Originally Posted by
blakcloud
I dislike the name Gravel Grinder but like the term Adventure Bike. Yet, I didn't want either. I had a bike built for just urban riding. This bike will never touch gravel or for that matter ever leave the city, yet it comes with 42mm tires. Flat bar for urban riding. Dura Ace derailleurs, XTR disc brakes, White Industry hubs and crank and Stan's Crest carbon rims. In essence a Pavement Pounder.
I actually would see those as two different types of bikes. An adventure bike would have bigger tires and be more like a drop bar MTB such as the Salsa Cutthroat or Fargo while a gravel grinder would be more like a fat tire road bike such as a Salsa Warbird or Warroad.
I'll bet those 42mm tires roll great on city streets. Coincidentally, the original 700C tire size translates to something like a 700x39 in todays nomenclature. Interesting how things have basically come full circle. Maybe those guys knew a thing or two back in the day?
Personally, after running 700x52 tires on dirt roads for years on one of my rides, I'd love to see a frame with clearance for 29er tires and more road like geometry. I guess it could be a pavement pounder with something like Schwalbe Big Apples, but I'd be running it on gravel and dirt.