Originally Posted by ShannonM

My current thinking is towards a 3-speed rough-stuff bike, like an 80s MTB gravel conversion, but more elegant and with a 40-year-older frame. The dimensions of the thing, 21" seat tube with a 22-1/2" top, are pretty close to the 'one size up from your flat-bar MTB fit' heuristic that seems to work for converting pre-NORBA geometry frames.

650Bs, probably 48 mil Gravel King SS. (R/H Juniper Ridges would be dope, but 180 bucks for tires ain't happenin'.)

Flipped Alabatrosses or similar... more than an OG moustache, less than a modern dirt drop... a bit more dirt scorcher than dirt surfer, if you get the distinction. The gnomes from the Cave of Bad Ideas keep whispering "reverse brake levers" into my thalamus...

A ride to BART, ride to the dirt, ride the dirt, ride back to BART, ride BART, ride home sorta* bike.

--Shannon

* Anybody got linkage to builds like this? I utterly failed to come up with a useful name upon which to base a thread search. (I really don't want to dive into the definitional cesspit around terms like "path racer.")