Howdy,
TLDR: I want a bomb proof gravel bike. Should I invest in solid wheels or chill and save for a Salsa Cutthroat. Thank you.
I have a State All Road 6160 that I want to ride just as hard as I do my TREK Roscoe 9. I have thin 700c wheels and beefer 650b wheels. I ride the 650b wheels on single track and the 700c if I’m training for distance or speed on gravel or anywhere else really.
I feel like I should be able to wheelie and bunny hop it and smash it into blue trails without my handlebars getting bent or my wheels exploding.
My issue is my wheel spokes keep loosening and my wheel gets outta wack.
I just picked up my back tire after it was trued by my LBS (normal 10 mile ride around my neighborhood and it got all kinds of cattywompus) they fixed it and I hit the local blue trail and now my front wheel is out of true. I also kinda went OTB cause sending it on a gravel bike is a bit challenging and the brakes are hard to reach in the drops. The bars were kind of bent but I bent em back with my hands… I dont feel like I should be able to do that but okay.
Is it unreasonable to want to do this on my gravel bike?
Actually… I dont care if it is unreasonable. I just need help either picking a new gravel bike that will last the test of time and I can jump it.. or choosing components to make my State bombproof.
I feel like I need to upgrade the wheels and brakes and bars. Then I should be good to send it.
Thank you very much for reading. I appreciate yall.
by RocketMan94-
10 Comments
Slapped on a new shiny seat post and a vulgar bar bag cause I find it funny.
My LBS is being cool and they know how I ride. They showed me some aluminum rims today with thicker spokes and sram hubs. 140 for the front and 170 for the rear. I have a spare cassette. Just need some rotors and thicker Tubeless tires I think. Damn cycling is expensive.
Yeah, you need better wheels.
Buy a DT Swiss G1800 Wheelset and put the fattest tires you can on it. You’ll get close to what you’re looking for.
Dude, I have the same bike and beat the shit out of it. Already crushed the rear cassette and had to get a new rear derailer hanger. I’ve got the 700s but haven’t had the wheel issues. I’m diggin’ the iridescent hardware on the gray frame. Probably not helpful but just posting to appreciate your SBC ride!
Better wheels and if you bent the bars new bars as well. Most gravel bikes are category 2 though and warranties not honored if you’re jumping more than like 6”
Dunno how to help but just commenting that the spokes on my bike from State were total garbage, replaced like half of them at this point and none of my replacements have snapped.
You could save for a cutthroat but by the sounds of it it’s only the wheels letting you down. Get some tougher 650b wheels and just put as much tyre as you can on there.
Other option would be to just get a decent xc bike.
Then again a 29er gravel bike is very tempting
Cutthroat….1000%
A cutthroat won’t take more abuse, they are two entirely different bikes. If your riding your gravel primarily on single track what you need is a mtb not a gravel bike. Send your wheels to a real wheel builder and they will get them sorted out for you, otherwise get a new bike that is intended for that abuse, the cutthroat was never designed for being thwon around like a rigid xc bike.
I got some nice alu XC 25mm channel wheels on my bike and on 2″ tyres they’re bombproof.
With this king of upgrade you can literally ride your wheels off as the fork is likely the first part that will fail your bike