Metieval

yes I know it is touring and I'd probably have better luck in touring section. however it isn't 4130 and it isn't touring tires, and it isn't a long haul trucker or etc...

My main purpose for the bike, is an every day bike , gravel, and the occasional two times a year throw panniers on it for an over night.

I am attracted to higher end steel bikes but they all have something in common. taller standovers, which I assume partially comes from longer head tubes + Horizontal top tubes. The Beyond 1 also has a higher standover but..... it is also sitting on 29 x 2.1

So I could drop it down with a 650x50 either Maxxis refuse, or 650x50 MSO, heck with a 70mm BB I could probably get away with any 650x47 also. and fenders too!!

So 2 questions
1. would I want to put 650 on it since this was designed for 29's?
2. yeah it won't be a go fast 40c, Niner 853 RLT kind of a bike, but I really don't see me riding fast on gravel anyways.

besides with a 42/28 double... Its probably not going anywhere fast anyways. More like a 42t 1x 11-36, with a 28T bail out chainring. Perfect!

Opinions on the Bombtrack Beyond 1 as a all road/gravel bike. And opinions on running it with 650b for the purpose of having a lower top tube.

I mean compared to a Vaya which is pretty much tire size limited, and also touring limited this bike walks all over a Vaya. This bike actually walks all over the Salsa Fargo also.
My brain was really leaning towards the 2019 Revolt Advanced 0, however go fast or have comfort with heaps of Utility. utility makes more sense..

Beyond 1 MATT METALLIC BLUE 2019 ? Bombtrack

Gconan

27.77825 pounds or 12.6 kg.

Noonievut

Metieval

I really do like the Hook EXT but its already on 650 with no real way of dropping the standover except to a 650 2.1 to a 47... not enough for me :'(
hence the reason for looking at the Beyond. plus the Beyond is a double. nothing wrong with 1x, but i want a 2x this time.

Metieval

yeah heavy
like Gconan said 12 .6 kg or 28ish+ lbs. probably 29 with pedals. lol

I have been tempted with the Surly Midnight special a lot. yet I always return to the 2019 Revolt because weight, and $ value. but the Midnight Special looks like so much fun. but fun for how how many rides?

I do realize the Bombtrack is going to be slow, and be heavy. yet it is so attractive...

How much weight could be lost going to a 1400-1500 g Lightbicycle 650b wheelset and road plus slicks over the WTB 29er hoops and 29er tires? by the way, 650x50 MSO and the 650x50 Maxxic refuse are both heavy tires.
My Trek crossrip with rack and fenders chunks in at 25 lbs. and that was after a a somewhat wheelset diet. I also rode a 2005 Giant cypress SX 28 lbs flat bar for 10 years as a daily rider (those coil over forks are heavy!, as are those old triple 105 treking groupos).

Maybe part of the attractiveness that comes with the Bombtrack beyond is road plus and steel frame that = comfort of regardless of what ever road a rider rides it on. within reason.

Metieval

Metieval

No way to test ride. maybe 255 mile drive over to closest Bombtrack dealer haha .

In a round about way, I test rode a 27+ Fargo. I had ran down to a LBS to test ride the Cannondale Topstone, and while I was there I jumped on the Fargo. Mainly because of the shorter reach it had me curious. I expected slow, but in the Parking lot the Fargo was not what I was expecting at all. as in my Trek crossrip is more of a pig than the Fargo 27+. Now when the miles are paved and starts adding up I am pretty sure the Fargo or Bombtrack isn't going to be handing me 16+ mph averages. Not easily anyways. but sometimes the ride isn't about average speed, but It's just about the desire to stay in the saddle.
Regardless that sent me down the path of looking at the Fargo, and that led to the Bombtrack Beyond 1.
I have ridden the Niner RLT RDO, SLate, and my old Gravity 29er hardtail on 40c MSO tires on Single track... while they were all doable it wasn't that exciting. A novelty, but if I was to do it regularly.. uh no thanks. Hence the Idea of a bike on 650x50 MSO that can roll pavement gravel, fire road, some single track has a selling point for me. yet I have found the MSO to seriously lack on snow, thus that is where the Maxxis Refuse, Switchback hill (but I want tubeless) or something else would come into play.

