Learn me some Titanium gravel bikes

Blair

Well-Known Member
That’s a really good option, how is the sizing? I used to have a m/l giant aka 56cm back in the day, wondering is a 54 would be more maneuverable, I’m 5’11, and wouldn’t be doing any long road rides, primarily gravel/road paths and tooling around the neighborhood with the kids.
 

Blair

Well-Known Member
@Blair about 4 yrs ago i was thinking about getting a Gravelbikes,,then i remember i have my 26er Titus Ti just collecting dust
so,i converted it to a Gravelbikes with modern day gravel Components.
it cost me about $900 to convert.

just to gave you another option.

View attachment 166769
Thanks I’ll look into this if I come across a frame, did you have to factor in the geometry of the setup? Or is “gravel” essentially a mtb from with oversized tires and drop bars?
 

Blair

Well-Known Member

The_Mountainside_Menace

Well-Known Member

mwlikesbikes

Well-Known Member
That’s a really good option, how is the sizing? I used to have a m/l giant aka 56cm back in the day, wondering is a 54 would be more maneuverable, I’m 5’11, and wouldn’t be doing any long road rides, primarily gravel/road paths and tooling around the neighborhood with the kids.
Mine is a 2018 model, but I don’t think the geometry has changed. It’s a medium and and fits me great. I’m 5’10” and ride a 56cm road bike. I think the actual top tube length on the Planet X is about 55cm.
 

liong71er

Well-Known Member
Thanks I’ll look into this if I come across a frame, did you have to factor in the geometry of the setup? Or is “gravel” essentially a mtb from with oversized tires and drop bars?
pretty much is,
A Gravel bikes,is just a mountain bike with dopbar or A road bikes with beefier tires
either we looked at it,,IMO.

but beware,increased BB Height
other than taht its rides awesome,i loged many miles doing bikepackin' on it.
 

Blair

Well-Known Member
pretty much is,
A Gravel bikes,is just a mountain bike with dopbar or A road bikes with beefier tires
either we looked at it,,IMO.

but beware,increased BB Height
other than taht its rides awesome,i loged many miles doing bikepackin' on it.
What’s the consensus on 700 vs 650b and 1x vs 2x for gravel/light road use.
 

Karate Monkey

Well-Known Member
What’s the consensus on 700 vs 650b and 1x vs 2x for gravel/light road use.

For a purpose-built bike, not much. A wider tire is a wider tire, regardless of the overall diameter. Technically, you can get the bike lower to the ground with the smaller wheel, if those characteristics are important to you; old randonneur bikes had classic road geometry with smaller wheels/larger tires, to preserve all the other parts of the ride, while allowing larger tires for whatever purposes you might want larger tires for. Don't forget that smaller wheels weigh less than larger ones, which can offset the tire size difference. On the other hand, R&D/fancy froo froo stuff tends to focus in on 700.

Since you're not clearing ground logs/rocks/branches on the average 'gravel' ride, roll over is not a huge thing. Imagine: a 26x2, 650x38, and 700x23 are roughly the same outer diameter.
 

Ian F

Well-Known Member
I did my first actual gravel ride on the Grade on Tuesday. I did the fire road loop at Snowshoe from Top of the World around to the beginning of the Bail Out trail. Then turned around and reversed course. It was interesting. Parts of the ride are gravel. Parts of it are more like XC double-track with some somewhat steep and rocky sections. That said, I did the ride reasonably well. I'm sure a few of the guys I passed going the other way on enduro bikes thought I was nuts. Near the end of the return section is a steep gravel climb - about 17% in spots according to Strava and a tad over 10% for the length. That was a challenge on the road-oriented gearing I have on the Grade. But I made it up without getting off.

With the pending weather for the rest of the week, I may end up loading the bikes into the van early.
 

liong71er

Well-Known Member
f
What’s the consensus on 700 vs 650b and 1x vs 2x for gravel/light road use.
As For light gravel ride i suggest go with 700 1x

for crazier Cycling Adventures i would go with 650 2x you'll nerd extra gears for climbing crazy steep ass climb

and for 1x vs 2x
again it's depends...
2x you could use it for about everything
doing Fondo,Touring or just City Riding
i think your bes bet is 2x especially if you live on hilly country.

so,either 700 or 650
depends on terrain and type or your regular adventures

And have you heard yet?26er not dead yet,you can slapped on beefy tires and change your hadlebar with New Surly Corner Bar😊 (sorry out of topics)
 

The Kalmyk

Well-Known Member
Imagine: a 26x2, 650x38, and 700x23 are roughly the same outer diameter.
My bike could be labeled, Road Plus. Lol- what is next. It was designed around a 26in wheel but can run 650 and 700 no issues whatsoever.


49993437-F055-4F27-8106-61F464EA5808.jpeg
 

trener1

Well-Known Member
I'm going to vote for 2x
I know that Sram wants you to think that your bike will explode and turn to dust if you have 2 chain rings up front, however for the way I ride my gravel bike I think you want it to be as versatile as possible, so for part of the ride you might be on a flat paved road so you want a decent enough size gear that you can move along at a nice pace, but then most of the gravel roads seem to be back roads with really steep sections (one such road I hit in the Catskills maxed out at 27%...) so you will want as easy as a gear as possible for those scenarios, and at the end of the day 2x just gives you more options without much in the way of downside.
 

JDurk

Well-Known Member
I'm going to vote for 2x
I know that Sram wants you to think that your bike will explode and turn to dust if you have 2 chain rings up front, however for the way I ride my gravel bike I think you want it to be as versatile as possible, so for part of the ride you might be on a flat paved road so you want a decent enough size gear that you can move along at a nice pace, but then most of the gravel roads seem to be back roads with really steep sections (one such road I hit in the Catskills maxed out at 27%...) so you will want as easy as a gear as possible for those scenarios, and at the end of the day 2x just gives you more options without much in the way of downside.
That's sounds exactly what a riding buddy discovered over the weekend at Keystone Gravel. His new gravel bike is 1x, with 42x42 being his lowest gear. He said he walked a lot and actually hitched a ride to the finish because it was after dark.
 

Blair

Well-Known Member
f

As For light gravel ride i suggest go with 700 1x

for crazier Cycling Adventures i would go with 650 2x you'll nerd extra gears for climbing crazy steep ass climb

and for 1x vs 2x
again it's depends...
2x you could use it for about everything
doing Fondo,Touring or just City Riding
i think your bes bet is 2x especially if you live on hilly country.

so,either 700 or 650
depends on terrain and type or your regular adventures

And have you heard yet?26er not dead yet,you can slapped on beefy tires and change your hadlebar with New Surly Corner Bar😊 (sorry out of topics)
650 2x it is, still searching for a 26er disc frame….
 
Top Bottom