First Impressions: Elite Rocko Carbon Bottle Cage

Since launching the GRAVELBIKE site in 2011, my track record for predicting whether I’ll like a product that’s under test has been pretty reliable. Sometimes, though, my intuition is way off base. Looking at the specs for Elite’s Rocko Carbon bottle cage, I figured the slender, 27-gram model would be more at home on a skinny-tired road bike rather than my gravel bike or plus-size MTB. But after several months’ testing, I’m happy to report that my spidey senses were indeed wrong when it came to the Rocko’s suitability for dirt and gravel riding.

Continue Reading “First Impressions: Elite Rocko Carbon Bottle Cage” →

Gear & Tech , , ,

Second Look: Teravail Rampart Tires (Guest Review)

Summary: Slicks? For gravel? YES.

I labored over my opening line because I was anxious to establish cred right away–that I’m an experienced, observant rider and gravel influencer… um, what? I’m totally not! I realized that, as a newer gravel rider and gear geek myself, I’d rather read a review from someone who was like me. And maybe others would, too.

Continue Reading “Second Look: Teravail Rampart Tires (Guest Review)” →

Gear & Tech , , ,

Q&A with Spurcycle

Longtime GRAVELBIKE readers know that I’m a big fan of Spurcycle’s products. The company’s multi-tool was featured in 2018’s Pocket Tool Roundup, and the Spurcycle Bell earned a coveted, Things I Like endorsement back in 2017. Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with company co-founder Nick Slone to discuss the Spurcycle’s history, their design process, and what we can expect from them in 2020.

Continue Reading “Q&A with Spurcycle” →

Gear & Tech, News & Info , ,

$50 Flat Pedal Roundup

It used to be that there were two kinds of flat pedals: the fancy ones sporting alloy platforms and metal pins; and the more basic, composite models with molded-in pins. If you wanted lots of traction, that meant ponying up for the pricier, all-metal pedals. But then, manufacturers figured out how to combine replaceable metal pins with more affordable composite platforms–a win/win for thrifty (or crash-prone) riders. In addition to being less costly, composite pedals are often lighter than their metal counterparts, and many companies now spec nylon-bodied pedals with the same high-quality bearings and spindles found in their pricier, alloy models.

Continue Reading “$50 Flat Pedal Roundup” →

Gear & Tech , , ,

First Impressions: Topeak JoeBlow Booster Pump

Tubeless tire and wheel technology has improved by leaps in bounds in the past few years, but it wasn’t always unicorns and rainbows. Early tubeless adoptees (including yours truly) often struggled to make certain tire and rim combinations play nicely with one another. Back then, the most common aid for seating tubeless tires was the pancake compressor. And while compressors were generally effective, they were also heavy, noisy, and required electricity to operate. To help tubeless users cut the cord, Topeak developed the JoeBlow™ Booster floor pump ($149.95 MSRP).

Continue Reading “First Impressions: Topeak JoeBlow Booster Pump” →

Gear & Tech , , ,