Graval bike

[madcyclist09]

Hi all, ATM I have 2 hard tails and a road bike
I am thinking of getting rid of the road bike and one of the hard tails
Getting a graval bike, one hardtail is 10 and the other 12 speed what advantage of the graval bike over a hard tail
TIA

 

[ColinJ]

Lighter, tyres with less rolling resistance?

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Gravel bike will put you in a more aerodynamic position, so you will go faster for your effort {power} above approx 20kph (12mph) and this gets increasingly important as your speed increases.

More likely to encounter such situations on the road, but can happen offroad.

 

[fossyant]

Potentially marginally faster off road than the hard tail, but slower on-road if using gravel tyres, than the road bike. Advantage is, you can have two sets of wheels, road and off road. Other advantage is they aren't too slow on road with gravel tyres, so you can mix up your ride a bit better - bit of trail, bit of road. That said, all depends upon what sort of hard tail. If it's more XC style with light fast rolling tyres, then there won't be a huge speed difference.

There are instances where you'll have to walk the gravel bike, where you could easily have done it on the MTB - e.g. steep rocky/loose descent or a loose surface where the tyres just sink in on the gravel bike. I did a local loop on part of the Pennine Bridleway - generally rideable other than getting over one particular hill. The ascent is fine on the MTB, but my gravel/CX bike just dug in on the surface, so it was a hike a bike. Going over the top, I then remembered how rocky the descent was, and steep. You don't think twice about it on a full suspension MTB. I walked it on the CX bike. That said, covering ground on un-surfaced paths is much quicker on a gravel bike, if less comfy.

 

[PaulSB]

Hi all, ATM I have 2 hard tails and a road bike
I am thinking of getting rid of the road bike and one of the hard tails
Getting a graval bike, one hardtail is 10 and the other 12 speed what advantage of the graval bike over a hard tail
TIA

I don't know anything about MTBs. I can say with confidence if you choose the right gravel tyres you'll get good performance both on and off road.

Obviously the above depends on the terrain you ride off road. Along with my buddies I ride quite a lot of gravel. To date I haven't come across a surface which forced us to walk. Saying that we don't ride anywhere that one might consider MTB territory. Gravel is gravel, MTB is MTB, I wouldn't want to mix the two.

 

[ktmbiker58]

In my experience of riding almost exclusively off road on all sorts of bikes - once off road the rolling resistance advantage of narrower gravel tyres over MTB tyres tends to disappear.

For anything rougher than a pretty smooth hardpack track the MTB will be a more capable ride as the gravel bike with drop bars becomes a handful (I tried both Lauf and Fox 32TC forks and you just end up with a bad 1990s MTB!)

Once the going gets soft then, as fossyant found, narrow gravel tyres basically sink - I've come across several gravel bike riders with sidewall punctures picked up because the tyre was wading through the slop and found a buried stone.

If your rides are on hardpack tracks like forest fire roads then a gravel bike will potentially roll faster than a MTB but don't underestimate how tiring the lack of suspension becomes.

 

[Tom B]

I am at a similar position...

I have been riding a flat bar hybrid for around 12 years - it was a 'put-you-on' that has served me well.

I have an antique 1990s MTB that will have to go to make space, I also have a FS MTB that i havent ridden much but would like to ride more.
Its likely the hybrid will go too, but i'd like to keep it in the short term.

I've arrived at wanting a gravel bike because essentially I don't want a fragile, nervous, long geared road bike.
I've long coveted at Ribble CGR, but at the moment my head has been turned by the Sonder Camino.

I have limited space for N+ bikes. I want to be able to commute and utility cycle on road as well as be able to ride rougher stuff, things like towpaths, gravel roads, trails etc - rougher stuff that would upset or damage an out and out road bike, while a MTB, even a hardtail doesnt have the legs for me on the road.

It is my ambition to a little more backpacking / cycle touring so i want to be able to fit guards, paniers and carrystuff - if not enter the carrysh1t olympics.

I've been umming and ahhing about a tyres, but have sort of reconciled that i'll probably have a couple of sets of wheels (or if not tyres) to cover all bases. I currently run 700×28C Marathon Greenguards however as they get bigger they get significantly heavier which has given me pause for thought - perhaps ill go tubeless and wont need the extra puncture resistance. The extra volume will be nice :-)

I want Hydraulic brakes, a 2x set up because even now I end up spinning out with 48t -11t. The bike gets used in all weathers and gets hammered. I cant always give it the love it needs so i do end up chewing through cassettes and chains so the less sprockets the cheaper servicing.

All that means I am looking at buying the Camino Frame, bits and bobs and a a Cues Groupset.


The plan going forward is for me to put the plan through the 28day personal cooling off period (to ensure no impulse buys) and then to go and hire one of the CAminos from one of the Alpkit stores to try the size fit / appeal. Its £49 a day an they give you that back if you buy a bike (not sure about a frame).

I guess I already lean more towards the road side than the MTB side, but If you arnt sure perhaps having a bash on a hire bike might be worth it?

This video here made me look more closely at gravel bikes.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL-hYLShoAY


Try before you buy - https://alpkit.com/pages/sonder-try-before-you-buy

 

[joeegg]

I live pretty close to Hamsterley forest and if i take the gravel bike up there i have to choose my fireroads carefully.Unless it's a really smooth descent i get beaten up on the gravel bike and it just feels insecure.Taking the hardtail up means i can ride everywhere,including black routes,and it's just more enjoyable despite harder work on the climbs.

 

[PaulSB]

Hi all, ATM I have 2 hard tails and a road bike
I am thinking of getting rid of the road bike and one of the hard tails
Getting a graval bike, one hardtail is 10 and the other 12 speed what advantage of the graval bike over a hard tail
TIA

It's 3½ weeks since the OP asked and hasn't, apparently, returned so I'll keep this brief. I can't disagree with any of the previous comments as it's clear those posters ride different terrain to me.

In my experience, on our gravel rides, those who turn out on an MTB struggle to keep up. If they do keep up they're nackered before the end of the ride.

Whether or not the OP will find benefits from a gravel bike against an MTB is going to entirely depend on the terrain/routes he rides.

I don't MTB and have no experience but I wouldn’t take one on the routes I use. I'd suggest 70 - 80 miles on an MTB is a big ask?

 

[madcyclist09]

It's 3½ weeks since the OP asked and hasn't, apparently, returned so I'll keep this brief. I can't disagree with any of the previous comments as it's clear those posters ride different terrain to me.

In my experience, on our gravel rides, those who turn out on an MTB struggle to keep up. If they do keep up they're nackered before the end of the ride.

Whether or not the OP will find benefits from a gravel bike against an MTB is going to entirely depend on the terrain/routes he rides.

I don't MTB and have no experience but I wouldn’t take on the routes I use. I'd suggest 70 - 80 miles on an MTB is a big ask?

We have lots of off road trails but also the roads round here are not the best.
I have to agree the MTB is slower then the road bike and is a big ask 70 to 80 miles.
I have done it but it is knackering.
Thanks for all the replies 👍