Do We Even Need Gravel Bikes? Why I Race Gravel on a Drop Bar MTB
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ธ.ค. 2023
- Gravel bikes are basically just mountain bikes from the 80s or 90s, right? I may have taken that internet meme a little too far and converted my hardtail MTB into a gravel bike and used it for gravel racing at the pro level. In this video I explain why.
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As a suspension technician watching gravel bikes turn into mountain bikes… I’d say you’re just ahead of the game
Enter the Canyon Grizl…
I've just bought a Surly Corner Bar copy for my hardtail mtb and i can't wait to try it out
The marketers, out of new ideas, are filling in the gaps between categories with new categories.
Nothing wrong in being an out of the box thinker and pushing the envelope. We need more guys like you.
Much more.
In other words, you either follow the mainstream or think of solutions to accomplish the impossible.
It's not out of the box. That's just logic the world is full of fools ❤
Been done already..90s DH races etc
The gravel bike is a marketing ploy pushed in the other direction
I hope your sponsors fully appreciate your media value. You do a great job featuring their products with meaningful context.
For the young crowd that might not have been riding in the 80s and 90s , American John Tomac won world championships in both XC and Downhill and raced a drop bar mountain bike several times . He did win some UCI world cup races in both XC and Downhill using this setup !
That Yeti was the ARC with carbon top and down tubes IIRC. There's a TH-cam video out there about the bike being given to JT. Yeti C-26 they called it.
@@bestretirementever7931 Yes I have seen it . I own a Limited production John Tomac Raleigh Titanium mountain bike 1994 all orginal . They were hand made in England . I was a big fan .
And he is also the reason the UCI banned dropbars from any MTB racing😂😅 Dropbarmtb is a blast on singletrack.
th-cam.com/video/8NAfcrUmQFs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=J6Vf8HUjX71YgeNu
We’ve come full circle.
I raced Leadville in 2008 and came to the same conclusion. I even bought and build up a rigid, drop-bar MTB. Unfortunately starting a small business curtailed my endurance career, but the bike proved fast on some local 100-mile race courses, and was comfortable and capable on long gravel road rides.
I ride a rigid dropbar based on mtb frame with 29 in wheels (and 2.35) tires, with a 2x and a mix of mtb and road / cyclocross parts and from all the bikes I have it is my favourite one.. The only issue I have is that all MTB frames are suspension corrected...
I believe Dave Zabriskie was the most famous to do it first with drop bars on his Niner.
My favorite thing about bicycles is figuring out how you want to ride, and finding what works for you. More fidelity in the bike spectrum is a good thing. We can't all own 20 slightly different bikes but, at least we can mix and match from a broad pool of options to suit our own needs. More is better in the bike world.
Dylan, Really appreciate the insight on this topic. Although I don’t race anymore and just enjoy the love for cycling, I also have a passion for keeping myself informed on what’s new and how cycling has evolved. This is my way to give back to the sport, helping new riders or those that may be thinking of getting into the sport. There is so much more information these days compared to when I was racing. Thanks a bunch.
Fantastic video/content as always. Love the statement regarding "people who look at tyre tread as the sole determiner for speed know nothing about rolling resistance". Been saying this for years - feeling particularly validated!
I used to ride MTB in the early 90s and I didn't know what a gravel bike was until an hour ago. Something came into my TH-cam feed about gravel bikes and I ended up here. My first thought when I saw people riding on the brake hoods of a gravel bike was how similar the riding position is on these gravel bikes to the 90s MTB, with a high seat, low bars and the obligatory Onza bar ends. Seems we've come full circle.
yep and yet some will bash and gets mad at if you mentioned Gravel bikes are MTB of 90s😅
Welcome, fellow 90's MTB rider :) my thoughts exactly, bike manufacturers are on the edge of rediscovering MTB.
A company has been rocking the frankenbike from their factory for a while! It's called the Lauf Seigla - 2.25 tire clearance with 700c rims, suspension fork (not a MTB suspension), XC MTB geometry (mostly), drop bars (a very compliant one at that), UDH, 1x only, 17-18lbs!!! They also sell the entry level version, which has electronic XPLR, for $3500 (ish). Bought one, it's fast. I think you could objectively say it covers the MTB end of the gravel spectrum quite well but I'd love to see more data on the other end of the spectrum - aero gains or losses.
