Please enlighten me on gravel bik
#251
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How do you come up with this stuff? I'm active on a few different bike forums, and on "post your gravel bike" threads, you can bet that someone will be proudly showing off their Surly.
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And why do I necessarily need mounts for bags, on a bike used for riding on gravel roads? What's the connection between road surface and carrying capacity? Several of my gravel bikes have limited capacity to add bags, but I ride them on gravel roads. And none of mine are 1x, so are those also not gravel bikes? What about the fact that all of my gravel bikes are steel? It sounds like you would say those are not gravel bikes either. In fact, according to a small handful of people here, I don't have any gravel bikes at all, despite the fact that 90% of my riding is dirt roads and they are specifically built to be optimized for that.
Last edited by Jeff Neese; 02-28-23 at 12:43 PM.
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which is why so many Tour de France stages are won by riders on downhill bikes, while the majority of downhill races are won by riders ion rigid tandems ... it is the rider, not the bike.
Hello, people. Practice with me:
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I know the first couple times can seem unnatural, but start using it whenever it is true and see what happens.
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I Was Wrong About That.
Really easy to say, and even easier when everyone else already knows it.
I know the first couple times can seem unnatural, but start using it whenever it is true and see what happens.
#254
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Do you have an example of what an "early club racer" looks like? This is not a category I'm familiar with. None of the road bikes I raced (starting in 1992) would do very well on the routes where I typically ride my gravel bike. My MTB would handle them, but I'm not a fan of its performance on the paved sections of those rides.
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Last edited by Eric F; 02-28-23 at 12:58 PM.
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If the thought process wasn't so scattered and incoherent, I'd think it was an AI penning posts again.
#256
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It has been said, repeatedly, that most gravel rides tend to be long, and there tend not o be convenience stores on grave roads. Thus it is wise to bring all food and drink one might need on a multi-hour ride. Sometimes auto access is limited or even forbidden---a lot of the reason people like gravel is they can ride swiftly as on pavement bt not have to dodge cellphone-zombies. This means that if something breaks, you had best be able to fix it or at least have a spare or Something because it could be a very long walk in cleats to get to somewhere someone could rescue you. And since the weather might change ... or you might start early in the morning or ride into the evening ... it makes sense to bring an extra layer or a place to stow a layer you have removed.
People have said all this but you don't really want to learn, you want to pretend you are right.
If you Really wanted answers to your questions you would do what I suggested earlier---google local gravel riding clubs, visit their Facebook pages. Go ask them what is wrong with them, that they bought so much hype. Go ask them why they are not riding 20-year-old touring bikes or early 80s road bikes. Go find out for yourself, from the people who actually ride gravel regularly.
That is what you would do if you really wanted to know.
As it stands, I am not sure if you are desperately in need of attention or have a humiliation kink,. Either way, I am tired of it all.
If you are honest, go learn. If not, go away.
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#257
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I halfheartedly apologize to anyone who felt that I “accused” them of anything; though I will stand by the points I made, as the fact of the matter is that you can stuff the widest tires you can on your road bike, CX bike, TT bike, track bike, whatever, and call it a “gravel bike”. John Tomac rode a “gravel bike” when he stuck a Cinelli drop bar on his Yeti. It’s all pretty much the same if the frame can fit the tires and you don’t want folks to think you’re on a flat bar boardwalk “hybrid”. You can do 100% of the riding you want with a bike that existed long before the marketing term “gravel bike” came into being. Years ago, right after I moved to Philly, I rode a DeRosa “gravel bike” up and down the Wissahickon because I could.
The bike barely matters, it’s the rider that does, but if the placebo effect is that strong and a rider needs the label to justify their expenditure so they can tackle that dirt road, more power to them. I’m sorry y’all may feel accused but you can also ride on the same trails and roads using a British 3 speed if you were so inclined.
This is the same debate I’ve seen about cameras, when the end product is a photograph, the gear doesn’t matter very much (the exception being cameras with lens and/or film plane movements, and underwater gear).
The bike barely matters, it’s the rider that does, but if the placebo effect is that strong and a rider needs the label to justify their expenditure so they can tackle that dirt road, more power to them. I’m sorry y’all may feel accused but you can also ride on the same trails and roads using a British 3 speed if you were so inclined.
This is the same debate I’ve seen about cameras, when the end product is a photograph, the gear doesn’t matter very much (the exception being cameras with lens and/or film plane movements, and underwater gear).
BTW, the camera thing is complete nonsense--you're literally saying that the camera gear doesn't matter except when it does. The fact that you CAN take an excellent photo with a rudimentary camera does not mean that that camera is suited to take all sorts of pictures that would require more specialized lenses and/or exposure level adjustments.
