kbar1982

Hello all, sorry in advance for the dumb newbie questions that I couldn't find good previous answers to!
So, I'm not new to riding, I am new to decent bikes. I generally trail ride my nice fatbike and I love that thing so much. I would like to get into road riding (something nicer than my old crappy mountain type bike), would like to be able to keep up with my (non pro) roadie friends, I have back issues, and I want to be able to ride some gravel, rough asphalt, hit pot holes, etc. I live in a very mountainous area so long steep grades are a thing, do I need disc or rim brakes? Lots of gears or fewer? Narrow tires or wider? Gravel, touring (I would like to be able to ride long hours), hybrid, roadie, what do I need lol!!! Thanks so much!!

kbar1982

Is Trek Marlin a good option for this scenario? I'm also looking for not too expensive (of course), since I spend lots of money on my mountain biking

mack_turtle

The Marlin is an entry level mountain bike. It's not a great mountain bike and will feel like a pig on the roads compared to the alternatives. It sounds like a "gravel bike" will be a good option for you.

More gears or fewer? Irrelevant. The RANGE of gears is what matters. Most bikes you're going to consider will have a 1x10 or 1x11 with a very large cassette, or a 2x with a smaller cassette. Either might have the same RANGE but the 2x will have more options to optimize your cadence. The nerds here on BF will argue endlessly about which is better—front derailer or not—but it's your choice.

Disc brakes are almost ubiquitous at this point. Unless you have some weird beef with disc brakes, just assume that's what you'll get. There are some crappy disc brake options out there but most of them are good.

Tire width will depend on too many factors. The more volume, the better it will handle under load and on rough terrain. Lots of variables there, but I'd go for a minimum width of 32mm if you want to ride unpaved surfaces.

I suggest you spend time in the Recreational Cyclocross and Gravel Biking forum. Also enjoy some videos from The Path Less Pedaled on YouTube.

Random11

A gravel bike would seem to fit what you're after. I'm riding a Specialized Diverge, which rides well on pavement and also does well on gravel. Other brands have similar offerings, but if you look at the Diverge, that might give you an idea of some possibilities. At least you can decide whether that category of bike would do what you want.

kbar1982

Awesome!!! I'm getting told gravel by several sources, that might be the ticket! My biggest concern is being able to ride distance comfortably. Thanks so much for your time and replies!!

base2 

So many people make so much of bike weight, number of gears, disc v/s rim, tire width, & the latest techno-doo-whobble.

You don't need most of that.

I run a drop bar converted mid-90's hardtail. It works fine. I'm strong enough to push knobbie 559x54 tires at speed with my local road cycling group. I have it configured in a 1x configuration with a Schlumpf speed-drive. But were I in someone elses shoes, any properly configured 2x would work & any 3x would have the same or greater range. You'd want something ranging from around 18-20 gear inches to 90-100 gear inches...however you get there, it doesn't matter. I don't like GRX, but that's just me. I hate the 10 tooth max chainring difference requirement & the intentional crippling Shimano did to void any attempt to use GRX rear with a standard 16 tooth difference road crankset. I further think the max 34 tooth cassette large cog requirement was an intentional crippling to avoid GRX taking sales from existing product lines. I run XTR derailleurs & Ultegra/105/road shifters with a Shiftmate or various Gevenalle shifters on my gravel bikes to get broader range than anyone in my gravel or road groups.

The electro-mechanical whoozie-whatsits of ever evolving "advancements" are solutions looking for problems IMO & really amount to new ways to save grams in your wallet. Save your money. Mechanical shifting is good enough. Mechanicals never run out of batteries...so there is that. People I ride with really like their Di2 though. Good for them.

Tires, it depends on where you ride. A frame capable of at least 38mm minimum would get you lots of gravel options. The freedom to run 41 or 45 would be even better, but there isn't really much point in going bigger "just because you can." At some point you start trading performance in one area for another & the freedom to experiment based on how you actually use the bike is what you are buying.

Disc brakes. Dual piston mechanical like TRP Spyres are more than sufficient. Especially with a 180mm rotor. Mechanical also means off brand & cheaper replacement shifters & various other freedoms. Hydraulic is cool though if your bike already has it. But by no means does that mean the improvement is exceedingly worth the hassle or expense...That is to say I've never been impressed by hydraulic over dual piston mechanical TRP Spyres. Hydraulic is better than many small rotor, tiny pad OEM disc brakes.

