# Isn't it just a 29er with drop bars ??



## factory feel (Nov 27, 2009)

Why all the Gravitation toward Gravel ?

Where did all this Gravel come from and how was it possible to ride it in the old days ie; last year....


----------



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

factory feel said:


> Why all the Gravitation toward Gravel ?
> 
> Where did all this Gravel come from and how was it possible to ride it in the old days ie; last year....


Yeah! Agreed... MTB with drop bars. What gravel? There are places with hundreds of miles of gravel roads? Those are close to 3" looking tires? At least 2.5" right? Drop bar fatty? Weird... I guess there just arent conditions, or enough conditions, at least where I live, to help me understand this phenomenon?


----------



## Migen21 (Oct 28, 2014)

Not just drop bars, but a rigid fork, road bike gearing and shifters/hoods. 

I have a 29er hardtail. I've ridden it twice.

Last year I demo'd an 'adventure' bike and fell in love with it. Same comfortable riding position as my road bike, but it makes more roads and trail accessible, which means less riding in traffic, on roads, and on paved MUT's. 

I ride mine 100-200 miles a week, at about 80% on gravel. No way I could or would do that on my 29'er.


----------



## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

Migen21 said:


> Not just drop bars, but a rigid fork, road bike gearing and shifters/hoods.
> 
> I have a 29er hardtail. I've ridden it twice.
> 
> ...


Go everywhere bikes are back! :thumbsup: I hear the tires are now a lot lighter, too, in those big sizes. All they need is fenders, and maybe two chain rings. That one 39t? chainring is dumb, with all that cross chaining necessary, and that huge pie plate gear in back! There's some planned obsolescence, right there.


----------



## GKSki (Nov 12, 2014)

For years we road gravel and even soft sand on standard racing bikes and 23c. Even some of our road races included some dirt stretches. Just made you a better bike handler. I guess I just don't get it.


----------



## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

PBL450 said:


> Yeah! Agreed... MTB with drop bars. What gravel? There are places with hundreds of miles of gravel roads? Those are close to 3" looking tires? At least 2.5" right? Drop bar fatty? Weird... I guess there just arent conditions, or enough conditions, at least where I live, to help me understand this phenomenon?


It is called rails to trails....and yes there's hundreds of miles of it everywhere.

Here in Nebraska we have something called the Cowboy Trail that was originally a pony express line...then became the transcontinental railroad line...now is rails-to-trails.

I believe the original telegraph poles first put up still dot it.


----------



## Aadub (May 30, 2015)

PBL450 said:


> Yeah! Agreed... MTB with drop bars. What gravel? There are places with hundreds of miles of gravel roads? Those are close to 3" looking tires? At least 2.5" right? Drop bar fatty? Weird... I guess there just arent conditions, or enough conditions, at least where I live, to help me understand this phenomenon?


Where I live there are 50 great gravel roads for every one good paved road. Bikes like this make perfect sense, faster than an MTB on a gravel road and not as sketchy as riding a road bike on a gravel road, whats not to understand about it? 

From the perspective of a road system that was untapped to ride I am surprised that it took the mainstream bike industry this long to figure it out.


----------



## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Aadub said:


> Where I live there are 50 great gravel roads for every one good paved road. Bikes like this make perfect sense, faster than an MTB on a gravel road and not as sketchy as riding a road bike on a gravel road, whats not to understand about it?
> 
> From the perspective of a road system that was untapped to ride I am surprised that it took the mainstream bike industry this long to figure it out.


I think it also gained popularity recently. Lots of folks are getting scared of riding on road with the streets being warzones of homicidal daydreaming texting and talking drivers that kill someone and get off with a $200 fine. Many see gravel riding as a way to get in riding without the fear factor of having motorists close enough to kill.


----------



## Kemmelberg (Dec 27, 2005)

The gravel races are really fun: almost no cars, the terrain is more interesting, and you feel closer to nature. Also, in Minnesota, they're usually free and have a great low-key vibe even though the races are harder than hell!

No, you don't need a gravel-specific bike, but in yesterday's event I was envious of the people running the wide tires. They're definitely better on the loose stuff. I was running a 30mm tire in back and a 28 up front with rim brakes. I don't mind sliding around a bit in the gravel, but as I got more tired, the wider tires looked better and better. Maybe that's their advantage, over the long haul, just a little bit easier to handle.


----------



## jetdog9 (Jul 12, 2007)

Will there be a period where they are only cool if they are singlespeed?


----------



## Migen21 (Oct 28, 2014)

For those of us who live near them, national forest service roads, fire roads, etc... offer literally thousands of miles of rideable gravel roads. They offer beautiful scenery away from the dangers and hectic nature of road and MUT trail riding. I can ride my gravel bike west for two or three hours, just taking random roads, and end up sitting on the shore of a lake, with not another human, or vehicle, etc... within sight or earshot... for hours. 

This kind of riding has brought a lot of new energy and enthusiasm to my riding, which had become stale and boring riding the same loops on the same dangerous roads mile after mile.

Next summer, once I've fully recovered from getting hit by a car last summer, I'm going to start doing these 'Vicious Cycle' mixed surface Gran Fondo gravel/pavement.

11k feet of elevation gain over 90 miles on mixed surfaces, varying from rough forest roads, to a few miles of pavement rides and nearly ZERO cars. 
Gran Fondo Winthrop â€“ Vicious Cycle

The RideWithGPS route
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/10377698



> *Note:* This event is limited to 200 and is pre-registration only.
> 
> *Warning!* This ride is HARD and is intended for experienced cyclists. There will be approx 10,000′ of climbing and descending (which is A LOT), much of which is on rough Forest Service roads. Weather is a big gamble at 7000′ in Sept.
> Course Map: Look at the elevation profile, miles, intersections…. it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with it so you know where your at. Even better; you can down load it directly to your Garmin or smart phone.
> ...


I'm hoping for more organized gravel/pave mixed surface type events. We have a few now, but I'd like to see more, and with more options.


----------



## TmB123 (Feb 8, 2013)

The geometry on my Gravel bike is nearly identical to my Road bike so it handles about the same, runs well on the road with slicks, or stick some CX tyres or fat gravel tyres on it and have some fun off road to. Makes a great winter bike, can take fenders and racks if needed, fat tyres and disc brakes. Benefit of wide tyres - lower pressure, more grip, more comfort, awesome fun 

Not just for gravel roads either, can get off into some light single track too.


