I havent tried a full on gravel bike, but the newest in my fleet is a cyclocross bike with wider tyres and I do quite like it. Bought out of curiosity really. I still prefer flat bars over drop, but i suppose I've had 30 odd years of riding with flat/risers vs a few months with drops.
Show us your Gravel Bikes / committee meeting
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Titiritero
Retro Guru
If you look at a gravel bike more like a "common sense road bike" instead of a watered down MTB, they make a lot of sense. You can ride in most surfaces, add accessories like racks and mudguards,...
My only issue is that they come with drop bars, which most people don't want/need, but buying a hybrid, which would be the same thing, is deeply uncool.
In Germany people call hybrids "trekking bikes", which sounds better, and come equipped with dynamo lights and most other required stuff. Good for 80% of users, the younger crowd goes for the gravel stuff though.
Unfortunately, some newer gravel bikes are losing the versatility that made them great, either going for much thicker tires (just buy a hardtail) or removing all eyelets for accessories (just get an all road racing bike)
My only issue is that they come with drop bars, which most people don't want/need, but buying a hybrid, which would be the same thing, is deeply uncool.
In Germany people call hybrids "trekking bikes", which sounds better, and come equipped with dynamo lights and most other required stuff. Good for 80% of users, the younger crowd goes for the gravel stuff though.
Unfortunately, some newer gravel bikes are losing the versatility that made them great, either going for much thicker tires (just buy a hardtail) or removing all eyelets for accessories (just get an all road racing bike)
I agree with @Titiritero - the sort of bike that does almost everything OK and nothing badly. At other times they were early 90's steel MTBs, Tourers, Clubman's bikes.
highlandsflyer
Retro Wizard
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Bikes, for me, are defined by their use. I know lots of folk who ride 'gravel' bikes. Barely ever on gravel.
I have asked, "What does that mean?"
The term is now slapped on just about any bike.
I have asked, "What does that mean?"
The term is now slapped on just about any bike.
MattiThundrrr
Kona Fan
I say start the thread, start the trend, and become a RetroBike influencer. We need more 98+ bikes, and if gravel is where they get used, so be it!
Co Meath roads are barely better than gravel in a lot of cases...
bike.
highlandsflyer
Retro Wizard
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I was playing dodge the potholes earlier today, and I suppose it would be more relaxing to have some extra width.
highlandsflyer
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I'm surprised there isn't a dedicated gravel sub forum.
bikeworkshop
Senior Retro Guru
We sell a lot of touring bikes, and by the early 2000s these were available with disc brakes, and tyre clearances were getting larger...
When the marketing guys at the head offices realised it was a market to be tapped they moved away from horrendous cx bikes* with high bottom bracket, super stiff frames and slimline luggage hanging on velcro, and offered us the concept of the Gravel Adventure bike.
It used to be called The touring bike -
it's a fairly straight evolutionary path, but although tourers were common ish in the UK, they were fairly rare elsewhere in the world.
*no offence tricross owners
When the marketing guys at the head offices realised it was a market to be tapped they moved away from horrendous cx bikes* with high bottom bracket, super stiff frames and slimline luggage hanging on velcro, and offered us the concept of the Gravel Adventure bike.
It used to be called The touring bike -
it's a fairly straight evolutionary path, but although tourers were common ish in the UK, they were fairly rare elsewhere in the world.
*no offence tricross owners
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