I don’t mean to beat a dead Appaloosa, but the more I think about that Grizl video from yesterday the more the whole thing just seems like a cry for help. WOULD THEY JUST BUY RIVENDELLS ALREADY FOR CHRISSAKE?!? Even Canyon’s Gravel Product Manager wants one:
Yesterday I posited he was stroking his giant imaginary penis, but now I realize he’s just indicating where he wishes his bars were.
Speaking of Grizls and Rivls, I went a-grizlin’ yesterday on my Plazzlepus:
So how does the Grizl compare with the Plizl? Well, the Grizl has the “Full Mounty” cockpit for multiple hand positions and for carrying stuff I guess:
While the Platypus has some big-ass bars for multiple hand positions and a big-ass basket for carrying even more stuff:
Advantage: Platypus.
But what about not riding the bike? As we established yesterday, the Grizl is mostly designed to be carried everywhere by people with extremely poor navigational skills:
The amount of carrying in that video seemed silly to me…until yesterday’s ride when I encountered a fallen tree:
And yes, I admit it would have been easier to lift the plastic Grizl (“lifting the grizl” sounds like more English slang, possibly something that you’d do under a dirty raincoat) over the tree than it was to hoist the mighty Platypus (“hoisting the platypus” also sounds bad). I probably could have even Jesus-carried the Grizl:
Whereas I sort of had to first pass the Platypus over the tree, and then clamber over the tree myself, making it sort of a two-step operation:
Advantage: Grizl.
Fortunately it’s extremely rare that I have to carry the Platypus over a fallen tree. Also, my Platypus does sport a custom Brooks saddle:
One that I LITERALLY made with Eric “The Chamferer” Murray when I visited the Brooks factory:
Almost all documentation of this visit seems to have vanished into the mists of time (no doubt Brooks would like to scrub the Internet of their association with me as well as of Eric “The Chamferer” Murray’s many hipster conquests) but there is this photo of him grappling with how incredibly stupid I am:
In my defense I was badly jetlagged and possibly a bit hung over.
Advantage: Platypus.
By the way, Rivendell says this about the Platypus:
It’s not a trail bike, but a reasonable rider with half-decent judgment and skill can ride it on fire trails. The recommended max tire is 50mm, and that’s a true 50mm tire. James has some knobby Continentals on his that are labeled 2.2; they fit fine, but they actually measure around 52mm.
I’m not reasonable, nor am I possessed of either half-decent judgement or skill, but I do often use the Platypus on trails anyway and it does easily accommodate 29×2.1″ mountain bike tires (or at least what we used to call a mountain bike tire in the pre-gravel days, now I think this is considered a gravel tire):
I suppose the more appropriate bike for this would be the Clem, which I got to enjoy on Mount Tam:
And of which I received actual photographic prints of myself enjoying from none other than Grant Petersen himself:
I’m very privileged to have experienced everything from making a Brooks in Birmingham to riding one on Mount Tam…though I have to admit the riding part was more fun.