Just a quick post about stuff I would change if I were to suddenly find a budget for a new gravel bike.
Wait a minute, why another gravel bike? Well at my age it appears to be the best all-around bike for my taste. It can let you have aero positions for riding at faster speeds yet it has thick and knobbly tires that can handle off-road stuff. For me that makes it a jack of all trades, and also allows me to hopefully be able to bring my bike to almost any place so I can ride in almost any terrain. Plus I'm not really a big fan of the current mountain bikes with the really wide handlebars, and honestly I've grown to like riding my current gravel bike.
Anyway there are only two crucial things I really want should I have an opportunity to change frames.
- Thru-axles. They're supposedly easier to attach and remove versus quick release. I'm currently using QRs for my bike and there are times that I install them wrong and that's basically bad for the rotors and for my safety.
- Flat mounts. My brakes currently aren't that great, and I have no idea if it's because the hybrid calipers I got are also used for e-scooters or if the pads I'm using aren't good. One thing I do know is that there are plenty of good quality brake options available that are post mounted. Should I keep my current bike with the IS front mount and rear post mount I would need to buy flat mount adapters for them, and these adapters alone cost as much as some of the decent brake systems I've seen online. And by decent brake system I'm not even talking about Shimano or other globally known brands.
Anyway since I'm also being realistic I doubt I'd be changing frames or bikes any time soon. Unless I suddenly meet someone who's looking for a gravel bike and would gladly buy my current bike from me. Realistically I'd probably just be better off saving and upgrading my bike one component at a time.
Maybe start with brakes and getting some flat mount adapters...
Out.
