In Heaven, where all the roads are smoothly paved, the sun is shining, and it’s always 70 degrees, the Trek Madone 6.2 would be the bike I would want to ride every day. The Madone has a carbon frame and weighs less than 15 pounds. It has Dura Ace pedals, and a 11 speed Ultegra groupset. I changed the stock Bontrager RL wheels to Dura-Ace wheels with Continental GP 4000S tires. I managed 10,000 miles in 2014 without a single flat on those tires! It’s my best friend all summer long.
The Trek Top Fuel 9.9 is a mountain bike I borrowed from a friend for the Barry-Roubaix gravel road race in Hastings, Michigan. This bike is such an incredibly sweet ride that I had to find a way to buy it! It’s a carbon framed bike with an XTR groupset with full suspension, and it tears up gravel and dirt hills. On pavement it is almost as fast as a road bike.
The Niner RLT 9 gravel specific bike is the latest addition to my bike collection. It is as comfortable as a road bike and is my bike of choice when I someday leave for my trek across the country. It’s super fast on the road, but eats up gravel like nobody’s business! The RLT9 is constructed of hydro-formed aluminum and comes equipped with a chunky, carbon fork. Compared to a cross bike, the RLT9 has a taller, slightly slacker head tube and a longer wheelbase, which it gains in the chain stays. This makes for a super stable gravel ride. Plus, it’s pretty!
My old Trek 7.3 FX is a nice, heavy duty hybrid bike that is suitable for gravel or dirt roads. It’s a 3 X 8 speed that is geared nicely for climbing, but its lack of suspension can make for a bone shaker ride. However, it is a nice, solid ride with the early winter or spring winds, whereas the Trek Madone can get battered by a heavy crosswind. It weighs close to 23 pounds, and its heavy weight makes for a very speedy ride downhill or with a tailwind. Surprisingly, I have some of my best speed records on this bike!
