yes, yes!

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Comments

  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,054
    gsk82 said:

    secretsam said:

    I heard Warren Rossiter on the BR podcast talking about being "under biked", which seems a good point - most Mountain bikes now seem to be so capable, so specialist, that they are possibly a bit dull to ride on 'normal' trails. Plus, they are vile on road, so you have to drive to ride (I mean, seriously?). I live near the Chilterns and the number you see being carted around on top of cars...
    A gravel (or CX) bike will be slightly out of its depth on many trails, although will cope just fine with many. And therefore they'll test your skills, and be a lot of fun.

    PS: Gravel bikes are just old fashioned Touring bikes, brought up to date and re-branded.
    PPS: "Gravel" in the UK is nonsense and meaningless, as unlike the USA, we don't have gravel roads in abundance. "All-terrain" or "All-road" would be a better name, but not as catchy.
    PPPS: CX bikes are a bit more racy, gravel a bit more slack.

    Touring? Is that like bike packing?
    Yes, but cheaper labels.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • cookeeemonster
    cookeeemonster Posts: 1,991
    People need to chill out about labels. It's just a way of simplifying a type of bike for the masses. Of course those here don't need it.

    Gravel bikes take fat tyres that road bikes can't and are more suited to non technical off road than full on road bikes....plus have loads of bike packing mounting options.

    CX bikes take skinnier tyres than gravel bikes but are also great off road.

    Disc brake road bikes can take fatter tyres than rim brake road bikes.

    All of the above can do similar things if you really want.

    No one of forcing you to buy anything, just stop moaning and enjoy your riding and let people spend their own money wisely or not wisely :P
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    cookeeemonster said:

    People need to chill out about labels. It's just a way of simplifying a type of bike for the masses. Of course those here don't need it.

    Gravel bikes take fat tyres that road bikes can't and are more suited to non technical off road than full on road bikes....plus have loads of bike packing mounting options.

    CX bikes take skinnier tyres than gravel bikes but are also great off road.

    Disc brake road bikes can take fatter tyres than rim brake road bikes.

    All of the above can do similar things if you really want.

    No one of forcing you to buy anything, just stop moaning and enjoy your riding and let people spend their own money wisely or not wisely :P

    It's not much that...
    I know a few friends who scrambled to get the last few rim braked Canyon in an atmosphere of last chance saloon for a segment of the market that still exists. Meanwhile, there is an oversized offer for a small segment of the market, which maybe is growing, but it's still limited.

    That, in my opinion, is a manufacturers cartel to force you into buying something you don't need and you didn't even know you wanted.
    left the forum March 2023
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited June 2021
    pblakeney said:

    gsk82 said:

    secretsam said:

    I heard Warren Rossiter on the BR podcast talking about being "under biked", which seems a good point - most Mountain bikes now seem to be so capable, so specialist, that they are possibly a bit dull to ride on 'normal' trails. Plus, they are vile on road, so you have to drive to ride (I mean, seriously?). I live near the Chilterns and the number you see being carted around on top of cars...
    A gravel (or CX) bike will be slightly out of its depth on many trails, although will cope just fine with many. And therefore they'll test your skills, and be a lot of fun.

    PS: Gravel bikes are just old fashioned Touring bikes, brought up to date and re-branded.
    PPS: "Gravel" in the UK is nonsense and meaningless, as unlike the USA, we don't have gravel roads in abundance. "All-terrain" or "All-road" would be a better name, but not as catchy.
    PPPS: CX bikes are a bit more racy, gravel a bit more slack.

    Touring? Is that like bike packing?
    Yes, but cheaper labels.
    and shitbeards not trendy beards and top knots and stories of bike packin' maaaan.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,054
    MattFalle said:

    pblakeney said:

    gsk82 said:

    secretsam said:

    I heard Warren Rossiter on the BR podcast talking about being "under biked", which seems a good point - most Mountain bikes now seem to be so capable, so specialist, that they are possibly a bit dull to ride on 'normal' trails. Plus, they are vile on road, so you have to drive to ride (I mean, seriously?). I live near the Chilterns and the number you see being carted around on top of cars...
    A gravel (or CX) bike will be slightly out of its depth on many trails, although will cope just fine with many. And therefore they'll test your skills, and be a lot of fun.

    PS: Gravel bikes are just old fashioned Touring bikes, brought up to date and re-branded.
    PPS: "Gravel" in the UK is nonsense and meaningless, as unlike the USA, we don't have gravel roads in abundance. "All-terrain" or "All-road" would be a better name, but not as catchy.
    PPPS: CX bikes are a bit more racy, gravel a bit more slack.

    Touring? Is that like bike packing?
    Yes, but cheaper labels.
    and shitbeards not trendy beards and top knots and stories of bike packin' maaaan.
    This year.
    Next year the bike stays in the shed.
    The year after the bike goes on Ebay.*

    *Generalisations. The timescales may be longer, or even shorter. I know someone who went through the whole process in 6 months.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • amrushton
    amrushton Posts: 1,307
    edited June 2021
    was looking at velofil on Youtube earlier. takes 2 vintage Klein bikes. Turns an mtb into a 'gravel' bike and upgrades a klein road bike. V.nice to watch. Gets some neat components on there - the rear disc brake mount for the Klein mtb is v.specific. Does anybody really do bike packing? I see people on Y-tube claiming to but thats it. See more people with panniers than I do with Apidura, Tailfins etc (other brands available)
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    amrushton said:

    Does anybody really do bike packing? I see people on Y-tube claiming to but thats it. See more people with panniers than I do with Apidura, Tailfins etc (other brands available)

    Some do... small numbers, don't justify the offer in terms of gravel bikes and bags paraphernalia.
    I suspect most customers would fall into the "preppers" category, those that carry a foil thermal blanket and first aid kit out on a ride because you never know
    left the forum March 2023
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,054
    Spotted yesterday. Two cyclists standing in a bus shelter looking at a paper map.
    #oldskool
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • elbowloh
    elbowloh Posts: 7,078
    I've done it a couple of times round Brittany and places in the UK. Large saddle bag and a waterproof bag bungee corded to the bars, packed very light for Brittany in particular, one change of civvy clothes, washed the cycling gear every night in the sink and a pair of flit flops.

    Actually, when I did Bruges and back, tbh I just took a back pack and didn't have back problems as I packed light.
    Felt F1 2014
    Felt Z6 2012
    Red Arthur Caygill steel frame
    Tall....
    www.seewildlife.co.uk
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,054
    edited June 2021
    elbowloh said:

    I've done it a couple of times round Brittany and places in the UK. Large saddle bag and a waterproof bag bungee corded to the bars, packed very light for Brittany in particular, one change of civvy clothes, washed the cycling gear every night in the sink and a pair of flip flops.

    Actually, when I did Bruges and back, tbh I just took a back pack and didn't have back problems as I packed light.

    I did the same round SW England. Card & B&Bs.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,054
    edited June 2021
    Delete.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    what's the difference, apart from the marketing, between bikepacking and touring on a bicycle?

    gen eyebrows robocop question.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.

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