New Bike Gear Out And Due Out...

[faustus]

Bum, saw that, Def not interesting.

[Alpinum]

... once someone has dropped their saddle for descending, is it not so far below them, that they won't be in contact with it anyway, so what angle it's at is unimportant?

Couple of weeks ago I rode down the Pass digls Orgels. The mountain path traverses a steep scree slope, turns left and dives into it practically on the fall line. Angle is 35 - 40 ° (imagine black ski piste, these are mostly in that range) with boulders to roll of, corners to hop around, lose scree etc.
There's a point where you're sitting on the rear wheel to keep it from going OTB. It's such moments where you want the saddle to disappear and just have a cushion to protect your belly from the frame. Rare moments, but when I'm playing at my absolute riding capabilities I don't want to be distracted by a saddle.
I look for steep mountain paths and make a challenge out of it, trying to ride as much as possible. I know there are many spots in the UK perfectly abt for this too. I can think of quite a few Munros and Wainwrights I hiked which would offer a superb challenge.

The saddle tilt is something that reminds me of my DH times. The DH bike would only be moved upwards either and mostly (in m elev. gain) by cable cars, gondolas, post busses, some HAB (probably most of the time spent) and some out of the saddle riding (36/11-36 cassette, young and strong ;-)). The only time I'd use the saddle is when I overshot a landing, hit an unexpected compression or rode/dropped of some sort of obstacle. When you hit the ground with the bike tilted downwards you're happy to have the saddle in an odd position. I guess some thought it'd be good to have both, handy uphill riding position, protective steep downhill position in one.
I probably fit their user profile, but meh... not interested. I've started to ride a gravel bike with aero rims you must know.

[Alpinum]

Muchly needed, an electric motorised dirt jump bike.

https://m.pinkbike.com/news/yes-electri ... exist.html
"The future hurts my brain" Mike Kazimer

Yes indeed.

[faustus]

Looks interesting from VO:

https://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2022/0 ... ec0251e41c

Suspect it will be fairly expensive, limited availability, and heavy. But a neat way to mount lighter things. The U-shape tube on the flat bar version with triple mounts is interesting, but begs the solution that a bolt on handlebar mount that includes bosses would work?

[jameso]

Looks interesting from VO:

https://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2022/0 ... ec0251e41c

Suspect it will be fairly expensive, limited availability, and heavy. But a neat way to mount lighter things. The U-shape tube on the flat bar version with triple mounts is interesting, but begs the solution that a bolt on handlebar mount that includes bosses would work?

Aesthetics of chromed bars Vs a plastic Klickfix I guess and it solves the potential rotation issue of Klickfix type clamp-ons. Hunter make something more bikepacking-suited that bolts onto the stem face plate. https://bikepacking.com/gear/hunter-cow ... -stem-rack

[Boab]

Meet the Cervélo ZHT-5 XC bike...

[PaulB2]

...and for 8 1/2 grand it too can be yours. The third bottle boss on the downtube is curious for an out and out carbon race machine.

[Boab]

New Spesh gravel bike, the Diverge STR, with funky rear suspension.
The S-Works variant is yours for a wallet friendly £13K.
Not sure what a large saddle harness and dry bag would do to the handling...

[fatbikephil]

Can't actually work out what that will do - allow the frame to flex in the middle??
Slingshot??

[FLV]

I think it's seatpost flex....

Snake oil imho, but.. obviously I've not riden one.

[voodoo_simon]

I think it's seatpost flex....

Snake oil imho, but.. obviously I've not riden one.

The Trek system allows the seat post to flex, I thought it was snakeoil but I did find my back felt better riding my trek than my other hard tails. Less noticeable in the winter but when it’s dry and dusty, I think it does work. I don’t notice it flexing but post ride, I certainly do/did do. Probably similar to dropping a few PSI in your tyres

Edit - more info on the Diverge here
https://www.rouleur.cc/blogs/the-rouleu ... bls.JQVLkV

[fatbikephil]

Seems a lot of effort to go to for some seatpost flex. The Jones manages that with a slack ST angle and a decent amount of post sticking out of the ST.

[jobro]

I think it's seatpost flex....

Snake oil imho, but.. obviously I've not riden one.

I think I might be clumsy enough to crush something painful on that!

[jameso]

Would be really interested to ride that back to back with a Redshift or Thudbuster-equipped bike.
There was some talk elsewhere of it being pointless because you can just fit a bigger tyre, but I do think there's a point where tyres get too bike (edit, big) for a bike that's got drops and is meant to feel agile on tarmac. Possible geometry compromises for the larger wheels also.

