I don't get gravel bikes?
#76
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Location: Ohio
Posts: 2,857
Bikes: Road bike, Hybrid, Gravel, Drop bar SS, hard tail MTB
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For some that still ride mostly pavement, without all the bike attachments. Endurance bikes make sense.
Then again if I was mostly pavement I'd just ride on a gp5000 32c. But room for a reneherse bon jon isn't a bad thing either.
#77
Old enough, hmmm?
Let's muddy the waters some more.
The mfg ( DeVinci) calls the bike I bought last year - "Stellar Acera" - an XC- Sport model since it has XC-Sport geometry. No, I have no idea how that is defined.
But some would call it a Hard-tail MTB for the obvious reasons. 3x9 gear train, straight handlebar etc. I call it the perfect bike for all the riding I do. From pavement to gravel to a bit of single track.
The mfg ( DeVinci) calls the bike I bought last year - "Stellar Acera" - an XC- Sport model since it has XC-Sport geometry. No, I have no idea how that is defined.
But some would call it a Hard-tail MTB for the obvious reasons. 3x9 gear train, straight handlebar etc. I call it the perfect bike for all the riding I do. From pavement to gravel to a bit of single track.
#78
Live not by lies.
Let's muddy the waters some more.
The mfg ( DeVinci) calls the bike I bought last year - "Stellar Acera" - an XC- Sport model since it has XC-Sport geometry. No, I have no idea how that is defined.
But some would call it a Hard-tail MTB for the obvious reasons. 3x9 gear train, straight handlebar etc. I call it the perfect bike for all the riding I do. From pavement to gravel to a bit of single track.
The mfg ( DeVinci) calls the bike I bought last year - "Stellar Acera" - an XC- Sport model since it has XC-Sport geometry. No, I have no idea how that is defined.
But some would call it a Hard-tail MTB for the obvious reasons. 3x9 gear train, straight handlebar etc. I call it the perfect bike for all the riding I do. From pavement to gravel to a bit of single track.
#79
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Gravel bike? Cyclocross bike? Vintage Mtn Bike?
What am I missing about riding drop bars on gravel? Is it just me or does it just seem like a novelty? It's like it's some new found invention to have clearance for wider tires with a bit of a knob on them... I have a road bike and then I have an older XC Mountain bike. The XC bike has nice knobby tires that rides great on rougher gravely roads and smaller diameter, more efficient tires are just a swap away if needed. It is a rigid frame, so it's very light. The handle bars are wider and more stable, and the gearing goes way lower if things become more of a slog fest. I just can't seem to see where a "gravel bike" would be advantageous.
#81
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Sort of agree. Same principal as with 27.5" and even 29". To sell more bikes. Suspect I could out-gravel "gravelers" with any moderately price cross bike or vintage mountain bike. Have held my own with these guys riding my old '86 Stump Jumper. And a lot more comfortable on that 35 yo Brooks Saddle . In the olden days did many gravel/dirt roads on a touring bike and sometimes on sewups, But if you want to spend your money... Keep in mind, this is just one opinion of one eccentric biker.
#82
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Sort of agree. Same principal as with 27.5" and even 29". To sell more bikes. Suspect I could out-gravel "gravelers" with any moderately price cross bike or vintage mountain bike. Have held my own with these guys riding my old '86 Stump Jumper. And a lot more comfortable on that 35 yo Brooks Saddle .
Congrats on out gravelling gravelers. <---I cant believe I managed to type that.
You being able to out gravel gravelers on a cross bike is hardly something to brag about(whether that means faster, farther, or both) since many moderately priced cross bikes can handle wide enough tires to make gravel riding a perfectly doable affair.
And if what you want is an old Stumpy for gravel riding- thats cool. Bragging about how you dont need what others enjoy is a really odd brag.
I would absolutely love to have this bike- its an iconic bike built by an iconic builder. But I look at it and have 0 interest in using it or something similar to ride gravel roads. I want a road bike with wider tires for that. I would take this Ritchey over a Penny-farthing for gravel riding, so I guess its all a matter of perspective.
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#83
With a mighty wind
I enjoy my n+1. Road, gravel, vintage, and Mtn all get miles.
This fall, my family is road tripping to the southeast for a 3 month contract. In this case, space is limited and there is no question which bike to bring. The gravel bike with a spare set of wheels.
