The post The 2025 Touring & Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guides Are Now Available appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>I’ve spent the last month researching the latest touring and bikepacking bikes, calculating various measurements, observing the latest trends, contacting bike manufacturers (for additional information), and updating all the terminology and general advice in my guides.
I’ll share my favourite bikes in the coming months – stay tuned for that.
Latest Changes To The Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide
A big change for 2025 has been the re-classification of what it is to be a “gravel” bike.
Gravel bike tyre clearances are currently getting wider; it’s not uncommon to find bikes designed to fit 2.20” or 55mm wide tyres. To reflect the evolving design of gravel bikes, I’ve pulled a bunch of models from the “off-road” category and put them in the “gravel” category.
Another change I’ve made is the introduction of around 20 new lightweight cross country hardtail mountain bikes. These bikes fill the gap between gravel bikes with a suspension fork, and the more capable mountain bikes in my guide.
Cross country MTBs are often just as light as gravel bikes, however, they offer more off-road capability thanks to their suspension fork, longer front centre, and ability to swallow wider tyres. Downsides include smaller front chainring sizes (for top-end speed), smaller frame triangles (limiting frame pack volume), and a longer reach to the handlebar (less upright riding position).
The last big change is that I’ve created more off-road bikepacking bike categories.
With the influx of lightweight XC mountain bikes with 2.3 to 2.5″ tyre clearance, creating a category of bikes with 2.6 to 3.0″ wide tyres made sense. Most of these bikes use rigid forks and are broadly known as “plus” bikes (eg. 27.5+ or 29+ tyres).
The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide has seen another wave of new bikes with a gearbox (or internal gear hub) and belt drive. There are now more than 100 models!
These gear systems are less susceptible to damage and experience significantly less component wear than derailleur drivetrains. They have a very wide gear range, instant gear changes and don’t require any tuning or adjustment. The only maintenance is an oil change every 5,000 to 10,000 km.
Almost all gearbox bikes are equipped with belt drives, which are maintenance-free, very clean, and can last significantly longer than a chain.
Compare Bike Sizing On Bike Insights
A large proportion of my time has been spent inputting the latest frame geometry numbers of every bike in my books into the website Bike Insights.
If you haven’t seen this nifty web tool before, it allows you to visualise the size differences between any two bikes found in my guides. It is particularly useful when determining the best bike size for you, as manufacturers do not have a standardised way of sizing them.
For example, use this link to see the 63cm Bianchi Impulso gravel bike overlayed on the 56cm Kona Sutra. Given the sizing name, you’d think they’d be 3 to 4 sizes apart, but they measure up almost identically in terms of frame length and handlebar height.
While the sizing discrepancies aren’t always this stark, Bike Insights is a useful way of checking you’re getting the right-sized bike.
Another useful way to use Bike Insights is to borrow, hire, test, or get professionally fitted to a bike that (1) feels good in terms of size, and (2) is listed in the Bike Insights database. You can then use this bike as a size benchmark for comparing any of the bikes in my guides.
Accessing The Update
Those who have already purchased my buyer’s guide(s) will have received an email with the book updates on the 5th of February 2025.
If you have already purchased these guides, you can also search your email system for your original “Gumroad” receipt. That will take you to your portal with the latest book(s), along with the buyer’s guides from previous years.
Failing that, please get in contact with me using a private message on Facebook or Instagram (note: I’m currently cycling through Africa and don’t always have an internet connection).
If you’re a new customer, awesome! My guides will teach you everything about bikepacking or touring bikes, before allowing you to compare over 320 bikes at the back of the books. These guides are updated yearly – for free – so you can always keep on top of the latest bikes and information.
You can get the Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide HERE.
You can get the Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide HERE.
The post The 2025 Touring & Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guides Are Now Available appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>The post A Near Death Experience, Favourite Countries & Bicycle Touring Career of Alee Denham (Podcast) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>Simply press play or click the “Share” button below to find this interview on 18 different podcast services.
Time Stamps:
0:00 – Introduction
3:30 – What Was My First Bike?
