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the nicest riding in the area
Rather subjective that, isn't it?
Once I get my head round just being a bit slower on climbs it should be fine, although I’m still hesitant about the sort of 120/130km gravel days I was happily doing on the ‘gravel’ bike.
Don't worry about it. Fit a longer stem and narrower bars to your XC bike, lower the front end, and you'll be most of the way towards the postion of a gravel bike on the hoods and you won't lose too much ability on descents. For me the best thing about my Salsa build is the 660mm On One Fleegle Pros with 15 degree sweep and Ergon grips. I did the Ridgeway Double on it, 185 miles in 18.5 hours, and the only things that hurt were my ankles, strangely enough. I don't think that'd have been the case if I'd been trying to eke out more aero on drops.
One thing to mention about a lightweight gravel/cross compared to a lightweight XC bike is cost. My 8.5kg cross bike was £1700 to build. How much would it cost to build an XC bike that was under - let's say - 11kg, £3,000?
I know that there are heavy gravel bikes too but I'd not be interested in one of them. I think that it would be too close in weight to an XC bike but not as capable.
I think there are a few different types of gravel bikes now so it's hard to just make a blanket statement about them all.
As has been said before, it's all bikes and bikes are ace.
Hope you're all making the most of the dry weather at the moment, no matter what type of bike you're riding.
Have fun!
I think there are a few different types of
gravelbikes now so it’s hard to just make a blanket statement about them all.
Indeed,and yet some still want to squack on and on and on about it 🙂
As has been said before, it’s all bikes and bikes are ace.
^^ is always the correct answer 🙂
The MTB on the local bridleways I just pedal.
The gravel bike, I pick lines, lift the front or back as required, change pace to get it over the things, use my arms and legs to work the bike in all directions. So much more involving.
The MTB might be faster on those trails, but it’s like Zwift by comparison with the gravel bike.
I wouldn’t take the gravel bike to the Alps though. The road bike perhaps.
It’s about the tool for the job (and how tricky you like your riding to be in any given trail).
It’s about the tool for the job
And as any proper bloke knows, the more tools (toys) you have, the better. 😀
If I could justify 3 bikes I'd have another gravel bike alongside my 150/160mm FS trail/light enduro bike and my 150mm hardtail.
For me the best thing about my Salsa build is the 660mm On One Fleegle Pros with 15 degree sweep and Ergon grips.
Have just fitted wider carbon bars in an effort to A) smooth out the ride and B) give me more space to push the bar ends out wider (they're now almost the same width as the hoods on the gravel bike are). Took a gamble on some cheap Ritchey carbon bars which were of course 'only' 5 degree sweep rather than the 9 degree sweep I would have preferred, will just have to see.
Not sold on Ergon grips yet, might go back to something fatter and cushier.
funny old discussion this one, i think a variety of riding is good. I had a free day friday so did a long road ride round the north lakes, taking in a pass and some nice roads and all in all was a lovely ride nice scenery adn fun to ride along at a decent speed. Sat had 90 mins and legs were feeling it so took the gravel bike out from the front door quiet roads, led me to a nice gravel path alongside a lake then a steep but not technical climb that led to a stretch of farmers double track and more quiet roads (surfaces the worse for wear) and back home in 90 mins. It would have felt slower and over kill on the slack hardtail, and if i had loaded the hardtail onto the car to drive 20 mins I would have got about 40 -45 mins of riding at whinlatter (closest place) by the time i had loaded unloaded etc and driven home, so i got a nice easy mixed ride generally out the way of traffic, nice scenic sections, less faffing and the big one for me more time on my bike. next time I have a free day or half day I may choose to load the bike onto the car and go and get a good longer MTB ride in but the gravel bike fills a gap between road and mtb for me when time is tight. its all bikes
I think there are a few different types of gravel bikes now so it’s hard to just make a blanket statement about them all.
How about, "drops are always a bit rubbish off-road"? ; )
I did the Ridgeway Double on it, 185 miles in 18.5 hours, and the only things that hurt were my ankles, strangely enough. I don’t think that’d have been the case if I’d been trying to eke out more aero on drops.
I hated my gravel bike by the end of that route and it's a big-barred 650 x 50 tyres job. I've done it on a rigid 29er and it was faster. The Ridgeway often comes up as 'UK gravel route' but like underbiking anywhere it's fun until you're just beaten up.
