We may not be able to ride together right now, but the BNG Squad is still training hard and preparing for whatever races or events might happen this year. It’s true, our training rides have turned more toward adventure rides, but the intention is still the same: work hard, push the boundaries, and be ready to pin that number on whenever it might happen.
Each of us has been taking COVID-19 seriously and we’ve been following the strict solo or household-only riding recommendations. As I’m sure you all know, training like this can be lonely and a bit monotonous. Without friends to share our epic rides or witness our moments of total meltdown mid-bonk, the motivation to keep riding can be hard to find sometimes. To help each other find new inspiration and motivation to get out the door each week, we’ve been creating challenges for each other. Dani started out with an epic ride challenge through Estes Park one week. Emily followed up by tasking us with searching out the craziest animals we could find the next week. It’s been fun and has helped us expand outside of our normal riding patterns. And now we want all of you to play along! Welcome to the #BNGQuestThe #BNGQuest – a weekly adventure near home that we hope will expand your regular riding routes and give you a little purpose for kitting up when you need the extra motivation. Here’s how it works: Each Thursday, we’ll post the weekend ride quest on Instagram. To start things out, we’re charging you to find a cool mural around town during your ride. Take a picture of the mural with your bike in it and post it up on IG – posts or stories work great. Add a few tags (more info below) and we’ll pick a winner each Monday and send out some sweet BNG prizes. Fun and easy! That’s what it’s supposed to be, so get out and start planning some new routes, check out some different roads, and slow things down for just a minute to share your adventures with all of us. While we can’t all ride together right now, we can still have some fun together. So, let’s venture out on some BNG Quests and keep the fun alive. To win some prizes, be sure to tag three things: 1 - #BNGQuest 2 - Tag our sponsor of the week – we’ll post this info with our Thursday ride quest post. So be sure to tune in for the week’s prize and sponsor tag. 3 - Tag one of us so we can share your sweet photos with the world: @dani_marie @emily.schaldach @kplegan Good luck! Have fun! We’ll see you out there in spirit!
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One of the fundamental lessons of bikes: 'look where you want to go vs. what's immediately in front of you/where you don’t want to go'. In other words, eyes up/do not hone in on that sidewall sheering rock. We've all heard this before. Yet I consistently (still) need to remind myself all the time. Chuck it up to experience, but I think there's something more to it.
I haven't shared my Dani-brain writing with the world in quite some time. Much of it has been rather personal this past year, which has been intentional. 2019 was a big deal for me, so this is an excellent exercise for me to summarize and reassess. Back to that navigation. Up until I got that lovely concussion I did to myself at the end of 2018, I was only looking down. It's easy to get comfortable, or give into old behaviors. I wasn't challenged or appreciated in my previous job, and I was using racing for worth and purpose. Even though bike racing has never been my single source of revenue, it's easy to get sucked in. The highs of feeling good can out-weigh the bad, and is rather addicting. To be completely honest, I've never had the intention or hope of becoming a bike racer as my full-time career. So what was I doing here? Cue - new job, January 2019. At the time I felt like I was punching above my weight, but that's my default mode, and I made it my mission to completely embrace the challenge and determine what gets my gears going in the morning. Needed to upgrade that Mapquest brain of mine to that new age of Waze technology. By the time you print something out, there’s an accident on I90. This is where I altered my mindset to be more fleixble rather then such a worry wart. Coachman Grant was a broken record of "what's your why" or "get to vs got to", so I was likely the good kind of brainwashed. Some call the points below 'rants'; I call it constant learning /reminders for myself. The follwong have been lightbulb moments for me this year: Confidence When you have a greater purpose, decisions are much easier and the process is more heavily trusted. I’ve had some dark, lonely moments this year, but I always went back to the mission. Never feel like you need to explain to someone your racing or riding with "man, I don't get to train that much". First off, no one cares… and don't give it (the win) to me that easily, your doubt is showing. If/when you do poorly, are you mad about your effort or about how others perceive your effort? You know what you're getting yourself into - who cares about those other schmucks. Write your own purpose. Unless you're the top racers who earn a salary to race their bike, or you've created a lifestyle for yourself, quit acting like this is a surprise. It’s a choice. Adaptability I was on the road for work 2-3 weeks out of the month this past year. There was no room for worrying about marginal gains or spending 3 hours a day exercising. I just needed to be sure I was staying healthy and sleeping while using the hour I was able to workout as something which fueled my day. Honestly, I didn't have time to worry about my power numbers, which is an incredible peace of mind. Don't get me wrong, I had my moments of breakdown and questioning. This usually indicated a reassessment of my priorities. So.... I can have whiskey and still feel fine? - excellent. I avoided overindulgence, and listened to my body. In the end, I prevented myself from over-training, and never felt burnt on the bike. I was going back and forth between "adaptability" and "deliberate" as this paragraph suggests. Cross isn't about the consistent tempo riding, so completely removing that as an option, and allowed me to feel rested and more deliberate in my workouts. Opportunity Racing in different cities opens so many incredible doors for exploration. We had a team rule: do a touristy thing in every city visited for racing. Bike racing can sometimes turn into a single tracked mindset which can feel like a major waste if everything on earth goes wrong. We went on a duck boat trip tour in Boston…us nerds ate that up! No disrespect to those who appreciate consistency, I'm only suggesting we continuously work to expand perspective. This sport is incredibly intense. For me, I can't "fake it". I’m emotionally driven, and I’m constant awe of what a body can do, so I try to use that to my advantage as much as possible. Care less vs Careless You may be thinking at this point, "pff, whatever altruistic millennial". Maybe not, I have a confidence issue - remember. Each of us wants to do well. We put in the work and sacrifice, we have sponsor obligations, and we make mistakes that feel like dog poop. It's how you react to conflict, valleys, and setbacks. You can choose to pay attention to the jagged rocks, or look ahead. Stay Mentally Stimulated - Really Dig in There I am now very much addicted to Headspace. Still a little salty that I broke my 100+ day streak after ending a session past 12am. But truly, this exercise, along confiding in close friends, mentors and coaches save me from death by breakdown. I learned the worst thing to do (personally) when I'm totally burned is to do nothing. I cannot sit still, and doing nothing digs me deeper in the endless pit of anxiety. Instead, I would focus on games, cleaning, reading, podcasts, and even mundane activities like expense reports. Focus the mind on something easy. Additionally, "nothing" can translate to "ignore". I'm great at suppressing, but I really have been trying to articulate my feelings. Whether it be through those mentioned above (God help them), or through writing. Play Nice What I never understood - why are you so angry in races? I get it, moments happen. But it's one of those things: if you're consistently looking for the crazy person on the train, chances are - it's you. Don't be that crazy person on the train. Community You may see through the medias, all the chatter around our team and partners and I want to be very clear - the people who make our little crew possible are people and brands we want to not only represent, but be around! The posts are authentic. We are all friends and we love kicking it with each other. Luke said it once: "Work with athletes who share your values", and I totally agree. However, I know this isn't always accessible or possible. But have you really tried to build a relationship with your sponsors? Chances are, at least one will share similar principles. Running? This isn't insightful at all - just a cool thing: running small amounts translated extraordinarily well on the CX course. I've never felt so good lugging a bike up mud hills or the 5280 stairs. This somehow sounds like an insurance commercial - "act now and even YOU can finish a CX race without a shuffle/walk death march". To Cap This Off I say the following because I know most bike racers are as busy as I am - if not more (kids, etc.). I am currently the Portfolio Management Officer for a Cloud Service Provider company (2nd Watch). Work weeks typically are 50+ hours, with a lot of travel built in. I mapped 25 different hotel rooms this year where my bike has been because of work. This was a personal challenge I had for the year, and a very extreme goal. But guess what? I'm not special. Have you seen the top CX women and men in the country lately? They are Scientists, Lawyers, Doctors, and full-time professionals. Extraordinary and inspiring. I wanted to see what I could do, and how I could balance as I search for the things which rev the engine of stoked each day. In the end I was able to meet so many incredible people and experience countless cities. I raced over 25 race days between gravel and Cyclocross. This includes my longest bike ride ever via race (Steamboat Gravel) and a Baby Masters National Champ win. The perspective shifts really helped me appreciate every bit of racing, and being with my teammates/bike friends this year. Really thankful for Forever Endurance for their flexibility on a weekly - sometimes daily basis. I was able to pay off my student loans and while continuously working to accelerate my career path. It's all a choice. None of this is done on my own. Including the support system already mentioned, my husband Alex has played a crucial role in my craziness. Although he knew what he got himself into, he continuously takes the initiative to help myself and the team out. We had mechanic plans fall through, and he really stepped in to help us out. Never complained and never asked for anything in return. Couldn't have done so much without his support. Looking forward to build the learning momentum and continue some new adventures in 2020. Huge congrats to Dani for winning US Cyclocross National Championship in the 30-34 age group category. With a dominating performance, Dani led the charge from the start and rode off the front of the main field along with several other riders. After a tactical battle and slick, muddy conditions, Dani powered through the final lap to take a decisive win. “The course was just fast enough that tactics were important,” Dani explained after the race to USA Cycling’s live online coverage. “You’ve got to go really, really hard up on the inclines and on the false flats on top. But really it was all a matter of working with the people you were riding with to see what they’re up to.” With nationals being hosted in Lakewood, Washington, which is just outside of Tacoma and not far from Seattle, Dani knew the conditions would call for mud. The course has a solid mix of technical features, power sections, and some serious run-ups that will certainly do their damage to the legs. Dani had a blast slipping and sliding through the conditions, calling it “Olive-Oily” slick out there. Also, when asked what nickname she’d give to the course, she dubbed it SLICK RICK. Big thanks to the Tenspeed Hero Bitchstix team sponsors for supporting our squad this season and making this national championship title possible. With the right equipment, Dani made easy work of these tricky conditions, here’s what she used. Firefly Cross Bike – Despite the muddy conditions, Dani didn’t need to pit or exchange bikes. Her Firefly A bike crushed the course with its aggressive race geometry and ample mud clearance. Shimano GRX Component – The awesome ergonomics of the GRX shift and brake levers helped massively with control in the slick conditions. Dani ran a 1x11 drivetrain setup with a 40-tooth front chainring and 11-34-tooth cassette. Donnelly PDX Tires – PDX Mud tires have been the choice tire of our team all year and they did not disappoint in the muddy conditions in Washington. Stages Power Meter and Dash – We’re data nerds and love measuring progress with power. While Dani wasn’t watching her power during the race, she certainly put it to good use in warm-up, making sure she was ready to fly off the start line and hold the lead to the end. Another big thanks to Tenspeed Hero, Bitchstix, and Clif Bar for their tremendous support for the Bitchn Grit squad. We are proud to partner with such meaningful and super supportive companies and ecstatic to share our successes with them. Dani comes to nationals after a hugely successful 2019 season of cross racing. She’s earned numerous top 10 finishes at UCI races across the country and arrived in Washington ready to cap off the season with some exceptional racing. After recovering and celebrating from her win today, Dani will be back in action on Sunday, lining up to race the country’s fastest women in the UCI National Championship race. Tune in to bike.Shimano.com to watch live coverage of the race and cheer Dani and Emily on as they tackle Slick Rick in the pro race.
The BNG team made our way out to Boston last weekend for the Really Rad UCI cross race in Falmouth, Massachusetts. With gorgeous weather and warm temperatures, our trip out east was a true vacation and we had a blast. The Really Rad venue delivered a fast and flowy course with excellent competition and a day in Boston provided some sightseeing shenanigans. But maybe more exciting than anything else, our six beautiful titanium BNG Firefly bikes made a visit to the mothership and were put on display for a fun happy hour event at Firefly’s headquarters in Boston. When Dani, Emily, and I planned our race schedule for the year, we were excited to put Really Rad on the calendar so that we could visit Firefly. This amazing custom bike company has been a huge support to the BNG squad over the years and we wanted to visit the shop and learn more about the bikes that we all love so much. So, after a successful weekend of racing at Really Rad, we loaded up our six titanium babies and made the trek up to Boston. Wiping off the mud, dust, and maybe a little snot from our bikes, we helped display the bikes for our happy hour event and then proceeded to ask a million questions of Tyler, Kevin, Ellen, and Jaime of Firefly. We learned about the custom building process from raw tubing to finished bicycles. We learned about welding, bending, machining, and anodizing, and we learned a few secrets along the way too! When you realize how much work and attention goes into these bikes, it just makes you appreciate them even more. Besides learning about the building process, we actually go to take part in the process! Don’t worry, no imperative tasks were performed by the BNG team. Instead, we helped pull bits of vinyl masking off a frame that was in the finishing stages. The mesmerizing focus and complete satisfaction that comes from pulling small chunks of masking off a frame is a strange but wonderful feeling. Once we pulled ourselves away from the unmasking process, we got to geek out with other Firefly customers and show off our builds. It’s so interesting to see what other people choose for their builds, what their designs looks like, and all the little details they’ve added to make their bikes special. For me, I love the big 42mm+ tire clearance I have on my gravel-cross bikes and love to show people the 3D-printed chainstay yoke that makes this much clearance possible without sacrificing short and snappy chainstays. After some serious time in bike nerd heaven, we wrapped up the event and packed up our magical bikes and shipped them off to Chicago for our next race. We’re hosting another happy hour event in Chicago at the Tenspeed Hero office so be sure to check in and come chat about bikes and gear this Sunday!
The notion of going into nature to get away from life, to escape from a busy world or to create distance, rubs me the wrong way. Once nature becomes a place to break free, cement forests and four straight walls become our world. The Earth grumbles. The spherical and dynamic movement of elements doesn’t fit well in boxes. The notion of getting away should be falling into technology and succumbing to the angular world, leaving the swooping and growing world where we do belong. Home is a place filled with moving dirt, where hinges are the flexibility of branches, and the ceiling changes when it rains, where the light can be covered by grumbling clouds. Calling an address Home places each of us in straight and separate lines. When sidewalks and freeways divide us, our communities lose any sense of cohesion. Running into the forests or breathing in the mountains should not be an escape, rather, a homecoming. An ability to remember where the shiny grain of our oak front doors came from. The ability to sit and rest in the trees should not be getting away, rather getting back in -- back to where our world came from. After sifting through the massive amounts of material extricated from the earth, we should land back in the dirt. And instead of utilizing this dirt as a place where toes can spread out, we’ve found ourselves spinning, where someone somewhere finds a way to sift it and pack it and sell it. Palm trees do not grow in rows. They don't grow with white paint at the base. By shoving and nudging and pulverizing the world into our designed niches and corners, it's easy to forget we originate from a significantly softer place. Maybe the entropy of the universe has infiltrated our minds, forcing us to create a false sense of order by ripping apart the closed-loop systems to make conveyor belts and finish lines. But more realistically, we have a backward sense of where we belong. If living as a true omnivore, not a dertriovre, eating only dead things wrapped in plastic from a store, and living surrounded by glass separating us from the wind, and clicking in heels past trees planted in rows surrounded by cement sidewalk squares is what we consider home, we are living in self-delusion of where we belong. Power! Like lightning! In the bike world, power meters have drastically shifted the data available to athletes. We rely on accurate power readings for almost every ride. For me, power data becomes a tangible number to measure how training and life is translating to speed and strength. And the most fun part is that our data from races continually reminds us the limits we set are bendier and less inhibiting than we give them credit for. This week, I started using the Stages Power Meter Gen3 as well as the Stages Dash M50 head unit. The power meter was shockingly easy to install. It is integrated into the non-drive side crank, and it took me less than five minutes to swap cranks and calibrate. Unlike many power meters, the battery is easily accessible and syncing with phones or computers is simple. I turned on the Dash and downloaded the app. The Dash immediately brought up a QR code that synced the head unit with my phone. I connected the upload to Training Peaks and Strava, and off I went. I was impressed with the simplicity of setup -- those of us who have been through various power meters know that linking all the systems can be a massive hassle. The preset screens of the Dash were amazingly accurate for my needs. The first screen has a colored ring showing power zones. Looking down in the middle of an interval and seeing purple, knowing this was where I needed to be, instead of calculating if 303 watts is more than 120% of FTP has already been a welcome feature. The second preset screen is a map. I haven’t consistently used the map feature on head units. This map, however, automatically loads the surrounding roads, highlights bike routes and has an easy zoom feature. I was suffering home after a race and zoomed-in quickly to find the shortest route at an intersection instead of pulling out my phone. I gotta say, 10/10. I’m experimenting with the next screens and making slight customizations as I see fit. I look forward to trying out the different orientations as well- the Dash can sit in Landscape or Portrait mode, each offers slightly different screens. I’ve also heard great things about the Workout feature on the Dash, next week I’ll be uploading workouts, something I’m sure will make intervals less of a mental math game, and more a focused effort. The screen is crisp, the Dash is intuitive to use after playing around with it for a bit, the software was simple, and the power meter is flawless so far. Stay tuned, I’ll be dashing all over the place with more reviews to come. I’ve spent years tinkering and experimenting with bikes. In high school, I bought a stock carbon frame from China and built it up with meticulously chosen parts -- albeit cost limited by my lawn-mowing summer job. This bike and I raced and trained for multiple national championships. Each time we set out together, I remembered this plastic steed had no crash warranty and if I needed to replace the frame, that would mean mowing significantly more lawns. I hunkered into this mindset for years, riding carbon bikes and falling into their trap of cracked seat stays or top tubes more than once. I figured this was part of the gig, experiment with components and bike fit, try not to break it. My