Gravel - Please help me "get it"

[climberevan]

Well, I'd certainly hope so given that most of the bikes brake pads are probably in good shape.

Ms CE does manage to go through a few sets of pads a season on her MTB and at least 2 sets on her gravel bike. We both ride a good bit. The plus bikes don't get much use, nor do the single speeds (outside of Burning Man).

I still ride my road bike a couple of times a week during the warmer months. I love the racing position and zippy handling, and the thing weighs an honest 14#, which just feels incredible to ride. Ms CE turned her road bike into a trainer-only one after getting a gravel bike and second wheelset with slicks, though, adding another anecdote to the argument that only former racers will still want true road bikes these days.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

A road bike should be able to be ridden comfortably on any road surface. This “gravel bike” thing is stupid only because of the label. I’ve been riding road bikes with sport touring geometry and clearance for wider tires on mixed surface roads and old school single track since the late ‘80s.

It’s all riding bikes and riding bikes is fun


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[Skistack]

“Road bike that can be ridden comfortably and safely on unpaved surfaces” is not as marketable as “gravel bike” though.


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[MagnificentUnicorn]

The Brits have had a term for this for decades, “rough stuff” bikes. The idea isn’t new, “allrounder” or “touring”bikes have been a thing here since the ‘70s. Early mtbs were basically sport touring or heavy touring bikes with a shitty wheel size.


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[singlesline]

“Road bike that can be ridden comfortably and safely on unpaved surfaces” is not as marketable as “gravel bike” though.


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For decades they were just cyclocross bikes (plus some "touring" bikes). Then the cyclocross market started to blow up for a bit in like 2010 and everybody realized the bikes were actually pretty versatile for non-racers.
Way better than a Hybrid for someone who doesn't want a skinny-tired, low handlebar road bike although the high bottom-bracket and steep angles weren't ideal for non-race use.

Tone down the aggressive geometry, bring disc brakes into the mix and stop designing frames around the UCI 33mm max tire width and you have a gravel bike.

Also fits the North American geography better--lots of long dirt/gravel roads and not very much nasty mud (and park organizers get tired of CX race organizers destroying their pristine grass). Probably way easier to organize gravel events than to get road closures/traffic control for a non-criterium road race.

[LHutz Esq]

A road bike should be able to be ridden comfortably on any road surface. This “gravel bike” thing is stupid only because of the label. I’ve been riding road bikes with sport touring geometry and clearance for wider tires on mixed surface roads and old school single track since the late ‘80s.

It’s all riding bikes and riding bikes is fun


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A lot of the complaints seem to be along these lines

“I’ve been riding “gravel” bikes for years and really like it. But I don’t like that they are now called “gravel” bikes and folks are trying to make them better at doing the things I like. Because reasons”

[MagnificentUnicorn]

A lot of the complaints seem to be along these lines

“I’ve been riding “gravel” bikes for years and really like it. But I don’t like that they are now called “gravel” bikes and folks are trying to make them better at doing the things I like. Because reasons”

More like this is nothing new and the bikes that were built years ago for this type of riding are just as good as the “new” gravel bikes. The bike that I ride the most I bought new in ‘99. There’s nothing a new “gravel” bike can do better. It’s marketing for a stale bike market. It grows the sport though, right?


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[half-fast]

I got a "monstercross" bike in 2014 because I was tired of all the flats I was getting riding my road bike on shitty roads

[Roxtar]

OK, I understand what they are.










And yet, I still don't "get it"

[Name Redacted]

I can ride roads on my mountain bike. If I pedal hard it goes just as fast as a road bike.

[Dumbest Known Time]

Pop a mushroom, ride from your door, smooth out all the shitty frost heaves and chip seal on the paved roads, turn onto some dirt, smell some flowers, transform some boring singletrack into something engaging, crack the beer you pulled out of your framebag and beat your buddy on the stoplight sprint home.

[Kevo]

I liked road biking for cardio when I lived in places that were conducive to road biking for cardio (Boulder and Golden, CO).

I now live in a place where only 10% or 15% of roads in my county are paved. There are large stretches of the year (right now in particular) where MTB trails and trail running trails are still snow covered, but the skiing isn't great. I can get out on my gravel bike during this time of year.

There are lots of cool places that I can ride on my gravel bike starting from my house that I would not be able to get to on a mountain bike (too much rolling resistance, not enough speed to cover the ground I need to cover) and that I can't get to on a road bike (gravel too deep/chunky, roads/ trails too technical).

That's why I gravel bike- I can launch adventures from my house to remote and beautiful places. Lack of traffic is also nice. There are some days that I've been out where I haven't seen a single car in 40+ miles.

