Gravel Biking in the UK: Just like 'Mountain Biking' was 25-30 years ago…

…before suspension got involved, but with slightly narrower tyres and drop bars?

Discuss.

Absolutely – pretty much what I said here

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/anyone-ditched-the-road-bike-for-a-cyclo-cross/page/2#post-7540894

Yep. I’ve been saying the same for a while now.

Get on bike. Go out. Ride. Explore.

Yep. Riding all my routes in the Chilterns at the moment, that used to ride on an MtB. All good!

The people in the marketing department are probably quite young, so they think everything they come up with is actually new.

Interesting thread that other one, given that I’m ditching an Equilibrium in favour of a Fortitude Adventure with a drop-bar conversion and 40-45mm tyres. Absolutely loving it, and means that ‘N’ now equals four (so long as I don’t need a folding bike).

I see what you’re saying, but the flies in the ointment are choice of frame material we not have carbon and titanium at reasonable prices along with steel and ally, and there’s the brakes, more specifically disc brakes, which work far better than any U/Canti/V brake does, so it’s a bit different in that respect.

Nah, not really. Back then you had oldies getting out into the countryside, but you still had fast racer types and youngsters looking for speed and thrills.

MTBers are the same as they always were, it’s just the bikes that are much better, in many cases enabling the MTBers to be much better too!

I’d agree with the OP’s comments, I’d agree with other comments with the same thoughts.

It’s why I ride a CXer (and a roadie)

I like being old school.

Exactly what molgrips said.

I know what you all mean. Cx bike felt a lot like my early mtbs.

It’s not for me at the moment, but if it lets people recapture their youth without having to resort to vintage MTBs then that’s got to be a good thing.

🙂

I

Mountain bikes were just a passing fad

Looks like wide bars have yet to re-peak.

Sort of. Although I think that the early days of MTB did envolve some rough terrain, places like the lakes. i don’t think people are tackling the big classic lakes routes on cross bikes

But on the other hand its back to bikes being versatile. my Kona kileau I toured on, road to work on it, road on the road and even time trialed it. Lots of modern bikes are very specific in their role

probably the strongest argument is for it being like pre MTB. When people just road the bike they had on and off road. The bikes had reasonable size tyres and just got in with it

probably the strongest argument is for it being like pre MTB. When people just road the bike they had on and off road. The bikes had reasonable size tyres and just got in with it

This as well

Marketing bullshit to fuel the n+1 equation.

PS I have 5 bikes. 😳

Sort of. Although I think that the early days of MTB did envolve some rough terrain, places like the lakes. i don’t think people are tackling the big classic lakes routes on cross bikes

Agreed. I started riding in ’91 on a Kona Cinder Cone in the Peaks: Edale, Mam Tor etc I wouldn’t want to do that on my CdF now!!!!

In 1985 I had no intention of riding my mtb anywhere near a road, lane or even fire road. That was, and still is, the appeal. However, I love my Gnar cross with 40c and it serves it’s purpose beautifully.

if it lets people recapture their youth without having to resort to vintage MTBs then that’s got to be a good thing.

I dont see the need to spend £800 on a CX bike when you can get a decent early 90s mountain bike for £70.

Nah. In the early 90’s I was riding the same stuff on my Orange Clockwork as I do on the modern bike, albeit slower. I wouldn’t want to ride those trails on a gravel bike.

hm, kind of see what you’re getting at, but – my first MTB was in ? 1986 and another in 1988.
While the first one was not much more than scratching at the surface, the second – rigid Stumpjumper – was taken up hill and down dale in a way that I don’t think even a very capable gravel bike would enjoy.

To the extent of full Munro expeditions, lots of Pentlands routes, Cairngorms — though I suppose skinny ish tyres, solid geometry haven’t changed when cf. gravel bikes…

I was talking to the old lady (she’s in her 80’s) down the road the other day, she and her husband were both keen cyclists. She said he used to do 12 to 14 thousand miles a year and she would do 10 to 12 thousand, all on one bike each (but with another set of wheels for racing).
Some of that mileage would be off road too.

It’s just a hipster fad. CX used to be what roadies did in the winter to keep fit and it just wasn’t fun. Narrow tyres, lots of mud, no suspension. All sounds amazing.

Tell you what, ignore this internet thing too and go back to writing letters.

CaptainFlashheart – Member
Yep. I’ve been saying the same for a while now.
Get on bike. Go out. Ride. Explore.

Pretty sure that was Freddie Mercury not you CFH – unless you’re not telling us something.

Gravel biking is more exactly like Rough Stuff circa 1950s.

Gravel biking is more exactly like Rough Stuff cycling circa 1950s 1890s.

25 (oh OK, more like 20) I had a mtb that was about as capable as a quality modern cx bike. But I’d have killed for a better bike. We weren’t defined or facilitated or aided by the shitness of the bikes, we were just held back and occasionally maimed, I can’t see anything in that to feel reminiscent about personally. Those rough stuff boys wouldn’t have used those bikes if they’d had a choice either.

Having said all that, there’s something about fatbiking in the hills that does make me reminiscent in the same way you describe, so maybe I’m just a gigantic hypocrite. I’m nearly saying “But it’s not the same”, and I don’t think it actually is but still “It’s not the same” is what hypocrites say so… 🙂

Rose tinted specs anyone?

Agreed. I started riding in ’91 on a Kona Cinder Cone in the Peaks: Edale, Mam Tor etc I wouldn’t want to do that on my CdF now!!!!

Is your CdF less capable off-road than your ’91 Cinder Cone?

I had a go on a CX bike Saturday. Tried it down some rutted, holed, rooty, muddy chute.
It was shit.

Got back on my fatbike. Brilliant.

It’s good that there is now a niche sub-genre for riding fireroads… 😉

Cx bike felt a lot like my early mtbs.

My current MTB feels a lot like my early MTBs (albeit with better brakes).

I did the whole riding slightly wider tired road type bikes off road years ago culminating in riding fixed/brakeless off road for 2 or 3 years.
You don’t need an MTB to ride off road but ultimately they are more fun (to me) which I why after years I switched back to one. The fixed bike was fastest on easy terrain (gained quite a few KOMs) but I was avoiding the more challenging terrain (which again is generally the better fun terrain) so was missing the point.

I didn’t have an MTB 25 years ago. My ‘gravel’ bike is great for flying along fire roads, is that what MTB was like BITD? Wouldn’t dream of taking it round half the more fun routes here.

I built my Salsa El Mariachi to be like a 90s rigid MTB. I missed doing long rides in the Valleys from my house, with 50/50 road/off-road. It’s fantastic – far better than my 90s bikes ever were. It’s a modern day hybrid.

My ‘gravel’ bike is great for flying along fire roads, is that what MTB was like BITD?

No, at least not for me. The old outdoorsy types were hacking across the mountains, with plenty of carrying; the youngesters like me were still racing each other down the local bridleways and crashing – jsut slower, and without the hand-dug trails and jumps.

Just like ‘Mountain Biking’ was 25-30 years ago…

Yeah i guess so, but people were riding trails before mountain bikes came along.

There is nothing new going on here, people have been riding touring bikes on unsurfaced roads for years.

And even race bikes it would seem.

Some folk on various cycling forums seem to really have a bee in the bonnet over the whole gravel bike thing, i don’t really understand why.

I started riding in ’91 on a Kona Cinder Cone in the Peaks: Edale, Mam Tor etc I wouldn’t want to do that on my CdF now!!!!

CdF isn’t a gravel bike though, more of a commuter / tourer.

The main problem with riding gravel bikes on technical offroad boils down to the bars IMO. Flat bars just make far more sense for techy riding, otherwise I think there is little difference between early mtbing and modern gravel bikes, except the new bikes are better.

I love that Slate

I’ve used my “Gravel” bike on old-school mtb routes in Wales and so on. It’s amazing what you can ride with care and it does take me back to my early mtb years – but the main advantage of this kind of bike, as far as I’m concerned, is that with some slick tyres on, it’s fast enough to do proper road rides on, without feeling held back – so it saves me needing to buy a pure road bike too.

I think there is little difference between early mtbing and modern gravel bikes, except the new bikes are better.

Except for the tyres. They are the biggest difference. Even a 1.9″ tyre back in the day gives way more protection and rideability than a 32c.

Except for the tyres. They are the biggest difference. Even a 1.9″ tyre back in the day gives way more protection and rideability than a 32c.

Hence my ‘gravel’ bike is actually a drop-bar converted rigid 29er which will take up to 2.4″ tyres. Switching from 41mm Knards to 45mm Smart Sams Real Soon Now.

Hence my ‘gravel’ bike is actually a drop-bar converted rigid 29er which will take up to 2.4″ tyres.

Ah so not really a gravel bike then!