Gravel Grinders as Road Bikes

**Telemahn** · 09-06-2016, 11:49 AM

Until recently I had a nice road bike, which has been turned into carbon shards useless twisted metal. I'm getting a nice insurance claim, but wondering if I really want another road bike.

I'm a mountain biker trapped in the city (Seattle) and I enjoy having a nice road bike for after work training rides and the occasional big weekend ride (50-100 miles). I have a separate commuting bike and a quiver of mountain bikes (all 29ers just to piss of Damien).

I want to get a new whip that will let me hang with my roadie pals but is maybe more versatile than my Cervelo. Who has experience with carbon ginders as road bikes? What are the compromises? I'm thinking ultegra/ hydraulic disc versions like the Diverge and Warbird.

I'll probably end up with two sets of wheels, one for the road and one for gravel and commuting (would be nice to loose the commuter). Your uneducated opinions and personal observations are most welcome,
T

**plugboots** · 09-06-2016, 12:03 PM

My local shop is pushing those fire road gravel bikes. I just thought it'd be cooler to get 2 sets of wheels for a light cross bike. Of course, I hate riding gravel roads, so that taints my opinion.

**Flea** · 09-06-2016, 12:15 PM

Any road bike that you like that has clearance for 28c tires makes a perfect "gravel grind" bike. I run about 85-90 psi in my Maxxis Re-Fuse 28's (amazing tires) and ride a shit ton of gravel, dirt, double and singletrack on it. 16 of my 40 mile round trip commute to work is on pretty rough gravel dirt sand abandoned railroad bed and the bike crushes it. Then when you hit pavement you're not on lame oversized slightly knobby low pressure cross tires.

**Telemahn** · 09-06-2016, 12:18 PM

I have owned at least three cross bikes and thought they were fun. I end up on the road mostly, but can use it to get to some easy trails near my house. I don't race, I'm overweight and under fit, so I wonder if the compromise in terms of road performance will be much. If not fenders and big tires would be great a lot of the year.

**Flea** · 09-06-2016, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by plugboots

My local shop is pushing those fire road gravel bikes. I just thought it'd be cooler to get 2 sets of wheels for a light cross bike. Of course, I hate riding gravel roads, so that taints my opinion.

The Geo is kinda whack on these new gravel rigs IMO. All crazy upright. Might as well just get a hybred. One set of wheels and 28's to keep it simple and fast.

**RootSkier** · 09-06-2016, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by Telemahn

Your uneducated opinions ..... are most welcome,
T

This is a breath of fresh air in here.

**plugboots** · 09-06-2016, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by Flea

The Geo is kinda whack on these new gravel rigs IMO. All crazy upright. Might as well just get a hybred. One set of wheels and 28's to keep it simple and fast.

I agree
http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/art...d-bikes-46893/

**DasBlunt** · 09-06-2016, 01:20 PM

Meh no thanks , those "gravel" specific bikes are so upright, I would just make one of your carbon 29er mtn bikes way lighter with upgrades and some slick tires to keep up with roadies

**huckbucket** · 09-06-2016, 01:28 PM

I just bought a Cannondale Super X used with canti's. The guy is shipping it with 23mm tires and I have some cross tires on order. I'm absolutely sure that the bike would keep up with dedicated road bike were I to ride it with the 23mm tires.

Looks like this:

**Flea** · 09-06-2016, 01:34 PM

Nice rig!^^^^

**farmguy** · 09-06-2016, 02:09 PM

I just use my CX Jamis Carbon for all my gravel grinders and we have a lot of gravel here in eastern WA. I have 3 sets of wheels with various tires but for gravel I like the Kenda Happy medium up front then a CX tire in bake, both tubeless. It seems the "gravel grinder" style bikes now being sold are getting heavy as hell where my CX bike I can race as well as grind and its under 18lbs. We ride long distance gran fondos, 80-100 miles with a 50/50 mix pavement to gravel. Ive also put road tires on and raced in our practice crits series. IMO, a CX bike is the better and more versatile bike.

**detrusor** · 09-06-2016, 02:25 PM

I hate the high BB of cross bikes on the road, not much fun on fast corners.

The gravel bikes are all so upright.

Would love a straight up old school road bike w discs and room for a 28. Nothing more nothing less.

**huckbucket** · 09-06-2016, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by Flea

Nice rig!^^^^

Thanks. Excited to ride it.

**plugboots** · 09-06-2016, 03:30 PM

Would love a straight up old school road bike w discs and room for a 28. Nothing more nothing less.

I think this would be cool. Does it exist in a newer version?

**Flea** · 09-06-2016, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by plugboots

I think this would be cool. Does it exist in a newer version?

Yes. Many I believe. Kona roadhouse is one.

**spindrift** · 09-06-2016, 03:56 PM

I swapped my 15+ YO Trek road bike for a Diverge this year. Disc brakes - check. Heck, not just check, but a total score. No front derailleur - check. A bit more upright and comfortable - check. Bigger plusher tires so I can cruise over cracks and ridges, and now and again get onto grass or gravel with no hassle/wories - check.

