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I don't get gravel bikes

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I don't get gravel bikes

Old 02-20-20, 05:33 AM
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bruce19
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I don't get gravel bikes

Let me start by saying that I am open to being educated. I have a very nice cyclo-cross bike. Why would I need a gravel bike? Is there a significant difference? If so, what is it? Might as well throw in a pic of my bike.
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Old 02-20-20, 07:02 AM
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It's a quick and dirty generalization, but -

road race : road endurance :: CX : gravel

vs CX, gravel tends to have more relaxed geometry (longer wheelbase, longer chainstays, lower BB, etc), more provisions for water bottles, fenders, racks, and larger tire clearance.

As for why you would need one - I don't know. Why would you need any bike?
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Old 02-20-20, 07:15 AM
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Originally Posted by WhyFi

vs CX, gravel tends to have more relaxed geometry (longer wheelbase, longer chainstays, lower BB, etc), more provisions for water bottles, fenders, racks, and larger tire clearance.

As for why you would need one - I don't know. Why would you need any bike?
More stack too, right? I think that's why they're so popular.
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Old 02-20-20, 07:23 AM
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Originally Posted by MoAlpha
More stack too, right? I think that's why they're so popular.
I was being lazy - that's covered by "etc" Basically all the stuff that you typically see in endurance, you'll often see in gravel.
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Old 02-20-20, 07:27 AM
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
I was being lazy - that's covered by "etc" Basically all the stuff that you typically see in endurance, you'll often see in gravel.
Not at all. I realize I missed the meaning of the accurate analogy at the top.
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Old 02-20-20, 08:12 AM
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Beautiful Colnago. That's all I've got to contribute.
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Old 02-20-20, 08:23 AM
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Why not???? I guess if you do different riding styles you have a tool for each. I use to mountain bike too when I lived in the NC mountains because there were so many areas to go and do that style of riding. However, I found I did not really care for that type of riding. I like the paved road and a nice road bike as my style of riding. Its about choices in this sport and the availability to do what you like. The only thing I do try to steer folks from are cheap dime store "bike-like" bikes. If you don't have the money to buy new quality then buy a nice used bike of quality.
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Old 02-20-20, 08:36 AM
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Originally Posted by bruce19
Let me start by saying that I am open to being educated. I have a very nice cyclo-cross bike. Why would I need a gravel bike? Is there a significant difference? If so, what is it? Might as well throw in a pic of my bike.
You dont need a gravel bike. Its a hobby- get one if you find value in it.
Do you race or recreationally ride CX? If not- why have a CX style bike?

If the bike(s) you have work well for the ways in which you ride, then you obviously dont need another bike.


There is a lot of blur between CX and Gravel bikes right now, since many CX bikes in the last half decade(or so) have had the tire clearance increase(which both allows mud to shed more easily in races and allows for wider tires to ride gravel).
The other blur is that since 'gravel' is such a wide spanning category, it includes bikes that are basically rigid drop bar mountain bikes as well as bikes that are road race bikes with wide tires. The materials, components, and geometry is really wide spanning within the category. There will obviously be a lot of crossover into the long established categories of paved road, mtb, and CX as a result of this.

The Cervelo Aspero is a gravel race bike that has been used in pro CX races. Other gravel bikes have been used in CX races recently too(dont remember because I only read about it from push notifications and am too lazy to google on this well worn topic).
- Bikes like the Aspero, 3T Exploro, Open UP, Salsa Warbird, etc that position themselves as gravel race bikes.
- Bikes like the Cannondale Topstone, All City Cosmic Stallion, Jamis Renegade, Niner RLT/RDO, Trek Checkpoint, etc that position themselves as all around gravel bikes. These could be capable of long recreational rides or racing, just depends on setup and what the rider wants.
- Bikes like the Black Mountain Cycles MCD, Salsa Cutthroat, Bombtrack Beyond, etc position themselves as adventure/monstercross/drop bar MTB bikes that are built to explore and be rugged.

Some of all this is marketing and some of all this is legitimate design.
Ride your bikes however and wherever you want, and if its difficult to do, then look at a better bike for the job. Its pretty simple.
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Old 02-20-20, 08:36 AM
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
It's a quick and dirty generalization, but -

road race : road endurance :: CX : gravel

vs CX, gravel tends to have more relaxed geometry (longer wheelbase, longer chainstays, lower BB, etc), more provisions for water bottles, fenders, racks, and larger tire clearance.

As for why you would need one - I don't know. Why would you need any bike?
The tire clearance thing is bike. IIRC, cross rules stipulate a max 35 tire width. (I could have that wrong, it's been a long time since I raced cross.) For gravel, a lot of people run 40+ tires. In fact, a lot of riders even run smaller wheels with bigger tires - essentially 26in MTB wheels and tires.
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Old 02-20-20, 08:39 AM
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If you wanted wider tires than what a CX frame would allow, that might be a motivation.


But if you don't get gravel bikes, you won't be getting one.

Problem solved. You have what looks like a great bike. What are the brakes?
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Old 02-20-20, 08:43 AM
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Originally Posted by topflightpro
The tire clearance thing is bike. IIRC, cross rules stipulate a max 35 tire width. (I could have that wrong, it's been a long time since I raced cross.) For gravel, a lot of people run 40+ tires. In fact, a lot of riders even run smaller wheels with bigger tires - essentially 26in MTB wheels and tires.
Yup. Many of the earlier gravel bikes only took ~40mm tires, but many of the new ones are accommodating 650b wheels and larger tires. Some even have provisions to alter the fork to compensate for the geometry change with different wheel sizes.
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Old 02-20-20, 08:43 AM
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You are going about it backwards. Does your current bike do what you need it to do at a level you are happy with? If so, you don't need something else. It really is that simple.
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Old 02-20-20, 08:48 AM
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Originally Posted by wgscott
If you wanted wider tires than what a CX frame would allow, that might be a motivation.


