New posts

MTB Gravel Bike Conversions

April 17, 2024, 10:31 a.m.
Posts: 969
Joined: June 17, 2016

Yep we need photos Marty!

I did a 40 km gravel and road ride on my Reign a few weeks ago and enjoyed it. I guess on a gravel bike I could have gone a little faster but going fast wasn't the point of the ride.

Vik is organizing a 100 km gravel ride in the area at the end of the month. If we're not away that weekend I might attempt it on the Reign, or at least part of it.

April 17, 2024, 10:54 a.m.
Posts: 15174
Joined: Feb. 19, 2003

Posted by: [email protected]

Yep we need photos Marty!

I did a 40 km gravel and road ride on my Reign a few weeks ago and enjoyed it. I guess on a gravel bike I could have gone a little faster but going fast wasn't the point of the ride.

Vik is organizing a 100 km gravel ride in the area at the end of the month. If we're not away that weekend I might attempt it on the Reign, or at least part of it.

YMMV but I don't think main benefit of a dedicated gravel bike is necessarily speed, it's more on the efficiency and hand positions for longer rides.  For shorter stuff (like <40 km), I think a flat or riser bar set up is maybe more fun.  But once I have to do anything longer, or ride a big flat stretch, I love the drops.  Lots of variance in that though.

April 17, 2024, 11:45 a.m.
Posts: 969
Joined: June 17, 2016

Posted by: Couch_Surfer

YMMV but I don't think main benefit of a dedicated gravel bike is necessarily speed, it's more on the efficiency and hand positions for longer rides.  For shorter stuff (like <40 km), I think a flat or riser bar set up is maybe more fun.  But once I have to do anything longer, or ride a big flat stretch, I love the drops.  Lots of variance in that though.

YMMV indeed. I've never loved dropbars and I'm much more comfortable on a good shape riser bar.

In terms of efficiency no doubt some energy gets lost in more upright position, the suspension, and the big knobby tires. I think in general people overthink this but of course the longer the ride, the more it adds up, so we'll see how far I can take it. Stay tuned.

April 17, 2024, 12:40 p.m.
Posts: 1298
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

Will do some piccys. It's still a work in progress but will give you an idea.

With the right tyres mtbs are fine on "gravel" rides. We did a 100 miler a few years ago on full sus bikes but ran light fast tyres. The route was advertised as being suitable for gravel or mtbs. The gravel bikes would pass us on road sections or smoother uphill sections but we got them back on the downhill sections. We did pass several horrified looking riders on gravel bikes who admitted (later) they were on the wrong bike.


 Last edited by: fartymarty on April 18, 2024, 6:23 a.m., edited 1 time in total.
April 18, 2024, 12:40 a.m.
Posts: 1298
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

First ride piccys.

It's nice to have hydraulic brakes again. The cable discs just weren't cutting it. Being able to brake is nice. The Ritchey Corralito bars are a better shape - less reach and a lower drop means the drops are more useable and you aren't as stretched out on the hood. Also the increased width of 50cm from the old bars 44cm is nice.

A few other notes - the tyre inner tube is where I fix my D lock to the frame. It stops it rattling when commuting in town.  I have some new bar tape to go on - this is the old tape that I have put on quickly so I can get all the controls in the right place.  The dropper cable is a bit long but I need it this long to get the post out without taking the bars off or lever off. I may change this once i'm happy that everything is working as it should. The red oxide paint is covering a couple of scratches. The frame is nearly 10 years old and I still like the green and don't overly want to re-paint it. I'm still running 30 ID rims - so can go a lot wider on tyres if needed - can also swap wheels to the other bikes if needed. Also I have some Hope floating rotors I will probably put on - 180 F / 160 or 180 R.

So far i'm happy with how it turned out and can't wait to get it out on some proper trails once things dry up a bit.


 Last edited by: fartymarty on April 18, 2024, 12:46 a.m., edited 2 times in total.
April 18, 2024, 5:26 a.m.
Posts: 199
Joined: Nov. 20, 2020

Posted by: fartymarty

It's nice to have hydraulic brakes again. The cable discs just weren't cutting it. Being able to brake is nice.

Well balls. Now I have to think about buying some Saint calipers and a GRX drivetrain.

