Difference between modern Rigid MTB and Gravel

[coomber]

Probably 90% don't use a gravel bike for serious off road, so not an issue?

 

[coomber]

Was a genuine question? Might have missed something here but is the issue because of rock strikes onto the cables etc?

 

[Woz]

Probably 90% don't use a gravel bike for serious off road, so not an issue?

..... so the marketing department tells us we can go everywhere in adventure style all over the world and the product designers have done their research and only 10% get a bike muddy and like to clean it and service it from time to time.

Yeah. Sounds about the right logic coming from the cycling fashion industry which shockingly loves to have it's head up it's own arse.

I'm still sticking to CX bikes, flat bar and drop bar 26" for the moment.

 

[Woz]

Was a genuine question? Might have missed something here but is the issue because of rock strikes onto the cables etc?

By the mid-90s, pretty much every MTB had moved away from down-tube cable routing. Cables get covered in crap, rust, PITA to clean and maintain for good shifting. Even very early CX bikes had top-tube routing and a small pulley wheel on the seat-tube for the FD.

 

[coomber]

Fair enough. Mine runs full outers and I prefer having top tube free for when I go too far into the woods and need to hike a bike. But see your point.

 

[brocklanders023]

Having looked at some of that steel on offer, I take it back...the marin 4 corners is a positive lightweight! What ever happened to decent steel tubesets and building with finesse!

At that point, just buy a 1991 pine mountain for £30......its really no different.....oh hang on....that's what i did

I had a 4 Corners and it was a lump of a thing but very, very comfortable. More of a tourer than a gravel bike though, or at least mine was, not looked at the current version.

Got a Ragley Trig now. The steel isn't anything special but it's light enough.

 

[brocklanders023]

Interesting reading this. Half heartedly looking for a new “Does Everything” bike for the road. I am coming to the conclusion that it either doesn’t exist at all or, it already does in retro form. I was going to start a thread asking about disc brakes on road orientated bikes. I have seen videos of pros riding the latest team issue bike descending like Bambi on ice. Fading brakes seem to be to blame? True, I am unlikely to head down the kind of mountains they do at the speed they do. I am a good bit more chunky than them so will have more to stop on the other hand. My bike might well be loaded too.

My loose set of criteria are:

1. Metal frame. Either steel or titanium. I’m not convinced glued soot is for me.
2. Hydraulic brakes (maybe).
3. Mechanical gears. At least 2 x or possibly 3 x. This is just me! I don’t like the dinner plate sprocket look. Also, most of my riding would be around here. I don’t need lower than 38 x 23.
4. Full set of braze ons. Touring, mudguards and at least two bottles.
5. Horizontal or close to it, top tube.
6. Tyre clearance for say, 38 max.

You can see my dilemma. Apart from the brakes, we have a high end traditional tourer in say 531ST. I happened to buy a copy of Cycling Weakly (printed just for me!) and in it was a brief review of a Fairlight Strael which I hadn’t heard of and ticks some of my boxes.

Is the gravel label something I should be looking at as well?

Depending on your budget you should have a look at the Salsa bikes as I reckon you'll find something that covers most of those bases. That reminds me, I'd planned to get one of their frames myself! Not been riding much recently though so no need to buy anything else until the hardtail build is finished.

BTW, you defo want disc brakes, they are ace, especially Shimano.

 

[CassidyAce]

Just picking up on a few things mentioned above:

Cable routing: I think most gravel bikes use internal cable routing these days. Top tube vs down tube routing is less of an issue.

Head tube size: if that's to get a more upright posture, take a look at the geometry of the Merida Silex. It's got to be the drop bar gravel bike for those with back problems.

Sirrus X3 with Deore level components for £650: that was a good price reduction!

And labels: don't forget that there is now the 'All Road' category to add to the 'Gravel' category!

 

[clubby]

What ever happened to decent steel tubesets and building with finesse!

CEN testing. New strength tests came in and cheaper lightweight steel tubes couldn't pass. Higher end stuff passed ok but a lot more expensive.
So at the cheaper end, manufacturers had the option of using heavier, dead feeling steel pipes or use aluminium which comes out lighter and rides better.

Think to the early 90's, Ritchey were pushing the limits with their P23 and P22 frames, but even them they were only recommended for one race season. Don't know how many actually broke and I'm sure they are still being ridden now, but shows there were concerns even then.

Like you say, you've not been interested in newer stuff but still think with a 90's brain. Steel is no longer the cheap option.

IMO the bigger wheels are vital to what makes a gravel bike. They just roll so much better. Back when I was a kid, I couldn't afford two bikes, so I had a pair of 1" Specialized Turbo S tyres for my MTB. Even with them I couldn't keep up with mates on road bikes. Narrow 26" tyres would feel fine off road but wouldn't cut in on road, compared to a similar width on 700c. It's true there are 650b gravel bikes (which is actually nearer 27" than 27.5" but the marketeers got involved and it was a convenient half way between 26 and 29) but they tend to designed for 2-2.2" tyres rather where the 700c hover around 40-42c. 650b gravel tends to be labelled adventure bikes and are more like drop bar mtb.

I know what you mean about explaining to youngsters that 29er and 700c rims are the same size. Come from the stupid system of naming bike wheel sizes on the overall approximate diameter. Narrower tyres in "26" wouldn't even be 26".
Much easier if it was the car system where the wheel size is the actual wheel size. Just look at the nonsense mixture of terms I had to type to cover something as simple as bike tyres.

 

[slackboy]

Was a genuine question? Might have missed something here but is the issue because of rock strikes onto the cables etc?

It's because you can't strap a load of frame and top tube bags on if there is gear cable running along too

And also to allow easier "porterage" when you realise you should be riding a bike with suspension