5:27 – How Did I Get Into Bicycle Touring?
9:28 – Tandem Touring Across Continents
14:32 – How I Became A Bicycle Nomad
16:58 – Why Do I Prefer To Live An Unpredictable Life?
19:06 – How Do I Plan My Routes?
21:43 – Exploring Thoroughly vs. Quickly Passing Through Countries
23:01 – Does My Family Ever Visit?
23:40 – Do I Miss Anything From Home?
24:58 – The Incredible Hospitality of Islamic Countries
26:18 – How I Keep An Open Mind About The Places I Visit
28:00 – Do I Have A Negative Perception of Any Country?
31:20 – My Near-Death Experience in Peru
40:57 – Did My Near-Death Experience Make Me Want To Stop?
42:52 – Do I Have Any New Fears From My Accident?
43:52 – Do I Use Travel Insurance?
45:59 – Adapting to High-Altitude Environments
48:30 – Cycling Around The World As A Vegan
53:30 – Waking Up With Rhinos Next To Our Tent
55:47 – Camping With Wild Animals
58:57 – Tips For Wild Camping With Dangerous Animals
1:01:57 – Encounters With Lions, Giraffes, Elephants
1:03:14 – Looking For Nocturnal Animals
1:05:03 – How To Succeed At Wild Camping
1:11:50 – General Equipment Advice
1:15:32 – The KOGA Denham Bars
1:16:54 – Bicycle Saddles + Riding Without Padded Shorts
1:21:17 – Cycling Alone vs. Cycling With Someone Else
1:26:52 – Solo Woman Cyclists In Saudi Arabia
1:28:47 – My Five Favourite Countries In The World
1:33:50 – Life Lessons From 12 Years of Bicycle Touring
1:36:30 – How Do I Create Content While Travelling?
1:37:53 – Simple Things That Create Joy In My Life
1:39:06 – Describing One Day of Cycling in Namibia
1:44:02 – What Song Is The Backtrack To My Travels?
1:45:56 – A Never Ending Climb or Never Ending Headwind?
1:47:47 – Four Hours Cycling Alone or With Someone Else?
1:48:40 – What Am I Most Looking Forward To In Africa?
Bella’s Introduction:
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a full-time bicycle nomad? What would it be like to permanently travel the world on a bike tour with no fixed end date?
In this episode, Alee Denham shares his experiences and insights of doing just that, having spent years cycling all around the world.
Alee shared that he first got the idea to travel by bicycle while on a backpacking trip just after high school. His first short tour took him through Myanmar and despite the challenging conditions due to the political climate at the time, he was hooked. Before he knew it, he was setting off on a two-and-a-half-year tandem journey from Europe to Australia.
But the end of that huge multi-year trip was just the start of what has become Alee’s lifestyle. As a self-proclaimed bicycle nomad, his bike tours have taken him all around the world, across six continents, visiting over 100 countries.
Something unique about Alee’s touring style is his appetite to take the most rugged of routes. He enjoys exploring trails, linking hike a bike sections to access areas many others wouldn’t consider when bike travelling. Alee also likes to spend the maximum time possible in different countries, to fully appreciate its terrain, people, culture, and wildlife.
Before arriving, he will read through Lonely Planet guidebooks to get a feel for the country, before exploring it every way possible. This isn’t just by rolling through the landscape either. Alee regularly stops to take hikes, see the sites and spend time with locals, to fully appreciate the country, its people, wildlife and culture.
Alee is also the face behind CYCLINGABOUT – one of the premier online resources when it comes to everything bicycle touring and bikepacking. From gear reviews to adventure stories and insightful videos, chances are if you have a question about bicycle travel, CYCLINGABOUT will contain the answer.
Alee has completed several long-distance tours both with a partner and also solo and he spoke about the pros and cons linked with each. Ultimately, there are benefits to doing both and Alee appreciates that not just one style will ever be perfect.
