Building gravel bike from retro road frame

[pigman]

Re:

Ok, makes sense, so the massive build up of mud if using caliper brakes is irrelevant.
You still need some clearance for leaves etc, so as long as they are not race clearance, you might be ok

 

[M_Chavez]

I think "gravel" is more of a marketing term, as it seems to cover everything from a cx bike with bosses for rack & mudguards, to a road winter bike to a 90s mountain bike with drop bars, but is always accompanied by an inflated price tag. Personally, I see a "gravel" as a bike that's fast enough on the road and capable of handling gravel tracks, dry packed mud and light offroading. I think mud clearance is still relevant, as the tracks turn to mud in winter.
I reckon a lot of "gravel" popularity seems to come from the tyres development over the last decade or two - you get light, robust tyres that are fast on the road and can handle the offroading with semi-reasonable traction and comfort. These tyres seem to come in around 40c mark.

 

[Tommy27]

I agree Gravel is a marketing term. It's also a catch all term for a way of riding that's been around pretty much from the start and has certainly seen specialist styles of bikes evolve in the past.

French Randonneur bikes, with 650b wheels. British Rough Stuff Fellowship, who were probably talking to their builders about clearances and strengthening their frames in certain areas. Japanese Pass Hunters. Early American Mountain Bikers, a considerable number of who rode on drops.

I don't mind the term. I guess it comes from the fact that when it began to be revived in the states, it was being largely done on gravel fire roads? Jan Heine of Bicycle Quaterly and inheritor of the René Herse brand was pushing the All Road name for a while, but I think Gravel has stuck for better or worse.

I'd agree on Cantis over calipers. I previously had a road bike that could accommodate up to 30s, but anything over 25 would clog up at the slightest bit of mud. I replaced the frame with a late 90s Roberts Clubman, which took a while to find and can only go up to about 32. You might be able to get a Dawes Galaxy or similar Peugeot cheaper and easier. Maybe with even better clearances? Or you could just go down the route of many on here and just build up a mid 80s/ early 90s Mountain Bike if you want the bigger tyres, yet maybe mudguard and rack braze ons. I wanted something that I could do Audux on.

 

[catch]

Hi

I have read that I have to put square taper bb on it. Anyone know of decent gravel suitable crankset that fits square taper?

I've just done this the past couple of months with a '70s/'80s Kalkhoff. Used a sunrace spider crankset and 36t narrow-wide chainring (with a microshift 10 speed derailleur and shimano 11-42 cassettte) - all inexpensive bits and working fine so far. Friction shifting with a suntour downtube shifter - just about works at 10 speed.

As stated, anyone think of any pit falls? I need to meticulously plan beforehand as don’t want to get half way through and realise it has gone t*ts up.
Thanks

Just depends on your tyre clearances and how wide you want to go. I managed to get 42c WTB resolutes on mine, but there's maybe 3-4mm each side, and don't have cantilever braze-ons - so it is prone to mud and leaves build-up (got jammed up yesterday on a couple of bridlepaths) - so really need to stick to roads and actual gravel bits in the winter.

 

[legrandefromage]

Re: Re:

Just for my education, what is the purpose of a gravel bike? As its name suggests, I wouldn't have thought it was for deep mud plugging. For that there is the mtb. I would have thought it was for nature trails, canal paths, cinder track .... more hard packed surface than mud.

Unfortunately it is something the marketing folk came up with to sell more of the same

There are even (wait for it...)

Flat bar gravel bikes

 

[M_Chavez]

That is a serious development in bike design! Why has nobody thought of this before?

I reckon it needs a slightly longer riser stem, rim brakes and a steel frame - that would be the next logical step.

 

[vcballbat]

I got one of them... :xmas-wink:

 

[legrandefromage]

Nah, thats got them bald road tyres - its a hybrid mate

 

[vcballbat]

What next...drop bars on Mountain Bikes.... the World's gone mad..

 

[M_Chavez]

No, Only a complete nutter will do something like that. Just doesn't make any sense at all. :roll: