Can A Gravel Bike Be A Good Road Bike?
#101
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And the wheels — it’s 490g vs 443g. At least for the rims, not sure about the weights of the other stuff in the wheelset. And these won’t be my road set. It’s more important that they be able to hit a rock and not get damaged. I’ll look for lighter when I get another wheelset for road use in the spring.
Can't wait for a ride report.
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Of course I am running them way to tight, and I really don't care about clearance.
#104
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I'm not criticizing your bike in the least. Just the idea that this sort of set-up should be recommended to someone asking advice on a faster sport bike. They don't make bikes that aren't designed with a purpose in mind, so we should at least agree that aside from quality which is dictated by price all bikes are good bikes.
#105
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why not? I Criticize it all the Time! ask around, lol
It was worse when it had stupid Bontrager parts on it. Like Bontrager wheels, worse wheels ever! Between Bontrager and Trek and this bike I now hate both brand names and anything associated with them.
point is fenders din't slow it down, neither did the 38s
bigger tires only bring weight, but so do steel frames! I'd take a Carbon bike with fat Compass tires over a steel frame bike on 23/25s. Especially Gatorskins at that!!!!
It was worse when it had stupid Bontrager parts on it. Like Bontrager wheels, worse wheels ever! Between Bontrager and Trek and this bike I now hate both brand names and anything associated with them.
point is fenders din't slow it down, neither did the 38s
bigger tires only bring weight, but so do steel frames! I'd take a Carbon bike with fat Compass tires over a steel frame bike on 23/25s. Especially Gatorskins at that!!!!
#106
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In my experience, yes, it can be a "good" road bike. But not great.
I sold my old CX "race" bike and converted my old road geo bike to a fixed gear a bit over a year ago, and planned to ride a newly purchased modern carbon gravel bike (Salsa Warbird) for everything.
The Warbird with mid-depth carbon road wheels/tires rolls fast in a paceline, and sprints fine. But it's not so great on turns as it handles slowly. And once the road goes up beyond about 5-10% it feels a bit less sprightly a climber compared to my old alumin[i]um road bike. Between the looong wheelbase (esp. the front-center), the very slack head tube angle it's definitely more suited to bumpy gravel. It's possible that the comfort baked into the rear end and longer chainstays affect the power transfer too, but I'm not sure.
For smoother gravel and CX racing I would actually prefer my old CX bike (actually: especially for CX racing). And on fast group rides, for anything with sharp cornering and/or sprinty hills I'd prefer a more aggressive road geometry.
I have actually considered getting a "race" geometry CX bike again, or even just a plain road bike again mostly for the faster group rides. But I don't really race often nor at a very competitive level so I haven't (yet).
One other point I've considered: it may depend a bit on your size. I'm not heavy (<140lbs) and I almost never run anything larger than 32mm tires even though my gravel bike clears 44mm. I imagine the differences between having wider tires/lower pressure/etc. are bigger for larger folks, and in that case it may make more sense to have a gravel bike. In my case, in hindsight, it almost feels like overkill as I used to just do gravel on my CX bike with no problems. And conversely, even the minor differences in geometry between my road bikes and my gravel bike are enough to affect my smaller frame/power output.
I sold my old CX "race" bike and converted my old road geo bike to a fixed gear a bit over a year ago, and planned to ride a newly purchased modern carbon gravel bike (Salsa Warbird) for everything.
The Warbird with mid-depth carbon road wheels/tires rolls fast in a paceline, and sprints fine. But it's not so great on turns as it handles slowly. And once the road goes up beyond about 5-10% it feels a bit less sprightly a climber compared to my old alumin[i]um road bike. Between the looong wheelbase (esp. the front-center), the very slack head tube angle it's definitely more suited to bumpy gravel. It's possible that the comfort baked into the rear end and longer chainstays affect the power transfer too, but I'm not sure.
For smoother gravel and CX racing I would actually prefer my old CX bike (actually: especially for CX racing). And on fast group rides, for anything with sharp cornering and/or sprinty hills I'd prefer a more aggressive road geometry.
I have actually considered getting a "race" geometry CX bike again, or even just a plain road bike again mostly for the faster group rides. But I don't really race often nor at a very competitive level so I haven't (yet).
One other point I've considered: it may depend a bit on your size. I'm not heavy (<140lbs) and I almost never run anything larger than 32mm tires even though my gravel bike clears 44mm. I imagine the differences between having wider tires/lower pressure/etc. are bigger for larger folks, and in that case it may make more sense to have a gravel bike. In my case, in hindsight, it almost feels like overkill as I used to just do gravel on my CX bike with no problems. And conversely, even the minor differences in geometry between my road bikes and my gravel bike are enough to affect my smaller frame/power output.
