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

[Dave7]

Sadly Old Father Time will just not leave me alone.
I have a nice Giant carbon road bike and a decent Giant hard tail. But as I get older I am thinking............swap them both for a good quality gravel bike ???
As they are still developing I just wonder what other CCrs think of the latest models.
Spec' seem to do a decent range, some in carbon.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The term "gravel bike" just sounds like a load of marketing spin to me. Any bike with robust tyres is capable of travelling on gravel surfaces. You don't need a specific genre of bike. What's next, a "lawn bike", in case you want to ride over some cut grass?

 

[marzjennings]

The term "gravel bike" just sounds like a load of marketing spin to me. Any bike with robust tyres is capable of travelling on gravel surfaces. You don't need a specific genre of bike. What's next, a "lawn bike", in case you want to ride over some cut grass?

Grass track bikes predate gravel bikes by a long way, you can still find the odd lawn bike for sale...

http://www.cycleexif.com/townsend-grass-track

https://www.velodromeshop.net/grass-track-bikes/

 

[StuAff]

Sadly Old Father Time will just not leave me alone.
I have a nice Giant carbon road bike and a decent Giant hard tail. But as I get older I am thinking............swap them both for a good quality gravel bike ???
As they are still developing I just wonder what other CCrs think of the latest models.
Spec' seem to do a decent range, some in carbon.

What's the budget?

 

[colly]

Gravel Bike. Yep a catchy marketing term. However they do seem to fit the bill for someone who want's a bike to do almost everything.
You could say :

Road bike............................add fatter tyres and it will be fine on rough and rutted tracks.
Cyclocross bike.................what's wrong with an ordinary bike with fatter tyres with a bit of tread? It'll be fine.
MTB.........................................slap on some slicks and the road is your oyster, it'll be fine.
Downhill................................use your MTB it'll be fine.
Time trial bike..................just lean down a bit and it'll be fine.
Tourer..................................bolt on a rack to your racer and it'll be fine.

Exept of course it won't. Each would do the job but it would be lacking so much.

I don't race, so why do I need a really fast road bike but I do like to go as fast as I personally can, I don't climb mountains or go cross country but I would sometimes like to. I. so far haven't toured, but I expect and hope to be doing so in the not to distant future.

I might conceivably like to ride fast on a touring holiday that would take me off road .

Maybe I am just coming up with arguments for convincing myself that buying that n+1 is in fact essential and being a 'do-it -all' bike it is the most essential bike of all.

 

[Crackle]

Gravel bikes are not new. 650b is an old wheel size, go for it Dave.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Sadly Old Father Time will just not leave me alone.
I have a nice Giant carbon road bike and a decent Giant hard tail. But as I get older I am thinking............swap them both for a good quality gravel bike ???
As they are still developing I just wonder what other CCrs think of the latest models.
Spec' seem to do a decent range, some in carbon.

It's all blurred niches to my mind.

Great niche I think - something like a Focus Paralane looks like an ideal bike for me.

I've looked at the Specialised adventure bikes and they are a heck of a price for the spec' with £2k getting you cable operated discs whereas Trek/Cube/Focus/Whyte get full hydro's for significantly less.

 

[Drago]

The term "gravel bike" just sounds like a load of marketing spin to me.

It is, i reckon. Sub genres of genres.

 

[Andrew_P]

I am with @SpokeyDokey One of the higher end Parlane I wouldn't mind having a try of pretty sure I saw a full eTap one 2017 model for 3500 reduced from £5750. Mudguards, quite light varying tyre sizes and Hydro discs

I would aim for what appears to be the middlish ground like the Paralane as much for the road as for gravel.

Anything that's doesn't take Guards should be discounted.

I mean whats not too like?

 

[Cycleops]

There’s certainly a tasty selection out there, here’s a few:


View: https://youtu.be/ie18HpJ4vWE

 

[colly]

Hmmm ?

 

[I like Skol]

I use my Grade very effectively off-road. I keep thinking I will turn up to an MTB ride on it one day and give the hardcore mountain bikers a run for their money!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Hmmm ?

View attachment 395351

Road bike not a gravel bike.

Proper nice looking piece of kit though.

 

[Dave7]

What's the budget?

TBH.....at my age budget is not a problem. Just not stupid money.

 

[StuAff]

TBH.....at my age budget is not a problem. Just not stupid money.

Covers a multitude.…
I'd go titanium (well, I did). How about…https://www.fatbirds.co.uk/1783150/products/lynskey-gr250-105-2017-titanium-gravel-bike.aspx
In the same vein, Tripster ATR v2, Litespeed Gravel (I have the earlier T5 Gravel). The Litespeed would have to be an import though, they don't have UK distribution at the moment.