Charlie600 Posted September 24, 2021 Share One can always rationalize what you believe is the best for yourself (especially so if you've already purchased the item) so just ride whatever makes you happy. Although I for example also had a Trek Checkpoint and did love the bike, I clearly did not NOT utilise the bike's full range of capabilities, based on what is clearly possible as per the below video. Probably yet again a case of a bike can only be as great and enjoyable as one's skillset allows????? Nonetheless, a gravel bike remain an incredible versatile bike and I will most definitely again acquire one in the event of only being able (allowed!) to own one bike. Danger Dassie and Chunky69 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baracuda Posted September 24, 2021 Share 14 hours ago, Robbie Stewart said: But mostly, a gravel traveller can't do this... A lovely photo and I love that track on my enduro bike, but not sure what the point is? Gravel bikes are meant for gravel roads, not downhill single track. It is like saying mountain bikes suck on motocross tracks in comparison to motocross bikes. Well of course they do. Eldron and NC_lurker 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldron Posted September 24, 2021 Share 1 hour ago, Mamil said: Danny mcaskill (sp?) could. And bunny hop into a backflip landing on a tightrope afterwards. The correct spelling is MEGAskill. DIPSLICK and Mamil 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldron Posted September 24, 2021 Share 7 minutes ago, Baracuda said: A lovely photo and I love that track on my enduro bike, but not sure what the point is? Gravel bikes are meant for gravel roads, not downhill single track. It is like saying mountain bikes suck on motocross tracks in comparison to motocross bikes. Well of course they do. Exactly this. Check bra like your gravel bike can't handle my gnar. It probably won't win any time trials either but it is great for putting a smile on your face with your buddies. Sid the Sloth 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Stewart Posted September 24, 2021 Share 26 minutes ago, Baracuda said: A lovely photo and I love that track on my enduro bike, but not sure what the point is? Gravel bikes are meant for gravel roads, not downhill single track. It is like saying mountain bikes suck on motocross tracks in comparison to motocross bikes. Well of course they do. 18 minutes ago, Eldron said: Exactly this. Check bra like your gravel bike can't handle my gnar. It probably won't win any time trials either but it is great for putting a smile on your face with your buddies. I agree with both of you's - I am just pointing out the missed perspective to folks who deem a gravel bike to be THE ONE bike to beat them all. A road bike is king on the road, a TT bike is king on a time trial, a gravel bike is king on any flat road that is not tar, a xc bike is king on singletrack - you get the point. I am somewhat taking the piss, I'll freely admit, but I do appreciate all forms of cycling and if adulting wasn't so hard I'd have one of each - road, gravel, xc, enduro, heck even a singlespeed / fixie. Point I'm trying to make is I don't think ONE bike adequately covers all the above genre's perfectly. Sure, they will get you by on most rides, but not as good as you would on the preferred tool of choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldron Posted September 24, 2021 Share 7 minutes ago, Robbie Stewart said: I agree with both of you's - I am just pointing out the missed perspective to folks who deem a gravel bike to be THE ONE bike to beat them all. A road bike is king on the road, a TT bike is king on a time trial, a gravel bike is king on any flat road that is not tar, a xc bike is king on singletrack - you get the point. I am somewhat taking the piss, I'll freely admit, but I do appreciate all forms of cycling and if adulting wasn't so hard I'd have one of each - road, gravel, xc, enduro, heck even a singlespeed / fixie. Point I'm trying to make is I don't think ONE bike adequately covers all the above genre's perfectly. Sure, they will get you by on most rides, but not as good as you would on the preferred tool of choice. Nobody wants ONE bike to cover all genres cos then we'd end up with just ONE bike and who wants that? N+1 or 2 or 3 is the only way ???? That said maybe one bike can multitask. For instance I don't plan on racing road next year so the 3T Exploro RaceMax that I've ordered will get an extra set of wheels with slicks on. One bike for road and gravel..... Thaaaat said I have just been given the Colnago brand so methinks a V3RS or C64 will be my N+1 when the 12spd Ultegra groups arrive in Spring 2022* *No - I don't care that I'm putting a Japanese groupset on an Italian legend. Mtree, coppi and Zebra 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MORNE Posted September 24, 2021 Share 3 hours ago, Charlie600 said: One can always rationalize what you believe is the best for yourself (especially so if you've already purchased the item) so just ride whatever makes you happy. Although I for example also had a Trek Checkpoint and did love the bike, I clearly did not NOT utilise the bike's full range of capabilities, based on what is clearly possible as per the below video. Probably yet again a case of a bike can only be as great and enjoyable as one's skillset allows????? Nonetheless, a gravel bike remain an incredible versatile bike and I will most definitely again acquire one in the event of only being able (allowed!) to own one bike. Also, very important as seen in this vid, gravel bikes make it ok to ride on a comparatively road looking thing in mtb attire haha. I break all the rules, visor, flanel/tshirts, mtb clipless shoes or flats etc etc etc Edited September 24, 2021 by MORNE TheoG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid the Sloth Posted September 24, 2021 Share Yesterday we did 3/7 passes and came home on N2 tar from Knysna. Gravel 1: 0 Dual Sus Today we did Simola, Gouna to pimple, Diepwalle, and back to Knysna. Gravel bike had a slow puncture and was very bumpy over descents with corrugations and potholes and slow through loose stone. I had to call it a day as we ran out of bombs and my tubeless wasn't sealing then punctured a tube. Gravel 1: 1 Dual sus LBKloppers and Eldron 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted September 24, 2021 Share 6 hours ago, Eldron said: That said maybe one bike can multitask. For instance I don't plan on racing road next year so the 3T Exploro RaceMax that I've ordered will get an extra set of wheels with slicks on. One bike for road and gravel..... Thaaaat said I have just been given the Colnago brand so methinks a V3RS or C64 will be my N+1 when the 12spd Ultegra groups arrive in Spring 2022* After many years of owning a good few bikes, I feel for the TYPE of riding I am doing now, I have a one-bike solution, that covers MY needs, rather well… a full Susser, which is a hard-tail when on the road, due to Brain front and rear… (I commute on it 1x or 2x per week) ….but a soft-tail off road, due front and rear suspension. with 2 sets of wheels, one MTB, one Road/ Gravel-ish… Flat bars, but with SQLabs mid-ends that more or less replicate honking on brake hoods; have said it before, one of the best pieces of kit I have added to a bike in 40+ years of riding. Drawback? It is a fair bit heavier than either road bike or gravel bike, but with above, I can easily compromise on that! a happy compromise, for me, anyways! Chris Sid the Sloth, Danger Dassie, TheoG and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted September 24, 2021 Share 11 minutes ago, Zebra said: After many years of owning a good few bikes, I feel for the TYPE of riding I am doing now, I have a one-bike solution, that covers MY needs, rather well… a full Susser, which is a hard-tail when on the road, due to Brain front and rear… (I commute on it 1x or 2x per week) ….but a soft-tail off road, due front and rear suspension. with 2 sets of wheels, one MTB, one Road/ Gravel-ish… Flat bars, but with SQLabs mid-ends that more or less replicate honking on brake hoods; have said it before, one of the best pieces of kit I have added to a bike in 40+ years of riding. Drawback? It is a fair bit heavier than either road bike or gravel bike, but with above, I can easily compromise on that! a happy compromise, for me, anyways! Chris Please load some pics Zebra 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselnDust Posted September 24, 2021 Share An E-bike friend is of more use to me than a gravel bike friend. An e-bike friend is a really lekker motorpacer, whilst a gravel bike friend just smells funny in his cotton T and 1980's TopSport helmet Quote ChrisF, Sid the Sloth and Me rida my bicycle 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDL101 Posted September 24, 2021 Share TheoG, MORNE and ChrisF 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACE Cycles Posted September 24, 2021 Share 14 hours ago, NotSoBigBen said: Would really like to see this build! I need to get my priorities sorted and finish her up already. Waiting for a few small parts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIPSLICK Posted September 24, 2021 Share N + always FTW went out today with vetseun gravel grind in corrugated bloem my old school steel rigid worked just fine enough so that tomorrow is another out ride ps did I mention bloem is corrugated Mongoose!, NotSoBigBen, ChrisF and 2 others 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldron Posted September 24, 2021 Share 5 hours ago, Zebra said: After many years of owning a good few bikes, I feel for the TYPE of riding I am doing now, I have a one-bike solution, that covers MY needs, rather well… a full Susser, which is a hard-tail when on the road, due to Brain front and rear… (I commute on it 1x or 2x per week) ….but a soft-tail off road, due front and rear suspension. with 2 sets of wheels, one MTB, one Road/ Gravel-ish… Flat bars, but with SQLabs mid-ends that more or less replicate honking on brake hoods; have said it before, one of the best pieces of kit I have added to a bike in 40+ years of riding. Drawback? It is a fair bit heavier than either road bike or gravel bike, but with above, I can easily compromise on that! a happy compromise, for me, anyways! Chris That is the law of not breaking....the MTB will do the duties of all bikes. Some well , some average and some downright shitty. I starting to think we've got this thread all wrong. Nirvana is one bike for each discipline not one bike for all disciplines. Or at the very least 5 bikes for all disciplines. That is absolute minimum on my opinion. 1 x Track, 1 x TT, 1 x Gravelroad and 1 x Duallie and 1 x Beaten up commuter (that last one is probably a Euro thing though - 4 for the saffers). And an SSer, a fixed for road, and and and ???? ACE Cycles 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldron Posted September 24, 2021 Share New bikes also open the door for new hybrid frankenbikes.... I found an old Niner Air9 RDO frame in the shop the other day and plan on turning it into The Gravelator. Rigid flat bar mtb with on/off tyres designed to eat up tar as well as the many many many (did I mention many?) gravel paths here in Denmark. Edited September 24, 2021 by Eldron Jensie, NotSoBigBen, ChrisF and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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