Originally Posted by
solbey11
Thanks for all of the advice and replies. So from what I understand, the combination of disc brakes and a wider tire will make gravel riding enjoyable and less likely for punctures. And the Roubaix’s 32 max tire clearance is more than enough for gravel?
I’ve read everywhere that hydros are superior to mechanical disc brakes. I get that. But would going from mechanical rim brakes to mechanical disc brakes be a step in the right direction? I’m wondering if I would go for the base model Roubaix with Tiagra and have my Sram drivetrain installed on it since I’m comfortable riding Sram.
Well, you could ride gravel on 32mm tires. But wider tires are way better, allowing much lower air pressure. I suppose it depends on the style of gravel -- some areas have groomed roads with pea sized gravel, others have looser, larger gravel.
I see the Specialized Diverge handles 42mm tires. That surprised me, I expected maybe 35mm max.
I have 38mm Compass tires that measure 39mm on my rims. It's an amazing smooth ride on rough new chip-seal roads. (I mainly got these smooth tread tires for long crushed stone rail trail rides.) At 170 pounds, I'm running 38 psi front, 45 psi rear on pavement, less on gravel. These flexible smooth tires are no slower than my 28 mm road tires on pavement, but they do weigh almost 200 grams more.
One or Two
A couple of years ago, I looked for one bike to do everything, but gave up finally. So I got a nice carbon road bike for fast group rides (most of my riding), and a gravel bike with provisions for fenders and a rear rack. The gravel bike is great for all-day solo rides carrying extra layers & food, for gravel or rail trails, for riding with a chance of rain later, or on still-wet roads, and for lightweight credit card touring.