Generally I ride my gravel bike wen I want to think and look at the view, and my MTB when I want to enjoy just concentrating on flow or speed. There's a bit of both on every ride but the bike seems to bias it.
Not sold on Ergon grips yet
I wasn't with normal flat bars. I bought them many years ago and they sat in my spares box until I got the high sweep bars. I think they work together really well.
The Ridgeway often comes up as ‘UK gravel route’ but like underbiking anywhere it’s fun until you’re just beaten up.
Yeah IMO there are too many bumps and too much singletrack in it to qualify as gravel.
Whereas the gravel roads where I ride are more comfortable to ride on than the road. I use 25c tyres and on the roads (which are very rough) I get a lot of jarring through the bars/saddle whereas the gravel roads are a bit softer and don't have sharp edged potholes.
jameso
Generally I ride my gravel bike wen I want to think and look at the view, and my MTB when I want to enjoy just concentrating on flow or speed.
This. I take my mountain bike to go ride trails, hit jumps, have fun. I wander out my front gate on the gravel bike and see where I end up.
Gravel bikes are amazing..... in america where you can go on hundreds of miles of unmettled but smoothish gravel roads, away from highway traffic.
Not sure what they are for in the UK, over a rigid XC bike.
at least on flats you can hang on properly
One of the things they could be for in the UK is for riding miles and miles of unmettled but smoothish gravel roads, away from traffic, like there are around Salisbury plain
Not sure what they are for in the UK,
IMO - riding road out to some forest which is full of fire road. There's plenty of that in Mid Wales, Scotland, NE England etc.
Not sure what they are for in the UK, over a rigid XC bike.
You should see the state of the lanes round here. 650 x 50 makes so much sense.
Yes, my local lanes are not ideal for a road bike, being covered in potholes, gravel, sand, flints, grass and more potholes. I sold my road bike and my racy hardtail as the Diverge just did both jobs well enough.
Horses for courses/preferences surely. Not interested in adrenalin fuelled techy stuff. Just like being away from big roads/cars and enjoying the views/nature. Gravel riding to me is like a long fast walk. I find a HT is overkill for that, especially when said rides can be 7 hours and include lots of country/green lanes.
Like mentioned above, don't think it's worth having a gravel bike with less than 50mm tyres (esp in UK).
It's no wonder people stop using them when they're sold one with less than that. Must be an industry/marketing/style thing?
When you go to 50mm you can have slick tyres that are more than capable off road (unless it's very wet/muddy) and are as fast as a road bike on tarmac.
I meant to ride bedgebury on mine before I sold it, there’s one rock on the entire ‘red’ route that might have caused an issue for a gravel bike.
This is what gravel bikes are about for me. Scenery, cranking out the miles away from traffic.
i have ridden mine around bedgebury countless times and usually get a top 5 strava finish on most trails for the day, top three on Helter Skelter last weekend which is the roughest trail and probably not appropriate for a gravel bike.
i do it because i like to go out under biked. pushing the limits of a bike is more exciting and interesting to me than only using 50% of a longer travel bikes capability. there are obviously limits, ive ridden some local downhill tracks on it but if i was going to Aston Hill the gravel bike obviously wouldnt be my choice of bike. i guess after 20 years of riding ive found that the gravel bike has kept the excitement alive as the continuous development of MTB's has made the trails easier to ride and feel much more sanitised.
pushing the limits of a bike is more exciting and interesting to me than only using 50% of a longer travel bikes capability.
Why not just ride your longer travel bike to 100% of its capability?
The problem I have is that 100% of a rigid narrow tyred bike's capability is not that fast and rather uncomfortable.
It’s no wonder people stop using them when they’re sold one with less than that. Must be an industry/marketing/style thing?
It's because the bikes were originally made for US dirt roads, hence the name. Because their geography is different their low-usage roads out West are gravel surfaced; the low usage roads here are lanes which are mostly tarmac. So what we have are fire roads, which often don't go anywhere useful, and old vehicle tracks which tend to be a lot rougher. And they are usually linked up with road sections. So a bike with fatter tyres but still set up for non-tech ground covering makes a lot of sense. Monster-cross/fat tyred gravel wasn't around when I built my Salsa El Mariachi up, but if it had I would probably have gone for one. That said, the Salsa does allow me to do more technical descending (albeit slowly) than a gravel bike would. With a dropper it could pretty much do any of the MTB tech I might do on my XC bike.
