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Can A Gravel Bike Be A Good Road Bike?

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Can A Gravel Bike Be A Good Road Bike?

Old 09-19-19, 10:51 AM
  #151  
Seattle Forrest
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Here's my abomination of a road/gravel bike, with 33mm rubber, a 28T in the back, and UDi2.

When I rode it to Slate Peak (highest road in the state, unpaved and nasty) somebody in the one small group of people up there said "Holy crap!" and I thought they were going to congratulate me on my effort, but the next words were "Cervelo makes a gravel bike?"

I have a lot of fun with it.















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Old 09-19-19, 11:06 AM
  #152  
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I need to find bar tape that matches the brownish red in the frame.
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Old 09-19-19, 11:42 AM
  #153  
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Originally Posted by Newspaper_Nick
Steel frame, large knobby tires (think MTB large), preferably with flat bars (or if you gonna go with drops, a "flared" dropbar), higher stack and shorter reach for easier control and comfort, depending on how large your tires are, maybe a suspension seatpost to ease road noise on your ass, wide range gearing to tackle hills/mountains (at least a 34 tooth in the cassette, even larger if possible), depending on the size of the chainring, either a 1x (small), or a 2x (a small and a larger one). If you are nostalgic, you can go with 3x. If you really mean business, you can even throw a suspension fork in that. Why not? I am all about personalization. Why go with something the market is pushing down our throats under false pretences. Some of the bikes that are sold under the gravel moniker are agressive road bike frames with plain old road groupsets attached over 700x32 (too thin) tires on carbon/aluminum rigid frames. This abomination of a bike is on market because people want to "look cool" to their friends. These bikes do exist because people realized that when you have dropbars on your bike, you look "professional". Manufacturers are all about sales and profit. They do not really care what they sell as long as it is what people want to buy. And most people just want to buy trash.
So you like to ride a MTB on gravel, whatever works for you.

My gravel bike is carbon, which is what I wanted, has flared drop bars, came with 40mm tires, can fit 47's, 48/32 up front, 11-34 out back, suspension seatpost and bars for comfort, extra cage mounts, and fork mounts. It's been great on everything from pea gravel to rocks the size of oranges, gravel centuries, road centuries, single track (mild), all without any issues. Not sure what else I could want from a gravel bike.
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Old 09-19-19, 11:55 AM
  #154  
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Originally Posted by Newspaper_Nick
Some of the bikes that are sold under the gravel moniker are agressive road bike frames with plain old road groupsets attached over 700x32 (too thin) tires on carbon/aluminum rigid frames.
Which is why they can do double duty as road bikes!

This abomination of a bike is on market because people want to "look cool" to their friends. These bikes do exist because people realized that when you have dropbars on your bike, you look "professional".
If looking cool and professional with drop bars is so important, wouldn't they just buy a road bike?

Manufacturers are all about sales and profit. They do not really care what they sell as long as it is what people want to buy. And most people just want to buy trash.
Bike manufacturers are selling the type of bikes that cyclist want to buy? Those scoundrels!! What's next -- restaurants that serve food that people want to eat?
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Old 09-19-19, 01:45 PM
  #155  
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You do you and i'll do me all right.
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Old 09-19-19, 02:25 PM
  #156  
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Originally Posted by Newspaper_Nick
You do you and i'll do me all right.
I don't think that anyone has a problem with you riding what you want to ride. What people have a problem with is you hearing the term "gravel bike" and then ignoring industry convention and substituting your own sensibilities upon the classification. That's like me deciding to associate apples with the word "tomato," and then getting in to a fight with people about how to make marinara.
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Old 09-19-19, 02:52 PM
  #157  
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
That's like me deciding to associate apples with the word "tomato," and then getting in to a fight with people about how to make marinara.
Hey, be careful where you're going with that ...
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Old 09-19-19, 02:54 PM
  #158  
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The internet nonconformist crusader returns once again to save the masses from the evil of having fun.
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Old 09-20-19, 01:46 PM
  #159  
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The great thing about choices, pick the thing that works for you. There is NO shortage of bike types. You can buy anything between a velodrome track bike to the most slackest fat tired down hill bike and there are 194 versions of things in between those extremes. I'm not sure why people get hung up on needing affirmation and have choice supportive bias. You bought EXACTLY what you needed at the given time and can "prove" it was the best choice, that does not mean that is exactly what someone else needed. I'll probably never buy a drop bar without rack mounts and a decent chain stay length. That's me...

