RIDING GRAVEL BIKES ON MTB TRAILS (underbiking adventure ride)

[@georidio]

awesome day out, you and Macky just keep on knocking it out if the park on humanity, inspirational and motivating. Thank you for being you

[@beerenmusli8220]

I appreciate that you put the metric numbers on screen all the time, because it gets complicated to calculate in my head when it is not easiliy devided by three

[@davidstepro7486]

Impressive. Bo is now a biker, and it's all due to you and Macky. You should be proud.

[@syncros99]

I've been following these two for 7+ years and I would of never thought I would see Syd skinny dipping much less with Mackey's brother. My mind just blew up.

[@SD-xq3hh]

Absolutely mind blowing…for my husband’s eyes only.

[@JohnC686]

It's like peeing near to your buddy in the woods. Just avert your eyes.

[@ride6884]

Was so not expecting that....

[@rich9128]

Same 😂 mind blown but also not my life not my business do you.

[@don.cotton2678]

Such a fun channel. Love this crew.

[@Wandering_whatsnext]

No biking adventure is a bad idea. Love this video. Thanks for something different. Cheers 🍻

[@hereticyogi]

Just like a lot of gravel race videos where I end up thinking, "That's a great MTB course."

[@philrc1]

#1 Remove valve core and use a rubber tipped high volume blower on the compressor side. This gives maximum air volume to the tire for seating. #2 Seat the tire with an inner tube, let sit overnight. Then the tire will seat easily with #1 method.

[@michalwiktorow2188]

Insert tube, pump to 4bar and let it take shape&form it needs, next day try to install - very true for folded tires.Very true.

[@ellenhoffman4868]

#1 This is the way! I don’t even bother to do it any other way now

[@dman900dl]

If #1 doesn’t work, #2 ALWAYS does. It also works for seating tape.

[@stephenplays676]

Yup, #1 is the way. If it's real stubborn, seat bead with an inner tube, then carefully remove the tube while leaving one full side of the tire seated. You can do a little tire lever work on the second side, then see #1.

[@beerenmusli8220]

@@michalwiktorow2188 This is the way, inner tube and letting it sit for 10 hours or 24 if you have time :)

[@Bizanks]

Just to jump in with the tubeless comments. There's a KZbin channel that I follow that probably has a video on how to seat tires with tips and tricks. If not now, probably in the near future. That channel is Syd fixes bikes.

[@sydandmacky]

😂😂

[@jonthemountainbikingviking4127]

😂

[@GreeneDog]

Amazing documentation of a great adventure. 10 out of 10.

[@beerenmusli8220]

The peach pictograms to censor your two rears made chuckle, that was a delightful choice! Also, super entertaining and inspiring video as almost always!

[@Zyzzyx42]

Hooray for underbiking! It can make the rest of the 'normal' rides feel so much easier. I've definitely done some rides on the gravel bike that would've been much better overall on the 120mm mtb.

[@joshuabarnett8152]

Loved this. How many of us have done the strava route having no idea what we were getting into. There are times when you think…”should I be doing this?” But keep going. In the end you are tired but had a day that you will never forget. EXCELLENT video. Nice work.

[@mikeb.3918]

Watched your tubeless mounting tips video a few years ago. Your pre-seat maneuver with the tire tool has been my go-to ever since. 👍👍 That and a quick shot of windex around the rim for easy seating with a blast pump.

[@joshhas99problems]

That’s one of my favorite activities on my gravel bike, really spices things up lol

[@thecma3]

More content like this. It's much more familiar to us adventurous folk who don't plan well :)

[@michaelbosch9024]

not video that makes me wanna plunge into tubeless. especially with TPUs around. love this channel.

[@nominivans4me125]

I’ll sometimes put in a tube to get both sides seated, break the seal on one side to remove the tube and put in the tubeless valve and then try to reseat again. Usually does the trick when using a pump. Next level is an air compressor and a lock on inflator adapter with no internals so the air just dumps into the tire without restriction.

[@erictrelz3519]

Syd, I was rolling with laughter when you were trying to seat the tubeless tire. I have been there before and dislike working with tubeless tires, but they ride so well. You and Bo definitely needed Macky around to keep think things "G" rated.

[@pippinc7113]

Haha, true that ! Usually they work perfect but my daughter can attest a few times I've had to put money in the swear jar on random tubeless setups that just don't mesh.

[@ailtonmiller]

Wow. The lost lake paid all the sacrifice, for sure! Thanks!

