Originally Posted by
c_m_shooter
I think you are describing my Cross Check with 28mm tires back in about 2005. The road club that I rode with was asking me every ride why I wouldn't buy a road bike? Now "gravel bikes" are all the rage. What happened?
I've been group riding every week for the whole summer and I find it so limiting that those riding dedicated road bikes are stuck with narrow tire widths and the inability to ride some of the rougher terrain in the area. In fact even with my lower gearing on my current bike of 46:30t w/11-36t cassette I'm able to keep up or go faster on tarmac than most riders on flats/hills. The only reason I'm looking at a higher geared bike is to attain faster speeds on the flat, build it to be lighter weight, while having all the handling characteristics of a gravel bike.I've decided to keep my current GRX alloy bike, more for comfort, rough trails and long distance trips. I figure it'd be easier just to own two bikes for different, but similar purposes!