Sort of like a hybrid. Pretty much any bike can be used on road and gravel and as presumably you are riding for enjoyment then pick the type of bike you enjoy riding. Quote 0 0 0. cattiy19 Starter 7 posts. I rode everywhere to ride, to commute, to have fun and to explore lanes, mountains, distance, local woods. Unless you fancy changing your type of riding/bike. This video highlights a few reasons why a gravel bike is better than a CX bike for gravel riding https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1upx1BUZ3c. I should qualify my statement, my hardtail is a 9kg full race spec kinda thing that I luckily didn’t have to pay much for, this is what makes it fast enough to cover a wide range of riding and makes it similar to a gravel bike…a normal Hardtail would be slower, still nice though. Possible unpopular opinion: everyone should learn to mountain bike … Happy riding! Hardtail Mountain Bikes From pro-level XC race bikes to confident trail tamers, these men’s hardtail mountain bikes feature lightweight frames and a focus on ride quality. Most my “gravel” riding is through really tame woodlands. In a full suspension mountain bike a.k.a dual suspension Mountain bike, the rear wheel must come with a suspension shock. Probably why some people own so many bikes (says a man with five bikes). There are the MTB/Gravel hybrids of course – think Hardtail with drop bars and rigid forks. I have flat bars on mine and its perfect. Which probably explains why it’s my favourite bike, I can ride from home doing roads that are now so rough a road bike is not the tool for the job (my local roads are so rippled and potholed that a sus fork is applicable) It’s light and fast enough that a 40mile road loop on the road if it’s wet won’t irritate – but usually I’ll incorporate some ace offroad single track and remote hills, and the bike is in it’s element, like it’s in the early 90’s…. You don’t have to go as far as slicks to make a hardtail reasonably fast on tarmac or gravel – something like Specialized Hardpack are decent off road without being too draggy on-road. And that can mean a lot of fun and a fresh look at where and how you ride.A gravel bike can raise a smile in so many ways… there are lots of I feel a lot of people say oh just get a ht it will be just as fast are thinking with a mountain bike brains. Pipedream’s New SRS48 Fork Has Zero Millimetres of Travel. +1 on this. If your trip mainly consists of forest and gravel roads the choice becomes a bit easier. Funnily enough, the additional 4″ of suspension fork doesn’t seem all that significant, and the only thing I really missed from the gravel bike was the hand positions of the drop bars, and the smoothness and range of the 2x drivetrain. Great for cruising over gravel and dirt roads or covering large distances at speed. I don’t know if the position they’re in just gives you more aero, or more power producing. In terms of design, a gravel bike is similar to a road bike or a cycle cross bike. I'm currently building a dedicated steel gravel bike for this very reason. With a FS bike and a gravel bike/road bike it’s pretty much the perfect combo. With or without drops. Their tires have more weight and rolling resistance. But then if it’s only the bars that are a problem then you’ve already got large-volume knobby tyres, which means if you put flat bars on then we can probably call it an MTB , That bike I posted above has been built up with flat bars (MTB in my book) and drops (gravel bike with unusually beefy tyres), but the frameset is actually designed/marketed as a city hybrid, so all the boundaries (as if they existed) are shot to shit anyway . Gravel bikes are beefed up CX bikes, rigid and drop barred, and represent a less capable off road machine than a modern HT. To be fair, its case wasn’t helped by the fatigued rider or the motley crew of components casually plundered from the spares pile. Slacker … Mostly light offroad with some more rough stuff, and not much road, hardtail. The rigid mtb fork is stiffer, the frame is stiffer, and the bars are stiffer. I prefer riding flat bars to drops as I enjoy the steering and handing more and it makes lifting front wheel, hopping over things etc,. Sorry, I didn’t tell you which one I’d pick between the two. I’ll be keeping my fs and probably road bike as well. Modern mountain biking be it FS or HT is much quicker than it used to be, but I think that’s a function of the equipment available rather than any great change in skill or talent. I used to have a steel cross bike before gravel bikes existed, and it was much more forgiving than my hardtail. I haven’t found the maintenance a pain, although don’t ride it much I guess. The biggest difference over a road bike are the 650b 47mm tyres, flared, wider bars, and the slightly slacker geo all of which makes it more capable offroad. Brakes: Hydraulic … Premier Club In truth, they sit somewhere between the two. Thinking of selling my road bike to buy a gravel bike, but would a short travel hardtail with slicks be better for riding