We Found The Hottest Gravel Tech At Big Sugar!

Alex is in America at the 100-mile gravel race epic, Big Sugar. Before the race, he checks out the latest gravel tech from deep-rimmed aero wheels to the new Moots E-Bike, and some colourful gravel tyres!
00:00 Intro
00:36 Hed wheels
02:00 Coloured tyres
03:12 Moots E-Bike
04:21 Otso dropper post
05:15 OBED GVR
06:01 Socks
06:30 Silca
07:20 Titanium bike
08:27 Spokes
10:25 Allied bike
11:37 BMC bike
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[@gcntech]

What's your favourite bit of tech from Big Sugar? ⚙

[@andrewmcalister3462]

This is one of the best Tech walkarounds yet. Some interesting new tech, and Alex and the camera crew have found some quiet places at the Expo to actually talk through the tech, rather than in the middle of all the noise of a sponsors tent. Well done @GCNTech.

[@gcntech]

Thanks Andrew 🙌 We loved this shoot, some great tech to soak up over at Big Sugar! What was your favourite piece?

[@xXSgtJackXx]

that ventum looks sick with the XX SL transmission, looks extremely futuristic

[@cruachan1191]

How did that dog at the start get Si's glasses? 🤣 Coloured tyres are giving me serious flashbacks to the 80s and the Raleigh BMX Burners we all rode as kids.

[@Rafskat]

That Hed 180 wheel, fitted on the bike strongly reminds me of bike that Tomac rode back in the day.. I love it.

[@Outback10]

Didn't see your comment, The Rockshox Judy making a strong comeback as well. Good days mate 👍

[@Outback10]

That HED disc! Reminds me of the MTB races back in the 1990s. Do like this retro comeback. It's like the Rockshox Judy set up, Not a beefy Fox fork but just enough to take that rattle away. Love gravel!

[@samzierden5758]

Chase Wark! What a guy! Glad to see GCN giving him some air time.

[@dgc-3554]

I guess the old cannondale headshok tech is now going to make a comeback on that BMC.

[@gcntech]

It all comes back around 👀

[@artemisxo6734]

you see it a lot on e-commuter bikes now

[@gavinm717gkm]

I’ve got the blue gravel king tires on my orange gravel bike

[@ggcadc]

Eyyy Obed GVR! I have exactly that bike! It really is compliant in the right ways but still manages to put down power, really nicely balanced frame imo. And no one else im aware of will paint a bike in unicorn vomit and put cosmic hologram stickers on it. 🦄👾

[@frankb.1284]

You guys are two videos away from discovering mountain bikes.

[@WarHammerWH]

They have already, at GMBN!

[@irockuroll60]

Hahaha. Too funny

[@JoseLNazario]

At 5:46 in the video, I think that’s Gravel World Champion Kasia Niewiadoma walking by 😊. Great video!

[@TheSportsman1977]

That massive Hed Jet wheel proves that John Tomac was basically 30years ahead of his time!!!

[@festerofest4374]

Re Athletic Brewing @ 10:12 I tried their Run Wild IPA recently, and I will say for a non alcoholic beer I was amazed how good it was. I'm an IPA snob and I didn't expect it to be so good.

[@jimduyck]

Agreed.

[@bubblesezblonde]

5:30 Finish is FIRE Felix! good vid. Glad you covered this!

[@mommamooney]

Love that Obed bike! Great tech segment

[@PaulTheCyclist.]

I am the only one thinking that HOT TECH for Gravel bikes is decades-old MTB Tech.

[@timdixo]

When you’ve lived through both eras you’ll understand the tech is quite different.

[@neilashton9459]

Ahh Bentonville….what an awesome town to visit and ride in! Perfect way to bookend the season. Oh very nice tech coverage and love the Litespeed gravel bike (I have a T1 SL road bike). Incidentally Obed come out of the same facility in Chattanooga, TN.

[@markxkovacic]

Never recall seeing carbon frames, carbon wheels, 1x, hydraulic brakes, dropper seat posts, electronic shifting on decades old mountain bikes.

[@kivinprod]

OBED bikes.. kinda funny name for a bike brand, made me smile as OBED in my language means LUNCH :)

[@buster.keaton]

I can't believe that there is a Silica derailleur hanger for my road bike, something I've been looking for for a long time. Thanks, GCN!

