[tatafanatic]

Prelude and continuum

We 5 pals were working on a plan to cycle across the Northeast. The issue with road cycles we had and were accustomed to were mainly
1. Road cycles are not tourers, they are not designed to haul luggage
2. Carrying a bag pack on a road cycle is painful, the geometry doesn’t make it for a comfortable ride

Only option left was to have an escort vehicle for the entire stretch which could haul our luggage and let us cycle in peace so that was being considered and organized. In meanwhile I read an interesting article here by ‘2himanshu’ it was a Cycleogue on an MTB (a very interesting one indeed) it appealed right out. MTB’s albeit not high on speed make up with comfortable ride and their sturdiness allows taking the odd beaten road without much ado, it can haul luggage as well. Trial’s sake we did a Solan Chandigarh stretch on MTB’s but speed was major concern as we had paucity of time for our NE sojourn and MTB’s weren’t going to make it in that time frame anything of a stretch with respect to time was not possible so we dropped the MTB plan and went back with escort vehicle option. The conundrum continued.

As its always better to take guidance and expert opinions I was communicating at length with a few seniors who had done long hauls and were aces in road cycling, but they all had taken it up as a hobby and then went around making amends as they were not scientific in their approach all their knowledge was filtered to what suited them the best and this wasn’t helping me when I went taking advice from them. However, I had a Canadian acquaintance who was a cyclist for long and he’d even cycled nationals. I contacted him and shared my predicament he gave a patient ear and said 'Marin Gravel Nicasio’ will solve your case find it buy it and that’s that”. Honestly, I wasn’t aware of Marin as a brand I could have researched but as someone with superior knowledge was recommending so didn’t waste time on it and got speaking to dealerships ‘luck favors the needy’ a particular dealership in Mohali had the model in size I was looking for so drove straight to him and got the cycle as I was told this was ordered from someone else who incidentally had gone incommunicado. Cycle came for 67k with pedals and nothing else the dealer probably liked my face and gave me a freebie water bottle and taillight (both were snatched by my daughter for her cycle). I wasn’t sure about the bald tires it came with so got them changed to ralson ones with treads. Speed was necessary but so was grip the change worked wonders once I started cycling long. Cycle came with fitment options for pannier racks at front and behind I had shortlisted one from decathlon for future fitting.

I had done gravel cycle ride for over 100kms from Panaji to Kudal in Konkan so wasn’t that alien to it however all my inhibitions changed when I did a 220km long ride over one weekend the cycle was a gem. Some notable points

• Built with Chromoly Steel the cycle is robust and tough.
• Fork has Fender and Rack Eyelets.
• KMC Z-8.3 chain is strong and even on steady inclines it can hold itself strong.
• The ‘Promax Render R Road Mechanical Disc, 160mm Rotor’ on front and rear induced confidence and even sudden braking was no problem
• Marin comfort tape on Grips is high quality and does excellent job not too cushiony not too slippery they just feel perfect.
• Marin beyond Road Concept saddle has adequate cushioning suitable for long hauls.


Some Q&A’s

• IS GRAVEL RIDING NEW?
Well, road cyclists. It is a far more obvious transition from road to gravel; not only do the bikes share the same aesthetic and similar componentry but the position is familiar to all road riders. Not only this but often many gravel rides will combine an element of road so route finding is also not an issue; ride the usual road network but with extra added adventure

• Can You Use a Gravel Bike as a Road Bike?
You can definitely use a gravel bike as a road bike. However, there are a few small limitations you might run into if you do this. Depending on how you like to ride, it could be important, or not important at all.

