Originally Posted by
mstateglfr
Gravel roads are road. Riding on gravel is road riding. Yes, its with a different style bike, but there were already multiple road bike styles- tri, aero, climbing, endurance, crit, etc. Just add gravel to that list and be done.
Paved road riding may be dying, im not sure, but I wouldnt be surprised.
The multiple road styles all depend on some sort of paved surface, be it concrete, asphalt, mortared stone, or at the very least hard-compacted and graded earthen surface. Without that binding of the surface, it's not realistic to ride a bike on tyres that are less than 35mm wide in all weather conditions. Gravel bikes come into play when you venture out onto roads that don't have that binding element.