Not sure what they are for in the UK, over a rigid XC bike.
As I said upthread, linking roads, bridleways and towpaths.
Why not just ride your longer travel bike to 100% of its capability?
because there is nowhere in kent sussex surrey that i could utilise 100% of an enduro bike. there are small sections where i might get close but even riding the good stuff at surrey i was quicker on an SB130 than a G170. Bike parks are fine, Rogate, Tidsworth, Twisted Oaks etc but i get bored easily these days endlessly repeating the same minute or two of trail.
i used to care very much about how fast i was going and wanted the fastest times of the day especially at surrey. the reality is that im now trying to compete against ebikes, de-restricted ebikes, cheat lines etc etc which makes it all pointless so going slower but it being infinitely more challenging is where im at these days.
also not all gravel bikes are the same, im on 29" wheels with 2" tyres 40mm stem and a 66 degree head angle. as people have already said its about making the usual stuff harder and more uncomfortable. but then i can also knock out a long 'adventure' ride across the downs. over the course of the last couple of years ive found that my hardtail and gravel bike by far got the most use and the big enduro bikes just gathered dust.
i appreciate im very much a niche within the gravel niche, isnt it great to have the choice though!
Well there you go, Surrey is good gravel bike country.
also not all gravel bikes are the same, im on 29″ wheels with 2″ tyres 40mm stem and a 66 degree head angle.
Drop bar rigid 29er then ; )
pretty much, but the drops make it cooler 🙂
You should see the state of the lanes round here. 650 x 50 makes so much sense.
Having ridden roads in countries that get harsher winters and summers, which just destroys roads via frost heave, melting tarmac etc, on a road bike with 'big' 32c tyres, I think 700 x 50 like some touring/gravel bikes will take, makes 13% more sense.
linking roads, bridleways and towpaths.
Suitable Bike for linking roads, bridlewaysd towpaths -
So there has to be more to it than that, or pretty much any bike, as above would do.
I can see the difference between CX and gravel, though differences are such either or would do for either sport, but when you look at the actual terrain the 'gravel' bike is aimed at its nothing special. Certainly not designing a whole new style for.
Not sure what they are for in the UK, over a rigid XC bike.
That's okay, just get a rigid XC bike then as that is for you. Others like a bike that is closer to a road bike with a few tweaks on geometry and tyres so ride those.
You don't have to understand why others like riding a certain sort of bike as long as you enjoy riding whatever you choose to ride.
A rigid MTB is not the same as a gravel bike, if feels slower and more cumbersome on road and gravel while better on rougher single track. I have just spent the last 3 months riding a rigid MTB after 10 years on bikes closer to gravel bikes and sold it and gone back to previous bike as it just feels more responsive, less cumbersome and faster on road and gravel for same effort.
a few tweaks
Hmmm, sounds a bit vague. Can you elaborate ?. Geometry as i understand it is very different.
Im shocked at even after this length of time some folk are such fanboys they'll fight tooth and nail to promote what is essentially an MTB, but with drops.
Am I even allowed to contribute to this thread?
I ride a CX bike everywhere (but have conceded to the comfort of 35mm tyres).
Reading this thread seems the xc'ers think I have the wrong handlebars, the gravel riders think my tyres are too skinny, the road riders think they're too fat, the tourers don't like that I can't fit panniers, the enduro'ers(?) think I'm not gnar enough cause I'm not getting big air.
Honestly I don't know who I am anymore or if I'm still allowed to enjoy cycling because I feel like a total pariah.
I think 700 x 50 like some touring/gravel bikes will take, makes 13% more sense.
You could be right. The '50' bit of it is the important part for bad roads ime. For off-road I'd go for the 700x50 or 700x60, for road biased use (that's what my own gravel bike is for at least) I'm less convinced that the larger OD benefits outweigh other compromises needed for the bigger wheel. TBH I'm unsure so far and it's probably biased by me thinking if I can fit 700x50, may as well make space for 700x60 and onto how well it goes off-road vs a 29er. 650B keeps it in the fat tyre road bike area for me rather than all-round jack of all trades - if you wanted that Fargo-like middle ground and better off-road ability you'd go for 700C.
Hmmm, sounds a bit vague. Can you elaborate ?. Geometry as i understand it is very different.
