Show me your gravelbikes....inspire me.

[oliver1850]

Originally Posted by cmbicycles

What size tires do you have on this bike? I have the exact same frame laying around, and hadn't considered knobby tires as an option.

I considered buying yours when I bought some parts from you. Later a friend of a friend's high school kid was looking for a road bike and I bought this one in Chicago. Kid ended up with something else, so I had to find a use for the Trek.

I should have mentioned, the tires are IRC 35c, they measure about 32 mm on a 20 mm rim. Calipers are Dia-Compe BRS 101s. A short reach is long enough in front, but not quite in the rear. Tightest clearance is where the stub of the steerer sticks through the crown. Not a bad thing as it might knock a few rocks off before they get to the caliper. There's about 5-6 mm between the tire and the steerer, more elsewhere.

Are there any 650B conversions in this thread? Seems like the perfect application for them.

[Peter B]

700c here but these two do dirt (and gravel) respectably well.

[john segal]

Riv Road Standard + Kenda Kwick cross tires = gravel bike.
(crappy iphobe pic)

[weisan]

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . should NOT have opened this thread!

DROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLL!

BBD

[xjoex]

I use my Seven Mudhoney Ti w/discs as my gravel bike.


-Joe

[David Kirk]

I would like to take just a second or two to echo the sentiment of a few others that most any bike can be a gravel road bike. One does not need huge tires and wide brakes to have fun on a gravel road. As long at the road isn't full of big rocks or deep holes that can't be ridden around most any road bike will do.

I've been riding gravel on a nearly daily basis for the past 10 years in Montana and for a life time previous to that on a straight up road bike, with 'normal' road tires and brakes and in all that time I've never damaged a wheel and cut a sidewall on a tire once..........once in a good 20 years of riding skinny tires on dirt/gravel. I flat a few times a year on the road and seldom on gravel (good mechanical reasons for this that I won't dip into at this point).

I sometimes ride with folks who will not take a turn off the well traveled and paved path onto a quiet and smooth dirt road for fear that their wonderbike will suddenly burst into flames if they do so. But I'm here to state that most any road bike will come out the other side NOT on fire and the only change will be the deep smile on the rider's face. I feel for those that look at said dirt road and pass by for fear of damaging the bike. Unless you go way out of your way to hurt and flat out abuse the bike it will be fine and you will have fun.

So I urge you to not worry that you have 'only' 23's or 25's and just ride the bike on what ever road you find in front of you. You'll have more fun, your bike will be fine and you'll have just that many more roads and riding loops open themselves to you.

Take the road less traveled and enjoy. I got out yesterday for about 1 1/2 hrs and a solid hour of it was on dirt with 25 mm tires and carbon wheels..........and they held up just fine. Just like a hundred rides before. Explore and have fun!

Dave

[Gummee]

Buddy of mine bought a Redline cross frame. I built it up out of (my) spare parts. Sat in his garage for a year before another buddy of mine and I finally got him out on a dirt road ride on it.

Went out once. Hated every minute of it. Blamed the bike. Blamed the position. Blamed everything.

Sold the frame later that week. Hasn't looked back once.

It isn't for everyone

M

[svelocity]

An article from Chris Kostman originally published in Bicycle Guide, February 1993...

http://www.adventurecorps.com/way/whoneedsatb.html

[zennmotion]

Originally Posted by David Kirk

I would like to take just a second or two to echo the sentiment of a few others that most any bike can be a gravel road bike. One does not need huge tires and wide brakes to have fun on a gravel road. As long at the road isn't full of big rocks or deep holes that can't be ridden around most any road bike will do.

I've been riding gravel on a nearly daily basis for the past 10 years in Montana and for a life time previous to that on a straight up road bike, with 'normal' road tires and brakes and in all that time I've never damaged a wheel and cut a sidewall on a tire once..........once in a good 20 years of riding skinny tires on dirt/gravel. I flat a few times a year on the road and seldom on gravel (good mechanical reasons for this that I won't dip into at this point).

I sometimes ride with folks who will not take a turn off the well traveled and paved path onto a quiet and smooth dirt road for fear that their wonderbike will suddenly burst into flames if they do so. But I'm here to state that most any road bike will come out the other side NOT on fire and the only change will be the deep smile on the rider's face. I feel for those that look at said dirt road and pass by for fear of damaging the bike. Unless you go way out of your way to hurt and flat out abuse the bike it will be fine and you will have fun.

So I urge you to not worry that you have 'only' 23's or 25's and just ride the bike on what ever road you find in front of you. You'll have more fun, your bike will be fine and you'll have just that many more roads and riding loops open themselves to you.

