RivSister Joyce! It is *so* good to hear from you. I’m glad we seem to be on the same path - Platys for pavement and our Clems for the rough stuff. I’m going to try your Juniper Ridge tires after I wear out these Gravel Kings. They sound divine. Also, I could probably use your expertise about gravel riding as I’m getting into it. I shall keep your email address handy, ha! RivSisters ♥️, Leah
On Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 3:25:40 PM UTC-4 JAS wrote: > Leah, > You are going to have so much fun!! Your Clem looks stunning, as always, > but even more ready for gravel with the new tires. I love those fenders > too. I put Rene Herse Juniper Ridge 48s on my Clem over a year ago and > what a difference! I now can ride the wet trails with confidence because > I'm not slipping through the muddy spots. They're plenty wide for the dirt > and gravel trails I frequent and work fine on pavement which I have to ride > to get to the trails. Enjoy that big blue Clem and be sure to give us a > review (and more photos, of course)! > > RivSisters, > Joyce > > On Friday, June 16, 2023 at 8:09:10 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! > wrote: > >> >> Well, today was the day. After verifying (thanks, friends) that my rims >> would take 48s, I went to the bike shop and asked for gravel tires. A 52 cm >> Clem will look like this in your rear backup camera: >> [image: image5.jpeg] >> >> I had looked at the one thousand “embarrassment of riches” tire choices >> championed here and I was…overwhelmed. Maybe this tire didn’t come in 650b >> or it did, but not in 48. Or yes, this one does but it’s out of stock. I >> don’t know how much gravel riding I’m going to be doing; I just want wider >> tires that could be good on gravel and to keep my fenders (they’re pretty. >> They keep dust off my stuff.) so I decided to trust the bike shop. It took >> them all of 5 seconds to hand me a pair of Gravel King SS tires in 650b and >> in 48mm. >> >> I asked about the conditions of my old tires. How do you see wear on a >> slick? The old tires were Gravel Kings and there isn’t a good wear >> indicator. But, the tires had lots of cracking and they told me it was time >> for new tires. It feels good to know you wore something out. >> >> I didn’t expect the bike for a few days but they had those tires on there >> lickety-split. Had I known, I would have stayed to watch them work on my >> bike. You know how there are always guys sitting on stools in bike shops, >> chatting with the mechanics as they work? I always want to be those guys >> but I feel like I will be underfoot and out of place like somebody’s >> tagalong sister, so I scurry out of there and wait for my summons. One day >> I will be brave… >> >> The text came through right as I was heading home from my Costco run. >> Leah Peterson, come get your bike! Here are the glamour shots. >> [image: image0.jpeg] >> >> I do not think these tires look much wider than the 42s previously on the >> rim, but they do feel better, more sure-footed. I did not have a LOT of >> time to try them out as I had a hot date tonight. We took a neighborhood >> trail (dirt) and a tiny stretch of gravel. I like the tread, don’t you? >> There’s a lot going on here. >> [image: image1.jpeg] >> >> And for those of you who will want to see the stats with your own eyes, I >> included the image below. Please ignore the missing orange ano valve stem >> cap. I cannot ever, EVER, leave a bike shop without some sort of calamity. >> Every time I pick my bike up from a bike shop, I will have to go back a >> second time. My personal record is 3 trips in one day. Could be anything. >> Something they forgot to do. Something they installed wrong. Today it was >> something they forgot to put back - this cap. And they also forgot to >> tighten up my brakes, but I didn’t mention that. This cap was specially >> anodized to go with this fun wheelset from Analog, so I had to have it >> back. >> [image: image2.jpeg] >> >> I have resolved that I am going to ride this bike more often. I love the >> Platys, maybe too much, but I also have great affection for the big blue >> Clem and it needs more miles. The tires are tubeless compatible, so I may >> switch it to tubeless if I find myself riding it a lot more. >> [image: image3.jpeg] >> >> I’m really excited to have breathed some new life into this old friend. >> The bike is very dear to me, which is why I have never sold it, even though >> it got ridden the least out of my trio. Clems are having their moment in >> the bike world. Everywhere I look, people (mostly men) are raving about the >> Clem L. They are plastered all over Instagram. Featured in the cool kids’ >> magazine, Calling In Sick, the Clem had its own issue. It’s great to see >> the Clems held in high esteem because most men weren’t thrilled about this >> model in 2015. So, I feel fortunate to have one of my own, set up a little >> bit different from my pair of Platys, so as to let me try some different >> kinds of riding. >> >> Thank you for all the help! I know much more now than when I first posted >> the question. >> Leah >> >> >> >> >> On Jun 14, 2023, at 1:59 PM, Vincent Tamer <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> >> I'll add my two cents now. I commute on my clem and ride gravel whenever >> I can. I've had fenders on it nearly all the time I've had this bike and >> I've taken it into some pretty rough spots that I would say are just >> outside of gravel such as riding on old train track. If it's still called >> gravel, it's the coarsest kind. It was small stones in some spots. >> >> I ride with Ultradynamico Cavas which are great but you can go with the >> ROSe' tires from UD if you want something with more tooth. I've debated >> taking the fenders off for the summer but do like how it keeps me, my bags >> and my drivetrain a bit less dusty so they will most likely stay on the >> bike. Plus I'm a little lazy. I've done some nasty riding in mud with >> fenders and made it work but it was a pain and had to stop to bang all the >> mud out. Other than that I haven't regretted the fenders aside from >> aesthetic reasons but sometimes they look cool. >> >> <Clem.jpg> >> >> >> On Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 1:15:22 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! >> wrote: >> >>> I love pavement. But I’ve been on two gravel rides in the last month and >>> I rode a Platy either time and it wasn’t my favorite for that bike. But, I >>> have my old 2019 52 cm Clem L, and it doesn’t have a dedicated purpose >>> right now and shouldn’t that be the bike for rough and tough stuff like >>> gravel? Also, my Platys are prisses. >>> >>> BUT. I’m not good at gravel. I have no idea what the kids are doing >>> these days. I have questions, and you have answers. >>> >>> 1. Can I keep my VO wavy fenders on a gravel bike? Here’s what I have, >>> and they say up to 50 mm tire will fit:[image: IMG_5029.jpeg] >>> 2. Slick or knobby? I can’t even get a straight answer on this. Which is >>> better? If it matters about the rider, this will be for a rider with a >>> healthy fear of crashing. >>> >>> 3. How wide? I have 42s on my bikes now and I don’t feel like they are >>> wide enough. >>> >>> 4. Tubeless or no? These wheels are tubeless-compatible but I put a tube >>> in them because I wasn’t riding enough to keep the sealant circulating. But >>> that can be changed right quick. >>> >>> Here is my Clem in its current configuration, and yes, I know the >>> Backabikes gotta go. >>> >>> [image: IMG_1812.jpeg] >>> Thanks for your help! >>> Leah >>> >> -- >> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/f8_g6tiXU7o/unsubscribe >> . >> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >> [email protected]. >> >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/96638cad-a75e-4cea-adb6-a665733f3f07n%40googlegroups.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/96638cad-a75e-4cea-adb6-a665733f3f07n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> <Clem.jpg> >> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/b8790cf3-1d31-4d0e-be23-7d699b0ba6c1n%40googlegroups.com.
