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Once again we've hit upon the fact that MTB isn't one sport it's a whole range of activities that all look superficially similar and that people do for very different reasons. Hence these arguments.
Why has everyone totally forgotten about XC bikes these days?
who knows, just as they've stumbled upon decent handling, full suspension, and droppers without ruining the climbing/pedaling performance, they have fallen from vogue.
going from MTB to gravel is dull….. but going from road to gravel opens up lots of possibilities and fun.
Exactly. They are for opening up options for a road based ride rather than limiting options for an MTB ride. Most people don't want to ride their road bike on gravel roads (or don't think they can) and a gravel bike does well on it.
So compared to road riding gravel riding is great as it is away from the cars but still fast riding.
Just what I enjoy in fact but those that don't like road as they find it boring are not really going to like gravel either.
The bridleways from my front door (outskirts of York) are bland and boring on a MTB, not rideable on a full on road bike, but great fun on a gravel bike.
Couple of hours’ blast after work? Gravel time.
Weekend riding? MTB, but I have to drive to the trails.
The rest of the time? Road, with a power meter.
As above (I also live in the flatlands now far from York).
Would I prefer to be doing a big fireroad climb, and some woodsy singletrack, on my MTB, outside of my door on a Wednesday night? Of course I would, but there are no hills, its pan-flat. There are loads of 'sections' that are great fun, but spread apart. A gravel bike allows me to ride those bits easily.
The fact that its 'rubbish' and nearly shakes me to pieces and 15mph on my gravel bike off-road feels like 50mph on my Hightower, is exactly the appeal!
My first MTB was a second-hand rigid Raleigh M-Trax with gripshift gears. Back then for me it was all about riding local bridleways and the odd small natural jump in the woods.
Fast forward over quarter of a century and I ride the trail centres on my 150mm travel bike. I do the odd enduro and even xc race if I'm feeling fit. But I still like to ride bridleways and do the odd small natural jump in the woods.
Which is what my gravel bike is for. It's like my old M-Trax but so much better! Doing local bridleways on my big bike would be really dull. A bit like trying to play Slayer on a Telecaster. (I have an Ibanez for days I want to play Slayer...).
Suspension isn’t there to make it easier, it’s there to allow you to go faster. Much, much faster.
hmmm, doesnt seem to be working for a large number of people...maybe i just have a fast gravel bike.
Would I prefer to be doing a big fireroad climb, and some woodsy singletrack, on my MTB, outside of my door on a Wednesday night?
Why on earth would you look for a fire road climb? That's your problem right there.
Gravel bikes are great at trail centres
Which trail centres?
Agreed. Would love to see some of these gravelistas at Laggan or Golspie. 😁
Why on earth would you look for a fire road climb?
Because sometimes it's good to just pedal up a big hill.
hmmm, doesnt seem to be working for a large number of people
It does work, I can't comment on the skills of other riders.
who knows, just as they’ve stumbled upon decent handling, full suspension, and droppers without ruining the climbing/pedaling performance, they have fallen from vogue.
No I mean they are comparing gravel bikes and trail bikes and are apparently under the impression that they are the only two options and there's nothing in between.
I guess marketing does work...
Why on earth would you look for a fire road climb?
Probably the most pleasant way of gaining elevation. (not energy wasting difficult, and no cars).
Why on earth would you look for a fire road climb? That’s your problem right there.
I love fire road climbs. So I have a "problem" I guess
No I mean they are comparing gravel bikes and trail bikes and are apparently under the impression that they are the only two options and there’s nothing in between.
I guess marketing does work…
I think we agree - they have been relegated mentally to a niche of competition only, whereas they would these days actually be a bloody good solution for many (but not all) use cases mentioned in this thread.
You can’t argue with an 8 year old. Well you can, but it does your head in 🙂
To be fair, when I was 8 I’d have found gravel riding boring too. I guess, 50 years later, I’m now boring enough myself to enjoy it.
Probably the most pleasant way of gaining elevation. (not energy wasting difficult, and no cars).