[@gcntech]

No worries! Enjoy 🙌

[@10ktube]

That was a solid freehub sound check, with no bike!

[@savagepro9060]

11:02 I like how Alex goes into Chameleon Mode when in the USA. He measures in Miles!🤭🤭🤭

[@alexschlesinger1458]

Shout out Chase Wark! He won the Filthy Fifty this year which was my first bike race ever! Y’all should come to Lanesboro MN next year for the Filthy Fifty, love this channel really helped me get into cycling!

[@ipodgolfer13]

I was yelling at you guys on the last turn into the finish straightaway. Nice work!

[@markbooth6745]

That ventum bike looks great. Good video. 😃👍

[@hein_mcleod]

I love colours on tyres, helps you make a bike more unique without having to spend a fortune on paint!

[@user-np5dh8cu9p]

Love my Litespeed! Lots of cool bikes in this video, the new Litespeed, the Allied, Ventum, BMC, and the Obed - good stuff.

[@01FozzyS]

Good luck today, Alex and Chloe!

[@jasongreen6886]

Congrats Chloe and Alex. Such a great experience you got share with each other - thanks for sharing with all of us. Much love to the GCN team and crew.

[@chrisstrider]

Awesome content Alex😊

[@soloist777]

Love the Moots E gravel bike! Looks sick!

[@krishnansrinivasan830]

I really liked the Titanium Gravel bike & Ventum Gravel Bike :) Nice video & Thanks :)

[@MartinezHQ]

Beautiful video. All this tech on the line and Keegan is killing it on a basic Santa Cruz with parts anyone can buy.

[@doggylover1958]

Some of those paint jobs are absolutely stunning! I love that there are so many customisable options, lots of fun to be had with all of those lovely teckie parts. I would like to see how those lightweight spokes hold up over tough terrain, it’s an incredible weight saving and if it makes things more comfortable and compliant too it could be a great option for a particular cobbled Belgian road race. It’ll be interesting to see how much gravel tech transfers across to road bikes. Great filming in a very busy environment, well done all.

[@paulvanreesch2493]

Man, the Walton's really have done a marvelous PR job making inequality look sexy.

[@gravelworlds]

way to represent Gravel Worlds Chase!!

[@asherchan254]

Looks so freaking good 😍😍

[@theantichrome9842]

Cool to see Anton cruising around in my neck of the woods. Fun to see the Arkansas flag flying on a GCN video.

[@chrisbaum998]

Love the Gravel focus Hot Tech Alex!! Thanks for the Gravel Worlds in Nebraska shout out! Maybe next year you and Chloe should come to the original Gravel Worlds!!

[@gcntech]

We're Searching For Gravel

[@ericdoe2318]

It’s strange to me as someone that knows nothing about bikes and somehow found this Chanel because I like the new tec… and youall are from the other side of the world and now I’m watching youall do a video from just down the road from me… how youall like the Ozarks?

[@cb6866]

Thanks Alex and crew....please wear more than aero socks !! Good luck , dude

[@robbchastain3036]

This is a tech treat, thanks, Alex. All this gravel tech is endlessly interesting. Enjoy your ride at Big Sugar!

[@gcntech]

Hahaha a tech treat is what we give Alex and Ollie on a Friday 😂

[@lifeguardk]

Great to see so many product from Minnesota there, HED, Berd, Wolf Tooth/Otso!

[@reinholdachleitner2069]

Awesome video,very similar to Sea Otter Classic event,the OBED GVR is beautiful.💯👌🏻🚴‍♀️

[@lazlo2511]

Way too much eye candy, really enjoyed this excursion across the pond mate.

[@fa1coner]

Great to meet you guys at packet pickup and check you. Looks like you guys had a great ride and awesome for Chloe to podium her age group!

[@uncleyemen]

I rode a gravel race recently and was in a group with a guy with pink Panaracers. They were super cool, wish I had a pair of them.

[@zachanderson8836]

Lots of good stuff coming out of Minnesota in this video! Woop Woop.

[@emmabird9745]

Hi Alex. Altering the wheelbase by moving the axle in the front fork alters the trail of the steering which I would expect to have more effect on the steering than the change of wheelbase. Changing the rear axle position would avoid the change in trail.