A degree here or there on head tube and a few mm on wheelbase is all in the few tweaks category and not much outside of difference between certain types of road bikes (i.e. race vs endurance)
Im shocked at even after this length of time some folk are such fanboys they’ll fight tooth and nail to promote what is essentially an MTB, but with drops.
Seems more like anti gravel bike people who are fighting tooth and nail. If you think a gravel bike is the same as an MTB with drops that is fine, it isn't the same but that's fine.
Interested in why you care if people like riding a gravel bike?
Honestly I don’t know who I am anymore or if I’m still allowed to enjoy cycling because I feel like a total pariah.
You should try riding a brakeless fixed gear off road with 25c tyres to get the full effect
Reading this thread seems the xc’ers think I have the wrong handlebars, the gravel riders think my tyres are too skinny, the road riders think they’re too fat, the tourers don’t like that I can’t fit panniers, the enduro’ers(?) think I’m not gnar enough cause I’m not getting big air.
Ha... I don't know which of those riders I am so I can't comment : )
'2 wheels good'
some folk are such fanboys they’ll fight tooth and nail to promote what is essentially an MTB, but with drops.
I think they're both fun and rubbish off-road and it's really not an MTB to me. It's not even close to the attitude of the MTBing I did in the 80s and 90s or XC I do now, it's just moving on what I did on CX type bikes when I got back into road riding.
It's a road bike that can take short cuts across byways, that kind of mix. 'Road Plus', as in road plus some other stuff if you feel like it. If you're mainly riding off road and you choose drop bars you're just weird : ) or a CX racer.
@MrPottatoHead ‘I’m being cancelled’ is the new ‘someone has a different opinion’
You need a safe cycling space where no one may have a different opinion than yours forum where you’re not forced to read other comments 😉
Drop bar rigid 29er then ; )
Monstercross then ; )
Monstercross then ; )
I wasn't going to say it in case the 'what is and isn't monstercross' thing came up...
(yes, imo)
Summary so far?
1. Riding bikes is good.
2. We all enjoy different rides and bikes.
3. See point 1.
Seems more like anti gravel bike people who are fighting tooth and nail. If you think a gravel bike is the same as an MTB with drops that is fine, it isn’t the same but that’s fine.
Interested in why you care if people like riding a gravel bike?
Quite. People are almost acting as if they're threatened by it. It's just weird.
Anyway, I like mine as it's a great tool for the riding I do.
Seems more like anti gravel bike people who are fighting tooth and nail. If you think a gravel bike is the same as an MTB with drops that is fine, it isn’t the same but that’s fine.
Interested in why you care if people like riding a gravel bike?
^^This^^
There's definitely an 'anti' element, and I suppose cycling being such a broad church there's bound to be a chapter of the faith that a few just can't warm too. (For me it's eeebs and unicycles at present).
Thing is we all change with time and experiences, it sort of feels like gravel bikes are something you grow into liking for a few intangible reasons.
I've drawn parallels between gravel bikes and 90s MTBs in the past but it's not quite true. But I'm not the only one who has done that.
Maybe the 'anti-gravel' mentality is driven by a fear of losing all those new golfers who prop up the MTB industry with their vanity purchases. I really don't think it matters why they dislike this particular sub niche of bicycle, they're popular enough that people want to buy them, end of...
It's not like fat bikes is it, an MTBing novelty for a couple of years and then no bugger bought them realising they're actually not that much more useful than a normal MTB (or indeed a Gravel bike)...
1. Riding bikes is good.
2. We all enjoy different rides and bikes.
3. See point 1.
4. We'll argue about anything bike-related (or non bike-related for that matter).
Unsure if my bike falls into gravel or rigid 29er definition, but I don't care because of point #1 above. I enjoy just about any offroad riding whether it's steep and silly (Golfie at the weekend) or flatter and scenic (like most of my morning 'commutes').
Rigid, 700x50s, 68deg HA, 150mm dropper, 1x11, flat bars and barends: makes otherwise boring trails 'come alive'...
A rigid MTB is not the same as a gravel bike, if feels slower and more cumbersome on road and gravel while better on rougher single track.
I swapped bikes with @SaxonRider for a few miles last time he was out on his CX bike and me on my Salsa, riding on some rough ish fire road. The CX was definitely quicker until the short sharp rocky section where I had to get off whilst he cruised past on my 2.3s. The CX just didn't have enough rubber nor did it have low enough gears on that section.