Originally Posted by Kapusta
But suspension seatposts are widely available for any bike if you want one.

I have not tried the Thudbusters but the ones I have tried seem to bounce on the road when cadence gets up there. I could probably use it off road only but most of my rides are mixed. I go with a little less tire pressure and conforming tires or eventually I'll try a carbon or flexible bendy type post instead of a suspension one to take some bite away.

Last edited by u235; 09-20-19 at 04:00 PM.
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Old 09-21-19, 02:12 PM
  #160  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
I'm trying to follow your logic:

1. You are faster on a CX bike than you are on a full-suspension mountain bike.
2. Therefore, a CX bike will make a good road bike with a change of wheels.
3. But, the CX bike will only work as a road bike if you know how to ride CX, which Americans don't because they learned to ride on mountain bikes.

Is that about right?
Have you ever ridden a full suspension MTB up hills? It doesn't sound that way.

Also you don't seem to follow a conversation very well - is English your second language? Maybe you can explain to me what difference you believe there is between a CX and a road bike?

Are you riding a Walmart bike and dreaming that you now are in heaven? I'm sitting here with A Colnago CLX3.0, a Colnago Master,, a Lemond Zurich, a Pinarello Stelvio, a Pinarello Torino, a Ridley XBow , a Redline Conquest, a Basso Loto, a Backroads Chohalo and a Mercian in the garage. I've built every one of them from frame up and most with Campy Record components. I've sold off a Trek HiFi 29er and a Gary Fisher full suspension and a couple of hardtails. I missed riding the first three months of the year so I only have 3,500 miles and 138,000 ft of climbing. I finished off last year with 4,500 miles and over 250,000 ft of climbing and I'm 75 years old and started riding when a hot setup was a Peugeot PX-10 with sewups. I have a large bag of Bontrager caps that Keith gave to me when he was closing his doors in Santa Cruz after he sold his name off.

Out of curiosity what have you done? I don't mean to insult you but neither do I need someone other than my two brothers and my wife insulting me.
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Old 09-21-19, 02:27 PM
  #161  
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Originally Posted by Rides4Beer
So you like to ride a MTB on gravel, whatever works for you.

