CyclingTips Field Test: Are flat-bar gravel bikes just old mountain bikes?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ต.ค. 2021
- An emerging trend in gravel bikes right now is using flat handlebars in place of the usual drop bars. The claimed benefits are what you’d expect: with more leverage for your hands, the idea here is that you’ve got more control when things get particularly rowdy, and that the bikes are more fun to ride as a result.
Adding bar width sounds like an easy win in those situations, and mountain bikers will certainly attest that even a few millimeters can make a big difference in terms of how much you can toss a bike around on a trail. However, swapping a drop bar for a flat one brings with it downsides as well as upsides, namely in terms of reach. Given that most modern drop bars have reach dimensions around 65-80 mm - and all flat bars actually have some degree of rearward sweep - that means just trading one for the other without altering anything else makes for an awfully short effective reach.
Do you know what other bikes feature flat handlebars, short frame reach, and cramped cockpits? Old mountain bikes.
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Nice to see a channel that care more about their audience than sponsors. GCN take note
I thought we had all come to the realization now that GCN is entertainment and product spotlights for manufacturers by now, not a review channel.
hear hear 👍
@@RyonBeachner yep, although to their defence the one thing they've always said is they don't do reviews
@@kpizzle1985 Oh, I don’t mean any disrespect to GCN at all, they do great work imo. People only get mad when they expect it to be something it’s not.
@@RyonBeachner you're right, sorry if I was calling you out! It very much is an entertainment channel as you say, nothing much constructive has come from them since Cannings left.
Keeping these old bikes in use vs dropping lots of cash on a modern one is great for our planet too! 💚🌎
Very honest review. Those flat bar 'Gravel Bikes' are a marketing gimmic. They are simply flat bar commuter bikes rebranded with more water bottle holders.
as opposed to well, Gravel bikes being marketing gimmic's?
@@shaun1900 Spokken like a CX guy
@@shaun1900 the lines are very blurred. Very confusing for a new cyclist who doesn't fully know what type of cycling they want to do. In the UK, gravel is a pretty much nonexistent. In fact, trails used for as gravel experience are better ridden on an MTB. Road bike are now taking wider tyres 35mm which can be used as gravel bike plus they are brake disc mostly. So, a good endurance bike with upto 35mm tyre clearance will serve as a perfect road-gravel bike for most people.
@@samuelkmaina well if you so. My experience would say otherwise.
@@samuelkmaina If an endurance bike and a gravel bike are so similar, why would an ‘endurance’ bike be better? A ‘gravel’ bike could also serve as a perfect road/gravel bike.
If anything ‘endurance’ bikes are more confusing because most people who ride them aren’t actually riding further or longer. If someone getting into cycling sees a gravel bike at least it’s pretty obvious what it’s meant to do.
With this simple trick I saved thousands on a "gravel bike"!
bike manufacturers HATE him
Ikr, just take a 90s MTB and plop some drop bars on there
I just use my 90’s full-rigid mtn bike-flat bars with bar ends & all.
I'm a little person and I feel pretty confident on my 26" small Klein Pinnacle. The fact that I got it for $200 feels pretty good too
Klein for 200?!!!
@@oreocarlton3343 $200USD. I'd show you my eBay receipts but they've gone to digital heaven. Then again that was back in 2018
Cool to hear. I love my 1998 Klein Pulse Comp, use it for road riding when I visit my mom who lives 750 miles away. I may try it again for light mountain biking but not sure if I can still trust the suspension fork.
@@hahamasala I had a Pulse Comp with a Rockshox Judy elastomer fork. Still worked surprisingly good when I gave it away.
You don't have to dig that far back; a hybrid bike from just a few years ago can make an excellent flat bar gravel bike. Plenty of them came with disc brakes and a few even with front suspension.
My friend has an older specialized tricross that was his dad's and he found in the garage. New tires and brake pads and ready to rip
Scott Sub 20
I own Polygon Path, which is hybrid commuting bike. And this bike is just more or less gravel bike with flatbar. 700c, 35-45mm tire, rigid fork, hydraulic disc brake. Brand new for 300-400 bucks. Damn I'm feel lucky!