I suppose I am falling into new territory or way of thinking. A bike closer to road side of things, 18 ish lbs on a 38 slick. super fun, but not limited to only being fast on pavement, and then another bike that may be slow on the road, yet way better than my hardtail 29er on the road. Or at least way more fun for 20+ miles of pavement.

Blah, and well there really isn't enough Threads on Bombtrack.. so here we are.

Noonievut

Metieval

yeah, cool bikes but I don't want 1x and that reach is a bit much and I don't want to size down.

a Niner 853 RLT size 53 has a reach of 375 with 781 stand over, fit me like a glove, but touches inseam, It would work better with a 650x47 tire.

the 853 is awesome, but the $ for a build has me shopping around.

tangerineowl

A Fairlight Secan frameset could do the trick if the standover suited. Takes a 650b x 57, or 650b x 50 with fenders. Also 700x42.

Metieval

I think I've been to Fairlight cycles web page and then left in frustration at finding the geometry. I hate p*** poor designed websites. lol

Metieval

and then when you do find it,, via downloading via drop box. the standover isn't in the Geo chart.......

does Fairlight build bicycles better than they hire web page developers?

Ruthless

I looked at both the hook and the beyond. I ordered the beyond 1. We'll see what happens

gus6464

Just put a shorter crank on the beyond. Long cranks are overrated. I put 165mm cranks on my hei hei and in endurance races I can't tell the difference. If anything my pedal strokes have gotten smoother.

Also the sutra LTD frame can take 2x or 3x. It's not just 1x.

beechnutC23

Dead thread revival, but I have a Bombtrack Hook 2 that I use mainly on gravel, but it is pretty good on the road if you don't need to go super fast. For that I use my carbon Marinoni. We recently took it on a trip to the Gaspé peninsula, where we rode on mixed road and gravel and it was a good all-around bike of you can only take one bike. My wife took her dual-suspension Specialized mountain bike as she doesn't have a gravel bike.

If all you plan to do is light overnight touring, you can put a rack and panniers on the Hook 2. I love the Sram Rival 1 drivetrain as well.

The only downside was the WTB wheels; a drive side spoke hole literally exploded out, with the spoke popping out. See thread on that. There were hairline cracks on almost all the drive-side spoke holes. To their credit, WTB is replacing the rim for free and throwing in two tires as well (Riddler 700x37c), their customer service has been outstanding. So if I were to get one, I'd make sure spoke tension is absolutely correct. WTB say 110-120 kgf on the drive side, max.

I have 4700 km on the bike and it has been outstanding so far. Most of it ridden on hard-packed gravel and some freshly graded loose gravel, in a mountainous area with grades up to 20%.

This year's version of the Hook 2 also has more places to mount things on the frame than my 2018. I think it's a great all-around bike. I enjoy it so much, I only rode my carbon Marinoni twice this season.

chas58

So, did you buy something???

Some random thoughts

The high stand-over is in part to give you a lot of room in the triangle for bikepacking - gives room for a frame-bag (unlike most modern mountain bikes).

853 is awesome, but probably too stiff for this type of riding. The expensive stuff isn't always the best.

Specialized Sequoia is probably the most comfortable bike I've ridden for what you are describing (its steel). Not sure what the tire clearance is there

chas58

Like he said, there is a thread here for that discussion.

Ruthless

I'm looking forward to another set of wheels. Different tires. Just to try. There's nothing wrong with wtb. I went for a medium frame with 29s. Maybe flintridge. Theres all kinds of wiggle room here. I guess I'll figure it out not to get after a crash or 2

dwmckee

We have the Hook EXT, Hook EXT-C and the Beyond in our shop in Pittsburgh if you want to come out and see for yourself. We sell a fair number of Bombtracks to high-end steel riders. They all are great for the right purpose. Prices have gone up due to the tariffs though but we have a few 2019s left in stock. SweetWater Bikes is on the Ohio side of the city. We also carry Jamis, Salsa, Open, 3T, Felt and soon Giant if you want to compare them all. Gravel is just about all we do...