mack_turtle

buying a whole new set of wheels and tires doesn't sound like something I feel like doing with my meager budget right now (10 years after a college degree, still barely $30K in an expensive city), but I know someone who just built up a similar setup and does not seem like like it. maybe he will make me a deal on the wheels.

Tim_Iowa

I understand. Now that 27.5" wheels are common on MTBs, you may be able to find deals on used wheelsets. But, at the same time new axles and spacing standards are becoming more common (like through-axles and boost), so some of these wheelsets won't fit on a 'cross bike.

My girlfriend is planning on getting a Trek Crockett disc frame and building it up as a gravel bike (she works at a Trek shop). It has a through-axle fork but a QR rear, so few wheelsets have that setup. Since she's short, I'm suggesting that she try 650b wheels. We'll see what she can get a discount on, though.

marathonrunner

I'm debating this issue right now for the mammoth gravel classic in St. Criox Falls WI this weekend. I'm doing the 70 mile, and though miles 17-25 are pretty sandy and not really roads, miles 40-70 are completely flat and on a crushed limestone trail. Last year I used a 26er mtb with bar ends and felt great except for the last 30 miles, when I felt uncomfortable and slow on the path. I didn't have a rigid fork but the fork did have a lockout.

This year I'll use a cx bike, which is a good 7 pounds lighter and the multiple hand positions should help. I might have to walk a couple 100-200 yard sections but I think I'll make up for it in the last 30 miles on the crushed limestone. I was barely moving on the deep sand sections on a mtb anyway. I thought about using my hardtail 29er but I think I'll be faster on the cross bike. Plus, I'd have to change the gearing on my mtb anyway since I'm running a 1x10 32t 11-36.

If brakes mattered, or if there were rocky descents, I might use my superfly.

mack_turtle

I should not be questioning this less than a week away, but I am doing another 100k on Saturday. I have been told that the terrain on this route can be gnarly and might force many riders to walk. On top of that, it's raining all week, so central Texas will be soggy. I will probably regret doing this on the CX bike.

However, my 29er hardtail is set up pretty aggressively for trails- 120mm fork, 30"+ flat bars, 60mm stem, 2.35" tires, 1x10 gear at 32x11-36. This bike will probably feel pretty damn slow on anything flat and smooth, but at least it will allow me to pedal the whole course instead of walking or crashing.

With a limited budget, what can I do tothe HT 29er to make it less cumbersome on gravel roads? I don't care if it's "fast" because I am not a racer, I just want it to be less cumbersome.

I do have some narrower bars and Ergon grips with bars ends. If can put those on with a longer stem and that's a start.

Barrettscv 

A monstercross bike with fast 2 inch 29er tires might be a solution;

mack_turtle

Indeed, but I don't have the time or the budget to buy a whole new bike in the next five days.

I have half a mind to sell the CX bike. I *can't* commute on it anymore, texting drivers have scared me away from riding much road, and most of the trails are just gnar enough to be un-fun anymore.

At this point: put some fatter rubber on the CX bike or give up on that and use the HT for everything?

Pendergast

I don't think a big gear of 32-11 would be that bad for that type of ride. Something you might consider is swapping in a rigid fork when you do an event like that. Don't know if you would want to go to that much trouble, but it would steepen the head tube angle and drop a bit of weight which would make the bike feel less cumbersome.

1242Vintage

Got my hardtail 29er all set for Sundays 50k gravel race. She is sporting a new set of S-works Renegade tubeless tires and all cleaned up. Just for kicks i slapped on an oval chain ring borrowed from a teammate. All set to kick up some gravel and sand this weekend. Field will be on the small side so may even have a chance at the podium if the motor is well rested.

Was debating between cross bike or hardtail 29er. This course has plenty of sand so hardtail with the wider tires is my better option.

mack_turtle

I feel like I am getting ready to ride with Immortan Joe into the gates of Valhalla.

prj71

I did a 95 mile gravel race last month...Washboard roads, poorly graded gravel roads, sand sections that the CX bikes had trouble going through and sections with baseball size rocks that the frost pushed up from the winter.

I used my fat bike with 4" tires.

Wilfred Laurier

A few years ago I did the first edition of a race that I thought was going to be 40km on mostly gravel roads, so I used my touring bike with 33mm cx tires. I was easily pulling the lead group of riders, all the rest on mtbs, for the first 5 or 10 km, then the gravel road turned into rough singletrack and snowmobile trails for the remaining 45 km. I finished, but certainly not with the lead group, and certainly not as happy as I would have been on a mtb.

Spoonrobot 

Looks good!

I'm going to be prepping my 26" dropbar MTB this evening for a race on satruday. I've been gnashing my teeth about using my cross bike or my MTB but after looking at some strava info I've decided the MTB isn't going to be any slower and will probably be faster near the end as I won't be beat up as much due to the suspension fork. Last year I rode a cross bike and a combination of good tactics and strong fitness gave me a good result. I think the MTB will be a different experience and allow me to take a few more chances that may benefit my overall performance.


