The Actual Moment Gravel Bikes Jumped the Shark

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Remember these days? (Like 2 years ago) How did we ever survive!!?? What's interesting is that all my Strava PRs on these roads are with this bike using 25c Rubino Pro tires...

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The Kalmyk

Well-Known Member
It's probably the best designed light steel touring bike that isn't custom. Geometry is spot on.

Of course now that gravel is popular, they promote it as a gravel bike.


I’m going to race it Hippo Cross?.

Scary thought being I have not a clue what I’m doing
 

The Kalmyk

Well-Known Member
Remember when we did HoH on 25mm tires?


25mm internal rim width smacked that down.

From my shallow experience doing only one Gravel Grinder I rode through some section I would not want to be on 25mm. Also consider that this is a hot genre right now so it’s bringing people that may have zero experience off road. They went from tarmac to gravel. I can tell when they over control the bike, not letting it do any of the work, their white knuckles, head down looking one foot past the front tire and the look on their face ?.
 
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stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Remember when we did HoH on 25mm tires?
This is the point,
25mm internal rim width smacked that down.

From my shallow experience doing only one Gravel Grinder I rode through some section I would not want to be on 25mm. Also consider that this is a hot genre right now so it’s bringing people that may have zero experience off road. They went from tarmac to gravel. I can tell when they over control the bike, not letting do any work, and the look on their face ?
my point exactly, do you pick a bike that is good for 90% of the route or the bike for the 10%?
 

The Kalmyk

Well-Known Member
Shogun at a national cross race. That was a 10 %er for sure. Just sayin yo. I still thought it was the raddest bike out that day !

I don’t know really tbh? I’d be more comfortable answering that question with a deeper well of experience. I have 38’s front and back and get them through some rough sections not issue. The op may be an indication of where gravel racing is going. At the post party for the Middlecreek ride a guy made a scene about the course being too un gravel. In turn, is uninvited next year. The name is going to change and will be pitched as a Monster Cross event.




Sand, pea gravel and baby head set ins all in one ride. The word “gravel” really puts peoples thinking into a mental silo.



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Santapez

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
There's the ideal bike to go fast, and there's also the ideal bike to enjoy a ride.

I've done HoH on 23c tires and didn't have much of an issue. I'd take 23c and disk brakes over 28c and rim brakes. But I'd prefer 28-32 tires over 23c.

Monkey Knife Fight is gravel and steep climbs I found much harder than HoH. 23c road bike was fine but I preferred 32c cross bike this past year. Faster? Maybe not, but more comfortable. And I didn't flat like I did from a fast gravel to asphalt transition the prior year...

I can't imagine wanting more than a 32c tire however Dirty Kanzas seems to reward 38/40c tires. But those aren't gravel road conditions we seem to have around here.
 
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