[fixit]

Is it only me, or is it mainstream practice that everything labeled as “gravel” this and “gravel” that is extremely overpriced? Mtb products like tyres, chains, gears, shoes,lights, shifters (shimano grx 600 and 400 are lower quality editions of 105 and tiagra) , chainwheels, ( shimano rx600 chainwheel is at best, alivio quality…) And and and… What do you think?

Topic

[crazy-legs]

The term “cross bike” itself

The term “cross bike” itself encompassed a wide range of styles not that long ago. Everything from absolute pure bred CX (no bottle bosses, often something like a 36/42 chainring combination giving very little gearing range, 30c tyres max) right through to what we might now call a gravel bike.

It’s only really in the last 3 years that discs have really become a thing on CX – not that long ago were all the predictable threads on forums going “well, if discs are supposed to be so good, why do CX racers still use cantis, I’m happy with my cantis…” Now you can barely buy a rim-braked CX bike. Again, it was trickle-down, waiting for the availability of parts and spares to actually make discs a reasonable option.

And discs (and wider range cassettes) have then opened up the true “gravel” niche which is essentially getting all the good bit of a late-1990’s MTB and all the good bits of a CX bike and fitting them together.

[AllegedlyAnthony]

To be fair, 95% of companies
To be fair, 95% of companies charge as much as people will pay for their products. It is unrealistic to expect bike component manufacturers to act differently. Prices will come down as more suppliers enter the market or we just choose not to pay so much.

[AllegedlyAnthony]

Absolutely. However, the
Absolutely. However, the other, additional, factor is probably the large number of ageing middle managers who got into cycling post-Wiggins and who now want a comfortable bike without it looking uncool as they can no longer cope with their Dogma. The new label allows them to go slow and carry luggage whilst still kidding themselves that they’re not pathetic wannabes or boring freds…

[Anonymous]

Nailed it.

Nailed it.

[armb]

From the sister site:https:/

From the sister site:
https://road.cc/offroad/content/buying/the-best-mountain-bikes-you-can-buy-for-under-600
“You can get a proper trail-ready mountain bike for £600 these days, and there’s plenty of choice out there.”
Includes a few £400 bikes, and one £250 bike.

https://road.cc/offroad/content/buying/the-best-gravel-and-adventure-bikes-you-can-buy-for-under-1000-1907
“If you’re after a new gravel or adventure bike but don’t want to spend more than £1,000 then you’re in luck”
Only one of them, the Dark Peak Calibre, comes in under the £600 limit of the mountain bike article, and while it was discounted to £450 at the time, it looks like it’s no longer available.

[Welsh boy]

So far we think that these

So far we think that these gravel bikes may have been a road bike which has been modified to take wider tyres or that it might have been a cross bike which has been modified so it isnt a cross bike any longer.  Since these gravel bikes dont seem to be either a road bike or a cross bike I wonder if they are something new and that the manufacturers are recovering the design, R&D and marketing costs associated with bringing something new to market.  Just a thought.

[ktache]

Unfortunately I don’t think

Unfortunately I don’t think it is quite available yet.

[carlosdsanchez]

Awesome!! Had been looking at

Awesome!! Had been looking at Busch + Muller Ixon Space, but wasn’t that confident that “splash and rainwater proof” (IP54) would be sufficent. I’ve had 4 or 5 years of use out of an exposure strada, which is now scratched and dented, but still working.

[Joe Totale]

Gravel bikes are just modern

Gravel bikes are just modern day drop bar touring bikes. Both gravel and touring bikes have good tyre clearance which means they’re able to go on NCN routes, some of which are gravel.

They both have lots of mounting points and also have fairly relaxed geometries. Of course, ‘touring’ is deeply uncool so you have to call it ‘gravel’ and ‘bikepacking’ instead.

[werics]

I’ve done a non-Zwift (i.e.
I’ve done a non-Zwift (i.e. real) off-road triathlon. Reverse order too! Turns out it was much more enjoyable than the “real deal” imo.

[I love my bike]

Well, just wait a bit for the

Well, just wait a bit for the first Zwift e-gravel triathlon!

[Nick T]

Because the window for

Because the window for cashing in on fads isn’t open for very long 

[fixit]

Its not the prices for grx,
Its not the prices for grx, it is the quality. I have in my hands a grx600 crankset and it is not hollowtech for the crankarms, the quality looks more than alivio rather than 105 level that they claim. Well, it is cheaper than the 105 crank but nowhere near in quality. The bottom line is that you got bikes with 105 at a given price and now, at the same or a bit higher price you get the grx600. It seems that they made some hole there since they have no grx 600 rear derailleur!! What a bust!!

[Hirsute]

£385 – you could get a bike
£385 – you could get a bike for that !

[ktache]

I really want this light.

I really want this light.

Exposure Optix All Terain STVZO, so German spec road lighting (Damn those sensible europeans) STVZO compliant, which means not dazzleing oncoming drivers/riders, but gives 3300 lumens when you need it when bombing down the riverbed syle bridleway that goes down a mountainside.

Bit road, bit mountain bike – all Gravel?

[Author]

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