chaadster

It still feels weird to say it after a misspent youth mountainbiking, but facts is facts: I’m a roadie. When I say my gravel bike is not my favorite bike, it’s because it’s not a good road bike, and I love the crispness and accuracy of road bikes more than anything. But I’ll tell you what, I was bombing down a dirt road downhill the other day, probably around 30mph, when the surface went from hardpack to deep, loose, sandy gravel and I went from heading straight ahead to crazy fishtailing side-to-side. I thought I was gonna bite it; the front wheel was digging in and drifting and the rear wheel felt like it was millimeters from comin’ around. A cramp flared in my left calf as I contorted my body to stay on top of things, but I made it through without going down.

The whole time it was happening, all I could think about was that I’d be so dead if were on a road bike. I thanked my lucky stars for the good geometry— that very non-roadie, slack front end I often despise— which T-Lab built into the X3 and allowed me to navigate a hairy situation. I mean, when the road is dirt, the bike is immaculate, it’s just when I’m riding the pavement I can’t help but feel something is off…because I’m a damn roadie and so used to a very dialed-in feel on paved roads. I don’t do nearly as much gravel time as I do paved road, so I’m tarmac-tuned.

For years I rode a 4-season, UK road bike on dirt roads, but as I got more involved in gravel riding as a distinct discipline, I could feel the shortcomings of that bike, and so I got the gravel-specific rig. It struck me odd at first, but again, really shone on the dirt, and my near-death experience the other day was a reminder of why I got the bike in the first place. I also cleaned a stretch of sandy singletrack which took a lot of other riders off their bikes on that ride, too; I attribute my success to the bike, not any particular skills of my own.

So what’s this post about? I suppose it’s an appreciation of purposeful bike geometry. Or, maybe it’s about appreciating the difference between practice and intellect. I don’t really know…I was just thinking about how my bike saved my butt!

Noonievut

It’s all good, I like the random post, this is the internet so you’re pretty much free to let it fly.

I also love my road bike on paved roads. It is built perfectly for me to ride the roads in my area. When I’m on it I feel very connected to the road and in control. Probably similar feelings to yours. While my gravel bike can handle off-road, it’s more thrilling as I feel a little less in control, but oh the flow sensation!

What I like more is balance (not on the bike, but riding different bikes in different ways, tailored to where I live and ride).

- Dedicated road bike for 100% paved road rides (alone or with 1-2 others). Fast. Snappy. Long distance.
- Gravel bike (mine is more of a drop-bar mountain / bikepacking bike) for mixed surface, early morning rides when it’s dark and the wider tires and geo get me over things seem last minute, bikepacking, dabbling in the snow, on and on…

It’s the combination of the bikes; choosing one or the other depending on my mood, trail or road conditions, wind, season, alone or with others; that make me love both styles. One style only, never cut it for me.

Cheers

jonathanf2

Ever since I got a proper road bike (two in fact: one aero and the other a lightweight climber), I've really honed my gravel bike for the terrain in my area which is mostly mountainous dirt trails with lots of climbing. I ditched my 2x setup and converted it to 1x and sized up on the tires. Even for travel, I much prefer bringing my gravel bike for ease of maintenance, flexibility and being more durable.

Random11

I have a gravel bike and a road bike, and find the gravel bike just as enjoyable to ride on paved roads as the road bike. It's not quite as nimble and responsive, but its more stable. If I'm riding with a group, I'll take the road bike because it's a little faster, but most of my rides are solo and I'm just as happy on pavement with my gravel bike as with my road bike.

SoSmellyAir

chaadster I agree. No way my gravel bike matches my road bike on pavement, even though the geometry difference between my bikes are probably less than yours.

Also, I love how all your components match. Takes commitment to ride what presumably is an anodized aluminum seat post instead of a CF model.

chaadster

Thanks!

I probably am giving up on an opportunity for some compliance with the seatpost, but yeah, I was on the “matching set or die” train!

Fentuz

I look at dropped bar bike as sportscars:
a road bike is like a lowered track orientated sportscar with tight suspensions and low profile tyres; optimised for speed on smooth tarmac
a classic gravel bike is like a "fast road" sportscar with softer suspension and ticker tyres; perfect to move quickly on back road with degraded bumpy surfaces
a "monster cross" bike is like a "rally" sportscar ; go on loose surface flat oout at the limit of available grip.

Eric F 

I don't want my gravel bike to be a road bike. I want it to be the in-between bike that rolls efficiently enough on the road that I don't feel like I'm pushing a pig, but is competent enough in the dirt that I push its limits in situations where a MTB is clearly the "better" choice. I like my gravel bike because I can ride combinations of road and dirt segments that I can't/won't do on any other bike, and it helps keep cycling fresh and exciting for me. When I want to go get my "roadie" on - maybe with one of the fast "racer-boy" group rides, or LSD miles - I'll hop on my road bike, and enjoy the pure efficiency of a high-end machine in its environment. When I need some serious dirt therapy, I'll ride my MTB. It's the variety of all of them that is the magic for me. I'm not a roadie, a MTB'er, or a gravel rider. I'm all of them. #rideallthebikes

Polaris OBark

Have you ever put your road wheels (or at least tires) onto your gravel bike and gone for a road ride? If so, is it really that much worse? (I'm asking, because my gravel bike is my "all-road" bike, and as much as I would like to think it is the bike that holds me back, my guess is that it is my (declining) ability.)

Metieval

I love my gravel bike !

RLT9 rdo, I like it enough. That I sold my himod supersix di2.
At the moment I'm riding it with 40c Strada USH. It might be a little slower but its not worth my time to put 32c gp5000 on it.

Eric F 

I have not, but I have a buddy that does with his Salsa Warbird, and is still able to hang with the local fast rides. That said, he's a pretty strong rider.

SoSmellyAir

I have not, but then I don't need to do so to know that my two bikes would perform very similarly if both were equipped with road wheels and the same tires. As my road bike is an endurance bike, the respective geometries of my road and gravel bikes are very similar; the latter mainly has about double the tire clearance and thus longer chain stays and a longer wheelbase.

I think that you would need very different frame geometries and aero considerations between the two bikes to realize a noticeable difference. But all bets are off if you have one of those new-fangled gravel bikes with moving suspension components.

Polaris OBark

Try some 38mm (or 42mm if they fit) Rene Herse extra-lights. It is definitely was worth the time (and expense) IMO.

tempocyclist

I have, and it's really not that different (my positions aren't that different either, so that helps).

In the bunch it's fine, I've even won sprints. Where I do notice it is on steeper climbs, as the gravel bike doesn't whip up quite as easily as my lighter, more responsive road bike. Then I notice it again on fast descents where I run out of gears!

Metieval

I'll weigh the pros and cons.

But like geometry and bike handling characteristics. There is so much more to tires than rolling resistance.

Polaris OBark

I had the 40mm Clements before I went to RH, and doing so was a major improvement. (My 38mm RH tires are essentially the same width, so no geometry change.)

chaadster

For me, it’s not so much the speed of the gravel bike that I’m talking about, but the feel and handling.

I am thinking about getting some aero wheels for the X3, but I run 35mm Herse Bon Jon Extralights most of the time anyway, so it’s not like I’m running a heavy knobby.