Which bike?

[Grease_Monkey]

Personally, I think gravel bikes suck. Had one, it is slow on the road, it sucks on dirt (flame suit on). Every time I rode it on dirt I wished I had my hardtail. Tried to convince myself for a long time it was good - I had spent money on it! Hell, I am sure you will even find some posts here on the hub of me saying I liked it, but eventually I saw the light and sold it. 

 

A hardtail mtb (XC/marathon geo) is the best all rounder IMO, that's what I would buy if I was you. 

[Jewbacca]

Personally, I think gravel bikes suck. Had one, it is slow on the road, it sucks on dirt (flame suit on). Every time I rode it on dirt I wished I had my hardtail. Tried to convince myself for a long time it was good - I had spent money on it! Hell, I am sure you will even find some posts here on the hub of me saying I liked it, but eventually I saw the light and sold it. 

 

A hardtail mtb (XC/marathon geo) is the best all rounder IMO, that's what I would buy if I was you. 

I sort of agree but disagree.....

 

If you use it like Rae Trew-Browne or Benky then a Gravel bike is awesome. If you live in the city and try to ride it as a road bike it's meh and the 'gravel' isn't really the same as say The seven passes etc that Wayne rides around Hoekwil.

 

It is a seriously fun piece of kit if you live in the boondocks or do some touring on roads of all descriptions.

 

But if you just ride it like a drop bar mtb or an off road road bike then it's just meh at everything

[Me rida my bicycle]

Personally, I think gravel bikes suck. Had one, it is slow on the road, it sucks on dirt (flame suit on). Every time I rode it on dirt I wished I had my hardtail. Tried to convince myself for a long time it was good - I had spent money on it! Hell, I am sure you will even find some posts here on the hub of me saying I liked it, but eventually I saw the light and sold it. 

 

A hardtail mtb (XC/marathon geo) is the best all rounder IMO, that's what I would buy if I was you.

 

have to say I agree totally. A hardtail is your do it all bike. Fat fast rolling rubber = comfort off road and still good speed on it.

[Grease_Monkey]

I sort of agree but disagree.....

 

If you use it like Rae Trew-Browne or Benky then a Gravel bike is awesome. If you live in the city and try to ride it as a road bike it's meh and the 'gravel' isn't really the same as say The seven passes etc that Wayne rides around Hoekwil.

 

It is a seriously fun piece of kit if you live in the boondocks or do some touring on roads of all descriptions.

 

But if you just ride it like a drop bar mtb or an off road road bike then it's just meh at everything

 

Agree, I guess I never used it for it's intended purpose. 

 

But as it relates to the original question - don't get one if you are not going to use it for the intended purpose. 

[NickGM]

Personally, I think gravel bikes suck. Had one, it is slow on the road, it sucks on dirt (flame suit on). Every time I rode it on dirt I wished I had my hardtail. Tried to convince myself for a long time it was good - I had spent money on it! Hell, I am sure you will even find some posts here on the hub of me saying I liked it, but eventually I saw the light and sold it. 

 

A hardtail mtb (XC/marathon geo) is the best all rounder IMO, that's what I would buy if I was you. 

 

I have a bike that I built for touring, but in terms or geometry and components it could just as well be a gravel bike. I ride it daily and absolutely love it. For a typical sunday Franschoek ride, it's a tossup between that bike and my road bike. I know I'll be faster on the roadie, but far more comfortable on the gravel/touring bike. I built it for long days in the saddle, I commute on it every day and I've done some overnighters too. I use it for things that I literally can't do on an MTB or road bike. But those things mostly involve tar roads. 

 

Riding on gravel exclusively (which I think are the OP's intentions, and I'd guess the purpose of a gravel bike)? No I'd much rather have an MTB. Perhaps I'm too old or too soft in the middle, but I like my corrugated roads with a bouncy fork and big air-filled tyres.

 

My advice - borrow a gravel bike and ride the roads you intend to ride, then do the same on an mtb. I just find a rigid fork a bit too jarring.    

[TNT1]

 

 

Riding on gravel exclusively (which I think are the OP's intentions, and I'd guess the purpose of a gravel bike)? No I'd much rather have an MTB. Perhaps I'm too old or too soft in the middle, but I like my corrugated roads with a bouncy fork and big air-filled tyres.

