the next big thing - Super Monster Cross?

[qclabrat]

Here's my VD WTF. I'm running 29er 2.1" Hutchinson Pythons. There's room for something bigger. Also,there's an 853 version now, which, with it's carbon fork, shaves something like three pounds off my rig My next bike is gonna be the Country Road Bob, which has huge clearance, too.

View attachment 63620

View attachment 63621

nice, I always thought the WTF handled 50mm max
just looked up the CRB and it has a little less clearance than the WTF

 

[Pearl]

agreed, cross bike on mtb trails is a game changer, makes a old trail new again.

i cant imagine taking my cx bike with bigger tires at CR, the geo is just stupid. but i can see riding from somewhere super far to ride some gnarly ST an it being fun...

but how often is that going to happen?

 

[Magic]

but how often is that going to happen?

This is probably why I won't get the 27.5 wheels for it. I'm too lazy to swap wheels and would probably just grab a different bike.

 

[Patrick]

i'm thinking

28.25 x

is the next winning wheel/tire combo size, so i'm waiting for that.
it would fit in a cx frame, leave room for taller side walls, but not break the bank on width.

i'd call it C- which is about the grade it would get from consumers.

---

i ripped the derailleur off my cx bike both times i took it to 6MR. one next to the parking lot on the way in, and once coming up on canal road
on that other trail. it was fun, it was different, but it wasn't funner than the SS. always good to have a ride cost $30 extra.

and like @stb222 said - unless it is a bombed out, rutted disaster, what are you doing with any speed in mind?
I could see putting something with a kevlar belt, and commuting - where reliability and some comfort is much more important
than speed.

Although N+1 is enough of a reason.

did anyone see that 210 miler gravel/st/dirt across michigan? lake-to-lake? happens in may. I think selene posted it to FB.

 

[qclabrat]

agreed, cross bike on mtb trails is a game changer, makes a old trail new again.

i cant imagine taking my cx bike with bigger tires at CR, the geo is just stupid. but i can see riding from somewhere super far to ride some gnarly ST an it being fun...

but how often is that going to happen?

very fair questions, I've ridden 6mr a few times on a gravel bike and it's not for me, still beats up the bike and me quite a bit. Plenty of folks riding fat bikes there as well, though the perfect bike for me is a 29+ SS, to each their own.

As for a way to legitimize getting another bike or specifically this type of bike, I see it as creating a challenge. I'll be hitting a big b-day in roughly two years and I've thinking to do something fun. To no surprise all my realistic ideas gravitate towards something related to cycling. In 2016, I did the Gran Fondo of Yunnan which is near Tibet and this year if dates align, I'm planning to enter the Genghis Khan MTB adventure in August: http://www.grasslandextrememarathon.com/index.php. In 2020, my plans are to either do the Mongolia Bike Challenge: http://www.mongoliabikechallenge.com/home/ or Friendship Highway ride, which is like the Great Divide, but you ride from Lhasa to Kathmandu. All might get scraped due to my inconsistent nature, but hell its worth a shot.

 

[qclabrat]

for any big guys looking for a bike as discussed
insane price if you got the legs, too bad it's not a medium
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2318973/

 

[Mr.Moto]

nice, I always thought the WTF handled 50mm max
just looked up the CRB and it has a little less clearance than the WTF

It will handle bigger than 50mm although the front fork does not have much more room. These tires measure more than 2.1" wide. I just swapped them out to more reasonable 47mm's so if anyone wants some crazy fat 650's let me know.

 

[Karate Monkey]

It will handle bigger than 50mm although the front fork does not have much more room. These tires measure more than 2.1" wide. I just swapped them out to more reasonable 47mm's so if anyone wants some crazy fat 650's let me know.

View attachment 63643

Those tires encourage stupid behavior

 

[qclabrat]

It will handle bigger than 50mm although the front fork does not have much more room. These tires measure more than 2.1" wide. I just swapped them out to more reasonable 47mm's so if anyone wants some crazy fat 650's let me know.

View attachment 63643

Very handsome build
What size is that one?

Tried to fit 29x2.1 and 26x2.3 on the graveler, hey they fit!, Well sort of... Gonna need n+1

 

[Mr.Moto]

Very handsome build
What size is that one?

Tried to fit 29x2.1 and 26x2.3 on the graveler, hey they fit!, Well sort of... Gonna need n+1
View attachment 63644View attachment 63645

It's a 48 or 50.

 

[gtluke]

Someone did well at leadville on a bike like this I think. Maybe that year Lance was in that documentary?