This is tangential but reminded me of something that really hit me in the face this year. I always place well overall and feel like I'm a strong rider but when I look at the results and see the lead group finished 10-15 or even 20-30 minutes ahead of the group I was in, it's obvious that I should push more for the comfort and fun side than the true competitive side. Part of it is racing in one open male category that combines all abilities so I end up inadvertently comparing myself to Cat 1s or even UCI pros on occasion. So this year I've resolved to just ride my race and race the guys around me. Has made it a lot more fun.

So I'll be on my dropbar mtb against a bunch of cross bikes tomorrow. Let's see how it goes.

mack_turtle

update- the gravel ride i was going to do tonight was canceled at the last minute due to road conditions. it's been raining all this past week in Texas after a hot, dry summer. bummer. instead, i rode about 55 miles of bike paths, gravel, and roads around the city this afternoon on my hardtail. it rained HARD for about 1/3 of the ride and we just kept pushing and had a blast. there were so many places where we went off-road jumping curbs, riding sketchy, grassy trails next to the road, rutted out gravel paths, etc that I don't think I minded the heavier, slower tires at all.

just trying to make a decision that I might regret, but if selling my CX bike means I have some disposable cash to spend on other stuff for my mtb, I see no reason not to.

1242Vintage

Grabbed a 3rd place on this weekends 50 k race. Raced on my hardtail 29er with 1.95 Spesh Renegade tires. Was leading the first third of the race until the course turned sandy. Also lost time when a herd of cattle blocked the course.

Really love how the hardtail handles gravel races. Am at a slight disadvantage against CX bikes when it comes to sustained climbing but more than make it up on the downhill and on techy terrain.

Spoonrobot 

Oh man I got crushed on Saturday!

Compared to last year the course was as fast or faster. Hard, compact dirt and small gravel made for high speeds but I was just done before I even started, I think.

Had really poor sleep the night before and was exhausted driving to the race, thought I would pep up with caffeine and a warm-up but it never happened. I got dropped from the main group in the first 15 minutes and was slowly passed by dozens of other riders over the next 3+ hours.

Ended up 25 minutes slower than last year and somewhat shellshocked. I've been re-evaluating my drop bar MTB but part of me knows that wasn't the issue. I was riding strong and had no issues in the spring on the same bike with flat bars so I think it may have just been a bad day. Never really had one that bad though.

Oh well, next race is the Pisgah Monster Cross. 70 miles and 11,000' feet of climbing should be more inline with bike's strengths so here's hoping for a better day.

shoota 

It's HIGHLY unlikely it was due to bad sleep from just the night before. Studies have shown that performance is nearly unaffected the day following lack of sleep. But stack two nights in a row of bad sleep...totally different story. So either you had a few bad nights sleep/stressful days in a row or something else was going on.

mack_turtle

Stop beating yourself up and just blame the bike like everyone else. Keep reporting back.

Spoonrobot 

Thanks for the responses! After thinking about my week and talking with my partner I realized I was sleeping poorly all week due to work stress and had been fighting a cold. This combined with a newer bike probably caused me to get dropped and then bad attitude caused me to have a bad day. Plus last year I ended up in a fast pack that and pretty much just sat in the draft at high speed.

Looking at the strava now I'm actually pretty impressed. I rode 56 miles on gravel at a speed I rarely achieve over the same distance on pavement. Anyway, my next event is the Pisgah Monster Cross which should be way more in line with my bike's strengths so we'll see how it goes.

And looking at my calendar there are another 4 events in October and November, any else's gravel grinding picking up as we roll out of summer and into fall?

09box

I'm hoping to do an event or two this fall. The Gravel Fondo here in PA isn't until end of November so I have a good amount of time to get ready for it.

BluesDawg

Was that the Red Clay Ramble?

Spoonrobot 

It was!

BluesDawg

I designed that course. After preriding it a few weeks ahead of the race and seeing the fresh gravel on Dumas Road, I joked that the best way to ride it would be on a fast drop bar road bike with 32mm slicks up until mile 49, where you would change bikes to a hardtail MTB with 2" rubber to float over that deep gravel.

You may have seen me handing out free beer about 5 miles from the finish. I talked to several racers and rec riders that day who had been toasted by the fast early pace and then suffered after losing contact with the group.

Spoonrobot 

Hey thanks for the beer! Gave me a serious third wind and I felt really good going into the finish.

Unfortunately for me I got a little too creative and had 2" rubber for the whole 56 miles.

Still, a great course and a lovely ride. I think next year I'll overcorrect in the other direction and try a road bike with 32s like you said.

bidaci

Just found this post. Love the idea of this. More pictures please. Maybe straight on from the front?

mack_turtle

my last gravel ride was rained out, but I want to start using my 29er for more urban/gravel rides. I want to leave it single-speed but I will put a taller gear on it for the easier terrain and longer rides.

other than gearing and narrower tires, is there any major reason I should change the handlebars or the fork? I have 760mm riser bars, a 60mm stem, and a 120mm suspension fork at the moment. I could put a rigid fork and some alternative cockpit on it, but I am no convinced that it's worth the expense to do so. what's the big deal with with alt bars? (drop bars will not work on this bike due to the reach, unless I put the stem on backwards.) is a rigid fork with the trouble and additional expense of buying a fork, headset crown, axle adapter, etc?