Jeff of Vt

I have two bikes and right now one is set up for trail riding and the other currently for asphalt. The problem I have is that I find most of my rides involve a lot of mixed riding between asphalt roads(albeit oft broken) and trails(including rocky/rooty singletrack, farmers fields, ATV trails and the such) and I'm left a bit dissatisfied.

Now that I'm getting back into cycling, I'm finding out what I really want out of a bike and that is basically a gravel bike setup that can be taken on the trails as well as the road and splits the difference between the two. I'm not a competitive cyclist and I don't do much jumping. The off-road capability I desire is enough bite to still climb, corner, and stop somewhat okay on trails and still have some okay speed and grip on the road. I also want something that can handle winter riding and any other inclement weather. I want a bike that can do everything I want with the trade-offs it entails and just ride and maintain one bike.

I'm left in a bit of a dilemma. As my road bike that can be used as a gravel bike can only fit 35s at most and even then it's a tight fit. The hardtail 29er has all the clearance I could want but I definitely want drop bars and a few other changes. The main question is: are 35s sufficient or are the larger tires offered on the 29er wheels the best bet? That's really the deal-breaker here. I can modify the 29er to my wants but I'm stuck with clearance the 700c frame can offer.

TiHabanero

You have found the answer to your dilemma in the last sentence you posted. One machine that can truly do it all must be a mountain bike, preferably a 29er for the superbe tire selection and excellent roll on and off road. Gotta make mods to the drive train, and it won't be cheap as the shifters must be changed to brifters, etc.

Clem von Jones

If you're willing to go tubeless a tire like this is ideal to build a do-everything bike around:

https://www.renehersecycles.com/shop...oqualmie-pass/

Even better but a little bit heavier:

https://www.renehersecycles.com/shop...elope-hill-tc/

To build a drop bar 29er you'd want a frame with a relatively short ETT, a rigid front fork, the shortest lowest stem you can find like 35mm long, and a short reach compact road handlebar like 42cm x 70mm x 125mm.

Go anywhere gearing: 22x30x40 triple with 12x36 9 speed cassette. The 30t ring is equivalent to a 32t ring on a smaller wheeled bike.

I love this category of bike. Sort of like a gravel grinder but with 2" tires. A two inch tire is the sweet spot for weight/traction/comfort.

Jeff of Vt

That's what I've been figuring. I'm already factoring in the drivetrain changes. I bent a chainring and though it was bent back into place, hasn't been quite right since(though adequate for the time being). I don't even use the lowest two gears climbing off-road and I'm considering a 2x setup. I'm torn between brifters and bar-ends. I've enjoyed bar-ends in the past but I'm not sure how they would feel on flared bars. I'll also want to swap the budget suspension fork for a fixed. I'm ready for the costs but selling the other bike ought to more than offset it anyway.

Jeff of Vt

I just had to look up ETT. I'm afraid I'm not too technical with bikes at the moment. I assume it's effective top tube distance? I went out and measured it out between the bikes and they're within 2.5cm of one another. Am I wrong in assuming the difference between 59.5cm and 62cm is manageable? I'm going to experiment a bit with the stems and finally get it right. This project is also an excuse to finally work out bike fitting tweaks.

Clem von Jones

A potential problem with 29er frames when building a drop bar bike is the reach. These frames are typically too long for drop bars. This is especially a problem if for example your frame is already slightly too large for your height. Ideally you want a frame on the slightly small size. Road compact drop bars are already 70 or 80mm reach, and the brake hoods extend it a bit further, so you don't want additional reach in a stem. Another potential problem with 29er frames is their high front end, especially if they have suspension forks, so you'd want a carbon 29er rigid fork from somebody like BXT bikes (aliexpress, ebay)

Jeff of Vt

I adjusted my measurements after you quoted that after taking more measurements and getting more accurate numbers. I'm quite tall. I can't foresee reach being an issue. I'm generally at the tall end of the limits for the largest usual factory frame offerings and I've got a long wingspan. The current stem on the road bike is approx 12.5cm and on the hardtail 9cm. The hardtail bars are 71cm from end to end and the ends of the bars deflect back approx 5.5cm from the bar center.

Clem von Jones

You're an ideal candidate then for a 29er drop bar. Most people aren't. The larger wheels will also work in your favor. They certainly are faster and have more traction. It's better to build a drop bar mtb with less reach then you'd run on a road bike though, like maybe 40mm less. You want a slight bias in weight to the rear compared to a road bike, thus shorter reach, also you'll be more active and need space to move around out-of-the-saddle.

Homebrew01

You could also get a 2nd set of wheels, one more for road, and 1 for gravel.

Or just a 2nd front wheel....A lighter road one with skinnier tire, and just takes a few seconds to swap.

ironwood

Compass 650Bx42mm Babyshoe Pass tires are great on most surfaces.

Elvo

I have a one bike stable and I run 700x32 for road and 650x48 for "gravel" but can run up to 650x2.2 if needed.

Leebo

Drop bars for off road? Not how I roll. Thought about a riser or flat bar with sweep and bar ends? Keep the brake/shifter set up. Think about 2.2 or so race tires for the mt bike, low profile treads will roll fine on pave or gravel. Running front Sus? My karate monkey has 3.0 front, 2.6 rear and the krampus has 3.0 front and back. Both 29ers. Set up for bikepacking, but run both bikes for all sorts of mixed terrain.

ThermionicScott 

Chris Kostman's Rough Riders Blog: Any Bike, Anywhere / Classic Cyclist: Mountain Bikes: Who Needs Them?