I couldn't disagree more: I much prefer a technical climb. Fire road climbs on the mtb just make me wish I was on my gravel or road bike.
I couldn’t disagree more: I much prefer a technical climb. Fire road climbs on the mtb just make me wish I was on my gravel or road bike.
I dont hate them. I have a few good ones in the peaks, and there are decent trailcentre ones, and a few sprinkled uphill moves, obstacles on pretty much any offroad ride are fun.
But I wouldn't want all of my climbing on a ride to be like that, because I'd be a physical wreck in under an hour, probably having gone about 4 miles.
I'm still waiting to hear which trail centre is good on a gravel bike...
If you rode with me on the kind of ride I think gravel bikes are good at, you would be left behind on all the road bits.
@molgrips I'm lucky enough to have enough dirt roads that I don't need to do a great deal of your kind of riding. And some of the climbs aren't much chop on a gravel bike either.
As a MTB’er of 30 years I’m riding more than ever since getting a gravel bike. Point and squirt, in any direction.
Funny, all the people i know who bought them barely use them. I guess it depends on your local terrain.
Rode some local (relatively easy) trails last night on the cross bike (fitted with 38mm gravel tyres) and it was truly joyous. Just love that feeling of acceleration as you full gas it out of the bends then braking as little as possible as you then dive into the next turn whilst your tyres are scrabbling for grip.
Fun, fun, fun!!!
After 60 minutes of my heart rate bouncing on the limiter I was knackered, a proper outdoors workout. Beats the winter routine of midweek intervals on the indoor trainer.
Happy days.
Are Mtb riders more likely to have a gravel bike than roadies or are roadies seeing the light?
My one ride on a carbon gravel bike had me surprised at how comfy it was but amazed that anyone could ride with bars that narrow. Are we going to see something that is a wider drop bar but with the drop bit removed?
After that ride I put cyclo cross 29 wheels on a 26 hard tail and plugged in some 100 mm forks. It felt quite spritely and comfy enough on the flat tracks.
Nearly rode it on Sunday but took my fatty instead. Glad of my choice as all the churned up horsey bits have dried rock hard and would have been unrideable on my hybrid. The thought of pushing a bike for a mile on the flat would have been annoying to say the least.
I think gravel bikes will utimately evolve into lightweight 29ers with a 100 mm fork.
Funny, all the people i know who bought them barely use them. I guess it depends on your local terrain.
Probably, for where I live a gravel bike is probably the perfect bike as even a rigid MTB is more than required (tried one again recently for 2 months and sold it).
I am not really sure why some people buy gravel bikes and then don't use them, guessing a mix of marketing and dreaming without really thinking about how and what they ride (also known as more money than sense)
I’m still waiting to hear which trail centre is good on a gravel bike…
Glentress blue is so much fun on a gravel bike
the photo's are not persuading me, still looks absolutely shit.
infinitely more fun than riding around on tarmac tho i suppose...
Mentioning gravel bikes on here does seem to elicit some strong opposition. I find it a bit weird tbh, when all we're talking about is riding bikes in the countryside. My take is that if you want to do longish rides linking back roads, towpaths and bridleways, then they're the perfect tool for the job.
Funny, all the people i know who bought them barely use them. I guess it depends on your local terrain.
Of course, it absolutely does. If you've only got rocky tech then a gravel bike is obviously useless. If you've only got gravel roads then a trail bike is obviously useless.
For longer range rides I have loads of jeep tracks over the mountains which are rough but not technical, linked with some technical bits but also lots of road, like 10 miles or more. Hence rigid MTB.
Off road riding (and the bike you use for it) is heavily dependent on what you have available, always surprised at how many people don't get this, then rush out and buy a gravel or trail bike because it's the thing, then complain about it.
Rode some local (relatively easy) trails last night on the cross bike (fitted with 38mm gravel tyres) and it was truly joyous. Just love that feeling of acceleration as you full gas it out of the bends then braking as little as possible as you then dive into the next turn whilst your tyres are scrabbling for grip.
