[Closed] Gravel / Gnarmac still well under the radar in the UK?

I bought a gravel/adventure/marketingmansdream bike and if i put skinny tyres on and pump them up rock hard it goes fast on the road, and if I put bigger ones on it goes slower than my hardtail on the rough stuff. It's just a little less twitchy than a cx bike and i'm old so twitchy is a bit of a faff. There you go marketing people - 'cx bikes for old blokes'. You can have that for free. It's a bike at the end of the day, innit? Sit on it and pedal...

I don't think it's the same sort of "Gravel" riding here in the UK as they have in the states.

I get the impression that the US has something a bit more like offroad audax'. Large organised events and a bit of a "scene" to go along with it. Most "gravel" type bikes sold in this country are used for commuting I reckon...

To most people here, "Gravel riding" probably means trundling about bridleways and tow paths on your own or maybe with a mate or two at your own pace...

Second using touring tires for non technical off road. I have done this on road bikes and in touring mode loads. Sometimes a little spicy in the wet round corners but if I wanted max off road control i would be on a MTB.

You don't need tread for gravel but you might need puncture resistance

Agree. My experience over last 10+ years of riding on fire-roads and smooth singletrack. My rides tend to be under 2 hours so I am not even bothered about how big the tyres are and use 25c quite happily.
In other words I can just take a road / track / whatever 700c bike and ride gravel with no issues other than number of puncture based on how flimsy a tyre I choose.
Mainly why I keep a Marathon + on the back as I really hate getting punctures...

On the subject of tyres.... WTB Cross Boss come in 35c and look good for an all-round (slight bias to off-road) tyre.
Mine went up tubeless hassle free and held air overnight without any gunk. I'll still put some in but it suggests the sidewalls should be pretty robust.

Mainly why I keep a Marathon + on the back as I really hate getting punctures...

I have 28c Marathon Plus tyres on my Cotic X and have taken them off road with no problems and no punctures.

My rides tend to be under 2 hours so I am not even bothered about how big the tyres are and use 25c quite happily

I keep a Marathon + on the back as I really hate getting punctures

Marathon+ are aweful on the road, I think id enjoy carrying my bike more than I would riding those offroad, especially in 25c 😆

Tell me again why gravel bikes with 40c tyres are just marketing?

I'm running a 40mm on one gravel tyre(made by vee rubber) on rear.. went up tubeless fine despite not being tubeless and it
Is quick/grippy and robust £19.99

crikey - Member
...All the trails people are gnarmaccing or gravel racing on have been there forever, it's just marketing shite to suggest it's a new thing and you must buy a new bike to explore this new niche.

Before mountain bikes, people were riding off road in the Peaks and the Dales and managing perfectly well.

I agree, but it's good that there's finally a move to having bikes made for the job (again*).

The danger is that racing will rear its ugly head and the evolution of the perfect offroad bike will be stunted by being narrowly defined.

When I was young, before mtbs, I was riding the same offroad stuff as I'm riding now but on 1¼" tyres (32mm) with road tread, ie no tread, and later tubulars.

These days I ride it on 2.35" Big Apples, still no tread, and that is perfectly good for anything but slick mud. I'd sooner ride the 2.35" slicks at a low pressure than a skinny cx high pressure tyre, because it's more comfortable, and its got better grip IMO. (Someone travelling at high speeds may have a different outlook).

Obviously I have to use a 29er to fit tyres that size, and it is a compromise.

I think the ideal "gravel" bike would be something shaped like a Pompino (nice handling on gravel) but with clearance for big tyres. If you ride with slick big tyres then the on road riding doesn't feel draggy, and all those road obstacles you normal swerve for can be steamrolled.

I doubt most of us would feel any performance hit with a bike like this - other than the dedicated high speed roadies. BTW braking and cornering are brilliant on road, effing amazing compared to the skinny stuff.

*This sort of bike was perfected around 1900 in the colonies - all roads were "gravel", and 28" bikes with dropbars and 2" tyres were used.

Marathon+ are aweful on the road, I think id enjoy carrying my bike more than I would riding those offroad, especially in 25c

Yes, they are not the best road tyres but they are fine off road.
Horses for courses, you would rather get punctures/walk home, I would rather use a heavier/worse riding tyre and not get punctures.

