Has anyone built a Gravel bike using a retro frame
- Thread starter bjellys
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I'd already invented a new form of cycling viewtopic.php?f=1&t=400263
But I did build a fast gravely thing out of old kit
*and a 'gravel grinder' is pretty much a 1990 Orange Clockwork anyway
But I did build a fast gravely thing out of old kit
*and a 'gravel grinder' is pretty much a 1990 Orange Clockwork anyway
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I could be wrong, but gravel bikes solved a problem no one had except the sales and marketing depts of manufacturers. With 29er growing in popularity, why not reinvent the 700c wheel size too (should probably use the word reimagine as that is the latest wanky term I believe).
Also, if you build a gravel bike, do you also need a bike to ride on mud, grass, tarmac, clay etc? Marketing would suggest so. Maybe a rain bike, drizzle bike, snow (ow wait, that's done and called fat bike) etc.
Nothing wrong with building a retro gravel bike, just put some wider tyres on your 700c wheels and you are done.
I'd question why, if you have a perfectly good mtb.
I could be wrong, but gravel bikes solved a problem no one had except the sales and marketing depts of manufacturers. With 29er growing in popularity, why not reinvent the 700c wheel size too (should probably use the word reimagine as that is the latest wanky term I believe).
Also, if you build a gravel bike, do you also need a bike to ride on mud, grass, tarmac, clay etc? Marketing would suggest so. Maybe a rain bike, drizzle bike, snow (ow wait, that's done and called fat bike) etc.
Nothing wrong with building a retro gravel bike, just put some wider tyres on your 700c wheels and you are done.
I'd question why, if you have a perfectly good mtb.
Rod_Saetan
Old School Grand Master
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While I'm not disputing the fact 'the Industry' likes to literally reinvent the wheel for profit every few years, there are a number of points in your post that I don't think truly represent what a gravel bike is:
They are quite frequently 650B, not 700c (though there are plenty of 700c ones. obviously), this comes mostly from people like Jan Heine riding vintage French constructeur bikes with the 650B wheel size than anything to do with Specialized/Trek et al trying to flog the 'new' MTB wheel size.
The name is a little disingenuous, but over in the states where the trend took off there 1,000s and 1,000s of miles of gravel roads, some made famous on long distance races like the Tour Divide or Oregon Outback. We don't have a lot of gravel in the UK, but you can hunt it out, either way, the term 'all road' is probably more relevant.
Most modern (last 15ish years) road bikes with 700c wheels won't take a wide tyre, you can't just slap a 38c tyre on a bike with clearance for a 28. Touring and cross bikes will, and they are what they Rough Stuff Fellowship etc have been gravel riding on since the 50s, but with the advent of cheaper, lighter discs and people wanting to ride bikes fast over rough roads an old steel road bike probably wouldn't cut it for them.
A gravel bike and an MTB have some similarities, but quite a few key differences: drop bar, geometry, weight. Not that you can't use an MTB to ride gravel, but would it feel as quick on the road? An all road bike works well on lots of different surfaces, not just off road, and it certainly wouldn't be my choice for trying to get down a black run at a trail centre quickly and in one piece.
Anyway, back to the OP's question: Yes, I have, but out of a early 00s 26" wheeled steel touring bike, not a 90s NORBA geometry MTB. And you can stick to MTB, but if you want to ride off the road, but not 'OFF ROAD!!!' and cover some miles, quickly, then a gravel (all road) bike will work, yes.
Please note, I am an addicted serial bike builder, I need very little in the way of justification to start building another, so it made sense for me to build an all road bike, even though I have a cross bike, touring bikes and MTBs already. I have no regrets, it's beautiful and rides nicely, your opinions may differ.
While I'm not disputing the fact 'the Industry' likes to literally reinvent the wheel for profit every few years, there are a number of points in your post that I don't think truly represent what a gravel bike is:
They are quite frequently 650B, not 700c (though there are plenty of 700c ones. obviously), this comes mostly from people like Jan Heine riding vintage French constructeur bikes with the 650B wheel size than anything to do with Specialized/Trek et al trying to flog the 'new' MTB wheel size.
