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My gravel bike has made a great winter bike and expand my options for short rides due to the multi terrain scenario. Yes I agree, its a compromised road / CX bike but it is flexible.
It replaced my winter road bike, but I wouldnt shelve an MTB for it, and I kept my summer road bike for carving up the country lanes when the sun is out.
Get one.
This is a great thread, interesting ideas and differing opinions without slagging anyone off.
Just shows you that everyone is different, both in need, ability and desire; so it's just as well there are multiple types of bikes to suit us all.
For every 1 person who has Innerleithen on their doorstep, there’s thousands in places like the chilterns, Cotswolds etc.
I live in S Wales, right in the middle of one of the best locations for MTBing possible in the UK. I can head in any direction (except south - that’s the sea!) and find trails that would stretch my abilities, and I could ride different things every day of the week. Indeed, I could spend today riding from my door and have hours of great, challenging MTB riding, without crossing the city limits.
But if I do that I’d miss out on the ‘easier’ stuff. The long days out on Gower, riding through uttrly gorgeous scenery. The access tracks through the mountains up towards the Beacons and the Black Mountain. The places where a 150mm trail bike is wasted but where there is still good off-road riding. That’s why so many of us around here also have gravel bikes of various descriptions. I’m sure that is the same for Tweed Valley locals as well.
I've got a (flat bar and rigid) Singular Swift as my 'gravel' bike, with 50mm Conti Race King tyres, in addition to a road bike and hardtail. Pretty good compromise for gentle offroad stuff, but still want to fill the gap between that and the road bike with a drop bar gravel / allroad bike. Just because. Lifes too short not to have more bikes! Treat yourself...
It’s too muddy for the MTB
😂
Crikey the mason in search of that Charlie mentioned earlier in the thread can take upto 29 x 2.4 or 650b X 2.8 tyres! That's bigger than I can get on my mountain bikes.
I'd go with the Flexible Road bike definition but then mine is at the 8.5kg end of things quick and nimble, living in Manchester it's a spot on bike as I can get on some great longer rides skipping the worst of the roads, around the peak I can get between some fun and interesting singletrack and make some great loops. Worth so much more to me than a road bike or a XC HT
Hmm, bog snorkeling more like!
I have to admit I'm tempted by one of the super cheap gravel bikes, £500-600ish. That calibre dark peak is £450 which is extremely cheap.
Late to discussion Alex - I'll add my tuppence worth.
Have a Peregrine - after I'd got a road bike but found it the wrong size and handed it back.
TBH up here there are loads of options for mixing things up, plus the back roads can be hard going on kosher road setups - lumpy surfaces - then there are the farm tracks and forest roads that can be included in a ride to give a little bit of peace from road but without heading full tilt downhill.
Have put panniers on and had small trips, make up excuses to do a bit of shopping - all quite within capabilities. It's not the lightest of bikes but feels solid and secure.
It's set up with flared drop bars, and bar-end shifters. I've sent it down and along some pretty tight singletrack and it's a hoot.
Can't see it departing the shed any time soon - just too versatile. And that's with MTB and another road bike in there. Had been running 40mm tyres, currently 35mm as the 40mm wore out.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnOPxT5BDUK/
For the versatility, one bike to do the range of rides make it awesome
It's said that these 'new' bikes are crap on tarmac and crap off road.
Another way to look at them is that they are much better than an MTB on tarmac and way better than a road bike off road. So:
a) if your riding involves a mix of roads and off road
b) you're just out to enjoy the exercise
c) you're not precious about having to have the 'ultimate weapon' from your 'quiver' for what you're riding
then you'll probably love the dirty drop bar thing.
Going back to the OP - liking the look of bikes isn't a reason to buy one, so save your cash.
Can't believe there's still so much hand wringing about them tbh. I'd never buy a two seater sporty convertible or a Range Rover, but I can see why others might - and good luck to them.
It’s said that these ‘new’ bikes are crap on tarmac and crap off road.
On the few times I've been riding around big groups the main comment when somebody comes along is that rolls well on those tyres....
Off road it just keeps going
yeah the crap on road crap off thing is just a bit of bollocks
It’d be absolutely fantastic if you could talk me out of this stupid idea, and then I’d a) save a load of cash and b) stop wasting my time reading reviews!
