This week I have been testing my fun factor and manner of efficiency regarding riding gravel or cross-country mountain bike. Obviously, it is fun to always ride my enduro bike or as I call it, a real mountain bike. But with cush core and heavy casing tires that are necessary to do anything meaningful on a bike, it is really too heavy and the rides on normal gravel and dirt paths are too slow. Thus no fun. But then I ride my hardtail “adventure” bike, which is a glorified gravel bike you can put fat tires on … well … harsh and really eye jarring.
So I rode the same loop three days in a row with my three main configurations. Gravel/Cross Bike, Adventure/Fat Tire Bike, and Moki my Enduro Bike with a cross-country wheel combo (really really light with fast tires). Also, I took 10 psi out of Moki’s front fork. To bring the geometry around to be more of a cross-country, what I call fitness roadie bullshit, style. Oh, I am disgruntled, don’t get me started. I yearn to do a cross-country race now and then … with a REAL bike.
Let’s get this out in the clear. I don’t understand the people that do not have dropper posts on all their bikes. It is like … why would you go cross-country skiing with a barstool stuck to your ass? You have ruined the sport of cycling for way to long. Let it go and drop it.
Ok, so the verdict is that Orca my adventure hard-tail seems to be the most efficient but only with its Plus sized 27.5 wheels. With its gravel cross country wheels it is a nightmare. NOT efficient and eye jarring. I totally hate to ride that thing unless I am doing a paved road hill climb … which will be … NEVER.
But the most fun is Moki my 170mm enduro bike with the super light wheels. I know on an enduro run I would totally rip these skinny ass lightweights off the spokes … butt … wow, how fun in the gravel and cross-country. Except real mountain biking of course. For fitness style, Cape Epic, cross-coutry racing, Moki in cross-country mode is the most fun. And I know that my gravel grinder local time-trial that I set my fastest time in this mode during the spring and could never touch that time with my hardtail cross country gravel grinder.
I had so much fun last night that I rode extra, even did some veritable mountain biking on the Carcass Downhill. Instead of turning at “the creek” like the previous two rides I continued on to do Beatiee Gulch to the cabin. I had to be careful but it rips. I love you Moki.
Well … until I get an ebike.
