Frankly, I Don’t Care About It Either – Bike Snob NYC

Lately I got here throughout this opinion piece, and I even learn a few of it:

The accusation? Shimano doesn’t care about gravel folks:

See, we all know this as a result of “punters” are conducting Web searches for “What’s finest garvel biek?” and touchdown on their listicles:

And though Shimano does in truth have a complete line of gravel stuff it’s simply not sufficient, as a result of…they’re dominating the UCI Gravel World Championships anyway?!?

Is the conclusion to attract from this actually that Shimano doesn’t care about gravel? Or is the conclusion to attract that the GRX stuff is for the punters, however that each Shimano and the professionals perceive that the “highway” stuff works on gravel too?

That is a particularly harmful state of affairs, as a result of if folks begin determining that not all the pieces must be gravel-specific then the entire home of playing cards is gonna fall! And occurs then? To not combine metaphors, however the gravy prepare involves a halt. No extra gravel helmets:

No extra gravel eyewear:

No extra gravel socks:

Sorry, make that aero gravel socks:

Additionally, no extra FAQs on methods to set up your aero gravel socks in your toes for that matter:

I actually can’t consider I simply noticed “How do I placed on my socks?” in an FAQ, and I feel biking could have formally hit rock-bottom.

Wait, no, that is rock-bottom:

Sorry, it’s onerous to maintain monitor.

However sure, we’re perilously near everybody lastly determining that the phrase “gravel” in a biking context serves to different function besides to extend search engine marketing. As I’ve identified earlier than however don’t keep in mind the place, for those who take away the phrase “gravel” from just about any bike-related advertising and marketing it has no impact on the which means in any respect. It’s just like the little nut in your presta valve–depart it off and also you’ll by no means discover:

Really, the bike business is clearly conscious of the hazard as a result of you may see they’re slowly making an attempt to interchange the phrase “gravel” with the phrase “journey.” It is a slight enchancment, as a result of generally the phrase “journey” is gratuitous, and generally it’s not. For instance, it’s cheap to say “bike journey” as a result of not each experience is an journey, nevertheless it’s foolish to name a motorcycle an “journey bike” since any bike is able to occurring an journey. It’s like calling this a musical enjoyment speaker as a substitute of only a speaker:

If it had been the bike business there’d be a special one for each single style of music and the one distinction between them can be the colour.

Anyway, hopefully Shimano reads that opinion piece and figures out they will slap a “gravel version” sticker on their commonplace Dura-Ace drivetrain, put some olive drab detailing on it, and cost $1,000 extra for it.

Talking of colours, the leaves are filled with them:

Sure, I had myself an actual gravel bike journey on my gravel adventuring bike this morning:

This regardless of Shimano’s utter lack of concern for gravel and journey and adventure-gravelling:

The truth is, as you may see, I’ve gutted my drivetrain in protest.

At one level I additionally got here throughout these seemingly deserted wheels and tires:

“Fuck it, I’m going tubeless,” somebody should have determined.