Thanks, glad to hear, and good luck with the lottery. I'll be sharing more Badlands content soon, so stay tuned!

Thanks!

Very good questions. Let's see: - aerobars: really not needed: I probably used them 90 minutes over the 100+ hours it took me to complete it. I knew I would not use them so much, with so much climbing to do, but still, I thought they'd offer great real estate for accessories, which they did. But, unnecessary weight and would not have them again; - I am not sure a full frame bag and top tube one alone would be enough, considering at least half the space in a full frame bag would be needed for water storage. But I guess if you were fine with a super minimalistic gear list it'd be possible, particularly if you could complete it in 2-3 days (vs 5-6, like in my case). For sure, it would allow you to have a much smaller saddle bag, which would be better.

@@dustypedals thanks very much, doing it or another like it again?

I am not doing Badlands again, though I know I'd be much faster if I did (knowing the course is a major plus). If everything goes well, I could be doing Gravel Birds (Portugal) and Basajaun (Spain), this last one very similar to Badlands.

Thanks and good luck! I'll be posting soon more videos on Badlands that could help out greatly!

No you don't with the stock Sram Rival xplr 40, and with Eagle 10-50 cassette. If you want to go lower than the 40, yes. I ended up installing an Eagle GX in order to move to a 36 chainring for an ultra gravel I did.

Hi Felix. I was happy for sure, and surprised some friends were questioning my choice before departure. But this is an ultra with 16,000 meters elevation, over 80% off-road, including the climbs. I'd strongly recommend a 36, or even a 34 chaining. There's very little flat parts and even when descending, many will be technical descents where control and safety will be more important than spinning capacity.

They were regular Maxxis Rambler (came stock with the bike), 45C. Good tires, but have since moved to Pirelli Cinturato.

@@dustypedals I wasn't hot on the Cinturato M 50mm. I prefer the 52mm Schwalbe Thunder Burt at that size, much nicer ride, while it felt faster too.

Thanks for the tip. I'll check them out when I have a chance!

@@dustypedals Sweet!

Glad to help!

Glad it was helpful!

If you plan to do an event that is mostly on rugged terrain (such as Badlands), I'd recommend front suspension + 2.2 tire (had I known, I'd have used that too). If you don't have a front suspension, I'd use a Redshift stem suspension AND a 2.2 tire. Over such a length/time on the saddle, comfort is way, way more important than any performance gain.

@@dustypedals got you!again thanks for your input ;) Saludos de Portugal ;)

@@davidmendes3337 happy to help! By the way, I'll be doing Gravel Birds in Portugal in May!

@@dustypedals awesome! PS: You will have a blast ;) I have some friends that will do it. Ps: at least bring some 45mm tires ;)

@@davidmendes3337 excellent! Definitely 45 tires!!

It certainly would have helped, and that’s the direction I’ll go on any next event with a similar terrain!

@@dustypedals Look forward to seeing your feedback. Conti Race kings seem to be the go to 2.25” tire at the moment

Yes, I've seen them repeatedly on the internet. Much less where I live (on gravel bikes). But could be the solution (or part thereof) to my problem!

Thanks! Glad it was helpful!

Thanks! Really appreciate the feedback and very glad it was helpful. Generally speaking, you will need a route loaded on the navigator/phone. There are occasional Camino de Santiago blue/yellow signs but those aren't really helpful with navigation. As for cycle paths in general, the largest majority of the route does not have dedicated cycle paths: having said that, with the exceptions of the areas I mapped in the video, the route is pretty safe from road safety concerns.

Thanks! Regarding breaks: (1) I must say, I already had problems with the organic pads wearing out too quickly in the winter/spring months before Badlands: I had to replace them after approximately 1,000km. At the time, I thought it was mostly due to the mud and rain I had been riding in during those months. I had done a couple of long races (100-150km) ridden in mud and heavy rain. (2) But Badlands (with new organic pads) was absolutely dry, though a lot of sand / dust must have contaminated the rotor and the pads. I rode long days with 16-18 hours riding, and it's possible that with the long steep descents, the rotors might have overheated, compounding the consumption rate. On the course there were for sure A LOT of technical steep descents which I did breaking a lot. = My main complaint with the Sram Rival breaks is that overall they wear out too quickly (I mean, I went through 2.5 pairs before I had to replace tires, for example!!) and also there is not enough breaking power when pulling the levers (I am not a daredevil descender, so I tend to break a lot when coming down). The last day at Badlands was the worst, I basically had no more break on the front and very little on the rear: with many descents, this has greatly limited my speed and slowed down my finish time. I have since replaced rotors and pads, but eventually I might have reached a point where a gravel bike (and a gravel bike system) is just outclassed by the terrain type - which is why I would probably recommend a MTB for Badlands.

