Gravel? Don’t laugh! I’m just thinking out loud. Itch scratched

[Peachy!]

Now then.
Recently I had a crack at the Cinder track (gravel/brick/cobble/dirt/patches of tarmac) from Whitby to Scarborough & back, on my own whilst my lad was practicing with his band in Whitby.
It was hard work but fun on my 1992 Claud Butler Antaeus, suitably gravelized (or so I thought) with SPD pedals and 1:95 semi-slick tyres. Great fun on the long descents but a slog on the long climbs.
Anyway some Road buddies I know on Strava saw my ride and have invited me on some more gravel rides, great but I’ve seen their data and in comparison they are flying up the climbs on their modern gravel bikes although slightly slower on the down hill.
So I’m thinking, park the 29lb hard tail and stick some flat bars, (an old broken wrist injury makes splayed gravel drop bars really uncomfortable) suspension forks and some knobbly 700c tyres on a spare 2012 Carbon Claud I’ve got hanging up & see what I can do with a 18lb bike!
What could possibly go wrong?

 

[The History Man]

Take it from me, it’s not the bike weight, it’s the total that makes the difference. As a proportion of that how much is achievable?

 

[Peachy!]

Take it from me, it’s not the bike weight, it’s the total that makes the difference. As a proportion of that how much is achievable?

Yeah I know. Just bored and I’ve got the parts laying around. With everyone going on about sticking drop bars on retro hardtail MTB and calling it a gravel bike, I thought it might be fun to stick flat bars suspension and dirt tyres on a proper road bike and just see how it fares?

 

[The History Man]

And minimising rolling resistance.

I have some eggs too.

 

[The History Man]

Everything less than rigid eats power.

 

[widowmaker]

If you are bored and have the parts laying around go for it

 

[The History Man]

Everything less than rigid eats power.

Including your good self.

 

[Takingabreak]

Interested to see how this pans out and wondering about what your tyre choice might be given road bike clearances

 

[CassidyAce]

Now then.
Recently I had a crack at the Cinder track (gravel/brick/cobble/dirt/patches of tarmac) from Whitby to Scarborough & back, on my own whilst my lad was practicing with his band in Whitby.
It was hard work but fun on my 1992 Claud Butler Antaeus, suitably gravelized (or so I thought) with SPD pedals and 1:95 semi-slick tyres. Great fun on the long descents but a slog on the long climbs.
Anyway some Road buddies I know on Strava saw my ride and have invited me on some more gravel rides, great but I’ve seen their data and in comparison they are flying up the climbs on their modern gravel bikes although slightly slower on the down hill.
So I’m thinking, park the 29lb hard tail and stick some flat bars, (an old broken wrist injury makes splayed gravel drop bars really uncomfortable) suspension forks and some knobbly 700c tyres on a spare 2012 Carbon Claud I’ve got hanging up & see what I can do with a 18lb bike!
What could possibly go wrong?
View attachment 635722

What was the difference in speed on the climbs? Presumably the speeds on the descents weren't sufficient to compensate.

 

[The History Man]

Including your good self.

Form I think it’s called. Not flailing and bar swinging, bobbing, bouncing etc. On the climbs.