in the Lakes on and off road?? The top five hardtail electric mountain bikes of 2021 represent the best combinations of features and value on the market today. Weird geo. But riding an MTB of any kind just isn’t like riding a quick road or gravel bike. Link Removal This video discusses using a hardtail mountain bike for gravel riding. Either. Still, I had to ride it 25 miles daily for two years until I couldn’t bear it any longer. The suspension will swallow any big holes or rocks, whereas the gravel bike may not. Well unfortunately it’s quite a difficult one! Privacy Gravel bikes are equipped with drop handlebars while mountain bikes use flat handlebars. Are you going to be riding primarily on tarmac/gravel and how much genuine off road are you going to be doing? I reckon my Sonder Ti, flat bar, rigid bike with 40c 29er tyres on is pretty good all round. You know it makes sense . Many mountain bikers value the simplicity of a hardtail, but not all want the same ride. Way more fun on a bike designed to do that in my opinion. There’s nothing that will do everything without compromise, so you either accept that, work out what your riding will weighted towards and buy something in that ballpark, or get yourself 2 bikes. Some of the gravel bikes can take panniers and full guards more easily so thats a consideration, but then the lines become blurred between adventure/touring bikes like a kona sutra ltd. A drop bar bike that rides and feels like a mountain bike. Login/cookie issues? Having watched that GCN video I’d say my bike is actually in-between those two. If I had to only have one bike between the bikes I have (cross, rigid MTB, full sus, hardtail and road bike) I’d pick my rigid Stooge as it puts a smile on my face every time I ride it and despite being a weighty beast it rides lovely and isn’t all that slow either. If you put a gun to my head I’d probably give up the gravel bike first, on the proviso that I could put some funky bars on the Superfly, and stick some gravel slicks on it too. Classifieds Rules A fast hardtail is never going to make a good road bike whatever tyres you put on it. Kids Hardtail Adventure. That being said I feel that even with the hardtail locked out, and fast rolling tires I still feel a proper gravel bike with drops is quite a bit faster. Ultimately though (as been said many times) all bikes are a compromise and picking which one suits yourself best is variable and quite a personal thing and can change to your mood or even the weather. What is a gravel bike and why do I need one? Is there anyone who has raced both a hardtail and gravel bike in a gravel race? 9 Bike Locks, Chains and Anchors to keep your bike safe, This topic has 44 replies, 28 voices, and was last updated. It was pretty cheap though. Not saying to put drop bars on a hardtail, just use the flat bar or riser bar that you normally use. Or a bike like the Kona Sutra LTD that doesn’t seem to have a solid place in either category, but a foot in both doors. Then in the 90s I started reading MBUK. Totally agree. Main reason for wanting to try something different is to get more hand positions, as flat bars do get uncomfortable after a while. I do agree that the single hand position of flat bars is not great for long rides though but as I never ride over 2 hours that is not a problem in my case. It is noticeable though that my XC style bikes are faster than it (they’re also lighter though) on most off-road sections – all my current KOM’s are rideable on gravel bikes but the KOM was set on a mountain bike. I would just get the bike you like riding the most. And then there’s the rowdy good-times trail crew, who care more about having fun tackling tricky sections of singletrack. Pretty sure a 29er MTB would give you better bang for your buck too, not getting fleeced for hydraulic STI levers up front etc. If you’ll be doing road and light offroad, gravel bike. I mean they are designed as race bikes to be really nimble. The 650b tyres are barely slower on the road, and probably only when going at a decent speed. All depends on the road to offroad ratio. Well, er probably neither. The rest is twistory. Personally I’d have a road bike and a mtb. Clued up on trends & changes in the industry over time, we love his invaluable insights! typically wide gravel tracks that you could probably nurse a car along. RANGEFINDER Approachable Hardtail Trail. Gravel bikes are just fun and if all you want to do it spin from your door take in pretty much anything apart from serious trail riding a gravel bike is perfect. I get this. With that in mind, Jack, Reuben and Joe raced three different bikes, a “traditional” gravel bike, a hardtail mountain bike and a monster ‘cross bike to find out which would come out on top. The reimagined RIP 9 RDO. Then regret your decision and hanker after the other. Choosing a cross country race bike used to be simple – it was a case of fat tyres, rim brakes and hold on for dear life. Partially remedied by bagging an old-but-good tourer for peanuts and then fitting with 3mm