During his journeys, Alee has had to deal with the unexpected. A particularly harrowing moment was when he was cycling in Peru and the trail he was walking his bike along unexpectedly gave way, plunging him thirty metres (100ft) down into a ravine. His story of survival from that day, and the subsequent experiences of getting help and accessing medical services when stuck in a very remote area of Peru were captivating. I couldn’t imagine being in that situation myself but Alee seems to have the right persona and level-headedness to be able to deal with the uncertainty and challenges which came his way.
The post A Near Death Experience, Favourite Countries & Bicycle Touring Career of Alee Denham (Podcast) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>The post The Exact Route Lael Wilcox Will Cycle Around The World (262km Per Day) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>You can track her journey right here:
The cool thing is that the tracker also shows us the exact route Lael Wilcox will be following.
The record criteria require Lael to cycle a minimum of 28,970 km, in an east-to-west direction, wavering no more than five degrees off course. The total journey distance must be a minimum of 40,075 km, including all flight distances.
Lael must start and finish in the same place, and must pass two points that line up through the earth’s centre; Lael has chosen Madrid (Spain) and Wellington (NZ).
United States of America
Distance: 1,759 km / 1,093 mi
Lael starts her ride from Chicago in the USA, riding east all the way to Newark on the East Coast. She will then board a plane at New Liberty International Airport.
Europe
Distance: 7,683 km / 4,774 mi
Lael lands in Porto (Portugal) to begin her big European leg of the journey. She will pass through Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Georgia!
Her route passes Madrid, the first of her antipodal points, before running north-east up to the Netherlands, south-east to Turkey, and east across to Georgia. She then jumps on a plane at Tbilisi International Airport.
Australia
Distance: 9,489 km / 5,896 mi
Lael next lands in Australia. This is her second longest leg, which runs east along the southern coast of the continent from Perth to near Melbourne, before turning north into the interior up to Rolleston, and then south-east to Brisbane where she will once again jump on a plane.
New Zealand
Distance: 1,600 km / 994 mi
Lael lands in Invercargill on the South Island of New Zealand. This short leg takes Lael to Picton where she can catch a ferry to the North Island. She will now hit her second antipodal point in Wellington and continue riding north to Auckland for the next flight.
USA & Canada
Distance: 10,517 km / 6,535 mi
Lael is now onto the final and longest leg of her around the world cycling record attempt!
She lands in Anchorage in the USA and bikes on over to Vancouver in Canada. She will then cross the USA border again, riding south down to Los Angeles, and then east to northeast over to her finish line in Chicago.
The post The Exact Route Lael Wilcox Will Cycle Around The World (262km Per Day) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>The post Kona Founders Buy Brand Back from Kent Outdoors appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>Dan Gerhard and Jake Heilbron have purchased the brand back from Kent Outdoors, who seemingly sent it down a very dark and uncertain path that culminated in a very mysterious withdrawal from the Sea Otter Classic a month ago.
The founders plan to double down on the brand legacy and get back to basics. Their highest priority is renewing relationships with a nearly 1000-strong North American and European dealer network, which they see as their strongest advocates and allies.
To best honour their dealer relationships, Kona Bicycles will no longer be selling their bikes direct-to-consumer. All Kona inventory is currently on its way to their warehouse and distributors, and the previous North American offices will be re-opening.
To best honour their consumers, the founders plan to make the company more flexible and streamlined which will allow them to price their bikes more competitively. The founders say there are some “incredible bikes” in the pipeline that they are looking forward to unveiling.
Kona Bicycles have always been innovative, well-designed, and reliable. I’ve been recommending Kona bikes to people for decades; I’m sure you’ve already seen them in many of my “Best Bikes” lists. The components are usually fit for purpose and the prices are competitive. This is great news for everyone involved.
Welcome back, Kona.
The post Kona Founders Buy Brand Back from Kent Outdoors appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>The post The 2024 Touring & Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guides Are Now Available appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>
I’ve spent the last month researching the latest touring and bikepacking bikes, calculating various measurements, observing the latest trends, contacting bike manufacturers (for additional information), and updating all the terminology and general advice in my guides.
I’ll be sharing all of my favourite bikes in the coming months – stay tuned for that.
