Gravel Bike Upgrades For Speed And Practicality

[@gcntech]

Would you do anything else to make your gravel bike fast and efficient? 🚵📈

[@Se7enFive]

No gravel bike - no problem

[@oplkfdhgk]

tt bars. always tt bars. i love using those on the road and then i could keep wider dropbars on the bike for the situations where i need them.

[@haggardgrin]

I made mine much slower with gigantic panniers. Oh well, at least I always have snacks and spares!

[@RichardMaguire110]

Paint the frame red and fit a gold chain.

[@larryt.atcycleitalia5786]

Slick tires. Ditched the wide/flared handlebar. Longer stem. Faster and more efficient? Probably not, but more FUN to ride for sure! Dunno why gravel somehow requires bags to be attached to the frame...whatever happened to under the saddle packs...and jersey pockets? Do you really need that lip-gloss?

[@AMLay1234]

Alex is a good teacher. Not a lot of extra chaff. GCN is lucky to have him for viewers who like this kind of stuff.

[@gcntech]

we certainly are!

[@GilbertTang]

He really is a treasure.

[@BikesKomsCRO]

Cannot stand Oli for this reason. Alex is godsent

[@AMLay1234]

@@BikesKomsCRO I like Ollie, too. I am a chemist, so I may have a confirmation bias, but I can track Ollie easily. I don't dislike any of them, and find them all articulate and easy to watch. But as bike mechs go, especially since I am a woman who gets tired of all the bros explaining why they know what they know to make sure I know they know, Alex does a great job with simplicity and deserves a mention :).

[@imilic8]

True! The same goes for Owen on GMBN 🤓

[@zukzworld]

Loved the bag, looks slick with the colour scheme.

[@John-gw4jt]

I'd put a pro rider on it instead of myself. It would then go much faster.

[@gcntech]

which pro would you choose?

[@John-gw4jt]

@@gcntech tadej

[@agricola9171]

I use a gravel bike as a touring bike and speed is not so much an issue for me doing ultra endurance. Wider handlebars allow for more handlebar bags and space for clip-on aero-bars. Also the flare of my drops just looks blooming cool to me.

[@carlbruce899]

Alex does a great job on these educational "how-tos". Park tool is great as well. I change by wheel bearings based on Alex's video.

[@TailfinCycling]

Frame bags are a gamechanger on gravel bikes

[@joelcohen4353]

I like that you are using a 2by drivetrain for your gravel bike.

[@julianallen515]

Shimano is a GCN sponsor so....

[@mikekent9488]

I love this. Thanks for sharing

[@Natan9000]

The best looking bike with the best looking bag.

[@LukaNyan]

talking about aero on a bike used for bike packing..yeah ok.

[@123moof]

I've been cutting all my carbon steerer tubes using a cheap tile wet saw that I paid maybe $50 for, and was already in my garage. It makes clean cuts without creating carbon dust in the air. Just mark the cut with blue tape, and then lightly sand the inside/outside edges with wet/dry sand paper.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

One could ask (sponsor Canyon) why almost all bikes come with too wide bars and too long cranks. I did exactly the same on my gravel bike but with internally routed cables. Super annoying and half a day of work.

[@adpqppofpojdpfjds]

about gcn tech's aero storage or whatever the product lang is supposed to call it: nahyo. what ya do is: -get preferably Oak Tag board or a similar sturdy paper material for tracing and trace out your frame's void area. -select fabric. with natrual and some sythetics youll want to case the edge with an overlock stich or fold it or roll it so it otherwise wont unravel. -make a prototype with some cat food bags, etc. see how it fits. -decide on your straps/if you want velcro or loops of webbing or 550 cord for lacing 550 cord or some sort of material though. Ive seen people just use a full flat peice of fabric that folds over. -prototype again. -the side(s) with zippers you cant just layer the outer and inner materials. you need to sew each -the outer and inner- to either side of the zipper sides so when ironed flat and topstiched the raw edges are hidden. -if all that sounded like nonsence then research what it means because it is a statement made from rudementary sewing knowledge -the best sewing machine is the one you have or an old one. I'm fond of industrial machines that never break because they stick around forever and then get sold or given away.

[@mrflaxtv81]

Chimney! Choo choo!

[@gcntech]

🚂

[@myownsite]

Would it be possible to look into how full fenders affect aero? Counter intuitively they could be an improvement, for example open wheel racing cars benefit from covering the tyres.

[@denniskinyua7164]

@gcntech!! Such a good idea

[@davidadamus177]

They're probably not aero, and will flap on the wind

[@myownsite]

@@davidadamus177 "probably not" means very little - solid mounting is also very possible.

[@fabioqueiros9322]

@@davidadamus177but if they cover some part (like the rear triangle) of the bike, then it may be beneficial… too bad no one has tested it properly because there’s no use in UCI racing

[@VictorElGreco]

Thank you for posting this. My (first and only) gravel bike came with 46 cm wide, flared bars. 😫 I just can’t bear it. I’m seriously considering something narrower and better fitting. 🤔

[@denniskinyua7164]

What canyon aero storage bag is that? Is it available on canyon’s website ?

[@neilcampion5265]

Surely people are better getting fitted to the right size handlebar? I get narrowing your upper body makes you aerodynamic but surely being more comfortable will win over a long ride vs a wrong size handlebar causing discomfort?

[@austinscholts9192]

Where do I find these handle bars to upgrade my cockpit in the US

[@entropy1956]

The true star of the show is that watch you are wearing. What is it?

[@carlwatkiss4252]

I’ve got the same bike and set up and love the ride of the bike and areo frame bag canyon make great bikes

[@addiecusack1530]

Hi great video was that the grail or grizl ?

