Originally Posted by
unterhausen
This is the long distance forum. So mostly road riding, but also things like TransVirginia or Great Divide. Mountain bike forum is one down and gravel forum is ^ that way. I went and looked at the bikes from the Great Divide race, and very few of them had suspension seat posts Couple of thudbusters and one I didn't recognize.
I created the Great Divide Race. ITT'ed the Colorado section in 2001. ITT'ed (but DNF'ed) the whole route in 2003. Tried again and won the (inaugural) mass start event in '04. I'm quite familiar with what it is and is not.
You seem to be suggesting (I could certainly be misunderstanding) that long distance is different from gravel, and also different from mountain. I suspect you're aware that people are riding long on both of those surfaces as well?
I suspect you're also aware that in order to cover lots of ground on something like the Great Divide Route, you're primarily riding on gravel and pavement. So although it is billed as a 'mountain bike route', it is anything but mountain biking. Hence the preponderance of drop bars, aero bars, and gravel bikes.
I need one more post to be able to share a link, so I'll be right back with that...