A lesson I learned about 30 years ago before any GPS unit was an option, is know the route and don't make a wrong turn on the first corner of the RTTC event.
One enjoy myself and not taking the racing too serious, riding is my hobby so no need to stress myself... Two my legs are notorious pessimists so I don't listen to them, I listen to my breathing. And finally just keep pedaling. I know this sounds kind of dumb but no matter how bad I might feel at the beginning of an event I usually can ride myself into it... Oh and remind myself that there is most likely going to be cake afterwards... ;-) I think that's it and thanks for all the content you create... Mo
Watching professional 🚲 racers and professional 🚲 races make me enjoy relaxing 🚲 rides much more. Professional 🚲 races look like eating 🍣 🍱 🍶 for time rather than enjoy the meal.
This is the style of content I like. It's behind the scenes with an elite rider talking about things I can use on my rides and cycling events. It's both fanboy and schoolboy, and that's a great mix. Cheers.
great series and I hope GCN understands that they are getting better and better with the production concepts and getting this staff of cyclists out there doing relevant videos.
Hi Si, I rode the Grallach with intention of qualify for the World champions. Which I did and will be definitely riding. I totally agree with you the World series is a great idea. I entered the Gralloch in October last year with the sole intention of trying to qualify for the worlds. After a break from any serious racing of almost 14 years. I have totally enjoyed the whole process of preparing and training to race again. It has given me a re-newed focus and purpose even at my age of now 61. I can't wait for October and the World champions. Going to be the highlight of my 30 plus years of cycling.
Coming from a road racing background I've learnt so much in the last year from racing gravel. I've also qualified and will be racing at World Champs in Belgium (coming from Australia!). See you there Si :)
Some nice non drive side footage of this bike. First time I have ever seen the top half of the logo, despite hours of footage of the bike on youtube...
I'm using the Topeak NAVETTE digital manometer wich is fitted on the manual compressor. So I can adjust easyly the pressure while "pumping". Great device!
Si, I feel you on the giant gel pouch being useless after you bite the top off. I tried to use one last year during a 3-day 260-mile charity event when 6 miles into the first day I had a crash(still finished the event btw) and landed on the pouch causing it to explode. Needless to say, my jersey and back were sticky for the rest of that day and I smelled like strawberry banana GU liquid gels.
There is a thumbrule that might come i handy measuring tyrepressure, and that is looking at how far you can push your thumb on the tyre trying to use the same force each time.
Really great insight! Not trying something new in race day is a big one. I don’t use new kit on a long event either. Need time to wash it in/test it out
Horses for courses, unbound being more rocky and less cyclocross XL like, the wider tires might feature better there relatively. (But going wider is usually not as much of a penalty as intuition would suggest)
@@PuhutaanPyöräilystä yeah, but compared to what width? Like if you are on a course that only requires a 32mm tire, I guess that would still be optimal but compare 50mm to 40mm might benefit in favour of the wider one. But in general, you are right., just wonder between which values the principle holds.
@@PuhutaanPyöräilystä No the wider tires were not more aero. They were less so, however the increase in drag was mostly offset by the addition of the deeper rims. And the remaining net drag gain was a worthwhile sacrifice to not flat.
Well done Si. What I learnt was to avoid gravel events as they do no suit my idea of fun. But it is great for those who do. One hundred kms of rolling hills, fairly smooth, clean tarmac and little fear of a puncture. Nirvana
7:40 but if you'd went with the slicker option and something suddenly mooed behind, you could have been missing the spare grip in those moments of pure panic.
Thanks & good job. I recently watched "Tour de France" on Netflix. I noticed the pros wearing heart rate monitors. Do you use a heart rate monitor for training & racing? How do you manage your limited energy over the length of the course?
For tyre pressure you can put your thumb across the tyre and push your whole body weight onto it with your other hand and if you feel the rim, the pressure is too low.
It's good practice every time you add air/check pressure to press your thumb into the tire.... so you know what the regular correct pressure feels like. That way if you suspect you may be low on air you have a quick point of reference.