Fun, fun, fun!!!
This times a million - on the right trails a gravel bike is BETTER than any MTB (as in, faster, funner). Typically twisty, possibly muddy, not steep. I'm already missing my winter CX rides linking random sections of muddy trail with road sections, these were some of the best rides I've had in years.
That said, my (new) local riding is more like what Molgrips describes, big hill-tracks. I would have thought the gravel bike would have been ideal but after a couple of rides getting the absolute crap beaten out of me I'm back on a lightweight 29er hardtail. I still miss the gravel bike on the climbs, all the stretched out bar end/aero bar stuff doesn't make up for the slightly more sedate feel of fatter, softer tyres (I've moved from 38mm Terreno Dry to 2.1" Terreno Dry, basically 15mm wider. Big difference).
Once I get my head round just being a bit slower on climbs it should be fine, although I'm still hesitant about the sort of 120/130km gravel days I was happily doing on the 'gravel' bike. They just seem a bit daunting on a slower more upright MTB, even if my lower back is happier in the long run...
All of the pictures linked in this thread, I immediately think the person is trying to justify that their gravel bike can do more than a flat boring gravel track, but the fact is in each of those pics an mtb would be more fun and quicker.
All bikes are compromise, and its just choosing where you want your compromise and sucked in to marketing you are.
To me its like going to Grizdale Forest. You could spend a the complete day riding your gravel weapon bike on the trails, but miss the nicest riding in the area. Alternatively you ride an mtb and do some slogging up the 4x4 tracks but then get fun singletrack, bumpy trails.
I’m still waiting to hear which trail centre is good on a gravel bike…
I meant to ride bedgebury on mine before I sold it, there's one rock on the entire 'red' route that might have caused an issue for a gravel bike.
This is what gravel bikes are about for me. Scenery, cranking out the miles away from traffic.
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Gravel riding both is and isn't rubbish, clearly. The waveform collapses to one state or the other when you try it.
I've had one brief go on an actual gravel bike (and hence am entirely qualified to discuss it), and it ranged from "OK" going uphill to mildly terrifying going downwards. The geometry felt all wrong, the bars were way too narrow, and I was riding SPD pedals in trainers. Thumbs down, would avoid 😀
A gravel bike from 2023.
man i could have done with a gravel bike yesterday.
did my longest ride of the year on my new road bike.
went devizes to bristol via k & a canal towpath then twin tunnels and cycleway to bristol.
then returned via the towpat from bath back to devizes.
man it was a lovely ride BUT the return on the towpath was bloody torture lol
i am not fit so was knackered as i got back on towpath.
23 miles of being buffetted about was not fun at all.
glad i did the ride but will use my mountain bike for sure when i ride the route again (don't have a gravel bike).
the nicest riding in the area
Rather subjective that, isn't it?
Once I get my head round just being a bit slower on climbs it should be fine, although I’m still hesitant about the sort of 120/130km gravel days I was happily doing on the ‘gravel’ bike.
Don't worry about it. Fit a longer stem and narrower bars to your XC bike, lower the front end, and you'll be most of the way towards the postion of a gravel bike on the hoods and you won't lose too much ability on descents. For me the best thing about my Salsa build is the 660mm On One Fleegle Pros with 15 degree sweep and Ergon grips. I did the Ridgeway Double on it, 185 miles in 18.5 hours, and the only things that hurt were my ankles, strangely enough. I don't think that'd have been the case if I'd been trying to eke out more aero on drops.
One thing to mention about a lightweight gravel/cross compared to a lightweight XC bike is cost. My 8.5kg cross bike was £1700 to build. How much would it cost to build an XC bike that was under - let's say - 11kg, £3,000?
I know that there are heavy gravel bikes too but I'd not be interested in one of them. I think that it would be too close in weight to an XC bike but not as capable.
I think there are a few different types of gravel bikes now so it's hard to just make a blanket statement about them all.
