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Crikey. This took off.
So which gravel bike am I buying then?!
A 29er XC hardtail with drop bars just to ensure all bases are covered 👍🏼
Yep and having lived in New Forest for last 20 years I have probably ridden on most of them. That seems to be the thing whenever a gravel bike thread pops up, some people think they are not useful in the UK but that is simply because they don’t have any gravel roads in their location so assume nobody else does.
I don’t live anywhere near a trail centre so unfortunately never go to them but I don’t question the need for bikes that are good for trail centres.
I was a hardcore roadie until recent. I have a road bike, CX and a hardtail. I bought the CX in between the road bike and buying the HT. I barely used the CX, but..just recently I haver found a bit of love for it actually. It’s a very different ride to the road bike fast ride or the hardtail fun in the woods. More of an adventure/explore/bimble/relax and destress
I’m local too, North Bournemouth, so the NF is rideable from my door. I ride the roads in New Forest very regularly, it’s a really lovely place to ride, get out early on the weekend and it’s bliss. But I have to admit, I have never gravelled there!!
This thread has inspired me to get on it, I’m gonna head out there. Anyone got any good gravel route suggestions. Although, I do quite like getting lost!
Re. no trail centre, we do have Tidworth just up the road – it’s only 1hr in the car, which isn’t too bad. Was there last Sunday, cracking fun.
So which gravel bike am I buying then?!
well there's still sub-niche to consider of course 🙂
Basically consider if you want something thats fast / comfy over distance on road, something for lugging stuff about and / or something more off-road focused. If you want fast/distance ability then I still reckon a double chainset is best even though 1x is popular but 1x is good for off-road use IMHO. Then there's wheel / tyre clearance, the ability to switch 650 / 700 sounds cool but I don't know how useful it is if you can fit 40+ 700c tyres. Then there's bars and geometry and rack fixings and all that...
I can understand gravel bike riding for local bridleways and roads. etc. I use a retro bike for riding routes around country lanes and through villages and parks etc. this as I do not even have bridleways locally ( although the bike is great on them ) I wouldn't want to do this on a road bike due to potholes. The retrobike bike cost me about £150 all in after a refurbish and has fast rolling tyres and very light rims ( as std ).
I’m local too, North Bournemouth, so the NF is rideable from my door. I ride the roads in New Forest very regularly,
I was working in Bournemouth/Poole a short while ago. I took the Vagabond with me and ride around the Isle of Purbeck a few times. I’ve ridden there before on the MTB but managed to explore just as much on the Genesis.
A 29er XC hardtail with drop bars just to ensure all bases are covered
That's what I wanted as well, Genesis make one, it's called a Vagabond 🙂
I took the Vagabond with me and ride around the Isle of Purbeck a few times. I’ve ridden there before on the MTB but managed to explore just as much on the Genesis.
It's all doable. Just more fun on the downhills on the MTB!!
This thread has inspired me to get on it, I’m gonna head out there. Anyone got any good gravel route suggestions. Although, I do quite like getting lost!
Re. no trail centre, we do have Tidworth just up the road – it’s only 1hr in the car, which isn’t too bad. Was there last Sunday, cracking fun.
I live in Burley so on the road from Burley to A35 there is a car park about 1/2 mile out and that is where I start. Go from there towards Brockenhurst. Most of the gravel roads are marked out with cycling signs as they are technically the only routes you are allowed to ride on
As for trail centre an hour away, I never drive anywhere with my bike and always do everything straight from my door so that will be my loss.
I have a caad x, so not a proper gravel bike, but used alot on mixed farm tracks and road routes.
I love it, but I won't lie, it's not very capable on anything that's not remotely flat. Having looked at an arkose the other day the tyres (45 mm) looked massive compared to my 35 mm gravel kings. Do they may that much difference off road. Ie I keep hearing that gravel bikes are almost as an xc bike on less gnarly routes..But that's not my exp.
I can't fit bigger tyres in the caad x
Sub Niche you say?
I love it, but I won’t lie, it’s not very capable on anything that’s not remotely flat. Having looked at an arkose the other day the tyres (45 mm) looked massive compared to my 35 mm gravel kings. Do they may that much difference off road. Ie I keep hearing that gravel bikes are almost as an xc bike on less gnarly routes..But that’s not my exp.
Try taking the CAAD X up into the Pentlands. I rode there quite a bit on 32/35mm tyres when I was in Balerno. I really enjoyed that as the tracks are otherwise a bit tame for a MTB.
Bigger/higher volume tyres are "better" though. I've used Nano 40s with great effect around Aviemore area and then there's the 650x47 options if the frame will take it.
yes the tyres are a big factor I'd say which is why its misleading to think you're getting a nearly-mountain bike. I would be interested to try 650 wheels and wide tyres and see how that changes things but funds won't stretch to a spare wheelset.
That Niner FS is just... well it's a thing isn't it?
I've got 38mm on my CAADX. Panaracer Comet Hardpack, got them on special from PlanetX. They're really good
I love it, but I won’t lie, it’s not very capable on anything that’s not remotely flat. Having looked at an arkose the other day the tyres (45 mm) looked massive compared to my 35 mm gravel kings.
same here, my Croix De Fer is on 35c Clement x'plor Ush and is great on mild stuff. The Vagabond on 2.1 WTB Nano's however.....
