Gravel / Gravé / Gnarmac / Groad / ATB

Bro chat is awesome in here.

They look bloody awesome - not too cheap though - really want one, and a DA9000 chainset to match their 4 arm with built in bolt cover bits.

Had my eye on them for a while when i started building the Open, but wanted a 30mm crankset for that and ended up with Easton EC90SL and Easton Chainring.

Bro gravel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX-kClSgpMg

Yeah it started getting 110rpm+ at anything above 55kph with the 46 x 10 i had on the Open.

I was more concerned about the ability to sprint it than with how delightful (ly slowly) it was cruising up a hill in 46x42, but that very much reflects my riding habits and the fact I've not ridden up a proper hill (mountain), let alone a gravel mountain, since last summer en suisse.

And the fact the only off-road the Open saw was Ice-Skating (horizontal) in Essex.......

If you're doing 55kph on the flat you must be Chris Boardman in the 90s

Maybe get out and ride more road?

That’s fast lead out or gentle descent pace in a group.

#brochat

Yeah I was on the front of an averagely paced group ride on Saturday pulling 50-55kph for a good few kms......

#brochat

Why would anyone ride a gravel bike on a group ride on the road?

Because I was convinced spending fuckload of money would get me a bike that would do everything....

I'm looking at my fastest CG and the fastest segment which is a descent is at 52kph, and that was on a road bike, so you must be really quick.

#brochat

I think you can get a bike that'll do everything, just not at >50kph! I'm happy to have a compromise bike that'll get me up anything and thereby live the #sluglife on the road.

If one absolutely need to pedal at 60kph or whatever but also wants to ride up proper gravel hills then the only option is the venerable triple. But I think most people would just be better off with two bikes.

That has been the result!

Road bike for fast

CX bike for gravel / fun

It should be obvious right, the answer is always another bike

Good to know! Think the road gearing would be OK for me, not a fast rider and not riding in fast groups either. Did a club ride last week, avg. was 23-25 km/h. 42x11 never seemed to low to keep up the pace with the guys on proper road bikes.

Always the right answer to me.

My long suffering girlfriend tends to disagree!

That depends on your definition of everything.

Mine has 38mm tyres (G-Ones), 700c wheels, and a compact road group (smallest gear 34-28). That's plenty to get me around Hertforshire's gnarliest bridleways, and fine for 'gravel' based Peak District trips. Conversely I commute 10 miles to work on it, and can happily sit in a bunch lapping Regent's park at 22mph.

Would I road race on it? Nope. Would I race CX on it? Possibly, but probably with a 650b wheelset and proper knobbly tyres. I think that anything that requires <1:1 gearing has fallen out of scope for a 'gravel' ride tbh. Caveat that I only have experience of riding gravel in the UK and understand that it's a very different beast in the US

:)

And if you're taking bikepacking gear and a tent that's a lot of extra weight, so again, you need a lower ratio.

functional thread

Edit: it's a beautiful sunny day and this argument is not exciting enough to keep any of us indoors. Ride whatever

I'm tempted to lock this thread, before everybody drowns in testosterone.

Yeah, can we talk about dangly mugs again please?

instagram likes = testosterone rush

BANNED

Aggrové

I have a group gravel ride planned in an hour, you can join us! It is in Utrecht (Netherlands) though.

Bit of a journey... I might sod off home early and go for a ride though 😎