Gravel bikes exist because Mountain biking has got boring

[unlikely]

I don't think it's so much that mountain biking has got boring, it's more a case not everybody wants to spend their days off-road bouncing down technical trails, or only riding trail centres.

Gravel lets you get out in the hills in a more efficient way, or for some, it's a way to get miles in while being able to avoid roads, yet still use roads to link sections up, without being on a heavier more draggy bike.

As much as I personally love steep technical trails, I do like the occasional ride out in the hills on smoother trails, as variety is good.

If I had the money, I might consider a gravel bike, however as a mate highlighted (who has got a gravel bike), if you want to get miles in the hills and do some exploring, a 29er hardtail would be far better. With the hardtail, if you come across a sneaky trail, you can drop in to it without too many worries and have some fun, whereas on the gravel bike, you spend your time on the brakes worrying about if the next root/rock is going to either launch you into the undergrowth, or cause a puncture.

 

[screenman]

My most used of the 6 bikes I own is my 29er hardtail. The only thing missing around these parts is the hills.

 

[Milzy]

They’re basically road bikes perfect for British pot holed roads.

I agree. It’s not just strong marketing, they definitely have a place in the U.K. I will eventually get one & string roads together with off road. Certainly will make for some interesting rides.

 

[Levo-Lon]

My most used of the 6 bikes I own is my 29er hardtail. The only thing missing around these parts is the hills.

the flatlands have their appeal but hills is hills man

 

[screenman]

the flatlands have their appeal but hills is hills man

To be fair on Lincolnshire the Wolds make for nice cycling and are lumpy rather than hill, the longest climb being about a mile long but not that steep.

 

[Levo-Lon]

I have a hardtail XC bike, two road bikes and a gravel bike. The gravel bike is the most recent acquisition - sort of - and is my go-to bike these days. In fact it is the frame that I have owned the longest but I only recently converted it to gravel. It was a 1997 Trek 830 rigid, steel-framed MTB that we had had in the garage and shed for years. It wasn’t being used as everyone else in thousehold had newer bikes. I thought rather than scrap it I’d make a project of it and after a lot of procrastination I finally got around to it and now it’s a frankenbike that it turns out rides really well and goes most places I want to go. I like that I can string together road and offroad sections on a ride and it is happy on both.

Nice bike and a superb recycle

For most of us having some suspension is more about worn old bodies and bad necks and backs.
Riding a ridged over bumpy ground would do me in, im 54 but ive been a heavy side worker for decades, and as such my joints need tlc these days... I know your welling up but it's a necessity for most of us old codgers

 

[Algarvecycling]

I don't think it's so much that mountain biking has got boring, it's more a case not everybody wants to spend their days off-road bouncing down technical trails, or only riding trail centres.

Gravel lets you get out in the hills in a more efficient way, or for some, it's a way to get miles in while being able to avoid roads, yet still use roads to link sections up, without being on a heavier more draggy bike.

As much as I personally love steep technical trails, I do like the occasional ride out in the hills on smoother trails, as variety is good.

If I had the money, I might consider a gravel bike, however as a mate highlighted (who has got a gravel bike), if you want to get miles in the hills and do some exploring, a 29er hardtail would be far better. With the hardtail, if you come across a sneaky trail, you can drop in to it without too many worries and have some fun, whereas on the gravel bike, you spend your time on the brakes worrying about if the next root/rock is going to either launch you into the undergrowth, or cause a puncture.

I'd agree with your mate but prefer full suspension over hardtail where it has the ability to lock up the suspension. When I am on less technical ground, I can lose the bounce at the flick of a lever and be riding, essentially, a bike with zero suspension - thereby bridging the gap further between hardtail 29er and gravel bike. My KTM XC race bike full sus is also only 9.2kg so not heavy at all.