My first gravel rig!
After cycling for many years, mostly on road/touring bikes, I have purchased my first gravel bike, the State Bicycle Co. 6061 Black Label. Luckily for me, it comes with a set of 700c road slicks, and a set of 650b gravel wheels, (with an upgrade in cost, to be clear.) From the box it runs with tubes, but I believe I’ll be wanting to get into tubeless for both sets of wheels. It also has a nice big carbon fork with a few extra mounting spots for miscellaneous accoutrements needed for gravel/longer rides.
I’ll be running clipless, but I really have no idea what I’m getting into. The bike should be here late august, and I just couldn’t be more excited.
I have a few questions, mostly, what are some favorite gravel tires? I had planned on seeing what the bike comes with first, but had my eye on some Panaracer Gravelkings for the 650b wheel set. Also, any details on the switch over from running tubes vs. tubeless would be much appreciated.
Planning on taking the rig immediately over to my local bike guru’s for a real deal set up, as I need all the help I can get. Mostly, just wanted to gush about the new bike, see if anyone has any tricks or tips for getting started with my first real gravel bike.
Thanks!