The Future of Gravel Bikes

Bike wrote:

I stopped by a dealer yesterday to look at a “carbon blue smoke” 2021 Checkpoint w/ GRX in my size (in stock!) but couldn’t bring myself to pull the trigger due to the BB90 bottom bracket*. 

 

I would’ve thought this year’s Checkpoint would have been due for a T47 upgrade, similar to the 2020/21 Domane and 2021 Emonda, but not to be. Probably also due for additional tire clearance to better set it apart from the Domane, and maybe some geometry tweaks and a more airfoil frame shape (it also still has the old seat mast). 

Returning to “The Future of Gravel Bikes” ...

Here in Arkansas we have plenty of woods, rivers, friendly mountains and dirt tracks where the ancestors of many Californians once lived. Right now people are out driving their Subarus, Jeeps, 4Runners, and what-have-you around them. We have a 4x4 truck that will go pretty near anywhere, but we prefer our AWD RAV4. 

I can see the day coming when all those internal combustion vehicles will be supplanted by hybrids.

E-bikes are the future of gravel. 

Mark wrote:

Returning to “The Future of Gravel Bikes” ...

Here in Arkansas we have plenty of woods, rivers, friendly mountains and dirt tracks where the ancestors of many Californians once lived. Right now people are out driving their Subarus, Jeeps, 4Runners, and what-have-you around them. We have a 4x4 truck that will go pretty near anywhere, but we prefer our AWD RAV4. 

I can see the day coming when all those internal combustion vehicles will be supplanted by hybrids.

E-bikes are the future of gravel. 

Mark wrote:

E-bikes are the future of gravel. 

ljsmith wrote:Can you please explain why you consider the Checkpoint, non gravel? I started out with a Cyclocross Bike. Then went to a drop bar hybrid. And finally ended up with the checkpoint. So I've been a part of your so called movement for some time.


A lot of it has to do with the fact that the big manufacturers, including Trek, tried to create allroad bikes and then tell the gravel community that they were gravel bikes.  Basically they were afraid to get into the gravel market and decided just to trick consumers into thinking their road bikes were gravel bikes.  Specialized did this with the Diverge and Trek with the Domane.  These bikes could only fit 35c tires and had road bike geometry.  Those who knew better realized these weren't gravel bikes, but many who didn't know better were duped into buying bikes that weren't really optimized for gravel.  So I think there is still a lot of animosity there for some people. Now the Diverge has been turned into a real gravel bike now.  And I think the Checkpoint really is a gravel bike now, but I think Trek really missed the boat on it.  First is the geometry is still more allroad than gravel.  Second, they only used the rear isospeed, when their allroad bike Domane has it front and rear.  Third, it apparently cant fit the claimed tire size when using a front derailleur (they have since lowered the max tire size in their marketing).  Its not to say the Checkpoint can't make a fine gravel bike, but it really is a lackluster effort from a big player that has a lot of technology and money they could put into it to make it awesome.  

NoCoGreg wrote:Every bike is a compromise. Period.

Sub-compact cranks are here to stay. Larger tires require smaller chainrings and/or larger cassette cogs.

Race on 38 to 40mm tires on my “cross”bike.  Seems to work fine in the Northeast under all conditions for the past 6 years. 

Will be building up a carbon “gravel” bike that accepts up to 40mm tires. If I go on very rough singletrack, I just take my mountain bike.  It’s more comfortable and arthritis friendly.

Also, every local non race gravel ride here includes 40% paved road so a huge tire isn’t required. Always a compromise. 

Angstrom wrote:Subcompacts:  Going to a cassette with larger cogs usually means accepting larger jumps between the cogs.  If you want to shift the whole range lower and keep the same gear spacing, changing chainrings makes sense.
There’s no right or wrong — it’s personal preference.  I rarely used my top two gears with a 50t front and going to a 46/30 made my whole range more useful.

Angstrom wrote:Subcompacts:  Going to a cassette with larger cogs usually means accepting larger jumps between the cogs.

There’s no right or wrong — it’s personal preference.  I rarely used my top two gears with a 50t front and going to a 46/30 made my whole range more useful.

John wrote:E-bikes are not cycling. 

I know people who ride ebikes due to physical issues.  It’s that or no cycling. 

When carbon bikes were coming onto the racing scene in my area in the mid 80s, I remember someone showed up with a carbon Kestrel.  A bunch of racers were laughing that carbon would never catch on.