Most importantly, it's hard to buy total garbage...So, get something & get out there to see what you really need & understand you will need to change accordingly. Gravel riding in the Cascade Mountains is different than gravel in Kansas.


Depending on which approach you prefer: Honestly, a drop bar converted hardtail with a geometry that can be made similar to a roadie fit paired with decent small knob high thread count tires like those found from René Hearse or Panaracer is pretty hard to beat. But a decent used CX bike would do as well with proper attention to detail at time of purchase if you don't mind running a rigid.

In my current configuration, I run better, longer, faster with front suspension than most of my gravel buddies in the rough, but they sure don't make cruising the paved roads in the 20 mph range on 2 inch knobbies very easy...

Food for thought. I'd be curious to see what you end up with.

kbar1982

Oh gosh yeah, I don't need all the latest "improvements", I need the equivalent of a chevy TBI 350 4X with a 5 speed, it's simple, reliable, and still alive!! I can't tell you how many miles I put on an old ass huffy that I think had been upgraded or something, got to where I just disconnected the front rim brake because I hauled it everywhere in the back of my old Accord, wish it hadn't been killed, that thing was dead reliable and didn't tear me up. And honestly right now I don't have the time and brain space to learn all the things, I'm in the middle of a lot of new school at middle age... ugh..., so I just need quick and dirty, going to work, not kill me hopefully, and not tons of money. I had a small shop shady mofo build me a Surly Karate Monkey fatbike to trail ride on, that thing is my soul mate, it runs over anything and never misses a beat, I'll talk to him again, he was sure right about that thing, but honestly I didn't know if I got lucky or he is actually quality, he's definitely hole in the wall! I went to him out of desperation in trying to find my own trail rider after getting hooked on borrowed bikes, I need an XS frame and those are really hard to find right now.

Random11

I took my Diverge on a 104 mile ride in October and have taken many rides over 50 miles, although my usual distance is 15-20 miles. A gravel bike is very comfortable over longer distances.

Random11

I thought that too, but last month I had a shifter cable break on my mechanical shifters. Battery dies or cable breaks; same result. The bike won't shift. But I agree with you. Mechanical shifters do the job and I'm not even thinking about going to electronic shifting.

Thomas15

This past summer, one year into riding bikes, I rode 5 metric centuries and one 74 mile non-stop ride on a rail trail riding a MTB/hybrid bike. So gosh gee I personally think it's the Indian not the arrow. Maybe take your checkbook to a bike shop and do some shopping?

mack_turtle

any decent bicycle that starts with the correct size frame for you and is set up for your body's needs will accomplish this if you condition your body for it. in my case, my fitness is what keeps me from riding for more than a few hours at a time. most bikes will provide you with no excuses in that regard. almost no one gets a perfectly fitting setup right the first time, and it changes over time as your fitness improves (or declines!). some bikes ride smoother than others because of a variety of converging reasons, so you have a bit of research to do to find out what will work best for you. there are so many good bikes right now that it's hard to truly go wrong other than to buy a really low-end bike with flimsy parts or buy the wrong size frame.
1. what's you budget? can you stretch it?
2. are you willing to wait for the right bike to become available, especially considering the severe shortage of everything related to bicycles in the age of Covid-19?
3. do you have a local bike shop(s) that you like working with? what brands do they stock? do you have any qualms about buying online and dealing with assembly and maintenance on your own or paying a shop for those services?
4. do you have a pretty good understanding of how your bike should "fit?"

buying a used "retro" bike and modernizing it a bit is popular right now. it can work really well if you know what you're doing, but you can also end up with a weird frankenbike if you don't. I went through a long string of such bikes before I learned what works and what doesn't. either I was terribly unlucky or I just learn things the hard way.

