Road bike on gravel
09-07-23, 05:01 AM
#26
Advocatus Diaboli
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wherever I am
Posts: 8,657
Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4756 Post(s)
Liked 1,537 Times
in
1,006 Posts
To actually respond to this...
- gravel bikes often have a slacker head tube angle vs road bikes.
- gravel bikes often have a longer chainstay to accommodate the larger tire.
- gravel bikes often have a lower bottom bracket drop to counter the larger tire.
- gravel bikes often have a longer wheelbase.
- gravel bikes often have a higher trail number.
These are not hard requirements, but they are averages. There are gravel bikes that feel like a wide tire road bike(mine) and there are gravel bikes that feel like a drop bar MTB. It's a wide spectrum.
But the real point here is that your claim of little difference beside fitting a wider tire is a terrible take.
- gravel bikes often have a slacker head tube angle vs road bikes.
- gravel bikes often have a longer chainstay to accommodate the larger tire.
- gravel bikes often have a lower bottom bracket drop to counter the larger tire.
- gravel bikes often have a longer wheelbase.
- gravel bikes often have a higher trail number.
These are not hard requirements, but they are averages. There are gravel bikes that feel like a wide tire road bike(mine) and there are gravel bikes that feel like a drop bar MTB. It's a wide spectrum.
But the real point here is that your claim of little difference beside fitting a wider tire is a terrible take.
09-07-23, 05:01 AM
#27
pan y agua
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 31,311
Bikes: Willier Zero 7; Merlin Extralight; Calfee Dragonfly tandem, Calfee Adventure tandem; Cervelo P2; Motebecane Ti Fly 29er; Motebecanne Phantom Cross; Schwinn Paramount Track bike
Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1457 Post(s)
Liked 734 Times
in
376 Posts
To actually respond to this...
- gravel bikes often have a slacker head tube angle vs road bikes.
- gravel bikes often have a longer chainstay to accommodate the larger tire.
- gravel bikes often have a lower bottom bracket drop to counter the larger tire.
- gravel bikes often have a longer wheelbase.
- gravel bikes often have a higher trail number.
These are not hard requirements, but they are averages. There are gravel bikes that feel like a wide tire road bike(mine) and there are gravel bikes that feel like a drop bar MTB. It's a wide spectrum.
But the real point here is that your claim of little difference beside fitting a wider tire is a terrible take.
- gravel bikes often have a slacker head tube angle vs road bikes.
- gravel bikes often have a longer chainstay to accommodate the larger tire.
- gravel bikes often have a lower bottom bracket drop to counter the larger tire.
- gravel bikes often have a longer wheelbase.
- gravel bikes often have a higher trail number.
These are not hard requirements, but they are averages. There are gravel bikes that feel like a wide tire road bike(mine) and there are gravel bikes that feel like a drop bar MTB. It's a wide spectrum.
But the real point here is that your claim of little difference beside fitting a wider tire is a terrible take.
In many ways, what is now marketed as a gravel bike, is a return to a more all around bike, as opposed to a very specific race bike intended for one use.
In fact I see more and more people with just one bike, marketed as a gravel bike, but used for gravel, road, bike packing, even road racing. And with just a change of tires, these bikes can do all those things well enough that many people do not feel the need for a different bike for each purpose.
__________________
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
09-07-23, 07:03 AM
#28
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 859
Bikes: Cannondale '92 T600 '95 H600 '01 RT1000
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 92 Post(s)
Liked 109 Times
in
82 Posts
To actually respond to this...
- gravel bikes often have a slacker head tube angle vs road bikes.
- gravel bikes often have a longer chainstay to accommodate the larger tire.
- gravel bikes often have a lower bottom bracket drop to counter the larger tire.
- gravel bikes often have a longer wheelbase.
- gravel bikes often have a higher trail number.
- gravel bikes often have a slacker head tube angle vs road bikes.
- gravel bikes often have a longer chainstay to accommodate the larger tire.
- gravel bikes often have a lower bottom bracket drop to counter the larger tire.
- gravel bikes often have a longer wheelbase.
- gravel bikes often have a higher trail number.
09-07-23, 07:32 AM
#29
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,665
Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11024 Post(s)
Liked 7,568 Times
in
4,222 Posts
A lower bottom bracket is something I like on my geavel bike- it's a feature, not a compromise.
2mm longer chainstays help smooth out a ride- it's a feature, not a compromise.
Etc etc.
You do realize that MTB geometry is different from road, right? That different geometry isn't a compromise, it's a design feature.
Again, there is a wide spectrum of geometry so you can get anything from a drop bar MTB to a wide tire road bike when it comes to 'gravel'.
Sure, there is some accuracy to this observation. It's hardly a new observation, it's been stated for years and years now, but yeah there is some accuracy to it.
Since 'gravel' covers such a wide spectrum of designs, your observation applies to some bikes within the category while being woefully inaccurate with other bikes.
I am fascinated by the anger/contempt/disgust that some have, even in 2023, for a style of bike.
Like really, we're mountain bikes hated on for their existence 10 years into becoming popular thru marketing?
Some posters on here 'A bike style is popular and brands recognized the popularity, so I am going to be all whiny and bent out of shape because for profit companies want to sell what's popular and make money! Waah. Waah. Waah.'
09-07-23, 07:36 AM
#30
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,665
Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11024 Post(s)
Liked 7,568 Times
in
4,222 Posts
Take all those dimensions and compare them a 1970’s road bike. What we called a road bike back in the day, typically had slacker seat and head tube angles, longer chain stays, and could take wider tires. And most could easily mount racks and work as touring bikes. Over time road bikes evolved to single purpose race bikes that many could only take 23 or at most 25 mm tires, steep seat and head tube angles, less trail, nd shorter wheelbases.
In many ways, what is now marketed as a gravel bike, is a return to a more all around bike, as opposed to a very specific race bike intended for one use.
In fact I see more and more people with just one bike, marketed as a gravel bike, but used for gravel, road, bike packing, even road racing. And with just a change of tires, these bikes can do all those things well enough that many people do not feel the need for a different bike for each purpose.
In many ways, what is now marketed as a gravel bike, is a return to a more all around bike, as opposed to a very specific race bike intended for one use.
In fact I see more and more people with just one bike, marketed as a gravel bike, but used for gravel, road, bike packing, even road racing. And with just a change of tires, these bikes can do all those things well enough that many people do not feel the need for a different bike for each purpose.
An early 90s hybrid is another general style of hike from history that in some ways mirrors modern gravel bikes.
Agreed that an all around bike is definitely popular right now.
09-07-23, 07:37 AM
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: SE Wyoming
Posts: 604
Bikes: 1995 Specialized Rockhopper,1989 Specialized Rock Combo, 2013 Specialized Tarmac Elite
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 213 Post(s)
Liked 588 Times
in
278 Posts
Just my opinion. There seems to be a lot of overthinking in this thread.
Likes For Inusuit:
