Gravel bike....yes or no?
Discussion
Hi all,
so i've recently gotten back into cycling over the last couple of months.
I mostly train indoors on a turbo and have a weekly ride on the road with a mate.
End of this year we're doing a "winter series" which is 25 miles, 35 miles and then finishing with 50 miles on the final week.
With it being in december i'm keen to be suitably equipped and i'm not sure my current set up is going to do the job - well at least not with me as a rider anyway.
I'm considering a gravel bike but having never ridden one I thought I'd ask from people who know.
I'm not a racer, I'm more of a "let's get this done" kinda guy, i'm eager to get the events done and be comfortable and safe more than anything, so if it's wet I'd rather not be on my 23mm wide slick tyres.
Of course I can get some treaded tyres for my Roubaix, but from what I've seen of gravel bikes they seem to do everything, perhaps not as fast as a dedicated race spec bike but for my needs (and ability) i'm not sure i'd notice the difference of top spec stuff anyway.
so.... gravel or just different wheel and tyre setup for my roubaix?
so i've recently gotten back into cycling over the last couple of months.
I mostly train indoors on a turbo and have a weekly ride on the road with a mate.
End of this year we're doing a "winter series" which is 25 miles, 35 miles and then finishing with 50 miles on the final week.
With it being in december i'm keen to be suitably equipped and i'm not sure my current set up is going to do the job - well at least not with me as a rider anyway.
I'm considering a gravel bike but having never ridden one I thought I'd ask from people who know.
I'm not a racer, I'm more of a "let's get this done" kinda guy, i'm eager to get the events done and be comfortable and safe more than anything, so if it's wet I'd rather not be on my 23mm wide slick tyres.
Of course I can get some treaded tyres for my Roubaix, but from what I've seen of gravel bikes they seem to do everything, perhaps not as fast as a dedicated race spec bike but for my needs (and ability) i'm not sure i'd notice the difference of top spec stuff anyway.
so.... gravel or just different wheel and tyre setup for my roubaix?
Personally, I’d put some 30mm or 35mm tyres on the Roubaix and see how you get on with them before springing for a whole new bike.
The Roubaix is a very good endurance bike, and unless the routes are particularly rough or gravelly should be just fine.
If you’re on road you needn’t worry about tread either. Even in the wet, relatively slick road tyres have heaps of grip. I use GP5000s and they work well in any conditions.
k
klootzak said:
Personally, I’d put some 30mm or 35mm tyres on the Roubaix and see how you get on with them before springing for a whole new bike.
The Roubaix is a very good endurance bike, and unless the routes are particularly rough or gravelly should be just fine.
If you’re on road you needn’t worry about tread either. Even in the wet, relatively slick road tyres have heaps of grip. I use GP5000s and they work well in any conditions.
k
i'm not sure they'd fit, my 23s seem tight as it is, perhaps that's just the breaks holding things up. It's not a new Roubaix so i'm not sure if I have the clearance the newer ones have. The Roubaix is a very good endurance bike, and unless the routes are particularly rough or gravelly should be just fine.
If you’re on road you needn’t worry about tread either. Even in the wet, relatively slick road tyres have heaps of grip. I use GP5000s and they work well in any conditions.
k
I'd be happy with 30/35, would seem to be what i'm really after.
I'm not really wanting off road type of rides, maybe a bit of rough stuff to start and finish (grass) but beyond that I really only ride on the road. I'm just after confidence - I've had a hip replaced as it is so coming off would be problematic. Rather be slower and safe than fast and skid off.
beyond trying them, how would I find my max clearence? I'd certainly be up for simply have a wet weather setup for the roubaix, it is indeed a comfy bike.
as much as I'm into N+1 I also have a wife to keep happy lol. The temptation is to have a cheaper bike on the turbo and then my road bike to do everything else, so if that can be the roubaix, great, I can get anything for the turbo. If the gravel is the better choice, the roubaix would be the turbo bike and the gravel be my "do everything on the road" bike
At the end of the day, a gravel bike is essentially an endurance-geometry road bike with room for wide tyres.
Yes, they tend to have flared handlebars and often a 1x groupset but those are easily changed.
I reckon, for a weekly rider, a 2x gravel bike with a second set of road wheels is the way to go.
And then remember the n+1 rule.
So yeah, buy a gravel bike
Yes, they tend to have flared handlebars and often a 1x groupset but those are easily changed.
I reckon, for a weekly rider, a 2x gravel bike with a second set of road wheels is the way to go.
And then remember the n+1 rule.