----------



## JFR (Apr 18, 2003)

I've been doing the gravel / light trail riding thing for several years now. I've gone from 28c road tires doing dual duty road and dirt, to getting a second set of wheels with proper 33c cx tires, to now running 40c (f) and 38c (r) (down from a 40c, to lose weight and rolling resistance). The extra traction and bit of suspension from the larger tires are great, especially for long days. Here is last weekends ride. 

I could see going bigger with the tires into drop bar 29er territory. But that's going to depend on the terrain, goals of the ride and the frame/fork ability to take the pounding those bigger tires are going to inspire. 

Riding cx/gravel bikes is outstanding fun. So fast, so nimble and so unforgiving to mistakes. They spice things up and add variety to ones riding experiences, and are the perfect weapon for big days on dirt roads and trails.


----------



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Wow. Jealous... We just don't have enough unpaved road to make a bike like that usable. We have some gravel and some park paths... But nothing like what's being described in this thread. We have miles and miles and miles of beaches to ride though. So I do that outside of road season.


----------



## ozzybmx (Jun 23, 2013)

Good looking bike and we have the gravel here in Oz to justify it at 60% of the 820,000km of roads still unsealed. But yes, it will be a fun bike, closer to a MTB than a CX... have to agree, basically looks like my fully rigid Niner Single Speed with gears and drop bars.


----------



## bellzisu (May 1, 2013)

Gravel bikes are huge here in Iowa... You have double the gravel as you do paved roads. Almost all of them are good to excellent condition. 

Also, I feel safer on gravel overall. With now 10 riders killed in Iowa this year on the road (one was killed riding to Ragbrai on the first day). Gravel makes for a safer option sadly if no bike trails around.


----------



## ghettocop (Apr 19, 2014)

I enjoy it as well, and have lots of areas to ride. Mine is more of a pure cross bike though, running narrow-ish 31mm tires. Can really beat you up at times compared to 29er hard tail.
View attachment 315433


----------



## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

I took off the wheels with my 28 mm slicks and put the wheels with the 40mm treads back on the bike. Slows it down a bit on the road (10% is my estimate), but well worth that small price in terms of versatility. My mountain bike sits neglected in the garage as I ride the trails on my "adventure road" bike.

I'd love to see details of that Marin ride. Got a RideWithGPS (or similar) public link?


----------



## JFR (Apr 18, 2003)

wgscott said:


> I'd love to see details of that Marin ride. Got a RideWithGPS (or similar) public link?


No, afraid I don't. You need to change your settings to accept PMs or send me a PM with an email address, and I'll give you the link to share that strava ride with you.


----------



## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

Like others, I like gravel because it's safer (fewer cars) closer to nature, and it's just a nice change. We don't have any close by, I have to drive 1.5 hours to get to places to ride, but it's a blast. The climbing where we go to ride is awesome - we get over 100 feet / mile with plenty of double digit grades. In the Fall the views are just awesome. When road biking with a group we are normally doing fast pace lines so not as much time to enjoy the scenery as on gravel where speeds are lower.


----------



## jetdog9 (Jul 12, 2007)

OK but is gravel just the new term for fire road, or are these roads really 100% covered in gravel? And like fine gravel they used to use in playgrounds in the 1980's, or like 1 inch chunks of shale? Just trying to understand the terrain folks are really riding these suckers on...


----------



## factory feel (Nov 27, 2009)

i think people just like to say _gravel grinder_.

it should be _dirt road bicycle_.


----------



## romrah (Mar 19, 2015)

factory feel said:


> i think people just like to say _gravel grinder_.
> 
> it should be _dirt road bicycle_.


I like Niners marketing which pretty much explains it. Niner RLT series = road less traveled. Pretty much opens it up to all terrains. 

I know I'm more than ready to step into a CX and give it a go. 

Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk


----------



## jetdog9 (Jul 12, 2007)

factory feel said:


> i think people just like to say _gravel grinder_.
> 
> it should be _dirt road bicycle_.





romrah said:


> I like Niners marketing which pretty much explains it. Niner RLT series = road less traveled. Pretty much opens it up to all terrains.
> 
> I know I'm more than ready to step into a CX and give it a go.
> 
> Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk


Thanks, I know it might have sounded like a stupid question but I was honestly a littler perplexed.


----------



## ghettocop (Apr 19, 2014)

factory feel said:


> i think people just like to say _gravel grinder_.
> 
> it should be _dirt road bicycle_.


It's this. None of these guys are riding deep, loose gravel that I envision when I hear the word gravel. It's a stupid term they have invented. It can be loose-over-hard stuff occasionally. Like some surface gravel over a hard dirt road, but it is mostly plain ole dirt roads. No thick soft gravel that I know of. Seems impossible to ride for any distance. Some CX courses have those gravel pits that you have to build tons of momentum and float over. Cant really ride that stuff.


----------



## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

The particular bike in the OP photo is kind of stupid from a marketing standpoint because it's touted as being Aero frame yet comes with disc brakes and gearing and tires one could use to climb Mt. Washington or ride pretty nasty surfaces. In other words no one riding where/what the tires and gearing is suited for is going to care about or benefit from aero.

But in general and regardless of what you call them, a road bike style bike that takes bigger tires is just fantastic for reasons already mentioned.


----------



## JFR (Apr 18, 2003)

jetdog9 said:


> OK but is gravel just the new term for fire road, or are these roads really 100% covered in gravel? And like fine gravel they used to use in playgrounds in the 1980's, or like 1 inch chunks of shale? Just trying to understand the terrain folks are really riding these suckers on...


Dirt roads, fire roads, access roads, logging roads, old mining roads and singletrack hiking/mountain biking trails too, if they're not too super rough. Basically, if it ain't paved, it's game on.

I've got some singletrack trails around my house that my mountain bike is mostly overkill on, but on a cross bike it's a totally different experience and crazy fun.


----------



## factory feel (Nov 27, 2009)

*fire road grinder?*


----------



## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

Jay Strongbow said:


> The particular bike in the OP photo is kind of stupid from a marketing standpoint because it's touted as being Aero frame yet comes with disc brakes and gearing and tires one could use to climb Mt. Washington or ride pretty nasty surfaces. In other words no one riding where/what the tires and gearing is suited for is going to care about or benefit from aero.
> 
> But in general and regardless of what you call them, a road bike style bike that takes bigger tires is just fantastic for reasons already mentioned.


So now we have to have both standard gravel and aero gravel bikes? These marketing folks are genius!


----------



## Migen21 (Oct 28, 2014)

Lot's of terrain options. That's the whole idea. The bike goes from asphalt and concrete jungle, to gravel rail trail, to less technical single track without missing a beat.