Dear god, why don't you just set your Boardman free from the turbo and see if you really do go off exploring? As far as I can see, most gravel bikes are basically s****y cross bikes with extra tyre clearance so you can fit whopping great tyres and make it more like a drop-bar 29er.
What do you think a gravel bike will do that your cross bike can't? Mine's been over Cut Gate and I'm still alive. Then again, if you just want to buy a new bike, nothing will stop you 🙂
Seeing as there are a few photos popping up...my aforementioned ride:
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P.S Has anyone got a link to the island hopping video blackflag mentions?
Been out riding all day and came back to all these new posts. Continues to be an interesting discussion. Would seem to break down into
a) don’t be an idiot and buy a 29er riding
b) don’t be an idiot and use your Solaris Max
c) don’t be an idiot and release the CX bike from the turbo
d) don’t be an idiot INVEST IN THE SHINY
The clear message coming through is that I’m an idiot 🙂
Will have a proper read through when I get a min. Obviously I’ll ignore anything that doesn’t align with my world view of ‘things I need in my shed’ !
As always with these sort of questions, you will get lots of opinion/advice and then just do what you wanted anyway which is to buy a gravel bike.
I've never found an MTB to be that limiting on road or easy off road to be honest. Had pretty much every kind of HT, a gravel bike, Roadrat, Escapade, Day One, RAG etc. I'm now riding a Flare in 27.5 and can honestly say it's fine for everything. It's not even that bad on the road over longer distances. Just lock the rear and put more air in the tyres.
Hannah Barnes Island hopping,
Even though I own a Gravel Bike and enjoy riding it, I agree with a lot of these statements.
"I ride my gravel bike throughout November to April. It’s too muddy for the MTB and it’s just better on winter lanes than the road bike."
"On ‘UK gravel’ byways and tracks etc I reckon an XC or rigid 29er will be faster, if the ride is more than a couple of hours at least. A gravel bike can be rapid but you’ll be beat up soon enough if the ground isn’t really smooth.
My quickest rides along the Ridgeway end to end have been on a 29er, "
Done the Same ! and Agree totally
"the advantage in winter is being able to blast along the easiest trails and tracks that hold up better in the weather, and bypass the really boggy bits by using road sections relatively efficiently compared to a MTB."
this is really hitting the nail on the head !!!!
I even have sympathy for this view point.
"A gravel bike is a compromise, so its poor at either type of riding. Its will disappoint you on the road and off road."
Hence why gravel rides HAVE to have ROAD + OFF ROAD sections
"Scandal 29er, stuck carbon rigid forks, flat bar with bar ends and 1.75″ VeeRubber Rail tyres"
Did this too (except with 1.9" tyres) was a great bike to ride like this. dunno why I went and brought a gravel bike really ???
Even owning a Gravel Bike I'd still say a 29er rigid is the ultimate do it all bike. Drop bar bikes are just a bit less good off road, but Im originally a MTBer if I was more on the road side I'd probably say gravel .
I recently bought a gravel bike as a replacement for a crashed SS fixed commuter. I'm pleasantly impressed.
it's a green Vitus with apex 1x11 hydro and not that much heavier than my ali road bike. the tyres will handle rough stuff but don't feel that draggy - ok I've not been on a massive road only ride on it yet.
I'm firmly in the "I bloody love mine" camp.
Picked up a Whyte Gisburn, thrown some bigger tyres on it and treat it like a scary XC mtb.
Great for exploring and smashing out the odd road section. Have been riding my local trails (malverns) for years now and the Whyte has renewed my interest - mostly trying to tick off the descents - its way more capable than I ever thought it'd be.
Having 2 young kids time is a premium so find grabbing the Whyte the best option to get a good ride in as short a time as possible. Also really appreciate the mtbs when I get back on them 😆
I’ve never found an MTB to be that limiting on road or easy off road to be honest. Had pretty much every kind of HT, a gravel bike, Roadrat, Escapade, Day One, RAG etc. I’m now riding a Flare in 27.5 and can honestly say it’s fine for everything. It’s not even that bad on the road over longer distances. Just lock the rear and put more air in the tyres.
Pretty much my view. I just have one bike and ride it everywhere. It is better in some places than others but I enjoy riding it which is the primary reason I am riding. It happens to be the opposite of the one bike you chose which just proves that we all have different priorities. Mine is very much road focused as the gravel roads where I live are very compacted and not really much worse or slower than riding on the road.
I love the way the first two replies so nicely sum up my to-and-fro about a gravel bike.