[@robertkowton5875]

Great video. I use an Arkel frame bag + burito handle bar bag for big days, nothing on my shoulders or back. No matter how hard or easy the ride but wearing a pack of any size takes a toll on the body. Really appreciate how you broke video into three parts.

[@safetythird23]

You had fun, I had fun watching you have fun. This morning I took my hybrid down a mountain bike/hiking trail just because if it’s lightweight convenience, and had a smile because underbiking is hilarious and such a stupid challenge. Way to go and I’m glad you had enough food and avoided the storm when descending the single track!

[@Nik_Martinelli]

Bo is a great commentator and seems like a very fun partner for an adventure ride. So, I also consider myself a competent tire-swapper, but I’ve been in your exact situation before. With any tricky tires, I highly recommend you try pouring a little extra sealant on the outside of the tire, in between the sidewall and the inside of the rim. Pour it at a 12 o’clock position and watch it run down one side, and then the other. Then add air, and a miracle will happen! It’s too easy not to try.

[@co2588]

Wow. That's a lot of climbing at high altitude. Amazing effort

[@leogoughmtbs]

Brilliant, I just watched your first gravel bike/underbiked video and then lo and behold, you release this.

[@jaralei]

Possibly one of my favorite videos. Love a good sufferfest misadventure just for the fun of it, and love that you included the planning portion and all the joy of planning a great bad idea.

[@PuffinPass]

As someone who has done quite a bit of dropbarmtb riding I will say that wider tires and a frame that will accept them along with a dropper makes a ton of difference on trails like that. Glad to see you exploring this style of riding, it is really satisfying hitting trails like this on bikes that technically shouldn't be able to.

[@richardhaselwood9478]

Like I said on Instagram, I love the, "In our defence, we were unsupervised" :)

[@saulm9794]

Ty for taking us in an adventure as some of us aren't able to enjoy our life to our fullest at the moment.

[@Jmraing99]

Tubeless inflation the easy way!! Take out the presta valve, use a blow gun instead of a chuck. Make sure the tire is as even all the way around hold it with your hand support so you don't distort"it. With the blow gun a quick blast of air, you may have to move the tire around a slight amount when you have air coming out. Works for me all the time, very easy that way!

[@furleyforever]

I've run into the same issue when trying to seat tires from a different manufacturer than I normally use. The only thing that ended up working for me was to re-tape the wheels, doubling up on the tape this time around. It did the trick!

[@donaldmorrill1636]

That trail to lost lake was sublime!

[@ahinde4057]

Pop a tube in first and inflate to bed the tyre. Then use tyre lever on one side to remove tube. So one side is seated the other isn’t. Then inflate. Hope this helps.

[@nath5440]

The irony that the only tyre to get a flat was NOT the slick that should of been the most susceptible haha classic, awesome looking ride though, well done Bo and Syd

[@dsmithmcse]

Looked like a great day on the saddle. Don't think I would have gone in the lake, that water had to have been frick'in cold. Also, nice to see what you can really do on a gravel bike. Thx for sharing!

[@jessicahaydahlrichardson7951]

Your tubless tire experience is the same of every tubless tire experience of mine! I felt for ya on that one! 😅

[@rgilmore28]

Glad to know I'm not the only one getting wreaked by trying to seat a tubeless gravel tire the night before a ride. I gave in and put in a tube. Tried later after the Old Man Winter ride (no racing the full course for me), and just went right up to 120psi and blew the tire off the rim (bam!). Dropped into my bike shop and exchanged the defective :) tire for another brand that did seat. Now I have two mismatched tires and brands for the next Old Man (if I every get them seated again that is). Thanks for the great adventure video. I'll have to consider the lake trail ride after the Enchanted Circle ride in two weeks. I've only been there in the Winter.

[@JohanLarssonKiruna]

That looked like such a nice ride! I'm in awe of these magnificent mountains and trails, what a scenery. "My" mountains in the north of Sweden are truly impressive also, but there's mostly only rocks and moss, no trees, and minuscule possibilities to ride bikes. I guess this was underbiking compared to a suspension MTB, but I have to say the bikes seemed 100% capable of those trails. It seemed like there even was no need for a change of tires.

[@mikkowus]

Best way I found to seat a tire(besides having a massivly powerfull compressor) is putting a tube in it.... Seriously... Then ride it a few days, then take the tube out and it seats perfectly.

[@charlesholland6851]

That area looks so beautiful!

[@quik99oli]

Use a Heat gun on any tires that you have trouble seating. I will rotate the tire/wheel and focus on heating up the tire to get it to expand. I also remove the valve core and use a high volume nozzle to inflate/seat the tire.