You can do the same thing on a 29'er, or any bike really. These 'Adventure' bikes are just better suited to the multi-tasking.

For me, it's the perfect bike. It's comfortable, it's light (enough), it's fast (enough), and it'll do everything I'm physically capable of doing.

If you want to compare it to something, compare it to a cyclocross race, only on a broader scale. Lots of different terrain and obstacles. 

I don't have any pictures of it, but there is plenty of large loose gravel, and dry stream beds, and other more techincal stuff to ride. One of my favorite connector trails is the Tolt Pipeline trail (part of the Thrilla Loop in Woodinville WA for those who know it). It was recently re-gravel'd with large, loose gravel. It's *very* steep in places, and requires the right set of tires, but it's very rideable, and gets me access to the Sammamish River Valley and Snoqualmie Valley Trails from my house without ever riding on a road.


----------



## Chader09 (Jun 10, 2014)

ghettocop said:


> It's this. *None of these guys are riding deep, loose gravel that I envision when I hear the word gravel. * It's a stupid term they have invented. It can be loose-over-hard stuff occasionally. Like some surface gravel over a hard dirt road, but it is mostly plain ole dirt roads. No thick soft gravel that I know of. Seems impossible to ride for any distance. Some CX courses have those gravel pits that you have to build tons of momentum and float over. Cant really ride that stuff.


That depends entirely on where you live and ride. We did a 70 mile ride with 90% off-tarmac. There was everything from smooth dirt, mild crushed rock/dirt mix all the way up to several sections of fresh gravel.

The fresh stuff was like riding mud or sand being hard to hold a line. We were leaving 1"-2" ruts in the gravel because it was so deep. It was tricky to ride and totally sapped our energy. Best bet was to build as much speed as you could and push a big gear as long as you could. Thankfully, it was only a minor part of the entire ride.

Normally I love that kind of challenge, but being 50+ miles into the ride at nearly 100*F, it was just short of torture.

My point being that claiming the term "Gravel Grinder" is misleading is purely up to where the rider goes and how their region handles unpaved roads.

Fire road, gravel, double-track and more combinations are all possible depending on where you ride.


----------



## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

ghettocop said:


> It's this. *None of these guys are riding deep, loose gravel that I envision when I hear the word gravel.* *It's a stupid term they have invented.* It can be loose-over-hard stuff occasionally. Like some surface gravel over a hard dirt road, but it is mostly plain ole dirt roads. No thick soft gravel that I know of. Seems impossible to ride for any distance. Some CX courses have those gravel pits that you have to build tons of momentum and float over. Cant really ride that stuff.


 

Try googling "gravel roads". Regardless of the technical definition of the word gravel and what you envision when hearing the word.....I think you'll see the term "gravel road" was not invented by the bike industry and pretty much does describe what they want to describe despite you not being familiar with the term used that way.


----------



## harryman (Nov 14, 2014)

My favorite "road" rides are mixed pavement and dirt for all the reasons previously mentioned. It's just a fun, fast bike that makes boring dirt interesting.


----------



## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

Not sure if I'm lucky or unlucky. I have almost zero roads, as in I can count them on one hand, within 50 miles of me that are gravel or dirt or anything other than paved. Usually the only thing not paved are driveways. So I have zero use for these new types of bikes.

I suppose this is much better than their "endurance" bikes, LOL. What a joke those things are. There's nothing comfortable about sitting upright when doing super long "endurance" distances, sitting upright is for short commutes, lol. Idiots. The "endurance" category really was just Paris-Roubaix bikes being sold to the public. They should have done this - focus on rough terrain - instead of their stupid "endurace" sham. At least these "gravel" or "adventure" bikes make sense.

Well without any roads to ride one of these things on I can avoid disc brakes for that much longer, haha, **** you disc brakes.


----------



## romrah (Mar 19, 2015)

I'd say the versatility appeals to me and others. I can throw a pair 25's on and ride with the group. Go larger and get off the road. Let alone use it in the pouring rain. As I'll take disc in the rain over rim any day. Plus they can be used in the light snow if needed. I find that more appealing than buying another road bike.

Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk


----------



## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

ten years ago i built what is now considered a gravel grinder. disc brakes and all. it opened up a ton of riding for me. 

i live in suburbia, and riding after work was out of the question. well, thats if i wanted to stay alive. we had enough trails around at the time it made sense. the MUTs were so wide and hardpacked they fit a road bike better than a mountain bike.

about seven years ago i bought a steel 29er frameset and built that up with dropbars, and discs. it is more of what they now call an adventure bike. it is my go-ride now. heavy, but it makes me work. last night i was able to get in a quick 20 miles after dinner. if i didnt have those trails, i would be out those miles.

now, i could have taken my roadie out on those trails, but i probably would have tacoed a wheel or washed out in a turn. i dont have that fear with my "gravel grinder" or "adventure bike."


----------



## bellzisu (May 1, 2013)

jetdog9 said:


> OK but is gravel just the new term for fire road, or are these roads really 100% covered in gravel? And like fine gravel they used to use in playgrounds in the 1980's, or like 1 inch chunks of shale? Just trying to understand the terrain folks are really riding these suckers on...












My type of gravel roads in Iowa


----------



## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

ghettocop said:


> It's this. None of these guys are riding deep, loose gravel that I envision when I hear the word gravel. It's a stupid term they have invented. It can be loose-over-hard stuff occasionally. Like some surface gravel over a hard dirt road, but it is mostly plain ole dirt roads. No thick soft gravel that I know of. Seems impossible to ride for any distance. Some CX courses have those gravel pits that you have to build tons of momentum and float over. Cant really ride that stuff.


I do it to get to work. It is a bit tricky, but doable with my 40mm tires. Iffy with 35mm tires, and impossible with my 28mm (at least for me).


----------



## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

bellzisu said:


> My type of gravel roads in Iowa


looks like it would be dusty to ride on. Do gravel roads get dusty? If so that must be a drag for anyone not on the front.


----------



## Chader09 (Jun 10, 2014)

There can definitely be some kickup. My bike gets a fine coat of dust on it, pretty much like most MTB rides.

With a few riders, it's not bad at all. In a larger group, I could see it being a problem.


----------



## madduck (Oct 13, 2005)

MMsRepBike said:


> Do gravel roads get dusty? If so that must be a drag for anyone not on the front.


yep. 
oh yeah.


----------



## TmB123 (Feb 8, 2013)

I think the term "gravel grinder" is just a generic term, kinda like "hamburger" - can mean a whole lot of different things, like someone said, if it's unpaved then it's fair game. 
Some of my local "gravel"...


