I'm semi immersed into the gravel scene now, after nearly 3 decades on knobbies. I love the different perspective that curly bars and smaller tires gives me - it opens up new possibilities to see the world by bicycle. But one thing I have learned about myself is that I don't quite understand the grey areas that people are using their gravel bikes for. If the trail requires front suspension or tires approaching 2" wide, why not just use a hardtail mountain bike? To me, gravel is gravel. Dirt roads and long distances (and not much else). Mountain bikes are so much more versatile when venturing into singletrack. To me, gravel bikes are essentially road bikes with wider bars & tires and more forgiving gearing. Is that just me?
March 22, 2022, 7:11 a.m. - Lowcard
I'm semi immersed into the gravel scene now, after nearly 3 decades on knobbies. I love the different perspective that curly bars and smaller tires gives me - it opens up new possibilities to see the world by bicycle. But one thing I have learned about myself is that I don't quite understand the grey areas that people are using their gravel bikes for. If the trail requires front suspension or tires approaching 2" wide, why not just use a hardtail mountain bike? To me, gravel is gravel. Dirt roads and long distances (and not much else). Mountain bikes are so much more versatile when venturing into singletrack. To me, gravel bikes are essentially road bikes with wider bars & tires and more forgiving gearing. Is that just me?