bar-tape. Though this isn’t always the case for a lot of riders. I would kill for a Hardtail MTB frame with trough axles and the ability to use a road crank! Yesterday I did like 30miles from my door (zone 2 London) taking in roads, woodland, bridal way and cutting through a few parks on a mountain bike it would have been hard work and WAY over biked. You’ll be able to tackle harder lines and gnarlier trails, though you’ll pay the price of overall speed for it. Doesn’t help my storage problems, but at least have two quite different options (1 for speed, comfort and distance on multi-surface runs – 1 for bikepacking, light MTB/local trails/roughstuff and options for 29+ everything). Can you ride what you want to ride on it? All Road. Just the memory of it makes me angry. The difference between hardtail vs full suspension bikes is that, in addition to the fork shock the full suspension bike also has a rear shock. Years ago, there were bikes called ‘hybrids’. With similar weights and very different handling, we had a closer look at which you should choose. It’s tricky to differentiate between these two bikes. All depends on the road to offroad ratio. The kind of terrain you’ll be tackling and what the main uses are. You must be logged in to reply to this topic. I have had drop bars in the past and just never used the drops so got rid with my latest bike. Bike selection – A hardtail 29er is going to be the closest to a gravel bike, while also offering the benefits of a true mountain bike. And of course, there needs to be a way to activate it as well. A post shared by Bez (@mashing53) on Jul 23, 2020 at 11:32am PDT. MUKLUK ... Bikes. It might be that you buy a single frame with multiple wheel sets. The shape is tall and has a slick design. It’ll depend on quite a lot of factors, so we had a closer look at what you might want to consider below. Share; cattiy19 Starter 1484482970. CX bike, then you don’t have the ignominy of owning a gravel bike. Agreed, here’s the future of rough terrain ‘gravel’, a bike that can do everything surprisingly well…medium irony intended. Whenever I see people bunny hopping on drop bars it just looks awkward and I know if feels awkward having done it. I’m in the same position regarding buying a gravel or short travel ht. It may be that covering those distances is the thing that is important to you and you just endure the technical sections in between, but again, it all comes down to your riding and what you want out of it. A hardtail is good for its middle ground abilities, but that is also its downfall. Determining whether a hardtail or a full suspension MTB is right for you depends on how and where you’ll be riding. I really don’t think thats right the geo is different, they can take bigger tyres and also don’t weigh the same as a car. Better in every way (except for fork-servicing issues – but the lockout worked so rode it rigid). Whatever you decide, the cycle store sales team are always happy to help you make an informed decision and point you in the right direction. Not sure whether to give it another whirl, stick flat bars on it, or just stash it in the loft for a rainy day. Thing is that when I get to the offroad bits, it’s rough enough that i’m not convinced that a gravel bike would be that good – I’m thinking it would either have to be a twangy Ti frame with clearance for something like the 2.1 Thunderburt, or something with active suspension like the new Diverge. Das E-Mountainbike Magazine hat diese beiden Bikes verglichen und gibt euch Tipps, worauf ihr im Zweifelsfall achten müsst.. Years ago, there were bikes called ‘hybrids’. Began overfeeding my happy brain the whatifs and expensives and lookits. And it was only £1400 for a 9.6kg bike. But if you love to ease off the brakes and attack the descents but find climbing a means to an end then choose a mountain bike. Gravel bikes such as Cannondale’s Topstone Lefty have dual-suspension, yet the available travel remains comparatively low at only 30mm. Gravel bikes use drop handlebars becaus… Weird gearing. They were kinda like a cross between an MTB and a road bike. Of course a gravel bike would be your top choice but don’t rule out a hardtail MTB or a rigid MTB. If it is the bars that are the only problem then a flat barred gravel bike would sort that out. Expect anything up to 47c on either 700c or 650b wheels. But yeah, from your previous posts sounds like you already have mountain bikes covered so get a drop bar that can cope with a bit of off road. And as much as I love the versatility of ‘gravel’ bikes, I’m not a fan of riding them off-road for the sake of it. If you needed to pick one physical trait to separate gravel bikes from mountain bikes, the handlebars are most obvious. If you’re pretty cautious and like to pick your way down a descent and often get off on the steep stuff and really enjoy a climb then the gravel bike (or even a cross bike) would probably best suit you. I have a 90mm travelled leftied 29er I got from before gravel was really a thing, its got thunderburts