current bike, her name is Jane, turned this mentality to mush. I was lucky enough to work with the beautifully fastidious minds at Firefly Bicycles to create my first custom titanium bike. We talked on the phone, sent ride-fit videos back and forth, and exchanged emails about what felt like countless details. When the bike arrived, I realized our emails had only covered a tiny portions of the attention to detail that Firefly had committed to. The custom titanium stem and stem cap looked seamless, with a tiny Firefly logo anodized onto the side, the faceplate also wore the logo, barely visible, but intricately brandished. The headtube is highlighted with a gold-anodized Firefly logo headbadge. The brushed titanium top tube has my name anodized as well as TenSpeed Hero, the subtle gold letters have stopped more than one person on the street to ask about who built little Jane. The custom titanium seatpost, held together with the Firefly seatpost clamp and Firefly’s seat attachment system makes the continuous titanium look of the bike feel thousands of miles away from mismatched carbon parts. Jane’s an elegant gal, she knows it. We set the saddle-bar reach and drop slightly shorter than my previous bikes by shortening the top tube. Kevin recommended the Enve gravel fork for maximum clearance to reduce toe overlap with the front wheel. His recommendations have made this bike feel like a dream, we romp really really hard together. One of the most impressively, yet easily overlooked components of the frame, is the 3D printed dropouts. Firefly has recently developed a completely custom dropout system. They look awesome, it feels like magic that they were once a strand of titanium thread. Knowing these parts weren’t stamped out in a huge machine, but crafted by real hands made me feel like I was riding around on a piece of artwork, not a 1 of 10,000 mold. The first day I rode Jane, making absolutely no adjustments to the fit, I ripped up one of Boulder’s canyons, then swerved off into a notoriously steep and loose fire escape route. My two-hour base ride plan was dead and gone at this point, I was just getting started though. On my way back down to town, I felt the allure of the trails and took Jane on the most technical in-town trail. She romped over rocks, skidded through corners, and was snappy on the climbs and out of corners. (The mountain biker in me is nervous to admit that I PRed some of the climbs that I’ve suffered through on my mountain bike many times/ This bike though! It's way too much fun!) We dropped down the super rocky and steep Link trail back to the road. I figured this last section of trail would be a push for the rigid bike, but with elbows and knees out, chest down, and eyes up, we made it smoothly down with lots of squealing and smiling. At three and half hours in, I couldn’t help but zip down to the bike park. We jumped and flew around berms. I came to the bottom of a flowy jump line and landed in a group of middle-aged men who were there for a jump clinic, they’d been filming each other, and I unintentionally snuck into the shot. They grumbled a bit about how I had done this in the drops, but I was already headed up for another run. From the first contact, I felt the loyalty Firefly has to create things that last.
This bike was originally designed for a massive bikepacking trip in Euroland. Unfortunately, the trip fell through -- after buying flights without insurance, ahhhh -- due to my best friend and travel mate shattering her foot. Jane is itching at her tack weld seams to get out there and bikepack, and it will happen. As I said, she’s built to last, she has years (decades?) to keep on rolling and making riders smile. Stay tuned, for now, we will be racing cross, but bikepacking.com has been a permanent open tab for months and plans are brewing. I was very curious to see how an ISP (integrated seat post) and carbon-titanium bonding could handle my very silly riding choices. Aside from its remarkable aesthetic appeal, how effective would it be on harsh terrain? Would it be difficult to pack? Does it handle differently compared to my other titanium CX steeds? Here’s a quick take-away. The Design Firefly set out to create an integrated seat post format incorporating Shimano composites carbon throughout the set post/ tube, finishing with a custom titanium topper. This bonding effectively shaves weight while adding stiffness and vibration damping for tough riding surfaces. Coveting the details, Firefly added their personal touch with sculpted laser cut lugs, creating a special ti-carbon mix. The Test
If you follow me on the medias, you know I don’t take things slow and clearly have no concern of my bones functioning past the age of 50. So I took the steed out on some mountain bike trails. Looking at the carbon-ti transitions, I was wary of the actual stability of the design. Thought: ‘Will I snap this thing, nah… those guys wouldn’t do that to me…right?!’