@@laillosidgar Polygon Path 2 owner is here also 🙋♂️
Bre, harga dlm negri sama luar beda, gw check harga path 2 di bikesonline sekitar 9jt wkwk
Dude look up rocky mountain whistler it has 80mm front suspension. Its literally a gravel now. Regretting i let my mom sold ours. It was also light.
Every single video I’ve seen doing this comparison talks about how crappy the old components are. Thank you for pointing out that with a bit of updating, a rigid early 90s MTB can make a pretty good gravel bike. Tires, cockpit and drivetrain really can make them quite capable gravel machines. I love my new Litespeed Watia but enjoy riding my 1992 Kona Hei Hei on gravel roads as well. Cheers!
Agree.
Riser bars and riser stem suits my zaskar perfectly. No need for a modern gravel bike
Thanks for the video! I converted a mid-2000s Marin Fairfax hybrid into my all-around gravel, road, sometimes mountain bike with some 700c 42mm Pathfinders tires and a shockstop stem. All for around $140. Don't know what I'm missing in a modern gravel bike but it works for me.
Two years ago, I almost sold my Giant hardtail XTC... and then realized a flatbar gravel bike is very similar to my hardtail. As such, I still keep riding my hardtail MTB.
Pizza
Pie
Pizza pie.
Roll
Pizza Roll.
They're all different.
Set of gears designed for general purpose.
Set of gears designed for racing.
Set of gears designed for racing on gravel.
Set of gears designed for general purpose riding up and down hills.
Set of gears designed for down hills racing.
They all look similar but aren't similar.
The racing experience is always extreme. It should cost more.
None of those gearing situations are the same.
As a vintage MTB rider who has watched the rise of the internet over the years, it is mind boggling how much information is available. It is very easy to fall into the must have this or that because all the internet people say how amazing it is. Mean while the one proven way to become a more skilled rider is to ride the miles. You can’t buy experience and a twitchy Amazon finger won’t get you better.
Two wheels and a dirt path, not much different than it was when I was 7. My “gravel bike” is a 1990’s Nishiki Citi Sport, I paid extra for the neon green bottle cage!!!
I still love my 1998 Rocky Mountain Blizzard. Tange Prestige steel tubing, 1x10 Microshift Advent X, Tamer Carbon suspension seatpost, an Exotic carbon fork, 2.3 tires all add up to a dreamy ride.
The most truthful gravel bike review on youtube at the moment! :)
If you want to drastically improve the old '90s geometry to more modern ones: put on fat 2.25" tires to increase the diameter (you're just a few millimeters away from a 650B 47mm wheel), use a steeper and shorter stem than before and lift up the front and wheelbase with a 80mm suspension fork (a 26" Reba SL or SID from Craigslist) and you're set to have a lot of fun. And don't forget V-brakes. It's all dirt cheap today. Funny thing is that flatbars in the '90s were narrow 55 cm wide and over the years they grew to modern 72 cm, while gravel bars went from 42 cm to modern 50 cm. Use an old 55cm flat bar with bar ends and you're done, retro with a modern touch.
I compared my '95 Stumpjumper with a 80mm Reba to a brand new Cube Nuroad. The geometry is almost exactly the same, the wheelbase of the old Stumpjumper is even longer than on the modern gravel bike. Surprise!
If I buy a 90's mtb and just put good gravel tires (narrow), wouldnt it be a good gravel bike?
I happen to own M400 myself. This video gives me extra motivation to keep riding the old rig for many more years to come.
I sold my 1995 M500 to a neighborhood kid a few years ago. Wishing I had it back now. LOL. BUT, I like the idea of sizing UP and running a shorter stem.
So we're coming out of the cave.
The bicycle rider - owner is way behind in knowledge.
Industry realizes the average customer is so far behind they just lie straight to your face in videos cause you can't tell What's a lie and what isn't a lie.
Details matter.
You can only experience the calculations.
Hats off for this honest review!
