This Changed My Mind About Gravel Bikes
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ค. 2023
- Chilleur SHIRTS: www.pathlesspedaled.com/store
Review of the Hudski Doggler.
hudskibikes.com/
PATREON: / pathlesspedaled
STICKER STORE: www.pathlesspedaled.com/store
INSTAGRAM: / pathlesspedaled
Affiliate Links:
Riding Camera: www.insta360.com/sal/go_2?ins...
360 Camera: www.insta360.com/sal/one_x2?i...
Studio Camera: amzn.to/2U9SQiJ
Studio Mic: amzn.to/3eehci8
Fave Multitool: amzn.to/3ec9ntk
Fave Pump: amzn.to/3kd6Any
![Yoshi Rinrada - 'มาทำไม' [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/r41xbfRLkLs/mqdefault.jpg)
This is literally a high spec hybrid but there's nothing wrong with that
gravel is basically just hybrid
I just got a nice carbon gravel bike for my wife. First carbon bike for us. Was expecting a lot. It is super light but not like 6x faster or more capable. It also doesn’t have the mounts for panniers or mud guards. So the hybrid is still more capable.
Except it has good geometry. Which is everything.
Love my built up hybrid. Just need to upgrade the fork and it's complete.
@@thebowtieguy777 Exactly, you could say Gravelbikes are just Hybrids with drop bars.
This review is spot on. I bought a Hudski Doggler and it is a blast to ride.
Sizing: I bought a large, because I really wanted the 170mm cranks. A medium might have worked, but I could not imagine living with 165mm cranks. I’m a mountain biker, and had spent many years single speed 175mm, so I insist on having that final bottom leverage grunt available. My inseam is 30”, and I can clear the top tube fine but this is not my dedicated MTB, it’s a gravel/road thing for me. Fit adjustment: I ended up putting on a slightly longer 60mm stem, and lowering it several spacers. Kudos to Hudski for providing a full length steer tube, so moving it up or down is an option. The supplied bars have a lot of rise, but if you wanted different flatter bars you might want that long steer tube.
I bought the city bike build because I wanted the maximum bend in the bars, which is great for me.
I just finished a 2 day 75 mile round trip camping excursion to a music festival on the Katy Trail in Missouri , and could not be more pleased.
I do run a Brooks B17 seat and Ergon grips, Speedplay Drillium pedals.
💯 would buy again.
Be careful, it sounds like this bike is a gateway bike to full on mt biking! And as a mt biker (who also owns a gravel bike), we ARE on to something!😁
Looks like a Mt. Bike to me. Or is it just for gravel?
Why are we getting so goofy?
@@EarthSurferUSAWhat happened is that mountain bikes stopped looking like that. It's not uncommon to find full suspension cross country bikes these days. The gravel bike filled in the gap left between endurance road bikes and cross country MTBs.
HHUUUUUGE props to this company for speccing shorter cranks even on the larger sizes. 165mm on Small and Medium then only 170mm on L and XL - now that's going against the grain. I'm one of the crazy people who can absolutely feel the difference between 175 cranks and 172.5 cranks. I fit a M/L size bike, and my choice is usually to go with a small for me medium just to avoid the annoyingly long 175 cranks that usually come on large sized bikes.
Yup, shorted cranks are usually better, for sure
I’ve been waiting for you to review this bike!!! Can’t wait to watch!
This bike has almost exactly the geometry as my Marin Bolinas Ridge 1 (29). I have upgraded my drivetrain to Deore 1x10 and newer wheelset. I also replaced the 40000lb shock for a nice light weight aluminum fork. Though I do not have the ability to have multiple front racks I do have a great "gravel" bike.
Nice, but i'd prefer the frame in steel, but then it would be a Surly Krampus/Monkey.....
I've got a Doggler in Forest Service Green - took a fair bit to get used to compared to my Specialized Diverge, but I absolutely adore this bike now. Sizing is a bit strange, but as a short man with a very very short inseam, I am extremely appreciative of their slacker geometry, so I get to use the dropper even on a small without issues. 10/10, great party pace bike for sure
Any specific comments regarding this vs the diverge? I’ve been eyeing the Diverge as well.
@@spiritualspatula the thing to keep in mind with the diverge (mine is a 2017/2018, so that one at least) is they're very much a cyclocross bike - it's very twitchy control wise, you're limited to some quite narrow tires by current gravel standards, and the sizing can be a bit funky. If I could sum up feel and design in car terms, the doggler I'd equate to something like a 70s era El Camino, and the diverge is more like a Mazda RX-8.