My gravel bike is carbon, which is what I wanted, has flared drop bars, came with 40mm tires, can fit 47's, 48/32 up front, 11-34 out back, suspension seatpost and bars for comfort, extra cage mounts, and fork mounts. It's been great on everything from pea gravel to rocks the size of oranges, gravel centuries, road centuries, single track (mild), all without any issues. Not sure what else I could want from a gravel bike.
I did the Tour de Fuzz last weekend. I caught up with a guy riding a hardtail with knobbys on the Metric route. He was riding a pretty continuous 21 mph! He had to be a cop because they are always trying to be better than everyone else. I think that he was an Indian guy, I rode with him for about 5 miles. That guy HAD to be putting out 400 watts! He wouldn't allow me to pass and take a pull to at least give him some respite. Finally he blew high, wide and handsome. I passed and kept going because I didn't want to insult him in any way. But merely the fact that that guy could ride knobbys that fast for that long (this was in the final 20 miles of the Metric) was pretty astonishing. I finished pretty far up out of some 1600 riders. That guy couldn't have been more than 20 minutes behind me.
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Old 09-21-19, 02:32 PM
  #162  
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I can't say that I see the point of a carbon fiber gravel bike. Since you're riding 33 mm tires (good choice) aluminum bikes are much cheaper and you don't have to worry about the frame being too stiff.
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Old 09-21-19, 03:06 PM
  #163  
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Originally Posted by RiceAWay
I can't say that I see the point of a carbon fiber gravel bike. Since you're riding 33 mm tires (good choice) aluminum bikes are much cheaper and you don't have to worry about the frame being too stiff.
Carbon frames exist for gravel because users find them to be a combination of the following-
- comfortable
- versatile
- light
- look good
- trendy
- innovative
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Old 09-21-19, 03:12 PM
  #164  
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Originally Posted by RiceAWay
Are you riding a Walmart bike and dreaming that you now are in heaven? I'm sitting here with A Colnago CLX3.0, a Colnago Master,, a Lemond Zurich, a Pinarello Stelvio, a Pinarello Torino, a Ridley XBow , a Redline Conquest, a Basso Loto, a Backroads Chohalo and a Mercian in the garage. I've built every one of them from frame up and most with Campy Record components. I've sold off a Trek HiFi 29er and a Gary Fisher full suspension and a couple of hardtails. I missed riding the first three months of the year so I only have 3,500 miles and 138,000 ft of climbing. I finished off last year with 4,500 miles and over 250,000 ft of climbing and I'm 75 years old and started riding when a hot setup was a Peugeot PX-10 with sewups. I have a large bag of Bontrager caps that Keith gave to me when he was closing his doors in Santa Cruz after he sold his name off.


We are all impressed.***
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Old 09-21-19, 05:31 PM
  #165  
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Originally Posted by RiceAWay
Have you ever ...
I don't see the relevance of anything you wrote, but it sure puts your previous post in a new perspective.
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Old 09-21-19, 06:00 PM
  #166  
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I'm not sure what you're talking about. A gravel bike is nothing more than a road bike with sufficient tire clearance for up to 32 or so gravel knobbys. Most of the bikes before 1985 would do that. I can't say that I ever even used special tires to ride gravel roads and just went from asphalt to dirt road without even thinking about it. And that's when a wide tire was 23mm.
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Old 09-21-19, 06:17 PM
  #167  
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Originally Posted by RiceAWay
... but neither do I need someone other than my two brothers and my wife insulting me.
This made me laugh.
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Old 09-21-19, 07:21 PM
  #168  
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Originally Posted by RiceAWay
A gravel bike is nothing more than a road bike with sufficient tire clearance for up to 32 or so gravel knobbys.
Clearance up to 32mm isn't at all the common max for what size gravel bikes take.

It's super neat that you ride gravel on 23mm or narrower tires. Just recognize that many others choose to use a different size tire for what are obvious reasons.

Me personally- a 23mm or narrower tire would not be fun to ride on gravel around me. I would deflect and bounce around more than what i do with a wider tire. I would absorb more vibration than what i do with a wider tire.
There is simply no upside to riding gravel with a 23mm or smaller tire, so bragging about how it was done without thought is funny.

Ultimately, what constitutes comfort for each rider is different. And what constitutes gravel for each region of the country is different. Some may find a 23mm tire at 120psi works for them in a certain area. Others may find a 40mm tire at 40psi works for them in a certain area.
Its bold to claim someone is 'doing it wrong'.
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Old 09-21-19, 07:35 PM
  #169  
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Originally Posted by RiceAWay
Maybe you can explain to me what difference you believe there is between a CX and a road bike?
In general, a CX bike will have:

More stack
Longer wheelbase
Room for larger tires
Higher bottom bracket
No mounts beyond cage bosses
Lower standover height

...but it will still have two wheels, pedals in the middle, and all of the other bike bits, so it's mostly the same.
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Old 09-23-19, 07:20 AM
  #170  
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Interesting data point for me. Did a solo century on Saturday, same route I did about six months ago. First time out was on my aero road bike, this time was on the gravel bike with road tires. On most of my usual routes and group rides, I haven't noticed much difference between the two bikes. But riding solo for 100 miles, there is no doubt that the gravel bike is slower. Probably mostly due to rider position, then to a lesser extent, frame and gearing. But I was about 10 mins slower, and the kicker is that when I did it on the aero bike it stormed hard for the last 30 miles, so that slowed me down even more (weather was clear and perfect this past weekend). Not a big deal to me, just interesting to see the difference is much more apparent over a longer distance, which makes sense.