Hey Gregor: don't think too much about what your experience is and whether you have ridden a gravel before or not (everybody is riding a gravel bike these days). My advice would be to think where you would like to ride one once you have it, considering where you live/ride and the type of adventures you'd like to do. After riding the Seigla with front suspension for one year (with a couple of races and an ultra), I'd recommend the front suspension (I actually would recommend any gravel bike with some sort of front suspension, though I am biased towards Laufs). But I basically enjoy riding only offroad (where the sus protects your wrists and maximise your comfort): whenever I ride on tarmac, it's mostly a pleasure anyway as I can rest my bum and wrists after all the bumps of the trails. Other considerations: I guess, if you have a regular road bike in your garage, one more reason to go with a suspension fork. IF however you plan to ride mostly on tarmac, and perhaps you don't have any other road bike available, and you want to enjoy social rides with roadies, etc., I'd probably get the rigid one. Hope it helps!

You should consider watching Dylan Johnson's review where he tests the Lauf True Grit fork on his gravel bike setup in the wind tunnel. He races with the suspension fork on his gravel bike setup with mountain bike wheels. He does Leadville which is a long race with a lot of flat and high speed but also a lot of rough descending. Anyway, from his review I am convinced that the suspension fork will not slow you down but will help on fast descents and rough roads to be faster, safer and more comfortable.

Yes, I watched it. It's good to know, for sure, but I don't necessarily care about speed capability as much as I do about comfort: and for sure the front sus is a great aid, particularly for any long ride!

@@imrekovacs3841 Hi, saw it, quite surprising results. My main concern isn’t aero, but the out of saddle efforts, especially on tarmac. But that is probably not a big sacrifice for a plush (and aero) ride.

The fork is surely great - and I tested both the rigid and this suspension version on this bike model before deciding. There is no real impact on speed; the only scenario I feel limited are sprints but who is really gonna sprint on a gravel bike? Having said that, for this one such event (a ultra gravel event), I'd still recommend an MTB. As for hydration, I had more than enough water with my 3,5L capacity: however, you need to pay attention to always refill when you have a chance. I'd recommend to also bring water purification tablets as some of the water sources, while stated as drinkable, are probably sub optimal (I came back with UTI, though that might have been caused by different factors, water quality is surely one).

It had a weight of around 1.5- 2 kg, depending on the moment. Most volume and weight was air mat (550gr). Other items emergency blanket, a spare kit (jersey+bibs), first aid kit, extra gels/bars (all used by the end), couple of emergency food bags (<200gr), also eaten.

Send me an email to the address in the description and I’ll send it to you!

Glad it was helpful! I am planning a new one, one year, and multiple adventures after buying it.

@@dustypedals subbed, will look out for the review, thanks

Thanks and glad it's helping! I wish I had spent more time in: - Lekeitio (but that's east of Bilbao, so I don't think you'd go back.. it would not make sense); - the area around San Vicente de la Barquera (Asturias): I did not stop at all, but it did look great and afterwards I read it has a lot of interesting things to see; - Cudillero (small seaside town in Asturias); - Ribadeo: while I stopped there, it'd have been nice to spend a couple nights there and visit the bay with more time, particularly the spectacular Prayas do Catedral (you'll see it on the initial part of Stage 12, but we only stopped briefly. Probably worth to spend a half day there). Good luck with your Camino - wish I could leave again too!

@@dustypedals thank you very much! I will take your recommendations into account next week. Could you also share your gps file with me?

@@obriek37 sure. But you'll need to email me (the address is in the video description) - I cannot attach them here!