The gravel bike can certainly handle the roads and paths in my new temporary city, is capable of exploring outside of town, can handle a lot of Mtn biking albeit with a bit more effort, I can commute on it depending upon secure storage at this job, and I can bring my trainer depending on how full the car is.
That’s a lot of use.
Currently it’s an adventure/epic ride bike only but I’m looking forward to the varied uses.
This fall, my family is road tripping to the southeast for a 3 month contract. In this case, space is limited and there is no question which bike to bring. The gravel bike with a spare set of wheels.
The gravel bike can certainly handle the roads and paths in my new temporary city, is capable of exploring outside of town, can handle a lot of Mtn biking albeit with a bit more effort, I can commute on it depending upon secure storage at this job, and I can bring my trainer depending on how full the car is.
That’s a lot of use.
Currently it’s an adventure/epic ride bike only but I’m looking forward to the varied uses.
#84
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Mountains and Plains of Colorado
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First off, 'gravelers' probably encompasses a very wide range of cyclists. Secondly, how does one 'out-gravel' gravelers?...do they ride faster?...or farther?...or both?...or smile more?
Congrats on out gravelling gravelers. <---I cant believe I managed to type that.
You being able to out gravel gravelers on a cross bike is hardly something to brag about(whether that means faster, farther, or both) since many moderately priced cross bikes can handle wide enough tires to make gravel riding a perfectly doable affair.
And if what you want is an old Stumpy for gravel riding- thats cool. Bragging about how you dont need what others enjoy is a really odd brag.
I would absolutely love to have this bike- its an iconic bike built by an iconic builder. But I look at it and have 0 interest in using it or something similar to ride gravel roads. I want a road bike with wider tires for that. I would take this Ritchey over a Penny-farthing for gravel riding, so I guess its all a matter of perspective.
Congrats on out gravelling gravelers. <---I cant believe I managed to type that.
You being able to out gravel gravelers on a cross bike is hardly something to brag about(whether that means faster, farther, or both) since many moderately priced cross bikes can handle wide enough tires to make gravel riding a perfectly doable affair.
And if what you want is an old Stumpy for gravel riding- thats cool. Bragging about how you dont need what others enjoy is a really odd brag.
I would absolutely love to have this bike- its an iconic bike built by an iconic builder. But I look at it and have 0 interest in using it or something similar to ride gravel roads. I want a road bike with wider tires for that. I would take this Ritchey over a Penny-farthing for gravel riding, so I guess its all a matter of perspective.
#85
Junior Member
To use a bit of a metaphor, I kinda see a gravel bike like a rally car…..
You can have a formula 1 car (or indie car, if you want to keep things more “stateside”). They’re way faster and most compatible with the road - road bike.
You can have a 4x4 Land Rover (or Jeep, etc). They’re capable of going places off-road that pretty much no other vehicles can - MTB.
A rally car. A car that was ultimately designed for road use & still quick on road, but can also go quick on off-road courses. But not quite as off-road as a jeep can.
You can have a formula 1 car (or indie car, if you want to keep things more “stateside”). They’re way faster and most compatible with the road - road bike.
You can have a 4x4 Land Rover (or Jeep, etc). They’re capable of going places off-road that pretty much no other vehicles can - MTB.
A rally car. A car that was ultimately designed for road use & still quick on road, but can also go quick on off-road courses. But not quite as off-road as a jeep can.
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#86
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#87
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To use a bit of a metaphor, I kinda see a gravel bike like a rally car…..
You can have a formula 1 car (or indie car, if you want to keep things more “stateside”). They’re way faster and most compatible with the road - road bike.
You can have a 4x4 Land Rover (or Jeep, etc). They’re capable of going places off-road that pretty much no other vehicles can - MTB.
A rally car. A car that was ultimately designed for road use & still quick on road, but can also go quick on off-road courses. But not quite as off-road as a jeep can.
You can have a formula 1 car (or indie car, if you want to keep things more “stateside”). They’re way faster and most compatible with the road - road bike.
You can have a 4x4 Land Rover (or Jeep, etc). They’re capable of going places off-road that pretty much no other vehicles can - MTB.
A rally car. A car that was ultimately designed for road use & still quick on road, but can also go quick on off-road courses. But not quite as off-road as a jeep can.
Mountain bike = 4X4 Truck
Gravel Bike = Subaru
#88
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#89
Junior Member
Which bike would be best suited to tackle this?
chinogrinder.azgravelrides.com
chinogrinder.azgravelrides.com
#90
Expired Member
#91
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'gravel bikes are just road bikes that don't suck."
