Gravel Bikes - Should we stop and tell the industry now?

[Danger Dassie]

that unfortunately is ... just that , a MONSTERCROSS, but I do believe we will still see TRUE GRAVEL FULL SUSSERS down the line .. 

 

Ja true that, industry picks up on people doing these conversions and will bring to market something that fills that gap if it's economically viable. 

 

For me personally something like a true softail (Moots) makes sense, or even an ISO decoupler like on the Trek. Anything more than that though doesn't really appeal to me as it's moving away from the simplicity and versatility of a gravel bike. 

Might as well go with a hardtail MTB then.

[DieselnDust]

Ja true that, industry picks up on people doing these conversions and will bring to market something that fills that gap if it's economically viable. 

 

For me personally something like a true softail (Moots) makes sense, or even an ISO decoupler like on the Trek. Anything more than that though doesn't really appeal to me as it's moving away from the simplicity and versatility of a gravel bike. 

Might as well go with a hardtail MTB then.

 

 

So what you're saying is you would like a turn of the century mtb with 700C wheels....?

[Patchelicious]

Ja true that, industry picks up on people doing these conversions and will bring to market something that fills that gap if it's economically viable.

 

For me personally something like a true softail (Moots) makes sense, or even an ISO decoupler like on the Trek. Anything more than that though doesn't really appeal to me as it's moving away from the simplicity and versatility of a gravel bike.

Might as well go with a hardtail MTB then.

Think I am going to take a Venge frame, put 720mm flat bars on it, run some 26er deep sections with knobbly tyres tubbies and slap on a Rockshox Pike, just to **** with them a bit.

 

Edit: and the icing???? V Brakes! Boooom!

Edited July 26, 2018 by Patchelicious

[Danger Dassie]

So what you're saying is you would like a turn of the century mtb with 700C wheels....?

 

Not at all, there are a number of current gravel bikes that are anything but that. Trek Checkpoint, Santa Cruz Stigmata, Specialized Diverge, Momsen R/GP series, Cotic X, Roadrat, Calculus etc .... 

 

That said, I have a large Lynskey 650b MTB frame which seems well suited to a gravel conversion. After spending some time on the Checkpoint I'm seriously tempted to forgoe that whole conversion plan though and sell off the Lynskey. 

Which would break my heart, bikes are my children, they speak to me. They really do .... *hears faint whispers of ancient hand brazed steel frames

[eddy]

Anyone done the spruit on a gravel bike lately? Coming from the east rand and haven’t ridden up the spruit recently

 

Rode the stretch from Sprocket & Jack to top of Emmarentia via Alberts Farm and back today.

 

No worries on a gravel bike.

[Patchelicious]

Rode the stretch from Sprocket & Jack to top of Emmarentia via Alberts Farm and back today.

 

No worries on a gravel bike.

Mart drops me with his Niner CX when I’m on my Epic on the Spruit.... good gravel training grounds.

[Eldron]

My current favourite - the Aristreeem Graveller. An aero gravel road bike :-)

 

https://bikerumor.com/2018/07/25/eb18-airstreeem-slips-in-carbon-graveller-rr-storm-marathon-super-tt-plus-road-bikes/

[Craig8252]

Rode the stretch from Sprocket & Jack to top of Emmarentia via Alberts Farm and back today.

 

No worries on a gravel bike.

 

Will start the spruit from the witkoppen Rivonia side and ride all the way up... all good on a gravel bike from that side of the spruit?

[PeterF]

So what you're saying is you would like a turn of the century mtb with 700C wheels....?

Uh....this already exists, it's called a 29'er.

[eddy]

Will start the spruit from the witkoppen Rivonia side and ride all the way up... all good on a gravel bike from that side of the spruit?

 

 

Did not ride there but I can see no reason why not.

 

The spruit trails are in good condition and I have never had a problem with a CX bike.

[Warthog]

My current favourite - the Aristreeem Graveller. An aero gravel road bike :-)

 

https://bikerumor.com/2018/07/25/eb18-airstreeem-slips-in-carbon-graveller-rr-storm-marathon-super-tt-plus-road-bikes/

 

Fetched this frame in Zambia. Planning to do a gravel bike.

 

I do need help though...please, any suggestions or advice will be appreciated.

 

[Paul Ruinaard]

The use of gravel bikes have been on the rise. They are cool and quite fun depending on just how bad the terrain is. 

 

But though extended use riders have realised that a rigid (essentially) road / cx bike with adjusted geo is just not comfortable on some terrain and over longer rides. Hence the sudden increase of suspension forks being developed for them with some manufacturers even trying full suspension bikes.

 

Really now? Isn't it time to pause and admit that what they are trying to do is invent a bicycle that is not quite like a gravel bike in that it is comfortable to ride over rough terrain at speed and in great comfort and that such a bike has actually been around for a while in the form of a MTB!?

 

Next dev on a gravel bike will be a flat bar with some bar ends... Then even wider tyres. 

Agreed,

 

This was exactly the conclusion i reached. A gravel bike wasn't as fast as a road bike and wasn't as good as an MTB. Its neither fish nor fowl and whilst an interesting and funky trend it really just becomes the worst of all evils. i built a CX bike and after taking it offroad a few times i was wondering why the hell i was doing it. An mTB did that much better. then i did a couple of road races on it and i was slower than the bunches.

