Is THIS the Future of GRAVEL BIKES?

[@EverythingsBeenDone]

❤️‍🔥 EBD Guide : bit.ly/EBD_GUIDE Cycling Culture and reminders for new Episodes

[@groverhamann]

I'm willing to admit I shouted, "RON!!!!" when I saw Ron.

[@EverythingsBeenDone]

He would be so happy to hear this!...maybe he did hear it?

[@malcontent_1]

Indeed, Ron is like a sauce with that perfect nappe consistency (or something)

[@m1les7]

I absolutely love Ron too!! He’s fantastic 🎉🎉👌👌👌

[@Tony.in.motion]

I love Ron’s energy

[@Housecathst]

The more Ron the better for me

[@BikepackingAdventures]

Glad to see you riding with Ron again, you are clearly best buddies and that chemistry comes across on camera - plus Ron never fails to deliver some great one liners. Good stuff.

[@Cavkie]

i thought it's same person

[@bikeislife8405]

The bit with telling the dogs about group rides was hilarious 😂 Thank you for the laughs

[@prostadadaj]

Everything has indeed been done. Check out Rondo HVRT bike. It has 2 wheel base options: for 700 and for 650

[@veganpotterthevegan]

Sliding, horizontal and dropouts semi-vertical dropouts have been around for much longer

[@neilk22]

I don’t know many cyclists with the mechanical acumen to remount disc callipers, most of which are more likely to loose those inserts. Two wheelsets on a crux or stigmata is impossible to beat.

[@tednruth453]

Welcome to the disc-functional family 👋

[@richardscott-me]

Love this video...as always. Thanks for putting out high quality with low "stuffiness". NOTE: Gotta give yourself more credit on elevation in metric (9,697ft = 2,955M...missed the extra 5). #epicride. #goldenratio

[@nickkompinski3390]

Love your videos! Glad someone reviewed this bike! I got the Tambora G8x and I am in love! Beast on the rode and on gravel. Just completed a 150 mile bike packing ride with it and it was flawless. Plenty of attachment points. Seat was switched out immediately not a fan of how grippy it was and tires are def a weak spot. Waiting on my s-works pathfinder to come in and go tubeless. Keep shredding homie!

[@flyt129]

I have a bike with the same feature: 8bar Mitte v3. It is really cool and was the reason I chose that particular bike. The implmentation is a bit different though from the look of the flip chips.

[@hectorvillagran177]

8:07 great video. Been curious about this bike when i saw it some time ago, no one has given it such a simple and effective review. Thanks for the video and the knowledge, definitely putting this bike in my n+1 list

[@tobznoobs]

I have done 3 gravel rides on my giant revolt 1 and i have forgotten 3 times that there is a flip chip in the rear for a longer wheelbase and accomodate 52c tyres. Now i learned there are many things to adjust if i change the position of the chip.

[@SeanLewisMedia]

This is really cool. It reminds me of some of the adjustments we have in our higher end RC cars for adjusting. Most of that is just adapted from big cars so its fun seeing stuff work its way into new markets!

[@nathanthomson5217]

I have an Otso Waheela that likewise has flip chip tech in the rear. One neat thing otso did is make a top cap you can get that allows you to do the adjustment on the fly.

[@kevinmcgrath5126]

As someone who often prioritizes simplicity and standardization, I've been curious if these types of features really make a difference. I always just swap road and rowdy wheels and roll on, with little thought to much else. Interesting take and I'd be curious to try one someday.

[@Ultra1997DM.]

I get that , Specialized crux as all rounder

[@JayDubster]

Impressive ride guys, impressive rig too. Love that Poly have thrown a proper curveball here.

[@ismoyodanurwindo9895]

Very cool video! Im really enjoyed it

[@arcadialive4265]

I love the way that bike looks. Nice slack front end!

[@piotrofficial]

Tbh once you chose flip chip position most likely you won't touch it again. I have had flip chip in my RONDO RUUT for 3 years and I changed its position twice

[@bogdan.c]

Yup, got a Rondo Ruut as well... change it once 😅

[@dannyzuehlsdorf3697]

That ride by the numbers was MONSTER! Great video and glad to see Crockett and Tubbs reunited!

