Where's a good place in the Midlands I could demo one on some suitable terrain? Preferably something that would come in under a grand used so I don't try out something super high end then get disappointed with the more budget option I end up going for!
Due to never having time to take a full day out to ride MTB somewhere decent, thinking of sacking off the MTB for a while (til the kids are older!) and trading for a gravel so I can ride all the bridleways etc locally from the door and just get out on a bike more. MTB isn't fun on these paths (too heavy and draggy) so I often don't bother, gravel seems like it would be ideal in theory.
I just want to get a good idea of what it's actually like to ride one on anything slightly rough or rutted! As I was also wondering if a light 29er HT with 2 sets of wheels/tyres might be a better choice and give the option of "proper" MTB riding when time allows.
Demo a used gravel bike? Only demos will lead to new surely and riding one from a shop and then buying 2nd hand is as bad as sizing up clothes/shoes in a shop while googling the best online price.
unless you get a very generous 2nd hand seller I think you'll struggle
I think you'll struggle to find a comprehensive demo option unless you can find somewhere that hires out such bikes. Sonder do a try-before-you-buy system:
https://alpkit.com/pages/sonder-try-before-you-buy
And their list of gravel bikes:
https://alpkit.com/collections/sonder-gravel-bikes
Just for context, due to flooding I was forced to ride across a field of sugar beet a couple of weeks back. I would have preferred to be on my fat bike but the gravel bike got me across. I wouldn’t have even considered it on my road bike!
Most of my rides are on a mix of river bank, bridleway, fire roads and restricted byways, a gravel bike is perfect. I’d happily ride it on Cannock Chase.
As Kramer said, great until it gets too technical.
I am in the same situation, limited time due to young family and opted to sell my full suss Mtb and got a Specialized Chisel 29er hardtail. It’s a fantastic bike, I commute on it, ride all the local canal paths/ gravel tracks etc but I can also head into the peak given a chance and it rides amazingly for a 100mm hardtail, very confidence inspiring!! I’ve toyed with the idea of a gravel bike but the Chisel just does it all.
difference with a gravel bike is that you can go out your front door and put some distance in at speed, much faster than a road going mtb and then chuck it down some trails
I think the big consideration is, do you want 1x or 2x, in hindsight id have taken 2x just because it nice to be able to get some serious speed on the roads between the gravel.
And re pricing, pretty sure wiggle had some nukeproof diggers for a grand, i've got the top model digger with the rudy fork and dropper and its absolutely insane fun and so much more capable than you could possibly imagine.
I picked up a rather nice used CX bike in the Spring. Cantilever brakes as I had spare wheels so can swap in road tyres. It's been great fun. Ridden some similar tracks to the MTB but you soon bail on anything a bit technical. It's not the same as chucking a full susser down, but for tracks, canal, road and generally going anywhere its much quicker than the MTB.
i’ve got the top model digger with the rudy fork and dropper
Almost a hardtail mountain bike then? 😉
They’d make a gravel bike much more capable.
You’re going to compromise somewhere either way. Only you can decide where that is. I’m down to one bike, a Ti HT, because the riding position and overall ride quality suits me more than a gravel bike. I’d rather compromise on the road bits and be comfier off road. Lots will disagree with me but even on rough towpath a HT is just comfier
difference with a gravel bike is that you can go out your front door and put some distance in at speed, much faster than a road going mtb and then chuck it down some trails
Yeah that's what I'm looking to do. I'm in Northamptonshire so there are no proper trails (or hills!) to speak of, but loads of country roads and bridleways to link up for an hour or so loop. I used to just ride road locally but it'd be nice to be able to ride something more interesting without it being a slog.
That Chisel 29 does look great though, I wonder if there's much real world difference between something like that locked out with gravel tyres, and a gravel bike. Other than the more aero position on the drops. I've never had a proper xc MTB so not sure how it would feel (body position/efficiency wise) compared with the hardcore hardtail/enduro bikes I've always had.
I've been through so many silly ideas of what I'd want out of a Gravel ish bike.
If there is minimal road and tarmac involved, the rigid On One Whippet with carbon forks and light ish finishing kit is what I'd go for - again.
However, any road and it becomes slow compared to something like a Sonder Camino, even if heavier.