I switched computers and lost some info. But best I can tell, I'm riding a bit faster on the new bike (I'm a 15MPH avg give or take kind of hack). I may take it out on some gravel soon - maybe try the valley trail up to Snoqualmie falls on it instead of my MTB.

I ride for casual fun and very basic fitness. I hate actual roads. I spend most of my road bike time on the Sammamish and Centennial. My main motivation was just a bit more comfort and versatility on a good quality road-ish bike. Mission accomplished.

In contrast, my spouse got a really nice full on road bike with electronic shifting and disc brakes when she made the swap. She loves that new bike. She remains notably faster than I am. But her bike is less versatile than mine. Still, for her preferences, the Diverge would have been a worse fit (note that her bike also needs to carry like 60 or 70 pounds less

)

**teledad** · 09-06-2016, 04:20 PM

I have a carbon CX bike with a couple of wheelsets, one with 700x28 slicks for mostly-road rides (the other is more dirt oriented). It's not as light or snappy as my full on road bike but it's plenty rideable. I'd have no problem doing a century on it, though I think my longest ride so far has been 50 miles or so. Main down side is the mini V brakes, they're not as sensitive or powerful as good short reach road brakes. Disc brakes would probably address that. I also have it set up as a 1x with a 40 front and 12-27 rear, that's fine for climbs but lacks a little on fast road descents.

**farmguy** · 09-06-2016, 05:40 PM

just another idea, I have a steel frame Transition Rapture that will be my winter bike. 1X10 with a 11X40 on the back. A SRAM XO long cage DR works with the SRAM road style shifter and it fits a 40 rear very nice. 1 X's rock!

**smartyiak** · 09-07-2016, 10:01 AM

My LBS has been selling the heck out of the SC Stigmata. All accounts are that people are using them as their everything bike.

**biggins** · 09-07-2016, 04:34 PM

^^^Same here in VT. I bought a Felt V55 in May at Fitwerx in Waitsfield. Back there a couple weeks ago to pick up my wife's bike and they said 75% of their sales this summer were gravel grinders, the V55 in particular (due to it's relative affordability). Take that for what it's worth. Oh yeah, and I love my V55, but I've always had road bikes with 'endurance' geometry, and 80% of my town's roads are packed dirt.

**Vt-Freeheel** · 09-07-2016, 05:30 PM

That's ^^^ crazy, Fitwerx has been king of the asphalt for a long time. I guess the roadies must be moving to dust and away from VT shitty pavement.

**buttahflake** · 09-07-2016, 06:04 PM

i tracked down a Grinder for Sunday, and i must say, i'm pretty pumped for this ride.
i love the suffering and the reward of backwoods, hippie pizza and cold beverages has got me stoked
plus it's the next town over, so that works. this will be my first Grinder, no numbers, but the start list indicates, pain
let's party
https://www.bikereg.com/the-dirty-pizza

**MagnificentUnicorn** · 09-07-2016, 06:14 PM

Originally Posted by detrusor

I hate the high BB of cross bikes on the road, not much fun on fast corners.

The gravel bikes are all so upright.

Would love a straight up old school road bike w discs and room for a 28. Nothing more nothing less.

Originally Posted by plugboots

I think this would be cool. Does it exist in a newer version?

Velo Orange Pass Hunter disc. An old school sport tourer with disc brakes. Clearance for fat tires and fenders.

A true cyclocross bike can be tiresome and twitchy over long distances on dirt or gravel roads and a new school road bike is just uncomfortable and too lightweight for any serious abuse. Of course a lot of so called cx bikes are just sport touring geometry with cantis or discs and some road bikes like the Roubaix are just fancied up sport touring bikes. The classic sport tourer is the best all round bike you can buy IMO. I spent the better part of the las twenty years riding this type of mixed surface road riding. I love 75-100 mile rides with a mix of pavement, gravel and singletrack. I think it's great, not for everyone.

**huckbucket** · 09-07-2016, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by buttahflake

i tracked down a Grinder for Sunday, and i must say, i'm pretty pumped for this ride.
i love the suffering and the reward of backwoods, hippie pizza and cold beverages has got me stoked
plus it's the next town over, so that works. this will be my first Grinder, no numbers, but the start list indicates, pain
let's party
https://www.bikereg.com/the-dirty-pizza

SO jealous. Have a great time. This should get the juices flowing:

**Flea** · 09-07-2016, 08:21 PM

Finishing 12% climb of a 60 mile gravel grinder i did in June. Cold and pouring rain from start to finish. Neoprene booties and cold weather gloves. The 700x28 slicks and avid shorty 6 canti's are perfect tools for the trade. Some class 6 road/snowmo trail action as an added bonus. Pardon my in the zone facial expression. I swear i was enjoying myself

and yes i'm wearing baggies. I'm a Mtn bikah afterall.