[@VinceLefort]

I have that on my GT Grade carbon ( flip chip ) did not try it yet but would be curious ! Keep on the good work

[@Nicoya]

Any adjustment on a bike that you can't do after you've put on your chamois cream might as well just be welded in place at the factory. Too much of a faff to change on an ongoing basis! Just buy the bike that suits most of your riding and live with a tiny amount of compromise.

[@bigbarrelbr]

I have my GT grade for almost 4 years, I 've never changed the default spacer position in the front wheel, hahaha maybe after this video I'll try, but change the brakes is too annoying.

[@monguzzle]

Nice to see the "by the numbers" back once again!

[@chris-piascik]

Interesting, my Grade has this on the fork but it doesn’t require any brake changes for some reason. Great video as always!

[@irvingfive7955]

Looks interesting. I never run stock saddles, and I agree that the fork needs more mounts.

[@hocho1717]

Ventum GS1 that I own does the dame thing. Ive played with it, and you notice the difference but I am NOT at the level to need to do it. The time it takes to change isn't worth it for me so I keep the wheelbase longer. I can definitely see the use though for more advanced riders! :) Thanks for the Video!

[@old_mate_banjo]

Just dropped money on the Tambora G8X. Looking forward to my first ride. Great video by the way.

[@bengt_axle]

What they need to do is put this flip chip technology in crank arms: one "short" crank arm that covers 165-170mm; another "long" that covers 172.5 to 180mm. Short for small-med and large for large-XL bike frames. This would give a rider a bit of customization, without having to spend a fortune on a new crank set. Special flip chip kits could also be made to accommodate leg length discrepancies, which, many times are not handled well by moving cleats.

[@roadsquadra]

Driveline zele II can do this. I have their crank which i can set to 160mm, 162.5mm, or 165mm

[@bengt_axle]

@@roadsquadraThanks for the info. Is it as solid and creak free as an ordinary crank? As easy to change pedals?

[@roadsquadra]

@@bengt_axle it is a 24mm spindle with the option to choose from either 3bolt or 8bolt SRAM interface which you can pair with different spiders to accommodate your preferred chainrings. I just got it last week and just had 35km on it indoors and it works just great!

[@visualpun650]

I would wonder if that type of design would develop play over time. It would be more bothersome to have play at the crank than on the dropouts.

[@roadsquadra]

@@visualpun650 i guess it won't. it's got a 'wedge' that offsets the position of the pedal thread and a washer of the same size that is placed in between the pedal arms. as long as the pedal is properly tightened, i don't think it'll cause any play.

[@smithgrindrevert]

Hey man, I have a Cinelli King Zydeco that has the flip chip on the fork. Never flipped it though. Keep it in its comfy gravel position. Always wondered if it was worth flipping. Thanks.

[@m1les7]

Great vid, bike is good idea but too much hassle for me, I’m mechanically useless!😂😂 Yeahaaaa!! Winston last week and RON this week!! Things are looking up!!😂😂💪💪❤️🏁🏁

[@yussanid]

i'm from Indonesia country of origin of the Polygon brand, would like to know what the reviews are like from outside Indonesia, your video is amazing, really like the transitions, music selection and the way you explain.

[@orangevw36]

Otso has been doing that for years in the rear. The brake mounts slide with the dropouts. They’re starting to make their Lithic forks with flippable dropouts… MTB right now. Enve also makes changeable dropout forks

[@chris1275cc]

Ive got a Ti gravel bike with Paragon swinging dropouts it offers more adjustment than a flip chip, lowers/raises the bb height, and the caliper mount is part of the dropout so no need to mess with the caliper, you can really feel the diffence its amazing! BUT after the first month or so I've never touched it LOL which I imagine will be the same for flip chip owners.

[@captain1664]

I love the idea of the filp chips, even if there is some tuning to do each time you change over. If they could find some way to make the whole process smoother I reckon it would a winning idea.

[@dunneryak]

great review... nice bike !