New Bike Category (Bikepacking Guide)
With lots of new gravel bikes coming with suspension forks, I’ve now separated these models into a new category in the Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide.
Bike-On-Bike Comparison Tool
A large proportion of my time has been spent inputting the latest frame geometry numbers of every bike in my books into the website Bike Insights.
If you haven’t seen this nifty web tool before, it allows you to visualise the size differences between any two bikes found in my guides. It is particularly useful when determining the best bike size for you, as manufacturers do not have a standardised way of sizing them.
For example, use this link to see the 63cm Bianchi Impulso gravel bike overlayed on the 56cm Kona Sutra. Given the sizing name, you’d think they’d be 3 to 4 sizes apart, but they measure up almost identically in terms of frame length and handlebar height.
While the sizing discrepancies aren’t always this stark, Bike Insights is a useful way of checking you’re getting the right-sized bike.
Another useful way to use Bike Insights is to borrow, hire, test, or get professionally fitted to a bike that (1) feels good in terms of size, and (2) is listed in the Bike Insights database. You can then use this bike as a size benchmark for comparing any of the bikes in my guides.
Accessing The Update
Those who have already purchased one of my buyer’s guides will have just received an email with the latest editions attached. If you cannot find the email, there is a chance your email service has filtered it to the ‘junk’ folder. The email was sent on the 30th of January, 2024.
Alternatively, you can search your email system for your original “Gumroad” receipt. That will take you to the portal with the latest book(s), along with the buyer’s guides from previous years.
Failing that, please get in contact with me using a private message on Facebook or Instagram – or via email (please note: I’m currently cycling through South Africa and don’t always have an internet connection).
If you’re a new customer, awesome! My guides will teach you everything about bikepacking or touring bikes, before allowing you to compare over 300 bikes at the back of the books. These guides are updated yearly – for free – so you can always keep on top of the latest bikes and information.
You can get the Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide HERE.
You can get the Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide HERE.
The post The 2024 Touring & Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guides Are Now Available appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>The post 100 Countries Cycled In 11 Years! The Bicycle Touring Career of Alee Denham (Interview) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>And not only that but over the last decade of travel he has also created one the most successful YouTube channels in the cycling space, as well as the CyclingAbout.com website that’s loaded with information on bikes, gear, setups, and more!
In EP.3 of the Rider’s Saddle, I sit down with Alee Denham at Eurobike to dive into his early life, what got him into bike travel, how he built his career, YouTube channel, and website, and discuss his life lessons in detail.
0:00 – Intro
2:53 – Childhood in Australia
4:47 – Bicycle infrastructure & urbanism
12:35 – Biking as a sport
16:08 – Getting into travel
19:37 – First bicycle touring experience
22:55 – Cycling Europe to Australia
28:51 – Starting CyclingAbout
35:17 – Experimental years
43:01 – Cycling the Americas trip
48:35 – Grounded by COVID
54:56 – The CyclingAbout YouTube channel
1:01:10 – Will Alee ride forever?
1:04:40 – CyclingAbout Africa
1:11:40 – Travelling as a vegan
1:18:05 – Travelling with Laura
1:26:00 – How to travel long-term as a nomad
1:30:33 – Careers in bicycle touring
1:35:11 – What bike tech is Alee excited about?
Tristan Bogaard is the host of the Rider’s Saddle Podcast on YouTube. He can watch his full series HERE.
The post 100 Countries Cycled In 11 Years! The Bicycle Touring Career of Alee Denham (Interview) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>The post The New CyclingAbout Comfort Lab: A Scientific Approach To Ride Comfort appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>If you’ve followed this website for a while, you’ll know that I have a keen interest in comfort-improving components. I’ve discussed topics ranging from stems, saddles, suspension seatposts, and carbon seatposts to rear suspension. I’ve also made the case that steel frames play very little role in ride comfort.
I’m always looking for ways to optimise my ride experience, and using as much quantitative data as possible seems like the best way to find the best bikes and components.
That’s why my interest was instantly piqued when vibration test expert Krzysztof Wierzbicki asked if there was a possibility to publish his existing vibration tests on CyclingAbout.
He also told me all about his plan to improve his scientific approach to finding bike comfort – and just like that, I was sold on the idea.
What Is The CyclingAbout Comfort Lab Exactly?
The CyclingAbout Comfort Lab is a section of this website that is dedicated to finding comfortable bikes and components.
Here you’ll find scientific vibration tests, product reviews with an emphasis on comfort, and interviews with experts in the field.
So far, the Comfort Lab can tell you:
– A rigid carbon fork can absorb more high-frequency vibration than a suspension fork
– A good suspension seatpost can reduce rear bike vibrations by over 25%
– Cushcore tire inserts are almost too good to be true
– There is no discernable vibration difference between carbon and titanium frames
– You can improve your front comfort by 20 to 30% using a suspension stem
You can see Krzysztof’s library of vibration tests HERE.
About Krzysztof Wierzbicki
Krzysztof is a cycling enthusiast from Poland who established the GravelBikes.cc website, which has now fully merged with CyclingAbout.
Using a vibration-measuring methodology, he has tested dozens of bikes and components over the years. When a bike component tests well, Krzysztof installs it on what he calls his “benchmark bike”. This bike is used as a point of comparison when testing any new bike or components.
This scientific approach to bike testing has allowed Krzysztof to set up a very comfortable and fun-to-ride gravel bike. You can read about his three benchmark bikes HERE.
But his journey towards the ultimate comfort is far from over. That’s why he decided to join forces with me to not only update his existing vibration test articles but to improve on his vibration test methodology too.
And, why does Krzysztof spend so much on vibration-testing bikes and components?
He told me, “I like to ride, feel free, and explore every route that feels interesting. And I want to be comfortable while doing it. I’m hoping my vibration tests, interviews, and reviews can help the CyclingAbout readers in achieving a much more comfortable cycling experience”.
Please give Krzysztof a warm welcome here! You can see over 30 of Krzysztof’s vibration tests HERE.
The post The New CyclingAbout Comfort Lab: A Scientific Approach To Ride Comfort appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>The post Why My Approach To Testing Bike Vibrations Has Changed Over Time appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>In this article, I will explain how my approach to testing bike vibrations has changed over the years, and how I’m conducting my vibration tests going forward.
Measuring Vibration Outdoors With A Smartphone App
Most of my vibration tests have been conducted using a smartphone and a vibration-measuring app.
For front vibration measurement, the smartphone was mounted on my wrist, and for rear vibration measurement, the smartphone was mounted on my back.
I took the vibrations on two different routes and at two different speeds. One was a bumpy forest trail (pictured above) to see how bikes and components attenuated vibrations coming from bigger hits (15 km/h). The other was a fast gravel road to see how bikes and components attenuated high-frequency vibrations (35 km/h).
Like any outdoor test, it’s really hard to control the variables. My vibration results were never directly comparable because the routes simply yielded different results in hot, cold, dry, or wet conditions.
I also used a long measurement duration of ~10 seconds for the fast gravel road and ~60 seconds for the bumpy forest trail. As a result, the vibration levels were often reduced significantly after I averaged the data.
Additionally, I was measuring vibrations at my wrist and back, and the human body itself dampens a lot of vibration before it hits the accelerometer.
You can read more about my outdoor vibration testing HERE.
Measuring Vibration Indoors With A Treadmill
I wanted to have something more scientific, so I started experimenting with a Woodway treadmill. This allowed me to better control both the environment and speed.
I mounted different slats on the treadmill to simulate both big hits and high-frequency, gravel chatter. I had to experiment with the placement and frequency of these slats to achieve results consistent with my bumpy forest trail and fast gravel road tests.
A big improvement here was using a dedicated accelerometer. With help from the developer of Vibration Analysis, I was able to configure the Arduino Nano BLE 33 exactly for my needs. I could also collect very detailed data, in fact, this was 5 to 10 times more data than my smartphone could collect (the measurement frequency was now 500 Hz).
I took measurements both under the saddle and under the brake hoods. At these locations, I could exclude the damping effect of the body.
