Gravel bikes

[duringd]

9 minutes ago, Bub Marley said:

I’d say your biggest upgrade would be gearing. You’d be able to fit a larger chainring which should make a huge difference on your flats and descents.

My GB came to me with Shimano GRX installed, being 1x11. I've got the option of either a 40 or 42 in front. Would one really look at more than that? Not sure I want to change to 2x?

[Vaultboy]

27 minutes ago, duringd said:

My GB came to me with Shimano GRX installed, being 1x11. I've got the option of either a 40 or 42 in front. Would one really look at more than that? Not sure I want to change to 2x?

1x11 probably meets 90% of all use cases, but it really depends on how much climbing you do and how often you carry extra weight (bikepacking, or just long days out riding). You might need a few higher gears. Also conversely if you race you might need a few lower gears. I have a 1x8, 38-34 max gearing so I get the worst of both scenarios. As much as I prefer a 1x, I think 2x10 is probably going to be the sweet spot for me. 

[Skubarra]

2 hours ago, _David_ said:

This thread is making me think of scratching an itch I don't have; I'm now considering a gravel bike. Please educate me on what would make a gravel bike better than the light carbon hardtail mountain bike I already own. 🙂

Does it come down to gearing and efficiency on the road?

 

39 minutes ago, duringd said:

My GB came to me with Shimano GRX installed, being 1x11. I've got the option of either a 40 or 42 in front. Would one really look at more than that? Not sure I want to change to 2x?

I think its a decent low cost low risk plan to get into gravel riding if a mtb is what you have and you don't have the budget for a gravel bike now.

[RustyHWR]

A few years back before covid about 90% of the people owing a GB now could not understand why GB? You either ride road or mtb...... KYK NOU 👀

[Skubarra]

2 minutes ago, RustyHWR said:

A few years back before covid about 90% of the people owing a GB now could not understand why GB? You either ride road or mtb...... KYK NOU 👀

I was one of them! The early gravel bikes also didn't convince me. Took me a few years to come around 😁

[Headshot]

18 hours ago, Prince Albert Cycles said:

Were you on a Revolt ? Saw you on Saturday morning riding back to town

Nah, I do gravel on my Steel HT. I did the PA to the Top and back on Saturday though. 

[Bub Marley]

2 hours ago, duringd said:

My GB came to me with Shimano GRX installed, being 1x11. I've got the option of either a 40 or 42 in front. Would one really look at more than that? Not sure I want to change to 2x?

Are you racing? Like pushing for time & position etc. If you’re not racing, then I’d go for the 40. The lighter gearing will be more beneficial especially when your legs are finished towards the end of a long ride and you have a mountain to get over.

[cadenceblur]

1 hour ago, Bub Marley said:

Are you racing? Like pushing for time & position etc. If you’re not racing, then I’d go for the 40. The lighter gearing will be more beneficial especially when your legs are finished towards the end of a long ride and you have a mountain to get over.

Would that not limit the road performance though, I sometimes feel a bit under geared when rolling with guys on road bikes . 

[MongooseMan]

4 hours ago, duringd said:

My GB came to me with Shimano GRX installed, being 1x11. I've got the option of either a 40 or 42 in front. Would one really look at more than that? Not sure I want to change to 2x?

I run a 40T for gravel season and a 48T for road season.

Note I'm running a 10-50T at the back so I've got a pretty big range anyway, but found I spun out on the 40T on downhills roads.

[eala]

13 hours ago, Prince Albert Cycles said:

In my humble view a gravel being bike being more road bike than mtb 2 x is the solution . I find the GRX 46/30 with 11-34 on my Topstone perfect . 2 x 10 being as inexpensive as bicycle parts can get 

I bought a Topstone end of last year .Only bike in 15 years that is as close to complete as  i have ever owned .By complete i mean 2 x 11 GRX as above . Kingpin frame works .Tyre clearance is plenty .Running vittorio dry 38 mm .Durable and smooth enough tyres to race on tar . I can climb faster than my mountain bike .Flat dirt road is way faster than a mtb and close to a road bike on tar .Descents are a problem at speed only .The camber tends to rule your front tyre on a gravel bike when descending on a dirt road  .All of this carrying two bottles and riding in a comfortable position    

[dave303e]

20 hours ago, Shebeen said:

That would be cool, even if just a crude way to confirm what we think we know! 

My bike closet is (currently)

MTB (2014 carbon hardtail) + Farr gravelbike + 18yr old alu/carb roadie

the mtb is used for long rides and AR racing

the gravelbike has two wheelsets now and does the most - including to shops and back

the roadie now sits on the dumb trainer, but got taken off for the argus.

 

There is serious overlap between the gravelbike and mtb, and gravelbike and roadie if you switch gravel wheelsets. I should probably swap out the mtb for a duallsus but it doesn't seem to be a priority right now.

 

 

 

 

I still believe that ARWC would have been faster on a gravel bike. Would have lost some time over suurberg and coming out of baviaanskloof. But you would have made up huge time the rest of it.

[RobertWhitehead]

The Topstone I currently have on the stand (to complete) has a 2x in the front, I am not a roadie / groovy (I just made that up 😁) but I assume the current gear ratio is more road: 39/52T. I don't know if this will be an issue but the plan is to go 11 speed at the rear. Looking at it now I actually think it is going to work lekker

[_David_]

On 4/3/2024 at 8:35 AM, mecheng89 said:

It all depends on where you ride more regularly.

IMHO, on the road/light gravel road, there is nothing quicker than a gravel bike due to the better aero. I've managed to hold on to a road bunch at 60kph before spinning out (50/11). However, once it becomes remotely rocky, you've better off with a hard tail.

But once again, it's not about the bike but the rider. I've had HT riders cream me on an open gravel road. 

So drop-bar mountain bikes might be the best of both worlds. It's just a pity that they are incredibly ugly.

[mecheng89]

43 minutes ago, _David_ said:

So drop-bar mountain bikes might be the best of both worlds. It's just a pity that they are incredibly ugly.

Ugly but gets the job done perhaps?

[Shebeen]

4 hours ago, dave303e said:

I still believe that ARWC would have been faster on a gravel bike. Would have lost some time over suurberg and coming out of baviaanskloof. But you would have made up huge time the rest of it.

I was going to do EA stanford on my gravelbike in feb last year to prove your exact point, There was a sandy section for 4km otherwise the rest was hardpack gravel. Would have been a winner.

I seriously considered putting 40mm tyres onto my hardtail for ARWC. However, after doing the course I am glad I took my hardtail with 2.25 tyres, this is a teamsport afterall so the gain is only really there if you do it together. 

Zuurberg pass with no suspension, that baviaanskloof 4x4 track, the final muddy stuff in the forestry roads??? norrafok, it was definitely the gnarliest terrain he ever put on. 

 

 

[_David_]

Will definitely get the job done, I see Dylan Johnson did Leadville on a Drop-bar hardtail.

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/bike-check-dylan-johnson-leadville-100-2023.html