[@jmdelapp]

Rogue Panda made a frame bag for my adventure bike. They are who I would recommend.

[@steveosborne1195]

I have used a string with a loop around the center. Pull tight on the string then do the air. The string puts middle of tire down and the air will force the side wall outward to seal. Might need 2 people to accomplish. Not easy but has worked for me.

[@freerangemtb]

I have found road bike tires to be the hardest to get to seat properly. You're not the only one who has trouble with them.

[@Carlos-the-cyclist]

Looks like a fun ride to do. Hope to see you do more like these.

[@timfowler5373]

Underbiking is the best of kind of bad idea! A toast to adventures that almost, but don't quite, turn into type 2 fun.

[@calliemtb]

I had to use a come-along ratchet strap thingy and soapy water to seat a stubborn tire on the rim

[@pippinc7113]

Install a tube, or a TPU tube. Day so the tire stretches out on the bead seats. Then carefully remove one side of the tire. Take the tube out. Install some sealant. Rub a little sealant around the bead and the seat and you should be able to get it to seat.

[@AYNZ197]

Cool video. No idea there was scenery like that in that part of the country.

[@nmnate]

I usually don't have too much issue with getting tires to seat (all MTB tires to be fair), but I'll very often just take the valve cores out by default and use soapy water on the bead to get them to slide better. Then just add the sealant before putting the cores back in. I've more or less given up putting in sealant before seating the tires. It always seems to be a major hassle.

[@Strenki-real]

Nice forest and trail!

[@mikoyle]

A trick that I use to seed a stubborn tire is to add more rim tape.

[@Cassienope]

I had a tire / combo that wouldn't seat. I had to put an insert in to push the bead out and that allowed the tire to seat. Was unexpected but sometimes happens with supple sidewalls. That and removing the valve core and sometimes bouncing the tire / wheel sorta works. I try and do all my tire changes a week in advance. I have been defeated many times and need to take a days long break before I come back to it (DH casing +cushcore. Tubeless tape getting pulled off etc.)

[@richardsteele-gray7473]

Nice, that definitely inspires me to go plan a crazy ride 👌

[@jeffdillingham2999]

Thanks for taking us along! Did you miss having a dropper post at all?

[@sydandmacky]

Definitely! That is probably one of the trickier aspects of riding trails on a gravel bike. Luckily these trails are more bumpy than they are steep, so it wasn't too bad.

[@cjohnson3836]

I've been happy with the custom frame bag i got from Rogue Panda.

[@heiltvilt]

Use a rope/strap tight in the senter around the tire, help every time. From traktor to bike.

[@sapinva]

NM is such a mixed bag. Some of it is really stunning, and some of it, well...

[@Bambi60s]

Super Fun Video! Thanks

[@bsowhat]

Use a tube to seat the bead overnight. Then pop the bead off on one side, remove the tube and it should seat tubeless.

[@damnedlock2956]

the views in this video were breathtaking.

[@geoleo2597]

Those trails look so fun. But yes I'd prefer an MTB for trails like that. Full suspension can't be beat for comfort and control with that many rocks and single track. Not to mention the lower center of gravity too. But it's all about the individual person's fun so if you're at home on a gravel bike on trails this rocky then more power to you. That said, my first love is Mtb

[@eightwheeladventures]

Crazy fun. But those tires. Ugh. Ouch with putting those on.

[@donnovicki9771]

To say the water was "refreshing" would be an understatement.

[@bobwalker8917]

Too much “chit-chat ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

[@FreakySquid515]

I had the same tire issue recently. Air is escaping from the divots in the rim tape. Fresh taps sits flat over the spoke holes so air doesn’t escape

[@daveg8212]

Always impressed by your rides through the stunningly beautiful NM alpine scenery! And just so you know... there's good food and coffee in Red River (rather than carrying, like, 8 sandos). #urdoinitwrong

[@Velodictorian]

Throw a couple more wraps of rim tape. And if that doesn’t work, throw a tube in to seat 1 bead. And like others have said, remove the valve core

[@sydandmacky]

I had the valve core out! I never even bother with it in

[@1luckyleppy]

Great video. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼

[@tuftschristopher]

Go "local" get yoself a custom rogue panga frame bag w the NM flag!!

[@Happy_Biker]

This reminds me of when I put flat bars on a steel road bike and went riding on local rooty singletrack and ran into a friend on a hardtail, who said, "You should really get a mountain bike," so I did. 😂

[@donttouchthisatall]

Cannot reccomend the bike-bag line of Restrap enough. I have several of theirs and they are awesome. They are a UK manufacturer, so not sure about the availability in the US, but defo reccomend.