I use a Quark (SRAM) Tyrewiz for tracking tyre pressure. They are very accurate, weigh 10 g per wheel, and I find the peace of mind of knowing how my tyres are doing to be a great thing. Just the other day I noticed that my pressure was dropping about 0.1 PSI every 30 seconds as I was riding away from home so I knew that I was either out of sealant or had developed a sidewall puncture. Either way, I was still close to home so I was able to turn around and fix the issue before going out on my 100 Km ride. Some people think they are ugly, but I don’t care about fashion - I’m a nerd and all I care about is data. EDIT: having the pressure at a glance also helps with safety. I’ve had more than one instance where I’m about to start a descent and my low pressure alarm goes off, warning me that I need to check my tyres and saving me from having to figure out the problem when I start getting tyre squirm in the corners.
I know everyone puts gravel racing in Europe down. But man a fast tactical race on a lose surface sounds like fun to me. I don’t enjoy races where it’s about serving the conditions vary much.
VIDEO SUGGESTION: A few years ago I read a book titled "Cycling back to Happiness", cycling the North Sea cycle route. Perhaps this could be your next Bikepacking epic?
If you race, I think you should have more than one way to check tyre pressure. Yes, tyre gauges are more precise and (usually) accurate than the average track pump gauge. But, there is ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE that the gauge will be any more accurate than the track pump. Why? Because manufacturers don't send the gauges with a calibration certificate, and therefore there is nothing to tell you that the device has been checked at all. And without calibration certificate, there is zero liability for the supplier. So, what's next best? Have two/three different devices to compare pressure, and if two of them agree, it's very likely the readings are accurate. I have also found that the track pump I happen to have, if not accurate, at least gives a consistent pressure if you use it correctly. So long ago I marked actual values on the glass display, so I don't need to use the digital gauge every time I top up tyre pressure.
@@dbenzhuser Exactly this, try the same one a couple times to check if it gives the same reading every time, and then just always stick to the same device.
@@dbenzhuser It's a fair point, you can see at the end of my comment that's sort of what I do normally with my pump. But if you need to use someone else's gauge, or your trusted one stops working, where does that leave you? How would you even know if it drifts? At the end of the day, if you're happy with a consistent pressure, precision is more important than accuracy, but I can see when that may be not good enough.
Thanks Si , and crew....and , please don't become a subscription channel !! I am older on a fixed income and love your channel , subscriptions kill me !
We will keep the free content here on the channel 🙌 That's the backbone of what makes GCN so great. We will be adding a membership option for those that can support us further.
@@gcn Thank you. I understand bills need to be paid , but I’m like a lot of others , things are starting to squeak !! Any free content is huge , and yours is honestly the best ! Thanks again
Likewise Si, I run 28mm hardshells to commute and to tour. Cos I can find grip and finesse the edge of traction better than others on dedicated gravel bikes.... Skillsets changes the need for "perfect" bike imo. I enjoy the challanges, providing its not actual downhill trials (red ect)
Good tips. As longtime cx racer can get away less tread on tires but still hold the line at puncture protection. Finally got a digital tire pressure gauge last month. But UCI gravel for the non binary/gender diverse dose not exist. So the the UCI series is worthless to us when most gravel races and other major series have the the non binary/gender diverse cat. UCI destroyed that part of gravel and up to them to fix the situation. Just do it in non Olympic areas of cycling (gravel & CX) if they have reservations still for (road, MTB, track) for now. It keeps the inclusion part gravel and CX while they (UCI plus bigots) get they want with the new rules in traditional cycling sections. A sort comprise.
I will never understand why some will chose 200 grams lighter over resiliency. You can win a race sitting still fixing a flat. I also do the same thing on my road bikes.
I'm more convinced by Dylan Johnson regarding tyres . He seems to know his onions. He isn't afraid of big tyres. He also travels pretty quick for a hell of a long time.
What has racing taught you? 🤔🏁
Don’t overthink just do
@@Blaze16159 Racing on impulse 👌
A lesson I learned about 30 years ago before any GPS unit was an option, is know the route and don't make a wrong turn on the first corner of the RTTC event.
One enjoy myself and not taking the racing too serious, riding is my hobby so no need to stress myself... Two my legs are notorious pessimists so I don't listen to them, I listen to my breathing. And finally just keep pedaling. I know this sounds kind of dumb but no matter how bad I might feel at the beginning of an event I usually can ride myself into it... Oh and remind myself that there is most likely going to be cake afterwards... ;-) I think that's it and thanks for all the content you create... Mo
Watching professional 🚲 racers and professional 🚲 races make me enjoy relaxing 🚲 rides much more. Professional 🚲 races look like eating 🍣 🍱 🍶 for time rather than enjoy the meal.
