Seen the ti planet x tempest and getting twitchy about it.

I’ve got a soul set up light, 100mm SIDs XC tyred (barzo)

Would a gravel bike be worth it? For winter riding?

I’m not sure if I want to be talked into or pit of it!

Don’t hate me (new gravel bike)

I love gravel bikes I’ve got three. Was was chatting with guy with a Tempest last weekend he loved it it was the Rival version and he had upgraded the wheels and tyres said he was putting down some pritty tricky terrain.

He’d had it for two years with no problems. Made me think in should have gone titanium rather than carbon on my latest build.

Have a look at the Goldrush too, bit more mtb like geo. I rode both and didn’t like the Tempest, it also had bad overlap and the dropouts weren’t as well thought out (though could have been an older model).

I bought the Goldrush, drilled it for a dropper then stuck wider bars and shorter stem on it. Love it. Factor in replacing the original wheels at some point as they’re crap, the Selcof build kit is a bit cheap looking but don’t. The frame and Sram kit is great for the money… when on discount.

Got 2 gravel bikes. Best thing i did was put road wheels on and ride em on the road.

If you ride ling rides with a mix of tracks / roads and the odd gnarly section then maybe.

But for me, jack of all master of none. Would i enjoy gravel bike for winter on the trails i ride. Never.

For me, they dont do trails as well as a mountain bike and they dont do roads as well as a road bike.

IMHO its just more marketing to keep selling bikes. Remember the days we all rode rigid bikes and wanted suspension……..but loads of people with gravel bike will tell you they’re the best ever invention. Horses for courses but as i say, the trails i ride through winter…..never on a gravel bike for me! Hardtail every time

They do have one big plus over road bikes and thats stock 1x drivetrain. Road or offroad I ride 1x for the simplicity. I want 1x for the road so gravel is the only option! And then put road wheels on

But one of the gravel bikes i have is the Tempest. For the money it is truly outstanding. Would wholeheartedly recommend it as a drop bar bike whether you ride gravel or road.

Comfy, soaks up the miles. But small sizing. 6’1 and xl is perfect fit for me.

And PX seem to have really upped their customer service since i last bought a bike off them too.

If you ride ling rides with a mix of tracks / roads and the odd gnarly section then maybe

The ratio of tracks, roads, singletrack, rough leads the bike choice for me. I make the compromise based on that with a lot of experience of riding each bike and how I enjoy each type of bike on the given loop.

I simply don’t ride enough terrain (10%) where an MTB is best so it is always down to a road bike (which I ride on gravel) or a CX bike which I ride on road. The only difference that matters in that case is choice of tyres as bigger grippier tyre vs faster slick tyre. And ultimately the only real difference is 1-2mph on the average speed based on which bike on what terrain.

Love mine, Tempest set up as a commuter/occasional gravel/light tourer with option of fitting some 650b and a Vielo V+1 as a pure gravel. Love ’em both. Tempest is probably the best value bike I’ve ever purchased, 6000 miles in and it’s been great.

A drop bar Silk Road from PX?
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBTISRRIV1ADV/titus-silk-road-sram-rival-1-titanium-drop-bar-adventure-bike
I’ve got one with Jones H bars and love it. Got it for ‘gnarlier’ gravel riding. Also got a Arkose X (Sram Rival 1x) dirt cheap from Evans pre-Mike Ashliegh, and put some light 650b Token wheels on it, 50mm tyres, Redshift suspension stem and Cane Creek eeSilk suspension post. Love that bike, but added the Silk Road for 2.8/2.6 tyres…often think about a 100mm travel light XC bike 😉

Would a gravel bike be worth it? For winter riding?

Ideal winter road bike. ‘Gravel’ for me BITD was a CX bike used as a winter roadie with a few byways to link up the quieter roads and make it all a bit more fun. A rigid 29er is a far better winter MTB though.

