Thanks for the feedback!

Awesome! Thank you!

Well... I'm about to have my third Headlands 2 so that answers the question of what I choose though a big part of that is the Pro deal I get. The other part for me is still a traditionalist love of drop bars makes me feel more like a "true" cyclist... I realize though that for what I ride and how I ride I'd get 95% the same experience at 1/3 the cost on a DSX.

Marin sells a frame and fork which would allow you to fully custom build, or just replace the bars with alt bars...

@BikeBrosBikeShop it would be cheaper with the frame set as converting from a complete bike would be expensive to change over from the drop bar levers/shifter over to flat bars. But I'm still trying to find what the weight limit is for this bike. I'm 210lbs and still have to put racks and bags with gear on it to tour or bikepack. Don't want to damage or break the bike by overloading it.

While I usually prefer Shimano I have no reservations about Sram in this case. Apex, as far as I know, was the only 1x12 drop bar setup with a huge range of gears & hydraulic discs at the time this came out and makes it a stand out option. I will happily be giving it a go on my next gravel bike.

Any update on how well the Apex has performed vs GRX?

@@davidelatini9319 I can only comment on how beautifully smooth the Apex is when setting things up new.

Yes, I am flogging them and can't claim to be impartial... however, if the bikes didn't impress me then I wouldn't feel right about selling them. I'm also obviously impartial which I believe may differ from some of the other bicycle media out there who are trying to sell advertising to brands they're reviewing. If you watch a few of my reviews, you'll see I'm fine with pointing out flaws or shortcomings of bikes we sell: in many cases they are things determined by the price-point of the bike. During the purchasing and planning stage of the year I look at many of the offerings from brands we don't sell. If I see a category or model that the bikes we sell don't compare favorably then I don't bring in those bikes which leaves me making mostly positive reviews of bikes we sell.

Yes, I prefer the threaded bb on the Headlands too... the weight is due to Marin caring more about durability and light weight.

@@BikeBrosBikeShop Hi, there are plenty of bolts for racks etc on the frame. Si I assume the strength of the carbon tube is adjusted to carry extra weight/bags

Do you get much toe strike/overlap. I’ve got the previous gen 54 and that is my only complaint.

@@stephengauden-ing9304 The geometry is the same on all Headland generations as far as I know... toe overlap is a pet peeve for me, I wish bike companies would pay more attention to that as part of their design process, especially with them making Headlands down to a size 49.

I’m thinking about getting a set of 650b wheels for more technical rides. Jealous of the gear range in the 1 x12. But in every other sense I love it