WELL SAID!
WELL SAID!
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#93
Junior Member
When I was knee high to a grass hopper you had a bike, if your saw a bike race they had extremely focused Racing bikes, and a few boy racers would put drops on their normal bikes to give them the cool look…this was the 60/70’s, and like was simple… we only bought things in ones, wore then out then bought another…
Then in the 90’s, like everything else in life, the marketers convinced us all we needed specific bikes/motorcycles/car/boats for specific purposes…. They created things we didn’t even know we needed…
These specialized types of things were also more expensive… because.. well.. they were specialized.. So a manufacturer no longer had a kids bike, a normal bike and a heavy framed couriers bike.. he had six bikes… now he has 36 bikes..
..and “YOU SIR/MADAM” have four or five or six of these things in your garage…. Now the crazy thing is, before you had the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th… (for those that have more.. go look in the mirror and give yourself a slap..) you only had one you hardly had time to ride it… so not only have the marketers (and your mates) convinced you, you need more specialized bikes.. Someone has found the time for you to ride them!!!! Or more than likely you now ride all of them very infrequently!!
Now, gravel is kind of the weird one… it really is a road bike with slightly wider tires and slightly lower gears…and here’s the thing.. group sets that are slightly XT orientated (like Deore or Altus) yet the bike cost more than similar road bikes with a lower standard group set….. I smell a rat.. I do think the manufactures are taking the proverbial.. and a lot of people have been sucked in…
The other point I have issues with about “gravel” bikes is the gearing…. You have to be seriously fits to go off road up hills with a 25 GI granny gear, and many Gravel bikes are high 20’s or even low 30’s… seriously!!
For me the “Gravel bike has its place, with the granny in the low 20’s and call it a gravel packing bike, or adventure bike… a lightweight but capable light tourer.
Before all you gravel boys jump on me, I do add, I have absolutely nothing against the niche that is gravel…. I have something about the marketing guys dreaming up segments then filling it with new types of bikes to convince us we need to add to our stable.
And…. To add to my ‘add’ I have four bikes… but I only really bought 2, and it was 10 years apart and I live in in two different countries 3,231KM apart.! They are a road bike in KL (Giant TCR3) and a low geared hybrid in Taipei (Giant FCR)….. my daughter gave me a Canyon Urban that her boyfriend bought and didn’t want.. she thought of me because it was XL and I use XL t’shirt…. At 5’9” it’s a tad tall…. And I have a Bruno Tour 700, which is a Japanese retro classic bike that was just so pretty I bought it to put on the wall in my man cave!!!
Enjoy your gravel bikes, I may just turn my TCR into such a bike, a 44/30 crankset, Deore M6000 SG rear derailleur, and a 11-40 cassette, 700x28 tires, would give me a 20.07 GI… and cost me about $200-250… and my TCR would get more use I guess….. I'd only do tracks and light touring, no grass.. to old for that...
Then in the 90’s, like everything else in life, the marketers convinced us all we needed specific bikes/motorcycles/car/boats for specific purposes…. They created things we didn’t even know we needed…
These specialized types of things were also more expensive… because.. well.. they were specialized.. So a manufacturer no longer had a kids bike, a normal bike and a heavy framed couriers bike.. he had six bikes… now he has 36 bikes..
..and “YOU SIR/MADAM” have four or five or six of these things in your garage…. Now the crazy thing is, before you had the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th… (for those that have more.. go look in the mirror and give yourself a slap..) you only had one you hardly had time to ride it… so not only have the marketers (and your mates) convinced you, you need more specialized bikes.. Someone has found the time for you to ride them!!!! Or more than likely you now ride all of them very infrequently!!
Now, gravel is kind of the weird one… it really is a road bike with slightly wider tires and slightly lower gears…and here’s the thing.. group sets that are slightly XT orientated (like Deore or Altus) yet the bike cost more than similar road bikes with a lower standard group set….. I smell a rat.. I do think the manufactures are taking the proverbial.. and a lot of people have been sucked in…
The other point I have issues with about “gravel” bikes is the gearing…. You have to be seriously fits to go off road up hills with a 25 GI granny gear, and many Gravel bikes are high 20’s or even low 30’s… seriously!!
For me the “Gravel bike has its place, with the granny in the low 20’s and call it a gravel packing bike, or adventure bike… a lightweight but capable light tourer.