Once in a while, it's just nice to watch some honest coverage.. Thanks guys!
Great to see a review thats not an ad. Well done.
Subscribed! You guys are a breath of fresh air. Great content.
Still have my custom-made Proctor MTB built in '86. You made me want to take it out and ride it again!
My flat bar gravel bike is my 2012 Scott Scale 29er. The latest in gravel tech! 😃
Is the Big Mac still your hamburger?
The temperature of the Big Mac is lower in 2021 when compared to the 1980's version.
Its hamburger technology.
The grand Angus burger is something else.
The Big Mac experience isn't the same as the grand Angus experience.
Trek and scott are completely different experiences.
Can we have an open, non "industry paid for", discussion - as to whether these Gravel Bikes make ANY sense in a world where hardtail mountain bikes exist. Originally, my attraction with Gravel Biking, was the promise of mixed terrain adventures from my front door. Drop bar biking, road gearing, and larger tires were (IMHO) exciting and justified.....then, things went crazy. 1x drive trains that limit on road capability compared to 100% road bikes, suspension front and rear that offers ridiculously, and arbitrarily, low levels of suspension so to avoid being in competition with MTB products, and now flat bars......honestly, this is ridiculous - the bike industry is reinventing the wheel. So, in summary, to lay along with this scam - I ignore 40+ years of MTB development, I trade off the on road gearing, I settle for compromised comfort and scant suspension (even though I recognise its benefits and requirements offroad) and I opt to pay huge sums for an additional bike I really don't need.......biking in 2021.
Counterpoint: having a stupid number of options isn't a bad thing. It feels like everyone complaining about it is offended that "marketing" is trying to convince them to buy another bike, when all you have to do is not buy those bikes.
As someone who has always ridden casually and now getting into urban cycyling for fitness and fun... Gravel bikes are they're own thing entirely and not one specificlly is better than the other. It seems very 'fad' BUT im curious as hell.. At the moment - can i outride my hybrid commuter? Do i need to go faster than i already am? Do i need to look cooler? Hell nope. So why would i spend 2k+ on something thats only, really, 'marginally' better'.
@@michaeldorsey218 that it very passive position. Because all demand on market is on to buyers. So marketing brings up new trend in shiny box and see the reaction. If biking community act more active there would be some consequences.
I really like having gravel bikes as an additional option to choose from when buying a bike.
There are many people who enjoy rides that are uncomfortable on a road bike but don't really justify a MTB either. Gravel bikes fill the space in between.
And just like some MTBs have wider bars and tires than others, the same logically applies for gravel bikes.
The distinction between flat bar gravel bikes and hardtail Mountainbikes is similarly confusing as that between some XC hardtails and trail hardtails.
Gravel bikes fill the gap between road bike and MTB and being between two very different handlebar shapes, there has to be a transition somewhere.
Before Gravelbikes, there was a small gap in the market right around that transition area between flat and drop bars where basically no bike existed.
So now we're even closer to the state where you can find a bike that fits your riding style perfectly, no matter what your preferences might be.
There’s a role for gravel bikes, funnily enough, in poorer countries where roads aren’t well built and well maintained, such that road bikes are not sturdy enough, but mountainbikes are not fast enough for commute.
Whew! Thanks for this video. I rode my friends gravel bike (s diverge) and it was nice, with the eshifting and the costs as well. Now i have to rethink how much to spend on a gravel bike. Thank you for your insights, very valuable
Agree with everything you said... great video, my old mountain bike rips as a gravel bike. love riding it.
Old steel road bikes are another great option to convert to gravel grinders. I built up an 80's KHS road bike with a 1x9 drivetrain and 33c cx tires. While it's not the fastest bike out there, it's very versatile and comfortable. And it was a great way to recycle some old parts I had laying around.
I have a 93 Rockhopper set up with racks, basket and swept-back bars so it's a more relaxed fit. Fantastic commuter/tourer where you don't need to worry if you come up on some rough paths or trails. Lots of fun.
My '97 Kona Hahanna is my gravel bike. It's great for in city paved and gravel paths or semi-smooth single track and doubles as my indoor trainer in winter. Ultra reliable, all stock except tubes & tires. :)
“New” road bikes are just “90’s” road bikes with slightly wider tyre clearances,electronic gears,disc brakes and some aero shaping.
We could endlessly deconstruct the evolution of the industry.
Bikes are improving undoubtedly but marketing will always play a significant role.
I have a '91 Kona Cinder Cone that I bought in '99 to use as a town bike. I installed a shorter stem with some rise and a rise bar from an old Specialized FSR. The combination brings the bars almost up to seat level and centers me more on the bike. This bike is crazy fun on relatively smooth dirt roads and singletrack. I absolutely love it. A note about geometry, Kona made rigid bikes that are very stable. I had a '91 Trek 8700 Pro that was twitchy by comparison. If you know what to look for, you can get an old bike with decent geometry.
Thank you for this. Yes, old mtbs are all most people really need for riding gravel. I have a '89 Specialized Hard Rock I use for a commuter and gravel/exploration bike. It performs admirably and I love the retro look of it.
Gravel bikes are great for nice flat gravel, but most trails have nice dirt side trails were a gravel bike becomes unusuable fast.
I bought an old steel mtb from the late 90's, changed stem,handlebars, put a single 28T chainring up front and changed the cassette and derailleur . put on some second hand alloy wheels and thinner tyres, , now it's just brilliant!!
Watching people ride these old bikes and the riding position brings back so many memories.
So glad to hear someone NOT bashing a perfectly good older bike! These bikes were ridden hard 20 years ago, and they’re still able to deliver!Most riders (if somehow riding blindfolded) would never know the difference between and older mtn bike and a fancy new gravel bike!
Holy crap - I have the very same tires on my 1999 Giant Yukon SE, which is a perfect example of an old-school hard-tail. It's an absolutely fantastic gravel bike! Elbow/forearm issues were causing a bit of discomfort, so I've actually tweaked the fit a little bit just recently, going to a slightly shorter stem with a 40° rise, bringing the bars up and closer, ever so slightly. I did a bit of singletrack last year, and yes, the downhill parts were kind of terrifying, so I'm hoping this adjustment will help a bit.
Thanks you for you clear mind thinking!
Love my ‘94 Univega with drop bars, bar-end shifters and fat 26’ Rat Trap Pass tires. Doesn’t have that front end weight problem at all. Great for gravel and with fenders, perfect winter set up for the PNW.
Wouldn't you be better off with a grass bike?
Its nicer to ride on grass.
great content, I'm surfing CL now for a gravel grinder like this... too much fun for the small investment
Great video , i loved my old steel framed Rockhopper with quadra 10 suspension fork , but wouldn’t swap it for my present day gravel bike
Needed a project so I updated a Specialized Hardrock with new tubeless wheels, tires, and SRAM GX 1x drivetrain. It rides so well and is my chosen steed for the upcoming Big Sugar gravel ride.
I rebuilt a 2014 hardrock . At this point, the only original part is the frame.
If you put a longer fork into those old 26" mtbs the geometry is basically fixed, plus you could put a disc brake up front (even the most basic city/trekking bike one will be an update) if you dont mind the different levers. not going over the bars anymore and a lot of fun.
I built a flat bar gravel bike from a touring frame and it's fantastic!
Just put flared drop bars on an 86 giant iguana! I used a quill adapter and used a 30mm riser stem to adjust the reach. It's fantastic!
Tune for performance not comfortable.
Bicycle height is it's transition rate.
A low bike won't transition very far across the road or dirt track.
For S bends, a low bike is fucking useless for the second corner.
A low bike doesn't transition far enough over the road to allow you to get around the 2nd corner.
A 90 degree stem is set to maximum front end speed.
There's no adjusting of that front end speed setting.
You're only allowed to adjust tail drag setting. ( seat forward or back adjustment )
@@dreyn7780 what are you rambling on about? I simply stated what I did and that I liked it.
