Boardman Prototype Gravel Bike

Needs at least a double chainset.
Triple even better. Get rid of that silly cassete then.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/vitus-substance-vrs-1-ht-gravel-bike-apex

chain reaction already have something similar on sale

Meanwhile I'm trying to make the handlebars on my 29er hardtail more like the drops on my gravel bike 😆

Good to know I was way ahead of the times when I was riding gravel trails on my mid-90's Saracen with its awesome* own brand forks with 30mm travel...

*they were terrible!

I love the look of these! Boardman are onto something surely.
I hope they come out really light.

I could see that being a good bikepacking bike too

I think we need to jump to 80mm forks

Nah, 120!

I think we need to jump to 80mm forks

Everyone knows that 80mm was for Downhill.
63mm was what you wanted for XC!

Even that was excessive after coming from the RockShox Mag21 with it's 46mm travel... 😉

Ha!! I chatted to this bloke for a few mins at the Dirty Reiver while riding. I thought it looked like a funky looking paint job but couldn't see a brand name.

I put some carbon copies of surly corner bars on an old 2016 Cube xc bike and I am having so much fun on it. 100mm of travel and comes in comfortably under 11kg, 2.2 inch xc tyres. It is worth a few hundred quid but there will be equivalent new bikes for £4k soon

So it’s a suspension hybrid… like a Trek DS or Spesh Sirrus X? Other than them calling it a “gravel” bike it’s just another leisure hybrid.

It's not that different from a 10 year old SC Highball...

Mmm 🤔 wonder if my 05 Stumpy frame that's sitting in the loft would take a 700 wheel? I'd be 'bang on trend' for the first time ever 😂

Looks perfect for this not wanting drop bars (although I personally don't see the need for any suspension on gravel)

Yes it is similar to an old MTB but has more forgiving geometry (higher, not as stretched out) has 1x gearing, has disc brakes, has 700c rims with tubeless tyres which are all improvements on a 90's MTB.

Why don't these "gravel bikes" take a wider tyre?

Width has steadily been increasing, especially after they adopted 1x systems. They seem to all fit a 50mm tyre now but I wonder if they will settle on 2.2 inch in a while.

No point getting there too early or they won't have a unique selling feature next year to make you part with your cash.

I think I ran 26 inch 2.1 farmer John tyres with tan walls.

has 700c rims with tubeless tyres which are all improvements on a 90’s MTB.

Isn’t an old school MTB with 700c wheels in fact a hybrid?

I’ve used 700x35 on my ‘08 orange P7.
Was fine, slightly reduced tyre clearance at the seatstay bridge, but plenty at the BB.
Obviously, width was absolutely ample.
@fazzini

Aren't all gravel bikes hybrids?
The bike categories are all marketing?

Aren’t all gravel bikes hybrids?
The bike categories are all marketing?

This!
For a lot of people a hybrid is the perfect tool, just choose if you want drop bars or flat depending on your personal preference.

If there was ever a time to ditch buying bikes and just build what you want out the parts bin then it's now. Doesn't matter what you throw together, it'll still be completely on trend!!

Can we all just buy a Whippet instead. Takes great big tyres and tiny little ones.

Isn’t an old school MTB with 700c wheels in fact a hybrid?

I always understood a hybrid to be a flat barred road bike, not an MTB with bigger wheels, maybe I’m wrong?

fazzini
Full Member
Mmm 🤔 wonder if my 05 Stumpy frame that’s sitting in the loft would take a 700 wheel? I’d be ‘bang on trend’ for the first time ever

FB last week had a barely used Cannondale F1000 with headshock and disc mount frame for £50.
If I didn't use a rack, I think I would have tried it as a 700c gravel bike...

Aren’t all gravel bikes hybrids?
The bike categories are all marketing?

These days a hybrid is generally more upright for general riding around town by normal people. That bike looks a bit more stretched out.

And yes it is marketing. By which I mean companies are trying to make products to appeal to a niche, like every company does. But so what? They're not claiming it's a revolutionary new invention are they? The article even says they were basing it on a 90s MTB but with modern tech.

Struggling to see why it's a problem. You could previously still buy hybrids but not many with decent gear and set up for off road rather than town

It's a bit like companing a 2023 BMW 3 series is a four door road saloon just like a Renault 21 from 1982. Yes it is, but people appreciate the improvements.

I always understood a hybrid to be a flat barred road bike, not an MTB with bigger wheels, maybe I’m wrong?

Originally they had elements of both putting them between the two concepts, hence the name hybrid.

I put some carbon copies of surly corner bars on an old 2016 Cube xc bike

I think I was looking at the same bars on eBay or Amazon! They looked aluminium right enough and I was wary of 'cheap' (£140) unbranded carbon.

Sounds like they were worth it though? Guess you needed a shorter more upright stem?