After many months, thousands of kms, some races too, I am totally a partisan of the suspension version. I need it for where I ride anyway, as many trails are really used by MTBs only. I recently added Redshift ergo grips and a 3mm thick bar tape, and the comfort is improved even further, certainly in very long rides!

@@dustypedals Glad to hear you've embraced the suspension fork. For what it's worth... Dylan Johnson even teste the fork in the wind tunnel and came in more aero than the bladed fork on this Felt. So... more weight... but more aero! ;)

Yeah I watched that one! Pretty nice to find out!! 😁👍🏻

@@dustypedals is this fork 100% hassle or special maintenance free? Do you have to adjust something after a season? On recent long off road rides my hands were quite tired after 4-5 hours on standard 40mm gravel bike tyre and I was wondering if something like this would be bringing less stress to wrists. My maintenance skills are not great so I love simplicity ;)

Good question, and probably worth a short video at some point. I was told by Lauf that the fork is maintenance free, so it would not require any work. I would personally never attach weight to the fork, though they explicitly allow it up to a limit (can't remember if it's 1kg or 0.8 kg per side). Having said that, wrists are under incredible work when gravel cycling. This is what I do to mitigate the risk of wrist problems: (besides the suspension fork, obviously ;-) - lower pressure than indicated by tire manufacturer. I personally ride tubeless with 27.5-29 psi pressure; - I changed the standard Lauf Lush tape (which is either 2.5 or 2 mm) to a 3mm one, thicker. If you find it thicker than that, go for it. It seems a marginal change but everything helps; - I installed Redshift ergo grips, and they feel so good. - last but not least, find gloves with as much cushioning as you can and always wear them (while I could conceive riding a road bike without gloves, I would never recommend it for gravel cycling). Let me know what do you think and I hope it helps!

Of course, but I cant attach it to the video. If you send me an email (address in description and channel bio) I’ll send to you! 👍🏻

@@dustypedalsthank you!

Glad it was helpful!

I am very glad you liked it!

Right you are, though it's still an incredible value for the money. To that, I add the hassles of having to deal with customs - even if there's no extra fees or duties to be paid - for the order and any other replacement. It'd be great if Lauf opened a warehouse in Europe, though I expect there to be way more competition than in the US in terms of bike makers offering great gravel bikes.

@@dustypedals I have decided on the MMR X-TOUR instead. Just checking out Cube's electric gravel bike now. The Cantabrian mountains are hard. I want to take long +100 km rides out here.

I have heard good things of the Cube nuroad c:62. I have an old Cube MTB, sturdy though basic bike which never gave me a problem. I dont have any experience or feedback on the MMR, so I can’t say! For sure though, you’ll enjoy riding in Cantabria! 👍🏻

I've answered your email!

True. But by and large they perform better on descents, and there are so many here.

Height 171, Inseam 79. I ride a S and fits well. 👍🏻

Thanks for the feedback. If possible, doing it with your own bike is always preferable: assuming that has a good fit and gearing, it would be just perfect. Gearing particularly is crucial: as you rightly pointed out, there’s 10,000+ meters elevation before reaching Santiago - and I don’t remember any flat part… enjoy your third Camino! 🫶

@@dustypedals my final lowest gear ratio is lower than a 3,000 euro orbea! I love it. I had to give up some higher gears but on the downhills I'm moving so fast I don't pedal much looking out on the road for rocks, wildlife, speed bumps and sand on the road. Safety first. If I take a spill at 30 mph my retirement enjoyment is over.

Well said. Having easy gears to pedal uphill is crucial... and, not being a race, you don't need to worry about not having enough higher gears: also take advantage of the descents to rest and take in the beautiful landscape!

Thank you very much! 😉🫶🏻

Hi Armando. I am happy to share the files if you email me (address in the video description): the only thing I ask if you like my videos, is to subscribe to my channel, to help it grow. Regarding sleeping: we had a combination of some nights already booked (eg. upon departure in Irun, etc.) and the others we booked "on the go", basically the day before or the same day. We never had a problem with availability (did the Camino in June).

Sure thing. Send me an email - address in the video description - or leave it here if you want.

Any time!

Please do! :-)

Thanks!