Like I said, I hate getting punctures as they completely screw up a 1-2 hour blast around the forest (especially at 0 degrees in middle of January!)

Horses for courses, you would rather get punctures/walk home, I would rather use a heavier/worse riding tyre and not get punctures.

No, id rather have a gravel bike (or cx bike) with 40mm tyres so I can blast around with more comfort, grip and no punctures 😆

These days I ride it on 2.35" Big Apples, still no tread, and that is perfectly good for anything but slick mud. I'd sooner ride the 2.35" slicks at a low pressure than a skinny cx high pressure tyre, because it's more comfortable, and its got better grip IMO. (Someone travelling at high speeds may have a different outlook).

The guy who came second (I think) at the Dirty Reiver was on a Cannondale slate with the lefty and 650b x 42mm slicks. Briefly heard him say at the finish they were fast but a bit sketchy on the loose corners.

How's everyone puncturing offroad? If it's snake bites then just put a bit more air in, if it's sharp objects then pick your line better. Gravel bikes really aren't designed for smashing over stuff, leave that for your Enduro bike.

For what it's worth I'm currently running 700 x 35 Rapid Robs.

How's everyone puncturing offroad?

I have Soma Cazadero 42c for days when a little cornering tread and volume is needed and usually run Vittoria Voyager Hyper 38c.

I ride road and estate tracks with gentle off road on my charge plug 5 titanium. As said 95% of the time a big volume slick is great off road.

The 38c vittoria voyager hyper are brilliant, a bargain at £15 for the shop you love to hate, supple and low rolling resistance, proves you don't need a 100psi 25c tyre bone shaker to go fast.

I think tyres make the single biggest difference to any decent road or cross bike. Choose supple (120 tpi), wide (38c+), and lightweight (folding) and run them tubeless and at low pressures.

How's everyone puncturing offroad? If it's snake bites then just put a bit more air in, if it's sharp objects then pick your line better.

The punctures are caused by small pieces of sharp flint from the stony gravel. You may be able to pick your line to avoid the 3mm big pieces of flint but my eyesight is not that good....

No, id rather have a gravel bike (or cx bike) with 40mm tyres so I can blast around with more comfort, grip and no punctures

Whether running a 40 or a 25 does not make any difference. I tried all sorts of larger tyres when I used a cross bike the only tyres that didn't puncture were the tough (and very heavy) touring tyes.

And as I said, I am comfortable enough on 25c and I have the grip I need on 25c with the benefit that for a given tyre, 25c is lighter.

Realise this is not for everyone but after 10+ years of riding gravel it is where I have settled.

Tubeless(35-45mm) tyres is a no brainer for me off/on road bit of everything riding .. no issues with flats

Or run your 25 or 28's tubeless ? (Tubeless ready tyres)

Realise this is not for everyone but after 10+ years of riding gravel it is where I have settled.

So you've used lots of tyre in the last 10 years but settled on 25. So you've not used these new crop of gravel tyres then since they are only new?

I agree its amazing what you can you can ride on 25's, I just recently rattled my way along the Edinburgh-Glasgow canal route on my fixie with skinny Halo Twin-rails, ive done the offroad coast and castles (inc dunes and beaches) route on a road bike with 25c GP4seasons and on my Tourer with 35mm Marathons. But having done the same tracks on 40mm WTB nano and now 40mm Gravel-kings I can say its a lot easier and comfier and hence I go faster, on these tyres built for the job plus they are perfectly puncture proof.

I'm running a 40mm on one gravel tyre(made by vee rubber) on rear.. went up tubeless fine despite not being tubeless and it
Is quick/grippy and robust £19.99

And sold out, sadly.

Says it all ^ 🙁

Mountain biker is educated and thanks you for your explanations. Mountain biker won't be buying a gravel bike.

Great thread. I've been riding my Fuji Tread all year, on road, trails etc. Its such a laugh and very similar to my first taste of mountain biking in Surrey 20+ years ago. I can mix up quiet back lanes with bridleways I wouldn't normally bother with on my MTB. Consequently i've opened up hours of picturesque, quiet riding on my doorstep without loading the bike onto the car.
So far i've been on the stock touring tyres it came fitted with, but planning on fitting some bigger tyres for a little off-road riding this weekend.

