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@epicyclo that’s ace. How’s the old underbench/innerthighs on that giant shopper saddle after all those gravelmiles? I was once planning to do a sponsored LEJOG on one of those (seats) attached to a Raleigh Twenty, but put it on hold until I can get my injuries fixed/improved 😐
My sense of bike aesthetics is probably too old guard now, but I can't help thinking a bike like a gravel bike is one that should be able to handle rough stuff and hike-a-bike.
For HaB you don't want cables or pump stops under the TT, and the closer to horizontal the TT the better.
However, a dropper post makes a lot of sense too, and compact geometry allows a bigger drop, so a smidgen of dropped TT is is probably the ideal for function. Too much and it's an MTB with skinny wheels.
I agree with @p7eaven that Elephant NFE has some nice detail.
Pretty is in the eye of the beholder.
This thread is definitely proving that! Also notice that most people are just posting their own bikes which is a bit readers wives.
But surely the aesthetic was one of the factors in why you bought it? Hence, to you, it’s pretty.
Also, it’s harder to build a bike and make it pretty, than buy a bike that someone has spent time and money to make it appealingly pretty.
Also notice that most people are just posting their own bikes which is a bit readers wives.
Remembering Readers Wives from my childhood none of the bikes posted so far are that ugly 🙂 To be honest I just see a road bike with fat tyres when I see a gravel bike.
This thread is definitely proving that! Also notice that most people are just posting their own bikes which is a bit readers wives.
Obviously a post there from the kind of person who sent pics of their own wife to the grot mags.
This thread is definitely proving that! Also notice that most people are just posting their own bikes which is a bit readers wives.
Ah well. Thread was nice and positive while it lasted. And a nice distraction from politics and sniping.
Yeah obviously.
Still just seeing loads of pics of dull and/or ugly bikes so far though.
Ah well. Thread was nice and positive while it lasted.
That the thing with subjective topics. I can either be honest or not. As someone with my condition I am afraid I can only be honest.
I will stay out of it and leave you all to it so you can stay positive.
At the more budget end I like how my Tempest looks.
At the budget end? That’s the top of my budget.
I’ve been quite taken with the way the Tempest looks. Lovely bike.
I have a 2015 Arkose, so I won’t be posting pictures of that.
Well as an antidote to the Reader's Wives posts here are a couple which are neither mine nor ugly.
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That the thing with subjective topics. I can either be honest or not. As someone with my condition I am afraid I can only be honest…
Post a pic? Surely you can choose one that you honestly like?
Let’s see ‘em…
…Any material, any cost, any geometry, show us what a bonny bike should look like.
Mainly for @blackflag 🤪
Cheers Metalheart. I can't wait for mine to arrive in December.
And its mainly yours (and a few others) fault im getting one. I was down to get the AL version till i posted my "Show me your caminos" thread and realised that if i didnt go down the Ti route it would just bug the hell out of me every time i rode it.
@Kerley - contribute then, don't just criticise. Which in the thread do you like and what would you post in response to a request for pictures of "Pretty Gravel Bikes"?
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Ribble CGR Ti
Have only ever seen one other Ribble in the Vaterland, and that was a carbon road bike.
I'll leave it to you to decide whether it's sexy or not.
Remembering Readers Wives from my childhood none of the bikes posted so far are that ugly
Remember when one of they lads brought a copy of reader's wives to the pub. The landlords missus was in the front cover.
@Kerley – contribute then, don’t just criticise. Which in the thread do you like and what would you post in response to a request for pictures of “Pretty Gravel Bikes”?
I already said which I liked. I think pretty and gravel bike don't really go together as searching through Google images on "gravel bike" throws up 100's of images, none of which I would say were worth posting.
Slack angles look ugly
Large tyre clearances look ugly
Very shallow splayed bars look ugly
I guess what I am saying is that gravel bikes don't look that great and that is probably because it is based on a road bike (where they are loads of pretty ones) and then ruined.
The thread is clearly not for me and I will stay away from it and let you post your own bikes...
Skinny
Fustle Causeway
Monster
Sour bike purple haze
no apologies for mud or mud guards, too busy riding to clean and too fond of a dry backside to remove guards. redshift post and stem currently on test
I don't own one...but this to me is a pretty gravel bike. The only chink in its aesthetic armour is that slight kink in the chain stay, which surely serves no purpose. I am easily won over by a decent colour fade paint job.
Aw come back to play..I found a pretty gravel bike (most aren't)- It's an Isen, they're from Londonshire. They do Fades. That crank sets it all off for me, much more pleasing than modern blocky equivalent.
Awful lot of bikes on this thread that are anything but pretty.
The Isen is nice but omg what a price. Boutique tax ?
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What inspired me to get my UPPER.
This too is easy on the eye - Litespeed Watia.
That Upper looks nice, hadn't heard of those.
My Engine11 dirtee
Would love one of these though....
Some nice additions for sure and baby blue really seems to work.
Ti or steel are obviously the go to with not much aluminium on show.
That English is lovely, but why the cable discs do you think?
I'm not against cable discs per se, appreciate the adjustability compared to hydraulic, just surprised to see them on an expensive Dura Ace build!
Kanzo Fast! I was going to get a diverge, but i saw one of those in the flesh & placed an order. Mine should be here around the start of March 🙁
Remember when one of they lads brought a copy of reader’s wives to the pub. The landlords missus was in the front cover.
was it him that sent the pic in?
Not normally a fan of steel bikes but the English is lovely.
Yeah that English is tasty. Some nice bikes in the thread but that is pick of the bunch for me
The new Boardman ADV 9.0 has a prettyness about it.
Check this one out. Hits the spot. So 'like a 90's mtb' its infused an iconic paint scheme and rocks the anodised purple goodness - All this and it also has a front appendage large enough to carry a full cake on a ride, cake or full cheese roll, you decide:
Some pretty bikes. I'd post one of my Datum but it doesn't have wide enough tyres nor does it have the prettiness of steel!
The Chumba Terlingua turned up in my IG feed...
That Ribble looks fantastic. I’ve seen a couple of their bikes in real life and they do all seem to be very aesthetically pleasing - one I saw was a flat bar e-hybrid and it looked amazing.
Check this one out. Hits the spot. So ‘like a 90’s mtb’ its infused an iconic paint scheme and rocks the anodised purple goodness
I don’t enjoy being negative about other peoples bikes but that (as a Retrobike addict) is awful. The Ultimate was an e-stay for a start, the forks would be the same colour as the frame or maybe white or black (Answer Accutrax maybe). Bottle cages look awful, should be flat plate type ideally a Ringle one (you can get remakes of them). The back end almost looks like a loop stay arrangement which is ok. The wheels would have been ok if they had put HED decals on the rims but the tyres do need to be white or at least skin wall!!
As long as the rider likes it that’s ok but it could have been a lot better with minimal effort.
Agree with b230 on the Yeti, it's too fussy and tries too hard. The stays are all wrong too, either properly copy the original or don't bother at all. There's a pretty bike in there but needs work.
That ‘Yeti’ is a Surly Midnight Special just with the owners own spin on it.
Moots Routt YBB
Bringing the Raleigh total up to 2, here’s my 2015 PG (pre-gravgrav) Raleigh Maverick.
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631 steel, big tyres, flared bars, big clearances oh it’s a niche wet dream.
And about 2 1/2 years ago mid-Sportif tugging the trailer with my boy in.
https://flic.kr/p/2iHQXMq
That ‘Yeti’ is a Surly Midnight Special just with the owners own spin on it.
I had figured that FtW hadnt come back to make a crap copy of an original, yes!
May I submit the new Spooky?
Even the ridiculous cassette doesn't look AS terrible as they usually do, would still prefer to see it 2x with a smaller cassette/rear derailleur
Not sure about the Spooky decal but nice otherwise.
The drive side chain stay on that Allied??? Arghhhh my eyes!
Plus deduct 10 points for Rapha.
My Cinelli King Zydeco
That Cinelli is very nice. Understated but has a dash of colour, far more interesting than the classic Ti grey frame with black forks, isn't covered in bolts to fit the kitchen sink and looks fast when not moving. Very nice.
See my gravel bike would probably have you lot dry heaving in an online picture but everyone who sees it says how nice it looks!
The ones that the taste gatekeepers on here seem to think are good looking appear to be the ones that just look like a normal road bike. They can look good but different. I like the big cassette, it’s a different look and purposeful.
I bought the Diverge on the basis of the pictures Specialized had online earlier in the year - absolutely loved the understated grey paintjob and the clean lines of the base model. Aesthetically, it caught my eye much more than the higher spec models, which have fussy paint jobs and that cluttered SWATbox doofer on the downtube.
The ones that the taste gatekeepers on here seem to think are good looking appear to be the ones that just look like a normal road bike.
That is because road bikes are very likely to be prettier. More delicate, no bosses, no ugly huge cassettes, no huge tyre clearance gaps, no dropped chain stays and so on.
I think the problem here is the use of the word "pretty" and maybe should have been "good looking for a gravel bike"
That Cinelli wins the thread.
The drive side chain stay on that Allied??? Arghhhh my eyes!
I really like that, just wish it was both sides! I love elevated chain stays.
I think the problem here is the use of the word “pretty” and maybe should have been “good looking for a gravel bike”
Nope, my thread, my rules. I wanted to see bikes that are a pleasure to own because of how they look rather than simply nice looking bikes. Vast majority posted are good looking, very few are pretty.
The Cinelli is heading towards pretty for sure.
One of the original Adventure/Gravel bikes and still going strong.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNGsErEl2Mtoct59MRMAhD5WT9O-B2KDp6a5zW -" alt="Kona Rove Ti" />
Not mine, but I have one of these
Its not technically a gravel bike, but I like it!
Its a 2014 Genesis Fugio which i got off here about 18 months ago. I've "raced" on it at Big Dog and done plenty of roadish/SDW miles too. Really comfy, so I sold my actual road bike with the thought I would put on skinny tyres if I ever needed to, but not actually got round to it yet. Its got actual CX tyres on it now
Nope, my thread, my rules.
Maybe you should have put some rules in 'your' thread to help as looks like the thread is just a mess of very unpretty bikes on the whole, most of which are the owners own, eye of the beholder indeed.
kerley
Free Member
Nope, my thread, my rules.Maybe you should have put some rules in ‘your’ thread to help as looks like the thread is just a mess of very unpretty bikes on the whole, most of which are the owners own, eye of the beholder indeed.
But you said...
kerley
Free Member
I will stay out of it and leave you all to it so you can stay positive.
Kerley
Free MemberThe thread is clearly not for me and I will stay away from it and let you post your own bikes…
?
Maybe you should have put some rules in ‘your’ thread
Nah mate, not going to worry about it. I wouldn't if I were you either.
the thread is just a mess of very unpretty bikes on the whole
I've liked nearly all of them
most of which are the owners own
What do you think the point of the thread is? It's to let everyone show off their beloved bikes. Let people enjoy things.
I have a canyon grail on order, and this thread had definitely guided me to make a decision on aesthetics, and dump the tan walls as soon as i get it, There isn't a single bike on this thread with tan wall tyres that wouldn't be improved by having basic black tyres, the tan walls just look shitty and out of place.
I quite like the Cotic Escapade in mercury. Except the SRAM levers look awful...
Yeah, that's nice.
What do you think the point of the thread is? It’s to let everyone show off their beloved bikes. Let people enjoy things.
I don't know what the point of the thread is as the rules were not laid out but from the look of it it is a thread for owners to show their ugly bikes.
I promise I will leave you all to it this time to save my own eyes.
That Cotic is nice. I find the slightly unusual seatstay/seattube arrangement slightly jarring but there must be a reason for it.
I believe as per STW rules I'm obliged to point out that your wall needs painting and skinwalls are verboten. Otherwise very nice
Actually it’s not my bike or house so I’m off the hook! My house has just been renovated so is in a right state to be honest and my gravel bike can’t be described as pretty either...
The Cotic has a wishbone for the stays so that may explain odd look but from other angles looks good.
The Cotic has a wishbone for the stays so that may explain odd look but from other angles looks good
Yeah all their hardtails do as well. There must be a reason but I've never found the answer. I think on-one used to do it as well.
The Light Blue Darwin in the Silver colour is very similar and a bp nice looking bike. I'd post a pic but I have never successfully managed to do it. Google it though.
Which Marin are you on?
Rasta coloured Four Corners Elite. It's no looker but has been a cheap entry in to the gravel bike world.
I don’t know what the point of the thread is as the rules were not laid out
#norulesjustride
Nice review on the Radavist of this one, commenting mainly on its smoothness...Ritchey Steel Outback yummm... Would. Interestingly has angles almost identical to the NORBA geometry of old, so pretty sure I'd like it.
I must admit, that outback does have a certain appeal - enough to make me consider a steel bike.
Outback does look great and ideal for me BUT it has a cable on the top of the toptube ffs.