This is the style of content I like. It's behind the scenes with an elite rider talking about things I can use on my rides and cycling events. It's both fanboy and schoolboy, and that's a great mix. Cheers.
Fanboy and School boy.. 🤣 We love to hear it 🙌
GCN should legit do an annual 3 man team crusade in Unbound.
Oooo that could be fun 👀 How do you think we would get on?
@@gcn Further than Mohoric and co.
@@biggertree7063😂😂
@@gcn As long as you chat to Dylan Johnson and use the right tyres you'll be fine.
Yesssss! This would be an awesome for the new GCN+ videos too.
1:51 Awesome segue from a pain in the butt to a sponsor plug. Nice work Si
Well done Si...As usual...informative, introspective, and a little self-deprication. You are am awesome presenter.
Always a pleasure filming with Si 🎬What should his challenge be?
great series and I hope GCN understands that they are getting better and better with the production concepts and getting this staff of cyclists out there doing relevant videos.
Thanks Greg 🙌 We've got big stuff coming, watch this space 👀
What I’ve learned is that I will, literally watch anything Si is presenting…..and that I’m always better for it.
What an amazingly informative video. I just did a gravel race event and can echo all of the same things here.
Anything else you want to add?
Hi Si, I rode the Grallach with intention of qualify for the World champions. Which I did and will be definitely riding. I totally agree with you the World series is a great idea. I entered the Gralloch in October last year with the sole intention of trying to qualify for the worlds. After a break from any serious racing of almost 14 years. I have totally enjoyed the whole process of preparing and training to race again. It has given me a re-newed focus and purpose even at my age of now 61. I can't wait for October and the World champions. Going to be the highlight of my 30 plus years of cycling.
Makes sense and thanks for sharing your lessons learned Si.
Good luck in October!
Hope it's helped you 🙌
Coming from a road racing background I've learnt so much in the last year from racing gravel. I've also qualified and will be racing at World Champs in Belgium (coming from Australia!). See you there Si :)
See you there! Give Si a nice pull when you see him please 🤞
So many great tips for anyone who's newly gravelcurious or even a veteran racer like Si. Can't wait to have you join for another event in the 🇺🇸 !
Wonderful video, Si - a real masterclass on learning from experience. Congrats on a great video and a great race
Some nice non drive side footage of this bike. First time I have ever seen the top half of the logo, despite hours of footage of the bike on youtube...
Want more from this bike? Check it out here 👉th-cam.com/video/zb3TmWnCtgI/w-d-xo.html
Definitely. Trust the training process and like what Si mentioned use the skills ur good at already. 🤙
Bike handling skills will really come into their own when riding gravel 🙌
Good old gel malfunction, always happens when you are at 180 bpm. I have ripped up the top bit but not enough to open it often.
Ah that old classic move 👀
I'm using the Topeak NAVETTE digital manometer wich is fitted on the manual compressor. So I can adjust easyly the pressure while "pumping". Great device!
Great vid and reflections Si, thanks.
Si, I feel you on the giant gel pouch being useless after you bite the top off. I tried to use one last year during a 3-day 260-mile charity event when 6 miles into the first day I had a crash(still finished the event btw) and landed on the pouch causing it to explode. Needless to say, my jersey and back were sticky for the rest of that day and I smelled like strawberry banana GU liquid gels.
There is a thumbrule that might come i handy measuring tyrepressure, and that is looking at how far you can push your thumb on the tyre trying to use the same force each time.
A really really nice video. Well made and insightful. More of this kind please. I would then re-subscribe ;-)
How about we cut you a deal? You re-subscribe and we'll keep the content coming 😉
Really great insight! Not trying something new in race day is a big one. I don’t use new kit on a long event either. Need time to wash it in/test it out
Great point about new kit! You've got to make sure it's well testing and your body is used to it 🙌
Yes, done that too - bit the top off a hydration pouch thingy the first time i used it! Upps :(
Go and watch the Dylan Johnson spec video for Unbound. He did it with deep section wheels and Continental race king mtb-tires.
