So today was the first long ride of the season. Going from my place to my mom’s, total ride is about 108km, goal was 75km but made 69 (nice).
It was the first long distance test of my Unipacking set up, 75mm cranks and using a 32c tire.
Big question was can a 32c gravel? Gravel being slightly soft ground and hardback. If you’d consider it Muni it was not ridden today.
The 75mm cranks started to make my ankles and legs complain after the first 20km, so swapped to the 100mm cranks and it’s was much easier to control and spin up.
My water bottle set up worked until a velcro broke but the remainder of the ride was quite nice.
Overall it def felt like under biking, and there’s a few hard limits this tire won’t do well in but at 50psi (not sure what that is outside of freedom units) if it was lowered down to 40 or 35 psi or even run tubeless honestly wouldn’t perform horrible in mild conditions with good cranks and a handlebar.
I ran a 45c last season but the weight savings (300g) between the two tires has made me want to try the 32c on more conditions.
The first real ride with my new 4’ I built from scrap. My welding execution is questionable to say the least but the design is proven functional. It’s currently geared 32:20 which effectively equals a 32” in speed. I’d like to get a double sided fixed wheel built for it so I can use it as a two speed. I was able to free mount this easily, ride it on light off-road, through dips, up and down slopes, off curbs etc. which are all firsts for me on a giraffe.
Oh, and even better… it fits within the limits for standard checked luggage on an airplane. I may not bother trying to fly a 32 or 36 to Unicon this year.
that started out as part of an aero bar, I used a press and flattened most of the angle and then squeezed it in to make it narrow, then custom built a mount plate and welded it directly to the seat post. it clamps on just like bearing clamps on a hub so it can be removed easily. I can flip it over so the handle faces upward but I don’t really like it facing up
It was -3 overnight, it was a 40kmh tailwind with enough rain to be cold on the 40km ride out, but it was time for the first unipacking trip of the year. 80km round trip in advance of a 200km trip in two weeks, feeling more prepared with that one, but need to get a lot more rides in after work.
The night was noisy with the serrenade of many Canadian Geese (or attack chickens as we call them locally), the morning back home was sunny and a lovely test of a 32C tire on 75mm cranks. Pressure it down enough and it handles very well.
The spot was just outside of the city so 6:30 am Starbucks made a lovely way to start the day.