@@BobbyFabian I have a 2019 Diverge (2020 changed geo, i believe) and it's definitely on the all-road end of the spectrum. I wouldn't call it cyclocross, but if you compare the 2019 Diverge and Roubaix, they are *very* similar; more similar than the 2019 and 2020 Diverge in fact. The current Diverge is more like a Crux, but the Crux has a longer seatpost and more horizontal top tube.
All in all, I like my Diverge because I do ride a fair bit of road and gravel, but not a ton of trail on it. I like riding state forest trails, but my size overwhelmed the Diverge (I'm 110+ kg) a bit. I picked up a 27.5+ Karate Monkey rigid for trails, which covers me pretty well for low-maintenance riding.
@@BobbyFabian awesome, thanks for the reply!
could you answer a question on the bike? I'm 5'6" and short inseam, what size did you get? Not sure what size to order. Thanks!
This is still one of the most exciting things in the industry for me
I just got my daughter a Salsa Journeyer . It’s not quite that slack, and she doesn’t need it to be, but the bikes seem kind of similar. No suspension, lots of mounts, flat or drop, big or little wheels. She’s got the flat bars and 650B wheels, and I expect her to ride 85/15 pavement to gravel. Nice bike.
Sal is a great mechanic. Looking forward to his bikes!
The Marin Muirwoods has similar geo to this & is also technically not suspension corrected like this. I know the Unit has an adjustable CS, but Kona's site nor bikeinsight gives me info on where in sliding dropout that 430mm number is.
Yes! The Muirwoods is an excellent budget bike. My girlfriend has one and it is great. You could get snooty about the QR dropouts but it all works brilliantly and the slender steel frame feels lovely. She runs it with tubeless 700 x 40 wtb nano tyres, swept bars, and sqlabs inner bar ends.
I love this bike. Basic fun for everyone.
Russ, another great review! Appreciate the time you put into testing bikes. What handlebar bag are you using in the video?
Thanks, Russ, that bike looks like a winner and perhaps we need a non-curly-bar class in gravel events. And I like the Oury grips and i remember those being cool on BMX bikes in the early days.
Looks like a solid bike with a lot going for it. The consumer has so many choices right now, and enough variations in components there's no barrier to dialing in the perfect fit.
I think the hudski is one of the best bikes for the money. One comment about the perceived small size: the short nose Deva saddle, zero offset dropper, and 74 STA bring you significantly closer to the bars (30mm!) compared to a traditional gravel bike setup (regular saddle, 15mm offset seatpost, and 73.5STA). Not a bad thing, just something to be aware of. The short nose saddles that are popular with road/gravel don't mix well with dropper seatposts which don't have any setback or as much adjustment range.
Nice find Russ
It's a lot like modern version of an old school mountain bike. Solid fork mountain bikes are still in high demand around here. A lot of people just buy a mountain bike and swap out the forks. This looks like a great bike for the rest of us.(those who aren't racers).
You gotta realize its the little things that make it a nicer ride like geometry, a dropper, and disc brakes. I love a 90's mtn bike, but somedays I might want to ride something I didn't hobble together myself.
I know you've never heard anyone say this before, Russ, but it's just the 2023 version of a 90s mountain bike! I approve.
Nice bike and just about perfect for the riding I do (mostly logging roads) around Seeley Lake, Montana. We’re in the same county! But price tag is rather steep and I’m looking into a lower end hardtail (which typically come with rear rack eyelets; a must for me) and replacing the suspension fork with a rigid one. That’ll most likely result in a weight around 26-28 lbs. at a price tag about half of the Hudski. I think rigid hardtail MTBs are perfect for roads / trails with plenty of ups and downs. Thanks for the review!
Nice looking bike. Looking for something like this to ride easy going, flowy trails, without the maintenance hassle of suspension.
Great video with some excellent insights. Hudski presently has the deore spec of all three doggler styles priced at $1120USD on their site. I think that for many looking to get a first 'ATB' that this is a stellar deal for what it comes with.
I was curious about the sizing as well - I sit in between a L and XL at 6'1" with slightly larger arm span - I was advised by Hudski to go for the XL. I have it on order right now and will update after some initial riding! While the SLX spec is tempting, I believe that I am better served by getting the quality deore components and upgrading as needed. You can get an SLX shifter and Derailleur for under $100!
I would definitely size up. The cockpit generally feels short.
I bought those bars for my fat bike, and it's pretty great. Really nice product and affordably priced at only $60. Love it.
What are the specs on the bars? I like them.