Ive got a Planet X Tempest, mainly used as a winter work bike

I did use it off road for a while but near me there isnt much in the way of miles of gravel type paths

Living near the Southdowns most of the bridleways are chalky, flinty, rooty and muddy and the Tempest ethier struggled or battered me, along with planning a route on Ridewithgps or Kamoot you cant really tell what the suface is going to be like untl you hit it, so i found a lot of gravel rides ended up on really rough terrain or ended up just being road rides to avoid the rough terrain

A good XC hardtail is much better for me and not too slower on the road sections

I could be temted with a Tempest – it would make an ideal commuter as my route is tracks,canal and off road. Currently done on a 90’s non-suspension MTB which is fine. Would need to go a little lighter with what I carry, but a gravel bike could be fitted with studded tyres for the ice and i would be quicker than the MTB. I have two race road bikes that aren’t suitable for commuting (no guard clearance).

I think it does depend on where you live

Setting off from this house I can link lots off road with some road. Yes I can do ride it on an MTB. But it’s also really fun on my gravel bike. On 50mm tyres it’s a comfortable ride. In general the trails round here need no input on an MTB, on a gravel bike they need more thought and steering

Now on the internet I do see gravel bike nonsense. People riding terrain where clearly a MTB would be way better

But I do get annoyed when tell me that I’m riding my bike that some how a victim of marketing. I’ve been riding similar terrain for about 40 years. It’s nice they make bikes specifically for it now

But I do get annoyed when tell me that I’m riding my bike that some how a victim of marketing.

Me too 🙂

As has been said, it all depends where you are riding.

I use mine for canal/gravel track/roads/farm track and as there’s loads around here it’s ace. Better than a XC bike for what I use it for but on any rougher terrain a flat bar bike is better suited.

FWIW I sold my XC bike recently and am building a longer travel HT as the GB covers so many bases for the rides I usually do. The HT and my FS are for proper off road, the GB for the rest.

Oh, and as for being sucked in by marketing, that’s nonsense. I find road bikes tedious but the GB opened up plenty of routes I just wouldn’t have thought about before. More riding = more fun = worth having.

No, but yes

My opinion (and it is just an opinion) is that it’s horses for courses and a lot is determined by where you live.

Last weekend I did the Ridgeway 100 on my XC full suss (Spark 900rc), I could have used my gravel bike (Mason Bokeh with 38 tyres) – yes, would it have been as comfortable and enjoyable, I’d suggest not, yet it was advertised as a gravel event. (My mate rode his gravel bike and was happy, but agreed it was more suited to an XC mtb)

Next weekend I’m doing a circa 70 miler round the New Forest and I’ll take my gravel bike as the route is fire roads / gravel. (It will be more fun and faster on a gravel bike than on a XC bike)

I’ve literally just got in from a very short ride round where I live and it was a mix of gravel / shingle and tarmac – so the gravel bike was perfect.

I’ve thought about selling the gravel bike a few times as I don’t use it very often / as often as I like due to the terrain round here is more XC (southdowns and blue trails) and I like to ride in comfort and not be underbiked (for my ability), the rest of the time I ride on road (on road bikes). However it owes me nothing, there is room for it and the odd times use it I enjoy it – hence I keep it.

Would I buy it again? If I’d money to burn or I wanted a commuter etc then yes.

Thanks for all the replies. Think once the rain strikes are over I might treat myself. Flat as a pancake where I ride and can get on towpaths almost from my front door so might make winter riding more fun.

For me, they dont do trails as well as a mountain bike and they dont do roads as well as a road bike.

Well duh.

They do, however, do trails better than a road bike and roads better than a mountain bike.

It’s almost like that’s the point of them.

Exactly. If you combine road and off-road on the same rides then gravel bike is great for it.
Where I live the sis exactly what can happen as lots of roads and lots of gravel roads. When using a road bike the desire to be able to just whizz off road is always there.

Where I live there’s plenty of MTB routes within a short journey but not many straight from the door. There are loads of great GB routes (that would be tedious on my FS) so it’s the obvious choice for a quick blast or if I simply don’t want to drive anywhere.