Win-win vs two compromises.
When I think about 99.99% of my riding in the last 2-3 years, a gravel bike would have been the one-bike-to-rule-them-all.
For the gravel bike I want (definitely not 'need'), I can have an XC hard tail and a cheapish road bike so the decision was easy. When I'm next in a position to "invest" in a new bike it'll be harder to decide.
Good thread this, highlights that there is no single clear winner
Personally my gravel bike (Arkose) became my commuter, so in effect my comfy road bike. Does very light off road tracks and canal paths but generally avoid the mud if possible.
My MTB is a rigid 29er (original Solaris with carbon fork). It did the Dragons Back, slowly, at Coed Y Brenin on new years day and then did a 40ish mile trip on the weekend with Senor J, he was on a gravel/CX bike. He was definitely faster on the road, I had the edge off road
Rigid 29er is a seriously capable compromise, it's a kilo lighter than the HT version but capable enough to do some proper off road.
I'd be up for turning my arkose into an off road bike again but they would need another commuter! It has racks, guards, lock etc
I saw someone on a Mason on my commute this morning, had 2 inch panaracers on it and 1x gearing, looked blooming excellent!
I take the view that I want a road bike, but I don't want just a road bike. So a cross/gravel sort of bike suits me well. Having used a rigid MTB for the same sort of mixed riding, I'd say it doesn't really matter- it's a sliding scale of trading suitability at one for suitability at the other and everyone has a different sweet spot based on where, how, why they ride. I'd say, try some fast tyres on the solaris and break the cross bike free. Try out the type of riding- if you like that, you'll probably enjoy it on any of a fairly broad spectrum of bikes and you can buy the one you think will improve it most/you like the look of. If you find it boring the bike won't make it better!
This thread is really getting me intrigued... It's a big birthday year for me, so I'm now thinking of treating myself to a gravel bike. There's a lot of people making the kind of comments I'd make: I don't see myself as a roadie and don't have any interest in the latest weapon from Pinarello etc, but I'd like something better suited to 100k road rides than my fixed gear commuter and my MTB, with the flexibility to mix it up with canal towpaths, railway trails etc.
And as it's a treat, something shiny would be a bonus...
I have one gravel bike at the moment. Ride time is heavily dictated by my work load (at this stage in my career). So I often travel with my gravel bike and this gives me so many more options.
But even without travel it's the bike I'd have now for everything. My days of hooning it down an Alp are over (just not interested in it anymore), Still, it's nice to actually see the scenery these days 🙂
I have tried CX/Gravel bikes vs MTB over perhaps 3 years. Went from a rigid SS Inbred to an Arkose 3 to a 29er SS Fortitude then onto a Vitus Energie and finally to a rigid Stooge Mk1 (have 2 sets of wheels 2.2 29er and 650+). For me the Stooge has been the best of them all (the Vitus would be next in line). As somebody said above when it gets a bit rough the Gravel bike was awful, could ride it on many of the MTB trails I normally ride but wasnt that much fun. The Stooge is great everywhere, yes slightly slower on the road but I only use that for connecting the fun stuff together. I do have a FS for that last 10% the Stooge cant quite reach, well with me riding it.
Love the Stooge so much have stumped up early for the new Mk4, June seems a long way away...
I have done the rigid 29er thing and I have Gravel bike too.
My 2p, they are different.
Want a bike that makes proper singletrack fun but is not horrendous on the road, then a 29er with fast rolling 2.2-2.3 is your choice. Thing is any tyres that are not soul destroying on the road will feel sketchy offroad during the 10 months of the year our trails are soggy.
Want a bike that is good down shitty potholed lanes that are littered with field runoff and gravel tracks but fast enough on the road to get you over "there" and expand your riding horizons, then you probably want a gravel bike.
I also have 29er with 140mm forks and I reckon between that an the gravel bike I have all the riding I want to do covered.
A big part of all of this is tyre choice. My Arkose 2 (1x9) came with 35mm tyres and wasn't that different to a road bike on tarmac but would still handle fire roads, singletrack and towpaths really well. It now has 45mm tyres on it and is very much an off road machine that does a bit of road but only marginally better than my MTB.
But i live by Delamere Forest so its perfect for making singletrack that would be otherwise have been a bit dull on the MTB really fun to ride.
