Originally Posted by
Hiro11
As a sidenote, I've noticed that people who say gravel bikes are just a marketing ploy simply don't have access to gravel roads themselves. They don't need one, so they assume no one needs one.
I agree. I built a gravel bike before the industry discovered gravel, because we have so much great gravel and you really need big tires in order to ride without getting a flat every day. At that time, it annoyed me that CX bikes were stuck at 35mm tires, because that was based on UCI rules for professional cross racers that apply to nobody I know. But if all someone has is silky smooth pavement to ride on, then sure, you don't need a gravel bike.
I have road wheels for my gravel bike and I have done long road rides on it. The way pennsylvania roads are maintained, it makes for a pretty decent road bike. The last long ride I used it for was in New Jersey, and it surprised me the roads there are worse than the roads here. I was glad to have 40mm tires for a lot of it.