I’ve got a Salsa Vaya for commuting/gravel/shopping/road/chasingmtbersaroundllandegla and I love it! I also had a full sus 29er and a Salsa El Mar frame.
I’ve just sold the full sus frame and put the forks and gears on the El Mar and think I’ve got the balance right (for me) the Vaya is my everywhere bike as I don’t have a car and now the El Mar is my mtb for when I want to get a bit more “gnar”
I still use the Vaya for most rides and love taking it where it’s not really meant to – but that make me worry about punctures and what not. As someone who doesn’t go hell for leather on the trails and want to start bikepacking I think I’ve got the only 2 bikes I’ll need (for now)

Surely there’s a wide range of rubber-width between 40c and 2.40″

Wouldn’t say wide range but the sizes in between are where your bike becomes really in the middle.

When I was solely use a CX bike it had room for 48c tyres so I switched from a very fast 32c that felt more like a road bike to a big (and relatively heavy) 48c that made it feel more like a MTB. At that width and any wider the point of the road style bike was getting lost and I wood prefer an MTB as they are better fun.

Ultimately ended up on 28c tyres as they were great on road and not that much different than a 32-35c off road. On rough, rooty single track there isn’t much difference between a 28c and a 32-35c – they are both awful.

Surely there’s a wide range of rubber-width between 40c and 2.40″

I couldn’t find much. Spesh do a 2.0 something.

I’m gnarmac-curious, but when I picked up a CDF in a shop, it felt heavier than my Cotic Soul (which has a dropper and forks). Maybe it was just that it was the base model with inordinately heavy wheels.

i dont really want to change my tyres from 2.4 for 5 rides the week – plus change back on a tuesday and thursday night for the group rides where my rigid bike needs the 2.4 to ride the terrain the gnarduro guys i ride with are riding.

I want drop bars , i want decent speed on the road and the ability to see a trail and ride up it without worrying ill run out of grip or puncture. The 40c nano makes my bike “gravel” bike into something that handles all the local lanes and trails as well as land rover tracks etc meaning i rarely have to change tyres on either bike instead of 3 or 4 times weekly.

If i only had one bike it would be a 29er with lockable sus up front and 2.0 tyres

You’d be a brave man to try and ride this style of bike on my local xc trails even when they are bone dry, and an exercise in futility for the other 95% of the time. They do look nice though.

I live in the East Midlands. There’s no “gnar” to be had here, just miles of rolling countryside. I walked some of the paths yesterday and whilst they’re not rough I don’t think I’d want to take my road bike on them. Can get a bit rutted from the tractors etc.

I thought some of you might like this post: http://rivbike.tumblr.com/post/143502071534/stretch-yourself-your-bike

Most of the time, ride in the middle, or at least buy a bike that’s ideal for your commonest riding, then stretch it.

I’ve just swapped the 35c cyclocross tyres on my Cotic X for 28c Marathons. It’s made it much faster on the road, but harder work off. I discovered their limits on gravel yesterday afternoon.

I’m doing the Sustrans C2C overnight in June, so I’m happy to live with their sketchiness until then.

Would agree with Kerley re widths. If your riding proper gravel/fire road/towpath then 32 is ace. However, if like me you really like the option of rooty, rocky stuff then 40/45 seems the best option. Again having this sort of bike with a couple of wheelsets or tyre options makes it all the more fun.

I didn’t know you could get 45c or 48c tyres. In theory that’s more or less 1.9″ – does anyone know how these things actually measure up? Does a 40c nanoraptor compare to a traditional 1.5″ tyre?

Just noticed after a bit of Web surfing that my 2014 Croix de Fer is actually a 2014 Cdf should I be gutted or delighted it only cost me £200.00? It is mint though.

trail_rat – Member
I like my rove – but no danger it would replace my td-1

My TD-1 is my “gravel bike”. Dropbars and Big Apple tyres.

It’s become my do it all bike, with obvious limitations, but it’s good for all those nice loops you can do in the Highlands – road ride to the trail, over the pass or whatever, ride back home from the other side. What I find is that the really difficult stuff is usually short sections, so it’s ok to compromise the build for those bits for performance on the longer stretches.

It’s become my do it all bike, with obvious limitations, but it’s good for all those nice loops you can do in the Highlands – road ride to the trail, over the pass or whatever, ride back home from the other side

Same kind of riding as me.

I didn’t know you could get 45c or 48c tyres. In theory that’s more or less 1.9″ – does anyone know how these things actually measure up? Does a 40c nanoraptor compare to a traditional 1.5″ tyre?

In theory, a 45c tyre is a 45mm tyre, etc. but it depends upon rim width. It’s just traditional that MTBers use inches and roadies use mm. MTB tyres generally have the mm size on them somewhere too.

When did these things become called ‘gravel bikes’ all of a sudden?

What do you call them?

In theory, a 45c tyre is a 45mm tyre, etc

Yes but are large 700c tyres typically as useless with their measurements as MTB tyres.. I mean we know a 2.0 isn’t 2.0 inches, don’t we?

I think they’re sized in similar ways to waist measurements on trousers 🙂

TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR – Member
When did these things become called ‘gravel bikes’ all of a sudden?

They finally found a marketing name for the bike we’ve always wanted… 🙂

Or as I like to look at it, the re-invention of the proper bike, suitable for transcontinental offroad rides.

(Francis Birtles, Qld-NT border (Camooweal?), abt 1910 – pic copied from “The Bicycle and the Bush” by Jim Fitzpatrick)

That guy Birtles is a dude! If we didn’t have all our modern trappings and the constant barrage from bike marketing men we all would probably only run one do it all bike, ahh the simplicity of it all!
But then there’s the flip side
Simplicity vs Practicality.