I'd have been happier riding most fire road on the CX though. However (and this is local context) the next section of fire road is lined with stacks of single-track which is accessible on the rigid mtb
@Molgrips is right about the local context here in North Cardiff. On my weekend gravel ride we could only find 2 proper gravel sectuers of just 35km and 30km.
I can't believe that a throw-away comment from an 8 year old has led to yet another debate about whether gravel bikes should exist or not.
All bikes are just a combination of tyres, angles and suspension of some sort. You can buy bikes that will take tyres from 1" to 5" wide, with angles from race steep to downhill slack and with suspension ranging from 1" of high pressure tyre to 8" of damped suspension. You can get these in almost any combination and with a wide variety of bars etc. The terms gravel, XC, enduro or whatever are just attempts by marketing departments to divide that infinite spectrum into segments that can be sold in different ways.
I'm lucky enough to own four bikes that would now be called road, gravel, rigid MTB and full-suss trail bikes. Some are quite new and some are over 20 years old (nearer 30 in one case). I seem to recall that the rigid MTB was actually sold as an ATB (all terrain bike) back when I bought it. The gravel bike would have been called a tourer a few years ago. It's a road bike that can take wide tyres and has mounting points for mudguards, racks etc. But nobody tours anymore and gravel obviously sounds better to the marketing department. My trail bike is towards the XC end of trail and may get called downcountry if that term takes hold and my road bike would have been called a racer when I was a kid.
But does it matter what they are called? They all get ridden. They can all be pressed into service for quite a range of riding. The ones nearer the middle of the spectrum can cover a wider range than those nearer the ends, but they all have areas where they are the perfect choice and areas where they are quite clearly not. The "gravel" and "rigid MTB" feel different enough (and the latter is worth little enough) that I'm happy to have both, but if you want to do an long road ride on your MTB or a rough off road ride on your gravel bike then knock yourself out. Maybe literally in the latter case 🙂
I had MTBs from the late 80s through to the early 00s - but after I'd been riding offroad on a CX, found it didn't get much use and sold it. In 2004 I built a titanium framed, drop bar bike with disc brakes before any of the mainstream brands made them - I used it for my local trails, SDW etc. It was fine for my local conditions - Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex. I also got a Ritchey P29er too - but pre-clutch mechs etc MTB drivetrains were rubbish in wet and muddy conditions. I also found that on my local MTB XC routes in the dry, my fastest times were on my carbon CX race bike - you never made up on the downs what the CX gained everywhere else. I started playing with fatter tyres, building up a 29+ and an expedition fat bike. Ironically, the most redundant bike of the lot was a hardtail MTB and it got sold. I've now got a carbon Diverge now living in Speyside and gets ridden to places like the Glenlivet, Cairngorms. Moving to the West Highlands soon and looking forward to getting the other bikes out of storage and onto the trails - only a short ferry ride to explore Ardnamurchan, Morvern etc.
I'm sure there are lots of people keen to try and dissect the relatively recent history which has given rise to the "Gravel bike", here's my own take (it may not be 100% correct):
Gravel bikes exist because the 2010s happened to be the point at which a certain mixture of "technical features for bicycles" and elements of "cycling culture" matured or hit a bit of an impasse.
Technologically we're talking mainly (but not only) disc brakes, tubeless tyres, bigger cassettes. those are the major bits that made them more viable bikes.
And then there were the other, already established, types of riding and "Culture" about: Yep CX bikes were (and still are) fun, but they're a bit specific to racing round a muddy park for an hour while complying with UCI rules. Touring bikes are ace for touring and general lane bimbling but they can struggle a tad off-road, road bikes are mainly for going fast on the road, MTBs are the opposite, great off-road but a bit dull on tarmac. Plus the whole culture of both MTBing and Road cycling has gotten a bit 'serious' and overcompetitive/bitchy in recent decades...
Gravel bikes/riding is not an alternative to any of the above, the bikes borrow elements from all of them, the definition of "Gravel riding" or some sort of "Gravel Scene" is so loose as to be basically be nonsense, it's a bike that can do some things, go and ride it however you like...
That all makes "Gravel" or "Adventure Cycling" it's own thing.
So a confluence of technologies and "cycling culture" (if there even is such a thing) that just happen to have made "Gravel bikes" work as an idea for a chunk of the population.
Question it, rubbish it, join in or ignore it. It really doesn't matter...
I can’t believe that a throw-away comment from an 8 year old has led to yet another debate about whether gravel bikes should exist or not.
I can, it seems to be quite an emotive subject for some, the mere existence of "Gravel bikes" seen as on par with some sort of crime against MTBs.
I'm a keen enthusiast for gravel bikes but, like many, I own and ride other bikes for various other reasons. Had they never been invented (and marketed) I'm sure my life would be no worse today (I'd probably just own a rigid 29er) I doubt I'm unique.
If there was only one sort of bike and we all had to use it what would it be?
I’m thinking Singular Pegasus mega-monster-cross type thing.
I rode that with 2.35” slicks and it was fast(ish) on tarmac, stable everywhere, and capable on fire road and even light (dry) singletrack with those slicks. For muddy or tougher off-road you simply stuck knobblies on.
It was a spectacular compromise bike. But it was a compromise.
I wanted something faster for the commute or road riding, more capable for serious off-road, and so on. So I ended up with several bikes.
What’s not to like?
If there was only one sort of bike and we all had to use it what would it be?
My Salsa El Mariachi, it literally can do almost anything, and is not to bad at it. It's the only bike I have actually done everything on (outside of actual DH trails but even then, with a dropper...)
Mates have gravel/cross bikes so I fancied one as the hardtail MTB doesn't really work so well on road. Took the guards and 28 GP4000 off the steel winter bike and stuck on some gravel kings, quite a good laugh and it only cost the tyres rather than ££££ to try.
Just gives another option as you can go further than MTB with more route options than road, at least in South Lakes anyway.
If there was only one sort of bike and we all had to use it what would it be?
Ahh yes the old "If you could only keep one bike" discussion.
For me it would actually be the Gravel bike today, had you asked me a few of years ago I would have said my old HT.
I can’t believe that a throw-away comment from an 8 year old has led to yet another debate about whether gravel bikes should exist or not.
But you're not new here? : )
Tinderboxworld.
Yes, I should have known better really 🙂
Has anyone been on yet claiming to have invented Gravel Biking?
My Salsa El Mariachi, it literally can do almost anything
Not sure I’d want to do the 20 miles each way commute with a laptop and a change of clothes on your SEM that I used to do on the Singular.
Not sure I’d want to do the 20 miles each way commute with a laptop and a change of clothes on your SEM that I used to do on the Singular.
Why not? It'd be perfect for that. It's almost exactly the same as the Singular Pegasus.
Has anyone been on yet claiming to have invented Gravel Biking?
Henri Desgrange passed away some time ago.
You could be right. The ’50’ bit of it is the important part for bad roads ime.
My response was mostly in jest but I tend to agree. Wider tyres run a bit softer seem to do very little negative and a lot positive on drop bar bikes.
It would be interesting to try a 650x50 and a 700x50 back to back in some bad roads. Certainly going from 26 to 29 smoothed out the smaller bumps and chatter. I wonder if I'd notice a difference.
You sure? I haven’t check the numbers but it looks shorter and taller.
Or are you saying it’s really a flat barred gravel bike? 😉
Interested in why you care if people like riding a gravel bike?
Thinking of getting one, an E powered one to be more precise. Might be better suited 😕
Has anyone been on yet claiming to have invented Gravel Biking?
My Dad. His bike was sadly stolen a few years ago but it was a steel, skinny tubed, dropbar, 1x5 with a dimplex pull chain derailleur, 30ish tyres with zig zag treads all circa late 40s. Rode the ridgeway, The Dales, Pennines and Lake District and most points in between.
Pegasus in large:
HA 70 deg
SA 72 deg (actual SA, the text suggests that effective SA is 73 deg)
Reach 445mm
Headtube length 125mm
BB drop 65mm
Wheelbase 1092mm
Stack 632mm
El Mar in large:
HA 71 deg
SA 73 deg
Reach 434mm
BB drop 60mm
Wheelbase 1096mm
Based on the same fork with sag.
Stack 608mm
The El Mar is absolutely the most perfect place to sit and put power down for long distances, with the setup I have - at no point does it feel unpleasantly MTBey on road. The perfect bike for high mileage on all surfaces. I'd imagine the Pegasus would be basically just as good too. Although I rather like the steeper HA of the El Mar, I think it makes it better on road (based on a hunch, nothing more). I should add, since we've got into the geo geekery, that at 180cm I'm usually on the border between M and L and I went with L which gives me extra reach. I run a 70mm stem and as said 660mm high sweep bars.
