Again in 2009, we knew we’d hit Peak Fixie when Wired began masking the topic:
Now, 15 (!) years later, we all know we’ve hit Peak Gravel–or not less than its slower cousin, Peak Supple–for a similar purpose:

WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MY TIRES, WIRED? After all some additional tire quantity (or not less than the clearance for it when you resolve you need it) is usually an excellent factor, however at this level fats tires have gotten dangerously overprescribed, and persons are cramming them onto bikes whether or not they want them or not. I’ve talked about that Rene Herse tires have a type of “Vicodin impact,” however at this level vast, supple tires are like Oxycodone, and it’s creating right into a full-blown epidemic. I can actually I can perceive the zeal of the lately transformed:

However he misplaced me at “fashionable sport truck.” AND WHAT THE HELL DOES HE HAVE AGAINST OLD CAMRYS???
The Camry has been round since 1982 and it deserves your respect.
Once more, actually the growing availability of voluminous excessive thread-count tires is sweet, and the author clearly has good style in bikes:

However I preserve that he’s overzealous:

As is obvious from his try and “Cat 6” a random roadie, which is decidedly un-Rivendellian habits:

It’s uncommon that I can converse to any topic as an authority, however as each a Rivendell rider and a “spandex-clad racer” (effectively, technically former racer) relying on my temper I feel I’ve the mandatory {qualifications} to take action on this case. Now, one thing a whole lot of non-roadies don’t perceive is that the roadies don’t care about you. In any respect. They’re not “perplexed” that you simply’re in a position to sustain with them. They’re not judging your bike, or your garments, or analyzing your efficiency–they usually’re actually not making an attempt to race you, both. It’s like considering a supermodel snubbed you, when in reality she merely didn’t even discover you within the first place, which is a crucial distinction since you possibly can’t snub one thing when you’re not even conscious of its existence.
Nonetheless, as a Rivendell rider, I additionally know there may be an exception to the above, which is when the roadie can be a Rivendell rider (or not less than has Rivendellian sympathies) during which case they are going to say one thing like, “Good Rivendell!” It’s because they need to let you recognize that they “get it.” In actual fact, once I’m on a racing bike and I see somebody on a Rivendell I’m usually tempted to do the identical factor myself, however I don’t, as a result of once I’m on the receiving finish I can’t assist feeling prefer it’s slightly patronizing.
(Chances are you’ll suppose I’m overthinking all this, and also you’d be proper. This is the reason I’ve been writing a motorbike weblog for 17 years. In actual fact I simply checked and holy crap, it’s been 17 years precisely as of at the moment! If I’d recognized forward of time I might have baked myself a cake.)
The author additionally speaks to the biking world’s two greatest supple tire apologists, Russ from Path Much less Pedaled, and Jan Heine. It’s ironic that they share this position, as a result of one in every of them bases his total identification on using as slowly as attainable whereas the opposite one is chasing FKTs and wrote a complete e book about how aero handlebar baggage are. I suppose because of this supple tires actually are the very best answer regardless of the way you experience, but it surely solely makes me suspicious. Then once more, who am I to query Heinian knowledge like this?

Friction within the physique? Racing vehicles? (Once more with the vehicles!) Water-cooled shocks? The human physique has advanced to have the ability to run barefoot for miles upon miles at a time. I feel it will probably deal with being on a street bike with 23s on a paved street for a couple of hours.
Although even Jan Heine doesn’t declare that switching to supple tires is “like going from black and white to paint:”

I’d argue it’s extra like watching the identical TV however altering from one pre-set image mode to a different, however then once more all of the friction in my physique from using slim tires on my street bike has in all probability rattled my mind but additionally impaired my senses.
Nonetheless, there’s one thing even worse for you than using skinny tires, and in accordance with Gear Patrol it’s biking in sneakers:

If you happen to experience skinny tires it’s possible you’ll danger filling your physique with friction, which is unhealthy sufficient, however when you experience in sneakers your foot will hemorrhage power and also you’re “by no means going to get it again:”

That is completely true, which is why when you try and stroll up a flight of stairs and not using a pair of stiff-soled sneakers your foot will instantly buckle and also you’ll end up crumpled in a heap on the backside touchdown. It’s additionally why I barely survived my experience yesterday:

I misplaced a lot unrecoverable power from my ft I finally needed to begin pedaling with my palms.
It’s no shock Andy Pruitt, Ed.D was concerned in Specialised Physique Geometry merchandise, that are designed to medically scare you from utilizing the rest. And nothing’s scarier than impotence, therefore Dr. Roger Minkow and the Physique Geometry saddle–although I admit I do miss the times when Specialised marketed their saddles on penile blood stream:

For a second there it actually appeared like penile blood stream was poised to interchange grams because the measurement to obsess over.
As a substitute, biking inside turned the brand new biking exterior, and Zwift are actually making a whole bike

And in contrast to, say, a Peloton, it’s designed to truly appear like a motorbike:

I’m not a Zwifter, and I haven’t ridden any type of coach in lots of, a few years, however it is a very good concept they usually’re in all probability going to promote a whole lot of them.
However I’m holding out for the carbon model.
Lastly, talking of Rivendells (not less than we had been earlier), right here’s but another excuse to Simply Purchase A Rivendell Already:

It’s the kludge that kills.