Gravel / Gravé / Gnarmac / Groad / ATB

New bike, new shoes

New bike, new shoes

Same same :)

Also new saddle on the Mason. I've got some Zipp Vuka risers coming so I'll be dropping my bars but keeping the aerobars in the same place too. So I will be lower when riding the tops/drops which might be a bit more aero but mostly should lock in my lower back a bit better when climbing.

SMP?

Nah, I've tried them in the past and they don't really work for TT positioning. They're not bad if you just have a road position but I run aerobars on most of my bikes. I just fitted another ISM, this time it's a Podium which is a slightly less padded version of PL series that they don't make any more (painting myself into a corner with saddle choice).

Half an hour out of Edinburgh. Almost makes me want to move back.

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There are no trees! Looks like a game engine that hasn't finished loading.

Where's this? Looks fantastic!

Pentland Hills, this route today

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47036098

Brilliant, thank you. Any bits that would challenge someone on a gravel or road bike? Thinking about taking my 8-yo on his Islabikes hybrid...

It’s a bit advanced for that. That second climb is 9.5% for 2km on loose gravel…

Everything up to and including Threipmuir Reservoir is easy and would be great. I think you can go around the other bank of at least one of the reservoirs so could make it a loop.

Also just take the road next to the water here, fun but steep and unnecessary gravel climb.

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Great - thank you!

Not a footpath... Not a Bridleway... a BYWAY

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So disheartening to find. Hope you had your petrol strimmer to hand

Ah, but is it a restricted byway or a BOAT?

I think we could take a good guess

What do the different terms mean?

Bridleway = pedestrians, horses, cyclists
BOAT = Byway Open to All Traffic
Byway = road too minor to be called a road
Restricted byways = Open to non-mechanically propelled traffic

100% that.
Don’t take any shit from Rangers that claim eBikes are mechanically propelled, they are assisted, not propelled. Even when you show them the local bylaw that clearly states the fact, they still try to turn you round the way you came, even though it’s closer to leave the way you are going. My mate eventually just rode off in the way we were going shaking his head. The ranger then tried to get my mate’s name etc from me. So I just rode off shaking head.
And relax.

https://www.vecnum.com/en/products/freeqence

Good to see it's compatible with The Spirit Of Gravel™

Is bourbon the spirit of gravel? I hope so.

A friend of mine was telling me about it. Sounds nice, like the eeSilk of sus stems. I was thinking about sticking my Redshift suspension stem on my partner's bike for El Piri but it's a little bit longer and I don't want to be pissing about with her bike before the start.

Surely eeSilk is the eeSilk of sus stems?
https://canecreek.com/product/eesilk-stem/

Somewhat ironically, they don't use the seatpost parallelogram system on their stems. So, like Redshift, your bars tilt down rather than move in perpendicular path. They also have a fugly dial thing on top which I can't abide by (although I've just looked at that's an option).

If you mount a garmin on the stem, you can't see or use that dial. problem solved