100% agree. The gravel market has very quickly grown in all directions and there needs to be sub categories to help the customers understand what they're buying. I get people coming to my shop saying "I bought this gravel bike because my friend said that gravel bikes are very comfortable on the road" and they've got something on the more gravely end of the gravel spectrum. Bikes are a spectrum, from endurance road bikes that can take 38c tires to Grountain bikes. It's 2023, bike category fluidity is the name of the game. Bring them all on and have fun.
Really great video! I've been riding and racing off and on since the early 90s...and didn't know anything about rolling resistance haha. Thanks for the great, informative videos and please keep up with the humor.
Glad I stuck around to the end. Jus to see the comparison between Tom and Payson...that was pretty awesome. Good job!
I can appreciate your point of view. My Gravel bike is a 100/100mm travel full-sus XC mountain bike with fast-rolling 700x43 Gravel tires. Fast on pavement and gravel yet still capable on single track. Most important, very comfortable and easy on the body.
Did you convert to a drop bar?
What size chainring are you using?
@@ChrisBHaven 10-52 cassette with a 32 tooth chainring
@marksandoval5361 That's exactly what I'd be running if I commit to the idea. Do you know your top speed, and do you find yourself spinning out?
@@ChrisBHavenI live in the mountains of Colorado, so all my rides are high altitude and steep. If I lived someplace flatter and lower altitude, I would put on a larger 34 tooth chainring. I only spin out on the straight steep paved roads when I hit 25+ mph. Once I get going that fast, I don't care that I've spun out. Ultimately, it's so easy to put on a new chainring with 1x drivetrains. I would just put on the largest chainring that still leaves you with an adequate climbing gear for where you ride and not worry about the top end.
It’s so refreshing to listen to an intelligent person discuss this subject. You totally get it. I would add that while tire casings do indeed play a huge role in roll resistance, it’s fairly difficult to determine how soft your casing is. TPI is the only factor I’m aware of and often you don’t have options there. Durometer of the rubber is key too and again is not often known but what is in your face obvious is the tread pattern and there are a lot of them that are clearly slow. When you can feel and hear the vibrations when on pavement you know you have a slow one. In any case almost all high end race mtb tires (ie low profile mtb tires) will be low resistance and perfect for gnarly gravel races.
PS: I would argue the Salsa Cutthroat is a drop bar mtb. It’s not designed for racing but you could if you swamp out for some lighter parts.
Thanks again, great video and keep up the good work.
most relevant gravel content on youtube. topics always well researched and perfectly conveyed. thank you and nice work again dylan 👏🏼
Monstercross was the phrase we used in the 2010's. I have fond memories of my titanium MCX rig with 2.4" meats, a Lauf MTB fork, short stem, and drop bars. You could save 500g and likely some CdA if you went with an old Lauf, but might lose speed (and a really good sponsor) in technical corners.
I haven’t heard that term in a while! It was when smaller wheels were still around, meant essentially 29er, right?
@@HkFinn83 Yeah, I think wheel size was flexible but very wide tires and drop bars were the main criteria. It was a maze of compatibility between road and MTB components, brake cable pull ratios and mounting standards, and axle styles at that time too. It's all quite settled now, and for the better.
Carry on man! Great content, very informative about your choices.
Ride safe!
Nice video. My hardtail (with 2.3 Ikons, flat handlebar, a 100mm fork and a seat dropper) is my gravel bike now. What I have noticed when riding doing "gravel" rides with my friends (on Lauf Siglas with 20mm of travel and 42 mm tires) is as follows:
- Single track or any semi-technical descents: I run away and hide
- non-technical gravel or flowy (flat) singletrack: relatively similar performance
- road: they run away and hide
Given all of this, I am with you...use a HT MTB. I haven't gone so far as to put a drop bar on, but for what you are doing and how you are competing, seems like the right call.
Diggin it, Dylan. Love your thought process that culminated in this bike. 👍
I like this! I was a bicycle courier in Stockholm for 5 years and developed over time what I think was the fastest courier bike for that city. It was a Frankenstein betweena roadbike and a mountainbike. I also worked in a high end bikestore at the same time so I got to hear allabout the latest in biking...
I think being a contrarian is what makes your channel and analysis unique. Keep it up Dylan
Just awesome!!! Thanks mate, grand idea!!! Been holding off buying one like everyone else. Why didn't I think of converting my old demon, great idea!
