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At the cross roads I thought, “Huh. I could go a bit farther and drop down this winding canyon connector road.” OK, why not? And this rambling continued, even when the road choices kept coming along and even when I knew the conditions would be much more than any road bike would be comfortable in.
Once again I was impressed with how the unique spoking of the Rolf-Prima Sojourns gave the wheels a lively feel, the weight per cost is quite good, and the width buys you more tire volume and the potential for lower tire pressures without giving away handling. And for $699.99, that ain’t hay.
So, with many wheels in this price range what sets these Eroica GP’s apart? That wider internal width, decent weight, and the unique feature of the bead interface all are great features here, and do make your tires a bit more versatile.
Without a doubt, one of the hottest stories of 2019 in the gravel world is the introduction of Shimano GRX. Today, we’ll share Guitar Ted’s impressions of the 1x GRX group he’s running on his Noble GX5, and I’ll give my thoughts on the 2x mechanical and Di2 versions of the group.
Another surprising thing- the free hub seems to be very quiet when coasting. I guess the over-all theme here so far is “quiet strength”. We’ll check in on reliability and ride feel in our next post.
There are few upgrades you can make that have as much effect on your ride as a great set of wheels. And while there’s no shortage of great wheels on the market today, it’s an exciting development when Roval, a longtime leader in the space, introduces not just one, but two new high-end gravel wheelsets.
Rolf Prima just introduced the Sojourn wheel set for Adventure/Gravel. It fits right into our needs with an internal width of 25mm and an outer of 28.5mm. It is cost effective as well, priced at $699.00, not cheap, but you are still under a grand. Weight is quite good at a claimed 1695g and I weighed them ready to go, seems, tape, etc, at 1741g.
Lately it got me thinking that there are quite likely a metric ton of old 29″er wheels out there that have great possibilities for modern gravel bike use.
My initial impressions were of a laterally stiff wheel with high spoke tension and so the forward drive under prodding was exceptional. They really scoot. I also felt that they were a firm riding wheel and I think that is accurate, but they are not harsh.
While the PBO spokes may cause you to raise an eyebrow, keep in mind that these spokes have been around for two decades and have a good reputation for durability. The rest of the Spinergy wheel from the hubs to the rims seem to be top notch stuff now. I see no reason to fear the technology and I would gladly ride these wheels off into the Sunset if Spinergy would let me.
Many bikes are coming out as “dual wheel size” compatible rigs, and if you wanted the 650B wheels, (or the other way around if the new bike was set up with 650B), this option would be high on my list. It provides a solid performing package at a good value. Besides going around and holding up your tires, what more do we really need?
Okay, so PBO spokes, aluminum rims… how does that work? It actually works out really well. I think the common thought most folks might have is that if the spokes are not steel, then they must be flexy. Well, that just isn’t the case here.
Gravel Grinder News: Shimano Debuts First Dedicated Gravel Road Group- by Guitar Ted Editor’s Note: All … Gravel Grinder News: Shimano Debuts First Dedicated Gravel Road GroupRead more
Spinergy GX Wheels: Getting Rolling – by Guitar Ted Do you remember Spinergy wheels? If you … Spinergy GX Wheels: Getting RollingRead more
Easton EA70 AX Disc Wheels: Checkpoint- by Guitar Ted [adrotate group=”4″] The last we heard about … Easton EA70 AX Disc Wheels: CheckpointRead more
So far the wheels have felt snappy and solid. From coast to drive, these wheels show a rapid engagement, so if that is important to you, that is good. I have noticed a bit more ‘pop’ forward over the wheels I typically run, a set of FSA MTB wheels from a few years ago.
Easton EA 90 SL Wheels: Getting Rolling- by Grannygear [adrotate group=”4″] I was sitting astride my … Easton EA 90 SL Wheels: Getting RollingRead more
Easton EA70 AX Disc Wheels: Getting Rolling- by Guitar Ted The wheels for a bicycle are … Easton EA70 AX Disc Wheels: Getting RollingRead more
Without a doubt, there is a lot to like about the Cantu Rova wheelset. The weight is competitive, at 1567 grams for our set. While it’s true there are lighter options available, most aren’t using 35mm section, 30mm wide external/24mm internal width rims.
Enve Composites announced today that a new range of Enve branded road hubs will now be available in their complete wheel sets and as sets sold separately. This range of road hubs will cover both rim brake and disc brake standards.
Enve G23 Wheels: At The Finish- by Guitar Ted Wheels make the bicycle go and great … Enve G23 Wheels: At The FinishRead more
Enve G23 Wheels: Checkpoint by Guitar Ted The Enve G23 wheels have been set up with … Enve G23 Wheels: CheckpointRead more
Rolf Prima Hyalite Wheels: At The Finish – by Grannygear I have had the Rolf … Rolf Prima Hyalite Wheels: At The FinishRead more
Cantu Rova Wheelset: Checkpoint – by MG It’s incredible how time flies… It’s been four months … Cantu Rova Wheelset: CheckpointRead more