Before all you gravel boys jump on me, I do add, I have absolutely nothing against the niche that is gravel…. I have something about the marketing guys dreaming up segments then filling it with new types of bikes to convince us we need to add to our stable.
And…. To add to my ‘add’ I have four bikes… but I only really bought 2, and it was 10 years apart and I live in in two different countries 3,231KM apart.! They are a road bike in KL (Giant TCR3) and a low geared hybrid in Taipei (Giant FCR)….. my daughter gave me a Canyon Urban that her boyfriend bought and didn’t want.. she thought of me because it was XL and I use XL t’shirt…. At 5’9” it’s a tad tall…. And I have a Bruno Tour 700, which is a Japanese retro classic bike that was just so pretty I bought it to put on the wall in my man cave!!!
Enjoy your gravel bikes, I may just turn my TCR into such a bike, a 44/30 crankset, Deore M6000 SG rear derailleur, and a 11-40 cassette, 700x28 tires, would give me a 20.07 GI… and cost me about $200-250… and my TCR would get more use I guess….. I'd only do tracks and light touring, no grass.. to old for that...
#94
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Now, gravel is kind of the weird one… it really is a road bike with slightly wider tires and slightly lower gears…and here’s the thing.. group sets that are slightly XT orientated (like Deore or Altus) yet the bike cost more than similar road bikes with a lower standard group set….. I smell a rat.. I do think the manufactures are taking the proverbial.. and a lot of people have been sucked in…
..
XT is on par with Ultegra.
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#95
Junior Member
sorry I meant Mountain oriented not specifically the XT level gear… my point being, call a bike gravel an manufacturers add $500 to the price.. I’ve spent the last couple of months looking for one…. Only to find (ironically) few are available here in Taiwan… even Giant only sell the Revolt Advanced 0 and Advanced 2, where as in the UK there are 10 Revolt models…
#96
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sorry I meant Mountain oriented not specifically the XT level gear… my point being, call a bike gravel an manufacturers add $500 to the price.. I’ve spent the last couple of months looking for one…. Only to find (ironically) few are available here in Taiwan… even Giant only sell the Revolt Advanced 0 and Advanced 2, where as in the UK there are 10 Revolt models…
Last edited by Kapusta; 09-09-21 at 08:11 AM.
#97
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When I was knee high to a grass hopper you had a bike, if your saw a bike race they had extremely focused Racing bikes, and a few boy racers would put drops on their normal bikes to give them the cool look…this was the 60/70’s, and like was simple… we only bought things in ones, wore then out then bought another…
Then in the 90’s, like everything else in life, the marketers convinced us all we needed specific bikes/motorcycles/car/boats for specific purposes…. They created things we didn’t even know we needed…
These specialized types of things were also more expensive… because.. well.. they were specialized.. So a manufacturer no longer had a kids bike, a normal bike and a heavy framed couriers bike.. he had six bikes… now he has 36 bikes..
..and “YOU SIR/MADAM” have four or five or six of these things in your garage…. Now the crazy thing is, before you had the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th… (for those that have more.. go look in the mirror and give yourself a slap..) you only had one you hardly had time to ride it… so not only have the marketers (and your mates) convinced you, you need more specialized bikes.. Someone has found the time for you to ride them!!!! Or more than likely you now ride all of them very infrequently!!
Now, gravel is kind of the weird one… it really is a road bike with slightly wider tires and slightly lower gears…and here’s the thing.. group sets that are slightly XT orientated (like Deore or Altus) yet the bike cost more than similar road bikes with a lower standard group set….. I smell a rat.. I do think the manufactures are taking the proverbial.. and a lot of people have been sucked in…
The other point I have issues with about “gravel” bikes is the gearing…. You have to be seriously fits to go off road up hills with a 25 GI granny gear, and many Gravel bikes are high 20’s or even low 30’s… seriously!!
For me the “Gravel bike has its place, with the granny in the low 20’s and call it a gravel packing bike, or adventure bike… a lightweight but capable light tourer.
Before all you gravel boys jump on me, I do add, I have absolutely nothing against the niche that is gravel…. I have something about the marketing guys dreaming up segments then filling it with new types of bikes to convince us we need to add to our stable.