I also have a CX bike, road endurance bike with relaxed geometry that fits 32 mm tires that I use for "gravel" off road riding and two race bikes(very aggressive geo). Geometry makes all the difference how the bike feels. The more aggressive the geometry is the more fun it is to ride.
And no, a CX bike is not a "Gravel" bike(geometry is different). My aluminum CX bike is more fun to ride than my lighter "endurance" carbon road bike because of the geometry. And my race geometry steel bike is more fun to ride( and faster) than my carbon endurance bike. On fast group rides I prefer riding a "race geo" road bikes. If I bring my endurance bike to those rides I have to work much harder to keep up...
#107
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I'm not criticizing your bike in the least. Just the idea that this sort of set-up should be recommended to someone asking advice on a faster sport bike. They don't make bikes that aren't designed with a purpose in mind, so we should at least agree that aside from quality which is dictated by price all bikes are good bikes.
A 'faster sport bike' as you call it can have fenders and still be fast.
Fast bike and fenders arent mutually exclusive.
#108
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my setup on the Trek above was the fastest roll down hill out of of 5 bikes on a 3 day ride. so much different I brought it up! It was actually annoying.
I wasn't the heaviest either, by a long shot. The heaviest was on Rat Traps but with bento box and front panniers. (pushing a wall!!)
I originally set the fenders up on a 28c GP4000 (30 measured), and it was faster with fenders on that set up than without the fenders. the fenders are only tight with the 38s because I didn't feel like adjusting.
I even have Race Blades clip on fenders that I occasionally throw on my Singlespeed that runs a 25c, They don't slow me down either. However wet roads are also faster too. so maybe it's a wash. When the farmers are dropping fertilizer on the roads etc..... Fenders are a must I don't want that Crap (literally) on me!
I really do want to love the Crossrip. but between the black hole tax on my energy input, the front flexing, and the frame flex when I power down, along with it being very jarring (even with the 38's) I'm done with it.
I can see fenders being an issue pushing past 20mph averages. but again the guy on gator skins isn't doing that either!
Edit: I was looking at Willard, Tamland, and Crossrip. I really regret not buying a Tamland or Willard. Then a couple years after I bought the Crossrip. Fuji dropped the Jari on the market.
I am pretty sure a 2019 Revolts going to fix it. a Revolt on Barlow Pass or 38c Gravelking allroads slicks.
I wasn't the heaviest either, by a long shot. The heaviest was on Rat Traps but with bento box and front panniers. (pushing a wall!!)
I originally set the fenders up on a 28c GP4000 (30 measured), and it was faster with fenders on that set up than without the fenders. the fenders are only tight with the 38s because I didn't feel like adjusting.
I even have Race Blades clip on fenders that I occasionally throw on my Singlespeed that runs a 25c, They don't slow me down either. However wet roads are also faster too. so maybe it's a wash. When the farmers are dropping fertilizer on the roads etc..... Fenders are a must I don't want that Crap (literally) on me!
I really do want to love the Crossrip. but between the black hole tax on my energy input, the front flexing, and the frame flex when I power down, along with it being very jarring (even with the 38's) I'm done with it.
I can see fenders being an issue pushing past 20mph averages. but again the guy on gator skins isn't doing that either!
Edit: I was looking at Willard, Tamland, and Crossrip. I really regret not buying a Tamland or Willard. Then a couple years after I bought the Crossrip. Fuji dropped the Jari on the market.
I am pretty sure a 2019 Revolts going to fix it. a Revolt on Barlow Pass or 38c Gravelking allroads slicks.
Last edited by Metieval; 10-11-18 at 10:53 AM.
#110
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I have a gravel bike. It is perfectly fine as a road bike. I have two wheel-sets. One is for on-road with slick tires, the other is off-road with serious treads.
Although I have run narrow tires (28mm is narrow for me), I'm now using 38mm slicks and 38mm treaded tires (both Compass) on the two wheel sets. I detect no performance hit with wider slick tires on road, and it allows me to take it on modestly challenging gravel roads too.
In other words, a gravel bike does not inflict any significant penalty, and it gives you the advantage of running wider tires if you so choose. You might not even need two sets of tires/wheels, depending upon what kind of gravel you ride.
A gravel bike is a road bike with fewer constraints on your riding.
Although I have run narrow tires (28mm is narrow for me), I'm now using 38mm slicks and 38mm treaded tires (both Compass) on the two wheel sets. I detect no performance hit with wider slick tires on road, and it allows me to take it on modestly challenging gravel roads too.
In other words, a gravel bike does not inflict any significant penalty, and it gives you the advantage of running wider tires if you so choose. You might not even need two sets of tires/wheels, depending upon what kind of gravel you ride.
A gravel bike is a road bike with fewer constraints on your riding.