They are pretty beefy and not many frames can fit them
Horses for courses, unbound being more rocky and less cyclocross XL like, the wider tires might feature better there relatively. (But going wider is usually not as much of a penalty as intuition would suggest)
@@ivarbrouwer197 the thing is that the chunkier tires were also more aero on wind tunnel tests. Which was surprising
@@PuhutaanPyöräilystä yeah, but compared to what width? Like if you are on a course that only requires a 32mm tire, I guess that would still be optimal but compare 50mm to 40mm might benefit in favour of the wider one. But in general, you are right., just wonder between which values the principle holds.
@@PuhutaanPyöräilystä No the wider tires were not more aero. They were less so, however the increase in drag was mostly offset by the addition of the deeper rims. And the remaining net drag gain was a worthwhile sacrifice to not flat.
I love si videos 👌🏼👌🏼
I would love to see a GCN (gravel) vs GMBN (MTB) challenge ride of the “Cykelvasan” a 90k gravel/MTB race along the Vasaloppet XC-ski track.
we
Love it !
I'd agree with Si and always try to go for robustness. Hey, who's ridden our famous strade bianche white roads here in Tuscany?
Great video, such good content. Curious as to whether you would have considered going to the M model tyre instead of jumping all the way to the H?
Hey Si! Come to Colorado for Steamboat Gravel!
Sounds like a plan 👀
well done!
Well done Si. What I learnt was to avoid gravel events as they do no suit my idea of fun. But it is great for those who do. One hundred kms of rolling hills, fairly smooth, clean tarmac and little fear of a puncture. Nirvana
Hahaha that's fair enough! Cycling has a corner for everyone 🙌
Good video. Sharing info, doesnt feel like a sales pitch for once
7:40 but if you'd went with the slicker option and something suddenly mooed behind, you could have been missing the spare grip in those moments of pure panic.
Thanks & good job. I recently watched "Tour de France" on Netflix. I noticed the pros wearing heart rate monitors. Do you use a heart rate monitor for training & racing? How do you manage your limited energy over the length of the course?
For the record, I hit "Like" when Si sat down a Camelback on the stump.
Love it 🙌
For tyre pressure you can put your thumb across the tyre and push your whole body weight onto it with your other hand and if you feel the rim, the pressure is too low.
It's good practice every time you add air/check pressure to press your thumb into the tire.... so you know what the regular correct pressure feels like. That way if you suspect you may be low on air you have a quick point of reference.
I use a Quark (SRAM) Tyrewiz for tracking tyre pressure. They are very accurate, weigh 10 g per wheel, and I find the peace of mind of knowing how my tyres are doing to be a great thing. Just the other day I noticed that my pressure was dropping about 0.1 PSI every 30 seconds as I was riding away from home so I knew that I was either out of sealant or had developed a sidewall puncture. Either way, I was still close to home so I was able to turn around and fix the issue before going out on my 100 Km ride. Some people think they are ugly, but I don’t care about fashion - I’m a nerd and all I care about is data.
EDIT: having the pressure at a glance also helps with safety. I’ve had more than one instance where I’m about to start a descent and my low pressure alarm goes off, warning me that I need to check my tyres and saving me from having to figure out the problem when I start getting tyre squirm in the corners.
I know everyone puts gravel racing in Europe down. But man a fast tactical race on a lose surface sounds like fun to me. I don’t enjoy races where it’s about serving the conditions vary much.
It is fun 🙌
VIDEO SUGGESTION: A few years ago I read a book titled "Cycling back to Happiness", cycling the North Sea cycle route. Perhaps this could be your next Bikepacking epic?
3 man team for the next Unbound!!!
What tyres you gonna run for worlds si? Currently having that dilemma!
I would love to see a team GCN event with you all, pick your leader, pick your domestic and work together. Man that would be awesome.
It seems that lightweight 29x2.20 or 2.25 work better than gravel tires and roll faster
will we see a road to gravel wc series about how your training and prep looks like over a longer period of time.
Interesting! We could certainly look into it 👀
I noticed you are into gravel nowadays
It's part of a retirement package of retired cyclists.
He's been a gravel boy for a while 👀
Those bigger tyres are much kinder on one's bottom!
Can you do a review on less popular bike brands like Java, Sava, ect… ?