It'll be interesting to see how it goes when I do that route again with the new Tarmac.
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Old 09-23-19, 07:57 AM
  #171  
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Originally Posted by Rides4Beer
Interesting data point for me. Did a solo century on Saturday, same route I did about six months ago. First time out was on my aero road bike, this time was on the gravel bike with road tires. On most of my usual routes and group rides, I haven't noticed much difference between the two bikes. But riding solo for 100 miles, there is no doubt that the gravel bike is slower. Probably mostly due to rider position, then to a lesser extent, frame and gearing. But I was about 10 mins slower, and the kicker is that when I did it on the aero bike it stormed hard for the last 30 miles, so that slowed me down even more (weather was clear and perfect this past weekend). Not a big deal to me, just interesting to see the difference is much more apparent over a longer distance, which makes sense.

It'll be interesting to see how it goes when I do that route again with the new Tarmac.
Not saying one is slower than the other but I've done a routine 40 mile route about 150 times. My moving times can be +-5 or more minutes and average speed +- 0.5 mph on any given day on the same bike.

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Old 09-23-19, 08:25 AM
  #172  
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Is a "gravel bike" just a more sturdily built CX bike with relaxed geometry and big tires? If so sure it can be a good road bike but it will likely be heavier and more difficult to get really aero so I think that some tradeoffs are inevitable compared with road bikes.
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Old 09-23-19, 09:04 AM
  #173  
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Originally Posted by wphamilton
Is a "gravel bike" just a more sturdily built CX bike with relaxed geometry and big tires? If so sure it can be a good road bike but it will likely be heavier and more difficult to get really aero so I think that some tradeoffs are inevitable compared with road bikes.
Some of the frames are a bit heavier than a typical road bike, but we're not talking about a huge difference. Once slicks are subbed for the knobbies they're, for the most part, endurance road bikes. Could a racing-oriented frame be set up more aero? Quite often, sure, but the rider also has to be able to take advantage of that more aggressive set-up, which is far from a given. So, can they be good road bikes? Undoubtedly. Can they be good crit bikes? No, they wouldn't be ideal.
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Old 09-23-19, 09:30 AM
  #174  
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Originally Posted by u235
Not saying one is slower than the other but I've done a routine 40 mile route about 150 times. My moving times can be +-5 or more minutes and average speed +- 0.5 mph on any given day on the same bike.
No doubt, always variables at play. I was surprised tho, I fully expected to be faster on Sat, given that my fitness has improved, and the weather was better (warmer, but that storm def slowed me down the last 30 miles of my previous ride).
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Old 09-23-19, 10:26 AM
  #175  
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Originally Posted by Rides4Beer
Interesting data point for me. Did a solo century on Saturday, same route I did about six months ago. First time out was on my aero road bike, this time was on the gravel bike with road tires. On most of my usual routes and group rides, I haven't noticed much difference between the two bikes. But riding solo for 100 miles, there is no doubt that the gravel bike is slower. Probably mostly due to rider position, then to a lesser extent, frame and gearing. But I was about 10 mins slower, and the kicker is that when I did it on the aero bike it stormed hard for the last 30 miles, so that slowed me down even more (weather was clear and perfect this past weekend). Not a big deal to me, just interesting to see the difference is much more apparent over a longer distance, which makes sense.
The aero road bike certainly should be quicker, but 10 minutes on a century is only about a 3% difference. There are a lot of factors that could be responsible for that.
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