----------



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

MMsRepBike said:


> Not sure if I'm lucky or unlucky. I have almost zero roads, as in I can count them on one hand, within 50 miles of me that are gravel or dirt or anything other than paved. Usually the only thing not paved are driveways. So I have zero use for these new types of bikes.
> 
> I suppose this is much better than their "endurance" bikes, LOL. What a joke those things are. There's nothing comfortable about sitting upright when doing super long "endurance" distances, sitting upright is for short commutes, lol. Idiots. The "endurance" category really was just Paris-Roubaix bikes being sold to the public. They should have done this - focus on rough terrain - instead of their stupid "endurace" sham. At least these "gravel" or "adventure" bikes make sense.
> 
> Well without any roads to ride one of these things on I can avoid disc brakes for that much longer, haha, **** you disc brakes.


I'm in a "no real gavel to speak of" area as well. A few nice dirt roads that the rich people who live on them fight paving so people don't use them... But not enough of anything to make use of a specialized bike. We have roads and beaches. We generally get snow. We have great MTB trails. The MTB trails have some easy single track but they also have tons of very technical trail, like climbing root stairs and navigating rock beds. Crossing fallen trees is another common obstacle, plenty you can get over that have hundreds and hundreds of chain ring scars. I really like the wide flat bar for that stuff, and the snow, the really slow riding. If I had the conditions that would be a cool bike. I just wonder, how specific do the conditions need to be for that bike excel over a MTB, a CX bike, a road bike? Those look like 2"-2 1/2" tires? Something like the Trek Stash is the flat bar MTB cousin of this bike? Is this bike hyper specific or super general? 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## BCSaltchucker (Jul 20, 2011)

factory feel said:


> Why all the Gravitation toward Gravel ?
> 
> Where did all this Gravel come from and how was it possible to ride it in the old days ie; last year....


in the old days??

OK, around 1988 or so my buds and I figured there was riding to be done on the gravel roads near where we lived in the midwest. So we done it.

We just modified road bikes, like most gravel bikes are designed around. Road or touring geometry clearance for 28-32C tires. We used the contemporary snakebelly 700c tires they had back then. and cantilever brakes to get more bite, as most cyclocross used. Even MIG welded the canti studs on a couple bikes.

though come to think of it, what is diff from a gravel grinder to a cyclocross? gearing? BB height? I dunno. I now use a model designated 'cyclocross' as my gravel/adventure bike. And then end up riding more gravel on my road bike than my gravel bike!


----------



## Migen21 (Oct 28, 2014)

A cyclocross bike generally has a racier geometry, and higher BB than a typical adventure/gravel grinder bike. Norco makes both. In fact if you look at their lineup, you have a choice between a cyclocross race bike (Threshold), an adventure/gravel bike (Search), and a fairly utilitarian disc road bike (Valence). There is quite a bit of overlap there. They could probably consolidate the line to two bikes and be fine, but according to the manager at the LBS (largest Norco dealer in the US), they sell a *lot* of all three of those bikes, so don't expect them to change. 

And if you can tell me how I can 'modify' by BMC GF-01 to take canti brakes and 32mm or larger tires, I'm all ears. I would love that bike to work for my gravel riding. Sadly, even though it's BMC Pave/Paris-Roubaix bike, even 28's are a tight squeeze. I ride it with 25's on the road. At my size, those tires are not enough for gravel adventure riding.


----------



## ghettocop (Apr 19, 2014)

Jay Strongbow said:


> Try googling "gravel roads". Regardless of the technical definition of the word gravel and what you envision when hearing the word.....I think you'll see the term "gravel road" was not invented by the bike industry and pretty much does describe what they want to describe despite you not being familiar with the term used that way.


I hear you. However it's not "gravel road" that I stated was invented by the bike industry. It is "gravel grinder". The gravel that I think of could not be ridden for more than a couple hundred yards on any bike other than a fat bike.This is coming from an avid off-roader and Mountain Biker. I have completed the Rubicon more than a dozen times in various vehicles. I know off highway roads.


----------



## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

Migen21 said:


> And if you can tell me how I can 'modify' by BMC GF-01 to take canti brakes and 32mm or larger tires, I'm all ears. I would love that bike to work for my gravel riding. Sadly, even though it's BMC Pave/Paris-Roubaix bike, even 28's are a tight squeeze. I ride it with 25's on the road. At my size, those tires are not enough for gravel adventure riding.


Sadly you'll have to go out and buy the special edition of the GF to do that. 












> Last year, the team rode the GF01, and barely had room to fit 28mm. “We had perhaps 1mm of clearance,” said BMC CEO David Zurcher “Now the RBX can fit a 30mm no problem.”


----------



## crossracer01 (Apr 21, 2015)

The funny thing is, when you start looking around and piecing together all the "new" areas you can ride how much opens up to you. 
I've pretty much given up on almost all road. But I have several great dirt road/mut/r2t right here or close enough by to make no difference. And that's in northern Delaware. 
But I ride a surly lht and a gt cross bike for those days. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalksdazxvy


----------



## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

ghettocop said:


> I hear you. *However it's not "gravel road" that I stated was invented by the bike industry. It is "gravel grinder".* The gravel that I think of could not be ridden for more than a couple hundred yards on any bike other than a fat bike.This is coming from an avid off-roader and Mountain Biker. I have completed the Rubicon more than a dozen times in various vehicles. I know off highway roads.


oh okay. I get it. Believe me, I'm as fed up as anyone with the stupid marketing that comes out of the bike industry so even if you did slightly miss the mark on this one your point is right on in the general sense anyway.


----------



## Migen21 (Oct 28, 2014)

MMsRepBike said:


> Sadly you'll have to go out and buy the special edition of the GF to do that.


Just tell me where I can find one and I'm there.

As it is, I may end up with a Roadmachine. The local LBS has them, including a rare 61cm version that fits me (it's still in the box though). I told them I'd give it a test ride after the summer riding season.


----------



## bellzisu (May 1, 2013)

MMsRepBike said:


> looks like it would be dusty to ride on. Do gravel roads get dusty? If so that must be a drag for anyone not on the front.



You get dusty.. The bike gets dusty... Everyone and everything gets dusty. But... It's still fun for some odd reason.


----------



## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

Migen21 said:


> Just tell me where I can find one and I'm there.
> 
> As it is, I may end up with a Roadmachine. The local LBS has them, including a rare 61cm version that fits me (it's still in the box though). I told them I'd give it a test ride after the summer riding season.


Simple, just have the LBS order it for you. It's a very rare and limited edition that's custom or special order only as far as I'm aware.