 

 

I'm looking to get off tarred roads (away from traffic) maybe 3 days a week? As in I train daily, and weekends are group rides, so when I'm on my own I'd like to minimise the risk of traffic killing me.

 

Based on what I'm reading here, I think a mtb will be more versatile.

 

Opinions on  this:

 

https://mellowvelo.co.za/shop/bikes/hardtail-mtb/silverback-stride-elite-2021/

[ironmanmk42]

It’s a personal preference thing. Nearly bought a gravel bike last year. Then realised it won’t be nearly as quick as my road bike on tar, or as comfy as a MTB off tar. I second the hard-tail as a better option. Recently got a Trek Supercalibre and with suspension locked out it’s still super comfy on 29mm rims and wide tyres, but fast on gravel. That said I have mates who love doing all kinds of technical stuff on their gravel bikes - but it doesn’t look like fun to me!

[nickc]

So, after my recent episode of being knocked off whilst training, I was thinking of getting a something off-road to spend less time in traffic. 

 

I certainly don't want to do any mtb type events or anything, mainly just to get miles in off road.

 

I was looking at a fat bike or a gravel bike.

 

This:

 

Or this:

 

Or this:

 

 

I await your expert opinions.

 

 

TNT1 = GT

[ChrisF]

TNT I went through the same over the last 2 or 3 months.

 

Wanted a gravel bike, for commuting and some longer tar rides ...

 

 

I got some interesting feedback on the Hub, some very interesting feedback via DM ....

 

 

Noting my bias coming from years on a MTB the feel and handling of a bike with drop bars was just "wrong" ...

 

 

Very glad I went the hardtail route ... even though it has 50C slick tires on.

 

 

That said, it may be way too slow for somebody with a road bias ....

 

 

Rent/borrow a few bikes and ride the roads and routes where you intend using the bike.

[dasilvarsa]

MTB Dual Suspension.

15 Kg of Pure Fun

And It Goes Anywhere.

[RobertWhitehead]

My opinion on the Silverback: it's going to be a money pit. You're going to upgrade that bike very quickly

 

[snip]

[Sid the Sloth]

Okes clearly have not tried a Slate... Honestly an amazing bit of bike, but I may be a bit biased. I see a lot complaints here about pain from lack of suspension but 43c and the 30mm lefty as well as compliant rear stays are pretty awesome. On the road I don't find it too slow, it's not a rocket but if you can put down some watts you can definitely do some damage (@puresavage will confirm). Off road, if you have access to gravel (something I unfortunately don't as I have a tt bike and not a car) it is a treat and it is really fun to ride. 

[Eugene]

I, for one, don't understand the gravel bike craze. It's like someone really missed what riding bikes in 1972 felt like. Imagine we had to go back to steam powered cars?

 

I think there are great value mountain bikes that'll fit your needs.

Agreed.

[Eugene]

Why not buy the fat bike and put drop bars on it!

 

Big flared ones.....

 

(Jokes aside, a fat bike with drop bars would be so rad)

I think you may have just stumbled upon the next big craze to hit cycling. Gravel fat bikes.

[Baracuda]

I am finding that a 2x gravel bike is amazingly versatile. Put 32mm slicks on it and I can stay with the roadies around the Pennisula. In general, it is really comfortable road bike. Put 43mm gravel tires on it and it bombs down Karoo roads faster than any MTB I have had.

 

BUT, there is certainly a limit to what it can handle on gravel roads. On most Karoo roads that have been graded in the last 6 months it is fine, but once you get to rocky conditions and heavy corrugations, it clearly finds its limit. 

 

A full suss XC mtb would iron out a lot more of stones and rocks and you would feel less fatigued, but once one gets into decent corrugations (>3-5 cm high), it just sucks no matter what you on.

[RobertWhitehead]

Interesting story: On Saturday I was on my way to meet a friend at one of the bike parks. On my way there I caught a gravel grinder going up one of the shortish steep climbs. I do not know his fitness level and or how I compare but it looked very uncomfortable and sluggish on the corrugation. Initially I had to work to get onto his wheel but when I got there he couldn't shake me. I sat there for around 2km without too much effort.