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Been available for quite a
Been available for quite a while, full GRX mechanical 12 speed. Probably around the same time as 105 mechanical 12 speed if I were to guess.We went to Crete last May,
We went to Crete last May, staying just west of Heraklion on the coast at Fodele. I was told that bikes weren’t allowed on the main east to west road along the coast. From our resort to get to decent tarmac’d country roads further south inland, where a decent loop was possible, I had about 20mins of gravel track. I took my gravel bike with semi slick tyres – smooth centre and knobbly edges and that was probably ideal. Good enough on the tarmac and just about good enough off road to ride the interconnecting bits. Just be aware of roads/tracks on the map or on Google that no longer exist or a farmer has fenced off.Oh and be aware of spooking goats which have a habit of charging down the hillside and across the road in front of you. And also random big dogs chained up that get a bit rowdy as you go through villages or on farm tracks on the outskirts of civilisation.
I have a hornit also (not
I have a hornit also (not sure if it’s the 140 – mine takes 2xAA batteries and has a thumb remote button), they are VERY piercing and I think would scare the life out of pedestrians. That said, it’s possibly what’s needed for drivers to take note. I’ve not actually used it for any length of time as I found I wasn’t used to using it when I really needed to and much preferred to opt for my usual choice use of the King’s English 😉I use Shimano rotors with
I use Shimano rotors with SRAM calipers and often no name rotors with Shimano and SRAM. No problems.So if they’re the same diameter you should be fine. You may possibly need a re-bleed if the rotors are different thicknesses but often it’s barely worth bothering even if the lever throw changes a bit.
And if they’re different wheels, you may have to re-align your brake calipers.
Maybe I’m lucky to be
Maybe I’m lucky to be mechanically minded and have done all my own repairs, bike builds and fixes since it cost me all my month’s spare earnings to get a pair of wheels trued and bearings done when I was 18. That was 25 years ago.I think genuinely skilled mechanics who will think beyond what the manufacturer’s manual tells them [when the repair isnt a standard activity or problems are encountered] are few and far between. Requires much more knowledge than any certificate you might get to prove you can fit a new derailleur and index gears; or bleed brakes and fit a fresh set of pads. Hence I’d rather save the money and know I can do as good a job.
I think someone is making a lot of money somewhere in the industry but it’s perhaps unfortunately not the guys who work in the actual bike shops.
Tifosi Rostra? They are
Tifosi Rostra? They are sometimes badged as a gravel frame, but the tyre clearance isn’t up there with serious gravel bikes but 38mm would surpass your requirementsCurrently £379 at Merlin
As per other comments, it’s
As per other comments, it’s all out of sync with model years isn’t it at the moment. Some bikes are still full price but still lots are discounted. I got a new MTB recently with 33% off and the new model year is back at full price with the same spec, just a different colour. It probably depends what price range you are looking at.I also think there must be a glut of second hand bikes out there just looking at eBay and the bikes that seem to be on there for weeks and weeks without selling. Can’t seem to sell my lads road bike that he’s out grown. This is no way a stealth ad, but it’s a BTwin Triban, Shimano road STI, good condition and functional bike yet, no one interested even at £70. But it’s not particularly fashionable and I don’t see any evidence to suggest people’s desire to commute or drivers acceptance of cyclists is changing for the better.
I doubt the hubs that Vel use
I doubt the hubs that Vel use will be rebadged Hunt but they may well be from the same OEM supplier in the Far East. Do DT Swiss allow their hubs to be rebadged? I might well be wrong always had them down as being keen to maintain their premium quality branding. The hubs on my Vel wheels have Vel logos and I don’t see any sign they are DT Swiss.I have some of the VEL alloy
I have some of the VEL alloy gravel wheels but the hubs are similar with straight pull spokes (if not the same even?). The Freehub sounds like swarming bees but that doesn’t bother me, and they have been fine so far. These alloy rims were easy to set up tubeless and came with the valves etc. I have had multiple sets of wheels with these style of hubs (rebranded novatec maybe?) and no issues.Could be wrong but a shop based brand has as much, if not more reason to help you out in the case of a warranty issue? I always think wheels are a bit of an odd one though for warranty, cos it’s hard to prove a spoke that snaps early is a warranty issue or similarly a bearing that doesn’t last very well.
