Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational)
Reload this Page >

When Were Bikes First Called Gravel Bikes?

Notices
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational) This has to be the most physically intense sport ever invented. It's high speed bicycle racing on a short off road course or riding the off pavement rides on gravel like : "Unbound Gravel". We also have a dedicated Racing forum for the Cyclocross Hard Core Racers.

When Were Bikes First Called Gravel Bikes?

Old 04-10-21, 04:07 PM
  #1  
Random11
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2020
Location: North Florida
Posts: 510

Bikes: 2019 Specialized Diverge, 2021 Cervelo Caledonia

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 257 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 378 Times in 197 Posts
When Were Bikes First Called Gravel Bikes?

When was the term "gravel bike" first used? What bike was the first to be called a gravel bike? I'm relatively new to cycling (been riding a bit more than three years) and I know that gravel bikes are a relatively new category, but am curious as to when the term was first used. I'm also aware of gravel races. Did those races pre-date the introduction of gravel bikes? Perhaps gravel bikes were developed specifically to compete in gravel races, but I'm speculating and don't know. Were there gravel bikes ten years ago? Were there gravel races ten years ago? Just curious about the history of the term "gravel" in cycling.
Random11 is offline  
Old 04-10-21, 05:59 PM
  #2  
mstateglfr 
Sunshine
 
mstateglfr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,538

Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10902 Post(s)
Liked 7,393 Times in 4,148 Posts
No idea when it was first used. I'm sure many would like to claim coining the term, but it'd probably be wrong and it really doesn't matter.

Gravel races were around before the current gravel popularity began.
Trans Iowa started in 2004 I think. DK started in 2006. There were gravel races before these, from what ive read. There were gravel races in the 90s.
And old cyclists will shake a fist at clouds and declare that they rode tubulars on gravel 40 years ago, as if they expect us to congratulate them.

I am pretty sure Salsa claims they created the first production gravel bike. That's like Specialized claiming the created the first production mountain bike. Its not entirely untrue, but it definitely isn't true.

Early gravel races were ridden with mountain bikes, cyclocross bikes, monstercross bikes, and pretty much whatever someone had that could get the job done.
mstateglfr is offline  
Old 04-10-21, 08:54 PM
  #3  
AlmostTrick
Tortoise Wins by a Hare!
 
AlmostTrick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Looney Tunes, IL
Posts: 7,398

Bikes: Wabi Special FG, Raleigh Roper, Nashbar AL-1, Miyata One Hundred, '70 Schwinn Lemonator and More!!

Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1549 Post(s)
Liked 941 Times in 504 Posts
Back in the stone age.
AlmostTrick is offline  
Likes For AlmostTrick:
Old 04-10-21, 09:07 PM
  #4  
dwmckee
Senior Member
 
dwmckee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 2,468

Bikes: Co-Motion Cappuccino Tandem,'88 Bob Jackson Touring, Co-Motion Cascadia Touring, Open U.P., Ritchie Titanium Breakaway, Frances Cycles SmallHaul cargo bike. Those are the permanent ones; others wander in and out of the stable occasionally as well.

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 427 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 339 Times in 229 Posts
The propper term as I understand it is an Allroad bike and Jan Heine from Bicycle Quarterly coined the term to categorize the bikes he rides that are designed for great performance on both fire roads he rides in the Cascades and the paved roads used to access them.. I am guessing by 2004/5 or so, but not sure. The phrase never caught on much though and the mutch catchier name of Gravel Bike took over by around 2010 roughly.
dwmckee is offline  
Old 04-11-21, 12:08 AM
  #5  
cb400bill
Forum Moderator
 
cb400bill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Kalamazoo MI
Posts: 21,325

Bikes: Fuji SL2.1 Carbon Di2 Cannondale Synapse Alloy 4 Trek Checkpoint ALR-5 Viscount Aerospace Pro Colnago Classic Rabobank Schwinn Waterford PMount Raleigh C50 Cromoly Hybrid Legnano Tipo Roma Pista

Mentioned: 58 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3059 Post(s)
Liked 6,381 Times in 3,692 Posts
Don’t forget about the 1989 Specialized Rock Combo


__________________












cb400bill is offline  
Old 04-11-21, 12:42 PM
  #6  
dwmckee
Senior Member
 
dwmckee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 2,468

Bikes: Co-Motion Cappuccino Tandem,'88 Bob Jackson Touring, Co-Motion Cascadia Touring, Open U.P., Ritchie Titanium Breakaway, Frances Cycles SmallHaul cargo bike. Those are the permanent ones; others wander in and out of the stable occasionally as well.

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 427 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 339 Times in 229 Posts
Very cool! That definitely was a leader, well before the name existed...
dwmckee is offline  
Old 04-11-21, 09:08 PM
  #7  
mstateglfr 
Sunshine
 
mstateglfr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,538

Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10902 Post(s)
Liked 7,393 Times in 4,148 Posts
Bianchi Volpe
Diamondback Overdrive
Bianchi Project 1, 3, and 5
Trek Multitrack 7XX series
Univega ViaActiva and other versions
Schwinn Crosscut, Crisscross, and Crosspoint

All these in the 1988-1994 range were made for 700c frames that could take at least a 38mm and some up to a 43mm tire.
They were marketed as do-it-all bikes. Commute, tour, ride singletrack, explore.
mstateglfr is offline  
Old 04-11-21, 10:39 PM
  #8  
Rolla
Guest
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 2,888
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1346 Post(s)
Liked 3,269 Times in 1,439 Posts
Bruce Gordon called it a "Rock 'n Road" bike back in 1988!