That dropper lever is cool, haven’t noticed that on this bike before. Agree with you that they need more categories of gravel bikes. It will happen. For me, I would like just an aero road bike w clearance for 40-42s. But there are absolutely needs for bike packing gravel bikes, more single track capable gravel bikes, etc..
Instantly reminded me of Suntour Command shifters.
i love my drop-bar hardtail! Works for me as well, and keep the content coming. I like your take on this!!!
This was very enlightening and a great explanation!
My MTB is in the shop getting converted as we speak. It was cool getting to talk to you at Big Sugar this year.
Being an MTB rider since the early years. I totally agree with you. A FS MTB well tuned is the most fun of all and less fatigue for body. A hardtail MTB will give you wins. I see so many people now converting old mtbs to drop bars and having a blast. Most old 26”er will also easily take 650B wheels
Very nice bike! What's your opinion on dropbar full-sus mtb ? I race long ultradistance offroad events (1000+km multi-day races) in France and Europe, some of them pretty technical with rough sections and while hardtail dropbar mtbs can sometimes be spotted on these events, I never saw a full-sus one. However, given the last two editions of Atlas Moutain Race have been won on a full-sus, I don't see why that wouldn't work. I'm considering building such a bike based on a Trek Supercaliber, which has 110mm upfront, 80mm at the back, a lockout and is about 11kg. My goal would be to combine increased tire clearance, traction and comfort (to save energy) in the most technical parts of the race, but still get the aero advantage and most importantly comfort of the different hand positions available. Based on your experience with this setup, is this something you'd recommend or I am going too far? Thanks and greetings from France!
You remind me of rally teams gathering all kinds of resources to set a shorter time record-you're the team engineer, technician, and the driver itself. Your content has humor, scientific support, and gave me ideas for my next build. I'm still new to professional cycling, and I thought a lot of industry trends were just marketing and consumerism. We should all rig our bikes to our own personal needs. Btw your bike looks like a beast!!!
First time, the algorithm popped a video of you in my feed, but I totally think this added value.
Simply the point of choosing the fastest bike the race will allow is what every rider - for their style - should be looking for.
And in that case you're right, bikes should handle their area of expertise the best and not all areas.
But I bought a Canyon Grizl last year to fit all of my needs. It is my only bike and the only I will get. I'm riding it to work, much on road with road rides only, but I'm although riding in mountain bike terrain and in very rough trails with everything except big jumps. And on the next holiday I will ride it for a bike packing tour with friends for 5 days.
So I'm glad that there is a bike like this for me, that fits all my needs. 🙂
But like I said - great video, thank you.
Hey Dylan, wow, what a really insightful and performance-first take on drop-bar MTBs! One small consideration is the adoption of suspension corrected geometry by bike manufacturers for gravel bikes... think early MTB era when front suspension forks were just beginning to be used and suspension corrected MTB frames started. Currently there are a small handful of gravel bike companies that are leaning ahead and incorporating these design standards to better accommodate folks who want to put a gravel specific suspension fork on their frame. Salsa happened to be one of the first modern bike companies to have suspension corrected frames, several other manufacturers are rolling their updated frames out too. The new Santa Cruz Stigmata for one. Food for thought, but a gravel bike with suspension corrected geo and 700x50s just might do the trick too for some race courses. That all said, I personally dig riding my recently built drop-bar Ritchey Ultra--it's a long distance ripper!
You're letting the secret out! SHHHhhhhhhhhh....I've been running a Salsa Fargo Ti with a Stepcast 34 fork for a few years and it's very fast. I raced Lost and Found last year and changed my bike choice last minute from my Niner RLT w/ 45c Terra Speeds to Fargo with 100mm fork and dropper post on 2.2 Race Kings. I ended up getting 1st in my age group after flatting and crashing. The dropbar mountain bike was so much faster and comfortable. I was the only one in the front group that was on a 'mountain bike'. Out of 1,000 riders I pulled a top 10 downhill time with ease and had a great time on that descent. Most other guys were cursing, walking, etc.
Awesome video,John Tomac was racing mountain bikes with drop bars in the early 90's,he is the original gravel rider.💯👌🏻✌🏻🚴♀️
It was already being done in the 80s. Mtb with dropbars.