You know the deal... the UCI says you have to have 200 frames available to the public to run them or something like that, and this is one of those cases. 

I don't think it was ever officially launched or sold to the public, same as the Dogma F8 XLight.


----------



## Migen21 (Oct 28, 2014)

MMsRepBike said:


> Simple, just have the LBS order it for you. It's a very rare and limited edition that's custom or special order only as far as I'm aware.
> 
> You know the deal... the UCI says you have to have 200 frames available to the public to run them or something like that, and this is one of those cases.
> 
> I don't think it was ever officially launched or sold to the public, same as the Dogma F8 XLight.


I asked about it at the local BMC dealer. The BMC rep was there. He looked at me like I had an arm growing out of my forehead. It isn't even listed on their inventory as being something you can order. I thought I read somewhere that there were only a handful made available to the public (minimum to meet UCI requirements), and that they were all sold in Europe, probably right out of the BMC Experience shop in Switzerland.

In otherwords, they are made of unobtanium, and .... unobtainable....

I'm happy with what I have to ride for now. My GF-01 is my road and very light gravel bike, my Norco Search takes me everywhere the BMC can't go.

In a year or two, If I decide to treat myself to a new bike, I'll see where the RoadMachine is at, and consider that as a do everything bike.


----------



## MaxKatt (May 30, 2015)

bellzisu said:


> You get dusty.. The bike gets dusty... Everyone and everything gets dusty. But... It's still fun for some odd reason.


----------



## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

MaxKatt said:


> View attachment 315471


Yup, totally lucky. No thank you.


----------



## TmB123 (Feb 8, 2013)

MMsRepBike said:


> Yup, totally lucky. No thank you.


Not really a lot different from getting filthy on a wet road ride, unless you don't ride in the rain, which, I try to avoid as I generally detest getting myself and bike dirty. But, something strange happens with an Adventure bike or Adventure mindset, I go out, get dirty, get myself and the bike caked in dirt, dust, mud and crap and have a thoroughly good time doing it, go home, hose it off and do it all again. It is somewhat refreshing.


----------



## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

TmB123 said:


> Not really a lot different from getting filthy on a wet road ride, unless you don't ride in the rain, which, I try to avoid as I generally detest getting myself and bike dirty. But, something strange happens with an Adventure bike or Adventure mindset, I go out, get dirty, get myself and the bike caked in dirt, dust, mud and crap and have a thoroughly good time doing it, go home, hose it off and do it all again. It is somewhat refreshing.


I remember way, way back when we called that "mountain biking" or some such

I do like the fact that there is a renewed emphasis on just riding bakes and having fun. I am tired of the last decade or so of marketing where the whole world revolved around weight: how light your bikes is or your wheels are and buying super-light stuff that could not hold up


----------



## TmB123 (Feb 8, 2013)

Haha, yeah true, but the difference now is that the one bike van be shoveling mud one minute and doing a 100 kph descent the next and be equally at home in either situation


----------



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

TmB123 said:


> Haha, yeah true, but the difference now is that the one bike van be shoveling mud one minute and doing a 100 kph descent the next and be equally at home in either situation


Huh? On a 2+" treaded tire at 62mph on a descent? The only way you are comfortable at that speed on those tires is riding that bike off a cliff. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Migen21 said:


> I asked about it at the local BMC dealer. The BMC rep was there. He looked at me like I had an arm growing out of my forehead. It isn't even listed on their inventory as being something you can order. I thought I read somewhere that there were only a handful made available to the public (minimum to meet UCI requirements), and that they were all sold in Europe, probably right out of the BMC Experience shop in Switzerland.
> 
> In otherwords, they are made of unobtanium, and .... unobtainable....
> 
> ...


I just don't get it... It's cool and all, but I still can't wrap my head around the business model here... Make specific bikes for conditions that exist where very few people live? Maybe I'm wrong, but if you live where they don't pave roads the population density must be pretty low? Given the amount of people riding bikes, total, then the subset of serious riders, and then those that will spend excessively, and again those with hundreds of miles of unpaved roads? That leaves your marketing target at like 3 people? 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## factory feel (Nov 27, 2009)

Why do we need to adapt road bikes for trail riding??

Hasn't that already been done back in the day before mountain bikes existed??


----------



## TmB123 (Feb 8, 2013)

PBL450 said:


> Huh? On a 2+" treaded tire at 62mph on a descent? The only way you are comfortable at that speed on those tires is riding that bike off a cliff.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


no, i run two wheelsets, one with 28mm slicks for general road/ winter riding (although I do also ride them off road) and the other with CX or Gravel tyres for playing in the dirt, My point was, that the bike is quite capable of doing both.


----------



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

TmB123 said:


> no, i run two wheelsets, one with 28mm slicks for general road/ winter riding (although I do also ride them off road) and the other with CX or Gravel tyres for playing in the dirt, My point was, that the bike is quite capable of doing both.


So which tire are you running when you do your 62mph descents? Julianne Aliphillipe just barely made 62mph in LeTour and he was trying to take back time... He must be kind of a punk if you can can drill this on your MTB or whatever a gravel bike actually is. I think I'm just a crappy rider, I mean 40 is ridiculous and that's on slick thin 23s. And in the interest of full disclosure I've been south of 40 on my fastest descents... I would love some tips on desending from someone who can keep up with or shatter pro speeds, maybe post up a Strava or two? More than me will be interested in the advice!


----------



## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

factory feel said:


> Why do we need to adapt road bikes for trail riding??
> 
> Hasn't that already been done back in the day before mountain bikes existed??


Way back in the day...OTOH back in the day you didn't have idiot frame-designers leaving 1mm to spare between 23mm tires and seat/chain-stays. IIRC.


----------



## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

DaveG said:


> I remember way, way back when we called that "mountain biking" or some such
> 
> I do like the fact that there is a renewed emphasis on just riding bakes and having fun. I am tired of the last decade or so of marketing where the whole world revolved around weight: how light your bikes is or your wheels are and buying super-light stuff that could not hold up


The chase to feather weight bikes has been going on forever. When builders started eliminating spokes, lightening up saddles, putting on clipless pedals, then morphed into carbon frames and forks, I started to get worried. 

Top of the line bikes in the 80s were lugged steel mostly, 21-25 pounds, rat trap pedal cages with clips and straps, aluminum alloy handlebars, big cup and cone bottom brackets and wheel bearings, 32 or better yet 36 spoked "wide" rims that would hold up to 28 mm tires, if not 32 mm. They could go anywhere without breaking. They'd hold up for years. You still see many around.