on it, it’ll keep up with a gravel bike on anything but be quicker in the rough – It’s a pig to maintain though as it needs some high spec parts to achieve that weight and it’s finickity…a heavier 29er hardtail would not feel as fast. Contact Us Some bikes like the new Cannondale topstone even come with a dropper post to make them even more off road capable. I needed that ATBtitude again. At first glance not that different from a cyclocross bike, gravel bikes are actually distinct – and often closer to an endurance road bike. There’s no one size fits all for this unfortunately, and you’ll have to consider just what you want to use the bike for. Too many, even. Anyway, I think it just gets us to the point that your two main decisions (based on your local terrain and what you want to do) are tyres and bars, and anything else is just gravy. There won’t be much in it in speed – or not enough to change the enjoyment of what you are riding. Specialized specialized.com. Though they’re not quite as comfortable as a hard tail with front suspension. Reckon it’s similar speed on road to my 9kg gravel bike when on the loops, but so much more fun and more controllable on anything remotely off road. Nukeproof Giga Launched: A Super-Enduro shouldn’t descend AND climb this well! I had a hybrid Ridgeback when I worked in London and I hated it as it was (for me) the worst of both worlds. Currently settled on med/narrow ie 620mm (carbon) flat bars with Ergon GP2 bar ends. I’m in love with my gravel bike right now, am still learning what it is capable of but it just feels so fast and versatile on what I call ‘U.S. Whatever came along. Specialized Chisel here for exactly this purpose. The Gravel bike can go anywhere (and could accept a pair of road wheels if necessary), but has its limitations with rougher stuff of course. Six months later swap to the other… And end up regretting that too. Solved it by selling and buying a 2001 Cannondale F500 + some fat semi-slicks. We did the research to highlight the best, but you can see all 32 of our complete reviews of hardtail electric bikes listed here. It weighs the same as the gravel bike, has 2.1 Thunderburt on rear and 2.1 racing Ralph on the front so probably rolls closer to the gravel bike (I can keep up with most riders on road bikes), yet with finesse is properly capable off road. Yep – I came here to write this too. But that’s just my experience is that you’ll go a little faster on a gravel bike. With 140mm of consistent, controlled CVA suspension, progressive and adjustable geometry, increased frame stiffness, and available in two (yes, two) wheel sizes, it’s more versatile and capable and ever before. Absorbing some of the bumps and bruises and taking them in their stride. This adds weight though and when the bike starts to get heavier, the hardtail becomes the option? Whereas today I was overtaken on a gravel track by an old Cannondale hardtail with road wheels and what looked like 25’s on…. Fat Bike BEARGREASE Groomed Racing. If speed/performance is your ultimate goal then stick with an expensive roadbike for roads and an expensive FS for offroad. There is a common misconception, especially among riders new to mountain biking, that full suspension is a comfort feature. 29″ wheels, a MTB chain set – but a road bike frame. The most distinguished part between both these bikes is their frames. For me the term gravel needs to change I live down south and there are very few gravel roads unlike America where they have miles and miles of gravel fire road. Gravel bikes are fantastic for the “smoother” off-road sections. Light, comfy. Even then – there are ‘gravel’ bikes like 8kg road bikes with 32mm tyres and radical racing posture/geo, then there are ‘gravel bikes’ like skinny rigid MTBs with wide-drop bars and a fairly relaxed posture/geo, Here’s a video by a gravelfan https://youtu.be/KzeEcndVgWs, Keep the road bike and save up for an MTB as well? The hardtail will be comfier on the descents and offer you much more flexibility in route choice. Still missing the Vagabond/drop-bar fun though. Reslly need to get forks serviced I suppose.. My gravel bike is 90% as fast as a road bike, but it’ll handle some fairly rough offroad along with the standard gravel roads. You’ll find a gravel bike or mountain bike noticeably slower on the road compared to a decent road bike so you might be disappointed either way. They prefer a slacker, comfier position, even if it comes at the cost of some rolling resistance. If versatility and simplicity is your goal then there are almost endless options. Do you notice a big difference how fast you can go? This is because they feel more comfortable with a suspension fork, a little like an expensive lightweight hybrid really. Trek Checkpoint SL 6 ($3,800) Frame: Carbon. It’s possible to make a hardtail as fast as a gravel bike, but a crucial difference is the hardtail will cost almost double to achieve that same weight – then you also have the maintenance aspects of the suspension fork to contend with if you’re using the bike as an all weather frequent use prospect. It’s ridiculous fun on skinny muddy singletrack but I don’t have much faith on anything steep or rocky. They’re great for opening up more options and it’s my most used bike, but I don’t gain a lot of pleasure from bouncing around rocky singletrack on them, holding on for dear life. – Tires: Mountain bike tires are designed for tires within the range of 26 inches. The fact that you say ‘hardtail’ rather than ‘rigid 29er MTB’ leads me to believe that a gravel bike won’t work out as well if your riding requires sus forks. Round my way that’s not a big deal because we have lots of earthy singletrack and I can avoid the steep and rooty/rocky climbs, but in the Lakes personally I’d be leaning more towards flat bars, ie an MTB, to avoid being too constrained by the bike. We know where the two sides are: many will think that gravel is a fashion to sell more bicycles; others that a hardtail mountain bike will never bring that experience of bending over on the road and jumping to the first forest road that there is without fear of driving the wheel. Every mark earned, every mile loved and every vice versa’d. With the help of your smartphone and the COBI.Bike app, the Bosch SmartphoneHub on the JARIFA² turns into an intelligent control centre for … Differences between a gravel bike and mountain bike. Hardtail mountain bikes do not feature a rear shock, whereas full suspension bikes feature front and rear shocks. All in all it was kind of unsatisfying. It will be adequate and it’ll feel quick enough, relatively speaking. Not great for anything properly technical. All bases covered without the weight and complexity of a HT with sus fork. I just would like to see what people think, rather than buy a completely new bike, just put on some narrow 29er tires and run your hardtail. The hardtail will be comfier on the descents and offer you much more flexibility in route choice. Both will be good on gravel fire roads, the gravel bike will be better on the road, the hardtail better on slightly rougher offroad. The hardtail frames make it lighter and ensure full speed, while the suspension frame is just like a shock absorber to maintain balance in bumps and rough terrain. I’ll keep my fs for proper mountains and fun days out but for most exercise routes that are a mixture of back road, gravel and singletrack the gravel bike is wonderful. SHOP NOW. Hardtail Vs Full Suspension Bike Frame. And the answer? How do your times compare on road and off road? Gears: 2 x 11. Check it! Introducing the world’s first full-suspension gravel bike – the Niner Magic Carpet Ride. Next time round I’d get a big tyred gravel bike 45-50mm tyre with as comfy frame as poss, probably Ti, and just take it easy in the rough, for the benefit of durability, simplicity and less outlay. Tires: 700c x 40mm. A hardtail is okay off-road, but on really rough trails you will want a full-suspension bike. Add drop bars to this 2013 hardtail and you’ve got a cutting-edge 2018 gravel bike Steve Behr / Immediate Media Truth is, nobody thought that short, tall, … Or just a general hate for anything that isn’t a mountain bike. I am very tempted to add a hardtail but mainly as a winter bike so my FS bike doesn’t get caked in mud for 6 months of the year. With just a few quick changes you can optimize a mountain bike for gravel riding. Evaluating electric bikes is our specialty, and EBR has the most complete and unbiased reviews in the industry. — 8 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT AN ADVENTURE BIKE —. Boneshaking heavy POS with tiny flat bars. The FS covers the gnarlier end of things, I don’t actually miss the HT…, Do you not think CX bikes are just a little too uncomfortable for long rides. Look what other people ride. Not so happy then. It’s less gravel and more rocks. The nearest I got to sating it since has been with CAAD3 on semislicks or a rigid 29er (2X, 2.1 Nanos, with or without drops) There is the rub. Loops give handy space for bikepacking-style packs too. Gravel … Though it is possible to quibble with this distinction — flat bar gravel bikes and drop-bar mountain bikes are rare but they do exist — it serves as a very reliable indicator of a bike’s intentions. if the trail is challenging enough that 700x42ish tyres don’t cut it but fat knobbies do, then it’s also challenging enough that drop bars become the thing that holds you back. Smooth on the roads and firmer sections, but read to take up any slack if you hit the trails. But it feels almost like the worst of both worlds: the on-road drag of MTB wheels which, being more capable off-road, tempt you onto trails where the shortcomings of drop bars become all too apparent. Doesn’t ride heavy though. Not really sure what to make of this build. Ride the gravel bike on the tracks you ride most often and see if you like it. Joint 1st the worse bike I ever had*. There’s the traditional cross country crowd, who want to cover the most ground in the least time. 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