I arrange a small gravel race, and I see a fair amount of these older mountain bikes. Those that use them are generally not dedicated cyclists with lots of bikes in the garage but those that like to vary their mode of training and want to try one of these trendy gravel races without breaking the bank. It's a great option.
It seems like you often ride on what I would call XC MTB routes rather than gravel. What gravel tend to be depends a bit on what the conditions are where you live. I'm used to that gravel riding is more like road biking but on (reasonably smooth) gravel roads, and in that context handling issues with older MTBs are less of a problem. If you have lots of long descents to deal with I guess the cantilever brakes are not great though, this is not an issue where I live though. We have hills, but not extremely steep and long at the same time.
I have been doing gravel on my very old Airborne titanium mountain bike. Just did my first 25 mile race with 1900 ft of climbing. I haven't tried a gravel bike yet, and some people are telling me I need to upgrade, but I'm afraid I won't like them as much as I like my Airbourne. I could probably do without the Rock Shocks front suspension, but being 61, suspension of some sort is a must! And the gearing is fantastic for my old , arthritic knees! Think I'll stick with it!!
Picked up a 1999 Cannondale tandem to ride with my 9 year old for cheap. After some TLC along the lines of a tune-up, parts bin fresh tires, fresh drive train mostly from the parts bin (I hate 90’s grip shifters), and major position changes to a semi-upright with Jones bars it is a hoot to ride with him on local bike paths. The V-brakes are less crappy than I recalled. Hard to endo with a soccer pitch spanning wheel base.
Very cool. Well done.
I’m still riding my rigid, Cannondale M600. 1994 vintage with sensible upgrades. It’s still a great ride.
I just built a new bike to run the mostly gravel and dirt side trails in my area. It's a Team Marin 1, with a swap of the suspension fork for a carbon rigid fork. I'm now convinced suspension is the biggest overhype in cycling. The bike is under 24lbs in XL, the climbing efficiency is much better than any suspension bike with lockout (which still bounces), and the weight savings is massive. It harks back to the original days of MTB in Canada, when people used to ride up the trails first, before lifts and electric motors. Simple, almost no maintainance and I don't need to rebuild anything every 50 hrs. It works better than old bikes because of the slacker geometry, 1X transmission, lighter package and tubeless setup. Light bikes rule for all purpose riding, and you don't need carbon frames to build a very light bike.
Super interesting and helpful.
Brilliant raising this question! I have a 2001 Sintesi X-Wing that I bought for commuting. After a while I got back issues (non related) and decided to it a shorter and higher stem on it. It is honestly horrible to ride after this... SO twitchy and short. Like someone wrote on the comments I think upsizing on the frame (think reach) and putting a short stem on gets you a long way. Them you could replace the (worn?) headset with a angled one. Even consider a 27,5 rigid fork. It's all well within a much smaller budget than a brand new gravelbike. For me that doesn't really ride gravel a lot, having a commuter that can do gravel feels ideal 🤙
"Converting an old MTB to a gravel bike is really bad idea!" - says The Bike Industry (C)
:D))))
I picked up a 93 Cannondale M500 for $200 and did 24 miles on it today. It's a great bike. I'm signed up for an event with it next weekend. I think I do better on it than my Diverge because it feels so natural. I love my Diverge too but this bike is pretty great too.
Thank you so much for this.
I'm still riding a 2000 Caad 2 with rigid forks. Love it!
I upgraded it to 1x 11 speed SLX gearing and disc braking though. Looks cool in black with tan wall 26" tyres!
I’ve been on gravel bikes for five years now but moving back to a HT MTB with suspension fork and 1.9 tires. I’ll use for fire road and ST gravel rides.
A few years back I was on a ride where I was the last one still on a 26" with relatively skinny 2" tyres, my 2002 Cove G-Spot. The other guys were eulogising how much better bigger wheels/fatter tyres are for rolling over stuff and yet...I was the only one who cleaned everything on Cutgate. A famously challenging UK trail in the Peak District which is very hard in places with steep climbs and rocks everywhere, as well as the infamous Bog of Doom. That Cove was so good it took me 10+ years of testing bikes to find something that was better/different enough to warrant paying lots of money for. 18 years old when finally retired.