Russ Roth

Go gravel or cross, personally I love the cross bikes more, they've typically got more aggressive geometry then a gravel and most can handle a 35c or even 38c tire with many newer ones going bigger still, mine will fit a 38c gravel tire is need be and feel confident on most entry level to mid level mtb courses, really fun on twisty singletrack like we have on Long Island and I prefer it over the MTB on some of the mtb parks around here. Yet it'll still keep up on the road fairly well, especially with 27c tires like the Challange Paris-Roubaix. On the other hand, if I'm heading out for 3+ hours of actual dirt road and rail trail, the laid back ride of the gravel bike with its slightly wider tires is more enjoyable even if it doesn't feel as quick and even with the cross's steel frame vs the gravel bike's aluminum I will be less sore the longer I go with the gravel bike. If I had to pick one of the two, I'd always go cross over gravel for versatility and fun.

Zacro

Gravel bikes can be ridden almost anywhere, on the road and off it. Adventure-ready features like disc brakes, additional clearance for wider tires, and comfortable geometry let these bikes adapt to everything from rugged terrain to winter exploration. I'm riding a TREK Checkpiont, since I spend lots of money on my gravel biking .Other brands have similar offerings, but if you look at the gravel bikes, that might give you an idea of some possibilities.

Thomas15

In the mountains, climbing long grades with other riders. To answer the question "what do I need?" The answer is a lot of fitness and a positive attitude.

I have a friend that started riding this year. He is 35 years younger than me. So I have about a 14 month head start on acquiring riding fitness but my friend is active and plays soccer. First time we ride together and hit the first big hill 1 mile long average 6.5+% grade I pull this bad boy in about 7.5 minutes and wait for him at the top. 7 minutes later we resume our ride. My road bike is a 15 year old Cannondale Synapse AL, his is a brand new CF with electronic shifting and disk brakes. I have no doubt that if my friend keeps at it he will at some point start completing the climbs before me. But still, it's the Indian not the arrow.

Speedway2

I'm a fan of the Jamis line of Gravel and Cyclocross bikes. Lots of variations depending on your budget.....

kbar1982

So, today a friend of mine gave me a Diamondback Haanjo Metro that fits me, it's currently at the shop getting tuned up and some new pieces, it's been sitting a long time, but otherwise in near new condition. For what I need right now, I think this one fits the ticket, I want something reliable to put miles on riding from my house and wherever that takes me, and to haul with me on trips and ride around exploring various areas, one of my favorite things to do! I may want a cushier steel frame eventually, but can't freakin beat free!! It's currently running 1x11, discs, aluminum frame, flat bars, and steel hard fork, I'm going to ride around as is and may put on a wider drive train and/or front shocks. I'm having better grips and pedals put on than the factory that's on it now, and some wide knobby gravel tires, and we'll go from here!
Thanks all so much for the information, your ideas and comments, and thanks so much for not being jerks, this is a great forum!!! And you're absolutely right, it's the Indian that matters the most, I used to ride an old piece of junk for hours and did just fine, because I didn't know better lol!!!

base2 

You may come to appreciate the aerodynamics & additional hand/body positions of a drop bar conversion at some point in the future, but from here, for now, it looks like you are off to a great start. You hit the nail on the head just right in so many ways.

Good job!

And good luck. You'll have to come back & tell us how it goes.

Phil_gretz

Please expand on this. Have you been diagnosed, or do you simply experience episodes of discomfort? Was there some specific injury? Have you had any physical therapy? What is your core fitness and stretching routine like? What about excess body fat? These are unrelated to bicycling, but are germane to your general fitness. There are a lot of suitable bikes. There's only one of you, and your back. Take care of it.

kbar1982

Thanks!! I'll ride this one around for awhile and see what I think, I love tweaking set ups and trying new things, and eventually I'll learn all the things as I prefer to educate myself when it comes to my interests so I can make sure to have a good experience and not burn myself out trying to force something that won't work. I will post updates and such, this is a great forum, I'm really glad to have found you all!!

As for my back, thanks so much for the concern, it is an exceptionally valid point!! I've been dealing with spinal injury and issues for many years, I have been through physical therapy (and will jump right back in there as needed), I have support work done as needed and when available in this climate, I do core strength work, I vary my activities to try and avoid stiff spots that I find later when they slip out of place, and I don't push it. I know my spine well at this point, if it gives me the signal that it's done, I leave it alone and hit the anti inflammatories as needed (I find that IBU and turmeric are awesome for me), and do stretches and some different moves in whatever I'm doing to get off the bad spot. Protecting my spine and body in general is my number one priority, I've been severely injured and should have died, let alone should have absolutely been paralyzed, I don't take it for granted lol!!!