And…. To add to my ‘add’ I have four bikes… but I only really bought 2, and it was 10 years apart and I live in in two different countries 3,231KM apart.! They are a road bike in KL (Giant TCR3) and a low geared hybrid in Taipei (Giant FCR)….. my daughter gave me a Canyon Urban that her boyfriend bought and didn’t want.. she thought of me because it was XL and I use XL t’shirt…. At 5’9” it’s a tad tall…. And I have a Bruno Tour 700, which is a Japanese retro classic bike that was just so pretty I bought it to put on the wall in my man cave!!!
Enjoy your gravel bikes, I may just turn my TCR into such a bike, a 44/30 crankset, Deore M6000 SG rear derailleur, and a 11-40 cassette, 700x28 tires, would give me a 20.07 GI… and cost me about $200-250… and my TCR would get more use I guess….. I'd only do tracks and light touring, no grass.. to old for that...
Then in the 90’s, like everything else in life, the marketers convinced us all we needed specific bikes/motorcycles/car/boats for specific purposes…. They created things we didn’t even know we needed…
These specialized types of things were also more expensive… because.. well.. they were specialized.. So a manufacturer no longer had a kids bike, a normal bike and a heavy framed couriers bike.. he had six bikes… now he has 36 bikes..
..and “YOU SIR/MADAM” have four or five or six of these things in your garage…. Now the crazy thing is, before you had the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th… (for those that have more.. go look in the mirror and give yourself a slap..) you only had one you hardly had time to ride it… so not only have the marketers (and your mates) convinced you, you need more specialized bikes.. Someone has found the time for you to ride them!!!! Or more than likely you now ride all of them very infrequently!!
Now, gravel is kind of the weird one… it really is a road bike with slightly wider tires and slightly lower gears…and here’s the thing.. group sets that are slightly XT orientated (like Deore or Altus) yet the bike cost more than similar road bikes with a lower standard group set….. I smell a rat.. I do think the manufactures are taking the proverbial.. and a lot of people have been sucked in…
The other point I have issues with about “gravel” bikes is the gearing…. You have to be seriously fits to go off road up hills with a 25 GI granny gear, and many Gravel bikes are high 20’s or even low 30’s… seriously!!
For me the “Gravel bike has its place, with the granny in the low 20’s and call it a gravel packing bike, or adventure bike… a lightweight but capable light tourer.
Before all you gravel boys jump on me, I do add, I have absolutely nothing against the niche that is gravel…. I have something about the marketing guys dreaming up segments then filling it with new types of bikes to convince us we need to add to our stable.
And…. To add to my ‘add’ I have four bikes… but I only really bought 2, and it was 10 years apart and I live in in two different countries 3,231KM apart.! They are a road bike in KL (Giant TCR3) and a low geared hybrid in Taipei (Giant FCR)….. my daughter gave me a Canyon Urban that her boyfriend bought and didn’t want.. she thought of me because it was XL and I use XL t’shirt…. At 5’9” it’s a tad tall…. And I have a Bruno Tour 700, which is a Japanese retro classic bike that was just so pretty I bought it to put on the wall in my man cave!!!
Enjoy your gravel bikes, I may just turn my TCR into such a bike, a 44/30 crankset, Deore M6000 SG rear derailleur, and a 11-40 cassette, 700x28 tires, would give me a 20.07 GI… and cost me about $200-250… and my TCR would get more use I guess….. I'd only do tracks and light touring, no grass.. to old for that...
In Realityville, I have multiple bikes because I like having multiple bikes. Marketers didnt convince me I need them, I chose to want them and even recognize 2 are very much redundant because they are my back up road bikes which are both 80s steel frames with modern components. If my main road bike were to burst into flames I could just use my gravel bike, yet here I sit with 2 extra road bikes. I may sell one, or maybe not.
Cycling is a hobby and you seem to think there is a right way and many wrong ways to participate in the hobby. Its unfortunate you view a hobby in that manner.
Some people have 1 bike because all they do is participate in one type of cycling. OK then, cool.
Some people have 1 versatile bike and use it for multiple types of cycling. They like to use the trendy term 'quiver killer' for their bike. Ok then, cool.
Some people have multiple bikes because they dont think a road bike would do well on the single track they ride, and they dont think a full suspension mountain bike would do well on the roads they ride. Ok then, cool.
The judges have tallied up their scores for your rant-
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#98
Senior Member
That was quite the rant. You managed to reference 'back in my day times were simpler', criticize consumers, accuse brands of being rats, ramble on about gearing, and boast that you could make something equal for less. Thats a really impressive rant. Forcing even 3 of those key points into a thread can be tough, but you got 5 in!