#111
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. What his stupid riding style got him was a heart attack that relegated him to not riding a bicycle at all and slowly dying pretty miserably over the next 5 years. You can retain the very best your age and body type can handle but you have to remember that ignoring the medical facts of life is not good for you. And in the group I presently ride with more and more of the group are learning this.
#112
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Also, I knew Jobst and rode with him on a couple of occasions. The address and map he published to "my home" was not my home - it was some little old lady that he was trying to be people to disturb thinking I lived there.
I don't know who you are or why you believe you can talk about anything other than yourself.
I have a T-shirt that says, "I may be old but at least I'm slow" and no one seemed to know what that meant until after they injured their hearts. In the meantime I'm passed by all of the young fast guys to the tops of the climbs and when I reach them they are laying over the rail puking and I ride by and go down the hill. Over the last two years my speed has gone down rather remarkably because my max heart rate has decreased so much. But I'm still riding and am as healthy as ever. Are you working on a heart attack to prove how manly you are?
#114
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Yes, gravel bikes make excellent road bikes. I have no problems on A group rides with my Revolt using a second wheelset with 28mm GP5Ks. I've also done fast rides on the stock 40mm tires, but that def takes more effort.
#115
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English is my first language.
I deleted the rest of your post because at no point in your post do you show my comment was wrong. You actually showed further 'evidence' of thinking bicycling is why Brandt had a heart attach. You dont acknowledge all the other known factors and instead further explained that Brandt rode his bike in a heart unhealthy way.
...I assume I am responding to cyclintom.
#116
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All this time I thought those t-shirts were meant to be funny, but now you're saying they're really dispensing medical advice?
#117
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I understood your post.
English is my first language.
I deleted the rest of your post because at no point in your post do you show my comment was wrong. You actually showed further 'evidence' of thinking bicycling is why Brandt had a heart attach. You dont acknowledge all the other known factors and instead further explained that Brandt rode his bike in a heart unhealthy way.
...I assume I am responding to cyclintom.
English is my first language.
I deleted the rest of your post because at no point in your post do you show my comment was wrong. You actually showed further 'evidence' of thinking bicycling is why Brandt had a heart attach. You dont acknowledge all the other known factors and instead further explained that Brandt rode his bike in a heart unhealthy way.
...I assume I am responding to cyclintom.
Jobst and I had some disagreements but we also had many things we agreed on completely. My greatest problem was his habit of taking a group of relatively new riders down a descent that turned into an unpaved road without any previous warning. He and I had ridden individually when many mountain roads did that and it was second nature to us but the last thing I would do is take anyone around what was little more than a dirt trail without warning them that it was going to be there.
Yes, this is cyclintom. After my concussion I was vey angry which is symptomatic of concussions. I suppose I must have cussed people out on several groups and they removed me. Since I was in continuous seizures I had little control over my temper. After receiving treatment to stop the seizures and recovering the larger part of my memories, I had to re-register under a different moniker.
#118
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#119
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gravel bike would make a good endurance road bike, but a poor racing road bike. the long chainstays required for larger tires will cause the bike to be very sluggish on corning but stable on straight lines
i went from CAAD10 (racing) to Roubiax (endurance), now to Niner (gravel)
i went from CAAD10 (racing) to Roubiax (endurance), now to Niner (gravel)
#120
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I haven't told people like Jobst that they are crazy for attributing their heart attack to cycling.
That isn't even close to anything I have posted.
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Yes, this is cyclintom. After my concussion I was vey angry which is symptomatic of concussions. I suppose I must have cussed people out on several groups and they removed me. Since I was in continuous seizures I had little control over my temper. After receiving treatment to stop the seizures and recovering the larger part of my memories, I had to re-register under a different moniker.
#123
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It all depends on the bike geometry, components, & tires. The average gravel bike can be a very decent road bike. I have a Diamondback Haanjo Trail that I love and have used for many different purposes. I have Panaracer Gravel King slick 38mm tires set up tubeless. IMHO, unless you are going to get into some really messy trail stuff, wider slick tires are every bit as capable on gravel & hardpacked dirt as any "small knob" tire. In addition to that, they are great on tarmac & everything in between. Some gravel bikes are more mountain bike with 1x drivetrains. For the typical recreational road ride, I would have no issue taking my gravel bike or the road bike. If you encounter significant elevation changes on your rides, the gravel bike gearing can be a welcome friend.
#124
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gravel bike would make a good endurance road bike, but a poor racing road bike. the long chainstays required for larger tires will cause the bike to be very sluggish on corning but stable on straight lines
i went from CAAD10 (racing) to Roubiax (endurance), now to Niner (gravel)
i went from CAAD10 (racing) to Roubiax (endurance), now to Niner (gravel)
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#125
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If it were me I'd go with my cyclocross bike.