Originally Posted by
kjarrett
Full disclosure, I'm a rim-brake-loving, square taper, steel-is-real (hence the Coda) boomer with no desire to go ultra fast or be concerned about weight. (That said, my '97 Trek Y11 is 22 pounds and I love it, lol). So light weight is nice, just not a requirement for my "see if I like gravel" build...
So what really is a gravel bike? Gone are the days where the bike ya just happened to ride on gravel was called a gravel bike. Now days it is a category of bike that appears to be getting more and more specific. Oddly these new off the shelf gravel bikes look and function closer to non-suspension Mountain Bikes. Years ago I had to quit my road biking and do shorter neighborhood trips. I live in a rural area where roads are torn up asphalt and light gravel with nice paths of single track through the pines. I used my UNIVEGA because I needed a strong frame for my weight and riding style/abuse. Gradually things started wearing out and failing and I just replaced components with stronger parts. It started with a stronger wheel set and wider tires, but not too wide at 1-3/8. I changed out my derailleur to a cheap long cage after hanging it up on a tree. Changed out my freewheel to one with 34T on the bailout gear. Built a compact crank with 34T on the small... Slowly my UNIVEGA changed personality and longevity. You still can't call it a gravel bike per say, but it is very much a Torn Up Asphalt bike for sure.
So you are going to build a Gravel Bike, BRAVO! I understand that some people don't get as much enjoyment out of tinkering around on thier bikes as I do. For them grabbing an off the shelf gravel bike and getting out there on the trail ASAP is the only way to go. But really, my ole UNIVEGA has been fun Fun FUN!
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ush-paint.html