Gravel Bikes...........anyone got a new(ish) one..........any thoughts ?

[I like Skol]

Didn't have anymore 160 rotors left....so waiting for them to arrive. But you missed the invisible cassette too lol

Just as well, you don't want to build up too much speed until you have bedded in the brakes....

 

[jowwy]

Just as well, you don't want to build up too much speed until you have bedded in the brakes....

That old chestnut lol

 

[confusedcyclist]

I started out with a road bike, because I wanted to join a cycling club and ride regular 60 mile weekend jobbies. In reality, I never really managed to get into the swing of it, so I ended up doing mostly commuting miles on it, and the odd solo fitness/leisure ride. The road bike had poor clearance for mudguards and no eyelets for panniers, so it was a bit of a faff at times and I was stuck with a backpack on the commute, I soon realised I needed something more setup for the daily commute.

My next bike was a touring frame, which was much more suited to wet riding and the commute with disc brakes, mudguards and pannier racks, but it was heavy, and didn't handle so well off road (not to mention, the fit was a bit small), so I opted for Surly's Straggler.

https://surlybikes.com/bikes/straggler

In my mind, it's the perfect do it all bike. But, that's only in my mind, because it ticks the boxes of what I want to do with it. If you can only ride one bike, make sure it does what you need for most of the type of riding you do. Most bikes can be versatile, but you'll sacrifice some performance and efficiency to obtain that versatility. Having multiple bikes dedicated to the disciplines you enjoy most is the best solution, but it cost more to own and maintain multiple bikes, and takes more space in the shed/garage etc.

 

[Andrew_P]

It's all tosh!


Now I have a Gravel bike, the GT Grade, I can honestly say that despite it being a great bike it doesn't really do anything that the other 3 bikes can do equally as well. If I was brutally honest I would say the hybrid is the closest match and is more useful due to panniers and mudguards. The Gravel bike is really just a marketing term......

I have a Grade and I think I have said before its not my favourite bike to ride, as usual I dived in to a new Genre too early should have waited a while. Its good for winter commuting much better the the Cannondale but only because of the proper mudgurds but I wouldn't choose it again.

I agree to an extent but my 2014 Cannondale Supersix will only take 23mm tyre without rubbing chainstays. Really all you need IMO is a bike that can take full proper guards and upto 30/32mm tyres although I would settle for a 28mm and all bar deep mud MTB or proper MTB you could cover on it. My main gripe is that there are bikes that it wouldn't take much to have a real all round machine. If it was a disc you could literally have two wheelsets one lightweight fitted with 23/25mm tyres on more robust fitted 28/32mm.

If you took it a step further different gearing on each wheelset. The main missing item now from a lot of the bike I like is the Mudguard mounts, I suppose the wheelbase on the "race" disc brake bike is the restricting part for Mudguards or the marketing department. Altohugh it doesn't appear to worry some people I detest getting soaked all over when riding without guards. Don't mind riding in rainy weather with though!

Something like this would have been my ideal had it taken normal Guards. I would flog all my bikes and do the above if it did.

 

[iLB]

Right, so I've been eyeing up the new pinnacle Pyrolite for a few weeks now (thread below), keen not to go for the wrong thing though.

It comes with TA front wheel but QR rear, which may be an issue if I wanted to pop a set of 700c wheels on or upgrade the existing 650b's.

Also it's £950 with mechanical discs and Sora, versus £1000 for the Arkose 2 which is 105/tiagra with 105 hydros. Which seems a bit off.

I've also seen this which looks interesting, http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vitus-bikes-substance-v2-105-2018-gravel-bike/ but carbon fork is a concern. What else should I look at ? Frame or complete bike ?

 

[StuAff]

Right, so I've been eyeing up the new pinnacle Pyrolite for a few weeks now (thread below), keen not to go for the wrong thing though.

It comes with TA front wheel but QR rear, which may be an issue if I wanted to pop a set of 700c wheels on or upgrade the existing 650b's.

Also it's £950 with mechanical discs and Sora, versus £1000 for the Arkose 2 which is 105/tiagra with 105 hydros. Which seems a bit off.

I've also seen this which looks interesting, http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vitus-bikes-substance-v2-105-2018-gravel-bike/ but carbon fork is a concern. What else should I look at ? Frame or complete bike ?

Don't know if it's a possibility on the Pinnacle wheelsets, but most TA wheels on the market are convertible for QR fittings. My Hunts came with QR skewers in the box.

 

[iLB]

Don't know if it's a possibility on the Pinnacle wheelsets, but most TA wheels on the market are convertible for QR fittings. My Hunts came with QR skewers in the box.

True. Would feel like a backwards step though.

 

[confusedcyclist]

@iLB either learn to build your own wheels, or find a shop that will hand build them for you to order. You can then pick any combination of rim/hub you fancy, therefore the fitting type is irrelevant, well built disc wheels should last forever as there is no braking surface to wear down, providing you are using them for their intended purpose, i.e. don't be doing massive jumps on road type rims.

 

[Crackle]

Most of them are carbon forks now. Even the Mason Bokeh specs a carbon fork. That Pinnacle adventure bike is unusual. Only the likes of Shand and some of the smaller custom makers are still using steel forks. Mrs C has the Arkose2, very nice bike, my only comment on it is that some of the braze ons are sloppily fitted and slightly out of alignment.

 

[iLB]

Most of them are carbon forks now. Even the Mason Bokeh specs a carbon fork. That Pinnacle adventure bike is unusual. Only the likes of Shand and some of the smaller custom makers are still using steel forks. Mrs C has the Arkose2, very nice bike, my only comment on it is that some of the braze ons are sloppily fitted and slightly out of alignment.

Braze ons?

I know what you mean about the forks, but like the option of a front rack from time to time. Surly's new Midnight Special is an outside choice too.

 

[MichaelW2]

Gravel bikes are fine for riding over particles between 2mm and 63mm but for partcle sizes outside that range you are going to need a sand bike or a cobble bike.

 

[vickster]

Gravel bikes are fine for riding over particles between 2mm and 63mm but for partcle sizes outside that range you are going to need a sand bike or a cobble bike.

You work in bike marketing (aka bike BS) by any chance?

I've got a Pearson Pave, maybe the original prototype for the cobble bike?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

So the "gravel bike" has now morphed into the "loose aggregates bike", and we can have at least three sub-genres of that according to the size of the materials you are riding over. Just think of the marketing opportunities!

 

[Cycleops]

Gravel bikes are fine for riding over particles between 2mm and 63mm but for partcle sizes outside that range you are going to need a sand bike or a cobble bike.

That’s a load of old cobblers.

 

[Cycleops]

So the "gravel bike" has now morphed into the "loose aggregates bike", and we can have at least three sub-genres of that according to the size of the materials you are riding over. Just think of the marketing opportunities!

Don’t worry they’ve already been thought of.