Grumpy humor aside... Definately over thinking this one. I was a die hard MTB only kind of guy until moving to Revelstoke. Sounds odd right? Revy is probably one of the best MTB areas in BC... but the exploring to be done on a gravel bike is also truely epic.
Figure out the use case. Just throw a leg over something and see how it feels, make sure to get a reasonable group set with hydraulic brakes and try not to spend too much. Yes, gravel is a different catagory but I would argue that the stability and comfort of gravel is essentially what 95% of road bikers are actually wanting. How many people do you see on 10,000$ road bikes that are actually getting 10,000$ advantage, right? Really just a bit more comfort, stability, and expanded use is actually what a lot of those people really would benefit from. Having not been on a road bike for over 15 years, getting on a gravel bike was eye opening.
Yes 2x sucks for MTB but the GXR is very very good and better for gravel/road. Mechanical disc has its place if simplicity is more important than power (remote bikepacking) and size is just a number until you actually throw a leg over it.
I used to make fun of gravel bikes and the whole thing, thinking it was a fad to make more money. But, I would now argue, as a MTB guy, that it offers very similar adventure and escape an MTB does and even more in some cases. It is crazy for me but I know am putting together crazy epic road/forest road rides for next summer and getting super stoked. Plus, as Cooper would likely be fond of pointing out, you can do so much with these things. They can be your commuter, grocery ride one day and then right off into an epic in the great unknown the next. Bikes are so awesome these days! In BC all those forest road we use to build and access trails... well there are a ton more to go see where the hell they go on a gravel bike. BC's adventure forest road riding is truely endless.
I love getting into the details of tech as much as anyone but for this one... Just go ride a bike and have fun with a new way of exploring the world.
Feb. 15, 2025, 10:40 a.m. - atkach
Grumpy humor aside... Definately over thinking this one. I was a die hard MTB only kind of guy until moving to Revelstoke. Sounds odd right? Revy is probably one of the best MTB areas in BC... but the exploring to be done on a gravel bike is also truely epic. Figure out the use case. Just throw a leg over something and see how it feels, make sure to get a reasonable group set with hydraulic brakes and try not to spend too much. Yes, gravel is a different catagory but I would argue that the stability and comfort of gravel is essentially what 95% of road bikers are actually wanting. How many people do you see on 10,000$ road bikes that are actually getting 10,000$ advantage, right? Really just a bit more comfort, stability, and expanded use is actually what a lot of those people really would benefit from. Having not been on a road bike for over 15 years, getting on a gravel bike was eye opening. Yes 2x sucks for MTB but the GXR is very very good and better for gravel/road. Mechanical disc has its place if simplicity is more important than power (remote bikepacking) and size is just a number until you actually throw a leg over it. I used to make fun of gravel bikes and the whole thing, thinking it was a fad to make more money. But, I would now argue, as a MTB guy, that it offers very similar adventure and escape an MTB does and even more in some cases. It is crazy for me but I know am putting together crazy epic road/forest road rides for next summer and getting super stoked. Plus, as Cooper would likely be fond of pointing out, you can do so much with these things. They can be your commuter, grocery ride one day and then right off into an epic in the great unknown the next. Bikes are so awesome these days! In BC all those forest road we use to build and access trails... well there are a ton more to go see where the hell they go on a gravel bike. BC's adventure forest road riding is truely endless. I love getting into the details of tech as much as anyone but for this one... Just go ride a bike and have fun with a new way of exploring the world.