I decided that the off road/double track/farm paths/woodland riding was in the main what I wanted to do and for that my hard tail was only marginally slower yet a hell of a lot more comfortable and of course capable if I chose to take a more mtb orientated route or diversion.
Rewind back to Gravel riding, I found it was really basic blue gravel trails and road that I wanted out of that bike, so I went with a Camino. Built as a F&F package, with decent wheels and 45mm tyres, it does feel very rapid on road (relative to my other bikes) and is surprisingly capable off.
After all that, I surmised that unless significant tarmac distance is involved in riding, a light rigid or even HT is probably better.
If you're in the midlands, a good test of this is the long route round Rutland Water. The bike shops offer hire, although not sure if they have gravel bikes in.
Around there, my average speed is faster on the gravel bike and it is still good fun.
That Chisel 29 does look great though, I wonder if there’s much real world difference between something like that locked out with gravel tyres, and a gravel bike.
I have a Chisel and it's a fantastic bike. It's also way more capable than my gravel bike off road but a lot slower on anything less than a blue trail.
They are very different things.
Orro bikes have some models hugely discounted atm i believe, nice looking kit
As others have said, canal towpath, bridleways, etc they are great. I bought an Aluminium Camino last year and have some great rides on it. I am contemplating getting a Giant Revolt frame and swapping my bits over from a Giant Defy I have which I hardly use. Not sure why it would be any better than the Camino though!
I'm in Northants too. Bridleways round here are a horse filled mud fest, so a gravel bike is pretty useless a lot of the time. Even in summer when it dries out many are still bumpy as hell. Much prefer a short travel XC bike.
Rutland only have Rockhoppers to hire by the looks of things! Shame as that would probably be good place to try it out.
Looking like I might have to go to either Sonder or Cotic for a demo ride to at least get a feel for it. Since I probably can't afford anything without selling at least my MTB frame it's a bit of a risk going in blind!
Bridleways round here are a horse filled mud fest, so a gravel bike is pretty useless a lot of the time. Even in summer when it dries out many
Na, they are perfect for those conditions, as the skinny tyres (which you can't buy now) XC bikes used to be. Just limiting them to towpaths and cycle paths just isn't the fun way to ride a gravel bike. Riding everything including MTB trails is where the fun and adrenalin rush is. Modern MTBs are too efficient for most trails so become boring. Spice up your riding with a gravel bike
A Horse and tractor filled mudfest yesterday
basic blue gravel trails
Are gravel trails now graded? 🤣
What does a black double diamond gravel trail look like?
Fast.
Na, they are perfect for those conditions, as the skinny tyres (which you can’t buy now) XC bikes used to be. Just limiting them to towpaths and cycle paths just isn’t the fun way to ride a gravel bike. Riding everything including MTB trails is where the fun and adrenalin rush is.
Tried that with a NS RAG+ buckled the rear wheel and trashed the rear mech. Was also pretty uncomfortable. HT is just more practical for that sort of riding. Depends what you class as fun I guess
I had this dilemma about 6 months back. Ended up with a Trek procaliber XC bike, very fast. Only time a gravel bike would be quicker is top end speed on the road.
I felt the drop bars and lack of suspension would he too limiting and uncomfortable for me personally.
But depends what your background is and what you like riding.
However I do still see the appeal so hsve recently picked up a decathlon RC500 and plan to fit some 35mm tyres on that for mild gravel 🙂
I'm sure they sold a cheap ish gravel bike also.
@_tom_ what’s your current bike?
Vitus Sommet 275 F170mm/R160mm travel. Great for downhill trails, a bit meh on other stuff. Could just be the heavy built kit I've transferred over to the frame from my old bike.
A Horse and tractor filled mudfest yesterday
I've ridden worse on my roadbike on 28mm GP5000s....
Vitus Sommet 275 F170mm/R160mm travel.
Ha ha, you’d need to travel to the Alps to find something to challenge that!
Rather than go full gravel, I’d try a hardtail if I were you? They make gentler riding much more fun whilst still being very capable if you push them.
How far are you from Northampton Bike Park? It’s only little but it’s quite a lot of fun! I started MTBing in Northants in the late ‘80s on something halfway between a klunker and a flat bar gravel bike.
