[Closed] The good thing about gravel

The best thing about gravel is how much it annoys you to the extent that you feel that you must comment on nearly every gravel thread

🙃 😝 😎

The best thing about gravel is how much it annoys you to the extent that you feel that you must comment on nearly every gravel thread

There isn't the time in the day to comment on every gravel thread

It's almost funny, it's like watching an obsession unfold

It's almost made me want one haha

If you do get one, make sure it takes 29" wheels and has a short travel fork.

😆

I've always ridden road and MTB, I'm just a cyclist, not roadie or mtber. I've recently bought a gravel bike but it's purely to take advantage of the extra comfort available with higher stack height and bigger tyres for lower pressures. I like to think all cycling has its own benefits, I wouldn't like to stick to just one discipline.

I get the point though. I was wondering last night why the Grit mag didn’t do better and got relegated to a sub channel when every other thread now is about gravel bikes. Maybe it’s time for a printed gravel bike special.

It’s almost funny, it’s like watching an obsession unfold

You know how you like MTBs, some people like gravel bikes that much, others like road bike that much - the problem with that?

Long time MTBer here. I've bought a GB so I can get to the offroad bits from home a lot quicker.
Roads are only there for that purpose.

Cyclist magazine is moving more from road towards gravel with each issue

Long time MTBer here. I’ve bought a GB so I can get to the offroad bits from home a lot quicker.

So a gravel bike allows you to get to the bits where a mountain bike is better, quicker? 😉

Nothing like gravel thread for triggering the usual subjects.

There's no trail head full of knobbers drooling over each other's bikes but without actually riding them 😜

You know how you like MTBs, some people like gravel bikes that much, others like road bike that much – the problem with that?

I get the gravel thing, but don't necessarily understand it's appeal so much if you live in the Peak for example

It's more that every second sentence on here contains the word. The marketing seems to have worked. Some threads almost seem like they were started just so someone could cram the word gravel in somewhere 🤣

Nothing like gravel thread for triggering the usual subjects.

You're right of course. I'm only messin.
I actually bought my mates Orange RX9 off him a few months back, went for one ride, hated it, thought it was awful to ride on anything other than tarmac, and sold it the very next day.

I suppose that's more at the cx end, but yeah.
Bikes are bikes..
It's all good.

Like all rigid bikes, you really need to ride them with gusto off road in order to skip over the rough bumps. If you sit and pedal all the time or pootle then you will feel every bump and get beaten up over time.

Try driving on cobbles slowly compared to with a bit of speed. Much smoother with a bit speed.

Cyclist magazine is moving more from road towards gravel with each issue

They had a fairly short-lived gravel magazine (Cyclist: Offroad or something...) but that seems to have fallen by the wayside in favour of making Cyclist a more all-round magazine catering to both road and gravel. Admittedly usually at the higher end - here's another review of an £8000 gravel bike... 🙄

That said, I do like Cyclist Magazine.

Anyway, Gravel is so yesterday. It's all Groad and Gracing now. 😉

… is that you don’t need to spend any big money on it. Simply fit 40mm tyres on yr MTB, lockout any suspension, remove any stem-spacers, flip stem and cut a few pies from your diet inches from yr handlebars before mincing about until dusty enough for a coffee-stop. Or pull yr Soul Inbred 90’s bike out of retirement, put some air in the tyres and take a utility knife to any knobblies. Then put some tights under your shorts and you’re gravel to go.

#ridefromdoorsnotcars

...Is you can plot long gravel routes to do with mates that have gravel bikes and throw in a few singletrack diversions and really bumpy gravel. Then when they ask "is it suitable for a gb?" say "I don't know, I don't have one."

They don't seem to go much quicker on gravel than my SolarisMax running Ardents and a 140mm fork.

OPs joking aside…

The good thing about gravel…is the huge rise in woman-led off road clubs that has occurred as a result in the last 3 years. It’s made cycling far more accessible to a wide range of people - who only have one bike, who want to ride offroad but don’t want to huck to flat and who want a chilled social pace away from the lads mtb culture. See for example:

Lakes Gravel Gang https://instagram.com/lakesgravelgang?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

New Forest Off-road club https://instagram.com/newforestoffroadclub?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Reyt Good Bike Club (I’m involved with) https://instagram.com/reytgoodbikeclub?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Sisters in the Wild who lead woman’s gravel-facing bikepacking https://instagram.com/sistersinthewilduk?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Yeah you can argue about it being 90s mtb, marketing BS or whatever. The main thing is it has got more, and a wider diversity, of people on their bikes.

May have read it here or in some marketing blurb, but was along the lines of "a gravel bike is the ideal road bike for 95% of buyers". Think this is at least 95% accurate (certainly was for me)! So it's not that surprising that forum posts will reflect this.

I actually bought my mates Orange RX9 off him a few months back, went for one ride, hated it, thought it was awful to ride on anything other than tarmac, and sold it the very next day.

Excellent post, you've just saved me £1000. I was debating buying a drop bar bike for a plan i was hatching.... but you've reminded me that i'd sell it before the weekend is over.

Peak Gravel Gang is another great example of an accessible club which has done a really good job of opening up riding off road to new riders @ahsat.

https://instagram.com/peak.gravel.gang?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

On the flip side as I’ve posted in several threads, last Sunday I did my first gravel ride on an early 2018 Alu road geo gravel bike with 33mm tubed tyres and loved it.

I get the gravel thing, but don’t necessarily understand it’s appeal so much if you live in the Peak for example

Clue - the majority of people don't live in the Peak for example.

They don’t seem to go much quicker on gravel than my SolarisMax running Ardents and a 140mm fork.

You are doing it wrong

@tuboflard Oh yeah totally - I follow them online. There are loads who have sprung up in the last 1-3 years. I just thought I’d stop after a few examples.

There is a map of other similar groups round the country, for anyone looking for one close by

All my cycling life I was looking for a Gravel bike,I just didn't know it. 😉 😀

Cheers @ahsat, not seen that map, some great clubs on there! 👍

Meh, most Gravel bike owners also see to own an MTB and/or a road bike, it's a bike you buy in addition to others not instead of them.

I think the funniest thing is that "the faithful" feel the need to attack them, belittle or make inferences a out their owners, it's almost like they're getting a bit insecure. Surely not, not the devout followers of MTB? A niche increasingly overrun by dentists and stockbrokers on £10k+ motor assisted dandy horses?

Let's be fair here as well, MTB has had as many misses as hits, where are all the Fat bikes now eh?

Gravel bikes suit various people, don't worry we still think you're extra gbarr on your MTB though 😉

They don’t seem to go much quicker on gravel than my SolarisMax running Ardents and a 140mm fork.

My hero *swoon*

I get the gravel thing, but don’t necessarily understand it’s (its would be correct) appeal so much if you live in the Peak for example

Try living in the flatlands of Northampton. They make a lot of sense for a nice pre-breakfast bridleway pootle like this morning.

Let’s be fair here as well, MTB has had as many misses as hits, where are all the Fat bikes now eh?

*Puts hand up...

Fatbikes were a niche from day one. Still are.

My fatbike is my gravel bike. 😊

I actually bought my mates Orange RX9 off him a few months back, went for one ride, hated it, thought it was awful to ride on anything other than tarmac, and sold it the very next day

You didn't think to give it a try before you bought it? 🙂
I wish you'd sold it to me, I've always fancied one of those.

....is that some people just don't get it, or are too narrow minded but can't stop themselves from knocking it even though they just don't get it......

BIkes are cool. All of them. Go on, show me one that isn't...

BIkes are cool. All of them. Go on, show me one that isn’t…

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That is very cool. Rode a 1950s Raleigh for a short commute for many years that was similar to that, only mine had rob brakes so was a bit scary down hill.

Loving the defensiveness, keep it up

Just for the record, it was a tongue in cheek post about the apparent hysteria on here about 'gravel' - I haven't knocked it - in this thread 😉

If you like it, great

Just changed the cockpit on my old Kona, looks ideal for a bit of gravel bashing now.....

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BIkes are cool. All of them. Go on, show me one that isn’t…

I CBA to find the paperclip bike

I'm roadie, turned MTB, turned mostly gravel and a bit of road (80/20). I still own all three, gravel bike gets picked most of the time though. Bloody love it.

Maybe it's marketing that spurred it initally, and of course there's a lot of BS gravel lifestyle articles - as there is in road and MTB! But it's incredibly popular now hence all the posts, that isn't down to marketing, it's becasue they're bikes that people love to ride for a variety of reasons.

Oo a flat bar gravel bike, nice

Just changed the cockpit on my old Kona, looks ideal for a bit of gravel bashing now

Looks pretty shit for a bit of gravel riding. A gravel bike is best for it hence the popularity of them.

I actually bought my mates Orange RX9 off him a few months back, went for one ride, hated it, thought it was awful to ride on anything other than tarmac, and sold it the very next day

You didn’t think to give it a try before you bought it? 🙂
I wish you’d sold it to me, I’ve always fancied one of those.

I tried it up and down the road. Felt fast and getting new bikes is nice.

As soon as I rode it actually off-road I hated the hand position mainly, especially with wrists prone to soreness.

Still love the look of them. I think I'd get on much better with one of the newer types with big tyres and flared drops. The Orange was I guess a little old school. I think I'll stick to flat bars for now though.

Couple of years back we rode Staunton with quite a big group. One lad I hadn't met before was riding a Nukeproof gravel bike and was rapid!
So it's not the bike...

@kerley, you're a joy, aren't you?

Looks pretty shit for a bit of gravel riding. A gravel bike is best for it hence the popularity of them.

It looks just fine for tow path trundles, an MTB (with bigger knobblier tyres and flat bars) is inherently less efficient on certain surfaces including roads and bridal paths but not all rides are races. But yeah Gravel bikes suit the application a shade better, MTBs work far better on gnarrlier trails, hence both will continue to exist.

TBH STR's Lava Dome looks pretty nice to me (I've a similar aged fire mountain frame in the garage I should really do something with). I'd certainly not turn my nose up at that bike. If that covers "Gravel duties" then I guess you're a Gravelist despite your protests; It's a state of mind not just curly bars Man!...

At least it's not a Fat bike...

😉

I CBA to find the paperclip bike

Might be shit but it's still cool, in its own way.

I know the OP was a piss take, so was my post in a way. There does seem to be a thought that's just cos 90's mtbs had shit skinny tyres they must be the same as gravel bikes though, and therefore GB's shouldn't exist. But that completely misses the point of N+1!

If I had amazing steep rocky trails and nice road routes on my doorstep, I probably wouldn't have a gravel bike. Unfortunatley I don't, I do however have shit busy road and loads of canal tow paths and flatish bridleways. So whilst an XC hardtail would be fine, my GB is soooo much better than my Cotic Solaris was on this terrain.

I'm not in the camp of trying to ride MTB routes on a GB though as my FS MTB is sooooo much better on those that the GB!

Horses for courses innit. There does seeem to be a lot of GB threads though, usually by people looking for reassurance that people won't point and laugh at them. The industry clamour to try and pigeon hole stuff as gravel specific though is rediculous.

I get the gravel thing, but don’t necessarily understand it’s appeal so much if you live in the Peak for example

Gravel bikes are ****in' ace in the Peaks. There's so much offroad stuff that I'd be mildly bored taking a modern MTB on (even a hardtail), its really re-opened up my riding - especially white Peak stuff where there's a lot of road to link the offroad. I did 130km and over 3000m of climbing last weekend on mine. Some new trails, some old favourites, some bits I've not ridden for 20+ years. You wouldn't bother hauling an MTB round for that and a road bike would fall to bits.

They're also good in winter for an offroad fix when the "good stuff" is too wet to ride without trashing it. I can do Stanage/Green Drive/Houndkirk as a 2 hr night ride from the door - all weather surfaces. True it's not super gnarly, but its exciting enough hopping the drainage bars on Stanage at full chat, or trying to straight line the roughest bits of Houndkirk without braking.

Bikes are good. All bikes are good. More bikes are good.

The good thing about gravel…is the huge rise in woman-led off road clubs that has occurred as a result in the last 3 years.

This is a very good point.
I'm not into gravel bikes in the slightest but anything that gets more women out offroad can only be a good thing.
There was a gravel event came through the forest we were riding in last Saturday and it was great to see that there were more women than men riding.
They also seemed to be enjoying it more.

I just changed the cockpit

it’s still showing up on STW? 😀

@kerley, you’re a joy, aren’t you?

Did I claim to be?

Maybe you shouldn't have trolled out another gravel bike thread if you don't like how it is going for you...

Maybe you shouldn’t have trolled out another gravel bike thread if you don’t like how it is going for you…

It's going fine thanks, most people are taking it as intended

You seem a little uptight, did you come to gravel from being a roadie? Massage, spliff, sense of humour injection?

Gateway drug/bike to road bikes for when you get fed up with fat slow tyres and slack handling 😉

Anyone any suggestions for some mismatched wheels - Disc on the front and V brake on the back? Thinking of upgrading my Ti cross bike to a Lauf fork.

For me, i am a cyclist, i have everything from a track bike, to a road bike, singlespeed and geared gravel bikes, a hardtail, a full sus and a fat bike in garage...

For me the biggest issues are that modern mountain bikes are so good, that unless you live somewhere with really good quality actual trails, then a gravel bike can be more fun, head down, bum up going down a descent on skinnier tyres can be fun on the edge of control... where it might not be on a mountain bike.

Plus, i think a lot of it is a reaction to modern roads, people like to get the miles in, to see nice views and for their rides to take them into the countryside, BUT often it is not much fun with a stream of cars inpatient behind you and potholes the size of your head!

I have an early 90s MTB which is appreciably worse off and on road than my modern gravel bike.

I was made for gravel. I’ve always blurred the line anyhow being a non-technical XC aficionado. A 60 mile Salisbury Plain jaunt was always my favourite ride on my Spark 920. Usually with aero bars fitted 🤣

I used to use my CX bike as a road bike pre-gravel and only bought my crit race bike because it was pre disc-brakes being allowed.

In the past two weeks I did a 123mile gravel ride in Kielder (Dirty Reiver) and a 24mph chaingang all on the same bike with just a tyre switch. That’s why gravel bikes are awesome- they’ve made practicality in a road bike (mounts, tyre clearance, brakes that work, suspended stem, in-frame storage) COOL 😎 🤣

It’s going fine thanks, most people are taking it as intended

Happy for you, I didn't see any intention other than stirring up yet another gravel debate so I suppose that has worked for you - good job.

It's a wired obsession people have with ridiculing gravel bikes. I mean I don't get ebikes, nor do I want to try one so I just ignore ebike threads, it's quite simple really...I certainly don't start threads about ebikes when I know I neither want one or want to try one or want to understand them better...if you have an ebbike and enjoy it, great crack on.

I’m not into gravel bikes in the slightest but anything that gets more women out offroad can only be a good thing.