Try taking the CAAD X up into the Pentlands. I rode there quite a bit on 32/35mm tyres when I was in Balerno. I really enjoyed that as the tracks are otherwise a bit tame for a MTB.
I was up there last night on it actually. It's ok, but a bit hard work off the main routes. I actually took it across the thieves road last night (I hadn't realised that the first 2 miles is virtually unridable on any bike, let alone a cx bike), but after I'd done alot of pushing the descent to west Linton was ridable..just very bumpy.
That said, on my 40 mile route yesterday, the caad x would be the better choice than my xc bike on 80% of the ride.
ThudBusters are good for gravel bikes, I'll just offer here.
I use a long travel one on my drop-bar mountain bike, short travel ones might go better with your skinny-tyred gravellers and make you even faster over the jittery stuff. Ah, but then you'll want some give in the front, too.
The Niner Thing makes perfect sense to me 🙂
… the more I look at it the more sense it makes. Imagine the speed.
Gawblimeyyeah. If that'd been around when I was building my dream "gravel" (that wasn't a thing then) bicycle I would've been seriously tempted. Riding across bumpy cow fields in the big ring... 😀
Riding across bumpy cow fields in the big ring… 😀
#livingthegraveldream 🙂
Is the genesis vagabond simply a rigid MTB with drop bars? Which depending on how they're set up might be more aero or just might offer more hand positions
(I'm not against it, just asking)
^^^^ It looks, and feels, like it, but the frame geometry is set for reach to the drops, so shortish top tube and different angles. What I find makes it work is that on the tops I am a few inches above where I am on a MTB and on the drops a few below, so it can be upright and very relaxed or drops and a more efficient shape than the MTB, yet still high enough that steepish stuff feels ok. The only negative of the geometry is a tad of toe overlap, which is only a likely issue starting and stopping on rough stuff I reckon.
Is the genesis vagabond simply a rigid MTB with drop bars?
Yeah that. With added toeverlap and lower B/B
*edit oops crosspost
Havent read the whole thread but in short I like riding from my door, minor road touring, fitness, load lugging and faffing about in woods/along /over there
so big tyres with wide drops spizzes over all of it and is fun.
Still need an MTB tho. Until it hurts too much and I get an ebike.
ThudBusters are good for gravel bikes, I’ll just offer here.
I always thought a great ATB minimialist build would be a Canondale CX Headshok with a thudbuster and discs.
I've got a medium Cotic Escapade Mk1 frameset in blue for sale. As far as gravel bikes go, it's a lightweight frame and fork and very sprightly. Geometry didn't do it for me but it would be good for somebody else no doubt. Will be putting in the classifieds when I get round to it.
tyres (45 mm) looked massive compared to my 35 mm gravel kings. Do they may that much difference off road. Ie I keep hearing that gravel bikes are almost as an xc bike on less gnarly routes..But that’s not my exp.
45mm tyres - for me it's the tipping point, at 45mm and above you can ride 'UK Gravel' ie hoof churned byways that have dried hard, the Ridgeway etc, not in comfort as such but it's OK for a while until you take a break on tarmac. Comp[ared to the 32-33mm Contis I used to do it on it's a world apart, like 26" vs 29" (sorry).
650 x 50mm is also good - 700 x 45 Riddlers (notably smaller casing volume than a 47mm slick) and 650 x 50 feel about the same to me, roll over of 700x45 vs the added volume for the impacts with the 650s.
imo gravel bikes just aren't an XC MTB on easier terrain though. I don't ride them in the same way even on the same terrain. Gravel bike for the miles and a bit of seeing what you can get away with, XC 29er for getting a bit more loose, playing around with line choices and going for it, etc. Could I choose between them, one bike for all? No, doubt it.
imo gravel bikes just aren’t an XC MTB on easier terrain though. I don’t ride them in the same way even on the same terrain. Gravel bike for the miles and a bit of seeing what you can get away with, XC 29er for getting a bit more loose, playing around with line choices and going for it, etc. Could I choose between them, one bike for all? No, doubt it.
I think this is where I didn't gel 100% immediately with my gravel bike (as per my post back on page 1) but the more I ride it, the more sense it makes.
My gravel bike has 35/32 marathon+ tyres on and is now my commuter.
My hardtail is running a rigid fork (also have a sus one) and will shortly be my only MTB. Works for all the sort of riding I do, including local stuff. But I've picked up a second set of wheels for it and that should help when I want to do faster rides with more of a road bias
My pace is generally a pootle anyway so I don't think the aero side of things makes a big difference for me
Just got back from a 25 mile evening ride, there's no way I would have even thought about doing that on a full MTB, maybe on a lightweight XC hardtail, but I'm sat here feeling quite fresh. I rode some nice singletrack with some roots, some fast road bits to connect them sat at 20-25mph, and just eating up the miles with ease. probably 50% dirt to road ratio. The worst bit was the neck ache from looking up the trail whilst on the drops!!
THIS is the gravel bike I want: https://www.3t.bike/en/products/bikes/new-exploro-flatmount-565.html
If it ain’t aero forget it...
Great video, sort of sums up 'Gravel'
It's not roadie, it's not MTB, it's not bikepacking, it's all of them and none.
Good seeing Phil (skills with Phil on YT) on it, love the look as he walks into the Rahpa shop/cafe at the start, I'd do the same 😀