Can't say I really see the point in the whole gravel bike thing here in the UK. 29er with fast tubeless XC tyres rolls along plenty fast enough, and is far more versatile.

For what it's worth I'm currently running 700 x 35 Rapid Robs.

In answer to the OPs original question, I would say, yes it is very much under the radar. Until I read this thread I had literally no idea that 'Gnarmac / Gravelmac' was anything other than a ironic (? perhaps not?) way of referring to cyclocross. I certainly didn't know there were dedicated bikes. Learn something new every day - i'm evidently not as well informed about bikes as I thought!

Am I alone?

Ride the 3 Peaks CX, and you'll realise 35mm tyres can cope with anything 😉

As others have said, if you want bigger tyres, buy the right frame.

My new On One CX frame has enough clearance for these tyres:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/continental-mud-king-mtb-tyre-protection/rp-prod83014

but I've got MTBs, so don't need to go that silly, and just stick to 38mm Armadillos for road riding (still get 1cm clearance each side of tyre).

Try the Tour of the Black Country sportive, it's fun (sorry for using the 's' word here).

Am I alone?

No. I read a Cyclist magazine supplement all about gravel bikes, and I was still none the wiser about why they are different from cyclocross bikes. Is it just chunkier tyres? Different geometry? I scan read all that up there ^ and I'm still unsure.

Is it road, cyclocross, gravel, XC in terms of off-road capability then?

No. I read a Cyclist magazine supplement all about gravel bikes, and I was still none the wiser about why they are different from cyclocross bikes. Is it just chunkier tyres? Different geometry? I scan read all that up there ^ and I'm still unsure.

A gravel specific bike will tend to have bigger tyre clearance, more relaxed geometry, and possibly a slightly slacker head angle.
The gravel bike is to a CX bike what a sportive bike is to a race bike.

So you've not used these new crop of gravel tyres then since they are only new?

I don't need to use them, a tyre than weighs 240 grams for a 25c is going to puncture where I ride. The tyre has nothing about it that makes it any more special than many tyres made for puncture resistance and as I have punctured the likes of RibMo, Armadillos and even a Marathon+ once, I can make that statement.

Of course if I went tubeless this all changes (just as it did on my MTB where I have had one puncture in 18 months)

The gravel bike is to a CX bike what a sportive bike is to a race bike.

Now i get it. Thanks Andy

I recently ride NCN78 and had to choose a tyre to suit both the extensive tarmac and the few off-road sections including the forest track at Clunes. I decided on 28mm Marathons (not the Plus version). For sure they could have been comfier on the rough gravel but grip wasn't an issue. I'd day the whole Marathon range would be fine for most "gravel" riding in the UK, especially as you'll likely have to involve tarmac sections to make up a decent length of ride.

I'm currently considering some touring round the Caithness flow country where there is a bit of a network of gravel roads.

I'm with Ollybus, riding a CX with some middle of the pack tyres has opened up huge amounts of fun, scenic mixed surface riding from my doorstep. Maybe a 29er XC bike would do similar, but I only have a heavyish full-sus as an MTB. Makes my commute a lot less boring too...

Tubeless Schwalbe G-One's are a lovely compromise.

The gravel bike is to a CX bike what a sportive bike is to a race bike.

It also crosses over into tourer and traditional ATB territory as there's as much variation within the niche as there is outside of it!

It crosses the whole gamut from relaxed road bikes wit bigger tyres, to XC29er with smaller tyres, and darts sideways into offroad tourer as well.

Just 'bikes for riding places' really, and adjust the bias in whatever direction floats your boat.

Yawn!! …all this talk about tyres is quite tyresome really! I don’t even know what tyres I have on my CX bike. What I do know is that I enjoy riding it!

@ plus_one I am going to try the 26" wheels thing

Ok my hands up I got sucked into believing that a gravel bike would be my one bike to rule them all,luckily I managed to flog the damn thing when I realized my 29 er with some skinny tires and bar ends did the business much better.

