Gravel Bike vs MTB

[benb]

I did almost exactly the same ride Monday and today.. mixed road and dirt.

For some reason I got up this morning and decided I take my MTB. Monday I had done it on my Space Horse. I don't think I've rode the MTB 5x this year out of 100+ rides.

MTB is an old Giant NRS F/S. SRAM X.0 9-speed but with modern shock (Monarch) and relatively new Hydro discs. Specialized tubeless 2.3" tires with a pretty beefy tread, but they're fairly worn which probably makes them faster on easy stuff. Left the rear shock unlocked but this bike has no bob anyway.

My Space Horse has Mini Vs, mostly 105, and Challenge 38c gravel tires.

Weight is probably about equal on these two bikes, the MTB might be a bit lighter but neither bike is light. (24-25lbs?) There was barely any hills on this ride anyway though. (~300ft in 15 miles)

I managed to ride almost the exact same effort level on both rides on a particular 11 minute section of trail. 1 second faster on the space horse. Same average and max HR. Tempo pace, not killing it by any means.

It's hard to say as today's ride was early AM before breakfast, never my fastest time of day. But what actually happened on that ride was over the first 5 minutes of the 11 minute trail section I was 30 seconds faster on the gravel bike. Then the trail starts getting a bit sandier, a bit more up and down, and a bit curvier. And I basically pulled all the time back on the MTB. There was a long straight sandy slight uphill that was just way faster on the gravel bike.

Lots of the corners and downhills it was obvious I was slowing down way more on the gravel bike and then coasting through where on the MTB I was pedaling right to the last minute, quick tap of the brake and then pedaling again through the corner. Also some areas I have to bunny hop on the gravel bike and can pedal through on the MTB.

Fun experiment. Lots of fun as I've been grinding it out on the road a lot lately. I've done this on more technical stuff but it's kind of meaningless as the MTB starts pulling way ahead as soon as braking becomes a big deal or the trail starts having really tight corners or really steep uphills with technical features.

[sandyrs]

I inadvertently do this all the time on the western greenway in Belmont. I've ridden almost every bike I own on that trail (including a fixed gear with fenders- not recommended). My PR's are done on a mix of my cross bike and my MTB. The MTB is total overkill- 100/120 full suspension. On pedaling sections it's slower, but I can ride anything rough basically with my eyes closed, whereas I can fly on the pedaling sections with my cross bike but need to be more aware in the rocky, rooty stuff.

Rides like this are how I stay sane trying to be a cyclist in the Boston area on weekdays. I can only take so many 25 mile morning road rides getting honked at and stopping every ten minutes at a traffic light.

[benb]

Yep the cars get old, the woods seem ridiculously serene after an absence.

I didn't notice it at first but there is an uphill paved section on the way to the trail.. the times there were interesting. 10 seconds faster over 7.5 minutes on on the MTB compared to the gravel bike. But I do it in more like 6 minutes on my Domane. Huge obvious difference on a fast road bike.

My MTB is 80/80. The rear of the bike pretty much never moves even standing and sprinting but the front fork does bob quite a bit although mostly only when standing.

[adamhell]

split the difference: sell the space horse & use the money to put drop bars, a rigid fork, and the fattest compass tires your mtb can fit.