in today’s video, some things have had to change with the sonder Camino titanium gravel bike, find out what has changes and why. It just got a little flatter.
00:00 Intro
00:43 Changes
02:53 Why Flat bars
05:57 The Position
06:53 Full Bike check
08:31 Free hub sound check
To watch the full adventures, head over to the main channel @KeepSmilingAdventures
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The gear i am currently using
The tent – https://youtu.be/n9GKHSf805E
Framebag – https://youtu.be/6LM3UJKDOEk
Seatpost bag – https://youtu.be/W1E_iWY6Ajo
Jones Handlebars – https://youtu.be/dhPBSdRros8
Gravel bike – https://youtu.be/Gnd_4LgTyrg
plus bike mtb – https://youtu.be/COTUOzLPbGk
gps device – https://youtu.be/BWeMmx62A9M
mtb shoes – https://youtu.be/OYVEnfXwT0k
All the gear from GNT – https://youtu.be/e5oKSoPoMk0
Vest bag – https://youtu.be/01nzgd-t550
Ortleib bar roll https://youtu.be/Uk9fLgS1ioo
Dynamo setup – https://youtu.be/SL7MhjB6Lp0
Questions answered – https://youtu.be/u1q9AEs9flE
Gb divide bike/gear- https://youtu.be/epcZ81wqFCo
38 Comments
I understand the choices, but with such a position you are always in the same position while seated and I used to get painfull hands always having the hands pushing against the bars instead of resting them on top of the hoods. In terms of maintenance this might be less time consuming but I guess with the likes of LTwoo, Sensah etc, there are cheaper options out there.
She still looks fast though…
Cheers for fun adventures Josh! Most enjoyable. For the full 90s experience, add bar ends? For bikepacking I find mine as comfy a 2nd hand position (with some nice bar tape around them) as they are unfashionable. Indispensable recently on the GB Divide. Particularly nice for climbing out of the saddle. Also, you sure you don’t want to go full hardtail with a front shock (ok, different frame) once you’ve spent some happy time in the 90s? I’d not give up the extra kilo to lose the ability to joyously handle the wilder terrain. More of the maintenance you want to avoid though, I would accept.
Check out the Surly Corner Bar. I really love mine. Drops with the ability to run mountain bike levers. I got the lighter and cheaper aluminum knock off on Ama###
Good vid Josh. I wish I'd have set my Camino up with flat bars, for the same reason as you: far cheaper to run and replace parts. Luckily I'm on Shimano though so the long term reliability is higher
I’ve just built a new gravel bike around a Sonder Camino Al frame and I’ve gone for flat bags too. It was a birthday treat for myself so I splashed the cash on Hopetech brakes and Shimano XT/GRX drive train.
That's a hell of a drop between the saddle and handlebar. It looks uncomfortable.
I had the same issue with drop bar brifters, rattly after time and easily damaged by crashes, mud and dirt. I switched to old school Microshift bar end shifters, simple, cheap and easily serviceable.
The smiles per pound factor (and smiles per miles) of that bike during your ownership must be truly epic! Great bike, great video 👍
Narrow riser bars with bar ends positioned between the grips and the shifters is the winner for me. Gives you all of the perks of flat bars that you've mentioned but with the added benefit of a second hand position to aid with wrist fatigue. You can still access the shifters and brakes and it also gives you an option to stretch out/tuck in for speedier sections. It's the sweet spot for me.
biek looks great. you must be very tall
Are you tyres set up tubeless – or do you prefer/choose tubes instead. I'm sorry if I missed the video where you might've talked about it.
Your adventures are fascinating – winter, mud, all weather conditions camping, exploring Britain's off road – it truly takes some bravery. The logistics of mapping routes and your patience, filming yourself with the tripod going back and forth. I find that amazing.😊 As always, great editing and soundtracks, too. Congratulations
Top end sram brakes are great, but even the cheapest shimano hydros are amazing.
Nice! Have you considered horned bar ends (eg Ergon GP4) for more hand positions and a bit of comfort on longer rides?
It’s a shame bar ends have fallen out of favour. They transform the front end when running flat bars.
For more hand positions i use a set of carbon we ergonomic bar ends inside of the grips as it is more aero and you can still use the brakes from them 👍👍
When I bought my 2nd carbon & Force 1 equipped bike , I was going to sell my original alloy Apex 1 equipped bike. Then I saw how much replacement drop shifter/hydro levers were.
The original bike is still hung up in my workshop, 3 years later.
sweet build Josh, looks like a fast rigid 90s XC MTB now 😉 flat bars defo for the win, I run carbon flat bar with a gentle rise, 740mm wide though as I am on a rigid XC MTB 🙂 flat bar gravel bikes are the way forward IMO, enjoy the rides!
Гарний велосипед, собі такий би схожий зібрати. How many kilograms this bike weight?
4 years ago while building my first bike build i replaced my sram xxx1 with xt the main reason was easier to find parts around the world and cheaper ..switched out my mtb handle bars with jones bars and front carbon fork with wrensports inverted for now switch my will out from 26×4 to 29×3 game changer
flat bar gang lets go!!!!! Gonna try alt bars next
I think one day I‘ll go the same way. I just prefer flat bars to drop bars.
The simplicity of flat bars is compelling. Bar ends provide another hand position, Brakes and gears can be maintained independently. And your grip on the bars is so much more secure.
I use Ergon GS3 grips and SQlab Innerbarends 411, providing comfort, many hand positions and more aero. Love it.
Could not ride with your straight grips for a long ride or trip. It's a huge difference
The crazy amount of issues I had with shimano levers :
😂
Nice video; I'd love a titanium frame at some point but maybe not in the cards atm. Looking at your Blackburn frame bag, it looks like you have the same size as mine, medium. Just by eyeballing frame, if you went up to the large, probably a better fit for your triangle.
Ass bar ends and you at least get a few more hand positions
So its basically not a Sonder 😂
With the saddle height, I’m not sure it makes any difference if the bars are flat or drop. Wow
SRAM or Shimano over one hundred year old technology. Pinion??? With a belt surely is the future. NO maintenance.
Oh wow how come 172.5 mm cranks? Im a shorter rider than you at 6'2 and all Ive ever been told is that Im too tall for anything other than 175mm… Have I been living a lie? 😅
what is that seatpost you're running? it looks beautiful, titanium, I reckon?
Thats a pretty nice bike set up. I totally am with you on the flat bars. With all the miles you ride, thats much easier and cheaper to maintain.
Why the super-long stem? Is that because the bike is a bit small for you? Or you've got gorilla arms?
🤣🤣
Try a full GRX gearset. I've never had any issues with the shifters and levers!
That's a bike that has been properly used and abused. I've just bought a carbon frame and fork. Was that a good idea?
Have u had a look at the surly corner bar
Onya cobba any chance you can test the broken road ti pion non pion
Thanks a bunch ,not a lot of reviews on this brand
Also back in the 90s we would run bar ends, they meant different hand positions on long rides and made climbing much easier.