MTB to gravel bike

[yello]

There's loads of info out there on doing this as a project (converting a hardtail mtb into a gravel bike) but I wanted a couple of quick answers to a starter question.

My club have decided to start a gravel bike section, as there are a number of keen gravel riders already, and it's something I'm pondering trying out. I'm a roadie really, any off-road jaunts I fancy are done on my old (2005) Claud Butler Cape Wrath MTB. It's a budget/basic bike but it suits my needs. I was thinking that to ride gravel with the club, I could just stick more appropriate tyres on it. I figured that'd be a starting point. Would that be a fair assessment? Would I be missing out on anything essential for the gavel bike 'experience'?

I appreciate other changes could be made but that at some point you cross a line where it'd make more sense to actually buy a gravel bike. I don't propose to go that far though.

 

[I like Skol]

I think you've summed it up. I assume your old MTB is a rigid frame/forks?

Not sure you even need to change tyres, why would you?

 

[cougie uk]

Congratulations on finishing your conversion in record time !

 

[yello]

Not sure you even need to change tyres, why would you?

I assumed I might benefit on the road sections. Dunno, not being a gravel bike rider, I can't honestly say.

My MTB has suspension front forks but they can be locked out. Again, I know I could change them but that's yet another thing. Tbh, I'm not really sure I'm going to be bitten by gravel, I've so far seen no urges in that direction. I'm a roadie at heart but as the club are starting this new section, I thought I'd give it a go.

 

[I like Skol]

I assumed I might benefit on the road sections. Dunno, not being a gravel bike rider, I can't honestly say.

Just beast them on and off the road then be smug.

 

[I like Skol]

It's what I would do

 

[yello]

Just beast them on and off the road then be smug.

Chances of me 'beasting' anyone these days are pretty remote!

 

[Jody]

Serious question.

Why do you need curly handlebars and skinnier tyres to ride with the gravel set?

 

[fossyant]

Just ride with your MTB. If you are struggling to keep up, you could always fit some lighter faster tyres - e.g. Rocket Rons.

 

[cougie uk]

We met some gnarly gravel dudes at the weekend. Kinesis frames seemed to be very popular - but there was a Marin MTB. Riding 1x with narrow flat bars - probs for the aero benefits there - but if it were me - I'd have put bar ends on.
He had this huuuge sprocket on - I think a 52 ? No idea what he needed that for !

 

[yello]

Just ride with your MTB. If you are struggling to keep up, you could always fit some lighter faster tyres - e.g. Rocket Rons.

Yes, I think I might just give that a go. It's the simplest 1st option.

Picking up on another point (@cougie uk ) I do have some bar ends sitting around that I could use, just to try out. OR, my misses has a Trek 7100 hybrid that I could equally try, after adjustment obviously, with maybe a tyre change. Options options eh

 

[figbat]

It depends a lot on where your gravel chapter will actually ride. In the UK we don't really have a lot of true 'gravel' - the sort of unpaved highways that stretch for miles across the US and inspired the gravel movement. In truth, I ride my gravel bike over the much of same terrain as I ride my MTBs - the main difference will be the offroadnroad ratio of a route and the ultimate technicality. And my gravel bike is a converted MTB anyway - I have ridden it on gravel sportives at which it has proved its worth - and attracted a lot of attention too.

 

[yello]

It depends a lot on where your gravel chapter will actually ride

That's a top point and one I have pondered. There just isn't that much gravel around here anyway (unless the local dept have just resurfaced a road, and then there's shoot loads of the stuff... but that's another story) Most of the non-road tracks around here are pretty much service roads (if I can call them that) for farmers; stoney/gravelly in places but invariably clay/mud in winter. The same tracks favoured by ramblers and dog walkers, and used by me on my MTB when I fancy it. There's certainly not mile-after-mile of gravel track. No, gravel rides around here will inevitably incorporate much, if not more, surfaced roads as they link up sections of off-road. I'm not selling it well am I?

my gravel bike is a converted MTB anyway

What changes did you make, out of interest?

 

[Cycleops]

He had this huuuge sprocket on - I think a 52 ? No idea what he needed that for !

Maybe his granny borrows it.

 

[fossyant]

We met some gnarly gravel dudes at the weekend. Kinesis frames seemed to be very popular - but there was a Marin MTB. Riding 1x with narrow flat bars - probs for the aero benefits there - but if it were me - I'd have put bar ends on.
He had this huuuge sprocket on - I think a 52 ? No idea what he needed that for !

It's a thing now, come over from 1x MTB. Don't go looking at cassette prices.