Following a couple of interesting posts on here about gravel/ cx bikes and the various differences, it seems that the holy grail is still basically a big old steel mountain bike frame!...... Just with the now essential 29er/700c wheels.
As most of you have realised at some point....or if you haven't you soon will, companies who build boutique steel frames are borrowing heavily from old mtb.....they just add a whole load of marketing spin and tell us they have just designed this new concept.......then we all go Ooooooooh......and out comes the wallet. "Stooge" bikes comes to mind! (Can't actually think of a more apt name).
But, one major issue is the problem of suitable knobblies for 26" wheels in narrower ( say 35 /42c) sizes, to do a proper gravely thing.
Obviously, the lack is a marketing strategy; part of the anti 26" leagues mission to clear the world and get shot of all those pesky 26" cheap steel frames still out there.
SO...what narrow tyres for 26" are still out there......even if its only with gravel style little knobs.....
Might help get a few more frames back into use......and stop you spending a grand on a bike you already have in bits in the garage!
As most of you have realised at some point....or if you haven't you soon will, companies who build boutique steel frames are borrowing heavily from old mtb.....they just add a whole load of marketing spin and tell us they have just designed this new concept.......then we all go Ooooooooh......and out comes the wallet. "Stooge" bikes comes to mind! (Can't actually think of a more apt name).
But, one major issue is the problem of suitable knobblies for 26" wheels in narrower ( say 35 /42c) sizes, to do a proper gravely thing.
Obviously, the lack is a marketing strategy; part of the anti 26" leagues mission to clear the world and get shot of all those pesky 26" cheap steel frames still out there.
SO...what narrow tyres for 26" are still out there......even if its only with gravel style little knobs.....
Might help get a few more frames back into use......and stop you spending a grand on a bike you already have in bits in the garage!
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