A big part of all of this is tyre choice. My Arkose 2 (1×9) came with 35mm tyres and wasn’t that different to a road bike on tarmac but would still handle fire roads, singletrack and towpaths really well. It now has 45mm tyres on it and is very much an off road machine that does a bit of road but only marginally better than my MTB.
Agree and what I experienced. Had a fixed gear frame last year that could fit 45mm tyres so I put some on. It immediately felt more like an MTB and lost what I liked about it when running narrower tyres. It was more comfortable and faster on a few sections but I just didn't enjoy it as much. I actually prefer the sketchier handling of narrower tyres.
A gravel bike is definitely not a compromise, in fact quite the opposite where I live
Most roads aside from A roads, around me, are rough as and just downright painful and sketchy on my road bike. Whereas the gravel bike is a pleasure, it then has the bonus that I can jump onto any bridleway I fancy mid route and have a blast in the mud and if I have ridden far enough I can even go for rag around one of our local trail centres.
A standard ride on mine is: straight out of my front door 30-40 miles of rough coastal or moorland B roads, some greenlanes and as much gravel/bridleway as I can find.
I have done several long and fast road rides but being able to take roads that don't really see traffic, without puncturing, ruining wheel, or shaking myself to bits...
I bloody love mine and it has become, easily, my most used bike
My tuppence worth - when I'm on my MTB I am mostly overbiked, which is nice but everything is a little easy & it gets dangerous to push it to the limits.
On my gravel bike I am generally underbiked, this makes things much safer, a little scary & more fun.
a) don’t be an idiot and buy a 29er riding
b) don’t be an idiot and use your Solaris Max
c) don’t be an idiot and release the CX bike from the turbo
d) don’t be an idiot INVEST IN THE SHINY
I think the gist is really that going for a "gravel" ride doesn't need a "gravel" bike, it's too niche between the CX and HT to really be that much better than either in any situation.
I'm not saying don't buy shiny stuff, but I would release the CX from the turbo and go out for some nice long "gravel" rides on it. If you come back and think
a/b) this is rubbish I'm going out on the mtb
c) this is perfect
d) this is almost perfect, but I'd like more standover, wider tyres, possibly a more comfortable frame and luggage mounts.......... then get gravel bike (that fits your needs, because a Vagabond and Datum are nothing alike, but are both "gravel" bikes to somebody).
This thread's summed up just about every point of view, but I may as well add my thoughts too.
I love mine, an Arkose with WTB Horizon's.
Feels as fast as I need on the roads, really quick actually. Yes, it's boring on flat smooth roads, but that's mostly as (I find) flat smooth roads are boring...
Off road, it gets quickly out of its depth on proper MTB trails. I can still make it through them often, but it may not be fun. But that's what my MTB is for.
On easier trails though, fireroads and smoothish double track, it's great. And the key thing for me is not just that it can do these, but it makes easy trails more fun than they would be if I were over-biked on an MTB.
The answer all depends upon where your priorities are and/or what your local trails are like.
What sort of speeds can you hold on the flat tarmac on these, on regular gravel tyres (not the proper knobby tyres like on the Nukeproof digger)? I use my 14.5kg Escarpe FS bike for my short 2 mile commute at the minute, and with the minion DHF 2.4 and 2.5 pumped up to 45psi front and 50psi rear, I was able to hold 18/19mph on a flat section of road this morning.
If I move jobs and get a longer commute I'll be seriously considering a gravel bike for the commute and local exploring.
I had a Boardman CX from around that time, one of their first CX bikes I think. Liked it on the road but always thought it was a bit scary off-road. Where you said you have to pick your lines rings very true. Snapped up an Arkose my mate was selling, mainly due to the hydraulic brakes, it was an eye opener to how much better CX bikes had got in a few years. Didn't feel as much of a road bike with knobbly tyres. Sure the newer Boardies feel much better too.
Wouldn't put too much emphasis on how you remember the Boardman feeling off-road.
I remember the boardman being ‘Challenging’ but thought that was me/drop bar. I’ve not ridden anything else like it off road since. Probably 5 years since it did more than a pub run.
Might unhook it from the turbo if I can remember where the off-road wheels are. Would like to try something newer just to see if it’s placebo or not.
@ ta11pau1
quite a bit faster than that I reckon. On a flattish 18 mile ride I seem to be only minute or 2 slower of a gravel bike with 40mm tyres vs my road bike, @ about 16 mph average