[@rmurphyandco]

can we have a "checking in with ron" video? that guy is the best.

[@mogulmayhem]

Lots of Wild Wild Country vibes in this one. Come ride Vermont!

[@vanwinkelhoff320]

I've been rocking the R9X and enjoy the anonymity of the Polygon brand in a sea of Diverges and Asperos. I'd contemplate the Tambora as my 'gravel race' set up and the R9X as my 'lets get lost' bike. Thoughts?

[@allanwarsing]

When you flip the chips, does the road bike wheelset need 140 mm rotors and the gravel wheelset need 160 mm rotors?

[@patas67]

even the color and tube shapes look great, I have to said some brands like ALLIED , Ventum and others have a similar chip solution for chip flips pain in the *, haven't experience any of those but this looks like a fun bike ! cheers!

[@jeffandersen6233]

Great comparison review and recommendations. The flip chip thing just looks like marketing and not for someone liking to just jump on a bike and ride. I really like your idea on the lower cost Path bike.

[@tinglydingle]

I run a stock saddle, it's a Fizik Argo Terra X something, and it's really good. Came supplied with my Canyon Grizl.

[@marksondag2085]

I imagine you could go somewhere in between and have it set up long WB in back and short WB in front. That way you wouldn't have to mess with the B-gap adjustment.

[@JakebMiller]

Can you run them opposite of each other, or do you have to flip both at the same time?

[@teeterboy3]

I have a flip chip on the front of my GT Grade Carbon for that reason. I’ve never flipped it.

[@flyingskier1913]

I've been rocking stock saddle (some sort of specialized bodygeometry), road shorts (not bibs), and no chamy cream for the past 3 years, including 7.5 hours of gravel washboarding in one sitting with no chafing or anything. Not sure how but it saves me money I guess

[@saskhiker3935]

Could not be bothered to do the work to switch it from gravel to Road. Happy to see Ron.

[@leifbrandsness]

Im curious what if you put the front in one mode and the rear in another.....

[@johnbussard6523]

Dustin, What did you think of the apex 12 speed mechanical? I put it on my Poseidon X gravel bike and love it. This variant hasn’t gotten a lot of attention on KZbin, interesting to see a video showcasing a bike with it. I’d love to hear your hot take. Stay Rad, Johnny B.

[@Oliver-xz9km]

My 2022 Giant Revolt has this feature at the back. But doing the same at the fork is a more consistent execution of the idea!

[@rug212]

Love the concept of this bike. Do you think trying just switching the front or just the back wheel might give it another completely different ride? Could be 4 bikes in 1.

[@GT-sc5sk]

Personally I don’t believe this make any difference in the practice

[@TheBRad704]

Adjusting the brakes everytime seems annoying, until I remember that I've got a Crockett that goes back and forth from SS to 1x12 and needs swaps everytime for: RD, cassette, chain and the sliding dropouts.. Probably takes about the same time as adjusting calipers.

[@loganwills1814]

I actually do run a stock saddle with my Canyon Grail and I don't mind it -- the most comfortable saddle I've had in a bike

[@ms.karihart2983]

Un one question, well cuz I’m noobie . So a gravel bikes can ride off-road kinda knobby tires , but can you put you put other kind of tires for the road?

[@lenolenoleno]

I feel like these flip chip designs would work much better if it could be done without a calliper realignment - and really this only needs to be done on the fork. Flip chips for the rear of the bike (on a gravel bike) IMO are there purely for tyre clearance (making a chainstay longer for clearance is the least creative route, see Lauf Seigla and all the simple mods they did to give additional clearance for 57mm tyres while having the same length stays than this bike in all-road mode). Also means no chain-length compensation with B-Gap required. No one really needs longer stays (except more deliberate bikepacking rigs), better to just have a non-caliper re-alignment flip chip for the front (so it's a 3second swap from wheelset to wheelset).

[@markhay1664]

Looks mint, like it,well done polygon

[@tevemullins8156]

Cool feature being able to flip from road to gravel. 👌

[@hansschotterradler3772]

Looks like a good value, but I'm a little skeptical about these adjustment bikes. Split the difference and call it a day.