I guess if I were riding there now I’d want something I could still happily get airborne on (not that I’m great at jumping but I still really like getting air as frequently as possible) but still enjoy the linking road sections. Maybe I’d go for a shortish travel hardtail (I’d rather have a slack steel one like a Solaris or Sirius as I’ve concluded that a slightly heavier bike feels better to me and the marginal loss of speed uphill doesn’t matter to me) with the biggest front ring possible and 12 speed 1x.
The tyre thing is the real puzzle - what feels good on tarmac but can also deal with muddy clay horsey bridleways? Does a gravel width mud-ish tyre work?
Tried that with a NS RAG+ buckled the rear wheel and trashed the rear mech
Yep, this is the trouble with modern bikes. You don't need to learn how to pick lines or use finesse anymore, it's just too easy. No wonder you break stuff if you just blat into things like you 're on a long travel mtb
Does a gravel width mud-ish tyre work?
A cinturato S or tundra work well without too much compromise on smoother drier surfaces
“Vitus Sommet 275 F170mm/R160mm travel”
With that much travel I’ve found you need a motor to liven up most bridleways!
Does anyone know anything about the Specialized AWOL? Are the still up there? I like some of the older standards as they are more adaptable re. chainsets with different crank lengths, singles doubles or triples. Nice long front centre for small and xs small with no toe overlap. Seem to be cheap second hand.
The tyre thing is the real puzzle – what feels good on tarmac but can also deal with muddy clay horsey bridleways? Does a gravel width mud-ish tyre work?
Vittoria Terreno Mix is doing me proud, am having a great time blatting around in the mud as if I'm on a CX bike, but no problem holding road-ish speeds when back on the tarmac. I'm on 38s after getting carried away last winter and rimming my 35s once too often 😖
And just generally, this is the best way to use a gravel bike in my opinion, ditch the MTB obsession with gradient and gnar, embrace the flat, twisty and muddy singletracks, of which there are conveniently miles of around every village. Praise the humble dog-walker! 😎
I had found myself in a similar situation, but with slightly more gentle off road available at the edge of the North Cotswolds. I ended up getting a heavily discounted Santa Cruz highball and went for my first spin today about 60/40 on road off road mix. I’m sure a gravel bike would have got around fine but I had fun popping off any tiny lips and drops i found on my way around.
Sounds like you are in a very similar situation to me a few years back.
My mate got a gravel bike in lock down so I followed him and bought a Marin Four Corners second hand. We had some ace rides, straight from the door over canal paths, roads, bridal ways, old railway lines, etc. Thought the Marin felt a bit big so swapped it for a Ragley Trig on c2w. I really enjoyed riding all the old routes that I used to as a child and exploring the more gentle local rides that I probably wouldn't have considered on my big MTB.
After a few bar swaps I wasn't convinced I liked drop bars so picked up a rigid Whippet when they were very cheap and I had a few quid spare. That was okay, but very white goods and the build kit was not very XC and not very light which kind of spoiled it. Oh, and the Sram SX gears were hopeless so when I decided to build up a more aggro hard tail I sold that instead of the Trig.
Still couldn't get on with the drop bars though so sold it at the back end of the summer and bought a Cube Reaction C:62, carbon XC 29er, upgraded with better suss forks and full XT group set. Sold the Trig for around £625, bought the Cube for £600, both were/are in vgc.
The Cube has been great and just what I wanted. I have a few routes that I now regularly ride and it's quicker than the Trig in plenty of sections. Maybe a touch slower on road but quicker everywhere else I'd say. Miles better off road but the tyres still catch me out compared to the proper off road rubber I'm used to. Guess that's the compromise to make it so quick everywhere else?
Still got the aggro HT and my FS so can choose horses for courses but the Cube is easily the most ridden.
Was very nearly tempted by a shiny, new Chisel recently as they can be had half price for £1k but the mince SX group set put me off and it felt heavy in the shop compared to my Cube.
The tyre thing is the real puzzle – what feels good on tarmac but can also deal with muddy clay horsey bridleways? Does a gravel width mud-ish tyre work?
I find my WTB sondero 47mm 650b a versatile tyre. Ok on the road ok in mud, good on farm tracks
A gravel bike works well for me in Bedfordshire. Although being on the green sand ridge probably means more terrain and better drainage than you have.
I think you can rent a sonder gravel bike when you enter a Glorious Gravel event
Na, they are perfect for those conditions, as the skinny tyres (which you can’t buy now) XC bikes used to be. Just limiting them to towpaths and cycle paths just isn’t the fun way to ride a gravel bike. Riding everything including MTB trails is where the fun and adrenalin rush is. Modern MTBs are too efficient for most trails so become boring. Spice up your riding with a gravel bike
You have posted a photo of a distinctly non-muddy bike on some hard pack double track with a bit of mud at the edges and down the middle? There's even a patch of gravel immediately in front of you. 🤣 Also, I cannot see a single hoof print? We have hoof prints that are 8 inches deep around here - they have their own ecosystems, and people literally break bones when misjudging them.
How far are you from Northampton Bike Park?
It's about half hours drive, we've also got Leamington half an hour in the other direction. They're pretty good for a quick ride and the kind of jump trails I like, but yeah still an hour round trip in the car so not ideal to ride to!
Ha ha, you’d need to travel to the Alps to find something to challenge that!
Rather than go full gravel, I’d try a hardtail if I were you? They make gentler riding much more fun whilst still being very capable if you push them.
Previously rode an old Scott Voltage FR for everything and didn't mind that so I thought I'd be ok with big travel. I think this much travel combined with more modern bike geometry just makes it too much for anything less than full send. Also bought it thinking I'd be riding like I used to back in the day, but that's not really the case haha.
My previous bike before this was a 26" hardtail, but again it was built with all the same parts so pretty burly with draggy tyres. Still a slog on the bridleways. I've never had a more lightweight xc/trail or a 29er so not sure if that'd make enough difference.
I was amazed by how much more fun my Ragley Marley (140mm hardtail) made my local (quite tame) trails.
A classic (ie not LLS) geometry hard tail on gravel tyres works just fine . Hardly any slower that a gravel bike but comfy and capable
Basic blue gravel trails - I actually meant the blue trails that are basically gravel, although it can clearly read as you suggest 😀
Was thinking of man made trails like Perrys trail at Cannock, or more local to me, Hicks Lodge.
These types of trails, blue graded and gravel covered in the main, is what I meant.
They are great on a gravel bike, more so when you can ride on the road to get there.
Basic blue gravel trails – I actually meant the blue trails that are basically gravel, although it can clearly read as you suggest
I was only jesting anyway, but yeah, I get ya 😉
Two things I’m considering…
- convert existing short travel XCish bike to commuter/gravel bike (voodoo bizango)
- get a dirt jump bike for winter and blatting around adrenaline alley when it’s cold, dark, muddy OR I’m short on time
“My previous bike before this was a 26″ hardtail, but again it was built with all the same parts so pretty burly with draggy tyres. Still a slog on the bridleways. I’ve never had a more lightweight xc/trail or a 29er so not sure if that’d make enough difference.”
I don’t think it’s the weight that’s the issue, it’s having a bike with a riding position that likes to be pedalled, and some tyres that actually roll well.
I’d get something like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285590081291?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=5G0zxUmZSse&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=lxxt7yr4quq&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
You have posted a photo of a distinctly non-muddy bike on some hard pack double track with a bit of mud at the edges and down the middle? There’s even a patch of gravel immediately in front of you. 🤣 Also, I cannot see a single hoof print?
Well, I can't convey the whole bridlepath of around 1.5 miles in one photo and I'll admit the pic was taken after the last few days if dry weather so it's not at it's wet best (worst?), but come and ride it on your gravel bike and see how you get on
Yep, this is the trouble with modern bikes. You don’t need to learn how to pick lines or use finesse anymore, it’s just too easy. No wonder you break stuff if you just blat into things like you ‘re on a long travel mtb
rocketdog you have a clear bias towards gravel bikes, you even wrote an article about them for here. That’s fine, different strokes and all that. I didn’t damage the RAG from having no finesse and I’ve only really ridden HT’s with sub 140mn travel. Gravel bikes are simply the wrong tool for certain jobs. It’s all about compromise and where you’re willing to draw the line on that. I prefer comfort and reliability off road. Just giving the OP a different point of view. If he wants faster road with some mild off road a gravel bike is probably a good shout. If he wants to still have fun on more capable stuff without being beat to shit and riding a bike that has a bit of front suspension or big arse tyres is better