Take the road less traveled and enjoy. I got out yesterday for about 1 1/2 hrs and a solid hour of it was on dirt with 25 mm tires and carbon wheels..........and they held up just fine. Just like a hundred rides before. Explore and have fun!

Dave

Yep. This ^ Except that Montana is mostly dry. Permawet roads, like at spring thaw time need wider floaty tires to avoid a slog through a bog. And space for fenders is really nice to protect your drivetrain from a wet sandblasting from road grit. But the question is, do you really ride much in those conditions that you need a "special" bike? I think the gravel road fad has come as a result of looking to escape increased traffic on the roads, and a marketing response to a growing realization that it's stupid to design a road bike with less than enough clearance for 25-28mm tires.

[Erik_A]

I ride a 2008 LeMond Poprad Disc on longer "non-competitive" gravel rides:

Gallery: LeMond Poprad Disc Review - BikeRadar
First Impression: LeMond Poprad Disc | Commute by Bike
Update: Lemond Poprad Disc | Commute by Bike
LeMond Bicycles Poprad Disc Cyclocross Bike Reviews

The frame is made of True Temper OX Platinum steel ( OX PLATINUM Bicycle Frame Tubing by True Temper Sports ). and way nicer triple butting than any 4130 steel CX bike that I have seen. 40c is the largest size tires that will fit in the rear. I don't see that as a problem though; as I do (in addition to gravel) single track on it very effectively.

[spaced_ghost]

Originally Posted by Erik_A

I ride a 2008 LeMond Poprad Disc on longer "non-competitive" gravel rides:

I used to have the non-disc version. awesome bike.

[bobswire]

Originally Posted by David Kirk

I would like to take just a second or two to echo the sentiment of a few others that most any bike can be a gravel road bike. One does not need huge tires and wide brakes to have fun on a gravel road. As long at the road isn't full of big rocks or deep holes that can't be ridden around most any road bike will do.

I've been riding gravel on a nearly daily basis for the past 10 years in Montana and for a life time previous to that on a straight up road bike, with 'normal' road tires and brakes and in all that time I've never damaged a wheel and cut a sidewall on a tire once..........once in a good 20 years of riding skinny tires on dirt/gravel. I flat a few times a year on the road and seldom on gravel (good mechanical reasons for this that I won't dip into at this point).

I sometimes ride with folks who will not take a turn off the well traveled and paved path onto a quiet and smooth dirt road for fear that their wonderbike will suddenly burst into flames if they do so. But I'm here to state that most any road bike will come out the other side NOT on fire and the only change will be the deep smile on the rider's face. I feel for those that look at said dirt road and pass by for fear of damaging the bike. Unless you go way out of your way to hurt and flat out abuse the bike it will be fine and you will have fun.

So I urge you to not worry that you have 'only' 23's or 25's and just ride the bike on what ever road you find in front of you. You'll have more fun, your bike will be fine and you'll have just that many more roads and riding loops open themselves to you.

Take the road less traveled and enjoy. I got out yesterday for about 1 1/2 hrs and a solid hour of it was on dirt with 25 mm tires and carbon wheels..........and they held up just fine. Just like a hundred rides before. Explore and have fun!

Dave

Too true! But watch it Dave you'll cut into your business by not trying to sell
designated frames for different terrain.

[Puget Pounder]

Originally Posted by oliver1850

I considered buying yours when I bought some parts from you. Later a friend of a friend's high school kid was looking for a road bike and I bought this one in Chicago. Kid ended up with something else, so I had to find a use for the Trek.

I should have mentioned, the tires are IRC 35c, they measure about 32 mm on a 20 mm rim. Calipers are Dia-Compe BRS 101s. A short reach is long enough in front, but not quite in the rear. Tightest clearance is where the stub of the steerer sticks through the crown. Not a bad thing as it might knock a few rocks off before they get to the caliper. There's about 5-6 mm between the tire and the steerer, more elsewhere.

Are there any 650B conversions in this thread? Seems like the perfect application for them.

Boom! Currently sporting fenders.

[Erik_A]

I agree, for non-race bikes I love steel. I also had a "slightly lighter" Lemond Zurich with Reynolds 853 tubes (that I sold to get the Poprad); I actually prefer the Poprad (even for urban street roads). The TT Platinum OX is sweet steel; very similar to the 853, which the oldest Poprads came with). I looked for awhile and would have had to go custom for anything close to this frame quality - and luckily the 59cm frame fits well. Just bought the frameset used and built it up myself.

Originally Posted by spaced_ghost

I used to have the non-disc version. awesome bike.