Good video. You make some very valid points. As you say, there are "gravel" bike races that have so much trail, or in wet conditions, a bike like this would certainly excel in one. The Overland in Vermont comes to mind. There are a few others in the northeast which are notorious for rocks and techy sections as well.
Sick video as usual DJ... 👍
Amazing vídeo! Thanks for talk about mtb with dropbars!
Great thoughts, and love the fact that you are sharing with us! I'm experimenting with flat-bar gravel bike with aero extensions (allowed for what I do). Great video!
You are basically riding a 90s MTB 😂
@@ElRealista. 💯
You are all the nerd and I'm totally here for it. Nobody at work wanted to listen to me geek out about which mtn bike tires I decided to go with
Agreed in all aspects. Just finishing my self build gravel bike (old carbon HT Stumpjumper) with RS Rudy (40 mm) and added a 9point8 slack r to slack the head angle. I recently bought my 3rd wheelset( one with 44 gravel tyres, one with 32 graveltyres to join my friends on their road bikes (I do have 2 S-works Tarmacs:-)) and recent bought a set for A. Dugust tubes for wet off road.
I think this content is great. I appreciate your "nerdy" approach to actually analyzing the "why" and it's effectiveness. Also, you've got me thinking about what it would take to make my race HT able to switch back and forth between MTB mode and dropbar mode. The basics are there: light/wide/tubeless wheels, XC tires, HT efficiency, lightweight/small travel fork, etc. Just would need the bar, shifter/brake setup and switch out the front chainring. I use 11 speed GX but Shimano brakes. Would 11 speed road shifters work?
Hey the old ladies are on electric beach cruisers now. It's fun watching them zoom past you on an uphill you've been struggling with for a while :D Shopping bags swinging in the air, bolt upright in their pink fleece overcoats. You go old lady!
I rode an NS eccentric ht with rival 1 brakes and an uno shifter for the summer. Perfect for my local trails and skill level. Was hoping some competitive riders would try more of the same. Very few compromises outside of a bike park.
Excellent video. I'll be putting this information to immediate use.
Cool video. I was looking at buying a gravel bike and i instead converted my 2103 Ti Kona MTB to a gravel bike and love it. I don't know that I'll need a gravel bike now.
new to your channel. love your content. so refreshing that you apply critical thinking to the choices you make.
I hope we see Dylan on yt next season, they have the bike just for him
If you're into suspension equipped, very MTB-esque drop-bar bikes, the Mason ISO is exactly that type of a "monster-gravel" or "drop-bar MTB". Its geometry is designed for 100mm suspension, even though it comes with a (very long) carbon fork and it has massive tire clearance. It's also really pretty (for a MTB-esque thing).
Drop bar mounting bikes are awesome. Period.
And even though it seems like a lot of the video makes it seem like it’s something that was never done I use to love watching Tomac win world championships many years ago doing this.
Was looking at buying a gravel bike a few years back as it seemed to be the cool thing to do. I opted for converting my old Gary Fisher hardtail to a drop bar and converted from 3x to 2x as I only had a spare pair of 105 shifters... they were cable too so had to down grade to cable pull disks. ( one lucky win was that the pull ratio for 105 10 speed is exactly the same as 9 sp deore so could go up to a 10 speed cassette and didnt need a new rear mech) Anyway, it's only on 26.5's so proper old school. Struggles a bit on tarmac, so sit in the draft, but like a lot of places here in the UK the gravel quickly becomes quite narely and a lot of technical single track. Suffice to say for a couple of hundred spent, it leaves very expensive bits of kit in it's wake. Not so surprisingly many riders are now investing in front gravel shocks here. If not racing, and just enjoying gravel riding, I would definitely go for a more relaxed setup with a shock, it just gives way more scope. As you say though, it boils down to horses for courses.
I must say - I FULLY AGREE with you. I have full-sus MTB (XC Scott Spark) and gravel Canyon Grizl TRIAL with sus-fork (also road bikes for training). It's so obvious that grip & comfort are purely speed.
Raced gravel for years on a 2011 Cannondale Scalpel with aero bars. About as light as a high end gravel bike. 2014 finished 23rd overall in the Dirty Kanza 200 running 1.9"
Schwalbe Thunder Burts. Just purchased a 2024 Trek Super Caliber which will replace the Scalpel. I'm all in on larger tires, and most importantly, suspension.
