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Old 05-03-21, 02:45 PM
  #18  
pbass
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 1,186

Bikes: 2016 Surly Cross Check, 2019 Kona Rove ST

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You sound like me. I come mostly from mountain biking, but never was into downhill, or anything super sendy. I gravitated towards rigid steel MTB's, including singlespeeds, and just preferred long flowy rides, tough climbs, and stopping to smell the roses. Had a road bike for a while, but hate riding in Los Angeles area traffic. So a "gravel" bike is perfect for me--I have a geared one that's more dirt focused (650B, knobby rubber) and a singlespeed that's 700C, narrower tires, classic rim brake cross-ish frame. I ride all the same dirt I used to ride my hardtail and rigid MTBs, but I find the gravel rigs way better on the road while I'm getting there. It's also kinda fun seeing some people's expressions out on the trail when they see you bombing down some singletrack on what they think is a road bike
EDIT: as for mechanicals, I see waaay more roadies fixing flats on the side of the road than gravel bikers out on the dirt (maybe because we're mostly tubeless by now in this style of riding, but I'd rather deal with rocks and goatheads than nails and broken glass any day).

Last edited by pbass; 05-03-21 at 03:04 PM.
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