just pretty much always wear long sleeves.

‘surely I can pay someone some money and they inject me with something gives me immunity to these fucking things’

This is usually called "regents laps in PNS kit"

My shins seem to have a constant, slightly warm and fuzzy feeling now from the relentless amount of nettles.

ROFL.

I mean, we had to cross to other sides of the road because the footpath was so overgrown when we did some tiles out near Debden. The bridleways are minging.

Rode the Rebellion Way the other weekend and we took to describing the stinging levels of our chins on a curry hotness scale.

Pretty sure I was at jalfrezi for at least half the time.