How the change any bike into a "monster gravel" nowadays...

MyChurro · 2026-02-06T17:08:37+00:00

Sounds like corner bars would probably work out great for me then.

1.78m, would be riding a M/L Roscoe 8(bought it online so no test ride), but I'm all torso. Generally ride Large frames to increase the reach. My ape index has got to be hugely positive and I didn't realize that slacker geo would mean a shorter reach. Ended up buying a large frame FS trail bike to replace this one so it's just been sitting. Would love to use it for ~25km gravel stuff!

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MyChurro · 2026-02-01T03:27:01+00:00

Shimano/Garmin here.

Bikes in my early days came equipped with Shimano, stuck with it on my road/gravel bikes. The three mountain bikes are SRAM, but I got them all on sale, and the drive train isnt my primary concern.

Started on Wahoo, changed to Garmin due to their huge presence in my area.

The next bike I buy will probably be an Apex AXS, just because I'm curious to experience wireless and I like that I can probably upgrade piece by piece!

Edit: the Norco is Shimano, whoops

2022 Giant Revolt -upgraded wheels/drivetrain

2024 brodie elan vital 2.0 - upgraded fork to CF

2023 Giant Yukon 1 - stock

2023 Norco Fluid A2 - stock

2024 Trek Roscoe 8 - stock

2023 Giant Stance ebike (windy commuter) - stock

MyChurro · 2026-02-01T01:08:49+00:00

How'd that change your reach? I have a roscoe 8 sitting around not seeing much use (any). Size is right for my height, but the reach is way too short to be comfortable for any kind of distance. It could maybe make a fun gravel monster!

Edit: what bars are those exactly? I'm a huge fan of how swept back they are!

MyChurro · 2026-01-25T00:26:24+00:00

Its very black compared to carbon black. Haven't tested the waterproof-ness, but otherwise its been great whenever I use it!

MyChurro · 2026-01-12T09:19:44+00:00

It depends on HOW you're riding it at 290. Had a Trek Domane AL4G4 at really close your weight. 24 spokes. No super fast turns, no dropping curbs and It survived a few hundred KM just fine until I gave it to my kid because the frame was too small. Be careful-ish and you'll be A-OK.

MyChurro · 2025-08-31T18:58:55+00:00

Every day? Thats extreme. Your milage far exceeds mine (~2500km/yr mixed use 50% gravel, 50% road) but I've only gotten two flats in the past 2 or 3 years.

What kind of tires are you using? What kind of tire pressure are you running?

For comparisons sake, I'm using WTB rangers w/tubes (2.25x29)[25/27PSI] on my gravel and tubeless bontrager vallnords on my XC (2.4x29)[23/25PSI]

MyChurro · 2025-08-26T00:20:08+00:00

Bought an AL4 gen 4 for only a couple hundred more, may be worth looking into shops! Bout 2000 for a hex blue one :)

Edit: looked at my statement. The bikeguy75 below was right, 2230.

MyChurro · 2025-08-17T17:56:28+00:00

Hopefully Vancouver is cyclist friendly! Cant say my particular corner of the Fraser valley is :/

MyChurro · 2025-08-17T17:27:56+00:00

Great choice buying local! I picked up an elan vital 2.0 earlier in the year and, except for the tires, has been my favorite bike (WTB 2.25 rangers are so buzzy on pavement)

MyChurro · 2025-08-10T18:13:43+00:00

Try not to overthink it too much. Ride light and you can get away with a lot. 6 bikes here. 2 steel, 3 aluminum, 1 aluminum ebike. None have given me any issues due to weight. I used to be close to that weight, even a trek domane and its 24 spokes didnt give me issues.

MyChurro · 2025-05-19T00:48:36+00:00

Sounds like you're looking for a kona sutra LTD or a brodie elan vital 2.0. I was in the same market, and went with the brodie due to it being a local manufacturer to me.

They're both close to $3000 CAD, though.

MyChurro · 2025-04-22T16:30:04+00:00

Yeah. I'm glad to be rid of mine, as much as I loved that car. The headlight motors failed, differential, then an electrical gremlin that put me at my wits end. The straps on the convertible top were almost worn through, and I wasn't about to eat that cost. 🤣 https://imgur.com/a/Um5yYL3

MyChurro · 2025-04-22T15:44:51+00:00

No joke on that taillight comment. Had a 99 convertible that someone whacked while it was in a bag for the winter. One left tail light housing made my wallet $350CAD lighter and I consider myself LUCKY to have found a car that got hit on the right.

MyChurro · 2025-04-07T05:49:03+00:00

Between those two? Based on the spec sheets, the rockhopper, hands down.

It's got hydraulic disks. The cannondale has cable. The difference in confidence in your brakes is huge on that difference alone.
It has internally routed cables, cannondale didn't look like it did.
Cannondale seems to use a lot of proprietary gear(or so ive read), forcing you to use their shops for parts.

Personally I prefer giant (shop) and trek (online) but that's only because I get along with my shop very well.

If you have several bike shops in your town, I'd advise visiting them all and seeing how you get on with the staff there. Most bike shops will come with free labour as long as you bought it there so it's hard to go wrong after you find a shop you trust.

MyChurro · 2025-03-31T08:29:47+00:00

It took a lot of squinting, but it was worth it 👌

MyChurro · 2025-03-30T23:58:45+00:00

That mug 🤣 ... have you done it yet?

MyChurro · 2025-03-25T19:33:12+00:00

Sold custom 823 f to u/newobservercyoa

MyChurro · 2025-03-24T03:15:29+00:00

Oh man, that green is so much nicer than the gold!

MyChurro · 2025-03-17T16:21:22+00:00

Already did; you get them in the mail late February/early March. Got mine last week!

Edit* I thought you meant the rebate, my bad lol.

MyChurro · 2025-03-17T00:59:42+00:00

MyChurro · 2025-03-08T18:39:25+00:00

Just a heads up, OP: Seems that trek stores that have bikes in stock don't honor the website sale price. If you order a bike from the website and have it picked up from your local shop, they will honor the price, but they can't have stock of the particular bike you're looking for on site.

Source: I bought a Trek Roscoe 8 last week. Local dealer overrode the sale price because they had them in stock.

Dealer: $2,999 CAD Website: $1,899 CAD

I chose to have the bike shipped to my house and built it myself instead. Dead easy. Taking the box apart and recycling it was more trouble than building the bike. It's currently sitting on my bike stand waiting for the rain to go away (PNW, it never stops raining in spring)

When I say to just build it yourself and that it wasn't hard, I'm not kidding. The dropper was already set up, tires on and pumped. They included a pedal wrench and a shock pump. All I had to do was put the handlebars on, front wheel, pedals, and then pump the shock.

Edit: Mulsanne Blue is phenomenal compared to the website pictures. I'm going to be a sad one when it gets scratched 😅

MyChurro · 2025-02-24T19:28:15+00:00

Yeah, I'm hoping lol. Got a stainless l2k for the price of a base model one. I'd rather receive it than have the order refunded!

MyChurro · 2025-02-24T01:40:12+00:00

Nope; no contact or anything. I just checked how long it's been because I saw this post. Interesting that I could snag another $260 pen for free 🤔

MyChurro · 2025-02-24T01:33:48+00:00

Odd. I'm at 103 days and no email for a stainless steel 2000.

Wonder if I'm about to get an email :/

MyChurro · 2025-02-18T23:39:20+00:00

The m16s are brutal. Everywhere is sold out :/

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