Well, it depends what are the roads like that you need to commute through. If unpaved or in poor state, for sure. Otherwise the rigid version would be better!

They did not have a ready kit for my size (S). I used a 4-meter roll of frame tape and cut it myself instead. 👍🏻

It is a WWW. I must say I am very happy with the components for both training and racing. SRAM APX Rival. 40 and 10-44 gear combo. So far, I did not experience any negative issue. If anything, I wish the wheels were better, but an upgrade is on the way! It is possible I'll upgrade the cassette to a 10-50 as I am planning ultras involving tons and tons of mountain miles. But I am still debating.

Thanks for your input. @@dustypedals

No problem, glad I could help!

Seigla Suspension, Grit fork 3gen

@@dustypedals : I mean weekend warrior?

@@JR57An208😅 yes, WWW!

​@@JR57An208 I believe he has WW. He mentioned on his other video

As specified above, it is a WWW.

Thanks Peter, appreciate it!

Glad it was helpful and great idea to keep going until Porto. Galicia really is very much Portuguese already in terms of language and culture!

Glad it was helpful!

Glad it was helpful!

I used a Focus Atlas 6.7 (aluminum with carbon fork). It was marketed as a gravel bike but it was more of a touring bike. Good bike though: I had zero issues and the bike felt sturdy and easy to control offroad despite the weight load. As for my stuff, since it was a bike touring trip rather than a bike packing, I used two lateral panniers on the back. I would not do an ultra with those obviously, but did not give me any problem. Overall northern Spain is fantastic, if the weather cooperates, which isn’t always the case!

@@dustypedals thank you!

Thanks! 👍 it really is great.

I should join the Seigla pronunciation challenge I saw on Instagram 😊. I fully agree on the suspension helping with wrist pain: as I plan to do ultras with the bike, minimising pain is a core concern for me. And lastly… I wish Lauf offered a 2by version (or at least front derailleur installation holder on the frame)! I bet I would not be the only one choosing it.

@@dustypedalsI heard 2by wasn't possible due to the much wider BB, which was a choice driven by building the bike around having massive tire clearance. It seems they struck a unique balance between big tires and good handling, but something had to give in such a short bike, and that was 2by.

Yes, that's pretty much Lauf's official explanation, and that's fine. By now I am definitely accustomed to the single chain ring, and I see many advantages to it (n.1 being the simplicity). Still, to anybody coming from road cycling, or even MTB on a double ring, it'll take some time to get used to. And as always, it'd be great to have the possibility to mount a holder and revert it to 2 if anybody really needed it. But I understand the needs on the engineering level.

Increasingly, we see many big names pros in the peloton that ride on single chainring when the race/stage they ride requires it. So, somehow, it's gaining increasing space in the non-MTB world.

Glad you think so!

I will soon publish a dedicated video! 🙏

Yes, no problem. Could you leave me an email I could send them to? (feel free to delete it after taking it down) We did follow most of the official Camino del Norte from Irun to Santiago: however, in few cases we had to take detours when the road had some roadblocks that we could not cross. I will soon publish a video with some feedback and comments but, to answer your questions: if you do choose to ride with an e-bike, I'd strongly recommend you get one with a removable battery, otherwise it may be hard to access a charging point. Overall, the experience was fascinating and the only thing I'd change (considering we rode 14 back-to-back stages with no rest day in between) would be to do longer stages and take rest in between to recover and absorb more of the nice places found along the way. The towns that I found more beautiful (and I wish to go back to) are - from east to west - Lekeitio (Basque Country); Llanes and Luarca (both in the Asturias). San Sebastián is also amazing, but I had been several times before. Another good thing would have been to have more time to explore Galicia once completed the Camino. We only had two weeks and a half and - unfortunately - we were on a schedule! I hope the above helps!

Ciao: Thank you for your prompt response-which I did not expect! You made my day! Grazie… …oddly/sadly KZbin does not allow viewers post their contact details! Apparently only content creators can give out their contact details. That said, perhaps you would be further kind enough to post your contact details instead-for which I offer you my gratitude and appreciation. I hope to hear from you soon. Stay safe always…

Try to email me here: cycling-content AT gmx.com . Thanks!