So yeah, buy a gravel bike
If your new bike has discs you may be able to get bigger tyres on it.
If rim brakes, provided bigger tyres clear the frame and the calipers, then to remove the wheels you can always loosen the calipers with the quick release if fitted, or simply let some air out.
You can ride a normal road bike on 28-30mm road tyres over some pretty harsh terrain (check out some of the strade bianche pro race sectors), though they won't grip like proper off-road tyres in mud.
If rim brakes, provided bigger tyres clear the frame and the calipers, then to remove the wheels you can always loosen the calipers with the quick release if fitted, or simply let some air out.
You can ride a normal road bike on 28-30mm road tyres over some pretty harsh terrain (check out some of the strade bianche pro race sectors), though they won't grip like proper off-road tyres in mud.
I ride a Specialized Diverge with head shock and carbon wheels. I absolutely love it. Much nicer on bumpy country lanes compared to my Allez road bike and pretty good on moderate MTB tracks too. It’s a compromise in every respect and all the better for it. I love being able to ride at a decent pace on the road and use byways and rough tracks.
Simon_GH said:
I ride a Specialized Diverge with head shock and carbon wheels. I absolutely love it. Much nicer on bumpy country lanes compared to my Allez road bike and pretty good on moderate MTB tracks too. It’s a compromise in every respect and all the better for it. I love being able to ride at a decent pace on the road and use byways and rough tracks.
yeah it's country roads that i'm basing my thought process around really. I can't see myself doing singletrack or any of that. Purely about being comfy on a normal british road. That being said, new bike has 28s on it and it felt a world of difference to my Roubaix on 23s
Hudson1984 said:
yeah it's country roads that i'm basing my thought process around really. I can't see myself doing singletrack or any of that. Purely about being comfy on a normal british road.
That being said, new bike has 28s on it and it felt a world of difference to my Roubaix on 23s
That being said, new bike has 28s on it and it felt a world of difference to my Roubaix on 23s
Decent disc brakes and wheels / tyres that can take potholes and bumps make all the difference. It’s a bit like a Subaru Outback vs a standard road car. Plus I don’t think twice about bumping up a verge to let a massive tractor through. Carbon wheels made far more of a difference than I expected too. If you don’t do any proper off-roading then it’s pretty much the do everything bike.
Roubaix is a very good bike and pretty much the same geo as a gravel bike only with less clearance. Geometry Geeks shows as much difference in geo between Specialized two gravel offerings (diverge and crux) than there is between the Roubaix and the Diverge.
If you've got disk brakes then I can't see an excuse to upgrade. Even a move to 28mm Conti GP 5000s and TPU tubes will be a massive imrpovement in comfort. A decent set of carbon wheels eg Roval CLXII (to stay on brand) would transform it.
If you've got disk brakes then I can't see an excuse to upgrade. Even a move to 28mm Conti GP 5000s and TPU tubes will be a massive imrpovement in comfort. A decent set of carbon wheels eg Roval CLXII (to stay on brand) would transform it.
oddman said:
Roubaix is a very good bike and pretty much the same geo as a gravel bike only with less clearance. Geometry Geeks shows as much difference in geo between Specialized two gravel offerings (diverge and crux) than there is between the Roubaix and the Diverge.
If you've got disk brakes then I can't see an excuse to upgrade. Even a move to 28mm Conti GP 5000s and TPU tubes will be a massive imrpovement in comfort. A decent set of carbon wheels eg Roval CLXII (to stay on brand) would transform it.
ahh it's an old roubaix, so rim brakes. If you've got disk brakes then I can't see an excuse to upgrade. Even a move to 28mm Conti GP 5000s and TPU tubes will be a massive imrpovement in comfort. A decent set of carbon wheels eg Roval CLXII (to stay on brand) would transform it.
I think you're right on the tyres though.
I think what i'll do is have one with slicks, if the weather is nice, i'll use that (being the newer one with 105 groupset) and I'll put some more 4 season stuff on the roubaix, use that as my winter/wet bike. But predominantly keep it on the turbo trainer.
The Roubaix, has fulcrum racing 5 wheels which will take 28mm tyres.
The Felt has Campagnolo Zondas which already have 28s on.
So, perhaps no gravel bike. I think you're right, I'm not sure what I'd gain from the roubaix for what I ride on. Between the two bikes I should be able to cover all options
IroningMan said:
If you want to ride all winter then a solid set of mudguards won’t go amiss.
Yup. SKS Raceblades are very effective and don't encroach on your clearance. They're also a doddle to fit, adjust and remove.Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff