World's First Gravel Road Bike: Specialized RockCombo (Commercial Flop)
11-21-15, 05:08 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,737
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 147 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
8 Posts
World's First Gravel Road Bike: Specialized RockCombo (Commercial Flop)
Back in the late 1980s, Grant Petersen at Specialized came up with a do-everything bike designed with a road bike geometry, clearance for fat tires, 26" wheels and drop bars.
People didn't know what to make of them though they were the world's first gravel road bike, sporting the appropriate moniker, RockCombo.
As it turned out, they were a commercial flop, with only 500 made - and they sold poorly through Specialized dealers. They were simply ahead of their time.
But today's gravel road bike, in many ways, is its more successful descendant:
People didn't know what to make of them though they were the world's first gravel road bike, sporting the appropriate moniker, RockCombo.
As it turned out, they were a commercial flop, with only 500 made - and they sold poorly through Specialized dealers. They were simply ahead of their time.
But today's gravel road bike, in many ways, is its more successful descendant:
11-21-15, 05:18 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,892
Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4792 Post(s)
Liked 3,918 Times
in
2,548 Posts
But ... this bike misses being the first gravel road bike by more than 140 years. IN 1860, all bikes were gravel road bikes. Streets were not paved yet.
For a little fun, look at the early racing bikes. Except for brakes and derailleurs, not very far off that Specialized at all.
Ben
For a little fun, look at the early racing bikes. Except for brakes and derailleurs, not very far off that Specialized at all.
Ben
11-21-15, 05:30 PM
#3
Thread Killer
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 12,428
Bikes: 15 Kinesis Racelight 4S, 76 Motebecane Gran Jubilée, 17 Dedacciai Gladiatore2, 12 Breezer Venturi, 09 Dahon Mariner, 12 Mercier Nano, 95 DeKerf Team SL, 19 Tern Rally, 21 Breezer Doppler Cafe+, 19 T-Lab X3, 91 Serotta CII, 23 3T Strada
Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3129 Post(s)
Liked 1,698 Times
in
1,026 Posts
I dunno about all that... That doesn't look like road geometry, and there were several drop bar MTBs back then, with Steve Potts coming to mind immediately, and of course the inimitable Jacquie Phelan, aka Alice B. Toeclips, campaigned a drop bar Cunningham to what I think were three national titles along the road to founding NORBA.
Whatever the case, Sinyard was early on the scene, too, and seized upon some great ideas, and while the RockCombo may have been a mass production first, it was not an original idea, that I'm pretty sure of.
Jacquie!
Whatever the case, Sinyard was early on the scene, too, and seized upon some great ideas, and while the RockCombo may have been a mass production first, it was not an original idea, that I'm pretty sure of.
Jacquie!
11-21-15, 05:32 PM
#4
Thread Killer
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 12,428
Bikes: 15 Kinesis Racelight 4S, 76 Motebecane Gran Jubilée, 17 Dedacciai Gladiatore2, 12 Breezer Venturi, 09 Dahon Mariner, 12 Mercier Nano, 95 DeKerf Team SL, 19 Tern Rally, 21 Breezer Doppler Cafe+, 19 T-Lab X3, 91 Serotta CII, 23 3T Strada
Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3129 Post(s)
Liked 1,698 Times
in
1,026 Posts
But ... this bike misses being the first gravel road bike by more than 140 years. IN 1860, all bikes were gravel road bikes. Streets were not paved yet.
For a little fun, look at the early racing bikes. Except for brakes and derailleurs, not very far off that Specialized at all.
Ben
For a little fun, look at the early racing bikes. Except for brakes and derailleurs, not very far off that Specialized at all.
Ben
11-22-15, 10:46 AM
#5
Chases Dogs for Sport
I had a Diamondback MTB back in '82 that looked a lot more like a road bike than a mountain bike. It was essentially a heavy duty road bike with canti brakes, big tire clearance and knobby MTB tires. It would have been close to an ultimate gravel bike, even today. (Probably not much of an MTB, though. But we didn't know that then.)
11-22-15, 11:01 AM
#6
Banned
Gravel Grinders as a Hip thing to do and buy a special bike for , is very recent ..
Bridgestone's MB1 was another Drop Bar MTB
I worked in a shop with some dirt drop handlebar take offs from buyers wanting straight MTB bars .
They're on my Road and Cross Bike, now..
perfect with bar end shifters .. Which the MB1 also used .
Bridgestone's MB1 was another Drop Bar MTB
I worked in a shop with some dirt drop handlebar take offs from buyers wanting straight MTB bars .
They're on my Road and Cross Bike, now..
perfect with bar end shifters .. Which the MB1 also used .
11-22-15, 11:29 AM
#7
Thread Killer
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 12,428
Bikes: 15 Kinesis Racelight 4S, 76 Motebecane Gran Jubilée, 17 Dedacciai Gladiatore2, 12 Breezer Venturi, 09 Dahon Mariner, 12 Mercier Nano, 95 DeKerf Team SL, 19 Tern Rally, 21 Breezer Doppler Cafe+, 19 T-Lab X3, 91 Serotta CII, 23 3T Strada
Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3129 Post(s)
Liked 1,698 Times
in
1,026 Posts
Gravel Grinders as a Hip thing to do and buy a special bike for , is very recent ..
Bridgestone's MB1 was another Drop Bar MTB
I worked in a shop with some dirt drop handlebar take offs from buyers wanting straight MTB bars .
They're on my Road and Cross Bike, now.. perfect with bar end shifters .. Which the MB1 also used .
Bridgestone's MB1 was another Drop Bar MTB
I worked in a shop with some dirt drop handlebar take offs from buyers wanting straight MTB bars .
They're on my Road and Cross Bike, now..
perfect with bar end shifters .. Which the MB1 also used .
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
johngwheeler
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational)
35
01-21-18 01:57 PM
Inpd
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational)
44
07-21-16 08:19 PM