#258
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Well, therein lies the heart of the matter perhaps. That are those that are trying to position themselves as the arbiter of what is and what is not a "gravel bike". I imagine they would love it if we posted our gravel builds so they could weigh in. "Yep - that's a gravel bike" or "No, you got it wrong."
And why do I necessarily need mounts for bags, on a bike used for riding on gravel roads? What's the connection between road surface and carrying capacity? Several of my gravel bikes have limited capacity to add bags, but I ride them on gravel roads. And none of mine are 1x, so are those also not gravel bikes? What about the fact that all of my gravel bikes are steel? It sounds like you would say those are not gravel bikes either. In fact, according to a small handful of people here, I don't have any gravel bikes at all, despite the fact that 90% of my riding is dirt roads and they are specifically built to be optimized for that.
And why do I necessarily need mounts for bags, on a bike used for riding on gravel roads? What's the connection between road surface and carrying capacity? Several of my gravel bikes have limited capacity to add bags, but I ride them on gravel roads. And none of mine are 1x, so are those also not gravel bikes? What about the fact that all of my gravel bikes are steel? It sounds like you would say those are not gravel bikes either. In fact, according to a small handful of people here, I don't have any gravel bikes at all, despite the fact that 90% of my riding is dirt roads and they are specifically built to be optimized for that.
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#259
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This is my gravel bike. Took the suspension fork off and replaced it with a carbon fork. Replaced the 29 x 2.4 tires with 29 x 2.0 tires. POOF!!! Instant gravel bike!!! Consider yourself enlightened!!!
More stable on the loose gravel than any drop bar gravel bike and much easier to control than any drop bar gravel bike.
.
More stable on the loose gravel than any drop bar gravel bike and much easier to control than any drop bar gravel bike.
.
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My point was that some of the features found on some (not all) bikes in the current gravel bike category haven't "been there all along". As I have said multiple times, there are variations within the gravel bike category, serving different needs of people who use their bikes in different ways. What is necessary/preferred for one person might not be for another.
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This is my gravel bike. Took the suspension fork off and replaced it with a carbon fork. Replaced the 29 x 2.4 tires with 29 x 2.0 tires. POOF!!! Instant gravel bike!!! Consider yourself enlightened!!!
More stable on the loose gravel than any drop bar gravel bike and much easier to control than any drop bar gravel bike.
.
More stable on the loose gravel than any drop bar gravel bike and much easier to control than any drop bar gravel bike.
.
I wonder why the racers are not riding that setup?
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It lacks top end speed because I'm limited to how large of chain ring will fit on the front. Some gravel bikes will come as 2 x 10 (46/30T) or 1 x 11 (40T).
This bike is a 1 x 11 but currently will not fit a 40T chainring because it would hit the chainstay. It's maxed out at a 32T right now.
That's ok. I'm not really doing any gravel racing with this bike. Just for my own personal off-road gravel pleasure riding.
This bike is a 1 x 11 but currently will not fit a 40T chainring because it would hit the chainstay. It's maxed out at a 32T right now.
That's ok. I'm not really doing any gravel racing with this bike. Just for my own personal off-road gravel pleasure riding.
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No doubt. Sorry if I'm missing your point. I don't have a Surly, but I'd post my bikes there too, along with descriptions like "This one is a 1989 Trek 970 rigid mountain with Albatross bars, this other one is a Trek 750 hybrid with drop bars, and this other one over here is a 1993 Rockhopper. I'd describe the tires I used, the gearing I chose, etc. And the guy who posted a Surly would say "nice bikes." I would return the compliment.
Last edited by Jeff Neese; 02-28-23 at 05:21 PM.
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I half expect some of the self-appointed "experts" here to now come along and tell us what is, and is not, a gravel surface and what is true gravel riding. We'll probably be told that a hard-pack dirt road isn't gravel riding, or a path off through the woods isn't either.
Last edited by Jeff Neese; 02-28-23 at 02:57 PM.
#268
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Run what works for you. Many people prefer the variety of hand/body positions afforded by a drop bar, not just for comfort reasons, but also for aero reasons.
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I have these Soma Oxfords (Nitto Albatross) on my 1989 Trek 970, and with these bars and Top Contact tires, it's just about the perfect gravel bike. They're really just mustache bars with longer ends. Search YouTube and there are a number of people that are using Mustache bars on their gravel bikes, and they do work really well. I use these wheels when there's not too much loose gravel and the dirt roads have been packed down. Otherwise I run Maxxis Ikons (which are a pretty fine gravel tire, in my experience).