Tang – do you know what RAL colour your frame is?

Looks ace

Rik – can’t remember off the top of my head, I’ll check!

Tang – I NEVER get tired of looking at that bike

I’ve sold all my MTB’s and only have a ‘gravel bike’ (a GT grade), however the trails are so poor in Tunbridge Wells that I don’t even bother with that now and have a nice Kenesis 4s Disc for roadying.

Doesn’t stop me looking at that base spec Jeffsy on the YT site though…

Thanks Tang – getting mine resprayed and want the same colour main frame as yours with sky blue forks.

I sold my road bike to get mine (Charge Filter) a couple of years ago and it’s pretty much all I ride now. I love it – it’s the been closest I’ve come to rediscovering the thrill of the new I got when I first tried mountain biking far too many years ago!

I haven’t sold my MTB, but I haven’t ridden it (or washed it) in ages. It’s sitting in the shed under hefty crust of dried mud looking for all the world like a fossil.

What happened to ‘gnarmac’ ??

I haven’t ridden my MTB (apart from commuting) since I bought a GT Grade Alloy 105 at the end of June last year. In fact, I’ve just ditched the Mountain Kings & put some 700c Landcruisers on the 29er to replace my ancient Genesis Io for the daily trip to work & back. (So no I wouldn’t sell it, but it has changed duties.)

TBH, I bought the Grade so I could get more quality riding done from home, without having to rely on a lift from the other half to Cannock of such like. (I don’t drive.)
I didn’t realise I’d enjoy it so much. I gave up road riding about 20 years ago, but it’s been great to get back into it.
The GT is pretty capable off-road too, so all bases covered really.(I was never into jumps & big drops, so no great loss.)

What happened to ‘gnarmac’ ??

I think people stopped using it after they actually said it out loud and heard what it sounded like.

Right off tomorrow to road cycle 12 miles to my “local” trail and try out the cdf off road, will be using the contis that came on the bike but have narrowed my choice of tyres down to
1. Clement Las
2. Vittoria Cross XN pro
3. Richie Speedmax Pro and finally
4. Kenda Happy Medium Pro.

Any other tyre suggestions appreciated.

Tyre wise and in the drier months, you have to put a shout in for Small Block 8s. I do have Clement Strada LGG on the road wheelset and they have been excellent, so Clement X’Plor would be on my list for muddier times.

I had Happy Mediums and they’ve been a puncture fest – the 8s are quicker everywhere and grippy enough, plus a whole lot tougher to pierce (it wasn’t pinch punctures).

I recently bought some Panaracer Gravel King SKs in 32c. (I’d have bought 35 if they were available yet & 40 won’t fit the frame.)
I’m really impressed with them on any surface other than mud.
They roll quickly, I’ve had no flats and they seem to be holding up well after a few hundred km, with lots of tarmac. They get the thumbs up from me.

^ I rate them, only had one puncture no idea how that came about as there was no hole in the inner tube.

Just cycled the 13 miles to my nearest trails, riding on the Genesis fitted contis was laborious to say the least and once on the trails they were on but not really grippy. My ritchey speedmax pro’s arrived today so will fit them for faster road riding, not sure how they will fair on dusty trails but appear to have taller side lugs for grip. Was enjoying myself so much didn’t even notice I had no suspension. A massive grin on my face on the way home despite the prospect of a 13 mile ride to get home!

I ride my Crosslight, currently fitted with 28mm Duranos (but previously fitted with 35mm Land Cruisers and 23mm slicks), to work on tarmac, a broken and potholed tarmac road and an un-metalled farm track.

Isn’t this just cycling?

What wheels does are you all using? I’m possibly looking out for a new wheelset, I need 15QR and 142 x 12. What would you recommend?

+1 for the GT Grade, I’m sure the carbon is lovely but at twice the price of the alloy 105 couldn’t justify it. A set of Kinesis CrossLight wheels and it’s a lovely ride.

29er very rarely used, but bought a Dune fat bike (after reading the sub 1k fat bike thread…) and this is just so different keep riding it.

Like the GT Grade also what max tyre size can you run?

Like the GT Grade also what max tyre size can you run?

35 is supposed to be about the largest, but it would take a little wider.
I’ve seen 38c fitted to Grades, but the lack of mudroom would put me off running a tyre that big.

They finally found a marketing name for the bike we’ve always wanted…

Or as I like to look at it, the re-invention of the proper bike, suitable for transcontinental offroad rides.

Yeah my 50 year old ‘road’ bike is actually pretty good on gravel and easy tracks (though I also have a gravel bike and it’s much better)

I love my road/tourer/gravel/adventure/cx call it what you will bike

love my drop bar hybrid – sold my road bike as sat doing nothing – if i had to go to one bike then it would be my hardtail that I’d keep

RestlessNative – Member
Yeah my 50 year old ‘road’ bike is actually pretty good on gravel and easy tracks…

Before mtbs, that was what we rode on the mountain singletracks.

The handling was was/is pretty good because most dropbar bikes were designed as all-rounders, but they were delicate in comparison to modern stuff. Easy to ding a rim, snakebite, bend a fork, or crumple a frame if you tried to ride one like a mtb.

I’ve been a big fan of my gravel bike for a long time now. But I just got back from my first bikepacking trip on my trusty 29er hardtail and have fallen for it all over again.
I’m glad I’ve got the choice of 2 great bikes but if I could only have one it would be the 29er…..no, the gravel bike…..

Hmmmm more riding is required to come to a conclusion!