This week I rode an even rockier and more technical trail on my modern 29" FS bike with just a couple of dabs. Years back I cleaned it on my rigid 1990 Stumpjumper with sub 2" tyres. And a few months earlier I took a mate on one of XC races course I helped run and also rode regularly on that 1990 Stumpy. He's a decent rider on a very modern bike with loads of travel, dropper, discs etc and he struggled on the course that folk raced on 26"/1.8" tyres, canti brakes, skinny bars, no dropper or suspension back in 92. .
My CX which gets also used on some very technical riding has it turns out almost identical geometry to that now 31 year old Stumpjumper. Never had issues with endos on the Stumpy or any other old skool bike, but I always choose longer top tubes than was deemed right in those days.
Well, there's a big difference between a fine tuned bike and the same bike not tuned.
A current bike, finely tuned is a lethal weapon.
These aren't gentle rides in the year 2021.
We now refer to the experience as being Aggressive.
I'm not surprised new riders on new bicycles really struggle.
These things aren't entry level product.
@@dreyn7780 I don't think you read my post before replying.
My dad’s old Giant Yukon is fantastic as a gravel bike. 26in wheels, old Kenda knobby tires, 3x7, rim brakes, oversized steel frame, flat bars, and a quill stem and it’s fantastic on gravel. It’s also a great commuter. But I ride gravel so infrequently that it doesn’t really matter much.
Are flat-bar gravel bikes just old mountain bikes?, Yes my 1987 Diamondback Arrival is my current gravel bike (I have a shark fin and a shark tooth)
Hi guys,
I restomod my '93 teammarin. New surly forks, xt DISC brakes, mavic 521 rims, 7,5cm stem, 74cm flat bar, sram gx 10v , 11 40 cassette, schwalbe 2.35 bigben. Except for tyres and fork all stuff are from other upgraded/dismantle bikes. It works well, it was fun built it up. I use it for everthing from road climb here on the Italian alps to transport my son in the back chili seat , from easy bike park session with my son to city commuter .
I got 1992 Haro Extreme...
I changed it into Single Speed, put 100mm travel suspension fork on + 26 x 2.10" tires , then it became Super Fun Gravel Crusher... 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
You can definitely get a cassette for that bike no problem (or at least could last summer). I did some minor upgrades on a craigslist Stumpjumper last year.
Shark fin looks like a ramp to carry mud from the tire into the chain.
Yup My 2001 Orange P7 does the job on gravel and as a winter commuter with semi slicks ,mudguards 26 and 3x are still alive.But for tougher rides my Chisel is the bees knees, modern geo, 29, 1x and tubeless make it so much easier to have fun.
Good stuff. I’ve ridden both of those bikes. The new technology does make for a cleaner looking, more efficient bicycle. As this video shows, these two creatures are not that different.
Thank you
As the Thai people say: Same, same... but different!
I've been riding my 26er MTB since early 2000's and it became a Gravel. Nice...
My favourite Cycling Tips video - and it didn't have Shoddy in it.
Liking the streak of rebelliousness and trend of calling out BS in the cycling industry.
I've made a pretty great flatbar gravel bike with a 1993 Wheeler pro line 5000 frame (steel), Surly disc trucker fork, 1x11 drivetrain and the right fitting handlebar/stem and it's super awesome! Total cost 700-800 euros which isn't super cheap anymore but it probably comes very very close to that Specialized in terms of fun and quality!
You should have used an old '90s Hybrid Bike like the Trek MultiTrack (700 to 790 Series) or Specialized Crossroads that are 28" CrMo steel bikes. I recently ebayed me a Trek 750 for U$ 50.00, removed all the old stuff and gears and put a 1x11 drive train on it. It rode virtually like the new Trek Checkpoint ALR. A quick look at the geometry tables showed that both bikes have almost identical geometry down to the millimeter. And the old steel frames ride sooo smooth! 😁
Yo! I had an M400 a couple years back. Only had it for a short time because it was much too short for me but the plan was basically to use it for what y'all are doing here. Tricky getting old mountain bikes when you're tall.
