Sendy and spendy: Parlee Taos gravel bike review

What’s in a name? Be that of a man, a place, or a town? Is there any correlation between ride characteristics and where something is made? Or between a carbon frame’s bare finish and the letters on the frame? The Parlee Taos made in Portugal, bearing the company name of the late Bob Parlee, an early innovator in high-end carbon frames. Parlee the brand is in Massachusetts, and Taos of course is a town in my home state of New Mexico. I tested the Taos in New Mexico, Colorado and Oklahoma with two different wheels and tire configurations. -- Save 10% all year on tires, clothing, helmets, wax, parts and anything else at BikeTiresDirect with the code THERIDE: https://tinyurl.com/yc7vxujh The ideal gravel geometry: https://youtu.be/jdby1dWMJQU Epic Ride Weather: https://www.epicrideweather.com/ Want to see what I'm testing and where? Follow me on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/ben-delaney or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_delaney - Gear I use for shooting (not sponsored!): Hover X1 Promax Self-Flying Drone: https://amzn.to/4goWzgp DJI Action Cam 5: https://amzn.to/4ije8Ax DJI Action Cam 4: https://amzn.to/3wK4eVY DJI Pocket Osmo 3: https://amzn.to/3wK4eVY Sony Alpha ZV-E10: https://amzn.to/3QUSqHf Sony Alpha a6300: https://amzn.to/3K7jFKK Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS lens: https://amzn.to/3QNGh6L -- The Ride is supported in 2025 by: Castelli clothing: http://tinyurl.com/43k6pftp Perc coffee: https://tinyurl.com/fjr7nurr (save 15% with code 'ride15') Saris racks: https://saris.com/collections/racks# (save 15% with code 'ben15') Silca maintenance: https://bit.ly/47xxvzj (save 10% with code 'theridewithben10') BikeTiresDirect: https://tinyurl.com/yc7vxujh (save 10% with code 'THERIDE') The Cyclist Lawyer: https://www.thecyclist-lawyer.com/ Shimano shoes & glasses: http://tinyurl.com/ye274tep Feedback Sports stands & tools: https://bit.ly/3S9Dq8r