I’d consider Vel if I was in the market for new road wheels.
Not to criticise anyone’s
Not to criticise anyone’s ability to maintain their own bikes, but pro’s often won’t need to maintain their own bikes and a lot of people won’t know how to maintain their own bikes. Some people don’t have the desire to learn either and that’s fine too.Swapping tubed and mechanical for tubeless and and electronic just creates different maintenance requirements. Might be a slightly bigger issue when things go wrong but barring firmware issues on electronic groupsets nothing on tubeless, electronic or hydraulic disc technology is particularly hard to maintain and that maintenance seems less frequent than mechanical cabled systems and tubed tyres.
Like one of the other posters, I’ve had one puncture that wouldn’t seal in 8 years of running road tubeless across numerous bikes and wheels. And it was perfectly easy to swap a tube in when it was clear I’d let the sealant dry out over time forgetting to top it up. It wasn’t a call to ask for a car journey.
What brand of frame/bike is
What brand of frame/bike is it?If it’s been assessed as safe then that’s the main thing but I’d be a bit dischuffed at quality of manufacture.
I would hazard a guess the bike shop don’t want the hassle of having to deal with a warranty issue. They may be right in it not being a warranty issue but sounds a little second rate – so name and shame ;-). I would at least be asking the shop to enquire with the manufacturer – send them photos etc. If the shop won’t deal with it, I would contact the manufacturer direct and send them photos yourself. I’ve had better resolution of warranty issues before now by testing the water with the manufacturer direct than going through the shop. They might refer you back to the shop but it might be a “get the shop to return it to us, it shouldn’t look like that…”
Did you buy the bike from a
Did you buy the bike from a shop? Because if you did, I would suggest it shouldn’t have left the shop in such a state. The bearings will sit wherever the bearing seats have been machined, so it sounds like they could have been machined off centre. It probably doesn’t affect the safety of the bike unless theres a manufacturing defect which results in the frame being weaker than it would have been. There’s a chance it wouldn’t roll straight if you rode no handed but with hands on the bars you’ll probably naturally compensate for any slight off centre steering.Have you checked that the bearing is properly seated in the frame and isn’t somehow incorrectly seated and thereby pushing the headtube at an angle and making the top cap not sit centrally?
But all of this really should be for the shop to sort. If it’s correctly assembled then sounds to me like a quality control issue with the frame and I would be asking the shop to sort a new frame.
Sorry, missed the bit about
Sorry, missed the bit about being in July. Will probably be too hot in July/August – but any other time of year it’s amazing!I would highly recommend CHS
I would highly recommend CHS (Cycling Holiday Spain) in Callosa d’en Sarria (Inland from Altea on the coast along from Benidorm). https://www.cyclingholidayspain.net/Nozad the owner will tailor the week to his guests, and will either provide vehicle support/guide and/or ride with you . Breakfast is cereal, juice, fruit, nuts plus eggs on toast, there is a buffet on the table when you arrive back from a ride and then dinner is a three course home cooked meal.
The villa where you stay has a gym, pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub plus games/TV room (with pool table).
Rides can vary from perhaps a short hour or two up to the Coll de Rates (amazing apple.strudel!) or lomger rides. Climbs are generally steady, not many more than 10% unless you go looking for them. The climbs do often feature in the Vuelta which I know you said you weren’t bothered about but the roads generally are low on traffic and what drivers there are generally courteous and patient.
It’s a fantastic place, the hosts are friendly and can’t do enough for you. The riding is superb and if you choose the right time of year, you should be able to get a temperature that suits.
Hopefully touch wood I’ll be out there next week for the 6th time! 🙂
