kerley
Or in the UK where there are loads of gravel roads. Just because you don’t live near them doesn’t mean that for people who do, a gravel bike makes sense.

The beauty of a gravel bike is even if the nearest trail is 20 miles away, it’s viable to ride there instead of going on this forum to find out if you should get a van or an estate car.

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBOOBZ29SX/on-one-bootzipper-29er-sram-sx-mountain-bike

Better off with a rigid mountain bike.

The opinions don’t have to be held, they have to be controversial.

Any gravel riders that haven’t come from the road will eventually come back to MTB when they realize that riding your local trail on a road bike while possible is still shit.
Much better to either build some better stuff, drive for a bit or buy an ebike and ride up the stuff that you struggle to get down on your gravel bike.

…aaaand they’re we have it, yet another good thread ruined by gravel bikes, people moaning about how modern bikes are running MTBing, and old people bitching about things that don’t matter. I’m surprised that nobody has thrown in an e bike jibe yet to hit the full definition of STW Godwin’s Law.

TBH, the thread wasn’t ruined by gravel bikes, it was ruined by those folk that have no sense of humour. Plenty of other stuff was dismissed up thread with little argument.

Riding round with the entire contents of Millets strapped to your bike has nothing to do with mountainbiking.

Pugsleys aren’t slow and are great to ride all day for days on end.

Bike packing is just bike touring.

Small panniers are better for most off road touring than sticky out wobbly seat packs.

On most rides some kind of mudguard makes cycling much better.

Unless you are going fast all the time and/or are very young, slammed stems are worse than handlebars level with the seat.

Baggy shorts are less comfortable than stretchy ones and make a horrid swishing noise.

Cycling clubs always have at least 5 or 6 over bearing dicks that can’t bear change or anything “new”

Guys who object to lycra because it is too revealing are (a) are repressing their homosexuality and/or (b) have small cocks.

Are these ‘opinions’ genuinely held, or are they just controversial statements, for the sake of it?

That’s the fun of this thread! Spout whatever pish you want, no comeback or need to explain, only the terminally offended bite! 🤣

Spout whatever pish you want, no comeback or need to explain, only the terminally offended bite!

And therein lies the problem, some of us are using the thread as a sort of confessional for our most unpopular yet deeply held opinions* whilst some are just using it for lazy trolling.

Get ye behind us Nobeerinthefridge! 😉

*can I just add: I find the whole Jason McCroy cult-thing a bit weird?

My MTB has a 60mm stem *shocking*

Making it at least 30mm too short!

Most MTBers have never even heard of STW never mind posted on here.

some are just using it for lazy trolling.

Trolling is against the forum rules, so I can’t believe anyone is doing that.

Most STWers have never even heard of MTBs let alone been on one.

Riding in the mud is fun once, every ride is a chore. The future is integral mud guards.

Chris Porter is pretty much spot on about bike geo and most bike manufactures know it.
They are just edging towards it as if they jump there in one step they’ll have no where to go for the next five or six years.

Deliberately misgendering someone is on a par with using the n-word, regardless of whether the person in question is an arse or not. Don’t do it.

on a par with using the n-word,

scotroutes also has history of trying to make a joke of that too…

Suspension is not needed for 50% of UK Mtb rides….. Suspension makes them boring and painless and mtbing should be painfull.

Rigid mtb’s are not the same as gravel bikes… Rigid mtb’s are shit on the road, road bikes are shit on rough roads. Gravel/cyclo-cross bikes are ok on everything…… And are fun if you like drop bars.

Most stw forum members are miserable bastards…..

A lot of craft ale is fairly unpleasant over hopped fruity pish and sells based on trendy can designs.

Conversely, garden variety lagers like Tennents or Carlsberg are great post ride drinks.

Making it at least 30mm too short!

Or 20mm too long.

Padded shorts are for the weak.

No one gives a **** what you ride and how you ride it!

Unless you are going fast all the time and/or are very young, slammed stems are worse than handlebars level with the seat.

I assume you’re vertically challenged – my 29er would be a big wheeled Brompton by the time I got my bars level with my saddle!

No one gives a **** what you ride and how you ride it!

Unless it’s an ebike. Then folk know exactly why you have it, how you ride it and love to tell you their (usually negative) feelings about it.

Edit – forget it. I was getting involved in the misgendering argument, then remembered this thread is about controversial cycling opinions.

Steel full suspension bikes are overweight, overpriced, overflexy scrap metal.

Mathieu van der Poel is cheating somehow

Berms are making riders crap at cornering and dealing with off camber sections on natural trails.

Walna scar is boring. Dalby red is very repetitive and lacks flow.

Afan is actually the best Welsh trail centre.

Gravel bikes are headed the same way as 27.5.

Nowhere.

A few years from now they will both be remembered as the evolutionary dead ends they patently are.

People who don’t know the difference between peddling and pedalling should not be cyclists.

See also breaks and brakes.

And trails vs trials, my pet hate: Surely vs Shirley. Off topic though, apologies

scotroutes is both (a) and (b), sorry couldn’t resist.😁

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And trails and trials, and my per hate, Surely and Shirley. Off topic though, apologies

perrrrrrr…. 🐈

my controversial opinion………..

This tread has run it’s course

And trails and trials, and my per hate, Surely and Shirley. Off topic though, apologies

perrrrrrr…. 🐈

Ta, fixed that

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Subscriber
my controversial opinion………..

This tread has run it’s course

Tread carefully.😆

Videos of “famous” mountain bikers sliding the back end into every turn are not helping the image of MTBers and encourage trail wrecking behaviour from a few.