When is a bike a gravel bike? Or not…

[2manyoranges]

I read a blog this morning where someone, with an air of guilt, said ‘I know that putting a suspension fork on my gravel bike makes it a mountain bike…’ what?? Are there rules about this which have passed me by...? Someone at the weekend looked at my Stanton ti Switch9er and said ‘…that’s not a mountain bike really, it’s only an enduro bike…’ … well I’d just ridden 50km of hard linear off-road both up and down…all these rules of nomenclature and kit….

 

[foz]

I am pretty confused by the whole thing too.... I still can't get my head round all the types of MTB that have been around for years, let alone the different types of gravel bike that are now appearing... they're only trying to sell us more bikes

 

[synchronicity]

Who knows? They make it up as they go along!

 

[novocaine]

I read a blog this morning where someone, with an air of guilt, said ‘I know that putting a suspension fork on my gravel bike makes it a mountain bike…’ what?? Are there rules about this which have passed me by...? Someone at the weekend looked at my Stanton ti Switch9er and said ‘…that’s not a mountain bike really, it’s only an enduro bike…’ … well I’d just ridden 50km of hard linear off-road both up and down…all these rules of nomenclature and kit….

You'll have to ask the marketing department of which ever major manufacturer has decided to split down the industry in to another smaller niche to allow them to sell more product.

 

[Rebikecumbria]

pretty sure most bikes can handle riding over gravel pppfftttt

 

[2manyoranges]

You'll have to ask the marketing department of which ever major manufacturer has decided to split down the industry in to another smaller niche to allow them to sell more product.

I think we should begin to have labels on bikes as to what size of gravel a given bike can handle, based on the Udden-Wentworth scale…

In the Udden-Wentworth scale gravel is categorized into granular gravel (2–4 mm or 0.079–0.157 in) and pebble gravel (4–64 mm or 0.2–2.5 in). ISO 14688 grades gravels as fine, medium, and coarse, with ranges 2–6.3 mm to 20–63 mm.

 

[Rebikecumbria]

I think we should begin to have labels on bikes as to what size of gravel a given bike can handle, based on the Udden-Wentworth scale…

In the Udden-Wentworth scale gravel is categorized into granular gravel (2–4 mm or 0.079–0.157 in) and pebble gravel (4–64 mm or 0.2–2.5 in). ISO 14688 grades gravels as fine, medium, and coarse, with ranges 2–6.3 mm to 20–63 mm.

pretty sure the "gravelbikers" who ride "gravel" bikes would absolutely be passing out with glee if that happened

 

[novocaine]

I think we should begin to have labels on bikes as to what size of gravel a given bike can handle, based on the Udden-Wentworth scale…

In the Udden-Wentworth scale gravel is categorized into granular gravel (2–4 mm or 0.079–0.157 in) and pebble gravel (4–64 mm or 0.2–2.5 in). ISO 14688 grades gravels as fine, medium, and coarse, with ranges 2–6.3 mm to 20–63 mm.

as long as we can adopt the correct name for Gravel bikes which, from this day forwards must, by law state "Gravel Bike ".

 

[hamster]

Touring bike + Marketing = Gravel bike
Rigid MTB - Marketing = Touring bike

Solve the two equations:
(Rigid MTB - Marketing) + Marketing = Gravel Bike
=> Rigid MTB = Gravel bike.
QED.

However there are now even further sub-classifications like adventure bikes, gravel racers, and . Just like when fat bikes were marketed as not needing suspension and then fat hardtails emerged.

There are only a few geometries that work, and a mid-90s rigid MTB is basically identical apart from different wheel sizes. Laughably there are now articles appearing saying that 50mm/2" tyres are better for gravel.

Most bikes can do most things. Enjoy your riding and forget about the rest.

 

[2manyoranges]

Touring bike + Marketing = Gravel bike
Rigid MTB - Marketing = Touring bike

Solve the two equations:
(Rigid MTB - Marketing) + Marketing = Gravel Bike
=> Rigid MTB = Gravel bike.
QED.

However there are no even further sub-classifications. Just like when fat bikes were marketed as not needing suspension and then fat hardtails emerged.

There are only a few geometries that work, and a mid-90s rigid MTB is basically identical apart from different wheel sizes. Laughably there are now articles appearing saying that 50mm/2" tyres are better for gravel.

Most bikes can do most things. Enjoy your riding and forget about the rest.

Riding???
What’s that??…..