Show me your gravelbikes....inspire me.

[sparky33]

Originally Posted by fourflys

gotta second the Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross... Mike really knows how to design a bike, guy has tons of experience and his world has a lot of "gravelbike" types rides in it so... the biggest advantage of this bike is the ability to use the Bruce Gordon Rock n' Road tires (45mm)... these tires are so nice to ride on...
http://www.blackmtncycles.com/p/blac...es-frames.html

here is mine BTW- the Paul Mini-Motos rock... just as nice (actually better) than the BB7's I had on my Vaya...

Want.

[edward12]

Here's my CK Cielo. I generally run Rivendell Jack Brown (33.3mm) tires in the Spring. I also use a 46/36 'cross crankset. Great bike and the one that I use on 75% of my rides.

[firerescuefin]

Originally Posted by edward12

Here's my CK Cielo. I generally run Rivendell Jack Brown (33.3mm) tires in the Spring. I also use a 46/36 'cross crankset. Great bike and the one that I use on 75% of my rides.

BAM!

[gregj]

I've been bit by the gravel bug too.

Not that this is gonna happen anytime soon, but if I had to choose, I'd have a hard time picking between a more road-oriented Hampsten SB and a more dirt-oriented Black Mountain Cycles (especially, the new San Francisco-made one).

I already have road bikes, so that would point me more towards the BMC, but the Hampsten is so damn smooth.

Can someone tell me if the BMC Monstercross has a sloped top tube?

[spaced_ghost]

nice cielo. there's so many rad bikes in here.

[vav]

It does.

Originally Posted by gregj

I've been bit by the gravel bug too.

Not that this is gonna happen anytime soon, but if I had to choose, I'd have a hard time picking between a more road-oriented Hampsten SB and a more dirt-oriented Black Mountain Cycles (especially, the new San Francisco-made one).

I already have road bikes, so that would point me more towards the BMC, but the Hampsten is so damn smooth.

Can someone tell me if the BMC Monstercross has a sloped top tube?

[teleguy57]

Sigh.... These... just... look... sooooo... right.....
[QUOTE=DDYTDY;1309743]

Originally Posted by scrubadub

[Erik_A]

I attached some pics of my '08 Poprad Disc, in full gravel grinder mode.

Just the frame was stock. Here is the menagerie of franken-parts that I am currently running:

• Kona Project 2 Rigid Fork
• Tower of spacers to get the bars to saddle height
• Shimano 105 brifters
• Shimano 105 standard triple crankset 53/39/30
• Shimano Tiagra Triple Front Derailleur
• Shimano SLX RD-M662 Rear Derailleur
• Avid BB-7 Road disc brakes
• SRAM PG-990 11-34 9-Speed Cassette
• Salsa Woodchipper bars
• Kenda REDLINE Kross Supreme Tires 700 X 35C
• Velocity A23 rims w/ SRAM 9.0 Disc hubs

I love the True Temper OX Platinum frame, it rides so nicely for a clyde like me (6'-4" & 220 lbs). The overall build is not lightweight (mainly due the front fork and wheelset), although I haven't weighed it; just know it is pounds heavier than my Cannondale CAAD9 cyclocross bike. But this is the most fun bike I have for gravel, general urban riding, and light singletrack. It also makes for a cyclocross "pit" bike for the few races that I do per year.

[fourflys]

Originally Posted by Erik_A

If you want 45c tires, I would say get a 29er mountain bike with a rigid front fork. The only time 45c tires are needed is for mountain biking and a cyclocross frame isn't made for MTBing. You see 100k endurance races with a lot of cyclocross bikes because 35c tires are faster.

All depends what you want I guess... My BMC has 45mm Roack n' Roads and it rides great on gravel, dirt, whatever... A cross bike is great on trails for me... But I guess I don't get that crazy on the trails, I have a full suspension and very seldom ride it...

[jpw]

Originally Posted by edward12

Here's my CK Cielo. I generally run Rivendell Jack Brown (33.3mm) tires in the Spring. I also use a 46/36 'cross crankset. Great bike and the one that I use on 75% of my rides.

what calipers are they?

[edward12]

Originally Posted by jpw

what calipers are they?

Shimano BR-650 long-reach calipers. Love these brakes.

[beeatnik]

Originally Posted by edward12

Here's my CK Cielo. I generally run Rivendell Jack Brown (33.3mm) tires in the Spring. I also use a 46/36 'cross crankset. Great bike and the one that I use on 75% of my rides.

Looks like that frame might be too big for you (even though you probably have long legs for your height). What do you normally ride? Curious since I'm considering a Cielo Sportif and your frame (58?) looks like it has a pretty slack ST angle.

[John Price]

Here's mine "grinding" some gravel in Italy. I built the frame and fork with clearance for 32s and fenders. Fenders are nice to keep the rock chips and dust to a minimum.

Like some have said, here in Colorado anyway you rarely need tires bigger than 30-32. I run Panaracer Paselas and find them a good compromise between gravel and pavement. Yeah, in the deeper stuff (typically at the bottom of long downhills out on those country roads) can be a bit dicey but it just adds to the fun.

[donevwil]

Comare MAX

[Ramjm_2000]

Originally Posted by GRAVELBIKE

Words of wisdom from Mr Tom Ritchey:

I thought all road bikes were gravel road bikes? I’ve been riding my bikes on gravel and more accurately—unpaved dirt roads and trails—for decades. It’s good to see 25c tires and wider rims coming back, and more importantly the clearance on bikes to run these bigger rims and tires. For some reason the bike industry ‘innovated’ away from this many years ago, and for a while many top-end carbon bikes haven’t even had room for 25c tires, much less a broken spoke. Now we’re ‘innovating’ back to where we started. I’m glad to see it, as this style of riding is what I like to do most and it’s what my products are designed for.

[ http://reviews.roadbikereview.com/20...ritchey-design ]

Hmm...I'll have to check the clearence on my Ritchey Breakaway but I doubt anything bigger than a 25c would fit.