I'll second the "try touring tires" I run some 47 mm conty tour rides for graveling around here and they are bloody excellent. also got some 38 mm schwalbe cx tires for 12 quid each and there pretty good to.

My commute involves about a mile of unsurfaced farm track which is nominally dirt/gravel, with various degrees of potholing dpending upon how long it has been since it was 'graded'.

My cyclocross bike on 28mm Schwalbe Duranos copes with it fine, even when trying to ride it as hard as possible.

The XC 29er is quicker on most (non-sealed) terrain, though.

A 29er with drop (or Mary's/Midges) bars would make for a quick all-day, all-terrain bike.

I do like the cyclocross bike for rides that involve roads and nipping onto light trails.

I think a lot of people are seriously over tired, I tried some 2.25 tires and found my self knakerd out it felt like the brakes were on the whole time.

Over tyred?...get the right 2.25 tyres then, a lot will depend on tread pattern, compound, and pressure. Tyre size doesn't make a tyre draggy or slow.

DiscJockey - Member
Ride the 3 Peaks CX, and you'll realise 35mm tyres can cope with anything...

Of course they can.

If your idea of a good day out in the bike isn't consumed with the need for speed, then you will probably enjoy the lack of vibration from fatter tyres, the lack of need to be intently focussed on the 5 metres immediately in front of your wheel, and the lack of needing to drop your riding companions.

You'll be able to enjoy the views, the stops, the company, and the whole being out in the countryside thing.

It's also nice not to so concerned about dinging your rims or getting punctures.

A good comparison was made earlier about the difference between a race bike and a sportive bike. I'd reckon race to touring bike is more like my idea.

For me the difference is in how much road you are having to do, a 'gravel' bike would be fine for a big portion of road work and you should be able to keep up with average roadies. A 29er XC bike can cope with much steeper, rougher terrain but is a bit of a slog on the road.

You'll be able to enjoy the views, the stops, the company, and the whole being out in the countryside thing.

I do that when walking the dog. When on my bike I want to go as fast as possible and a bike on tough road tyres is great for my use of 40% road/60% easy off road. I don't own what would be called a gravel bike though...

kerley - Member
I do that when walking the dog. When on my bike I want to go as fast as possible and a bike on tough road tyres is great for my use of 40% road/60% easy off road. I don't own what would be called a gravel bike though...

Fair enough. I don't think "gravel" bikes are really the optimum tool for the fast people.

I'm lucky enough to have hundreds of miles of gravel roads on my doorstep or riding distance away, and it's easy to concoct a 80 - 100 mile loop with mainly offroad, especially if you're prepared to do some short hike-a-bikes between them.

I'll take a 2" plus tyre for that any day.

Scotroutes mentioned the Flow country up in Caithness and Sutherland. There's some long rides that can be done up there where an mtb is overkill and a road bike is ok but lacking. I can highly recommend it, and there were some great books written by Ralph McGregor to whet your anticipation.

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Another difference between 'gravel' bikes and CX bikes is that the former often have drillings for front and rear racks and mudguards. Manufacturers have also been recently pushing 'adventure' bikes, but from what I can tell these are the same as gravel bikes.

I also read that gravel bikes sometimes have slightly more relaxed head angles and shorter stems than CX bikes, which makes them slightly more stable on fast, smooth offroad 'gravel' tracks.

As for tyre clearance, I don't think there's much difference between gravel and the latest CX bikes, as both are built round 29er disk wheels. A few years back CX bikes were built around road wheels, but those days are over thankfully. I had the choice between both types when buying a new frameset last week and went for CX, as it looked better without all the rack mounts and other gubbins....

As Ollybus says, having a gravel/CX bike does lead to discovering new trails and using road sections to join things up. However, people have been doing this for many decades on touring and CX bikes.

I think the OP was asking about events/races. People forget how hard it is to organise and run events. There are only so many people willing to help out with such things, and the UK scene is getting quite saturated, especially with the amount of sportives. Having said that, there were many more events than I could have done this year if I'd really wanted to go as quick as possible on trails with my CX bike. They weren't, however called 'gravel' events.

Aristotle - Member
The Land Cruiser is particularly good for all-round, on/off road use.

The land cruiser is a horrible tyre.