But the treadmill was far from perfect. Trying to make a bike ride by itself on the treadmill was a chore. Also, figuring out how to achieve realistic weight distribution for the rider proved to be very tricky. Ultimately, this methodology brought a few too many challenges.
You can read more about my treadmill vibration testing HERE.
Measuring Vibration Outdoors With Consistent Results
Going forward, I will be conducting vibration tests that combine elements from the outdoor and treadmill tests.
I am using the same Arduino Nano BLE 33 accelerometer as my treadmill test. It’s mounted under the brake hoods (front of the bike) and under the saddle (back of the bike).
I will again be using my benchmark bike as a point of comparison between different bikes and components.
My Rene Herse Umtanum Ridge 650B x 55 mm tires will be inflated to a rather high 45 PSI air pressure. This high pressure ensures the tires are not impacting the vibration results too much.
And if I’m using tires of different widths I will calculate the appropriate tire pressure using Laplace’s law. This allows me to maintain the same tire casing tension for all tests. You can read a bit more about how I use Laplace’s Law HERE.
To determine how a bike or component handles bigger hits, I am laying a single wooden block that’s 50mm long and 30mm high on a smooth, flat asphalt road. I run over it at the speed of 25 km/h and then can measure one very clear bump event.
To determine how a bike or component handles fast gravel roads, I am using an obstacle almost 300cm/118″ long with a lot of different wooden slats mounted at random (as gravel is random in terms of bump frequency). I run over this obstacle at a speed of 25 km/h. The bump frequency is high enough to properly simulate the high-frequency chatter of a gravel road.
This 300cm test can also be considered an overall performance test because it also contains two bigger hits – at the beginning and at the end (when riding on and off the obstacle).
I conduct exactly nine test runs in each scenario. I exclude the two highest and two lowest measurements to ensure that slight speed fluctuations are not impacting the results in any significant way. I then calculate the average vibrations of the five remaining test runs.
Summary
My latest approach to vibration testing yields results consistent with my outdoor comfort tests. But this time, the results are repeatable – no matter the weather conditions.
Unlike the treadmill test, I’m actually on the bike and moving at typical gravel cycling speeds (25 km/h) so the vibration measurements are even closer to real-life scenarios.
And with the high-resolution vibration data being measured at the brake hoods and saddle, we take out the damping effect of the human body. This will hopefully highlight bigger comfort differences between bikes and components.
If you have any questions about how I conduct my tests, feel free to ask in the comments section below.
The post Why My Approach To Testing Bike Vibrations Has Changed Over Time appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>The post The Vibration Measurement Procedure For My Outdoor Comfort Tests appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>Most of my vibration tests have been conducted using a smartphone and a vibration-measuring app. For front vibration measurement, the smartphone was mounted on my wrist, and for rear vibration measurement, the smartphone was mounted on my back. I then measured the vibrations of different bikes and components on a bumpy forest trail and a fast gravel road.
This approach was successful but with a few drawbacks that I’ve discussed at length HERE.
I’ve now got a new outdoor vibration measurement procedure, and this time my results are:
– Repeatable in all weather conditions (eg. hot, cold, dry, or wet)
– Comparable between tests conducted on different days (allowing us to better benchmark products)
– Measured on the bike rather than the rider (taking out the damping effect of the rider)
– Taken at typical gravel cycling speeds (20 to 25 km/h)
The best bit is that my new approach to vibration testing yields results consistent with my previous outdoor comfort tests and treadmill tests.
Front and Rear Vibration Measurements
I’m using an Arduino Nano BLE 33 accelerometer that’s powered via USB. With help from the developer of Vibration Analysis, I was able to configure the accelerometer exactly for these comfort tests. I’m able to collect very detailed data – the measurement frequency is 500 Hz.
I measure the vibration under the brake hoods and saddle to remove the damping effect of the human body. This gives us clear a indication of both the front and rear comfort of the bike with a given setup.
Benchmark Bike Setup
I’m using my Open WI.DE benchmark bike as a point of comparison between different bikes and components.
