Maelochs

What is really the point here?

Rydabent want (or claimed he wanted) to know about gravel bikes but he also came here certain that "gravel bike" was just some marketing BS.

People with their heads not up their posteriors, people who know gravel bikes, who know gravel riders, who ride gravel bikes, explained in great detail exactly what the term and the history of the generic class consisted of.

A few people famous for contributing only losses and suffering did their part.

As usual, the people who came here steeped in personal prejudice were completely unwilling to learn anything new, and thus completely unwilling to add anything except ignorance and negativity to the discussion. stretched the bounds of imagination to explain that words do not have meanings and that every type of bicycle ever imagined has already existed, existed hundreds of years ago, and nothing has been created or developed in the entire realm of bicycle design or manufacture or use in the last 100 years---while simultaneously denigrating which has been created or developed or invented in that period .....

Then ... lots more nonsense that words don't mean what the words say and that everybody who buys a certain brand is both illiterate and smarter than everyone else. That was rich.

Now we are hashing over ... what? Nothing. if I drive my car into water it is not a boat. Even if it an Amphicar, and doesn't sink, it is not a boat. But of course, "boat" and "car" are just marketing hype.

WHY DO WE BOTHER?

Can anything else substantive be added to this thread? The classes of both Cyclocross and gravel bikes have been amply described by people who know their stuff, (and denounced as fake by people who only know "stuff") .... the fact that people ride gravel and build or buy bikes for that purpose has been explained, references have been offered ... the people who will not acknowledge reality are not likely to anytime soon, and everyone else can only repeat themselves at this point.

I want to personally thank Rydabent for starting a novel and original thread ... and like all his threads, it has gone on for quite a while. I really do like that .... there is srtill a tad more entertainment than suffering in most of his epic threads, and I value those threads .... and anybody who both rides and stirs up online forums like Rydabent deserves some plaudits.

(Though he also gets some demerits for suggesting that drunken trike-cycling is a good idea ... )

Great. let's wrap it up and move on ... unless someone has something to say which has not been said seven or eight times already?

My theory is that when a long thread dies, the universe feels restless, and within a few days inspires one of Nature's Little Helpers to write another provocative post.

At this point I am ready for the next one.

But before we go ... what is the best chain lube for gravel bikes which don't actually exist (as opposed to those which do)?

mstateglfr 

Goalposts moved once again.

And yes, while anything that is ridden on gravel can be called a gravel bike, there are some general commonalities that most everyone with experience looks for when they categorize a bike. A beach cruiser can be ridden on gravel, but nobody who is being honest would ever call that a gravel bike.
Similarly, a DH MTB can be ridden on a paved road, but nobody who is being honest would ever call that a road bike.
'Gravel bike' can encompass a lot- a late 80s 26" MTB with drops, an early 90s Trek 730 hybrid with updated components, a CX bike thats been modified, a new Specialized Diverge, etc etc. Its a really wide range, but the commonality is there is intent and purpose in the design/component selection. Some will perfom better than others, but if there is intent to fit the bike to the style of riding, cool- have a blast and call it a gravel bike.

This argument is the same as one that takes place in the Touring section- someone asks for recommendations for touring bikes and some chucklehead chimes in with 'You can tour on anything! Any bike that you tour on is a touring bike!'...as if that is of any help. Yes you could tour on anything, but some features are clearly better than others so getting a purpose designed/selected bike may be best.

Eric F 

Nice choices. Buy 2 in a size 54, and give me the one you don't want (whether or not you ride a 54 is irrelevant)

There was a recent gravel race in CA (Rock Cobbler in Bakersfield). Year after year, a common theme seems to be that - no matter what bike you ride - it's the perfect bike for some sections, and the worst bike for others.

big john

Unbound Gravel, formally Dirty Kanza, was won a few years back by Peter Stetina on a Madone, I think, but he rides for Canyon now. 2021 was Boswell on a Diverge and last year McBride won on a Diamondback.

wolfchild

You could of kept it simple and just changed tires and kept everything else as it is.. Gravel specific tires yes... but there is no such thing as a gravel specific stem and handlebars, gravel specific seat post and saddles, gravel specific fork, gravel specific wheels, gravel specific water bottle, gravel specific socks, gravel specific helmet and gravel specific leg shaving kit.

Eric F 

Hmmm...
https://www.cyclingnews.com/features...ff-road-needs/

I really enjoy the Whisky Spano on my gravel bike. It was a noticeable improvement for me over the Ritchey that was on it previously.

EDIT: Many wheel manufacturers offer options that are designed for the specifics of gravel bikes and the demands of the terrain.

big john

"could of"?

Jughed

I was using the sarcasm font

tomato coupe

Maybe not on your planet, but they have them here on planet Earth.

Atlas Shrugged

Perhaps not in 1975 but things have really progressed since then.

Bars: https://bikepacking.com/index/gravel-bars/
Stem: https://redshiftsports.com/products/...uspension-stem
Seatpost: https://www.specialized.com/us/en/ro...=299620-187099
Saddle: https://www.cyclingnews.com/features...ad-adventures/
Fork: https://cycletraveloverload.com/best...-gravel-forks/
Wheels: https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buy...gravel-wheels/
Waterbottle: You got me on that one because you would use a mountain bike one with a cap.
Socks: https://nologo.cc/gravel-cycling-soc...cycling-socks/
Helmet: https://www.cyclingnews.com/features...-bike-helmets/

As for shaving your legs everyone knows that's a legacy from days of yore and any gravel rider worth their salt would never be caught with shaved legs.

Good try though.

Eric F 

Apparently, I had my sarcasm font detector setting on "off". Your response seemed like a completely reasonable question for someone not familiar with gravel bikes.

Atlas Shrugged

Hey, a shout-out to Rydabent for a great thread, I am sure he got the response he wanted. I am really enjoying this, although it's a bit like shooting fish in a barrel.

big john

I didn't really think it was a good try. I thought it was ill informed, childish, and a poor attempt at humor.

t2p

Koyote

The fact that you are ignorant of these items does not mean that they don't exist.

t2p

but other than that - fairly good attempt ?

(grin)

Jeff Neese

You forgot spokes. You definitely need gravel spokes.

Eric F 

They're only gravel-specific if you pair them with gravel nipples, of course.

Who makes the best gravel bottle cage bolts?

genejockey 

This is why the Eroica rides are called that - "Eroica" = Heroic, because riding those routes on "some c&v bike" with big tires is NOT like riding the same route on a gravel bike.

genejockey 

Oh, no! You're inviting the usual "Unless you're a pro racer, these are useless" comment!

genejockey 

Two words I had never expected to see juxtaposed.

livedarklions

• ​​They're needed to feed the little pebbles.

t2p

fast gravel

wolfchild

Yes I know that they exist, but there is absolutely nothing about them that makes them gravel specific, they're just regular cycling stuff that's branded as gravel specific. That's what I meant when i said there is no such thing as gravel specific items.

Eric F 

You can use lots of different parts on lots of different bikes. However, the design of some parts are tailored to favor how most riders use those parts in a particular type of riding. TT handlebars, for example.