 

[Santapez]

I'm kind of with Pearl on this. Yeah I've done the cross bike at 6 mile and Lewis Morris a bunch. It's nice to mix things up but it's not really all that. And it's only fun because I've ridden both those places a bunch on my regular MTB and my SS. I'll take the SS or CX to Lewis Morris wednesday night rides as it slows me down to keep it interesting.

For gravel rides, I've done HoH, MKF and a most-scary-bike-ride-in-my-life gravel grinder in VT all on my road bike with 23c tires. The first two I'd by far prefer my road bike. The VT ride I'd prefer more of a gravel grinder bike with 32C tires, but whatever I would do it again on my road bike.

I just don't see the ability around most of the state to put in the long and often gravel rides requiring more than a 28c tire. Maybe a 33c file tread...

My touring bike has 32c tires and I prefer my more nimble/lighter road bike unless I'm carrying weight.

 

[huffster]

I need disposable income. That's a nice bike and price...and the right size.

for any big guys looking for a bike as discussed
insane price if you got the legs, too bad it's not a medium
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2318973/

 

[soundz]

It will handle bigger than 50mm although the front fork does not have much more room. These tires measure more than 2.1" wide. I just swapped them out to more reasonable 47mm's so if anyone wants some crazy fat 650's let me know.

View attachment 63643

that would be sick for commuting into nyc

 

[soundz]

Someone did well at leadville on a bike like this I think. Maybe that year Lance was in that documentary?

I think he just put drop bars on a mountain bike. It was the Lance year and I want to say he came in like 3rd behind the Ergon guy.

 

[soundz]

There was some guy who did the Shendoah 100 on a Fargo-like bike with drop bars and 1.8-1.9'ish tires. He even had a 80mm'ish suspension fork on it. He was pretty fast on the gravel but pretty sketchy on the single track downhills.

 

[xc62701]

I'm sorry but I read through this and all I can say is that why are people making so many excuses to turn a road bike into an mtb? Just ride your damn mtb on the road. Oh sorry it doesn't have drop bars...put drop bars on your mtb. Done! I'm as much for N+1 as anyone else but this just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[qclabrat]

I'm sorry but I read through this and all I can say is that why are people making so many excuses to turn a road bike into an mtb? Just ride your damn mtb on the road. Oh sorry it doesn't have drop bars...put drop bars on your mtb. Done! I'm as much for N+1 as anyone else but this just doesn't make sense to me.

but how do you work out the top tube length? I forgot to mention I'd like to add aerobars to allow more flexibility in hand positions. My neck problems require me to frequently change up hand positions for long rides. I've seen @jimvreeland 's setup with the Ergons barends with aerobars and that seems like a possible compromise. Though one hand position I really like is riding on the flared drops on bars like Midges or Cowchippers.

 

[stb222]

I'm kind of with Pearl on this. Yeah I've done the cross bike at 6 mile and Lewis Morris a bunch. It's nice to mix things up but it's not really all that. And it's only fun because I've ridden both those places a bunch on my regular MTB and my SS. I'll take the SS or CX to Lewis Morris wednesday night rides as it slows me down to keep it interesting.

For gravel rides, I've done HoH, MKF and a most-scary-bike-ride-in-my-life gravel grinder in VT all on my road bike with 23c tires. The first two I'd by far prefer my road bike. The VT ride I'd prefer more of a gravel grinder bike with 32C tires, but whatever I would do it again on my road bike.

I just don't see the ability around most of the state to put in the long and often gravel rides requiring more than a 28c tire. Maybe a 33c file tread...

My touring bike has 32c tires and I prefer my more nimble/lighter road bike unless I'm carrying weight.

When I was in southern Cali doing some riding, I thought thisnis what these gravel grinders are for (at the time the cannondale slate had just come out). Tons and ton of double track and fire roads that are just a tad too rough for regular road tires. But around here? There are a few of the Delaware river dirt roads on the PA side that are sketch in 25’s but people always looking for a bike that they can use 5% of the time.

 

[qclabrat]

When I was in southern Cali doing some riding, I thought thisnis what these gravel grinders are for (at the time the cannondale slate had just come out). Tons and ton of double track and fire roads that are just a tad too rough for regular road tires. But around here? There are a few of the Delaware river dirt roads on the PA side that are sketch in 25’s but people always looking for a bike that they can use 5% of the time.

hmm, does that mean I now need 20 bikes....
btw, how much time have you been putting on the fat bike?