Someone had this on their car rack the other day. I waited outside to confront the person who owned it to ask how they liked it. They never showed 😢
I’ve always said this bike is pretty sweet. I’m going to get this via frame in a couple years for a townie on the cheap 😊
Oh! Turns out my grandmother's 20 yers old bike is a grevel!
I am very intrigued by this
There’s a $1600 version (Deore equipped) available in June. That seems like a great bike for the money
Reminds me very much of what Stooge Cycles are doing in the UK.
It’s definitely a lot more versatile than most gravel bikes. The Stooge bikes are super slack for a rigid bike. I’ve got one ordered for delivery in July. Can’t wait
While the Stooge is the fork rake in the 60mm+ range lowers the trail a little on the slacker models.
Nice one! I have a Mk4 myself and it’s my most ridden bike!
Uh oh,talking more road than I've heard from you Russ! Doggler looks totally Party Pace to me!😆🤭,must Be the tour dah franz,coming that's vibing you! Great review!!
This looks like a really awesome bike! As a mainly roadie/gravely guy I‘m strangely drawn to this 😀
It resembles my Redwood, specially that fork; super upright and small rear triangle…. I like it
Sounds like a great bike all round. I wonder if it's available in Australia?
Taking some of those stem spacers out will make it feel bigger for sure.
This Hudski reminds me of the little known Intec M5 rigid MTB by German framemaker Raco
Flatbar Wikkit build.
I have the Doggler V1 with both wheel sizes, and let me tell you it rips offroad with the 27.5x2.6 tires vs 700x50mm. It makes a big difference. I realize now that I didn't really need the 700 wheelset, as for me the most versatile setup is the MTB build with big volume, fast rolling tires (i.e. 27.5x2.6 Mezcals).
I loooove the high bottom bracket on V1, no pedal strikes (it's now lower on the 2nd iteration). Russ is right when he tells you to size UP... I'm 5'8", 31" inseam and got the medium, but should've bought a large because the stack is too low and they cut the steer tube short (they fixed that on V2), so I had to put a longer, high-angle stem to compensate and now the handling is not as precise. I put this bike through its paces while bikepacking/touring. Frame is super solid and stiff, it happily takes a heavy load in the back.
For me this bike has 3 main flaws:
1. The biggest weakness is the carbon fork. It's soft, you feel it bend when turning hard, making the brake rotor rub. This is the price to pay for a lightweight bike I guess. Steel forks are so heavy, but it makes me wonder whether a well built aluminium fork could achieve the right balance between weight and sturdiness.
2. The 12-speed drivetrain: the SLX chains wear out so fast, I can only get about 1,000-1,500 km out of one. It gets expensive.
3. Finally, the 30mm rims are too narrow for the 2.6 tires, the handling gets all messed up when you go lower than 25 psi, which defeats the purpose of these tires. Same goes for the 25mm rims on the gravel and city builds: the frame and fork will accept 2.25 tires, but I suspect you'll have terrible handling if you exceed the 2:1 rim/tire width ratio. I won't even try it.
So as Russ says, this is a bike meant to live with you everyday and I just love that one-bike quiver philosophy. The Doggler is a big step-up from a conventional gravel bike in terms of all-terrain capability, thanks to the big volume tires and slack angles. That said, I do wish sometimes for boost spacing/bigger tires and bombproof fork and wheels (think Jones SWB).
I feel like this bike is getting closer to something that i feel like is missing. An intro bike that can go in alot of different directions. Something that can begin life as a $1000 ish gravely hybrid then take some modifications once someone learns what kind of riding they like. I recently came back to bikes from a long hiatus and gravel seemed good and versatile (especially as a former college roadie/gradschool fixie rider). I got a State Allroad (great bike) but almost immediately was drawn to a more MTB direction(which i never would have discovered or fathomed without the Allroad). I then immediately dropped $ on a Ragley Marley(great 2 bike quiver for my riding) but i would have loved to be able to take that Allroad and maybe change some bars etc and have just enough bike to hit a table top/drops/berms and MAYBE even be able to throw on a suspension fork in another year.
As i said this bike is ALMSOT there. I think the price point is just high enough that its above what an intro - doesn't know what kind of riding they want to do - rider is going to spend. A build under 1000 maybe would do it. But at this price point i think most people are going to want it for a specific thing. Maybe that specific thing is mixed terain riding but thats a really specific use case compared to "learning what type of cycling speaks to me" which is an under delivered segment.
I would love to see a review of the Nordest Super Albarda if you liked this bike. Kind of a similar geo but with drop bars in mind.
Very cool!
I'm curious is you have any thoughts regarding a Hudski compared to a Jones bike?
What goes around comes around. Although technology has greatly improved bikes, we were riding similar bike builds back in the 80's before suspension hit the off-road bikes.
Thanks for this vid! What's the handle bar bag?
Would you consider the Bearclaw Thunderhawk to fit in the ATB category?
One could build something similar on the cheap with an early to mid 2000s hardtail frame and suspension compensated rigid fork.
Do you think road performance could be on par with say the marin dsx 1 with some inner bar ends and lower rolling resistance tires?
I have an old 1999 Specialized Sworks that I am converting into this type of ride. I put a surly rigid fork on with a pizza rack, rebuilt the brakes, new seat, etc. I am looking for a new Stem and handle bars and very similar to what this bike has. Can you suggest some for me.
It looks like a pretty good all around bike. I'll have to take your word on the price, since I'm used to department store prices. Getting into quality bikes has been eye opening, to use a euphemism.
I need an uncompromising city bike that duplicates the virtues of my Huffy, as modified, but avoids the flaws. So I'm having an Azor built to my specifications, with all the options that look useful. They're quoting $2,000. A step up from Target prices, but apparently a good price for a premium bike built to spec.
There are "entry level" road bikes that cost more than $2,000, so yeah... Bike prices are kind of insane.
I have had two hardtails rigged with a rigid fork and they were great, so good in fact they were both stolen😒.
They were comfortable and capable.
I wonder if size Smedium or Merge will ever become part of the language.😂
Reminds me of my Surly Ogre.
I want a Doggler!
cool bike!
I was really close to buying this bike a couple years ago, but I went with a slightly different bike. However this is a very great bike for what it can do.
what did you end up going with
Thanks for the review. The seat angle is quite steep for a pedal all day bike, what did you think of it?
I like a steep seat tube. It worked great for me.
I am 6'4" is the extra large gonna fit me...ish ? They made an absolutely beautiful bike. I love everything about this.
I'm 6'and ride the large. Medium would be too small for me.
Ask Brian (one of the owners). He’s pretty tall too. I‘m 6‘2“ on a XL and ride with a 35mm stem. You‘ll fit the XL
How well does the dinner plate cassette work with friction shifting
Hey new term JFF just for fun I like it thumbs 👍 for that one
25mm cst hp and buttery smooth concrete is my dream ride
What kind of rear hub does it have? Shimano SLX?
How is it for fender mounting? With those 700x50 tires, clearance looked pretty tight. I could not see if it has fender mounting points.
Looking at mine, there is a load of space on both front and rear for fenders. Their MTB build says 27.5 x 2.6 tires fit, that’s a lot of meat.
Does the Doggler have internal cable routing?
First imprssion: not much different than some 'off-the-shelf' bikes I've seen from the likes of Kona or Jamis, but with quality cromo frames at lower prices too. Tyre clearances could be a factor I guess.
Bike insights: "very aggressive stack and reach" compared to, well, just about anything other than a hard tail MB. Does this qualify as a party pace bike?
Just take out some spacers, I did. Perfect.
Basically a perfect flat bar gravel bike.
How tall are you? Because I'm often between S/M myself at 5'5. This seems like a rad "gravel" bike though!
This might be the first Gravelbike that you have reviewed that I might consider buying. Flatbars, 700/29 wheels/tires, wide range 1x drivetrain with a 10-51 cassette, mountain bike-ish geo, lots of mounts, is every thing I would want in a Gravelbike. I'm not into 650/27.5 wheels/tires, drop bars, 2x drivetrains, Roadbike geo. If this bike has clearance for 29x2.4 tires, I want one.
Just buy a 10-15 y/o grade A condition Surly/Salsa for less than half the price....
@@michaelhayward7572 that’s not the same thing
@@jonamcc yeah, but its the Internet. Reality will never get in the way of a snarky comment.
I am starting to think they need to bring back my old Ragley TD:1 and market it as an ATB(how I use it) instead of a rigid, non suspension corrected XC race bike. Several bikes these days, including this Hudski, seem to be that sort of 13 year old geometry.
The Radley TD1 looks like my dream machine.
Would love to see your take on the Black Mountain Cycles La Cabra
Ha. So would I. I email him every year :)
@@PathLessPedaledTV hopefully he sends a frame to you this year. He does some cool stuff
looks like a nordest super albarda frame
Is there a drop bar version? Cause if you said it was cramped for you in a medium would it work with a stretch of a drop bar? Both would be cool.
Drop bar would not handle very well with this geo.
