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MTB Gravel Bike Conversions

March 6, 2023, 10:11 a.m.
Posts: 630
Joined: April 15, 2017

Does sticking dropbars on a Kona Unit count as a "conversion" ? I've seen some pretty lovely examples, but they all seem to have the bars really low, which does add to aesthetic but feels like it may be painful

March 6, 2023, 10:54 p.m.
Posts: 199
Joined: Nov. 20, 2020

Posted by: [email protected]

Posted by: TristanC

the Salzkammergut Trophy Gravel in July

Ha, this is now a gravel event? I did the B course (110 km I think) ~15 years ago, back then it was called XC marathon but of all the marathon races I did in the alps this one was probably the closest to what is now called gravel so it makes sense.

Bike looks great!

It's still a MTB event, but they added a few more courses, including an only-gravel one. I was signed up for the A course, but then I read the (extensive) rules and found out drop bars aren't permitted :(

The "gravel" course is pretty much the same as the C course.

March 7, 2023, 8:45 a.m.
Posts: 874
Joined: May 11, 2022

As I was riding through snow (especially snow with a layer of water on top a la freshly zamboni'd ice rink) I thought to myself, thank god for these wide riser bars.  I would probably be sporting a broken collarbone if I had been on drop bars.  That said still drop bar curious for my mtb to gravel/city/commuter conversion.

March 9, 2023, 2:41 a.m.
Posts: 1306
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

The Krampus Gravel bike AKA - Kravel.

March 9, 2023, 7:51 a.m.
Posts: 970
Joined: June 17, 2016

Nice, Marty!

The plastic bag stuffed under the saddle is for when it rains and the saddle gets wet... or??

March 9, 2023, 12:09 p.m.
Posts: 1306
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

Posted by: [email protected]

Nice, Marty!

The plastic bag stuffed under the saddle is for when it rains and the saddle gets wet... or??

Exactly.  It's when I lock it up so the saddle stays dry.

March 9, 2023, 11:20 p.m.
Posts: 199
Joined: Nov. 20, 2020

Posted by: fartymarty

The Krampus Gravel bike AKA - Kravel.

Does the odd brifter routing with the shifter cable out of the side bother you? I've got 2 bikes with Microshift brifters, and I alternate between "whatever, it's a cable," and "WHY ISN'T IT UNDER THE TAPE."

March 9, 2023, 11:39 p.m.
Posts: 1306
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

Posted by: TristanC

Posted by: fartymarty

The Krampus Gravel bike AKA - Kravel.

Does the odd brifter routing with the shifter cable out of the side bother you? I've got 2 bikes with Microshift brifters, and I alternate between "whatever, it's a cable," and "WHY ISN'T IT UNDER THE TAPE."

I get what you mean about the cable but I went cheap so I'm cool with the compromise.  You're right though it would be a ton nicer under the bar tape but then I would have to run an empty outer on the left so they feel the same.

March 18, 2023, 8:39 p.m.
Posts: 134
Joined: Aug. 29, 2010

I've built up a 2019 Kona HonzoST into a rigid gravelpackingX bike.

edit: I can't seem to post pics. I have posted pictures in the past over the years. Not sure what the issue is this time around.


 Last edited by: RideEverything on March 22, 2023, 5:30 p.m., edited 3 times in total.
March 22, 2023, 5:54 p.m.
Posts: 134
Joined: Aug. 29, 2010

I seem to have figured out how to post pictures again!

2019 Kona HonzoST XL

RSD Boost 510 fork

Carbon knockoff Corner Bar 640mm

Tektro Orion knockoff 4 pot brakes with 180mm rotors F/R

I fully bought into bikepacking and got all the stuff!

March 23, 2023, 2:55 a.m.
Posts: 788
Joined: Feb. 24, 2017

Very nice!!

March 23, 2023, 4:41 a.m.
Posts: 1306
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

Looks well fast.

I bet the bars weigh a whole lot less than the Surly equivalents.

March 26, 2023, 5:12 p.m.
Posts: 134
Joined: Aug. 29, 2010

Posted by: fartymarty

Looks well fast.

I bet the bars weigh a whole lot less than the Surly equivalents.

It is surprisingly fast!

I need the go up a size or two in chainring. I've only ridden on paved surfaces so far as commuter so I may not need to go to much bigger in chainring for slogging up fsr's.

The bars do have a lot more flex than anything I've ridden before. It is mildly worrying.

April 2, 2023, 7:33 a.m.
Posts: 2341
Joined: Sept. 10, 2012

Posted by: fartymarty

I'm keen to see / read about others who have converted mtbs to gravel bikes.

My GF wanted a "gravel bike", but hates drop bars so we built up this rig from a Pipedream Sirius frame. She rode it through the dry season in 2022 and enjoyed it. This frame has now become her HT mountain bike and we'll be working on a new "gravel bike" for her for 2023. 

I've got two bikes that I'd ride for "gravel". This is Krampus is one of them. It's my go to rig for riding around town on pavement, gravel and hitting the short bits of single-track we seem to have all over the place.

April 2, 2023, 10:54 a.m.
Posts: 1306
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

Vik - drop bars are worth trying - you get so many different hand positions with them.  I'm on gravel bars with 20mm rise and 75mm reach and they're quite nice.  They're also damn fast in the road.  If I was doing less road and more off road I would be on flat bars tho.

On the Krampus are you still on the -1 HS?  I'm just about to take the -2 out of mine that's been on there forever.  It will be interesting to see how it feels with a 69.5 HA.  I'm anticipating I may need to go to a 50mm stem (up from 30mm) to slow down the steering which then means moving the seat forward to keep the seated reach the same.  Time will tell.

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