If you are a road bike racer, then a gravel bike probably won’t work as your primary bike. Many gravel bikes these days have a 1x (single chaining) set up in the front. You’ll still get plenty of gears for most road riding, but you won’t have quite enough high gears for when the speeds gets very fast, like 26 mph to 30 mph or faster. You’ll probably spin out, because you can’t pedal fast enough. This would be a big disadvantage in a race, and would hold you back. But if you’re mostly riding by yourself, or with friends who keep a more reasonable pace, then a gravel bike works just fine. In many ways it’s a lot more comfortable than a traditional road bike, because you can use wider tires at lower pressure to give yourself some nice cushioning. You’ll also get better stopping and turning power from more rubber on the road.

• Gravel cycle Geometry and size chart



Interesting anecdote for the day

My bud Ajit tagged along for the purchase. His Innova Crysta came handy as it gulped the cycle in entirety for our journey back home to Himachal. State border cops to meet daily collection targets come stopping vehicles conjuring ridiculous demands. So, one rustic copper got in a heated discussion with us on a trivial issue with my patience giving way, as I was about to walk out to solve the matter in manner, I was trained to my elite school educated bud in a frustrated tone told the cop “You my sir are an incalcitrant dullard and a splotch on our nation” I fell down laughing.

Parting Shots of the newbie







Comparatives with my Road Bike

[Rachit.K.Dogra]

I am not an expert on the subject, but from I understand, here are the basic differences between a Road Bike, Gravel Bike and a Cyclo Cross bike:
1) They have similar geometries, with some subtle differences of varying degrees. In general, Road bikes can have longer reach to handlebars and handle bars can be lower and vice versa on the gravel bike. Cyclo cross bikes are somewhere in between. Another difference if I understand correctly is crank position in the frame.

2) Rigidity of frame. Road bikes will typically have stiffer frames for maximum feeling of connection with road. Gravel bike will have some flex in the frame for comfort.

3) Clearance for wider tyres. Gravel bikes will have larger clearance for wider tyres.

4) Options to mount luggage and carriers will be more in gravel or endurance based bikes.

I personally own a Cyclo cross bike, running road tyres.

I feel the line between a road bike and a gravel bike is not very wide. Most manufacturers will have models which can, sort of, do both roles equally well. Also, with a cycle, you can customize a few things according to your use case. A gravel bike, with slightly road oriented tyres should not be very slow as compared to a pure road bike, but have some extra comfort and should be better suited for long distances.


Rachit

[2himanshu]

Congratulations! Nice choice and proper tool. Waiting for adventure to begin

[bhokal14]

Congratulations on your new ride. Wish you lakhs of kms of exploring. A friend of mine has this and I got to enjoy this beautiful bike. How are the Ralco tires in terms of grip and rolling resistance? I have not heard good reports and I am contemplating these same design ones for my bike. Speed is not a priority for me.

[yd_gli]

Congratulations! Marin bikes are made for fun and made to last. I rode a Four Corners for almost three years. The bike never once had a component failure over the ~ 4k I had it. I had to sell it off last month due to a couple of problematic issues.

I hope you plan on riding a majority of your miles on dirt and gravel coz these bikes are hell on paved roads.

[SanSabh]

Really looking forward to your Northeast trip! It's going to be a whole new way of looking at the place, and I'm looking forward to that aspect in particular. All the best.

[tatafanatic]

Originally Posted by 2himanshu

Congratulations! Nice choice and proper tool. Waiting for adventure to begin

Thanks, your article prompted us to try MTB's and that we did but maybe as we are now 48-51 years young we couldn't catch up with speed

Originally Posted by bhokal14

Congratulations on your new ride. Wish you lakhs of kms of exploring. A friend of mine has this and I got to enjoy this beautiful bike. How are the Ralco tires in terms of grip and rolling resistance? I have not heard good reports and I am contemplating these same design ones for my bike. Speed is not a priority for me.

Thanks ! I was skeptical on the tires so over the weekend cycled plus 200Km on all kinds of surface, so far so good and no sudden surprises like the ones i endured on my road cycle on panic braking (frequent in the hills where i ride), more the mile munching happens more the data i have to analyze.