[@ParzivalHB]

Polygon definitely brings value to the game. Nice review.

[@sunderfun20]

So funny - a friend and I encountered those *same dogs* this past Saturday! We gave the furry a little treat so he'd be nice. (Mosier-Rowena SuperG course).

[@jeremyglenn3130]

What is that nifty bag you have attached to the USWE bag on your front left?

[@thecrowfliescrooked]

Audio is excellent man. You change things up???

[@justinliborio6240]

Think Allied did this flip-chip system with the Echo. Don't see many of those in the wild.

[@sunderfun20]

Yup, and my Ventum gravel bike (from Utah) also has the flip-chip, so you can't call it revolutionary.

[@MikeBifulco]

My Rondo Ruut (from 2021) does the same transformation trick. It's neat, but... ultimately I don't use it. It takes time, isn't as fun as just riding, and meaningfully changes my fit geometry when swapped.

[@prairie_anthropocene]

Otso Cycles from Wolf Tooth Components has been doing this too.

[@aaronwaderides7209]

It’s about time they start doing stuff like this!!!

[@GrannyG456]

What computer mount are you running?

[@silentdiscretion2657]

I have a skinny, nimble little road bike and a full-size, full sus mountain bike. Being that those two are worlds apart, obviously, they're also gonna feel worlds apart. That being said, I'm really curious about how much that little bit of change to the wheel base actually makes? I feel like intuitively, it's gotta be almost identical, but he makes it seem like the difference is night and day

[@jeffreythree]

I have found these sorts of adjustments eventually get left at the most useful setting and forgotten about. I have a bike with rear sliding drop outs and an angle set headset that achieves the same thing without the brake adjustments.

[@vaulthecreator]

I had a Giant Revolt Advanced 0 that gave +/- 10mm of wheelbase, could not for the life of me feel the difference. After 3 or 4 times flipping chips I realized it was an utter pain in the ass, so I flipped it the bird and left it in the long config. Until it got stolen that is.

[@michaelre7556]

@@vaulthecreator the new owner probably still has it in the config that you left it in

[@vaulthecreator]

@@michaelre7556 I wouldn't be the least bit surprised 🤣

[@cobykluth1878]

I will now measure head tubes by the beefy handful.Thanks Captain Ron 😂❤

[@UglyFatOldMTB]

i was seriously considering this bike, the spec polygon offers on their bikes cant be beat at those prices. but at the time i really couldnt find much info about it, so i own another salsa now and TBH im just thrilled with my new warbird! i do own a polygon trail bike though, although it is a bit heavy, its a great bike for the money

[@RahLoh]

can we get a review of riding it half and half? And WOWEE thats a hell of a ride!

[@mikespadafora9077]

My Rondo Mutt has the same flip chip in the front. To be honest I have never flipped it.

[@marcove3]

Oh I missed the ride by the numbers. Hope to see Ron more often now that the weather is getting warmer.

[@sonyvaioboy]

YES Riding with Ron!! This is what I come here for. Think you missed a 0 off the elevation in Meters 🙃

[@sjanzeir]

Question - how long does it take you between eating a snack and debonking and getting going again?

[@EverythingsBeenDone]

Very good question obviously it depends on each person, but I would say it can happen fairly quickly roughly tend to 15 minutes. It's essentially a blood sugar issue will get you back, but you need something to sustain.

[@razorree]

5 years ago some road/gravel bikes had a 'flip chip' in a fork already :)

[@gcb2101]

I would assume that you want the agile and snappy short wheelbase for gravel and terrain and the more stable longer wheelbase for road? So exactly the reverse. No?

[@DAZLIN6]

Nothing wrong with being a retro grouch. As long as you having fun. It's cool your still on rim brakes.

[@cathalmccionnaith8268]

Wht part of the world were you riding in ? Thanks

[@MrY-mc7uv]

Bugger - missed the live! Clock change time of year!

[@comedyman112]

what fizik saddle is that?

[@atomiccat2002]

Does the shorter wheel base really make the bike faster? Agility yes, But speed?