Love that you're just after what's fastest for you. Have a few bikes to choose from (carbon crux, fully rigid hardtail and full susps) and riding the same greenway/gravel/light trail route I'm actually faster on an older Jet9 (80mm of rear travel and 100mm fork with lockout) with fast rolling gravel tires. And the ride is more fun and more comfortable, so I'm less fatigued. Need to try it with drop bars.
I love the look of your bike. Some full suspension bike are just light as a hardtail. Why don't you try one? A full suspension drop bar bike will look awesome I think. :)
I plan on it. Thanks!
Nah
Sure sounds comfortable to me.
Ive been waiting for this video all year. Great video, im surprised that you only needed to drop 20mm on the stem to make up the reach difference.
I’ve been riding my 2013 Flash Ultimate with drops and a rigid fork for years, swapping between mtb and gravel tires and it slays!
Fantastic insights and analysis
Been riding a 40mm Rudy fork for a year now. 45-47c mostly. Faster everywhere, not going back. Won my age group at Unbound 200, Rock Cobbler, BWR CA, etc. It works.
Seriously thinking about getting one for my stormchaser.
Which frame do you use this with?
@@stanion9258 Checkpoint SLR. Some new gravel frames are being built to be suspension fork compatible. Look for a really tall OEM Fork that has a lot of gap between the tire and the down tube. I gained only 10mm of axle to crown distance so almost no geo change. 1.1lb gain over OEM fork. Game changer for me.
Do you follow the service recommendations for those?
@@vfxrayyup
Thank You for making this video. I don't understand why Gravel/Road bike cost so much without much if any innovation. An entry Roadbike (Specialized Allez) now cost $1200 because it has a mechanical disc brake, my $228 Walmart mtb has Bigger disc brake, Bigger tires. As a City rider, I don't need a mtb (but) I don't see any advantage wasting $1200 that don't offer much in capacity
I’ve been riding my 2011 Cannondale Flash Ultimate as a drop bar mtb with both mtb and gravel tires since 2019. Best bike out of my quiver!
My gravel bike is a Marin team titanium 26” frame circa 2000. I had Dean titanium in Boulder CO add a disc brake to the rear . 700 c Focus fork and voila. Gravel bike. XTR cranks circa 1998 Dura ace brifters and xtr derailleurs and Rise 40 wheelset. This is hands down my favorite bike. Oh I also use a cane creek 2 inch travel seat post and redshift stem. This smooths out the washboard roads
I think the big problem is this: people think suspension is about comfort because their only experience with it is a walmart BSO with a coil fork - in reality, suspension provides increased traction and control and can make a huge difference
I always had that idea. Just gorgeous and functional bike you built up mate. Remembers me crested buttle.
I have just converted my hard tail trek into a drop bar MTB and my flat terrain sustainable top speed has increased from 16 mph to 20 mph with the same pedalling effort. I really appreciate this video coz it confirms I am not weird after all😂
My gravel bike is not as comfy and enjoyable as my dropbar MTB.
This is something I really want to try!
I use a carbon version of the Surly corner bar on my hardtail sometimes. It's a nice in between drop bars and flat bars and it uses mtb style brakes and shifters so it's easy to switch back and forth.
Was thinking about that as a quick fix.
I wasn't aware of this. Awesome! Thinking I need to try it with race HT this winter.
What’s the carbon version called?
@@jackwindmiller copies on ali express
This is actually the setup to go. I like it!
Concerning tires: Its a little tricky to do, but i tried having deflated (!) Tubes within my tubeless tires with two (!) Stems. Just mount the tube within the tubeless tire and suck out as much air as possible from it. Then inflate the tire via the other stem as usual and booooom, you do not have to insert a tube if you get a puncture and just need to inflate the tube
@@irfuel 180 degree apart from the other one at best
Dude never let us down, doesn't he? ^_^
I could love this dropbar mountain bike as a do it all bike. Its the dropbar that makes my gravelbike more attractive for commuting than my xcmountainbike. Dropbar mountainbike with big chainringclearance is fast both on tarmac and trails. I like the comfort that comes with damping and wide tyres and the dropbars that allows different ways to rest the hands. Comfort and good speed is a fine combo. My gravelbike is a kind of a compromise between gravelbike and dropbar mountainbike with 3 cm flex in the rear, dropperpost and 3cm Lefty Oliver damper. Its good :) I didnt have the skills to make a bikesetup like Dylan did here when I got my gravelbike, but after this video I undrestand more and could be able to do it in the future.
