Originally Posted by
Kapusta
The problem with the term “Hybrid” is not that it is a dirty term, but rather it is a vague, meaningless term that basically includes almost any bike with flat bars that is not an actual MTB, and gives little meaningful information.
It can mean anything from a Flat bar road bike with 23c tires to a bolt upright comfort bike, to a borderline rigid mtb.
“Flat Bar Gravel Bike” actually tells you something about what the bike is.
IMO, having a larger vocabulary of more precise terms is not a bad thing.
Otherwise, why even bother with “Road” “MTB”, “Hybrid”.... just call them all “Bike”.
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I hate to break it to you, but there is nothing in the term "gravel" that is inherently more specific than "hybrid". Hybrid originally was a cross between a mountain and a road bike having flat bars and more lightly built than a true mountain bike. I bought one of the early ones and it was quite clear what you were getting--a flat bar bike primarily for road use, with some light off-road capabilities The category widened as marketers basically stuck the label on any flat bar bike that wasn't a mountain bike to the point that it became a meaningless term.
This will likely happen with the "gravel" classification as marketers will stretch the hot-selling term to any bike they plausibly can, except now the classification can't even specify what type of handlebars you'll find..