Looks like they've been paying attention to what people want/need in real life.

From the bottom of that piece...

There are both flat- and drop-bar versions of the TRVL in the pipeline and Boardman says availability can be expected towards the end of the year.

IMO,it's back to the 'right tool for the job terrain 'debate.
I was out on my grovel bike this week with my peoples,it's fast XC trails and they were mostly on MTBs.
As I hit the hundredth tree root,my mind started wandering to a Redshift susspension stem and seatpost setup.
That (for me) would be best for taking the edge off those gravel gnarr moments. I don't want any extra weight hanging on the bike for those few sections that I want to pretend I am riding an MTB.
😆 🤣

Why don’t these “gravel bikes” take a wider tyre?

Width has steadily been increasing, especially after they adopted 1x systems. They seem to all fit a 50mm tyre now but I wonder if they will settle on 2.2 inch in a while.

I think most take low-to-mid 40s, don't they?

Most gravel bikes get ridden extensively on the roads. I started graveling in the last year and I seem unusual in riding almost all off-road. But even so I'm not sure I want to go much wider than my current 45mm Raddlers (real world width 40-ish).

Curious what others think on this?

@Watty No, the first hybrids were much the same geometry as MTBs of the day, but with 700c wheels. I’ve an early ‘90s Raleigh Pioneer in the shed which is a good example (though the only bits of it that are original are the frame, fork and seapost…)

Curious what others think on this?

Agree, as soon as tyres go much above 40c the point is lost and may as well get a cumbersome feeling MTB. A gravel bike is for road and gravel so lighter smaller tyres are best suited to that and give it the feel that is more sprightly than an MTB.

Most gravel bikes get ridden extensively on the roads. I started graveling in the last year and I seem unusual in riding almost all off-road.

This is the definiñg feature of gravel riding/gravel bikes for me, finding the sweetspot of capability off road whilst still being fast/fun on tarmac.

Problem is, I keep finding lovely new sections of random singletrack which I then take too fast on my 40mm tyres and end up dinging rims on roots or rocks, but if I took the MTB with wider/slower tyres I would probably have been less inclined to ride all the tarmac that led me to the singletrack in the first place 🙄

Struggling to see why it’s a problem. You could previously still buy hybrids but not many with decent gear and set up for off road rather than town

I don't think anybody said it was a problem. The first hybrid I had was a 90s Trek 8000 after I put an XT group set on it it worked well for comuting touring and other general riding (just like a gravel bike).It was later they got niched and to my mind lost practicality. They got more upright because drop bar geometry got used for flat bar road bikes to save making a frame with the correct length top tube.
I really liked the Trek it rode well could cope with some offroad and you could do a century ride, or tour or ride down the canal.

It depends where you live I guess. Round my way (NE England) gravel riding is just that. There's miles and miles and miles and .... of actual gravel. You'd barely need to go on a road to ride a 100km on a gravel bike. So round these parts MTB hybrids probably do make as much sense, as the road side is pretty minimal, but a good, lightweight MTB with fast tyres and a racier position will zip along nicely and more comfortably too.

Agree, as soon as tyres go much above 40c the point is lost

Not for me - these bikes are about much more than tyres. I think that this kind of geometry makes for a much more positive and pleasing road/gravel experience even with large tyres. I have 2.35s on my bike because some trails are very rocky; but it's still much better on road than a modern MTB.

I have 2.35s on my bike

That's pretty girthy. Is it 650b? Or some kind of monstercross frankenbike?

I tried the 47mm Sendero tyres that came on my new Ragley Trig and thought they were a bit too draggy.

It's cool how gravel's already evolved to cater for our varied tastes though.

Its cool that companies are catering for people's needs but loads of companies have produced gravel bikes for years with suspension... Cannondale had a CX bike with headshox forks literally decades ago.

In other news, on Pace's FB the other day were pics of an RC300 (I think - the one with the carbon seat tube), RC31 forks, drop bars, 1x gearing and 700c gravel/CX wheels. Looked absolutely epic...

That’s pretty girthy. Is it 650b? Or some kind of monstercross frankenbike?

It's my Salsa El Mariachi, the ultimate South Wales Valleys exploration bike. Lots of road, followed by steep rocky climbs, rocky tracks and lose and/or steep rocky descents.

In other news, on Pace’s FB the other day were pics of an RC300 (I think – the one with the carbon seat tube), RC31 forks, drop bars, 1x gearing and 700c gravel/CX wheels. Looked absolutely epic…

I had one of those. It was ludicrously flexible. I wouldn't swap my current Salsa or any other modern gravel bike for one. However it was better on road than a modern MTB. But not as good as the Salsa.