[@pertzian.sounds]

Hi, what tires did you used? Didn't the front wheel slip?

[@teunluijbregts2533]

Now those are the kind of gravel trails that are worth the effort 💪👌 Next time on a cyclocross bike!👍👍

[@joeanderson3447]

It's about time your back there Syd. LOL

[@JeffOehlsen]

At 6:10, you became me. The snapple about to begin because something that should not be happening is not only happening, but laughing at me. LOL

[@tomas7403]

Increíble que esto pueda estar pasando en el tiempo actual.

[@carl.s1659]

big effort, luv U guys

[@maranutt775]

V excited for this chaos

[@roylavender3433]

Great video!

[@simonnrgaard7731]

I use schwalbe easy fit when all other fails. It have never fail me when fitting a difficult tire

[@etr9650]

Looked like fun!

[@williamstapleton2696]

You don’t have a small compressor for mounting tubeless tires? I converted a used home fire extinguisher by installing a tubeless valve and a pump hose with presta head. The fire extinguisher already has a great trigger. Best thing is you can put it in your car and take it to the trail. Just fill it to 120 psi with a pump and then blast the tire on.

[@sydandmacky]

I'm using a full size compressor in this video (with a metal tip inflator and the valve core out). They were just stubborn :(

[@joefoster259]

Can you use a tube in a pinch like this?

[@sydandmacky]

Yeah could have put a tube on but decided to limp to Red River and add sealant to keep it tubeless instead because a tube would have been likely to pinch flat on the later trails.

[@thomasb.4219]

The Reaver is the only tyre i couldn't set up tubeless without any trouble. This one really sucks! My solution: i installed an inner tube and left the system for about 12 hours or so. After that i removed the inner tube and tried it again. This time it worked. But if you ask me - Maxxis: never again.

[@johnconstantine3130]

I had same problem with my reaver before DX

[@dml5053]

The cat tho! 🥹

I don't think there was enough underbiking in there for it to be categorized as a "bad idea"... seemed like a pretty cool gravel trip to me :D On all the nicer terrain you would have been bored to death on a MTB. Underbiking is the spirit of gravel! :D

[@sydandmacky]

Yeah, turned out the 9000 feet of climbing was the bad idea part

[@tl2913]

Go Team Commando! 😉😉

[@plainuser48596]

Did you try soapy water on rim and tire ? works wonder

[@ericmcduffie5444]

Epic ride!

[@beefeekeefee]

Ratchet strap around the circumference of the tire to flatten it and push the sidewalls out toward the bead. May need two more hands tho...

[@joewickie2376]

Ever heard of John Tomac. He raced pro mountain bike with drop bars.

[@boostenmkiv]

Frame bag, tailfin!

[@heyangst6159]

Great ride

[@Bwana_01]

The more Bo talks, the more I think he could do a decent Doofenshmirtz impression.

[@martinschwartz7342]

At 11,000 feet I have trouble breathing just walking. How can you pedal up a steep grade at that elevation?

[@sydandmacky]

We live at 7,200 and regularly ride over 10k so are pretty used to it.

[@EpicEvolution]

How has the tubeless story ended? Soap? Removing valve core?

[@sydandmacky]

I was able to get it eventually when I got home. Combo of the tubeless tire lever trick Syd was using plus blowing it up without sealant then removing just one side to get the sealant in.

[@Helgoland-ok1kj]

Hi Syd and Macky, thanks for the cool video. Nice bikes!. One question: do you know which brand and model are the (carbon) bottle cages on Syds bike?

[@sydandmacky]

Pro bike gear: www.pro-bikegear.com/us/accessories/bottle-cages/bottle-cage-carbon

[@Helgoland-ok1kj]

Thanks for your fast answer....highly appreciated...

[@ref0270]

The Okeechobee lake loop. 117mi of questionable roads & gators.

[@kaseystone8019]

I'm married and ex military nurse. I view my body as only a body. So nudity to me is no big deal, I feel like people who are out in the elements doing hard things shouldn't care about stuff like that. So naked swim for the WIN!

[@jemsmay2167]

The roady in me is having trouble getting past the sunnies under the helmet strap… but awesome ride!

[@sydandmacky]

Okay I know this is a thing but my sunglasses literally won't stay on my face if I put them outside the straps. Like, I've tried but one side always ends up by my chin 😂 need bigger ears or something

[@jemsmay2167]

@@sydandmacky fair point, probably not worth ear surgery…🤔. It’s me not you, pretty sure mountain bikers get a special exemption on this anyway. Ride on!