"gravel bike" on the cheap

[dancinkozmo]

https://www.cxmagazine.com/cheap-gravel-bike-steel-vintage-road-bikes-60s-70s-80s

[ceolwulf]

Works great.

[fiamme red]

No disc brakes? You can't ride those bikes on gravel. :no:

[MikeD]

Touring bikes make great gravel bikes. A big plus with them is the ability to fit wide rubber and have lower gearing and the clearance of cantilever brakes. A bit heavy though.

[oliver1850]

My first gravel build was a Trek 400, next was a Nishiki. Just built a Nishiki Sport this winter from a $35 frame and a Nashbar CX fork. One of the bikes I've ridden most on gravel is a Cannondale T400 touring from around 1986.

[Spaghetti Legs]

My gravel bike is whatever road bike I happen to be riding in the gravel. Sometimes it’s my cross bike.

[nesteel]

My gravel bike is an '85 Raleigh Portage. Factory 650b (before it was "hip"), canti's and big rubber.

[mhespenheide]

Yeah, this is the rabbit hole I'm currently chasing down...

[oldpotatoe]

No disc brakes? You can't ride those bikes on gravel. :no:

You forgot thru-axles, tapered fork, only 1 chainring, ginormous tires..without those it's illegal to ride that bike on a dirt road..:)

[AngryScientist]

it's almost comical what a statement of the obvious that article is.

you can ride bikes on unpaved roads that were not specifically designed and marketed to do so?? amazing!

[colker]

Touring bikes make great gravel bikes. A big plus with them is the ability to fit wide rubber and have lower gearing and the clearance of cantilever brakes. A bit heavy though.

Heavy absorbs shock.

[colker]

it's almost comical what a statement of the obvious that article is.

you can ride bikes on unpaved roads that were not specifically designed and marketed to do so?? amazing!

Otoh the article saves old bikes and keeps the hype shopping away. I like the new gravel bikes: they are close to the original all terrain bikes.

[bigbill]

I rode gravel on my cross bike with 35's for two years before getting a "real" gravel bike. Tubeless would have been nice on the cross bike.

[dancinkozmo]

it's almost comical what a statement of the obvious that article is.

you can ride bikes on unpaved roads that were not specifically designed and marketed to do so?? amazing!

i think alot of us get tunnel vision / new bike lust and forget this

[zacstanley]

I rode my '83 Sequoia converted to 650B on the Lost and Found for 100 miles in 2015 and it was was amazing. I stupidly sold it.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8895/18329773806_c45c6f281d_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/tVJT9S)Lost and Found Bike Race (https://flic.kr/p/tVJT9S) by zacquillestanli (https://www.flickr.com/photos/garycaribou/), on Flickr

[RFC]

Turning road bikes into allarounders / gravel bikes is great cheap fun. And they work. Here are a few I have converted. The Trek 660 SS with cross tires makes for a righteous workout.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/809/26162586177_4b201fdee5_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/FRU6o2)IMG_0007 (2)r (https://flic.kr/p/FRU6o2) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/150689726@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/786/40991399322_3ee8ab09a7_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/25sgCUb)IMG_0052r (https://flic.kr/p/25sgCUb) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/150689726@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/783/27161993688_74d3483780_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Hodjq1)Trek 660 CX (https://flic.kr/p/Hodjq1) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/150689726@N06/), on Flickr

[livingminimal]

For newer/younger riders, this article may actually prove to be totally helpful.
It could start some people thinking about some good recycling projects, or bikes they can help a friend, partner, or child get on.


Why be dismissive of it?

[azrider]

Turning road bikes into allarounders / gravel bikes is great cheap fun. And they work. Here are a few I have converted. The Trek 660 SS with cross tires makes for a righteous workout.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/809/26162586177_4b201fdee5_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/FRU6o2)IMG_0007 (2)r (https://flic.kr/p/FRU6o2) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/150689726@N06/), on Flickr



Wow.......that is EXACTLY what I've been looking for lately. Nicely executed. If ya wanna sell it........call me first :p

[RFC]

Thanks. The RB-T was a fun project and did turn out rather well. Unfortunately, it was a victim of one of my bike purges.

[spacemen3]

Works like a charm. :)

[Dasarbule]

https://s5.postimg.org/onwy680xz/IMG-20170809-_WA0013.jpg

1st post!
Alpinestars AlpineXcross morphed into rough road bike
Shimergo 9 speed, cantilevers, Strada Bianca 30mm tires and other cool stuff.

[Dasarbule]

https://s5.postimg.org/kdiaado2f/IMG-20180109-_WA0000.jpg

Here's one the other way around. Mosso alloy MTB frame/ rigid fork with drops, 10sp bar ends and 650b PariMotos on KOM rims. 36/46 rings on a carbon isis crank to keep a reasonable Q factor.

[AngryScientist]

welcome to the forum Dasar. Couple cool bikes there.