As has been said before, it's all bikes and bikes are ace.
Hope you're all making the most of the dry weather at the moment, no matter what type of bike you're riding.
Have fun!
I think there are a few different types of
gravelbikes now so it’s hard to just make a blanket statement about them all.
Indeed,and yet some still want to squack on and on and on about it 🙂
As has been said before, it’s all bikes and bikes are ace.
^^ is always the correct answer 🙂
The MTB on the local bridleways I just pedal.
The gravel bike, I pick lines, lift the front or back as required, change pace to get it over the things, use my arms and legs to work the bike in all directions. So much more involving.
The MTB might be faster on those trails, but it’s like Zwift by comparison with the gravel bike.
I wouldn’t take the gravel bike to the Alps though. The road bike perhaps.
It’s about the tool for the job (and how tricky you like your riding to be in any given trail).
It’s about the tool for the job
And as any proper bloke knows, the more tools (toys) you have, the better. 😀
If I could justify 3 bikes I'd have another gravel bike alongside my 150/160mm FS trail/light enduro bike and my 150mm hardtail.
For me the best thing about my Salsa build is the 660mm On One Fleegle Pros with 15 degree sweep and Ergon grips.
Have just fitted wider carbon bars in an effort to A) smooth out the ride and B) give me more space to push the bar ends out wider (they're now almost the same width as the hoods on the gravel bike are). Took a gamble on some cheap Ritchey carbon bars which were of course 'only' 5 degree sweep rather than the 9 degree sweep I would have preferred, will just have to see.
Not sold on Ergon grips yet, might go back to something fatter and cushier.
funny old discussion this one, i think a variety of riding is good. I had a free day friday so did a long road ride round the north lakes, taking in a pass and some nice roads and all in all was a lovely ride nice scenery adn fun to ride along at a decent speed. Sat had 90 mins and legs were feeling it so took the gravel bike out from the front door quiet roads, led me to a nice gravel path alongside a lake then a steep but not technical climb that led to a stretch of farmers double track and more quiet roads (surfaces the worse for wear) and back home in 90 mins. It would have felt slower and over kill on the slack hardtail, and if i had loaded the hardtail onto the car to drive 20 mins I would have got about 40 -45 mins of riding at whinlatter (closest place) by the time i had loaded unloaded etc and driven home, so i got a nice easy mixed ride generally out the way of traffic, nice scenic sections, less faffing and the big one for me more time on my bike. next time I have a free day or half day I may choose to load the bike onto the car and go and get a good longer MTB ride in but the gravel bike fills a gap between road and mtb for me when time is tight. its all bikes
I think there are a few different types of gravel bikes now so it’s hard to just make a blanket statement about them all.
How about, "drops are always a bit rubbish off-road"? ; )
I did the Ridgeway Double on it, 185 miles in 18.5 hours, and the only things that hurt were my ankles, strangely enough. I don’t think that’d have been the case if I’d been trying to eke out more aero on drops.
I hated my gravel bike by the end of that route and it's a big-barred 650 x 50 tyres job. I've done it on a rigid 29er and it was faster. The Ridgeway often comes up as 'UK gravel route' but like underbiking anywhere it's fun until you're just beaten up.
Generally I ride my gravel bike wen I want to think and look at the view, and my MTB when I want to enjoy just concentrating on flow or speed. There's a bit of both on every ride but the bike seems to bias it.
Not sold on Ergon grips yet
I wasn't with normal flat bars. I bought them many years ago and they sat in my spares box until I got the high sweep bars. I think they work together really well.
The Ridgeway often comes up as ‘UK gravel route’ but like underbiking anywhere it’s fun until you’re just beaten up.
Yeah IMO there are too many bumps and too much singletrack in it to qualify as gravel.
Whereas the gravel roads where I ride are more comfortable to ride on than the road. I use 25c tyres and on the roads (which are very rough) I get a lot of jarring through the bars/saddle whereas the gravel roads are a bit softer and don't have sharp edged potholes.