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MTB Gravel Bike Conversions

Dec. 20, 2024, 6:43 a.m.
Posts: 1300
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

Posted by: BC_Nuggets

So if I convert an older mtb into a flatbar gravel bike have I in effect just done jack squat all? ;)

But aren't gravel bikes just 90s mountain bikes anyway? :)


 Last edited by: fartymarty on Dec. 20, 2024, 6:45 a.m., edited 1 time in total.
Dec. 20, 2024, 4:55 p.m.
Posts: 148
Joined: June 9, 2017

Posted by: fartymarty

But aren't gravel bikes just 90s mountain bikes anyway? :)

Reminder that everytime you say that, you owe me a beer. I said it in an article somewhere, so it must be true.

Dec. 21, 2024, 1:18 a.m.
Posts: 1300
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

Posted by: cooperquinn

Posted by: fartymarty

But aren't gravel bikes just 90s mountain bikes anyway? :)

Reminder that everytime you say that, you owe me a beer. I said it in an article somewhere, so it must be true.

Fair enough (even though the comment was made in jest to reinforce the meme). If I make it to Vanvegas (or if you're in the UK) I'll buy you a pint for my sins.

But on a serious note if you took a 90s* mountain bike, kept the angles, gave it 29 inch wheels, increased the wheelbase a bit and added some drop bars it would be a gravel bike. When you list out the changes the changes they are considerable so actually not the same thing. However what is similar is the trails you can ride both on.

* I got my first mtb in 1990 so remember them fondly but not so fondly that I want to ride a 90s mtb anymore.


 Last edited by: fartymarty on Dec. 21, 2024, 4:20 a.m., edited 1 time in total.
Dec. 23, 2024, 10:24 a.m.
Posts: 1044
Joined: Jan. 2, 2018

Posted by: BC_Nuggets

So if I convert an older mtb into a flatbar gravel bike have I in effect just done jack squat all? ;)

Probably. It depends on how sketchy the tires are. They may not be bald enough. Otherwise good to go.

Dec. 24, 2024, 6:11 p.m.
Posts: 148
Joined: June 9, 2017

I'd love to have a pint sometime!

(I'd also rather have a modern gravel bike - almost no matter what trails - than a 90s mtb, haha. Everything is *SO* much better now)


 Last edited by: cooperquinn on Dec. 24, 2024, 6:12 p.m., edited 1 time in total.
Dec. 25, 2024, 1:21 a.m.
Posts: 1300
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

Posted by: cooperquinn

I'd love to have a pint sometime!

(I'd also rather have a modern gravel bike - almost no matter what trails - than a 90s mtb, haha. Everything is *SO* much better now)

Pint request accepted.

I could never go back to rim brakes no matter how good people say they are - they were primative at best and not a good way to stop a bike. I wouldn't even use rim brakes for commuting as I want to stop when I pull on the levers. (apologies for the rant - was watching some Ronnie Romance youtube the other day).

Yeah give me a modern bike any day.


 Last edited by: fartymarty on Dec. 25, 2024, 1:21 a.m., edited 1 time in total.
Dec. 25, 2024, 1:45 a.m.
Posts: 2707
Joined: April 2, 2005

Posted by: cooperquinn

It's not as much the case with a steel frame like that, but man that style of rear rack stresses me out. I get fed ads for similar ones, and they're always mounted to some carbon fiber full-suss bike and... that's just not loads the seatstays were destigned for.

Ortlieb Quickracks are a better choice imho. I don't like selling those Thules.

Dec. 25, 2024, 2:27 p.m.
Posts: 148
Joined: June 9, 2017

100%. Everything is better now, both performance and durability. I'd never go back to rim brakes. And other than an actual honest to god road bikes you can pry my dropper posts from my cold dead hands. I want to put on on the cargo bike, ha.

Dec. 25, 2024, 3:20 p.m.
Posts: 1044
Joined: Jan. 2, 2018

Posted by: cooperquinn

100%. Everything is better now, both performance and durability. I'd never go back to rim brakes. And other than an actual honest to god road bikes you can pry my dropper posts from my cold dead hands. I want to put on on the cargo bike, ha.

That's good to hear from someone with experience in that world. 

After being way in the back of the pack on the CXMAS ride this year (why did I leave the assegai maxxgrip and DHR2 on my bike again? Brain fart I guess) dabbling in gravel is back on my radar - not that I wouldn't have still been at the back of the bus, but more appropriate gear wouldn't have hurt haha. 

But one thing I can't wrap my head around when considering a gravel bike is not having a dropper. I'm a mountain biker and can kinda "hide" my lack of fitness when terrain is more technical, but rides like that really expose me. So, seems the right thing to do is embrace the suck and just do more of them.

Dec. 26, 2024, 12:14 a.m.
Posts: 1300
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

100% on droppers on all bikes.  If I was buying a new frame w/o a dropper hole in the seat tube I would just drill it.  This assumes I'm buying a steel frame which I would most definitely be doing.

But I also don't understand why all bikes done come with routing.

Dec. 26, 2024, 7:41 p.m.
Posts: 148
Joined: June 9, 2017

I would suggest that an Assegai is moderately overkill for that ride, in the same way that showing up to a bb-gun fight with an Iowa Class Battleship is overkill.


 Last edited by: cooperquinn on Dec. 26, 2024, 7:41 p.m., edited 1 time in total.
Dec. 26, 2024, 10:49 p.m.
Posts: 1044
Joined: Jan. 2, 2018

Posted by: cooperquinn

I would suggest that an Assegai is moderately overkill for that ride, in the same way that showing up to a bb-gun fight with an Iowa Class Battleship is overkill.

Perfectly stated.

It was not until we were on fisherman's and I noticed I had to pedal pretty hard even going downhill just to keep the pace the gravel bikes could do just coasting, that my error truly became apparent. Haha. I even have some XR4s in the garage I could have swapped, still overkill but less heinous, but I half forgot and half underestimated the difference. I shall be better prepared next year.

Dec. 27, 2024, 12:48 a.m.
Posts: 1300
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

Kenny, the secret is to train on the big tyres all year and switch before the race.

Dec. 27, 2024, 9 a.m.
Posts: 148
Joined: June 9, 2017

The difference is pretty wild. I ride Seymour Parkway on all kinds of bikes and tires and at roughly the same power output a Maxxgrip'd enduro bike is about half the speed of a gravel bike on mid-fast tires. Like 20kmh vs 40kmh, if youre westbound from Apex on the false-flat section there.

Dec. 27, 2024, 9:09 a.m.
Posts: 98
Joined: Nov. 15, 2020

All true, but lately I am finding for solo mixed terrain rides I much prefer riding my hardtail than my gravel bike. It is slower but I think I just like risers, wide tires, and really low gearing, although I am using a fairly fast rolling tire combo. The gravel bike only comes out when the loop has a lot of pavement or that's what other people are riding and I need to keep up. Makes me think I would really enjoy a true XC hardtail - I might find something cheap to mess around with.

Major caveat here that my gravel bike is on the heavy and slow end of the spectrum: 650b wheels, steel, dynamo hub. I have owned light gravel bikes and lots of cyclocross bikes and they are their own type of fun but not my cup of tea these days.

Kenny the nice thing is there's a wide spectrum and pretty much everything is faster than assegais, lol.


 Last edited by: Abies on Dec. 27, 2024, 9:10 a.m., edited 1 time in total.

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