Nerd Alert Podcast: Flavel bikes, cheap MTB parts, and broken carbon frames
This week’s Nerd Alert episode starts with a lighthearted discussion about two big recent product releases: the new Specialized Diverge gravel bike and Shimano’s new low-cost Deore mountain bike groupset.
In particular, we debated the merits of the flat-bar version of the new Diverge, which Caley and Dave are totally into, and James is … undecided on. Unfortunately, we spent so much time tossing potential names for these reborn hybrids back and forth that we didn’t even get to the standard drop-bar Diverge, so you’ll have to check out our detailed article for more information there.
For the record, they’re flavel bikes, not grountain bikes. End of story.
But speaking of mountain bike stuff, all three of us are excited about the new Shimano Deore stuff, which looks to genuinely offer nearly all of the most important features of the company’s more higher-end groupsets, but with a little more weight and vastly less cost. Shimano has been slow to keep up with SRAM in terms of 1×12 drivetrains at this price point, but now that they have, things are sure to heat up. It’s a good time to be a mountain biker on a budget.
Finally, we get into the real meat of this episode: an in-depth interview Caley conducted with the folks at Ruckus Composites on how carbon frames are repaired, whether they should be repaired, and when you should maybe just walk away. The big takeaway from this? Your broken carbon frame most likely isn’t doomed to the trash bin.
Finally, Raoul Luescher of Luescher Teknik drops by to answer whether the latest uber-light road bikes are perhaps a little too light.
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