. *nervous laugh* Truth is, this guy has taken a beating. The whole nine: launched off mountains, rock descents, 100-mile gravel rides, Professional CX racing, riding up and down mountains on snow and ice, etc. I was blown away in the versatility and comfort levels. I want to validate, this is not suspension, nor do I recommend anyone be as foolish as I am. Or do, plus some. The point: it is in full-tact and is comfortable as ever. In fact, I appreciate the handling capabilities of this design more than my full-titanium CX frames. Specifically, the one piece seat tube/seat post is a stand-out as it helps soak whatever chatter the terrain provides, and cruises smoothly on winding descents. Certainly, my go-to pony. It’s important to note that I do not feel any lack of responsiveness in my handling or workouts compared to my other cross bikes. Cornering and instantaneous ‘punches’ are just as effective. Packing was surprisingly fine! For reference, I’m about 5’8″ and mostly legs. Think, the daddy long legs of humans. We packed it up in the Evoc Bike Travel Bag Pro, Oru Airport Ninja (oh yes, with an integrated seat post) and a standard Bike Flights cardboard box. Some maneuvering was required, but all in all a success. I've pulled up at hundreds of aid stations, grabbed some watermelon, filled a bottle, thanked the volunteers, and zipped along. I recently worked as a crew member on a trip called Bikerpelli. This trip guides ~100 riders from Fruita, CO to Moab, UT over the course of 150 miles of single and double track in three days. The riders show up in everything from spandex and full face helmets, to t-shirts and baggies. Some riders have been training all year for this event, others have, and I'm not exaggerating, finished their longest ride ever the week prior -- clocking in 22 miles and a whopping 330 feet of elevation gain. I was offered a position as the aid station manager for the two consecutive trips. I showed up unsure, but ready with facepaint and lots of aid-station-stoke to do what I could for these riders. I quickly realized I was going to see and talk to 100 people everyday on a trip that many of them deemed the hardest thing they had ever done. It took consistency, lots of encouragement, and as the day wore on, more and more creativity for how to get people back out there. Each aid station was a turning point where riders could choose to continue for the second half of the day or take the van to camp. At one point, I picked a BUNCH of cactus splinters out of someone's leg, then painted some encouraging words on his forearms, made sure he ate a whole pb&j even though he was quite uninterested in food, and sent him on his way. I did something similar to this, perhaps without the cactus, 100 times a day for 8 days. I cut up 80 lbs of bananas, 18 watermelons, and served up 260,000 calories of peanut butter. We drove 40 ft moving vans on four wheel drive roads with 14 creek crossings, and worked from 6am to 10pm each day. (mostly play-work though -- because bikes and facepaint and huge red rocks everywhere!) When I race, I’m aware of my own experience and maybe a glimpse of the people's around me. During Bikerpelli though, I heard a select part of 100 people's experiences. They came into the aid station with stories, dread, excitement, and bike drama. Often, it seems they needed someone to listen as much as they needed Sun Chips and pineapple. While I chopped fruit, I learned about wild bike fixes, lack of preparation, and even learned about a sport called burrow racing where you and your donkey trail run together for multiple days.
I quickly grew a lofty appreciation for aid-station volunteers as well as the people who work the logistics of events. I always knew it was a lot of work, but I hadn't ever been the person who made vats of coffee or coordinated loading and unloading 6000 lbs of duffel bags everyday in the remote backcountry (at least remote for a moving truck). It's a ton of work to get to Costco and buy insane amounts of food, then drive them across the state, and present them on colorful trays, ready for when riders make their way through the desert. So, here's my huge thanks to organizers, coordinators, and supporters. The biking is simple in comparison. This is a pretty insane side of the sport and we pedalers certainly couldn't do really any of it without you. Thank you thank you thank you! And a huge thanks to my Bikerpelli family, I wouldn't have wanted to play/work in the desert with anyone else. Cheers to next year! I was fortunate enough to ride Shimano’s news gravel-specific component group at Dirty Kanza this year. GRX launched in early May and several of Shimano’s Gravel Alliance members put the new parts to the test in one of the most grueling, rugged races on the calendar.
After 350 miles of super rocky and hilly Kanza roads, I can honestly say these parts rock. The ergonomics of the hoods are amazing and the just cradle your hands so you stay securely in place even over the bumpiest sections of trail and road. The levers are also designed for a better grip and feature a higher pivot point so the brakes feel more powerful and consistent when braking from any position. As for gearing, I ran the GRX crank with 48/31-tooth chainrings paired with an 11-34-tooth cassette. Sure, you may call me wimpy for riding that 31-34 ratio but let me tell you how much my legs appreciated this spinny gear after 300+ miles and who even knows how much elevation gain. Being able to spin up some of those steep climbs at the end of the race kept my spirits up and kept me moving a heck of a lot faster than walking. Worth it. More impressions on GRX and the rest of the gear I used at DK coming soon. But for now, check out this video for a taste of DK and the equipment needed to tackle this beast. |
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September 2022
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