Good to see these over-built, durable bikes are coming back, even if in a niche market. Put 25 mm tires on 'em and go on club rides and events. Put fenders on 'em and a rack and commute to work. Put knobbies on 'em and explore the back country.

Yep, that's what bikes are for. Racing is a very small part of it. Performance, sure, but rider wants to go out to the middle of nowhere and not worry he'll crash, bust up the bike, and not make it home.


----------



## Migen21 (Oct 28, 2014)

PBL450 said:


> I just don't get it... It's cool and all, but I still can't wrap my head around the business model here... Make specific bikes for conditions that exist where very few people live? Maybe I'm wrong, but if you live where they don't pave roads the population density must be pretty low? Given the amount of people riding bikes, total, then the subset of serious riders, and then those that will spend excessively, and again those with hundreds of miles of unpaved roads? That leaves your marketing target at like 3 people?


I'm not entirely sure what you are taking exception with. 

I bought a second bike that was designed for and capable of mixed terrain riding because I was getting stressed dealing with riding in traffic, and my BMC just couldn't manage the tires I needed to ride on the terrain I was looking at riding on. If I had the foresight to know this was going to happen, I probably would have just gone for an adventure gravel bike in the first place, instead of a "Paris Roubaix" bike that is designed for, at best, rough roads. The two bikes have a lot of overlap. I ride the BMC on the road and maybe some light gravel/rail trail type of stuff. I ride the Search when I'm headed to the more challenging terrain up in the mountains. If I had it to do again, I probably would have just bought the Search, or something very much like it, and a second set of wheels for road only riding, and saved a bunch of cash. 

Just as one example, there is a 70 or so mile loop I ride about every other weekend. Starting at my house in the Seattle burbs, the ride consists of about two miles of neighborhood access roads, about 10 miles of paved MUT (Burke-Gilman/Sammamish River Trail), about 8-9 miles of fairly tricky terrain that is probably better suited to a good hard tail than a wide tire road bike, but it's manageable with the right tires, and then the rest of the ride is an unpaved rail trail that climbs steadily at about 2%-4% grade up the snoqualmie valley. All told, it's ~70 miles and 6k feet of elevation. Other than a the two miles of neighborhood access roads, I can ride this entire loop without ever having to ride in any kind of traffic. No way I could manage this on my "road" bike, even with the biggest tires that will fit (28's), I'd have to get off and walk through some of the rock gardens, steep hills with loose, patchy gravel, etc... The Norco Search, running tubeless 36mm Clement MSO's at about 45psi, its all very rideable, and a ton of fun. All of this is easily accessible (mostly without any driving) to the ~4 million people living Seattle metro area.

I'm not sure where you live, but there are tons of amazing gravel riding opportunities very close to many very large population centers. Living in the Seattle metro area, there are mountain ranges to the east and west and south of me that are completely dominated by forest lands. These forests have literally thousands of miles of gravel and dirt roads that are loosely maintained by various government agencies (Park Service, DNR, County road crews, etc...) and logging companies for various reasons. These are not access roads that people live on, or use to commute to work. They are used by DNR, Forestry Management, Park Rangers, Fire Crews, Logging companies, etc... They are not candidates for paving, and in fact aren't terribly well maintained (tree falls, washouts, etc.. often block them for vehicle traffic for weeks or months at a time). That's part of what makes them fun.

I'm not sure if you are familiar with "Compass Tire" and Jan Heine (editor of Bicycle Quarterly). The various models of Compass Tires are named for mountain passes in this area. Not the main Interstate passes, the forest road passes, like Bon Jon Pass, near Hurricane Ridge on the Olympic Peninsula. There is sooo much epic riding over there. Next summer, I'm going to ride as much of it as I can.... (I say this every summer!  )

But the Seattle area is not unique. There is plenty of evidence in this thread that a lot of people live in places where adventure bikes are very popular. 

Forest land areas like this exist in all of the western states (California, Oregon, Nevada, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Colorado, Utah, some parts of Arizona and New Mexico, and much of Canada). I don't get out east much, I would imagine there are some similar areas, perhaps on a smaller scale in the northeast and east coasts as well. 

In the midwest, places like Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, etc... are covered with miles and miles of unpaved rural roads that are also fantastic for exploring, as well. I know there is a lot of gravel racing going on in Iowa, Georgia, northern Florida, etc... 

The market is there for these things. If there wasn't a market for it (adventure bikes), bike companies wouldn't be (successful) doing it... I think part of the demand comes from people who, like me, don't love riding in traffic, or on narrow, shoulderless country roads, or are just looking to add a little 'flavor' to their riding. Before I discovered these off-the-beaten-path adventures, I was spending less and less time riding outside, and more and more time indoors on the trainer. Traffic in the Seattle metro area is horrendous, people are more distracted behind the wheel than ever, and as I'm getting older, I just don't enjoy the stress of mingling with 4000lb cars like I used to.


----------



## TmB123 (Feb 8, 2013)

PBL450 said:


> So which tire are you running when you do your 62mph descents? Julianne Aliphillipe just barely made 62mph in LeTour and he was trying to take back time... He must be kind of a punk if you can can drill this on your MTB or whatever a gravel bike actually is. I think I'm just a crappy rider, I mean 40 is ridiculous and that's on slick thin 23s. And in the interest of full disclosure I've been south of 40 on my fastest descents... I would love some tips on desending from someone who can keep up with or shatter pro speeds, maybe post up a Strava or two? More than me will be interested in the advice!


I'm just a local hack rider too, although I don't mind riding downhill but cannot climb to save myself, but really don't want to turn this into a pissing contests of sorts though, but since you asked...

My Gravel bike is a Specialized Diverge Pro (photo back on the first page I think) sort of a cross between a Roubaix and a CX bike, just running the stock Roubaix Pro 25/28 tyres pumped to around 70/80, definitely nothing special. This first video is my second ride on the bike and first time downhill on it, think I maxed out around 97kph, I do have the KOM down there on another bike which was a couple of seconds faster with a max of around 102kph from memory.

https://www.strava.com/segments/4447518

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVWtR433qeM

This is another local hill, I've had a higher top speed, but this was the KOM run think the max was 98kph (This wasn't on the Diverge, but my S-Works on 25mm Open Corsa, but since you asked...)

https://www.strava.com/segments/2769351

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goN8D5m2Ges

And another on the Diverge, not a particularly high top speed, but it handles ok. This video has the Corkscrew to CFS segment at around 1:20 between 13sec and 1:33 in the video (my KOM is 1:15) and if you fast forward the link to the Tour Down Under to the 4:15 mark, Cadel does it in around 1:23 between 4:20 and 5:43. Honestly, under normal circumstances these guys would leave me for dead, but I do know these roads quite well.

https://www.strava.com/segments/2669008

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJYydWE8d4E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_K7YHU2w40&index=8&list=LLR_Hm0u3HpBMl2AEKQIQ-LQ


----------



## SwiftSolo (Jun 7, 2008)

It's just another scam by those capitalist bass turds to force you to buy another bike. I mean, it's not enough to make us buy disc brakes--now they built a bike around'em. Next thing you know they'll be trying to sell us indexed shifting and some guys will be gullible enough to fall for it!


factory feel said:


> Why all the Gravitation toward Gravel ?
> 
> Where did all this Gravel come from and how was it possible to ride it in the old days ie; last year....


