Gravel? Don’t laugh! I’m just thinking out loud. Itch scratched

[legrandefromage]

These have been great so far

Schwalbe CX Comp Rigid Cyclocross Tyre - 700c | Merlin Cycles

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[Peachy!]

I'd just ride the road bike as is but with some slightly wider tires, I run some schwalbe cx on and off road

But that's just me, if you were me you'd be somebody else and not you, you need to be the you that you are

Maybe drop the big ring to a 50t or 48t, I will post a pic of the 'trundleageddon' later, it's the winter bicycle and it's 21st century, steel and never seen on RB

Pretty much what I plan to do except swap the drops for a flat bar. I smashed my left wrist in 9 places back in ‘98 so I find gripping firmly on drops off road very tiring.

 

[The History Man]

Wasn’t that a 70s advert?

For smash get flats.

 

[Woz]

Dare I say it......

I'm not at all convinced that road bike can be converted to an off road bike. I don't see the point of hacking two usable bikes for something which will be a neither here nor their final product. It may be best to sell the lot and re-design and re-start from scratch.

Find a nice steel Hybrid for example. Cheap as chips, and designed for such a task with appropriate geometry. With proper clearance, with proper brakes (V or canti), stronger wheels (like touring rims), invest in the lightest innertubes, and light Kevlar folding tyres. A Hybrid only falls short when it get's too technical off road or too fast on the road.

I can't even see the problem with a 26", you go slower up hill, but faster down hill. If you start with a solid Ti frame with a Weight Watchers program, Mavic Crossmax, Pace RC31 etc. you won't be far off a modern Gravel Bike in terms of weight.

 

[Peachy!]

Dare I say it......

I'm not at all convinced that road bike can be converted to an off road bike. I don't see the point of hacking two usable bikes for something which will be a neither here nor their final product. It may be best to sell the lot and re-design and re-start from scratch.

Find a nice steel Hybrid for example. Cheap as chips, and designed for such a task with appropriate geometry. With proper clearance, with proper brakes (V or canti), stronger wheels (like touring rims), invest in the lightest innertubes, and light Kevlar folding tyres. A Hybrid only falls short when it get's too technical off road or too fast on the road.

I can't even see the problem with a 26", you go slower up hill, but faster down hill. If you start with a solid Ti frame with a Weight Watchers program, Mavic Crossmax, Pace RC31 etc. you won't be far off a modern Gravel Bike in terms of weight.

You sound like my Dad

 

[2manyoranges]

Lessons from history….these folk seem to have road bikes with reasonable clearance…..grief they are women!! On gravel!!

 

[Takingabreak]

Dare I say it......

I'm not at all convinced that road bike can be converted to an off road bike. I don't see the point of hacking two usable bikes for something which will be a neither here nor their final product. It may be best to sell the lot and re-design and re-start from scratch.

Find a nice steel Hybrid for example. Cheap as chips, and designed for such a task with appropriate geometry. With proper clearance, with proper brakes (V or canti), stronger wheels (like touring rims), invest in the lightest innertubes, and light Kevlar folding tyres. A Hybrid only falls short when it get's too technical off road or too fast on the road.

I can't even see the problem with a 26", you go slower up hill, but faster down hill. If you start with a solid Ti frame with a Weight Watchers program, Mavic Crossmax, Pace RC31 etc. you won't be far off a modern Gravel Bike in terms of weight.

a nice Dawes synthesis 700c hybrid, some had 653 tubing and lx or xt components. Just max out the tyre size with some modern "gravel" tyres and jobs a good un.

Regarding tyres, I have used schwalbe cx pro in 26" size and they are pretty good, however, the panaracer gravel kings on my latest hybrid build are remarkable, if a bit on the heavy side

 

[rwm1962]

Don't have much time for riding outside of commuting at mo but route includes some tame gravel for a chunk of it & long road climb home. I bought a modern 1x gravel bike for the commute but recently sold it. Don't get on with drops & rode on the hoods most of the time. Took me a while to get used to the lower bb height too. It was faster but when looking at overall times on Strava my old steel hardtails & rigids aren't that much slower. Even my modernish 120mm travel 1x (34T) which spins out on the downhills & long flats isn't that far behind. Me not being particularly fast will be part of it but I try not to hang about. I don't have regular riding buddies so looking forward to making one of the local Alpkit shop rides. Most of the riders are on gravel bikes. I'm interested how my 26" rigid, alt-bar mtb does keeping up.

 

[Woz]

Just a little waffle about Hybrids. For one reason or another overtime they got morphed and marketed for city or commuting duties, presumably targeting people who didn't want a road bike with drop bars. Most of these are pretty naff.

The ideal Hybrids are top end stuff with roots planted in off road excursions, light long distance multi-terrain touring etc.

There is a lovely example here on Page 3 of what I mean:
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads...oga-miyata-terraliner-carbolite.425709/page-3

I

 

[Peachy!]

Going back to what some have said, such as it’s ok to ride an ATB or retro MTB slightly slower uphill as you will be able to make up for it down hill is sort of true but missing one important point, namely most of the gravel fire roads, chalk farm tracks, green lanes all have one unifying problem; other traffic, be that other cyclists, farm/forest vehicles, joggers, dog walkers & horses. None of which either appreciate or are amused by 50 somethings shouting Kowa-Bunga! as they hurtle by on their 90’s steel!
Which was much the problem I had on the cinder track the other weekend.