MTB to Gravel

[ct_rider]

For those who have moved to the one bike that does it all, how is your experience going?

Have you regretted it and returned to your dual suspension / hardtail?

Alternatively, as a weekend warrior, are you finding that you are actually enjoying the experience of riding your bike, without the stress of keeping up with pelotons on the road bike or bombing down mountains with your suspension on your mountain bike? 

[guidodg]

absolutely 😘

 

 

[Bub Marley]

Why not do both?

[guidodg]

do all 3 on one bike

[Bub Marley]

I have 3 bikes: Road, Full Sus and drop bar hardtail. While I get the do it all thing, there are loads of drawbacks. You can get an extra wheel set for road but for me that’s just a faff. You’d also then have to keep your cassette consistent to be able to swop wheels which means you will most likely have gear range not suitable for tar. On the off road side, a gravel bike can take you off road, but let’s be honest here. Bombing a gravel bike down a single track mountain bike specific descent ain’t gonna be fun unless you have the skill set of Safabrian.

[CARANXCycleMobile]

My Roadbike gets a turn once a year for the DC 😜

The MTB is on standby, for incase something like a EPIC comes up 🫢

The Gravelbike gets 1 REST DAY PER WEEK 👌

 

 

[Mongoose!]

3 hours ago, ct_rider said:

, ....without the stress of keeping up ...... 

However told you gravel riding is not competitive...lied🙃

[Brighter-Lights]

I switched to a gravel bike 3 years ago, and only very occasionally ride my mtb now. The gravel bike is slower on rocky/technical terrain, but faster everywhere else, with no suspension to maintain.

After putting 20 000km on my Merida Silex, I tried a few others, and settled on a Giant Revolt Advanced, because it can take big tyres. 8000km on it since February. I ride with 40/45mm tyres on tar and smoother gravel, and 50mm/2.1/2.25 on rough roads. It's set up with a 46t chainring and a 10/51 cassette. This is a near perfect bike for how and where I like to ride. (little bit of tar, and mostly good to poorly maintained gravel roads)

[ct_rider]

22 hours ago, Brighter-Lights said:

I switched to a gravel bike 3 years ago, and only very occasionally ride my mtb now. The gravel bike is slower on rocky/technical terrain, but faster everywhere else, with no suspension to maintain.

After putting 20 000km on my Merida Silex, I tried a few others, and settled on a Giant Revolt Advanced, because it can take big tyres. 8000km on it since February. I ride with 40/45mm tyres on tar and smoother gravel, and 50mm/2.1/2.25 on rough roads. It's set up with a 46t chainring and a 10/51 cassette. This is a near perfect bike for how and where I like to ride. (little bit of tar, and mostly good to poorly maintained gravel roads)

This is exactly the build I want to do! Thanks for the info! 

[Baracuda]

Another vote the for Giant Advanced. one of few bikes that has 2x gearing, can take 50mm 2.1inch tires, weighs under 8kgs, and costs less than 80k. After a few years on an alu gravel bike, the upgrade is amazing in every way. 

My sense is that many South African "mountain bikers" are better on a gravel bike. Like all of the above, I pull out the Pyga for the odd single track with old enduro mates, but otherwise, ride my gravel bike every second day. 

 

[Zebra]

…and on Friday past, the 2023 Giant Revolt Alu with Carbon fork went on special for R25,995 Nationally (i think), i have one, 2x , and for relatively-little money, is quite a lot of gravel bike, at the affordable-end of the spectrum.

Chris

[ct_rider]

On 7/27/2025 at 2:44 PM, Baracuda said:

Another vote the for Giant Advanced. one of few bikes that has 2x gearing, can take 50mm 2.1inch tires, weighs under 8kgs, and costs less than 80k. After a few years on an alu gravel bike, the upgrade is amazing in every way. 

My sense is that many South African "mountain bikers" are better on a gravel bike. Like all of the above, I pull out the Pyga for the odd single track with old enduro mates, but otherwise, ride my gravel bike every second day. 

 

Is the 8kg with or without carbon wheels?

[Iwan Kemp]

If your riding looks like the photos shared so far, then you most likely won't miss a MTB. 

For me, a gravel bike can replace my road bike, but not my MTB. I ride mostly single track trails, with some technical features, and a gravel bike won't cut it there at speed.

Bottom line, it GREATLY depends on your riding. 

[ct_rider]

Just now, Iwan Kemp said:

If your riding looks like the photos shared so far, then you most likely won't miss a MTB. 

For me, a gravel bike can replace my road bike, but not my MTB. I ride mostly single track trails, with some technical features, and a gravel bike won't cut it there at speed.

Bottom line, it GREATLY depends on your riding. 

I'm in and around Table Mountain / Kirstenbosch / Greenbelt and occasionally Tokai. Other than that, the usual road rides to around Cape Town.

[babse]

Gravel to replace roadie... Hmmm maybe if you getting old and soft, or you have a super light and doing the wheelset swap thingy.

 

Gravel to replace MTB... No chance I'm giving up actual mountain biking for groads (of which i live close to none).

 

Gravel bikes are for gravel riding, it has it's own place without replacing, IMO!

[Bub Marley]

1 hour ago, ct_rider said:

I'm in and around Table Mountain / Kirstenbosch / Greenbelt and occasionally Tokai. Other than that, the usual road rides to around Cape Town.

Not really sure what response you are aiming to get here. Only you will know whether it can be done. But like I have mentioned earlier and others have also said, if you want to do proper mountain biking trails, then a gravel bike wont cut it. And if you want to do proper road races, like actually compete for position, time etc, then again a gravel bike wont cut it.

 

However, if you’re not planning on bombing down trails or racing on the road, then sure you can get away with having only a gravel bike. You’d essentially be able to ride everywhere with limitations. It’s all personal to everyone.

 

From my own perspective, I would never give away the thrill of bombing down a single track descent with a proper mtb with suspension or give away the lightness of a proper carbon road bike when climbing up a mountain but that’s just me.