What’s a gravel bike, how’s it different, and why a gravel bike

[Clancy]

Originally Posted by Kontact

I'm not saying to use 23c tires, I'm saying that a 150 pound rider only needs 75 psi in 28c tires, so how low a pressure do you want to run? Are you riding long distances at 30 psi?

Back to the new classification of Gravel Bike

Yes you can take an old steel road frame, put 28's on there, and ride gravel roads, but that's not a gravel bike. It's an old steel road bike that you're riding on gravel.

And a gravel bike is not a road bike with a little longer chain stays.

Yes you can take a gravel bike and do a crit. Why would you I have no idea, but you could. It doesn't turn it into a crit bike just because you're riding a crit.

My Salsa Vaya has very different geometry than a road bike. It is a gravel bike. I use Panaracer Gravelkings that I run tubeless at around 28-30 psi. It would be miserable to ride that thing on pavement for a 100 miles, much less 30.

There are a lot of manufacturers jumping into the gravel bike market and the category is broad and not yet that clearly defined. My Salsa Vaya vs a Salsa Cutthroat vs an Open U.P. vs....

What a lot of people are saying are gravel bikes are road bikes adapted to ride gravel. Slapping tri bars on a road bike does not make it a TT bike, it makes it a road bike that you can do time trails on.

With all that said, an old steel frame that will fit 28c tires makes a great and fun bike to go exploring back roads and gravel roads. My first real adventures were on a Gunnar with 28c cross tires.

I rode the first Crusher. People showed up on cross bikes and MTB's. This was at the infancy of the gravel bike, cobbling parts together. Since then there's been an explosion of advances in this area. And what you'll see lining up this year will be nothing like the first year.

What I firmly believe we are in the midst of is an establishing of a whole new family of bicycles along with gear, clothing, and events aimed specifically at this category and style of riding. In my area of the Texas Hill Country, San Antonio/Austin area, there was not a single organized "Gravel Ride" 8-10 years ago. Now there are a dozen or more in my area.

I'm willing to bet we'll see a dedicated organization come about that will govern gravel racing and we'll see more and more marquee events such as the Grinduro. There will be much debate, arguments, and wringing of hands but in 5-10 more years, this segment will not look anything like it does today.

I'd even go so far as to say that the push by individuals, small builders, component manufacturers and bike companies to develop this market has brought about more innovations in the last few years than any other segment of the market.

This is a new category and I believe we will see it grow into a highly unique category all of its own. In the end, if it expands the sport of cycling, that's a good thing.

Geez, I need to quit drinking so much coffee! Back to looking at the classifieds.

[simplemind]

Originally Posted by Clancy

In my area of the Texas Hill Country, San Antonio/Austin area, there was not a single organized "Gravel Ride" 8-10 years ago. Now there are a dozen or more in my area.
.

I'm in your wheelhouse as well and I would like to know your sources of local rides and/or websites such as Bike MoJo - Texas Bike Forum.

[Clancy]

Here's a few to get you going.

http://www.spinistry.net

Spinistry, puts on lots of events, well organized.

https://www.facebook.com/IcemansChallengeGravelPursuit/

I signed up for that one, going to be a suffer fest.

Also check Bicycle Sport Shop, they put on the Holy Roller every year, great event right outside Austin - in Bastrop.

http://www.castellgrind.com

You missed out on signing up for the Castell Grind, sells out in minutes. A waiting list is available. Super fun event.

Search Facebook for the San Antonio gravelriders - good stuff.

Try searching Facebook for the Austin equivalent.

Wait 6 months, then look again. They're probably be much more. It's growing at an unbelievable rate.

And, to continue to drive home my point about the specificity of gravel bikes. The Castell grind is 90% gravel with long sections of deep sand. Riders with plus size tires were riding those sections while those on cross bikes or adapted bikes where running it. (Or falling!) The Holy Roller is more 50/50 but with stretches of gravel that have fist size to baby head size rocks. I've not ridden the Iceman, but I anticipate fast stretches of smooth gravel.

Horses for courses

A dedicated gravel bike capable of running 32's-47's or 700/650B wheels, sub-compact 2X with a large cassette, or a 1X set-up, specific geometry, will handle any of those conditions and handle them well. A road bike with 28's could handle parts but be a serious handicap in other stretches.

I could not imagine riding the Castell grind on a road bike, be miserable.

[Kontact]

Originally Posted by Clancy

Back to the new classification of Gravel Bike

Yes you can take an old steel road frame, put 28's on there, and ride gravel roads, but that's not a gravel bike. It's an old steel road bike that you're riding on gravel.

And a gravel bike is not a road bike with a little longer chain stays.

Yes you can take a gravel bike and do a crit. Why would you I have no idea, but you could. It doesn't turn it into a crit bike just because you're riding a crit.

My Salsa Vaya has very different geometry than a road bike. It is a gravel bike. I use Panaracer Gravelkings that I run tubeless at around 28-30 psi. It would be miserable to ride that thing on pavement for a 100 miles, much less 30.

There are a lot of manufacturers jumping into the gravel bike market and the category is broad and not yet that clearly defined. My Salsa Vaya vs a Salsa Cutthroat vs an Open U.P. vs....

What a lot of people are saying are gravel bikes are road bikes adapted to ride gravel. Slapping tri bars on a road bike does not make it a TT bike, it makes it a road bike that you can do time trails on.

With all that said, an old steel frame that will fit 28c tires makes a great and fun bike to go exploring back roads and gravel roads. My first real adventures were on a Gunnar with 28c cross tires.

I rode the first Crusher. People showed up on cross bikes and MTB's. This was at the infancy of the gravel bike, cobbling parts together. Since then there's been an explosion of advances in this area. And what you'll see lining up this year will be nothing like the first year.

What I firmly believe we are in the midst of is an establishing of a whole new family of bicycles along with gear, clothing, and events aimed specifically at this category and style of riding. In my area of the Texas Hill Country, San Antonio/Austin area, there was not a single organized "Gravel Ride" 8-10 years ago. Now there are a dozen or more in my area.

I'm willing to bet we'll see a dedicated organization come about that will govern gravel racing and we'll see more and more marquee events such as the Grinduro. There will be much debate, arguments, and wringing of hands but in 5-10 more years, this segment will not look anything like it does today.

I'd even go so far as to say that the push by individuals, small builders, component manufacturers and bike companies to develop this market has brought about more innovations in the last few years than any other segment of the market.

This is a new category and I believe we will see it grow into a highly unique category all of its own. In the end, if it expands the sport of cycling, that's a good thing.

Geez, I need to quit drinking so much coffee! Back to looking at the classifieds.

I get what you're saying, but did you look at the two Erikson's in the OP and a couple posts later? They don't sound like they meet your defintion of a gravel bike, either. I was saying that those two are so "road bikish" that their subtle geometry differences would not impact their performance with 25c tires in a road race.

I get that the Vaya is very different from a road bike, but it appears to be very different from the Erikson gravel bike, too.

[simplemind]

Originally Posted by Clancy

Here's a few to get you going.

Thanks Clancy, I will check your suggestions!

[GRAVELBIKE]

I'm glad that the Vaya has been mentioned in this thread. For me, it was the first gravel bike that wasn't just a rebadged CX rig. I hold it in such high regard that it's my gold standard when evaluating new gravel models.

[2metalhips]

Originally Posted by GRAVELBIKE

I'm glad that the Vaya has been mentioned in this thread. For me, it was the first gravel bike that wasn't just a rebadged CX rig. I hold it in such high regard that it's my gold standard when evaluating new gravel models.

I have a first generation Vaya, the brown one, 2010. Back then they didn't even call it a gravel bike. Salsa deemed it an All Road/Any road adventure bike. Stiil a great ride.

[GRAVELBIKE]

Originally Posted by 2metalhips

I have a first generation Vaya, the brown one, 2010. Back then they didn't even call it a gravel bike. Salsa deemed it an All Road/Any road adventure bike. Stiil a great ride.

Nice. I loved the brown colorway. I've owned the charcoal grey and robin's egg blue ones, and rode them basically everywhere.

[BRad704]

Originally Posted by weisan

Stoner = GADA (Go Anywhere, Do Anything)

I like it. Would make a good model name for a bike.

[adirik]

Like the OP, I have 2 Eriksens (road and gravel/stoner). The OP's earlier threads on his riding experiences and his relationship with Kent were an inspiration to me. Having met Kent and Brad in person at NAHBS several times, I trust them to build me a bike that meets my needs. The same can be said of the many reputable builders that are known on this forum.

Kent made my first road bike 8 years ago. With clearance for 28mm tires, I've ridden thousands of miles on both road and dirt.





Earlier this year Brad Bingham (with input from Kent) made me a bike with disc brakes and clearance for 40mm tires. I told Brad I wanted a similar geometry as my road bike and the end result is a bike that is more versatile and can handle both fast road rides as well as technical singletrack (with appropriate wheelset/tire changes).





I don't ride my Eriksen road bike much these days. The main thing I miss about it is the Campy drivetrain. Campy H11 wasn't available so I went with Ultegra Di2 disc, which is nice and has been trouble-free. As much as I want to try H11, I can't justify spending more money to switch. Maybe in a few years when (or if) prices drop. In the meantime, I'm going to ride the hell out of it :-)

[Clancy]

Kent Eriksen fabricates the finest Ti frames being produced today. There are a few builders that are as good, but no one better in my mind.

I owned an Eriksen that I purchased from the original owner, so it was not designed specifically for me. Was a sublime ride none the less.

I hope one day to have him build a custom and when I do, it will be designed virtually identical to yours.

Beautiful bikes!

[VTR1000SP2]

What about the Eriksen makes it better than a Moots?

[Kontact]

Originally Posted by VTR1000SP2

What about the Eriksen makes it better than a Moots?

That isn't what he said.

[VTR1000SP2]

Originally Posted by Kontact

That isn't what he said.

Someone else in the thread did though.

[adirik]

Originally Posted by VTR1000SP2

What about the Eriksen makes it better than a Moots?

I know this question isn't directed at me, but I think both are amazing bikes, and whenever I see a Moots ride by in the other direction I turn my head to check it out.

I went with Eriksen because I wanted to have a personal connection with the builder of my bike. And while I know Moots can do custom geometry for an upcharge, it's an inherent part of the Eriksen experience.

For my gravel bike, I considered a Moots Routt RSL because it has both the 40mm tire clearance and shorter chainstays that I wanted (which is a problem for people deciding between the regular Routt and the Routt 45). But I was concerned about the reliability of the 3D-printed dropouts and it was also more expensive than an Eriksen (even with stock geometry).

Anyway, whenever someone unfamiliar w/Eriksen asks me about my bike, I simply say it was "built by the guy who founded Moots" and they instantly understand