The absolute pinnacle were late 90s hardtail MTBs with a very light front suspension -- 28mm short travel with a lockout. If you go for a larger frame and swap to a shorter stem, you pretty much hit perfection. Speaking of perfection, XTR 3x9 dual control shifting is the best mechanic shifting Shimano ever made -- and you can easily mix and match parts.
Excellent, thankyou
My "gravel bike" is an early-'00s Raleigh hardtail with a coil spring fork that a friend gave to me when he upgraded his MTB. Geometry is closer to a modern gravel bike. I added spacers to firm up the sproingy fork so that it mostly only compresses on bigger hits but it filters out a lot of buzz. I'm sure a modern gravel bike is great, but there's no universe in which I would spend that kind of money on a bike that I want to ride without worrying about.
I love bikes ! even flat bar gravel bikes that aren't much different than my old hybrid , mtb and road bike
I think it is nice you talk a bit abort value when you review bikes. I wish you remember that in all your reviews. Is the 2022 model that much more worth compared to the 2012 model you could get second hand for a fraction of the price. This is less a 90’ties MTB vs gravelbike thing, more old bikes vs new bikes thing.
And a thing often overlooked, when comparing 90’ties MTBs with gravel bikes, is that they are often designed for the same thing. So it is actually quite fair the have similar geo. MTB’s have the later years been designed for much rougher terrain.
I'm still using my 27 year old GT backwards in scenarios just like this. I was tempted to buy a gravel bike but when I used my GT, it just made me fall in love with it all over again
Got a hard tail MBK from '95 and a Scott G-Zero Strike full Sus. from 2002 and both are great fun to ride. But, I enjoy far more riding my 2020 Diverge sport as its just way more versatile. It doesn't just blast round the trails - it can keep up on the road on the Sunday club run and take me bikepacking from Brussels to Sweden... (wouldn't want to do that kind of distance on either MTBs).
I got an old hardtail bike from a friend.I had to clean it and replace cables,chain,tyers,tubes and to service the the wheels axels and the shock absorber.I lubricated and greased all the parts that need a lubrication.I didn't spend a lot of money to revive it.You don't have to spend a lot of money to convert a bike.I enjoy to ride it every where.I think that an old bike with a good maintanance can give the rider a lot of fun not less than a new one.
Fat tyre cx bikes are also an option. On gravel fire roads cantis work fine. In fact I’ve run along the c2c some days on a Raleigh record sprint and 25 mm road tyres and still kept up with fully gravelled Post sky 2012 riders.
1994 Diamondback Ascent, still looks and rides like new. 26 in tires have become scarce in this area, and mine are still the original, 1994.
Swap the forks out for a cheap 700c disc fork and problem solved! Slacken the head angle plus better braking!
24 Hours of Canaan Fam! Did that race 3 years in the late 90s!
Just bought a fully original stock 1987 Miyata Valley Runner. If not for the 3x7 gearing and 30lbs weight, I'd swear I was riding a modern hybrid. It's from the era when mountain bikes just used touring geometry with beefier components. I will be slapping on some drop bars and taller stem. Trying to decide if updating the drivetrain is worth it though.
Great video guys! I remember the feeling of sitting on the front wheel on these bikes😂
Raking out the front fork by swapping a 28inch/29er fork could be an easy fix.
As a bonus, you get front disk brakes.
I'd love to see how a video with that mod!😉 what do you guys think?
Just put a front 650B Rockshox on it and keep both 26" wheels. Longer wheelbase, less itchy steering and lifts up the front.
I just sat back and watched the industry reinvent the mtn bike, ha.
No you didn't.
Details matter.
Agree!!! 100%, cheers
As someone who works in a bike shop, I'll say that the 3x7 drivetrain on these kinds of bikes really is future proof and will last forever. Many large bike companies actually still make new 3x7 bikes in 2022; kids bikes, cheap bikes, etc. You won't be able to get *professional quality* 3x7 cassettes and chainrings, but they will keep making good quality steel hyperglide 3x7 long after I'm dead!
