GCN - Can Gravel Bikes Do It All?
06-26-19, 11:15 AM
#26
Senior Member
Amen! Maybe CX bikes are better pulling road duties than a more relaxed "gravel geo" which means nothing as it is all over the place. CX geo is fairly standardised compared to the ambiguity that is "gravel bikes".
What tire size? While I agree tires would make a huge difference on a group ride, and maybe that extra 4 lbs. But what if you were running road tires. Do you still feel that the extra 4 lbs and the geo make the bike unable to keep up on a group ride? Super interesting.
What tire size? While I agree tires would make a huge difference on a group ride, and maybe that extra 4 lbs. But what if you were running road tires. Do you still feel that the extra 4 lbs and the geo make the bike unable to keep up on a group ride? Super interesting.
2013 Ridley Helium / 2017 Blue Prosecco
Weight - 7.4/9.2
Stack - 575/586 (Prosecco higher stack by 1cm)
Reach -390/361 (Prosecco shorter reach by 3cm)
BB Drop - 66/70
Chainstay - 405/425
TT - 55/53.5
Seat Tube Angle - 73/73.5
Head Tube Angle - 73.5/72
Wheelbase - 990/996
As you can see the gravel bike has a slightly more upright position with a shorter reach. Certainly more comfortable on longer rides but I cannot slide up and power down on the gravel bike like I can on the road bike. The wheelbase is close (6mm diff) but the longer chainstay on the gravel bike and a slightly steeper seat tube angle allow the gravel bike to distribute weight for climbing up steep/loose gravel hills. The gravel bike does have more of an endurance fit than what you would see on a true CX bike.
Keep in mind that as I mentioned before, specific geometry is for specific purposes. You can surely find a (gravel?) bike that has the same or similar geometry as your road bike and just has wider spacing for tires but rides and feels similar to your road bike. The other thing to keep in mind with posts in BF is that there are all different types of cyclists on this forum. Some may be comparing their daily commute through a city to both bikes, some may be comparing mostly flat rides between their gravel and road bikes, some may ride at 22mph and others at 15mph. Where I live and mostly ride, I have lots of hills and any 20 mile ride from my house is a minimum of 1200 feet of climbing. My daily ride is not a commute but rather for mostly exercise and the joy of cycling. There are also many forestry roads with a combination of dirt, pine needles, rocks and gravel. Nothing is flat.
It kinda does. Most of that seems to be in the chain stay. Maybe its just me, but I have not found a bike with a 435mm chain stay that can really accelerate and "pop" like one with a 420mm chain stay. In a fast hard road ride, putting power down climbing a hill, or doing a jump when I get behind a slow wheel is important to me.
And my rides are not just straight. A shorter wheelbase and tighter head tube angle allow me to corner harder. Faster cornering means less acceleration out of the corner. That and of course, if you drop the BB too much I just have to coast around the corner and wait a few beats before accelerating out of it.
If I get too long/low/slack I just have to slow down more or I'll run wide (and hit something) on a hard corner.
And obviously stack is going to affect how aero my body is.
And my rides are not just straight. A shorter wheelbase and tighter head tube angle allow me to corner harder. Faster cornering means less acceleration out of the corner. That and of course, if you drop the BB too much I just have to coast around the corner and wait a few beats before accelerating out of it.
If I get too long/low/slack I just have to slow down more or I'll run wide (and hit something) on a hard corner.
And obviously stack is going to affect how aero my body is.
-Sean
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