In Realityville, I have multiple bikes because I like having multiple bikes. Marketers didnt convince me I need them, I chose to want them and even recognize 2 are very much redundant because they are my back up road bikes which are both 80s steel frames with modern components. If my main road bike were to burst into flames I could just use my gravel bike, yet here I sit with 2 extra road bikes. I may sell one, or maybe not.
Cycling is a hobby and you seem to think there is a right way and many wrong ways to participate in the hobby. Its unfortunate you view a hobby in that manner.
Some people have 1 bike because all they do is participate in one type of cycling. OK then, cool.
Some people have 1 versatile bike and use it for multiple types of cycling. They like to use the trendy term 'quiver killer' for their bike. Ok then, cool.
Some people have multiple bikes because they dont think a road bike would do well on the single track they ride, and they dont think a full suspension mountain bike would do well on the roads they ride. Ok then, cool.
The judges have tallied up their scores for your rant-
In Realityville, I have multiple bikes because I like having multiple bikes. Marketers didnt convince me I need them, I chose to want them and even recognize 2 are very much redundant because they are my back up road bikes which are both 80s steel frames with modern components. If my main road bike were to burst into flames I could just use my gravel bike, yet here I sit with 2 extra road bikes. I may sell one, or maybe not.
Cycling is a hobby and you seem to think there is a right way and many wrong ways to participate in the hobby. Its unfortunate you view a hobby in that manner.
Some people have 1 bike because all they do is participate in one type of cycling. OK then, cool.
Some people have 1 versatile bike and use it for multiple types of cycling. They like to use the trendy term 'quiver killer' for their bike. Ok then, cool.
Some people have multiple bikes because they dont think a road bike would do well on the single track they ride, and they dont think a full suspension mountain bike would do well on the roads they ride. Ok then, cool.
The judges have tallied up their scores for your rant-
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Don't complain about the weather and cower in fear. It's all good weather. Just different.
Don't complain about the weather and cower in fear. It's all good weather. Just different.
#99
Junior Member
That was quite the rant. You managed to reference 'back in my day times were simpler', criticize consumers, accuse brands of being rats, ramble on about gearing, and boast that you could make something equal for less. Thats a really impressive rant. Forcing even 3 of those key points into a thread can be tough, but you got 5 in!
In Realityville, I have multiple bikes because I like having multiple bikes. Marketers didnt convince me I need them, I chose to want them and even recognize 2 are very much redundant because they are my back up road bikes which are both 80s steel frames with modern components. If my main road bike were to burst into flames I could just use my gravel bike, yet here I sit with 2 extra road bikes. I may sell one, or maybe not.
Cycling is a hobby and you seem to think there is a right way and many wrong ways to participate in the hobby. Its unfortunate you view a hobby in that manner.
Some people have 1 bike because all they do is participate in one type of cycling. OK then, cool.
Some people have 1 versatile bike and use it for multiple types of cycling. They like to use the trendy term 'quiver killer' for their bike. Ok then, cool.
Some people have multiple bikes because they dont think a road bike would do well on the single track they ride, and they dont think a full suspension mountain bike would do well on the roads they ride. Ok then, cool.
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In Realityville, I have multiple bikes because I like having multiple bikes. Marketers didnt convince me I need them, I chose to want them and even recognize 2 are very much redundant because they are my back up road bikes which are both 80s steel frames with modern components. If my main road bike were to burst into flames I could just use my gravel bike, yet here I sit with 2 extra road bikes. I may sell one, or maybe not.
Cycling is a hobby and you seem to think there is a right way and many wrong ways to participate in the hobby. Its unfortunate you view a hobby in that manner.
Some people have 1 bike because all they do is participate in one type of cycling. OK then, cool.
Some people have 1 versatile bike and use it for multiple types of cycling. They like to use the trendy term 'quiver killer' for their bike. Ok then, cool.
Some people have multiple bikes because they dont think a road bike would do well on the single track they ride, and they dont think a full suspension mountain bike would do well on the roads they ride. Ok then, cool.
The judges have tallied up their scores for your rant-
I will reframe from rants, and leave you in peace... and just to confirm.. I do see the gravel bike segment growing, as it offers road'ish bikes with lower gearing that is useful to us oldies even if we wont be going near gravel...
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