Yes, I agree entirely, especially about being ‘drawn in’ to these inviting tracks (although my wife does not agree). I just don’t understand why Monstercross bikes never took off in the way that gravel bikes seem to have done.

I was 18 and racing my mates down the best descents we could find

And how did you get there? I bet it wasn’t by driving there, then pushing your bike up a hill like the modern rider seems to do.

Gravel bikes have taken off because the US drives the market, and in the US they were created for the gravel roads that they have in places like Colorado.

I spend most of my mountain biking on gravel in the New Forest. My riding seems to have drifted that way, as I seem to like the speed, getting about, and there is so much of it.

Some conculsions.

1. I actually prefer a slack head angle. The bike (an On One 456 carbon 26″ with carbon Lurcher forks) will seem to just run straight so I can concentrate on pedalling and enjoying the view. My recent Swift has a sharper head angle, and its a good bike (I’m splitting hairs) but it’s more normal but nevertheless faster handling, isn’t needed when your riding gravel compared to singletrack – the road is straighter and your travelling faster.

2. I rate the Lurcher carbon forks better than the steel Reynolds Swift ones. They absorb more trail chatter. They are very good and lighter.

3. I rate the 456 Evo carbon highly, if your heads down, riding hard and fast on gravel, or singletrack, it absorbs alot of trail chatter generally. It’s 26″ but it’s significantly smoother than the Swift with 29. It’s also much lighter over gates. Lighter with a 3×10 than a singlespeed Swift.

Epicyclo, reallly you should get some Thunder Burts, they are supreme – almost zero road noise and very supple. Half the tyre weight than you got there.

4. All things being equal carbon is better than Titanium. My previous bike was a top of the line double butted frameset with 6/4 dropouts etc, and its very responsive, but the carbon 456 evo is much much more compliant and in a different league as an all day ride. The bikes were built exactly same – one has titanium everything (forks, seatpost, bars etc) the other carbon everything.

5. I’ve ended up on X kings 2.4 .They grip a bit better in the winter, with only marginally less role on road than the TB’s, though I can feel the extra weight a bit. I’d say TB’s summer, X Kings winter.

6. Swapping out a Truvatic Noir carbon riser for an OO Knuckleball chewy was worse. More chatter. Noir’s back on.

Those pics look great, would love to find some ‘gravel’ rides near me. (Vale of Glamorgan) I’m sure there must be some.

And how did you get there?

We rode there, of course, but only because we had to. If we’d lived closer to the woods we wouldn’t have. My point was with reference to someone saying “what MTBing used to be like” as if that was a preference. We rode those bikes on the steepest gnarliest stuff we could find because we had no choice, not because we chose them or our attitudes were somehow different.

But I digress. Had I had the money and the choice I’d have more or less the same bikes I do now.

OP like the “a little loop (50 miles) to celebrate getting back the full use of my leg”

always a little further:

looking good

not unexpected

maybe not too popular

no i did keep going until i heard kids playing on a trampoline

back on track

My mental brief for the Proper bike was for something I’d be equally happy riding 100+ miles on road, and similarly off road.

It’s not a bike intended for specialist mtb circuits. It’s to take me to nice places regardless of the surface.

My initial thoughts were for the sort of bike I could ride down from Dingwall to Melgarve, nip over the Corrieyairack Pass, and back along the south side of Loch Ness to Dingwall, ie a lot of road miles and some rough tracks.

(I cheated, I got a lift to Kingussie)

The concept has been successful. The biggest day on road has been 140 miles (SS) and I’d be comfortable doing more. It’s done plenty long hauls offroad, and can handle most surfaces if ridden appropriately.

I have ridden lots of different types of road oriented and CX bikes offroad* and their biggest limitation has always been the skinny tyres both for control and comfort.

I’ve always loved the scenery in high places. The roads rarely take you there, but there’s usually a track even if it’s just one left by the deer and I’m not averse to a bit of HAB.

Here’s another version of the Proper bike (a modified Avanti KISS). That ride started with the intention of riding up the the Bealach na Bah to Applecross from home, about 100 mile round trip, but when I got to Achnasheen I saw this track off to the side which went over to Ardroy, and it turned out to be far more interesting.

Anyhow, I’m now off for a ride on my Proper bike and who knows what nice place it will take me? 🙂

*See Wrong bike in the wrong place thread, but judging by the lack of other posts, maybe my habit of heading up unknown tracks on whatever is less common than I thought.

I’d be equally happy riding 100+ miles on road, and similarly off road.

For me, it was that it had to be good enough on road. I wouldn’t want to take my Salsa on a road only ride. I think I would like an alternative hand position for that purpose – either bar ends or drops. I did try bar ends but the large heavy wheels (relatively) needed more control than a 580mm bar, but any wider and it wasn’t comfortable with bar ends.

ie a lot of road miles and some rough tracks.

Exactly my thoughts. There are many many tracks over the mountains* in the South Wales Valleys, but there are so many roads in the valley floors that you end up having to ride a lot of road to get to them. Especially if you start in Cardiff. If you ever come down here bring that bike and I’ll show you what I mean 🙂

* Before any Scottish people ridicule me, in the Valleys the bit between two valleys is always referred to as ‘the mountain’ regardless of how high or craggy it isn’t. I suspect it’s because it’s the best translation of the Welsh word mynydd.