The name is a little disingenuous, but over in the states where the trend took off there 1,000s and 1,000s of miles of gravel roads, some made famous on long distance races like the Tour Divide or Oregon Outback. We don't have a lot of gravel in the UK, but you can hunt it out, either way, the term 'all road' is probably more relevant.
Most modern (last 15ish years) road bikes with 700c wheels won't take a wide tyre, you can't just slap a 38c tyre on a bike with clearance for a 28. Touring and cross bikes will, and they are what they Rough Stuff Fellowship etc have been gravel riding on since the 50s, but with the advent of cheaper, lighter discs and people wanting to ride bikes fast over rough roads an old steel road bike probably wouldn't cut it for them.
A gravel bike and an MTB have some similarities, but quite a few key differences: drop bar, geometry, weight. Not that you can't use an MTB to ride gravel, but would it feel as quick on the road? An all road bike works well on lots of different surfaces, not just off road, and it certainly wouldn't be my choice for trying to get down a black run at a trail centre quickly and in one piece.
Anyway, back to the OP's question: Yes, I have, but out of a early 00s 26" wheeled steel touring bike, not a 90s NORBA geometry MTB. And you can stick to MTB, but if you want to ride off the road, but not 'OFF ROAD!!!' and cover some miles, quickly, then a gravel (all road) bike will work, yes.
Please note, I am an addicted serial bike builder, I need very little in the way of justification to start building another, so it made sense for me to build an all road bike, even though I have a cross bike, touring bikes and MTBs already. I have no regrets, it's beautiful and rides nicely, your opinions may differ.
Rod_Saetan
Old School Grand Master
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Yeah, that’s a lazy assumption a lot of people come to ;-)
Yeah, that’s a lazy assumption a lot of people come to ;-)
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dyna-ti":2ptuv32z said:
What he said ^^ Amazes me how many times marketing can re invent the same wheel.
ultrazenith
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This week I experienced three different sides to the gravel riding in Portugal:
1. At my LBS I saw a gravel bike for the first time in Portugal. When I asked how the geometry on this 3 grand bike differs to my 90s steel MTB (the numbers don't lie), the proprietor was visibly irritated, but then he'd prefer to sell a 3 grand bike than encourage a customer to put gravel tires on a 90s MTB.
2. Portugal's first gravel event was announced for the autumn. The entry price is a whopping 150 euros, and the only option is to sign up to camp at the venue and stay for a 2 day festival. I think that tells you the profile of a typical gravel biker over here ... rich, and rich enough to pay 150 just to ride around on some public fire roads.
3. I did my own gravel / all road ride, 120 km along the St. James way from Porto to Valença, and my 90s steel MTB, the famous Brian Rouke that's been loved by various retrobikers over the years felt tlike the perfect tool for the mix of tarmac, rough back roads, gravel and woodland single track.
A question for those who have one of the various drop-bar off road / gravel bikes: have you ever checked how much faster you the gravel / drop bar bike is on road or gravel, compared to a 90s MTB with fast rolling tyres?
1. At my LBS I saw a gravel bike for the first time in Portugal. When I asked how the geometry on this 3 grand bike differs to my 90s steel MTB (the numbers don't lie), the proprietor was visibly irritated, but then he'd prefer to sell a 3 grand bike than encourage a customer to put gravel tires on a 90s MTB.
2. Portugal's first gravel event was announced for the autumn. The entry price is a whopping 150 euros, and the only option is to sign up to camp at the venue and stay for a 2 day festival. I think that tells you the profile of a typical gravel biker over here ... rich, and rich enough to pay 150 just to ride around on some public fire roads.
3. I did my own gravel / all road ride, 120 km along the St. James way from Porto to Valença, and my 90s steel MTB, the famous Brian Rouke that's been loved by various retrobikers over the years felt tlike the perfect tool for the mix of tarmac, rough back roads, gravel and woodland single track.
A question for those who have one of the various drop-bar off road / gravel bikes: have you ever checked how much faster you the gravel / drop bar bike is on road or gravel, compared to a 90s MTB with fast rolling tyres?
