Originally Posted by
GeoKrpan
My roadie only buddy is lusting after one of these. I told him about the new Motobecane titanium gravel bikes and he was like, meh. It's $2000 cheaper than the Ultegra C Series and comparably equipped except that it has clearance for 700x45 tires. He said that if he got the Motobecane he'd remove the decals. It's not about the bike.
For the record, I'm sure it is an awesome bike and I'd probably love one if I rode it (just like a Santa Cruz Stigmata or a Moots Routt, both of which retail for ~$6-7.5k). I suppose what I really enjoy about gravel riding is that it is (was?) such a chill sport full of friendly folks - unlike road riding/racing where many of the riders can be pompous and so wrapped up in gear/speed that they forget to enjoy the ride. Unfortunately, it appears that gravel riding is on the same path.