Show us your Gravel Bikes

[bikeworkshop]

Most mountain bikes have never seen mountains, nobody ever cared if the name or term is correct or if it it should be called a hill, rock, mud or root bike. Road bikes are called racing bikes over here although 95% of them aren't used for racing. I don't get why some people are so exited about the term"gravel"

It's marketing the Tourer.

Loads of people are going touring as a result of owning a bike that does a pretty good job of going anywhere in comfort.

 

[M_Chavez]

Why no canti brakes? Does that make it a randonneuse?

Agree with mounting points & lower bb. Also need a more relaxed seat tube.

Now here's something to think about: How much drop bar flare is allowed?
I mean I have 5 degrees both on my road bike and on my rando. Is that too much for road but not enough for gravel?
I don't think we can allow 0 degree flare drops in the gravel definition?

 

[bikeworkshop]

Why no canti brakes? Does that make it a randonneuse?

Agree with mounting points & lower bb. Also need a more relaxed seat tube.

Now here's something to think about: How much drop bar flare is allowed?
I mean I have 5 degrees both on my road bike and on my rando. Is that too much for road but not enough for gravel?
I don't think we can allow 0 degree flare drops in the gravel definition?

I'm treating "Gravel" as a marketing term -
I think you'd struggle to find a catalogue with a bike described as Gravel, but with cantis. You fall back into the touring group. But as I said earlier, if you can check all the other boxes, you might be allowed on the group Gravel ride.

Flare is a common option, but a "square" bar no one would notice.

Do we need to add a Rapha top to get us over the line?

 

[M_Chavez]

But as I said earlier, if you can check all the other boxes, you might be allowed on the group Gravel ride

Nah, I'm OK.
Next time somebody tells me "That's a really nice looking gravel bike!" I won't feel bad about replying "It's a randonneuse, you dumb @#$&".

 

[reindeer]

It's marketing the Tourer.

Loads of people are going touring as a result of owning a bike that does a pretty good job of going anywhere in comfort.

Heine calls it the allroad bike, gravel is just a little less technical and more catchy. But from my memory the term gravel existed before bigger companies jumped on the train. I don't remember if Fairlight for example called the Faran a gravel bike or what they called it.

 

[R-V]

I don't get why some people are so exited about the term"gravel"

Because it smells like flat whites and artisan bakery

 

[bikeworkshop]

Earliest ref i found for GravelBike was salsa 2013/14?, and even that was a little ephemeral.
Can we find an earlier one?

 

[M_Chavez]

What about frame materials? I say carbon or Ti.
Steel is for old farts who can't shut up about the benefits of square brackets and cup & cone bearings.
And aluminium should have never been used in bike frames to begin with .

 

[reindeer]

Earliest ref i found for GravelBike was salsa 2013/14?, and even that was a little ephemeral.
Can we find an earlier one?

https://g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/p/the-state-of.html
I think this was one of the first blogs I read about it, and it started as "gravel grinding".

 

[bikeworkshop]

Bike Rumour August 2013:
https://bikerumor.com/one-ride-review-2014-salsa-warbird-alloy-gravel-road-race-bike/