New Niner MCR (Magic Carpet Ride) is about as close to a mountain bike as a gravel bike could get. In fact this is a far better off road bike than we started riding in the ’80’s with our rigid, canti’d 1.5″ tyred bikes

Feature: Niner Magic Carpet Ride Full Suspension Gravel Bike – Sea Otter 2018

So gravel is the old mtb??

Oops sorry, this has been covered in another thread below.

Please ignore

2″ tyres, 29″ wheels, carbon frame, its got more in common with current xc race bikes than anything from the 90’s.

It’s no surprise that these bikes are evoking memories of earlier mtbs. The American (as opposed to UK) mountainbiking tradition started by making bikes to ride fast on forest and gravel roads. For a long time race, and therefore the mainstream fashion bikes, were essentially built with skinny tyres for going fast on less technical terrain.

What surprises me is that it has taken so long for the trend to pick up. In the UK we have had audax and “cyclocross” bikes with more relaxed fitting and geometry than the race bike end of the market filling the commute, towpath, forest, light touring niche.

Tldr: bikes for similar purpose look similar.

2″ tyres, 29″ wheels, carbon frame, its got more in common with current xc race bikes than anything from the 90’s.

I said it was better than, not more in common than. And I said 80’s. I take your point though