Or are you saying it’s really a flat barred gravel bike?
I think it's flat barred double-monster cross bike with wide ratio gearing.
Ahh yes the old “If you could only keep one bike” discussion.
I do only have one bike and I have had one bike at a time for most of my life. 19 of the last 20 it has been a fixed gear track bike so that answers the question for me but I would not propose it as an option for everyone else's only bike!
The El Mar is absolutely the most perfect place to sit and put power down for long distances,
Not surprised, really. The angles are almost exactly what you'd find on a touring/gravel/updown country choose your noun all purpose bike. What I find more surprising is that modern geo for all day bikes (the pipedream Sirius or Nordest Britango or Sardinha) have much steeper seattubes and slacker headtubes.
With wide but not too knobby tyres I wouldn't hesitate to commute in the El Mar.
so you are
Thinking of getting one,
Yet you think they are an MTB with drops
I'm shocked at even after this length of time some folk are such fanboys they’ll fight tooth and nail to promote what is essentially an MTB, but with drops.
Better test ride a few...
My Dad. His bike was sadly stolen a few years ago but it was a steel, skinny tubed, dropbar, 1×5 with a dimplex pull chain derailleur, 30ish tyres with zig zag treads all circa late 40s. Rode the ridgeway, The Dales, Pennines and Lake District and most points in between.
cromolyolly
Aye,some folk just used to get on with it 😉
I’ll add a little grist to the mill and reflect that gravel works for me in Rossendale and has brought a new dimension to my riding.
These pictures were taken last night and had me with a smile from ear to ear.
Aye,some folk just used to get on with it
If you count walking with and carrying your bike as cycling I suppose they did.
Aye,some folk just used to get on with it
They didn't have a choice. Fortunately some other people thought they could improve on what was available. From the way many people on this thread are talking they probably wouldn't have taken up cycling if your choices were road or pushing a road bike up trails like they are in that picture 🙂
Yet you think they are an MTB with drops
You dont do humour then 😕
I'll amend 'Tooth and Nail' to full blown indigence and assault 😉
Am I even allowed to contribute to this thread?
I ride a CX bike everywhere (but have conceded to the comfort of 35mm tyres).
Reading this thread seems the xc’ers think I have the wrong handlebars, the gravel riders think my tyres are too skinny, the road riders think they’re too fat, the tourers don’t like that I can’t fit panniers, the enduro’ers(?) think I’m not gnar enough cause I’m not getting big air.
Honestly I don’t know who I am anymore or if I’m still allowed to enjoy cycling because I feel like a total pariah.
Sounds pretty similar to what I have been riding the last couple of years, so much so that if SingleTrackWorld had a Tinder style App I'd of just swiped right! *flirtatious wink*
You dont do humour then
When you do some let me know
My Spanish friend who was almost fluent in English bought me a little wire bike ornament.
She apologised that it wasn’t a “Countryside Bicycle” like the ones that I ride.
I now ride a Countryside Bicycle and I think it truly sums up my riding.
a Countryside Bicycle
I like that. Very Rivendell.
So what are the best tyres for a countryside bicycle?
So what are the best tyres for a countryside bicycle?
Obviously these
Especially if you Tippex over the R to make an S
@molgrips & @img - My N+0 is my rigid El Mar, two sets of wheels, road and mountain. All I require for the trail riding in South Wales that I can do, bang on the road wheels and commute during the week and do a leisurely 40/50 miles at the weekend on the country back roads.
Only just put gears back on it after winter duties, so a bit faster and easier on the legs.
Will I buy a road/gravel bike, probably not, but I'd jump at a Ti El Mar.
All I require for the trail riding in South Wales that I can do
Interested in your routes, DM me if you like and you can stalk me on Strava 🙂
Will I buy a road/gravel bike, probably not
When I built the El Mar gravel bikes mostly had 35-38c tyres and I didn't think that was enough.
@ molgips, mostly Afan and Glyncorrwg, Brechfa when it was last okay to ride. Been pottering about the lanes of SW during lock-down on ever increasing distances. Most road/lane riding that I've ever done, mainly for fitness TBH. Not really interested in drop bar, tried it with a Cotic Escapade before and put a flat bar on it before selling on.