[@GT-sc5sk]

I don’t think it makes any difference at all

[@mathisgraening1931]

8bar from berlin might be worth a look, they've been doing it for some time

[@waltquandt6226]

Call me skeptical but I just don't think that the little change in wheel base when repositioning the flip chips will make a noticeable difference. Also there is an advantage with using 2 wheelsets in that you can use lighter and narrower road tires without dealing with the hassle of swapping tires and adding sealant etc. Finally.. that was a epic ride and I'm glad Ron was along to keep you company. 👍

[@AppalachianApe]

Maube im stupid, well i definitely am.. but i really vant imagine a half inch or so extra of wheel base is going to make that big a difference. Gimmick

[@vaulthecreator]

Couldn't tell the difference on my Giant Revolt Advanced 0. So, yeah, gimmick.

[@GT-sc5sk]

Same

[@Cobwobbler]

I concur

[@brianlam3563]

Ride enough bikes and you will notice a difference. my gravel doesn't offer this feature but is 650b and 700c compatible. 100% notice a difference with the change in trail going to 650B. going from my old gravel to the new gravel bike with a 5mm shorter chainstay, also noticeable.

[@GT-sc5sk]

@@brianlam3563 don’t believe in that, i guess the difference you are seeing is do to smaller wheels

[@GustavoFavareto]

Selle Italia Novus Boost standard saddle absolutely sucks (at least for me and my sorry ass). It’s like sitting on a plank. I feel you, bro.

[@sofadoggrey]

Hey Dustin Tell me about those bottle cages

[@arielfisher7]

Giant Revolt has the same solution on the rear. And gets up 50 mm !

[@jazzfan7491]

What a great looking bike

[@alessandrouk2]

BMX Forks have this feature. Changing offset for front.

[@JollyGiant0]

The early Canyon Aeroad's had the front drop out that you could turn around. This bike and the innovation is good. Maybe they could use a metal sliding bush set-up instead of taking things out, turn them around and put back in. The same could be applied to the calliper mounts and use captive nuts on the inside. Like anything thats first time, you need to develop it and that takes time, money and a lot of 'how dod I make it do that'. But when all said and done would you really mess around swapping thing it between rides or just buy dedicated road and grav bike?? I have Aeroad and Grail, each excel in their own way.

[@Dlp1776]

I was watching this on a hotel TV not signed in. Had to switch to account to give it a 👍🏽 Was great to see Ron hadn’t been swallowed up by chunder monkeys. Weird head tube on that rig but pretty cool

[@m1shmashh]

gotta run the stock saddle for sure lol

[@igorgetsin3646]

I swap 2 wheelsets and adjusting the brakes each time is what I dislike. This swap guarantees wear on the brakes hardware and also pain in the rear to adjust.

[@andrewnorris5415]

I've seen a fork that had two holes in it. That surely must be the best way?

[@302hardtailr6]

I like the concept. Seems to involved for most to tackle though.

[@jaytronzero]

"enough clearance to make it into the MASH video" 🤣

[@MarkSmith-pe4rd]

An idea transferred from racing motorcycles from 30 years ago: adjusting chassis geometry with swappable inserts .

[@workshopninjathe1st]

Would it work better with 2 sets of wheels - off road with 160 rotors and road with 140. Then you would not have to piss around with the brake mounts…?

[@chris1275cc]

Yeah but if you are going to have 2 wheelsets it kind of defeats the whole point. You may as well forget the chip and have 2 wheelsets one optimized for allroad (or just road depending on what you are shooting for) and one for off road. Maybe center lock rotors and 2 diffent sizes? Probibly quicker to swap those than mess around with calipers.

[@workshopninjathe1st]

The flip chips are changing the wheelbase of the bike from a “long and stable” gravel geometry to a “short and snappy” road geometry. Two wheelsets avoids having to get covered in sealant and mess around with the brakes too much.

[@rohangayle9130]

Kinda like Polygon, bringing boutique touches to the masses, innovative and fresh, good work Dustin Hi Ronald good to see you 😊