The nice thing about mustache bars is that you can still have a "weight forward" riding position when you want it, but you have other hand positions as well. Climbing is better with your hands a little further back. I find them very comfortable. Wrist position is very natural.
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Yet the mainstream market for "gravel bikes" is pretty consistent in what that definition entails. There are of course sub-categories, but if I go looking for a "gravel bike" I know pretty much how it will be specced for the task. It's no different to searching for a "road bike" or a "touring bike" in that respect.
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With all the discussion about handlebars, I may have missed it but I haven't seen mention of anything other than drop bars and flat bars.
I have these Soma Oxfords (Nitto Albatross) on my 1989 Trek 970, and with these bars and Top Contact tires, it's just about the perfect gravel bike.
I have these Soma Oxfords (Nitto Albatross) on my 1989 Trek 970, and with these bars and Top Contact tires, it's just about the perfect gravel bike.
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But they haven't, not in their current form. It's as if I said enduro bikes have been here all along because some can ride an enduro course on a mountain bike from 1992. Sure, there is some overlap and differences are nuanced in some cases but just because you can put big tires on some c&v bike doesn't make it the same thing as a modern bike made specifically for that purpose.
#273
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Absolutely - I couldn't agree more. That's been my point all along. The categorization of any bikes as "gravel bikes" is arbitrary. Whether it's Hybrid, or Urban, or Commuter bikes, all these marketing terms come and go. A gravel bike is whatever suits your needs on the gravel roads you ride.
I half expect some of the self-appointed "experts" here to now come along and tell us what is, and is not, a gravel surface and what is true gravel riding. We'll probably be told that a hard-pack dirt road isn't gravel riding, or a path off through the woods isn't either.
I half expect some of the self-appointed "experts" here to now come along and tell us what is, and is not, a gravel surface and what is true gravel riding. We'll probably be told that a hard-pack dirt road isn't gravel riding, or a path off through the woods isn't either.
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#274
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With all the discussion about handlebars, I may have missed it but I haven't seen mention of anything other than drop bars and flat bars.
I have these Soma Oxfords (Nitto Albatross) on my 1989 Trek 970, and with these bars and Top Contact tires, it's just about the perfect gravel bike. They're really just mustache bars with longer ends. Search YouTube and there are a number of people that are using Mustache bars on their gravel bikes, and they do work really well. I use these wheels when there's not too much loose gravel and the dirt roads have been packed down. Otherwise I run Maxxis Ikons (which are a pretty fine gravel tire, in my experience).
The nice thing about mustache bars is that you can still have a "weight forward" riding position when you want it, but you have other hand positions as well. Climbing is better with your hands a little further back. I find them very comfortable. Wrist position is very natural.
I have these Soma Oxfords (Nitto Albatross) on my 1989 Trek 970, and with these bars and Top Contact tires, it's just about the perfect gravel bike. They're really just mustache bars with longer ends. Search YouTube and there are a number of people that are using Mustache bars on their gravel bikes, and they do work really well. I use these wheels when there's not too much loose gravel and the dirt roads have been packed down. Otherwise I run Maxxis Ikons (which are a pretty fine gravel tire, in my experience).
The nice thing about mustache bars is that you can still have a "weight forward" riding position when you want it, but you have other hand positions as well. Climbing is better with your hands a little further back. I find them very comfortable. Wrist position is very natural.
EDIT: My previous comment about handlebars was related to gravel racing, specifically. Drop bars are the predominant choice, for the reasons I mentioned.
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Last edited by Eric F; 02-28-23 at 03:38 PM.
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If I ever were to get what the current market calls a "gravel bike" for the purpose of racing or bike packing I would probably buy a Salsa Cutthroat, Fezzari Shafer or Specialized Diverge.
Last year I entered a gravel bike race and did it with my Trek Domane since it fits 700 x 40 tires. I outfitted it with Continental Terra Speed tires. There were times during the race where the gravel / forest roads were a little dicey and I wished that I had wider tires and flat bars, but then there were also few pavement sections of the race or gravement sections (really packed gravel) where I was glad I wasn't riding the bike I posted above.
Last year I entered a gravel bike race and did it with my Trek Domane since it fits 700 x 40 tires. I outfitted it with Continental Terra Speed tires. There were times during the race where the gravel / forest roads were a little dicey and I wished that I had wider tires and flat bars, but then there were also few pavement sections of the race or gravement sections (really packed gravel) where I was glad I wasn't riding the bike I posted above.