The history: https://vimeo.com/19554917
Rolla is offline  
Likes For Rolla:
Old 04-12-21, 06:33 AM
  #9  
Random11
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2020
Location: North Florida
Posts: 510

Bikes: 2019 Specialized Diverge, 2021 Cervelo Caledonia

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 257 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 378 Times in 197 Posts
Thanks to all who provided some interesting information. I think of my "gravel" bike as designed to ride on unpaved roads, and I use it that way. But I'm still curious about the word "gravel." What was the first bike to be identified by that term? I do think a term like "Allroad" is more descriptive of the capabilities of these bikes.
Random11 is offline  
Old 04-12-21, 07:13 AM
  #10  
Hiro11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,608

Bikes: 2022 Specialized Allez Sprint custom build, 2019 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 0, 2018 Seven Mudhoney Pro custom build, 2017 Raleigh Stuntman, various others

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 782 Post(s)
Liked 475 Times in 238 Posts
No idea when the name started. Given that most races in Europe, including Grand Tours, were held on gravel/dirt roads up until the 70s, it's hardly a new idea. Tom Ritchey has also talked extensively about the "gravel rides" (although it wasn't called that) in the 70s in California and Colorado: https://www.gravelstoke.com/gravel-c...chey-on-gravel

Personally, a lot of the hipster gravel bikes I see these days seem to be seeking to replicate the Grant Petersen-designed 1993 Bridgestone XO-1:


Although, earlier, similar bikes are posted above.
Hiro11 is offline  
Likes For Hiro11:
Old 04-12-21, 09:51 AM
  #11  
DorkDisk
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Kips Bay, NY
Posts: 2,213

Bikes: Ritchey Swiss Cross | Teesdale Kona Hot | Haro Extreme | Specialized Stumpjumper Comp | Cannondale F1000 | Shogun 1000 | Cannondale M500 | Norco Charger | Marin Muirwoods 29er | Shogun Kaze | Breezer Lightning

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 576 Post(s)
Liked 991 Times in 484 Posts
Wasn't "gravel grinder" the initial marketing term?

DorkDisk is offline  
Likes For DorkDisk:
Old 04-12-21, 11:18 AM
  #12  
unterhausen
Randomhead
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,364
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,664 Times in 2,497 Posts
Mountain biking started on dirt roads and as people kept using them for more difficult terrain they changed. So it's not surprising that gravel bikes are similar to '80s mountain bikes. When I see those early guys riding on huge rocks it always impresses me. We used to go out on smooth singletrack and think we were doing something special.
unterhausen is offline  
Old 04-17-21, 05:35 AM
  #13  
Hiro11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,608

Bikes: 2022 Specialized Allez Sprint custom build, 2019 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 0, 2018 Seven Mudhoney Pro custom build, 2017 Raleigh Stuntman, various others

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 782 Post(s)
Liked 475 Times in 238 Posts
Originally Posted by unterhausen
When I see those early guys riding on huge rocks it always impresses me. We used to go out on smooth singletrack and think we were doing something special.
I started mountain biking in the early 90s and the bikes back then kinda sucked. My first real MTB was a rigid 1992 Cannondale SM700. 2.1x26 tires with no grip. Ridiculously stiff frame and aluminum fork that beat the hell out of you. Narrow little bars not much wider than a road bar. Giant saddle always in the way. Pedals with toe clips, very tricky to get into on any trail. Brakes that didn't really work. Riding smooth singletrack WAS a challenge on that thing. Anyone nostalgic about riding vintage mountain bikes on trails needs to actually give one a try, they sucked for their intended purpose. One thing I will grant them, old mountain bikes are very durable and useful as hybrids/recreational/utility bikes. Just don't take them offroad.
Hiro11 is offline  
Likes For Hiro11:
Old 04-17-21, 08:54 AM
  #14  
Random11
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2020
Location: North Florida
Posts: 510

Bikes: 2019 Specialized Diverge, 2021 Cervelo Caledonia

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 257 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 378 Times in 197 Posts
Originally Posted by DorkDisk
Wasn't "gravel grinder" the initial marketing term?

Thanks! This goes a long way toward answering my initial question.
Random11 is offline  
Old 04-21-21, 05:05 PM
  #15  
grolby
Senior Member
 
grolby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BOSTON BABY
Posts: 9,787
Mentioned: 27 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 287 Post(s)
Liked 85 Times in 59 Posts
I remember quite clearly the first time I encountered the term gravel bike, and it was circa 2008 or 2009, either from Sea Otter or NAHBS coverage. And associated with, I’m pretty sure, the original Salsa Warbird. And yes, we did laugh, because it was obviously just a cyclocross bike with disc brakes and a lower bottom bracket. It seemed a bit silly. But we were wrong about the appeal of it as a category. The rise of gravel bikes was also helped a lot by I think a general increase of interest in “adventure” style recreation in popular culture - think Spartan Race or Tough Mudder vs a 5k. And the rest is history as they say.