----------



## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

PBL450 said:


> Huh? On a 2+" treaded tire at 62mph on a descent? The only way you are comfortable at that speed on those tires is riding that bike off a cliff.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Well ok, how about 30 mph?


----------



## SwiftSolo (Jun 7, 2008)

I also seek places with massive population densities to ride. Ain't nothing like getting out in the fresh air of Los Angeles to feel one with nature. Unfortunately, I live in the foothills of the Cascades where we are plagued with hundreds (more likely thousands) of miles of single lane paved and gravel roads. 

It gets really lonely when you see more wildlife than humans. What's even worse is that there is no phone or internet service so you can't even text while riding. With no ass holes to give the "you're number one" signal, it takes some getting used to riding with both hands on the bars


PBL450 said:


> I just don't get it... It's cool and all, but I still can't wrap my head around the business model here... Make specific bikes for conditions that exist where very few people live? Maybe I'm wrong, but if you live where they don't pave roads the population density must be pretty low? Given the amount of people riding bikes, total, then the subset of serious riders, and then those that will spend excessively, and again those with hundreds of miles of unpaved roads? That leaves your marketing target at like 3 people?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

SwiftSolo said:


> It's just another scam by those capitalist bass turds to force you to buy another bike. I mean, it's not enough to make us buy disc brakes--now they built a bike around'em. Next thing you know they'll be trying to sell us indexed shifting and some guys will be gullible enough to fall for it!


Well chute. Put another chain ring, a front derailleur and shifter, 28 or 32 mm tires, fenders, level the hoods and lower the saddle, pray the spokes hold up, and you have a winner.

Trouble is, I have a bike just like that, with rims brakes. I've ridden it 70,000 miles since '85, and it rides the same as it did the day I bought it; after more crashes than I can count, it still looks great!

In comparison, the bike pictured above might be two or three pounds lighter, but that's it. With those tires and gears, it ain't gonna outperform my trusty commuter. So I'll just keep what I have. Including the 6 speed freewheel and down tube friction shifters.

If I lived near nice country dirt roads, I'd have larger tires. But around NVA-DC-MD there aren't any. All the roads, many old stage coach routes, were paved a long time ago.

To skeptics, get one of these babies and see what y'all been missing!


----------



## factory feel (Nov 27, 2009)




----------



## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

PBL450 said:


> I just don't get it... It's cool and all, but I still can't wrap my head around the business model here... Make specific bikes for conditions that exist where very few people live? Maybe I'm wrong,


I think you are, or at least are thinking of it exactly the opposite of how I do. In my case, it is a road bike that does everything a conventional road bike does, and (with appropriate tires) I don't have to stop riding it where the pavement turns to dirt and gravel. I hardly ever ride my mountain bike now, and ride my road bike everywhere, including some single track that isn't too technical (the limitation being my competence more than the bike).

I get funny dismissive looks from all the guys with mountain bikes in their cars and pickups at the trailhead, as I ride by and onto the trail and do at least 80% of the stuff they do.


----------



## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

SwiftSolo said:


> I also seek places with massive population densities to ride. Ain't nothing like getting out in the fresh air of Los Angeles to feel one with nature. Unfortunately, I live in the foothills of the Cascades where we are plagued with hundreds (more likely thousands) of miles of single lane paved and gravel roads.
> 
> It gets really lonely when you see more wildlife than humans. What's even worse is that there is no phone or internet service so you can't even text while riding. With no ass holes to give the "you're number one" signal, it takes some getting used to riding with both hands on the bars



Dang: "You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to SwiftSolo again."


----------



## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

jetdog9 said:


> OK but is gravel just the new term for fire road, or are these roads really 100% covered in gravel? And like fine gravel they used to use in playgrounds in the 1980's, or like 1 inch chunks of shale? Just trying to understand the terrain folks are really riding these suckers on...


It's pretty varied - depends on where your are riding. Some roads are low maintenance with ruts and 3 inch size gravel chunks mixed in with fine gravel, some packed limestone, some brown creek gravel, some mostly dirt. You don't need really large tires on the fine stuff obviously, regular cross tires with a file tread would be perfect for someone. With the ruts and big gravel, bigger tires do better. Flint type gravel - Tubeless is definitely the way to go.


----------



## Dresden (May 26, 2009)

Actually, that one is not a 29er. It's a 27.5er. That size wheel allows a cyclist to use fairly fat tires while having a diameter close to what a road bike has.


----------



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Migen21 said:


> I'm not entirely sure what you are taking exception with.
> 
> I bought a second bike that was designed for and capable of mixed terrain riding because I was getting stressed dealing with riding in traffic, and my BMC just couldn't manage the tires I needed to ride on the terrain I was looking at riding on. If I had the foresight to know this was going to happen, I probably would have just gone for an adventure gravel bike in the first place, instead of a "Paris Roubaix" bike that is designed for, at best, rough roads. The two bikes have a lot of overlap. I ride the BMC on the road and maybe some light gravel/rail trail type of stuff. I ride the Search when I'm headed to the more challenging terrain up in the mountains. If I had it to do again, I probably would have just bought the Search, or something very much like it, and a second set of wheels for road only riding, and saved a bunch of cash.
> 
> ...


Really? Well OK... Seattle is a significant city. I guess unpaved roads are more common than I thought around population centers. They aren't common around NYC. At least not anywhere along the beaches of The Jersey shore. We have sandy roads through the Pine Barrens in southern NJ but that's more fat bike terrain than gravel.