@@PathLessPedaledTV I think you're right but cave of bad ideas would say for sure. :-)
This is a beautiful bike because it doesn't have a suspension corrected front forks. Suspension forks look awful to me. This is a new wave of atb. My 3 year old Project 12 Cycleworks patientZero has a slack geo too and it's a super nice bike to ride.
That's also one of the reasons that my first generation Salsa Fargo is my go-to adventure bike. Great tyre clearance too, I'm running 29 x 2.5"
It has multiple mounts on the fork, rack and mudguard eyelets so I can even use panniers!
I think it was ahead of it's time and it's everything I want in an ATB.
It's great to see this style of bike making a comeback
Russ, would love to see a compilation video of all your funny made up words ie. squishy front, tot noggins etc…😂
at this point we're basically removing suspension and calling it gravel instead of xc or mtb
Actually we’re removing suspension and calling it an ATB.
looks like a Specialized Sirrus X
Bike makers should just bring back classic MTB geometry on MTBs equipped with rigid forks and be done with it. Shimano MT200 with basic Deore or Alivio drivetrain cost less than mainstream Gravel groupsets, basic MTB handlebars cost less than equivalent Gravel dropbars, etc.
I actually assembled something like that, but the MTB frame that i am using is of a modern geometry designed for a suspension fork. Equipped it with a non-corrected rigid fork (suspension-corrected rigid forks are carbon and i don't want to use carbon fork) which results in a wonky seattube angle, and so the seat setback is not optimal to the point where i already pulled it all the way back but is still not optimal.
I like the ethos of classic MTBs but I think there long reach, low stack with ridiculously long stems suck.
But they're nothing more than a BMX stem, a quill adapter and a riser or MX/Klunker handlebar away from perfection ☺
The question is can I modify it to a dropbar?
"suspension correct" is often cited as some sort of negative? Sorry by my ignorance, but what exact means "suspension correct" and when it is desirable and when it is not?
Suspension corrected as in designed to take suspension fork.
@@PathLessPedaledTV Oh! Thanks!!
I prefer Jones handlebars in that type of setup.
😂 squishy fronts 😂
*guy pointing at butterfly meme:*
is this a gravel bike?
jk gravel bikes can totally look like this, no need to gatekeep it
Reminds me of Marin DSX
I'm actually trying to decide between the two now that the doggler is on a big sale. Tubeless ready AND a dropper post is hard to say no to..
Ad mudguards and ready to go
how TF do you do that with know suspension
Just buy a Cube Hyde/Travel, 29x2.2 tyres, framelock, cheap, sturdy. Put a Pizza Rack on the front and you have a perfect do it all, commuter bike.
Question about gravel bike riding. What's it like in reality? Most gravel roads I've been on have washboard potholes rocks etc. I can't imagine that's much fun to ride over.
Curious, why is this not mentioned in all the gravel bike words?
I talk about crappy riding conditions all the time. For me I’d rather ride a tore up road rather than one with agro traffic trying to kill you.
Hahaha sus out, thats a good pun
Does this have a aluminum or steel steerer tube? Carbon steerer tubes are the worse and so many companies spec their bike with full carbon forks.
It has a carbon steerer. No issues on mine...
Ok...if you're riding off road like in the videos, why wouldn't you want a "squishy front" -i.e., front suspension? I don't see the down side, and it would be so much more comfortable.
What's the point? Sincerely curious...
Weight. Complexity. Raises the front. I ride a lot of roads to trails so I don't want to drag suspension around.
This is returning to the original mtn bike theme. Non-suspension narrow tires don't work for me. I like the technological development that mtn bikes have enjoyed since the '70s.
How does one join the discord server? 🤔 Haha
I wonder if this can have a FD? 2x11/12
Mine is set up with 2x, 26/36 chainrings.
@@liveedgeaudio8826 nice!
@@liveedgeaudio8826 just a guess, what do you think would be the biggest chainring the hudski can take? Thanks in advance
Link to your Discord site, pls.
I am clinging to surly karate monkey
JFF is a new T-Shirt Russ run with it please I'll buy one
I'm 5'8" Imma medium..... 56cm in a road bike.... it's all crazy
Trek dual sport? Or trek 1120 if you've got money to burb
Too heavy
Pretty soon you'll be a mountain biker. Its addictive.
I don’t have good enough insurance to be a mountain biker :)
I like the look of that... ATB is the future, again...
What is a "gravel bike"? The only bike you can ride gravel with and not crash?
Tjat is a cool looking rigid mountain bike, but it's just too much money for me to justify buying it!
How is this different from a 1980's mountainbike? Anyway, I like it.
Geometry. Materials. Tire size. Components. Pretty much everything.