It's an interesting idea, and probably is the optimum solution for some people / rides. But is it really any 'better' than sticking the most fast/fragile tires you can get on an XC bike? The only component there that'll be lighter than the equivalent XC build is the fork, and that's only by ~150g compared to a SID SL. And my memory of doing long 100mile+ days on flat bar bikes is of painful/numb hands, which is why I have a gravel bike with drops.

Most gravel bikes get ridden extensively on the roads. I started graveling in the last year and I seem unusual in riding almost all off-road. But even so I’m not sure I want to go much wider than my current 45mm Raddlers (real world width 40-ish).

Curious what others think on this?

I tried a 'monstercross' build and hated it, just couldn't get over the extra drag an how much it blunted the fun/speed of riding on the road. 38-45c seems to be a sweetspot that gives the fastest average speed in the real world, comfortable enough on 'gravel' and just tough enough to rattle through rougher bits without destroying them or the rims.

But is it really any ‘better’ than sticking the most fast/fragile tires you can get on an XC bike?

I am of the opinion that more road focused geometry makes for a more pleasurable experience whilst road or fire-road riding. But this offering is all about choice, which is good.

Worth noting re tyres that I have gone for the fastest real MTB tyres I could get in that size which I think are Racing Ralphs in 'speed' rubber. I'm more than happy to ride road on that since much of the road is crappy lanes which in a lot of cases isn't a lot better than some trails.

It’s an interesting idea, and probably is the optimum solution for some people / rides. But is it really any ‘better’ than sticking the most fast/fragile tires you can get on an XC bike? The only component there that’ll be lighter than the equivalent XC build is the fork, and that’s only by ~150g compared to a SID SL. And my memory of doing long 100mile+ days on flat bar bikes is of painful/numb hands, which is why I have a gravel bike with drops.

You have answered your own question. Yes it is better for some people. An XC bike with 40c tyres is not the same and people who buy a flat barred gravel bike are probably not riding 100+ miles. I don't ever ride 100+ miles and typically ride 15miles in winter and up to 30 in summer so this sort of bike would suit me in that 'some people' category.

An, er, 'flat bar gravel bike' which takes 2.2" tyres and a 100mm fork might be interesting to me. Especially if it's steel.

In the meantime I shall carry on with my El Mar.

An, er, ‘flat bar gravel bike’ which takes 2.2″ tyres and a 100mm fork might be interesting to me. Especially if it’s steel.

Like this...?

Ooh, that's nice Kelvin.

I presume it's actually marketed as an XC bike? Looks a step up from the Boardman that started this thread.

I presume it’s actually marketed as an XC bike?

It will be just 'A Bike' I'm guessing. 'XC' is very much the preserve of short travel FS bikes now I'd say, this is just a bike for going off road and occassionally on road. Which is actually what alot of people really need/should have for their casual riding round trail centres and pub runs.

@Molgrips - ‘pick a marketing buzzword/bike category and be a dick about it’.

It will be just ‘A Bike’ I’m guessing.

And of course "just a bike" is also a marketing label.

😀

(Source: I work in marketing)

@kelvin Cascade?

An, er, ‘flat bar gravel bike’ which takes 2.2″ tyres and a 100mm fork might be interesting to me. Especially if it’s steel.

In the meantime I shall carry on with my El Mar.

Didn't you just describe the El Mar?

That Cotic looks exactly like mine only mine's red. And I think the HA is a touch slacker.

@molgrips Might have done, yes 😛

Think the El Mar head tube is 71º vs 68-69º for the Cotic.

Edit: Cotic also has about 40mm shorter reach for the equivalent size, and I can't tell what the standover is, but otherwise there's not much in it

Pffft, it's just a Raleigh Bomber with a few more gears

Yeah that's a Cotic Cascade up there. Think quite a few people are running them with flat or alt bars, me included, so they're now showing it like that as well. I've got rigid carbon bars on mine rather than suss fork.

Mmm 🤔 wonder if my 05 Stumpy frame that’s sitting in the loft would take a 700 wheel? I’d be ‘bang on trend’ for the first time ever

I ran 29er wheels with 1.95 tyre in a 26" Ragley blue pig for a while! It worked alright.

Stick a carbon fork on it and that looks like a pretty good commuter bike to me. I find hybrids too upright and road bikes too low for charging about through traffic and hoping on and off bike paths

I’ve got rigid carbon bars on mine rather than suss fork

That should have said rigid carbon fork not bars.....

@13thfloormonk see the thread below for more details. No need for a shorter stem due to short toptube on a 2016 xc bike. They were about £60 on aliexpress

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/surly-corner-bar-on-a-gravel-bike/#post-12760774

I quite like the look of that Boardman. Not sure if the Rudy fork is worthwhile though.

From the limited information it sounds livery similar to my flat bar Cascade. The Cascade geometry with a 100mm travel fork is very similar to my old XC bike but with better brakes, gears and suspension.