[@MarkLRandall]

Grail.

[@oplkfdhgk]

dropbar fatbike when? i wanna see it. 😀

[@kenhunt]

I'm converting my Canyon Dude to dropbar! 😎

[@oplkfdhgk]

@@kenhunt sweet! 😀

[@gcntech]

make sure you upload it to the bike vault!

[@julianallen515]

Alex, was that the CP0039 handlebar? Was it shown as a 40cm bar on the Canyon 'site or as the 42? The narrowest shown on the Canadian site is a 420. I wonder if you are using actual measurements over the listing.

[@nwbudro9210]

Unfortunately my Canyon came with the double decker handlebars. I'd love to have normal bars.

[@viki6or]

Nobody's scared of chopping a good ol steering tube

[@philmcaleer6289]

Evening gov’nor. Clean your chimney?

[@uknowbass]

At some point we have to concede we aren’t pros and comfort and safety should predominate, not what MVDP uses

[@alexpatonGCN]

Have you seen MvDP use a frame bag?😂

[@MarkLRandall]

I have the same bike, and am planning the same upgrades. I cannot believe it came with 44cm bar, who wants that? I'm thinking the 42 or perhaps 40. The storage bag is out of stock at the moment, and the 40cm bar is not available in the U.S.

[@mrflaxtv81]

The bag looks sick btw

[@asherbeal8357]

@5:59 That is Heresy Alex!

[@adiros9226]

I put Ultegra di2 12 spd und full Carbon stem and handelbar on my gravel Bike (rose backroad Carbon)

[@jazznroll5]

The best upgrade for a gravel bike is to swich to a dual sus cross-country bike!

[@user-dp4sr8xu1m]

zzzzzzz

[@user-d32658]

Gravel bikes are a trend, mountainbikes are forever 😎

[@user-dp4sr8xu1m]

There's always one :-(

[@piotrwojcik1756]

Thank you for sharing your opinion

[@darren7650]

#askgcntech When it comes to making bikes faster, how is it that we never hear about waxing your bike or applying water repellant or similar. Snow, water, and ice skaters all apply wax to their boards/blades to make them slice though the water/ice faster, same with bobsleds, boats, and race cars. I wax my bike and apply RainX as a repellant and the mud/slop slides right off when grinding through mud and muck when graveling. Am I the only one??

[@troytoth8294]

No, I'll just wear my backpack .

[@oplkfdhgk]

is this the new need for speed game?

[@coachnathana]

#askgcntech Upgraded to carbon rims and performance tires. Should I use my aluminum ones with all-weather tires for training and save my new ones for races?

[@mrflaxtv81]

@@coachnathana I would. And dry summer days

[@racittaj]

44cm bars minimum for gravel

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

Handlebar width is on your shoulder width. It's no good buying a width your favourite Pro uses. Buy the same model, but for your width. The width the handlebars are labelled, coresponds to your Biocromial Breadth. Go see your doctor.

[@edymarkonthego4096]

How about the in/out of water bottle at the down tube? Did u replace the bottle cage?

[@emmabird9745]

Thanks Alex, good ideas. I'm a bit surprised that your fork didn't fall out when you took the handlebars off.

[@stumac1]

This doesn’t seem like GCN best work IMO - it comes across a bit like a child’s Xmas wish list of things that they don’t actually need . 40mm off the bars , aero games eh… marginal gains to rider and loads of monetary gains to the manufacturers more like

[@larrylem3582]

Maintaining that changing from 44 cm bars to 40 cm doesn't adversely affect control is a losing argument. If its low aero drag you're after and narrower bars don't affect control, why not 38 cm or 36 cm bars?

[@user-dp4sr8xu1m]

I would think changing the handle bars is probably the biggest waste of money you could employ. Most of the time gravel bikes on UK trails are travelling at speeds where any noticeable difference in aero gain would be negligible. I would prioritise comfort and endurance upgrades well ahead of aero.

[@stevebolt7132]

Absolutely agree...never heard some much nonsense in my life 😂

[@pupster6848]

So this clown changed the spacers to make it more like his road bike

[@ericcoxtcu8037]

Going from a 44 to a 40 is a pretty big difference for a fit athlete who can hold the more aerodynamic position. At least around here, there are numerous sections in amateur gravel races well above 20 mph; we were rolling turns on a gravel training ride at 26-28 MPH last week. Anytime you're in the wind, it does make a difference. Aerobars are a much bigger difference maker, but the narrower bar helps. After clothes and helmet, the narrower handlebar and a more aerodynamic position is one of the easiest gains to make. If you are not racing or don't care about speed, then yeah, it's a waste of money.

[@ericcoxtcu8037]

@@pupster6848 I really don't get the insults. He's pretty clear about why he's doing it. If you aren't riding for speed, don't do this stuff. If it isn't comfortable for you, don't do it. From my perspective, I went in for a gravel bike fit with the goal of improving my speed and comfort in long gravel races, and the end result is almost identical to my road position. How does dropping spacers make him a clown exactly if the fit works for him?

[@pupster6848]

@@ericcoxtcu8037So why would you wait 12 months before you made this adjustment Bar height is something you would notice straight away.

[@kalleandersson916]

"Aero storage". Cmon man ethier you go fast to beat your mates (aero ) or you go bikepacking with your girl (not aero)..

[@6ft8incyclist]

Narrow bars restrict your breathing.

[@dryburn]

Boooooo Alex, booooo. 👎 Boooooooooooooooooooooo!

[@BikesKomsCRO]

Sellout content?

[@wufler28]

90% doesn't get faster, just because they buy the same stuff as the pros. And I don't think a normal person feel any different with a different handlebar width