On Tue, 22 Jan 2019 12:07:50 -0800 (PST), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

On Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at 1:12:07 PM UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at 8:17:12 AM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
Here's Jan Heine's latest on wide tire road bikes, or "All-Road Bikes."

https://janheine.wordpress.com/

I guess that link takes you to the most recent edition of his blog, so
when this post gets old you'll probably have to scan downwards.

- Frank Krygowski


This is one-step removed from the tweed ride. Look at these guys (from Jan's site): https://janheine.files.wordpress.com...pg?w=640&h=518

WTF is the deal with handlebar bags these days? One water bottle and a canvas handlebar bag? If you can stop for water, you can stop for whatever crap you have in the handlebar bag. The last thing I want riding on gravel is a bulky canvas handlebar bag to add swing weight to the bars. Mandatory wool jerseys and dynos. Gak. It all screams for attention.

I passed a guy riding into work today who had some uber fat Jan Heine/Grant Petersen approved retro bike with canvas bags and fat tires, steel frame -- all new. Who the hell needs 45mm tires and a bunch of canvas bags (in a wet climate no less) to ride to work? What a lug. I'm on 32mm for wet traction and sailed by. I'll switch back to 28mm tires as soon as the worst weather passes.

I ride gravel roads all the time on 25/28mm tires -- and even some single track. No special bike, because unlike James, most close-in gravel for me connects to pavement, and lugging around fat tires on hilly pavement is tiring. If I'm going to do an all-gravel or more gravel adventure, I'll take my gravel bike or my CX commuter.

It's odd to me that the Heine crowd puts down much of cycling as fashion driven and yet they are the biggest fashionistas imaginable -- re-imagining the past and dismissing as "plecebo" those things I prove every week, e.g., that heavy fat tires bikes are boat anchors. I'm sorry, I can feel the difference between a ProRace 25mm and the 32mm Zaffiro on my commuter.

Everything from the past was not better. It wasn't. Sorry. I am from the past and can say that with reasonable certainty.

-- Jay Beattie.

I convert MTBs to drop bars and 1.5 or 1.75 tires for asphalt/gravel/dirt road riding. What's nice is that the tires don't cost all that much certainly not 67.? pounds as the tires in the article are. Plus the 26 x 1.5 or 26 x 1.75 tires are fairly easy to come by. With an adjustable stem the bike can be adjusted for a low fast ride on pavement or a very upright position on grave or scenic routes if one wants too.

Cheers

I'm beginning to see bikes over here with what appear to be 4 inch, or
maybe larger, tires. They look much like a hard tail MTB but with much
wider forks.

A couple of months ago I passed an immensely fat chap riding one and I
remember I thought at the time that perhaps the wider tires would
support more weight :-)


Cheers,
John B.