But if you don't get gravel bikes, you won't be getting one.

Problem solved. You have what looks like a great bike. What are the brakes?
Discs. I'm running 28 mm "gravel" tires, which I take to be somewhere between road and cross tires. The gravel tires are fine but a bit lacking up the little steep "ups" when coming to a gate on the local rail/trail. And, you are correct. I won't be getting a gravel bike given the differences mentioned so far.
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Old 02-20-20, 08:54 AM
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[QUOTE=WhyFi;21334943As for why you would need one - I don't know. Why would you need any bike?[/QUOTE]

Because I'm done pissing my money away on cars and Ducatis and I need to piss it away on something so....bikes.
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Old 02-20-20, 09:17 AM
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Old 02-20-20, 09:32 AM
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Counterpoint: I never really got "cyclocross" bikes. Sure, most of what was marketed as "cyclocross" or "cross" to the recreational market was more capable than a pure road bike (more tire clearance, generally more braze-ons), but they still had some awkward features carried over from cyclocross race bikes like higher bottom brackets.

"Gravel" bikes with even more tire clearance, bottle and rack mounts, and low bottom brackets are really what non-race "cyclocross" bikes should have been all along, IMO.
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Old 02-20-20, 09:46 AM
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Originally Posted by bruce19
A rare sunny day?
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Old 02-20-20, 10:10 AM
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Originally Posted by bruce19
Let me start by saying that I am open to being educated. I have a very nice cyclo-cross bike. Why would I need a gravel bike? Is there a significant difference? If so, what is it? Might as well throw in a pic of my bike.
With all due respect, the multiple spacers and uptilted bars suggest that you'd be happier on a frame with quite a bit with more stack. To wit, a gravel bike.
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Old 02-20-20, 10:15 AM
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Originally Posted by bruce19
Discs.
I gathered. I was wondering what brand, as I had not seen white calipers like that.
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Old 02-20-20, 10:19 AM
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Originally Posted by wgscott
I gathered. I was wondering what brand, as I had not seen white calipers like that.
160 mm Avid. The calipers are actually silver.
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Old 02-20-20, 10:23 AM
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I suppose a big point between CX and gravel (to me) would be the gearing, as CX gearing is usually closer ratio, whereas gravel bikes kind of need to "do it all". CX bikes tend to have larger front triangles than true gravel bikes because they get shouldered.

I'll muddy the waters a bit though...

I use my CX bike as a gravel bike. BUT, I also race mixed-surface races on a full-tilt disc road bike with 26c file-tread tires. In the winter, I'll throw those same tires on my CX bike and use it as a road bike with full fenders that occasionally sees gravel. If I go exploring, I throw some 38c gravel tires on and get lost. The CX/gravel bike is a bit taller in the front end and has a cushy ride (Trek Boone Disc, so IsoSpeed and whatnot) than my road bike, but the geometry is still set more aggressive than most average "endurance" road bikes due to decades of racing road bikes.

I'm scouting a race course this weekend on the fendered CX bike with 26c FT's that I fully intend to race the next weekend on my TCR Advanced SL Disc.

The "gravel" bikes I see coming out are just endurance road bikes with a bit more tire clearance and a long-cage RD (or the ghastly 11-42t single chainring GRX groupset). Obviously there are some niche outliers trying to capitalize on the growth, but those are few and far between.
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Old 02-20-20, 10:25 AM
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Originally Posted by bruce19
Discs. I'm running 28 mm "gravel" tires, which I take to be somewhere between road and cross tires. The gravel tires are fine but a bit lacking up the little steep "ups" when coming to a gate on the local rail/trail. And, you are correct. I won't be getting a gravel bike given the differences mentioned so far.
So you dont use your CX bike for CX? Then why have it?
...thats rhetorical and meant to point out that in addition to gravel, you also dont 'get' CX.

Ends up bikes can be versatile.

For a packed down limestone rail trail, while you dont need a bike capable of handling wider tires, wider tires will provide more comfort while allowing you to be as fast or possibly faster.

This thread could have just as easily been labeled 'I dont get mountain bikes' because you dont feel you need one of those for your limited unpaved riding on a groomed and well maintained limestone trail.
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Old 02-20-20, 10:29 AM
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If your bike works on gravel, then you don't *need* a gravel bike. But I def like the bigger tire clearance, geo, and gearing on my gravel bike over CX bikes. Plus, I don't race CX. I know plenty of people who do, and they ride their CX bikes on gravel with no issues.
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Old 02-20-20, 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
So you dont use your CX bike for CX? Then why have it?
...thats rhetorical and meant to point out that in addition to gravel, you also dont 'get' CX..
Well, what drew me to cross for the rail/trials was the greater tire clearance. My other bikes are 3 road bikes with rim brakes. If I had had a disc brake road bike I might not have been drawn to CX. And, the gearing is more appropriate for what I do.
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Old 02-20-20, 11:29 AM
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Being a bigger guy and coming from an MTB the more relaxed geometry and wider tire limits of a Gravel bike was appealing to me, so I got one. if the scale keeps going down I might get something with a more aggressive position in a few years.

either way, do what works for you
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