These are all rides from my house-


















Maybe there's not enough adrenaline in it for some people, but I really enjoy it.

[XXX-er]

I use the mtn bike I got my kid 20 yrs ago, i liberated it from him before he could break it by riding off the garage roof

the apropriate tires for gravel which seems to be just under 2"

[toast2266]

OK, I understand what they are.










And yet, I still don't "get it"

It's for roadies who don't want to get hit by cars and mountain bikers that don't have good trails.

If you're not a roadie and you have good trails, there's no good reason to ride groad.

[Peruvian]

More like this is nothing new and the bikes that were built years ago for this type of riding are just as good as the “new” gravel bikes. The bike that I ride the most I bought new in ‘99. There’s nothing a new “gravel” bike can do better. It’s marketing for a stale bike market. It grows the sport though, right?


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It was an unusual bike that had hydro disc brakes, a more slack head tube, a shorter top tube, etc in the ‘90s. You could probably find one, but it was not the norm.

[Vt-Freeheel]

I feel like I am reading a thred on MTBR

[Sam Apoc]

I liked road biking for cardio when I lived in places that were conducive to road biking for cardio (Boulder and Golden, CO).

I now live in a place where only 10% or 15% of roads in my county are paved. There are large stretches of the year (right now in particular) where MTB trails and trail running trails are still snow covered, but the skiing isn't great. I can get out on my gravel bike during this time of year.

There are lots of cool places that I can ride on my gravel bike starting from my house that I would not be able to get to on a mountain bike (too much rolling resistance, not enough speed to cover the ground I need to cover) and that I can't get to on a road bike (gravel too deep/chunky, roads/ trails too technical).

That's why I gravel bike- I can launch adventures from my house to remote and beautiful places. Lack of traffic is also nice. There are some days that I've been out where I haven't seen a single car in 40+ miles.

These are all rides from my house-


















Maybe there's not enough adrenaline in it for some people, but I really enjoy it.

Awesome photos. You've got a pretty nice backyard.

[grskier]

OK, I understand what they are.










And yet, I still don't "get it"

Well, I guess you already have all the reasons you needed to go ride bikes.

[skaredshtles]

Maybe there's not enough adrenaline in it for some people, but I really enjoy it.

I fell asleep scrolling through you pictures.

[nickwm21]

Regardless of the appeal of gravel riding to existing avid cyclists….

Gravel bikes themselves with their more relaxed geometry and fatter tires are a great solution to a lot of people.

Think of the guy that is otherwise athletic but not a cyclist… that rides that one local charity ride every year, maybe participates in bike-to-work day or rides down to the farmers market on Sunday’s… in 2005 that guy had a rigid steel mountain bike hanging in the garage… In 2023 that guy would be best served with an AL gravel bike.


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[Whiteroom_Guardian]

You guys ever bomb a pothole/rutted/loose dirt road on a gravel bike at 30+mph?......plenty of adrenaline in gravel if you ride the right stuff.

A relatively relaxed geo curly bar with 42s and disc brakes can take you to some rad places. Paved > Dirt road > singletrack > mountain pass two track > paved > back into town for huge 70+ mile loops. Doesn't matter what MTB you have or what 23c road bike you have you just aren't doing that.

[Dantheman]

You guys ever bomb a pothole/rutted/loose dirt road on a gravel bike at 30+mph?......plenty of adrenaline in gravel if you ride the right stuff.

Groading and adrenaline are two words that should not go together. Particle blew up his clavicle groading last fall. Groading-related hospitalization is a special circle of hell.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Groading and adrenaline are two words that should not go together. Particle blew up his clavicle groading last fall. Groading-related hospitalization is a special circle of hell.

Hey but at least no cars to hit you! Just logging trucks!

[skaredshtles]

You guys ever bomb a pothole/rutted/loose dirt road on a gravel bike at 30+mph?......plenty of adrenaline in gravel if you ride the right stuff.

A relatively relaxed geo curly bar with 42s and disc brakes can take you to some rad places. Paved > Dirt road > singletrack > mountain pass two track > paved > back into town for huge 70+ mile loops. Doesn't matter what MTB you have or what 23c road bike you have you just aren't doing that.

This is absurd - of course you can do this on a mountain bike. But I wouldn't.

[toast2266]

You guys ever bomb a pothole/rutted/loose dirt road on a gravel bike at 30+mph?......plenty of adrenaline in gravel if you ride the right stuff.

Sounds like you should quit fretting over which enduro sled to get and just race everything on a 1988 Specialized Rockhopper. Think of all the adrenaline you'll get riding that thing at the Big Sky BME.