The Rene Herse Umtanum Ridge 650B x 55 mm tires on this bike are inflated to a rather high 35 PSI air pressure (2.5 Bar). This high pressure ensures the tires have a minimal impact on the vibration results.
If I’m using tires of different widths I calculate the appropriate tire pressure using Laplace’s law. This allows me to maintain the same tire casing tension for all tests.
Laplace’s law states that the tire casing tension = internal pressure x tire radius. When you put the different tire dimensions into the equation, you find out that you need to use lower air pressures on wider tires to achieve equal tire casing tension to narrower tires.
Big Hit Test
To determine how a bike or component handles a big hit, I lay a single wooden block that’s 50mm long and 30mm high on a smooth, flat asphalt road.
I ride over this obstacle at a speed of 20 km/h and measure one very clear bump event. I remain seated for the test and do not pedal while recording the vibration data.
Fast Gravel Road Test
To determine how a bike or component attenuates vibrations on fast gravel roads, I’m using an obstacle almost 300cm/118″ long with 34 wooden slats mounted at random intervals. The bump frequency is high enough to properly simulate the high-frequency chatter of a gravel road.
Just like the single wooden block test, I ride over this obstacle at a speed of 25 km/h. I remain seated for the test and do not pedal while recording the vibration data.
This 300cm test can also be considered an overall performance test because it contains a bigger hit too – that’s the one at the beginning when I ride onto the obstacle. I’ve chosen not to use the vibration data recorded when riding off the obstacle as it’s inconsistent between tests.
Multiple Test Runs
I conduct nine test runs in each scenario.
I exclude the two highest and two lowest measurements to ensure that slight speed fluctuations are not impacting the results in any significant way. I then calculate the average vibrations of the five remaining test runs, and these are the results you see.
If you have any questions about my test procedure, feel free to ask in the comment section below.
The post The Vibration Measurement Procedure For My Outdoor Comfort Tests appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>The post The 2023 Touring & Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guides Are Now Available appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>
I’ve spent the last month researching the latest touring and bikepacking bikes, calculating various measurements, observing the latest trends, contacting bike manufacturers (for additional information), and updating all the terminology and general advice in my guides.
I’ll be sharing all of my favourite bikes in the coming months – stay tuned for that.
Bike-On-Bike Comparison Tool
A large proportion of my time has actually been spent inputting the latest frame geometry numbers of every bike in my books into the website Bike Insights.
If you haven’t seen this nifty web tool before, it allows you to visualise the size differences between any two bikes found in my guides. It is particularly useful when determining the best bike size for you, as manufacturers do not have a standardised way of sizing them.
For example, use this link to see the 63cm Bianchi Impulso gravel bike overlayed on the 56cm Kona Sutra. Given the sizing name, you’d think they’d be 3-4 sizes apart, but they actually measure up almost identically in terms of frame length and handlebar height.
While the sizing discrepancies aren’t always this stark, Bike Insights is a useful way of checking you’re getting the right-sized bike.
Another useful way to use Bike Insights is to borrow, hire, test or get professionally fitted to a bike that (1) feels good in terms of size, and (2) is listed in the Bike Insights database. You can then use this bike as a size benchmark for comparing any of the bikes in my guides.
Accessing The Update
Those who have already purchased one of my buyer’s guides will have just received an email with the latest editions attached. If you cannot find the email, there is a chance your email service has filtered it to the ‘junk’ folder. The email was sent on the 12th of January, 2023.
Alternatively, you can search your email system for your original “Gumroad” receipt. That will take you to the portal with the latest book(s), along with the buyer’s guides from previous years. Failing that, please get in contact with me using a private message on Facebook or Instagram – or via email (please note: I’m currently cycling through the Middle East and don’t always have an internet connection).
If you’re a new customer, awesome! My guides will teach you everything about bikepacking or touring bikes, before allowing you to compare over 290 bikes at the back of the books. These guides are updated yearly – for free – so you can always keep on top of the latest bikes and information.
You can get the Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide HERE.
You can get the Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide HERE.
The post The 2023 Touring & Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guides Are Now Available appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.
]]>