'gravel' bikes

magicbastarder

anyone here cycle one?
a friend is looking to get a bike on the BTW scheme, and would like to get a drop bar bike which is slightly more rugged than yer average road bike.

he's been looking at these two:
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/adventure/b-road/cda-10 (stocked by hollingsworth)
and http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-ie/bikes/model/revolt.3/20158/79393/
anyone have either of these and have any opinions of them? or have come across any others worth considering?

C3PO

Just buy a cyclocross bike!

Tenzor07

"Gravel" bikes are really catching on in the USA, but I don't think those bikes have any real place in Ireland, we just don't have the miles of unsurfaced or rough access roads that lead somewhere other than into someone's farm....

As C3po says, just get a CX bike..

magicbastarder

what's good in CX bikes so, in that sub-€1000 price range?

Tenzor07

Sub €1000? Hmm.. Probably something like a Boardman CX Comp... not sure there are any Giant TCX's for less than a grand..

kenmc

Gravel bike? ffs I've heard it all now.
Planetx Kaffenback
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXKAFFAPEX/planet-x-kaffenback-sram-apex-road-bike
OnOne Dirty Disco
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBOODDAPEX/on-one-dirty-disco-sram-apex-cyclocross-bike

magicbastarder

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Probably something like a Boardman CX Comp...

here's an odd question - do they hang bikes upside down when photographing them?
look at the photo here; the chain is bending upwards.

http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/boardman-cx-comp-bike

smacl

I was looking for something similar recently, basically a good all year all rounder that was decent on normal roads but could handle light off road and take snow tyres in the winter. (Was out a fair bit on icy roads and paths last winter and had great craic). I looked at the Genesis TdF but eventually went for a Rose CX 3000. More details here and specs here.

FWIW, I've taken the road bike onto unpaved bohereens and Coilte tracks a fair bit on 25mm Durano plus tyres. Doable on the dried mud and well worn stuff like the canals, crap on wet mud, and new coarse gravel. The hybrid on 32mm semi-slicks handles most of it, but I put on CX tyres if I know I'm going to be seeing a lot of mud.

smacl

Tenzor07 wrote: »

"Gravel" bikes are really catching on in the USA, but I don't think those bikes have any real place in Ireland, we just don't have the miles of unsurfaced or rough access roads that lead somewhere other than into someone's farm....

As C3po says, just get a CX bike..

One difference worth considering between CX bikes and gravel bikes is the gearing they're shipped with by default. CX bikes tend to have a 46/36 crankset with anything from 12/25 to 11/28 on the back. Bike like the TdF are typically 50/34 with 11/32 on the back, so have a wider gear range albeit much gappier. This can make them a slightly better option if you're planning on using them as a tourer or like me, you're a crap climber. The Giant bike linked on the opening post has a low gear of 30-32 which even a fat fella could climb a wall with,

daragh_

This! with CX tyres

onthefringe

I've got a cannondale caadx cyclocross
Great piece of kit for under €1000
I've slicks on it for the summer as its extremely comfortable geometry wise so I enjoy it even on Tarmac!

magicbastarder

daragh_ wrote: »

This! with CX tyres

he's probably about 5'11" (i think!) so a small frame probably wouldn't suit.

daragh_

magicbastarder wrote: »

he's probably about 5'11" (i think!) so a small frame probably wouldn't suit.

I'm about 5'7" so it would be too small. They are a decent do all bike for the price.

If he's into spending a few quid you could wait for this...

OldBean

Jan Heine wrote about the AllRoad recently. He's be an advocate for the wheelsize, geometry and style for a long time. I really dislike the Lefty forks though.

The Kaffenback or Genesis offerings seem to be the nearest available at the moment, with Genesis taking the lead for being the most accessible

here's an odd question - do they hang bikes upside down when photographing them?

Quite possibly - If you've 80 bikes to photograph, cut out and drop in with shadows, and each style of bike with various heights of handlebars, stems and wheel size, the two wheels are going to be consistent throughout, and far easier to clone out the hanging system on two solid blocks of colour than handlebar tape/silver stems/saddles/top tubes.

Edit; Bingo - http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/boardman-road-sport-limited-edition-black There's a line of cable going from the outer side of the rim, through the breaking surface and tyre logo.

magicbastarder

C3PO wrote: »

Just buy a cyclocross bike!

my friend has been following the thread (he's not on boards) and one question which has come up - what is the difference between a gravel bike and a CX bike?
is it like rebranding perry as pear cider to appeal to a different audience?

OldBean

As far as I know, gravel bikes can come in 650b flavour wheels, or at least have a little bit more clearance and are usually a more relaxed frame, CX is usually just 700c and a little bit racier, but not much. There might be more eyelets and options for racks on a gravel bike too.

Realistically though, they're pretty similar.

smacl

OldBean wrote: »

Jan Heine wrote about the AllRoad recently.

Great article, very interesting what he had to say about using very wide slick tyres for on road and off road on the same bike. Must try a set when they become available on the new bike.

Buchaill_Mor

smacl wrote:

The Giant bike linked on the opening post has a low gear of 30-32 which even a fat fella could climb a wall with,

Sold!! Off to the Giant Shop to climb me some walls!!

OldBean

smacl wrote: »

Great article, very interesting what he had to say about using very wide slick tyres for on road and off road on the same bike. Must try a set when they become available on the new bike.

Wide slick tyres are a lot of fun. His experiments on rolling resistance and chunky 650b's are really interesting.

lil_kev

Anyone knows who sells Gravel Bikes in Dublin? Thanks

rollingscone

I remain sceptical of gravel as a frame material

saccades

I have a gravel bike, it replaced a CX bike.

Mainly because I wanted rack/mudguard mounts, discs front and rear and bigger clearances, it's the bike I wanted when I got the CX but they didn't make it.

I run it with wideish 29er rims and currently 28c road slicks at about 85psi, can go up to 42c and mudguards.

Fast, comfy and incredibly practical, what's not to like except the marketing name?

Resoguy

I bought a Giant Revolt in the Giant Store on the Long Mile Road, its now been replaced by the Giant Toughroad.