About 15 years ago I ran a Cannondale scalpel 26er with 650Bs and drop bars. Absolutely awesome as a gravel bike but it was tough to get enough drop with a lefty stem. If I’d have solved that issues I’d still probably be riding it today .
I been gravel riding since 2011 and focussed on longer distances both for racing and social rides I ended up with my sworks hardtail with drop bars and fox gravel fork. First 1 I built was 2020 and now on my second derivative. Gravel in South Africa rather gnarly so hence the build . As example of how the build fairs , at Karoo Burn , a 250 km 1 day gravel race I finished with much fitter , younger riders who were on rigid gravel bikes. They were exhausted. My 45 c ( but usually use 42 c ) tyres and fork set up compared to rigid forks and say 38c tyres was the why I was not as fatigued at the end of the race. One interesting aspect is I did away with my dropper post , did not really use it . Instead my 3d mirror saddle gave that comfort I was looking for. Be careful with fox gravel fork set up , pedal strikes……BB height drops.
When I was about to order a Carbon fork (suspension corrected) for my old HT... this guy tells me to keep my Fox Stepcast 32 fork and put only the drop bar... I guess I have to test if my XT Di2 works with Ultegra Di2 shifters (I bet 99% it works).
Nice video, keep up the good work and good luck to your next races!
Hey Dylan great rambling and the comparo between tom sellick and payson was funny as fk.
I never had a gravel bike. Instead of buying one Ive done such conversion from my old Kellys Quartz. Added drop bar, changed fork for a lighter version with shorter travel, very old RockShox, some elements replaced with carbon ones and it lost ~3kg. Now riding it gives so much fun, my dream bike from the old days.
You are not alone in this decision. Try broader shallow dropbar, the gravel sort of dropbar.
DH-Enduro-Trail-XC-Monstercross-Trekking-Gravel-CX-Allroad-Touring-Endurance-Road-Track-Fixie-BMX-Slopestyle.
It's the circle of bikes
and it moves us all.
Thanks for the content. As an Indiana resident, I have DJ and a hardtail ( I don't find the need for a full squish here ) My issue is that I have been trying to find ONE more bike that I can use for leisure 20-50 mile country rides , use at a handful 100 mile gravel races and to bikepack typically for a handful of overnighters -3 day trips a year but do have a 470 mile trip next spring and a much bigger trip planned in 2025 for my 40th bday.. I'd love to have one rig for races/ country rides and one for bikepacking but I'm a Dad of 4 daughters so financially I want to just find the right bike that can do all that I mentioned. I've decided to go with a Salsa Cutthroat. Some of my friends think I should get a warbird or a few brands but to each their own 🤷
I agree. Salsa has been doing the 3 bike gravel line up for years. Warroad/Warbird/Cutthroat.
I've been gravel for 30 years, it used to be called trekking....currently I ride a CC Hardtail 29'....only modification, narrow gravel tires and a carbon fork with eyelets, 1x12 (36 x 11/51)... and it works great.
My first drop bar mountain bike was the Specialized Rock Combo and I still ride it.
After watching this video I found myself looking for the parts on eBay to put this thing together 😂😂😂😂😂
As someone that lives in Kansas, I would say a drop bar gravel bike is definitely the most efficient bike for getting around out here... but I completely agree with the need to have a more rowdy gravel bike. The only thing I would change about my bike is the ability to run mtb tires.
I’m building an “aggressive gravel bike” I took in consideration of eliminating toe-over on 700x50c tires or 2.1” tires. I have a dropper post and really wide rims with CushCore inserts. I will run a rigid fork but might change that to a suspension fork down the road.
Would love to see a video about knee injuries. Something like "Is cycling safe for your knees?"
Currently having some issues that prevent me from racing
There's a reason half the field of the tour divide is on Salsa Cutthroats, and everyone who tried to race it on a traditional gravel bike this year has horror stories about it.
What’s the reason?