 

Sold it eventually - nice experiment but really not useful.

[DieselnDust]

Uh....this already exists, it's called a 29'er.

 

Exactly. Hence I get Niner's tongue in cheek poke at full sus gravel bikes by fitting a RKT with drop bars.

I'm going to swing a 29er HT into a GG bike and vice versa when red etap goes 12.

Can probably do it now with X01 11

[Andrew_Smith]

My current favourite - the Aristreeem Graveller. An aero gravel road bike :-)

 

https://bikerumor.com/2018/07/25/eb18-airstreeem-slips-in-carbon-graveller-rr-storm-marathon-super-tt-plus-road-bikes/

 

Beautiful bike!

 

That bike is perfect for road and gravel. You get two wheelsets and it is basically the all-in-one bike for your needs.

 

Love the simplicity of the frame design and the unique paint scheme. I love it.

[Farrnus]

Agreed,

 

This was exactly the conclusion i reached. A gravel bike wasn't as fast as a road bike and wasn't as good as an MTB. Its neither fish nor fowl and whilst an interesting and funky trend it really just becomes the worst of all evils. i built a CX bike and after taking it offroad a few times i was wondering why the hell i was doing it. An mTB did that much better. then i did a couple of road races on it and i was slower than the bunches.

 

Sold it eventually - nice experiment but really not useful.

 

not to stir the pot but there are 2 fundamental differences between :

 

1. a CX bike is NOT a Gravel Bike - they are world's apart in terms of design / purpose / setup

2. alot has changed in just 12 months in the Gravel Scene - look at the AirStreem that Danger Dassie referenced -- that is where it is going .. 

 

GRAVEL BIKES are not going away any time soon --- they are a great option for the many routes/rides that alot of people are doing on MTB's ( when they could be on a faster, more suitable bike )

 

not taking anything away from a MTB but a Hardtail MTB 29er is not a GRAVEL BIKE and a GRAVEL BIKE is not a Hardtail MTB 29er.

[Paul Ruinaard]

not to stir the pot but there are 2 fundamental differences between :

 

1. a CX bike is NOT a Gravel Bike - they are world's apart in terms of design / purpose / setup

2. alot has changed in just 12 months in the Gravel Scene - look at the AirStreem that Danger Dassie referenced -- that is where it is going .. 

 

GRAVEL BIKES are not going away any time soon --- they are a great option for the many routes/rides that alot of people are doing on MTB's ( when they could be on a faster, more suitable bike )

 

not taking anything away from a MTB but a Hardtail MTB 29er is not a GRAVEL BIKE and a GRAVEL BIKE is not a Hardtail MTB 29er.

Hmm - i think you are buying in to the industry hype.

 

Remember If you can segment a market and create use cases where there weren't ones then you sell more bikes.

 

First there were bikes. then road bikes evolved from commuter bikes and then road bikes added race bikes. in the 70's there came MTB's. Now MTB is split in to XC, Enduro, Trail, DH. Now we are starting with rare variants of bikes for gravel versus CX. the DNA of the base machine stays the same and its just niches. 

 

Fat bikes were hype - try sell one now in Jhb. Lights went on that they are pretty much bad at everything after a couple of people bought them.

 

After having 11 bikes hanging in the garage at one point when i bought in to the "need" for a use case specific machine and countless wheelsets (Race, training etc) i have now got 2 x road bikes (one is just sentimental) and 1 x MTB and i have never been happier. No confusion or frustration when i dont have the right bike. One does any road well and the other does any MTB well and can do road. Simple and cost effective.

 

And BTW i wanted a fatbike - had visions of myself cruising the beaches in CTN on one.

 

I got into gravel bikes (and gravel racing as an idea) 4 years ago and went grinding down gravel roads. Simply put the gravel bike ran in to some pretty severe limitations that a hard tail MTB would never have. I was limited by gravel bikes where i wasn't limited by a hard tail MTB. When i built the gravel bike the shop owner who is a mate also questioned why i didnt just build a lightweight MTB. He was right.

 

And i built a proper setup - i didnt skimp.

 

Go and do the spruit on a gravel bike or a CX bike. It can be done. and I did it. But i always have a lot more fun on an MTB which is what i worked out. Gravel bikes dont get in to the air very well and are designed for another purpose. they aren't easy to land and lose traction in mud owing to thin tyres. 

 

So then i went and rode around the cradle on dirt roads - that suited the bike well, but every time i saw a  nice piece of single track and followed it to a bit of a gnarly point i had to get off and carry what i could easily ride on an MTB. I probably could have ridden it but i would be having a much harder time. Next time you are out on your gravel bike and have to do some single track with a big drop-off in it see how it feels.

 

And FWIW you will always get some idiot who prefers to ride the spruit or whatever on the incorrect machine just for the kicks of saying he did.

 

Like driving a VW Beetle through the Sahara,

 

It can be done in fact it has been done but why on earth would you want to do it?

 

This for me is what the argument for gravel bikes is about and having bene there i just dont get it.

Edited July 27, 2018 by Paul Ruinaard