Gravel / Gravé / Gnarmac / Groad / ATB

Are we now talking about cycling’s identity politics?

I think gravel will always have identity issue and people who exclusively identify themselves as gravel riders like @cake are answerable

If you own a smart trainer you're more a roadie than a roadie who rides outside.

Nothing fancy, but oh so capable and fun.

It’s a Norco XR Steel.

Not sure how available they are in the UK mind

THE SEARCH XR STEEL IS A STYLISH DO IT ALL RIDE THAT TRANSCENDS GRAVEL

How would you rate it's transcendence out of 10?

i'm not sure how many times this has to be stated, gravel bikes are bought instead of a mtb when the user doesn't/ doesn't want to own a motorised vehicle

as such, they need to ride 20 miles of suburbia before they ride 3 miles of mud and fall off

I don't know, but that's part of it - your average plebian who's buying a bike won't have heard of Rapha. They just walk into Evans and an Arkose is one of the most practical bikes in the shop

If you own a smart trainer

I peaked as a roadie when I bought 1st gen wahoo kickr in 2015. I also had a powermeter.

Now I am identity lucid but lean towards roadie as thats where I come from.

True dat!

I disagree with this; I am anti-car and have SICKKKK XC bike thats as quick as a gravel bike on road

maybe you're just slow?

In fact, I am.

I do like to be crowned to have the most diverse stable of bikes though. Like I ride a Canyon di2 disc road bike with a safety pizza, thats quirky even for a white person!

it's ok, i don't think i've ever gotten into a 13t, let alone an 11 without gravity

8.5/10

Although 9/10 if I’ve pumped the tyre to preferred pressure

11t is actually only on cassettes to stop the derailleur dumping the chain off the side. If you find yourself riding in it regularly you may need to get your gears adjusted.

To add to my previous comment, obviously I am a lycra-clad nutter as well, so I can't claim to be any more normal than anyone else on here

are you saying i could just get a 10spd cassette and save weight?

:brainful:

So long as the 10sp cassette doesn't have more than 34 teeth, and your tyres aren't bigger than 33mm, and your head tube angle isn't too slack.

this is genuinely my use case, if you add 'or car owning partner won't give you a lift'

although to be fair the manoeuvrability, er little wheels on my gravel grinder make me look slightly less clumsy when slaloming the pedestrian barriers* at arena/gravel hill tram stops

and there is the secret gravel road by streatham common

*let's not talk about the pedestrian barriers on the urban slalom dh from new addington to featherbed

Love that slalom!

actually, i can't tell a lie - i really bought my gravel slayer for cobble monster. although it has been on the real cobbles at ronde van calderdale

Is Shibden wall included in that?

oh yes

http://rondevancalderdale.org/route-information/

a quick strava check says it took me 9 min 30, and it's less than 1km

Ribble 725? Got the Gravel Bike of the year award on Road.cc

Condor?
Brother Mehteh?