Originally Posted by yd_gli

Congratulations! Marin bikes are made for fun and made to last. I rode a Four Corners for almost three years. The bike never once had a component failure over the ~ 4k I had it. I had to sell it off last month due to a couple of problematic issues.

I hope you plan on riding a majority of your miles on dirt and gravel coz these bikes are hell on paved roads.

Thanks! This is first 'Imported' purchase on 'Things with wheels' from my side. I hope, I Trust its an enjoyable experience.

Originally Posted by Rachit.K.Dogra

I am not an expert on the subject

Honestly many things experts say sound Latin and Greek to me too, the dealer was heavily explaining the pros of the cycle, its DNA and a lot flew over my head so i showed him photos of places i would be cycling and asked if it will run there sans any issues, he said this will work fine even on the moon. As of now Moon isn't on cards to visit but the statement gave confidence

[Mechanto]

Congratulations! That's a nice machine to have. Share more pictures of your ride and the places you visit.

[ach1lles]

Originally Posted by tatafanatic

Prelude and continuum
However, I had a Canadian acquaintance who was a cyclist for long and he’d even cycled nationals. I contacted him and shared my predicament he gave a patient ear and said 'Marin Gravel Nicasio’ will solve your case find it buy it and that’s that”.

Although I'm not a cyclist at all, I got the Marin Four Corners in September last year. My pattern is a 45 min - 1 hour ride every week, and short rides about town like going to the gym etc. Sweet bike that can handle rough roads and slight abuse well.

Originally Posted by yd_gli

I had to sell it off last month due to a couple of problematic issues.

I hope you plan on riding a majority of your miles on dirt and gravel coz these bikes are hell on paved roads.

They're hell? How? I use mine mostly on paved roads, or as paved as they are LOL. What were the problematic issues, if you don't mind answering?

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

The Marin Four Corners certainly has taken cycling enthusiasts by storm. It is 3 x 9 Sora transmission with some fantastic ratios for fully loaded bike packing. Somebody actually purchased from a dealer in Kerala and got it couriered to NE.

The Nicasio is Claris.With easiest gears being 34 in front and 32 in rear. Do get a professional bike fit done, if not done already. I'm not sure the Ralsons were a good idea. Try to get tyres with high TPI count. 80 tpi, at least. These provide better puncture protection. Tyres with proper puncture protection provide a protective casing outside the carcass and inside the treads. With Ralsons, consider protective liners and pay the penalty in form of bouncier rides. Carry extra tubes with you. Don't go automobile style tubeless. You'll be stuck with spare availablity issues. (valve necks might fail). Carry basic tools.

The difference between racing / performance, endurance, gravel / touring geometries is not trivial. The top tube length, head tube length, head tube angle, fork rake, etc vary. Handle bar widths, reach, stem length, etc will be different. Some gravel bikes come with flared handles, which means the lower part of the handle will be outside the outer part. This also gives better handling.

Learn about lumens and find good head lights and tail lights and figure out how you'll charge them while moving. Hope you have helmets, if not, get a MIPS compliant one, cheapest being Scott @ ₹ 7.5 or 8 k.
Happy touring. Stay safe.

[yd_gli]

Originally Posted by ach1lles

They're hell? How? I use mine mostly on paved roads, or as paved as they are LOL. What were the problematic issues, if you don't mind answering?

There are no issues with local and small commutes. Ride for more than a couple of hours under the sun on pavement and those knobby tires along with the steel frame will deplete your energy reserves in a flash. The Four Corners will shine when you are on a multi day tour with ample time to rest, refuel and enjoy the scenery. For a quick 2-4 hour ride out of town its way too inefficient and cumbersome. I have a Bergamont hybrid as well and it's way more fun/efficient across town and for those quick weekday rides.

I hope you are running 700c WTBs and not the 650s. There are no 650B gravel bike tires available in India. Once you put in 4-5k kms on them they lose tread and the soft sidewalls are puncture hell.