April 18, 2024, 5:54 a.m.
Posts: 1298
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

Posted by: TristanC

Posted by: fartymarty

It's nice to have hydraulic brakes again. The cable discs just weren't cutting it. Being able to brake is nice.

Well balls. Now I have to think about buying some Saint calipers and a GRX drivetrain.

Or Zees which are similar but cheaper. 4 pots should be fine as I have run 4 pot calipers on the XT levers which were originally 2 pot calipers.  I think though with 180mm rotors the brakes will be powerful enough for the tyres i'm running.

I'm now tempted to put the drop bars on teh Solaris Max altho that's a project for when I really get bored.


 Last edited by: fartymarty on April 18, 2024, 5:56 a.m., edited 1 time in total.
April 18, 2024, 9:08 a.m.
Posts: 15174
Joined: Feb. 19, 2003

Posted by: [email protected]

Posted by: Couch_Surfer

YMMV but I don't think main benefit of a dedicated gravel bike is necessarily speed, it's more on the efficiency and hand positions for longer rides.  For shorter stuff (like <40 km), I think a flat or riser bar set up is maybe more fun.  But once I have to do anything longer, or ride a big flat stretch, I love the drops.  Lots of variance in that though.

YMMV indeed. I've never loved dropbars and I'm much more comfortable on a good shape riser bar.

In terms of efficiency no doubt some energy gets lost in more upright position, the suspension, and the big knobby tires. I think in general people overthink this but of course the longer the ride, the more it adds up, so we'll see how far I can take it. Stay tuned.

I got out of MTB for a while and into Road, so drops just feel right to me when grinding out to the Resevoir via Fishermans.  But if I'm hitting Lost Lake hot laps with friends in Whistler, I'd way rather a riser or flat set up.  But wife really side-eyes when I suggest I need two gravel bikes for differing purposes.  Overthinking it is part of the fun since it's a compromised bike when compared with a modern super-enduro on a flow trail.

April 18, 2024, 11:30 a.m.
Posts: 16422
Joined: Nov. 20, 2002

In conversion from a 20+ yr old steel frame mtn bike to gravel touring everything got replaced or has worn out but i still got the V-brakes cuz thats all one needs even with fully loaded panniers and if you are actualy touring what you actualy need is a brake that anyone can service with a cresent wrench

one buddy had his old hayes mags on a 25 yr old HT shit the bed touring in yurp so that was a probelm, so when he came back buddy takes a 2 week bike maintenace course , but what he really needed was not hydralic  brakes

same with bro who toured south america, when shit broke and it did in 55000kms something easy to service was easyier to service

of course if you want 4 pot brakes thats what you want


 Last edited by: XXX_er on April 18, 2024, 11:50 a.m., edited 1 time in total.
April 18, 2024, 11:45 a.m.
Posts: 1178
Joined: March 15, 2013

I know this isn't really the exact thread for this, but I've been loving the old school MTB and road bikes converted to modern flat bar city rippers. I've been wanting to sell my fancy carbon Threshold I only ride around town and build something like this up for a while.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CV5SP2gvGO2/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyOprggv9oi/?img_index=1

April 18, 2024, 11:48 a.m.
Posts: 15174
Joined: Feb. 19, 2003

those are lovely.

this thread is basically why I spend time on the radavist.

April 18, 2024, 12:45 p.m.
Posts: 1298
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

Posted by: Couch_Surfer

those are lovely.

this thread is basically why I spend time on the radavist.

I do like repurposed bikes.  Hardtails are so versatile in that respect.

April 18, 2024, 10:26 p.m.
Posts: 0
Joined: Sept. 18, 2022

Here’s my ‘06 Raleigh XXIX gravel conversion. Less than ideal for my giraffe legs, but it gets the job done. I’ve got plans to bing it back into a flat bar configuration with an angleset and drilling the frame for an internal dropper post.

April 18, 2024, 11:09 p.m.
Posts: 199
Joined: Nov. 20, 2020

Not my pic, but I am getting excited to build up my Stooge Rambler when it arrives this summer. I think it slots into the same category of "not quite a mountain bike, not quite a gravel bike." I'm building mine up with parts salvaged off my smooshed groad bike, 27.5x2.6 fast rolling tires, 1x11. I expect it will get me into lots of trouble.

April 23, 2024, 4 p.m.
Posts: 9337
Joined: Nov. 19, 2002

Should I gravel bike my Rootdown?

Forum jump: