Hey everyone,
I already own a Propain Ekano 2 for rough trails and big terrain. I’m looking to add a Propain Terrel CF as a complementary bike for forest roads / gravel / mixed surfaces, plus longer rides.
I’m also planning a second wheelset with narrower slick-ish tires to use it as a “road bike light” when I want.
Would you recommend the Terrel CF with a suspension fork (lockout) or rigid for this use case?
Main priorities: efficiency & road feel with the road wheelset, but still comfortable and controlled on rougher gravel/forest roads.
How is it to ride with the suspension fork? Is the Speed much lower?
I really like the look wirhout a suspension fork, but i also would like to have it comfy.
Thanks for your feedback!
by Commander087
1 Comment
Usually, people riding gravel who came from a road background would stay away from the suspension fork. Mainly because of weight and the need for maintenance.
They have compensated this with bigger tires and lower pressures. However, I feel like you can only go so far until the pressure is too low and you start to lose speed, control and run into the danger of rim strikes and you’ll still not be at the same level as a suspension fork. Even a 40mm one like this one.
There are suspension stems that at least reduce some of the chatter rough asphalt can cause but this is something you’ll have to add later.
I have a gravel bike with 54mm/53mm tire clearance and am currently using 50mm tires. Comfort on road is fine, even with a somewhat higher pressure. I still don’t really prefer riding off-road but what the map says is a S0 singletrack is also fine. My problems there are more that I don’t really have the experience of riding off-road and active bike handling. I really don’t like the bike suddenly moving even slightly sideways and this is pretty much what off-road riding does.
Agricultural service ways are the closest thing we have here to a proper gravel road and it’s fine too. Maybe best ridden with a lower pressure.
I think since you want to be a bit more road-focused with it, you can get away with not choosing it. You may have to limit yourself to what you want to ride that day. If it’s on-road or light off-road, use it otherwise use the Ekano which will blow this bike completely out of the water.