What next, if anything?

[acme]

As per my previous post I’ve had a fantastic season all over the north Essex byways and bridleways, with 75% off road and inevitably some linking of these on road. Other than country roads I’m not a fan of road riding, not only for the traffic but getting right out into the countryside is a big part of the adventure for me. But, inevitably a MTB is rather slow on road, so the question is could a gravel bike be the way to go or should I just get more road orientated tyres, assuming you can get such a thing for 29” MTB’s?

Cheers in advance for any input.

[RC1807]

Gravel bike

[mooseracer]

Definitely sounds like a gravel bike for you

[Louis Balfour]

Playing devil's advocaat... a gravel bike has a more committed riding position. If the OP is doing a lot of distance including off-road, isn't that going to become wearing after a while?

Would he not be better off looking at narrower MTB tyres on his existing bike?

[Gin and Ultrasonic]

A gravel bike sounds perfect for this sort of thing. I do a fair bit of riding along farm racks, rough paths, random bits of grass, 'edge of field tracks' and quiet back roads on mine, and it copes pretty well with all of it other than really steep or loose off-road stuff. It's exponentially better than my hardtail MTB on the road sections that join up the off-road stuff.

I've had road bikes for years, but just got the gravel bike in spring and I've been out on it way more than my other bikes since I got it, and only used my MTB once (although I don't have any real MTB trails within riding distance of my house).

75% off-road and 25% roads would be absolutely perfect for a gravel bike in my opinion. I absolutely love mine and my rides are similar 'proportions' to this.

[OutInTheShed]

Options:
1) Relax and enjoy taking your time over the road sections
2) Put bike in car and eliminate road sections
3) Make MTB faster on road sections
4) Gravel bike
5) Hybrid
6) e-MTB
7) Retro MTB
8) Pedal like a loon and go fast on the road on existing MTB?

My 'gravel bike' is an old cyclocross bike with drop bars, wide ratio 2x10 gears and 'all purpose' tyres.
It's great for some rides I do.
But some other rides I do, as a lazy, old, unfit unserious person, I don't think I'd get around on it, whereas it's great fun on a hardtail MTB.
Pre-covid, I used to ride a retro MTB on the road, if I wasn't venturing off-road I'd use road tyres on it. With 42/11 (?) top gear it was fast enough, it rolled down hills faster than I cared to go, it wasn't stupidly heavy (except according to proper road cyclists).

Consdier the options and think what rides you'd do with each?

I've recently found a few lanes/paths which would make a great eMTB circuit from my place.

[acme]

Many thanks for all the feedback, appreciated.

For context I’m very lucky living deep in the countryside I can be on a multitude of offroad routes within a mile of my house. Currently I range typically from 10 – 30 mile rides, with the odd one over the summer up to 45 when spending all day.

One issue is that a 1 x 10 doesn’t seem to be particularly highly geared, I’m sure it’s lower than my old Specialised of 3 x 7, but I guess that’s the nature of MTB.

As I say I’m not sure I even need to change having only got the bike in the spring, but it’s been such a fantastic season I’m looking forward to next year already!

Cheers

[acme]

Louis Balfour said:

Playing devil's advocaat... a gravel bike has a more committed riding position. If the OP is doing a lot of distance including off-road, isn't that going to become wearing after a while?

Would he not be better off looking at narrower MTB tyres on his existing bike?

Thanks for this, you've articulated a concern I have over a gravel bike. I note they no longer have brake levers in parallel with the bars as my road bike did when I was a teenager, a long time ago! So in essence I assume you have to ride with the lower bars thus being more 'uncomfortable'.

I was wondering if a combination tyre was possible best as a starting point.

Edited by acme on Tuesday 29th October 14:05

Edited by acme on Tuesday 29th October 14:06

[Louis Balfour]

acme said:

Louis Balfour said:

Playing devil's advocaat... a gravel bike has a more committed riding position. If the OP is doing a lot of distance including off-road, isn't that going to become wearing after a while?

Would he not be better off looking at narrower MTB tyres on his existing bike?

Thanks for this, you've articulated a concern I have over a gravel bike. I note they no longer have brake leaves in parallel with the bars as my road bike did when I was a teenager, a long time ago! So in essence I assume you have to ride with the lower bars thus being more 'uncomfortable'.

I was wondering if a combination tyre was possible best as a starting point.

You would ride on the hoods and operate the brakes from there, you’d rarely be on the drops I imagine. But you’re still in a head down posture, whereas with an MTB you’re more upright. It’s kinder on the neck.

I cannot claim to be any sort of expert but, when I tried a gravel bike, what struck me most was how someone had cleverly reimagined cyclocross bikes to sell to people who could be persuaded that what they really wanted was a road bike for off road use.

[OutInTheShed]

Louis Balfour said:

You would ride on the hoods and operate the brakes from there, you’d rarely be on the drops I imagine. But you’re still in a head down posture, whereas with an MTB you’re more upright. It’s kinder on the neck.

I cannot claim to be any sort of expert but, when I tried a gravel bike, what struck me most was how someone had cleverly reimagined cyclocross bikes to sell to people who could be persuaded that what they really wanted was a road bike for off road use.

To be fair, a proper gravel bike seems to have bars where the drops are not so low, a frame with lower 'stand-over' and space for fatter tyres.
Geometry is probably different too?
I think a lot of people are trying to re-capture what's neen lost from 90s mountain bikes being great all-round toys.