[@kaltonian]

What a great place to be Alix, i have always wanted to visit Bentonville as it's just a place for bikes...awesome. you have picked out some great bikes Alix, lovin the BMC bike with the discrete suspension, yeah it's been tried before but this one looks like they got it right, i suppose we would call it a soft tail...maybe..? yeah i'm up for some coloured tyres, i bought a pair of white porcupines for my yeti, they look real nice with the infamous yeti blue, well enjoy the rest of your stay Alix.

[@lincolnlu9869]

Bentonville is overrated. It's not actually as bike friendly outside of a couple corridors, feels like a company town, and so artificial.

[@txblows]

@@lincolnlu9869 Clearly you don't live here.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

​@@lincolnlu9869yup, they created it out of nothing to pull in suckers. My sister lives close by and I only bring my bike on visits to stay in shape. It's not special

[@pphaneuf]

That Ventum is very cool, but mullet setups are... pretty common?! SRAM has had them advertised on their website for a good while now!

[@davidpala7882]

The Bmc has a proper suspension fork from the Italian company Hiride

[@jamescaldwell5]

How do the disc brakes work on the Allied bike when you change the axle location?

[@gc641]

Love the moots

[@tyler123135]

Minnesota represent!

[@me-oz8re]

Alex, great video. Everything except your shorts gets a mention in the 'tagged products' - spill the beans, where'd you pick them up?

[@daz_the_cyclist8961]

Them HED wheels 😍

[@we1rd92]

Colored tires, i'd love some white tires for my road bike. Only ones i know are the Schwalbe pro one TT spartacus. Which are sadly a limited spezial edition.

[@laggypirates]

5:52 That person got a corgi in their backpack

[@jahen65]

Think the MOOTS E-Gravel bike looks cool (besides the bolt mounting on the fork) and if a e-bike can get more people out riding they got a place and a purpose 😊

[@shalakabooyaka1480]

You talking about the rack mounting points? Thats a big plus

[@jahen65]

@@shalakabooyaka1480 I know it’s rack mountings… 👍 But I still think it’s ugly and only useful for bike packing… besides that it’s only added components, added weight and added costs. My biggest “issue” is the lack of gravel bikes without those trillions of mounting holes (at least here in Denmark) I’m not into bike packing but I like a good gravel ride… but I can’t get a gravel bike without those mounting holes 😖 so my option was a cross bike…

[@gcntech]

This! E bikes are great for getting people on bikes 🙌 This one looks like it's built to be ridden hard 👌

[@jahen65]

@@gcntech It sure does look awesome 🤩 like all other Moots bikes 🤗 I might had sounded a little to negative regarding the rack mountings…🫣 it’s just not my cup of tea 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Madmaverick101]

Some of the bikes Alex reviewed have adjustable geometry (moving the front wheel forward or backwards). My question is, is the difference in feel more attributable to change of wheelbase, or change of rake and trail?

[@zarabarti7146]

just to mention OBED in Slovak means LUNCH....and the bike looks yummy :)

[@OGLobster]

That allied bike is super nice. Kinda scared to google it and see how much it actually costs.

[@joebob1994]

good content

[@reiddryden9805]

Ya done good,Fred

[@galenkehler]

Ok, if you want a "very aero" rim, why would you not just use a disc wheel? A carbon disc could be made as wide as you want without a weight penalty, and you eliminate mud buildup, spoke failures (no spokes), and clearance to the cassette/derailleur.

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Thanks Alex. Looks like H.E.D. is still alive and kicking.

[@larrylem3582]

Ventum fork flip chip - if you set it for a longer wheelbase (more stability), you'll be decreasing the trail (less stability). What is the net change, more stable or more lively?

[@jannispohlmann]

Also: Do 5mm really make a difference?

[@saskhiker3935]

That head gravel wheel looks brutal in crosswinds.

[@peterago1082]

love litespeed

[@jeffv.1743]

I had not heard of OBED bikes until now. But it turns out they are owned by the same parent company as Litespeed. Litespeed used to make a mountain bike model named OBED, I have owned one for 30 years.

[@wd678]

Alloy gear hangers bend or shear in a crash. Is the silca gear hanger designed to do the same with it being a harder material?

[@tanawatleelayouva5123]

What is aero gravel wheel ? what is definition of gravel wheel ? Its triathlon wheel for sure but what its features that gravel?

[@luukrutten1295]

Seriously with that HED being almost a disc Wheel gravel has gone full circle mountainbiking....

[@philipcarson8438]

The spirit of gravel is exploring and adventure, not racing.

[@bimblingalong]

I'm sure the Spirit Of Gravel is 'It's 5 o'clock somewhere', so pour something tall & smooth and enjoy! And good luck in the race!

[@williamondrey2833]

I have both the turquoise and orange on my gravel bike right now

[@acem82]

Shout out to Chase Wark for kicking my butt around Wisconsin in 2020. Glad to see he's as strong as I thought he was.

[@mrpozzblizz]

What a great event! And what great bikes! Somehow the Americans always manage to put on super bike culture events! Is there anything like that in Switzerland?

[@jwolf4204]

Point of derailleur hanger is to bend, absorbing force otherwise distributed to derailleur and frame. Why would you want one made of titanium?

[@veganpotterthevegan]

Crossing the pond to go to Arkansas of all places🥴

[@samfeeley8529]

You need to make a video with Seth from berm peak while your in bentonville

[@kippen64]

The Moots electric gravel bike looks super cool. It would allow people of unequal capabilities to go gravel biking together. Because cycling is a mostly solo activity for me, I would opt for gearing low enough for me to cope. That's bit of a mantra of mine. I could probably crawl up a mountain on my commuting bike. Am seriously considering it just for the challenge.

[@gcntech]

Bike packing on ebikes is the way to go! As the team found out 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmjWoppoeKt1ick

[@fredkaboom]

I hope you wear more than just those socks to race, as aero as they may be.

[@habbahan]

Titanium derailleur hanger! Yes! I’d rather brake my derailleur than a hanger, coz it’s such a freaking pain to find a replacement for that little stupid bit, and some people could bend 10 of those in a season

[@harshsinghforu4]

Cycling in open area or in windy day will be difficult on this wheel frame @00:41 from staring of video

[@will44bott]

It's 10 to 6? You appear to be 50minutes late for beer there Adrian.

[@timtaylor9590]

allied made famous by hambini, so cool...

[@robp3431]

Silca sealant was one of the worst "experiments" in my 15 years of riding....totally gummed up the valves and after only a few weeks had loud rolling marbles in the tires, then cleaning out the dried goop took forever....what a mess !!!

[@user-sy3gp2ub5u]

Titanium e bikes is a great combination because they can last much longer. My ebike has a hole drilled in the ehub to allow oil to get in and water to get out. the bike has many thousands of miles on it and still runs perfectly smooth because the oil seeps into the freehub and everything. The way these companies use gaskets and grease is terrible. There needs to be some oil addition ports and weephols for moisture so the insides dont have to be hermetically sealed with a long last thick lube.

[@optic_8478]

Gravel is turning into age group triathlon.

[@kaupo80]

Did I just hear correctly - riding 100 miles at the same speed and with the aero socks you save 3-5 minutes? Time equals distants divided by speed, I see no place for aero socks in this equation.

[@EricAbbottTri]

HED is trolling us with that wheel.

[@aageseljegard8730]

It's ten to six and it's not beer o'clock? 😳

[@lateworm4132]

A tube that's bent from sheet and welded is a pipe. That's the difference between a tube and a pipe.

[@stephanetran1295]

How can the socks save 3 to 5 minutes if you're riding AT THE SAME SPEED?

[@GCNalex]

I meant the same power, but good spot!

[@stephanetran1295]

Ah, that makes more sense! 😂

[@bassoon1997]

Only here because Chase Wark. the DAMN MAN!

[@jimblez842]

Coming soon to gravel bikes... 560mm flat bars with bar ends.

[@cre9tivevrtwlst]

Kewl

[@JackMott]

That JET wheel would perform fine but probably noisy as hell

[@cauldron101]

Aerodynamic wheels and gravel bikes sounds like an oxymoron!

[@veganpotterthevegan]

Well, so long as there's racing, people will want to go faster instead of slower

[@cauldron101]

@@veganpotterthevegan With gravel? Are you kiddin'

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@cauldron101 yes, with gravel and no I'm not kidding at all. Luckily most bikes have some aero shaping these days. My Grizl is more aerodynamic than any old round tubed frame anyway with barely trying. Lots of gravel conditions don't even have you losing 2kph at a z2 effort.