If you race, I think you should have more than one way to check tyre pressure. Yes, tyre gauges are more precise and (usually) accurate than the average track pump gauge.
But, there is ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE that the gauge will be any more accurate than the track pump. Why? Because manufacturers don't send the gauges with a calibration certificate, and therefore there is nothing to tell you that the device has been checked at all. And without calibration certificate, there is zero liability for the supplier.
So, what's next best? Have two/three different devices to compare pressure, and if two of them agree, it's very likely the readings are accurate.
I have also found that the track pump I happen to have, if not accurate, at least gives a consistent pressure if you use it correctly. So long ago I marked actual values on the glass display, so I don't need to use the digital gauge every time I top up tyre pressure.
You don't need an accurate measurement, just a reproducable one. As long as you know which number the gauge should read, who cares whether it's off?
@@dbenzhuser Exactly this, try the same one a couple times to check if it gives the same reading every time, and then just always stick to the same device.
@@dbenzhuser It's a fair point, you can see at the end of my comment that's sort of what I do normally with my pump. But if you need to use someone else's gauge, or your trusted one stops working, where does that leave you? How would you even know if it drifts? At the end of the day, if you're happy with a consistent pressure, precision is more important than accuracy, but I can see when that may be not good enough.
Put air in tyres and ride, things get so OCD these days
Unbound next year 👍
That would be cool! 😎
As a diabetic 300g of carbs would F-ing kill me 🤣🤣🤣 if I had it all at the same time
Do you struggle with on the bike fuelling?
That tree stump was like sitting on a bed of nails.
So have i been wrong pronouncing it as Top eek all this time?
3:02
I would think that Pressure would be more important than tire type. IMHO.
05:54 С самого начала у меня была какая то тактика и я её придерживался. Лол.
Thanks Si , and crew....and , please don't become a subscription channel !! I am older on a fixed income and love your channel , subscriptions kill me !
We will keep the free content here on the channel 🙌 That's the backbone of what makes GCN so great. We will be adding a membership option for those that can support us further.
@@gcn Thank you. I understand bills need to be paid , but I’m like a lot of others , things are starting to squeak !! Any free content is huge , and yours is honestly the best ! Thanks again
Likewise Si, I run 28mm hardshells to commute and to tour. Cos I can find grip and finesse the edge of traction better than others on dedicated gravel bikes.... Skillsets changes the need for "perfect" bike imo. I enjoy the challanges, providing its not actual downhill trials (red ect)
Si, I have a bed of nails in my garage if you like. 🤣😂🤣
He'll pass If that's cool 😉
@@gcn Cyclists! we love to suffer.😁
Watch DYLAN Johnson’s videos to be prepared!!!
See you at Unbound 2025!
Are you racing? 💨
@@gcn Racing no, riding yes. LOL. Rode the 100 in 2022 and the 200 this year so the plan is the 200 again in 2025.
So you have been racing since you were 1 year old? 🙂
Road Bikes & Criterium Racing is Just More Fun.
We do love a crit race 🙌 Cycling is just too much fun 👀
Good tips. As longtime cx racer can get away less tread on tires but still hold the line at puncture protection. Finally got a digital tire pressure gauge last month. But UCI gravel for the non binary/gender diverse dose not exist. So the the UCI series is worthless to us when most gravel races and other major series have the the non binary/gender diverse cat. UCI destroyed that part of gravel and up to them to fix the situation. Just do it in non Olympic areas of cycling (gravel & CX) if they have reservations still for (road, MTB, track) for now. It keeps the inclusion part gravel and CX while they (UCI plus bigots) get they want with the new rules in traditional cycling sections. A sort comprise.
You bit the teet off the breast. Bad baby
So the long and the short of it is, be like Mike, but not Si.
I will never understand why some will chose 200 grams lighter over resiliency. You can win a race sitting still fixing a flat. I also do the same thing on my road bikes.
For those at the pointy edge of racing, every marginal gain will help. Some take the risk and run super lightweight tyres for pure speed.
why do you breathe in through you teeth? Seems like a British thing...
That it’s a load of sh!te
Second
🥈
First!
🥇
I'm more convinced by Dylan Johnson regarding tyres . He seems to know his onions. He isn't afraid of big tyres. He also travels pretty quick for a hell of a long time.