Originally Posted by dwmckee
The propper term as I understand it is an Allroad bike


Originally Posted by dwmckee
and Jan Heine from Bicycle Quarterly coined the term to categorize the bikes he rides that are designed for great performance on both fire roads he rides in the Cascades and the paved roads used to access them.. I am guessing by 2004/5 or so, but not sure. The phrase never caught on much though and the mutch catchier name of Gravel Bike took over by around 2010 roughly.
Jan Heine is certainly a character and he sells
some nice tires. But I wouldn’t regard him as an authority on gravel bikes per se. He’s long been a proponent of old-style road bikes from about the mid-century period in Europe that were designed for the kinds of road surfaces that were common in that time and place. While these bikes share some features with gravel bikes, there’s no familial connection - gravel bikes evolved from cyclocross bikes, which evolved from the road racing bikes of the post-war period. Very much not the audax and randoneeuring machines that Heine admires so much.
grolby is offline  
Old 04-22-21, 10:15 AM
  #16  
greysquirrel
Newbie
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 71
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 29 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 9 Times in 7 Posts
Originally Posted by Hiro11
I started mountain biking in the early 90s and the bikes back then kinda sucked. My first real MTB was a rigid 1992 Cannondale SM700. 2.1x26 tires with no grip. Ridiculously stiff frame and aluminum fork that beat the hell out of you. Narrow little bars not much wider than a road bar. Giant saddle always in the way. Pedals with toe clips, very tricky to get into on any trail. Brakes that didn't really work. Riding smooth singletrack WAS a challenge on that thing. Anyone nostalgic about riding vintage mountain bikes on trails needs to actually give one a try, they sucked for their intended purpose. One thing I will grant them, old mountain bikes are very durable and useful as hybrids/recreational/utility bikes. Just don't take them offroad.
My first MTB was a Bridgestone with rigid fork, 72 degree head tube, 41 in wheelbase. Good times!
greysquirrel is offline  
Old 04-26-21, 11:02 AM
  #17  
msu2001la
Senior Member
 
msu2001la's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Posts: 2,870
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1455 Post(s)
Liked 1,477 Times in 867 Posts
Originally Posted by DorkDisk
Wasn't "gravel grinder" the initial marketing term?
Yup. I first heard the term "gravel grinder" on this board... probably 10-12 years ago.

People have been shoving knobbies onto road bikes for 100 years, but no one called them "gravel bikes" until very recently.
msu2001la is offline  
Old 04-26-21, 11:12 AM
  #18  
grizzly59
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 712
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 283 Post(s)
Liked 262 Times in 164 Posts
In 1966, if your Schwinn Typhoon came with a 2 speed coaster brake, we called it a gravel bike as it was easy to ride in gravel vs the single speed. The Gruppo Ghiaia DeLuxe added an extra $8
  • L15 26" Deluxe Typhoon, coaster brake.......$44.95
  • L15 26" DEluxe Typhoon, 2or 3-speed........$52.95

Last edited by grizzly59; 04-26-21 at 02:26 PM.
grizzly59 is offline  
Old 05-03-21, 12:47 PM
  #19  
Fulltime1wd
Vintage aged
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Posts: 21
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 20 Times in 11 Posts
I grew up on a gravel road. Every bike was a gravel bike.
Fulltime1wd is offline  
Old 05-04-21, 09:25 AM
  #20  
Motorazr
Senior Member
 
Motorazr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 59

Bikes: 2020 Specialized Diverge Elite

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 25 Post(s)
Liked 20 Times in 13 Posts
Originally Posted by cb400bill
Don’t forget about the 1989 Specialized Rock Combo
That stem - it burns my eyes! Oh, the humanity, the geometry!
Motorazr is offline  
Old 05-04-21, 10:04 AM
  #21  
Chinghis
Full Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Southern California
Posts: 487

Bikes: Historical: Schwinn Speedster; Schwinn Collegiate; 1981 Ross Gran Tour; 1981 Dawes Atlantis; 1991 Specialized Rockhopper. Current: 1987 Ritchey Ultra; 1987 Centurion Ironman Dave Scott Master; 1992 Specialized Stumpjumper FS

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 207 Post(s)
Liked 178 Times in 111 Posts
Originally Posted by Fulltime1wd
I grew up on a gravel road. Every bike was a gravel bike.
Except, we (Upper Midwest) never called them gravel roads. They were just dirt roads, or unpaved.

It's funny, but I was thinking this morning of how silly the term "gravel bike" is. They're really dirt bikes, but that name got taken by motocross, I guess.

Originally Posted by Motorazr
That stem - it burns my eyes! Oh, the humanity, the geometry!
Hey, Ned liked it, can't be all bad.

Last edited by Chinghis; 05-04-21 at 10:06 AM. Reason: collapsing two responses
Chinghis is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.