@@brentcollins9727because the ass end of a road bike is gonna be miserable on a trail ride, the cutthroat splits the difference, road bike position with a super short rear end, and super slack front end, the more exaggerated version of a cutthroat is a Chamois Hagar from evil, that bike is legit Enduro bike capable, just slowly, and a fire road monster on a down hill.
got a Giant MTB (3X 22/30/40T chainring 11-34 cassette) and a Decathlon road bike (2X 48/34T 11-34T), I thought a gravel bike would be the mix of both. But I recently found the bike of my dreams, which is a fitness bike not a gravel bike, the *Canyon Roadlite 6* . It combines the best of both worlds, the nimbleness of a road bike and the gears of a MTB, it's 1X (1x12) with a 46T chainring and 10-51 cassette. I hope to get it next month, but with that I'd have the speed of my road bike on the flat and descents, and I can climb almost any hill where I live (a mountainous region where sometimes I have trouble climbing with my road bike) with ease.
I agree with your attitude of best horse for the course, my local elite gravel race has a rule of no road bikes so Joe average with a modded Dad bike can't race. I like the idea of rock what you got, I'd even like to see a class for trikes.
As mentioned the races themselves pretty much drive bike selection.
The races going out of their way to vary terrain wildly encourage a swiss-army bike (BWR). Those that are consistently either rough (Unbound) or smooth (Croatan) can get a little more specialized.
Of course I only have one bike so the race tailoring I do is limited to gearing, tire and wheel selection. I'm no professional but my Grevil can (and has) done it all quite capably. I guess it remains to be seen if the bike mfgrs see a market to tailor to those who need to eek out the last watt from a very specialized bike or if they want to tailor a very good, good-enough option to old dudes with money to buy them!
I like your thinking. Im far from a racer, but I do remember my pimped out 90s Mongoose IBOC I built up on flat bars, narrow tires andold school geometry and it was the fastest mtb I ever owned. By narrow I mean 1.95s. I could beat full suspension bikes on single track and get to the trail head faster than anyone of my friend's. Bar ends included! Lol
You da Man Dylan. Great video, love the forward thinking. Very enjoyable video. Plus eye opener for me, looked up rolling resistance of my current Vittoria mezcal III vs my Vit. Terreno dry and learned the mezcal has lower rolling resistance. Whoda thunk it! (other then you)
I sold my gravel bike, bought a hardtail and am now realising how fast the thing is, especially in combination with really fast running tires. Other than you, I race ultra long distances, where aero bars are allowed. A hardtail with fast rolling tires and aero bars is an absolute weapon and so much more comfortable than a gravel bike on rougher stuff.
John Tomac Pic Missing!
Yep, from 3+ decades ago. Same s__t, different day.
Tomac was on drop bars for so many races! So many photos.... @@larryt.atcycleitalia5786
Ok I love the thinking outside the box stuff. My question would be about the bars and the effect. If your in Leadville and getting a benefit from only the shape of the bars in fast sections, wouldn't it be better to just have cut down straight bars? They would be just as aero if not more and you could make the compromise by finding a more aero position on short MTB bars? Just curious
Great video, I think most people watching are interested in the tech.
I recently build a new class of bikes. Touring Frame, Downhill size brakes and a time trial bar. Needles to say that there is even a suspension fork. This runs over all terrain.
Years ago I built a monstercross from a songle speed Trek Marlin that I got cheap but was a size too small.
I have a second gravel bike that I dont use much, I'm considering stripping it and putting most everything on a Carbon MTB frame.
Your nerdiness is awesome. Having nerdy inclinations I have found a some perhaps bizarre criteria for my next bike, and I think you are the right person to ask. However, it's too much to ask here. Is there a way to get in touch with you. Maybe a 15 minute call? Thanks!
I have a Crux for cx (33mm tyres) road (32mm tyres) and most gravel (I have 2 wheelsets). I have a 2.2” Conti Race King on the front for gravel (3mm space top and sides) and 45mm gravel tyre on the back. At 20psi it’s very plush on nasty gravel and is awesome on fast downhills. It’s fast. I use an Epic hardtail (100mm fork) with Race Kings front and back for bikepacking and nasty rocky gravel and single track. It’s quick too. 2 bikes covers all types of rides.
Thanks for all the awesome videos!!! Can you do one on 1x vs 2x gravel bike? I am looking for a new gravel bike and can’t decide on 1x or 2x 😂