----------



## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

PBL450 said:


> I just don't get it... It's cool and all, but I still can't wrap my head around the business model here... Make specific bikes for conditions that exist where very few people live? Maybe I'm wrong, but if you live where they don't pave roads the population density must be pretty low? Given the amount of people riding bikes, total, then the subset of serious riders, and then those that will spend excessively, and again those with hundreds of miles of unpaved roads? That leaves your marketing target at like 3 people?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Good point. The population must be even lower in wilderness areas where there are no roads at all. So I guess you also just explained why only 3 people have mountain bikes. Hiking boots, tents, ect. No one would buy those because they couldn't use them?

And by the way I live in downtown Boston and have no problem getting in all the off road riding I could wish for and that's riding right out my front door (granted it's at least 10 miles riding before the trails start)

In summary, you're correct, you don't get it.


----------



## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

PBL450 said:


> Really? Well OK... Seattle is a significant city. I guess unpaved roads are more common than I thought around population centers. *They aren't common around NYC. At least not anywhere along the beaches of The Jersey shore. We have sandy roads through the Pine Barrens in southern NJ but that's more fat bike terrain than gravel*.


ah, now I get it. With apology to the exceptions, It's stunning how provincial people from that area seem to be.
That's not the case for a lot of city areas. And this might come as a total shock.....but there are countries outside the US that have people and some of them ride bikes. I know in areas of France, Spain, German and Italy I've been to there is a ton of gravel riding to be done. 

Hate to brake the news to you but not all marketing is targeting you.


----------



## SwiftSolo (Jun 7, 2008)

Jay Strongbow said:


> Good point....... So I guess you also just explained why only 3 people have mountain bikes. Hiking boots, tents, ect. No one would buy those because they couldn't use them?
> 
> .


Wait. 

You're telling me that someone else has a mountain bike, hiking boots, and a tent? 

Those other two sunz-a-bit-chas are going to have learn that it takes more than that to be cool like me.


----------



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Jay Strongbow said:


> Good point. The population must be even lower in wilderness areas where there are no roads at all. So I guess you also just explained why only 3 people have mountain bikes. Hiking boots, tents, ect. No one would buy those because they couldn't use them?
> 
> And by the way I live in downtown Boston and have no problem getting in all the off road riding I could wish for and that's riding right out my front door (granted it's at least 10 miles riding before the trails start)
> 
> In summary, you're correct, you don't get it.


That's a whole lot of obnoxious for such an irrelevant reply. I have access to a whole lot of great off road cycling and I do lots of it and love it. What I don't have access to are vast networks of gravel roads. And yes, I didn't know that people in densely populated areas had vast networks of gravel roads. What's your problem with that? 

I love Boston, great town.


----------



## MaxKatt (May 30, 2015)

ghettocop said:


> It's this. None of these guys are riding deep, loose gravel that I envision when I hear the word gravel. It's a stupid term they have invented. It can be loose-over-hard stuff occasionally. Like some surface gravel over a hard dirt road, but it is mostly plain ole dirt roads. No thick soft gravel that I know of. Seems impossible to ride for any distance. Some CX courses have those gravel pits that you have to build tons of momentum and float over. Cant really ride that stuff.



Dirt Road Bike doesn't roll off the tongue like Gravel Bike or Gravel Grinder, but it is more logical. 

Some are calling it Adventure bike, which might be best moniker. It doesn't do just gravel obviously, but rather off-road adventures.

Regarding comments on limited apps in metro areas... not so here. NYC and I live a few yards off the OCA (Old Croton Aqueduct) Dirt. 175th st. NYC 40 miles to Croton Reservoir built in 1842.


----------



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

TmB123 said:


> I'm just a local hack rider too, although I don't mind riding downhill but cannot climb to save myself, but really don't want to turn this into a pissing contests of sorts though, but since you asked...
> 
> My Gravel bike is a Specialized Diverge Pro (photo back on the first page I think) sort of a cross between a Roubaix and a CX bike, just running the stock Roubaix Pro 25/28 tyres pumped to around 70/80, definitely nothing special. This first video is my second ride on the bike and first time downhill on it, think I maxed out around 97kph, I do have the KOM down there on another bike which was a couple of seconds faster with a max of around 102kph from memory.
> 
> ...


Am I missing something? The KOM speeds on those decents is like 60-70kph. That's a pretty big difference from 100+kph. 30mph is kind of normal. 62+ is world class. I only looked cursorily... I might be missing something. And maybe I'm looking at the wrong data or something... Did you post a 62mph decent?


----------



## TmB123 (Feb 8, 2013)

PBL450 said:


> Am I missing something? The KOM speeds on those decents is like 60-70kph. That's a pretty big difference from 100+kph. 30mph is kind of normal. 62+ is world class. I only looked cursorily... I might be missing something. And maybe I'm looking at the wrong data or something... Did you post a 62mph decent?


You know those KOM speeds are average speed, right?


----------



## NJCiocc (May 7, 2005)

NJ rail to trail lists, seems we have a number of them in NJ. 2 linky's below google for a bunch more. nice way to ride a bike.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rail_trails_in_New_Jersey
New Jersey Trails & Trail Maps | TrailLink.com

I'm warming up to the idea of one of these bikes, converted my old 26er for such use, but a gravel bike would be a nice step up.


----------



## dcb (Jul 21, 2008)

Dresden said:


> Actually, that one is not a 29er. It's a 27.5er. That size wheel allows a cyclist to use fairly fat tires while having a diameter close to what a road bike has.


I was going to mention that. The bike in the OP as pictured is running 27.5 wheels with mtb tires, but it's capable of running 700c/29er wheels with road or cx tires. I'd bet that most people interested in that frame wouldn't ride it too much with the pictured setup. I think that picture is more to show what it's capable of.


----------



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

NJCiocc said:


> NJ rail to trail lists, seems we have a number of them in NJ. 2 linky's below google for a bunch more. nice way to ride a bike.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rail_trails_in_New_Jersey
> New Jersey Trails & Trail Maps | TrailLink.com
> ...


I'm familiar with some of these, I live walking distance to the Henry Hudson trail. It's a paved MUT. Tow path kind of fits the bill but I wouldn't buy a bike specifically to ride the tow path. It's boring as hell and flat as a pancake. Are any of these gravel roads? The southern trails are really nice but soft sand. I'd def ride them, albeit they are a good drive from me, and I can ride all the sand I want pretty much out my garage... 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

factory feel said:


>


That looks like a fast bike! Full suspension! Can you jump curbs on it? Interesting you got 700C rims in there. Is there enough clearance for larger tires than what you got on there?

Nice build, though! :thumbsup:


----------



## Har (Oct 16, 2002)

I stopped reading at: Isn't it just a 29er


----------



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Har said:


> I stopped reading at: Isn't it just a 29er


Does anyone care?


----------