[Chicken Chaser]

From what I've tried, gravel bikes have gone from road bikes with slight tread to much more upright and slacker riding position with flared bars and much wider tyres. I'd say they're probably closer to a xC MTB than they've ever been. Manufacturers have been clever with marketing, but there's only so much you can do with a couple of triangles and 2 big circles.

[RC1807]

RC1807 said:

Gravel bike

I only posted this as I was caught up in a moment of "shall I , shan't I" for an impulsive purchase of a very nice new Stevens gravel bike, when I popped in to a bike shop quickly at the weekend.... I didn't, BTW. Too many expenses right now. New Year, probably....

ETA link to bike that caught my eye....: https://www.stevensbikes.de/en/de/gravel/carbon/ca...

Edited by RC1807 on Thursday 31st October 16:08

[Robertb]

Might a Cyclocross bike be better? My understanding is that gravel bikes are more suited for unpaved trails rather than dirt/mud tracks, but not sure how much, if any, distinction there is these days. I'd certainly want to be sure the groupset could cope with mud.

[Gin and Ultrasonic]

Robertb said:

Might a Cyclocross bike be better? My understanding is that gravel bikes are more suited for unpaved trails rather than dirt/mud tracks, but not sure how much, if any, distinction there is these days. I'd certainly want to be sure the groupset could cope with mud.

Although there's undoubtedly some 'marketing baws' in bike descriptions, a Cycle Cross bike is generally designed for short races with quite racy geometry and limited tyre width.

A modern gravel bike is taking a whole load of useful fairly mature technology from road bikes, touring bikes, and mountain bikes, such as tubeless tyres, slack geometry, hydraulic disc brakes, mudgaurd / pannier mounting points. There are gravel-specific groupsets with clutched derailleurs to stop your chain coming off on rough ground, grippier shifter hoods, 1x gearing and easier gears than road bikes with 'bigger than 1:1' bottom gears.

Mud and dirt are fine, but can be tyre specific much like MTB where the type of riding you do would determine your tyre choice.

[Louis Balfour]

Gin and Ultrasonic said:

Robertb said:

Might a Cyclocross bike be better? My understanding is that gravel bikes are more suited for unpaved trails rather than dirt/mud tracks, but not sure how much, if any, distinction there is these days. I'd certainly want to be sure the groupset could cope with mud.

Although there's undoubtedly some 'marketing baws' in bike descriptions, a Cycle Cross bike is generally designed for short races with quite racy geometry and limited tyre width.

A modern gravel bike is taking a whole load of useful fairly mature technology from road bikes, touring bikes, and mountain bikes, such as tubeless tyres, slack geometry, hydraulic disc brakes, mudgaurd / pannier mounting points. There are gravel-specific groupsets with clutched derailleurs to stop your chain coming off on rough ground, grippier shifter hoods, 1x gearing and easier gears than road bikes with 'bigger than 1:1' bottom gears.

Mud and dirt are fine, but can be tyre specific much like MTB where the type of riding you do would determine your tyre choice.

In the 90s, my uni MTB club used to have a couple of cyclocross guys. They could do everything the MTBs could. I cannot recall how aggressive the geo was though.

[gareth h]

I’d bung some gravel tyres on the MTB and see how you get on, I use mine on the local lanes, it’s obviously heavier than a road / gravel bike, but I find it way comfier, and hydraulic brakes and wide bars make it much easier to control

[acme]

gareth h said:

I’d bung some gravel tyres on the MTB and see how you get on, I use mine on the local lanes, it’s obviously heavier than a road / gravel bike, but I find it way comfier, and hydraulic brakes and wide bars make it much easier to control

I think this is the first stage to try, but I also want to understand a bit more about gravel bikes - I'm interested next year in some 'bike packing', or simply going camping on your bike as it used to be known!

Any suggestions on tyres, looking there don't seem to be too many combination ones, though Continental do a double fighter which looks a potential? Cheers

[gareth h]

acme said:

I think this is the first stage to try, but I also want to understand a bit more about gravel bikes - I'm interested next year in some 'bike packing', or simply going camping on your bike as it used to be known!

Any suggestions on tyres, looking there don't seem to be too many combination ones, though Continental do a double fighter which looks a potential? Cheers

I fitted these, they seem to work well on the road and got good reviews
https://www.panaracer.co.uk/products/panaracer-gra...

[Top Banana]

Also North Essex based so probably riding same trails as yourself...

Have been using Gravel bike(s) for best part of 4 years now having sold my 'pure' road bikes as wasn't enjoying just riding
roadie stuff and my road racing days are long gone...Gravel bike has been a revelation as on the road its almost as good as
a road bike (i still ride with some guys who are all on road bikes and yes, I do have to put a bit of effort in but I keep up with them
no problem..)

its just great being able to stitch bits of road together with all the great byways and bridleways we have in the area - also great
to pop up to Thetford for some forest trails, and also have done several multi-day bikepacking rides with the gravel bike (KAW, Rebellion
way, Peddars Way, etc)

Having said that I do also have a 29er MTB which gets used when riding a gravel bike would be possible but just not comfortable.

If you are near to Thaxted then PM me as maybe we could arrange for you to try a gravel bike to see if you will get on with drop bars, etc

Regards - Tb

[MC Bodge]

The concept of what has been called a "Gravel Bike" is what would have been known as a "Bike" in the days before "racers" and "mountain bikes" were introduced and people just rode them everywhere.

The modern "Gravel Bike" is, like the "Bike" of earlier decades, a very versatile vehicle. Choose the tyres that best suit your needs. They may not need to be as wide as you think.

Modern mountain bikes are a bit excessive for many tracks.