What do the gravel nay-sayers say now?

[Charlie600]

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.

 

[Baracuda]

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]

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.

[Eldron]

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.

[Robbie Stewart]

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.

[Eldron]

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.

[MORNE]

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

[Sid the Sloth]

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

[Zebra]

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
 

[ChrisF]

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

[DieselnDust]

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

 

 

[RDL101]

 

[ACE Cycles]

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

[DIPSLICK]

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 

 

[Eldron]

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 ????

 

[Eldron]

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