I commuted mostly on the road today on my 29er FS due to muddy offroad conditions. I’ve been “gravel curious” for a while so perhaps something on the mtb side of the gravel bike spectrum would be useful. 650b Mason Bokeh for example. It occurred to to me that the total wheel & tyre circumference will actually be smaller then my 29er with 2.25 ish tyres.

On the road I’m using the top few ratios for sure (36 with a 11-40 cassette), but not always in the 11. So having a 1x arrangement with 650 wheels sounds like I’ll only actually go faster if I have a bigger front ring and by definition put more energy in.

Or am I missing the point that a rigid, drop bar bike with appropriate geometry will be inherently faster as it’s designed for the job and will be a fair chunk lighter as well?

I can only really comment, in true STW fashion on what i have, I think on a gravel bike, you are in a more road position on bike so much more aero and lower gear to push.

I’d average 9-10 mph on normal MTB to work, but 15mph on my Fargo, despite it just being a drop-bar MTB with proper MTB 29er wheels and tyres.

Drop bars will help if you’re going into a headwind, but modern fast tyres on a 29er will be pretty close – faster than some tyres you might put on a gravel bike if you don’t have the headwind/don’t use the drops much anyway/have a low front end on the 29er.

You might get other advantages, like being able to hang luggage off a (rigid) gravel bike frame and forks a bit easier.

Yeh, I thought this, put gears and Jones bars on a rigid 29er cannondale. Keeping up with the cx bikes was impossible.

I bought a pinnacle arkose, it’s not one thing but all the differences add up to make it a completely different experience.

Cheers folks. n+1 approved then? 😉

How heavy is the FS 29er?

My Process 111 wouldn’t stand a chance against a gravel bike on fire roads, but I imagine an XC race rig would be much closer.

I sold my old CX bike because it wasn’t really faster than my alu 29er HT.

Cheers folks. n+1 approved then?

Oh obviously if you’re looking for justification, I’m sure your 29er will have pretty slow tires on, plus all that extra weight, wear and tear on suspension parts you don’t need for that sort of ride, and you’ll never make up for the aero position on a gravel bike. Definitely do it.

I’ve found i average about the same speed on the mixed surface routes i have locally, i’m a little faster on the road bits when i ride my Vaya and a little faster on the dirt bits on my MTB.

Rigid 29er fitted with big apples. Average speed on 12 mile mixed commute 14.3 mph.

Croix de fer cx (ok more touring / road) average speed on same commute 14.9 mph fitted with wtb nano (700×40).

As above fitted with semi slicks (sammy Slick 700×35) 14.1 mph.

To be honest I won’t bother with another cx bike. The rigid 29er for the kind of riding I do is a better tool for the job. In traffic on the road I actually feel a bit safer as I can see more and have a tad more control. Last few weeks I have felt happier on the 29er (with 1.9″ vee rubber rails) than on the cx.

I thought the cx would be so much quicker and awesome off road. It’s not… although I do like the challenge of riding it off road.

Would depend very much on tyring and gearing.

My CX wears 28×700 GP4’s for commute and town duties. If I’m not really feeling it I average around 20-21mph and peak out at just over 30 in the same places every day. It’s around 6 miles and a not-really-going-for-it day is around 18mins. It turns in much the same times and averages with slightly lower peak speeds with the 32×700 Crosswolfs on it but is more effort. I did the Way Of The Roses on the Crosswolfs and it wasn’t too slow.

I’ve ridden 26er MTB’s and fat bikes on the same route and eventually (after a week or two) get to around the same times as a slow day on the CX but again without the peaks, but with much more effort. I generally prefer the CX for this as I like the sprints and it’s been deliberately setup for being around town vs my MTB’s which really haven’t.

The CX with either tyre setup I can be faster for longer is all, really.

I’ve not put it up against a 29er, might be interesting to see. I suspect it will be the same though, as effective gearing between a 26×4 fat bike and a 29er are pretty much the same, just with more traction and inertia on the fatty.

i sometimes, in the past have ridden both a 29er FS and a 29er full on XC hardtail to work – around 30km – and its a miserable experience compared to a road bike, speeds are not far off each other but the wattage (power on both road/xc) needed to keep up a comparable speed is very different (tyres were Burts & Schwable Ones, so quick tyres for each bike)

I’m on 25 slicks on my road bike which is slammed at the front, ave in to work 20-21mph. On my Bish Bash Bosh with the same 25’s I’m a good 2mph slower and with my 38mm Gravel grinders on and on canal path I’m about 15mph ave.

It’s mostly rubber unless you on a butchers bike.

It’s not though – I could put 25s on my open but positionally it would still be more hard work compared to a road bike

It’ll all be much the same, assuming you ride in a vacuum.

I’m running a 29er carbon Cube hardtail with rigid carbon forks, Schwarble Hurricane tyres on it and on gravel/ fire roads/ canal towpaths/ roads none of my other bikes would see which way it went.

When I ride my mtb A few days after a roadbike session I feel like I’m pedalling through treacle. I can only assume a gravel bike is going to make your 29er feel much the same. Until you get properly off road.

I guess I need to get a demo ride and try one for myself. Useful info though peeps. Thanks.

My “commuter” bike varies between my Blue Pig, RalieghTi road bike, RM Alltitude and my Ridley X Trail “gravel bike”
I have no idea what the OP is saying, I just ride my bike without thinking about all that guff!!!!!

my Ridley is ace. Currently my fav commuter bike. Off-road it is much faster than any mountain bike except when you come across any rough stuff!! I use it mostly for forest road riding, Ae is a big forest, Mabie can be linked to Dalbeattie. Grip from the Challenge Gravel Grinder tyres is amazing. I swapped them for some 28mm road tyres when I entered a local sportive, they felt slower and are now on my Raliegh