A related question is why not get an XC hardtail if you're going to spend over 2 grand? If you're going to ride offroad on flat bars and big tires, you might as well get a suspension fork too.
What are some 2-3 hour ride recommendations you guys have in Boulder? Looking to get into longer road and gravel rides.
love this video, only problem is comparing used to new. what did m400 cost new in 94 in todays money?
I have an old Muddy Fox from the early '90s! Wouldn't replace it with a flat bar gravel bike =P
You can still upgrade your MTB with more modern parts for small money. Install a more raised stem (90mm / 30°) and swap out the 3 by 7 gearing against a 2 by 10 or 1 by 11 (in which case you will need a rear wheel suited for 8+ cogs), and done. You may end up spending 500 altogether, still a steal against the new bike and way cooler!
I've got some early '90s mtb and i use them as gravelbikes. I've mounted a gravel dropbar and road brake/shift lever on a steel 3x7 deore bike and now i can procrastinate a new gravelbike purchase..
Yes! Let the upcycling begin!
I'm probably going to convert my relatively modern hardtail mountain bike (2018 Orbea Alma) into a drop bar gravel bike because it has the right geometry and can clear 50mm tires no problem. Plus, it has XC front suspension with handlebar lockout. Perfect for mixed surfaces. I'm getting a newer full suspension mountain bike and turning the hardtail into a gravel whip is a perfect use for it.
be careful because the right geometry for a flat bar bike isn't going to work for the same size rider with a drop bar. Drop bars (and the customary longer stems) put you about 80-120mm further forward so road bikes have shorter top tubes to make up for that (see most bike companies size charts for proof).
@@Skooteh I was already aware, but also am appreciative of you speaking up in case I wasn't. I'm a bike fit nerd and I'm finding this progressive geometry changes over the past few years absolutely fascinating! Fit and fork angle makes all the difference in the world and is probably the biggest thing to pay attention to. Changing stem length and height along with saddle setback over and over again and never giving up until you find that "sweet spot" on your bike changes everything. All my bikes are currently dialed-in and it's amazing how well they ride, even though two of them have older geometry from the 90s and 00s. Before I'm switching my Orbea over to drops, I'm test riding it with different stems to be postive it works. Things are looking good so far.
I have a trek single track made in 1994. And even before the flat bar gravel bike trend, I felt looking at most gravel bikes that the geometry of my trek was similar. When I saw the flat bar gravel bikes I had to laugh. HOWEVER my trek is made of steel and is SO heavy.
Excellent products …
i've turned my 2012 trek xcal into my flat bar gravel bike...it's superawesome! and was super affordable!
Short answer : Yes.
This pretty much confirms what I thought. Wonder how the Specialized would do against a Trek Marlin with rigid forks or something cheap like that.
To think I was all braced for the usual 'n£w£st is wonderful, spend spend spend' bull, and you go buy a decent retro and actually put in some time on it to give a frank, honest opinion, amazing! That 'Dale was considered sharp even at the time too, so there are plenty of more relaxed options out there.
Other than the environmental benefits of keeping the old one running, you did miss one other vitally important thing though; the one which was hand built in Pennsylvania put a massive smile on my face, and would be guaranteed to break the ice at every coffee/beer stop 😉
So I have a flat bar full sus gravel bike that I used to call a Cannondale Scalpel 900 mountain bike. Nice.
I bought a craigslist 2008 Schwinn Fastback CX cyclocross bike for not much money early this year and used it for many 50 mile 160-170 heart beat per second double track rides. For the winter months I'm swapping out the drop bar to a flat bar in lieu of purchasing a gravel bike with flat bars. Don't know if I'll go back to drop bars when spring rolls around. I'll swap out the 700c 33mm Maxxis Refuse for 41mm Knobbies. It'll weight 22-23lbs. It should be wicked fast.
So, if I want to go do some gravel riding, then all I need do is dust off my old late 90's-early 2000's messenger MTB bike and I'm good to go?