The arc of the post looks sensible, more like a Thudbuster. I always disliked in-line suspension seatposts that changed the saddle to BB distance. I expect it rides well and it will make a useful difference to comfort. My Brompton flexes quite a bit between saddle and bar in that direction and I can't say I dislike the feeling, I can see the same kind of flex being a benefit on a gravel bike. My current gravel bike has a lot of seatpost showing because it just makes sense. The Jones SF certainly is very comfy in the saddle with noticeable frame flex there. But I'm no fan of added complexity and potential decreased lifespans in products. Would this actually last less time than an equivalent carbon frame w/o the flex system? Not sure. Bikes can be such wonderfully simple things though.

Not sure what a large saddle harness and dry bag would do to the handling...

Good point, might not be too good. People strap bags or bottles to sus fork lower legs which is a similar thing.

[Bearlegged]

Not sure what a large saddle harness and dry bag would do to the handling...

Good point, might not be too good. People strap bags or bottles to sus fork lower legs which is a similar thing.

I'd guess Spesh have a specified "system weight" for it? These seat tube/post/saddle structures are usually designed to bear quite a lot of weight.

[jameso]

Not sure what a large saddle harness and dry bag would do to the handling...

Good point, might not be too good. People strap bags or bottles to sus fork lower legs which is a similar thing.

I'd guess Spesh have a specified "system weight" for it? These seat tube/post/saddle structures are usually designed to bear quite a lot of weight.

There's a good feature on Bikerumor that shows how it all works - the bike comes with 2 lower seat tube inserts and each can be rotated 90 deg to change the amount of flex. So the way the frame accounts for rider weight or flex preferences would be more than enough to account for a bag.

I'm suprised it doesn't come with a larger boot/cover, could all look quite slick.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Could we not just fit some slightly bigger volume tyres and maybe drop the pressure a few psi?

[fatbikephil]

I'm all in favour of innovation but this smacks of "sell more stuff." I've bashed out a fair few miles on the straggler and I'm a middle aged old git so as susceptible as any to getting pounded by a rigid bike with drops and 40mm tyres. And it's not really a problem.... Getting your riding position sorted is far more important.

Or fit Bud 'n Lou = no more trail vibration problems

[whitestone]

I'm all in favour of innovation but this smacks of "sell more stuff." I've bashed out a fair few miles on the straggler and I'm a middle aged old git so as susceptible as any to getting pounded by a rigid bike with drops and 40mm tyres. And it's not really a problem.... Getting your riding position sorted is far more important.

Or fit Bud 'n Lou = no more trail vibration problems

Pretty much this I did the BB300 on a fully rigid bike, no contact point problems whatsoever. I think it was Tom Bruce who we were chatting to in The Wynnstay on the Friday night and discussing bike fit, or rather handling contact point issues on long distance rides, and I was going through my eighteen month journey on solving it (do long ride, get numb hands, wait a month to six weeks for things to recover, make a change, repeat), my eventual solution of tilting the saddle nose down a touch was just what he was about to suggest!

Hang on, Bud 'n Lou on a gravel bike? Wouldn't that make it, err, a fat bike?

[jameso]

I'd take a guess that the target demographic buying £7k - £13k gravel bikes isn't the most mile-hardened and appreciates the comfort... for a few riders it'll be good for racing but for most it's comfort.

In further support of being soft, as uncool as that is on here : ) the other thing I've realised in the recent year or 2 is yes, you can do big days and big rides on rigid bikes quite happily but it might take another 10 years for it all to add up and then you've got problems which seem to appear out of the blue when things have gone too far. Insuring against that and adding preventative spec in time seems wise to me. This bike might be making it all into a marketable feature and perhaps it's OTT for many but .. I'm looking at it thinking tbh I'd appreciate a bit less of a beating while riding these days. #startbeingsoft : )

[fatbikephil]

Hang on, Bud 'n Lou on a gravel bike? Wouldn't that make it, err, a fat bike?

It's the future Bob

[ledburner]

Would be really interested to ride that back to back with a Redshift or Thudbuster-equipped bike.

The problem with thudbuster, they are like early budget suspension with just springs or elastomer bumpers, lack Any active damping.
The idea of the arc keeping saddle to BB distance almost constant, unlike telescopic seat posts, is sound. It doesn't really affect riding handling...

[Mariner]

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/tech-week ... -stem.html

[Bearbonesnorm]

'Dual diameter stem' FFS it's a pair of shims, something which has been available for a considerable time

[Lazarus]

Agree a shim is hardly a new innovation

Like the idea of those grips - not that i would use it as i know what width bars i want and its not as wide as the current industry " norm"