Best MTB frame for Gravel Bike project?
#26
Dino Sore
Yes, a 29er will make a much better gravel bike. I remember what a chore it was riding 26-inch mountain bikes on dirt or paved roads.
#27
Junior Member
That said, with the right fit and good tires, I think 26” MTBs really do make fine gravel & bikepacking bikes. What they’re mainly not good for is riding single track - modern MTB geometry is *very* different. Old MTB geometry is pretty similar to many current gravel bikes, with the main difference being that old MTBs have a relatively higher bottom bracket. That hasn’t bothered me, but it might bother some people.
As to whether bigger wheels are superior, Jan Heine makes a good case in a recent René Herse blog post that this isn’t necessarily so (“Why 700C wheels DON’T roll faster”).