MTB over Gravel. Any regrets?

[arknor]

gravel bikes these days take 2.1" tires, same EXACT tires that MTB's take, so the traction/grip is pretty much the same, latest ones even come with suspension forks? how extreme do you want to go. Yes an mtb is better on big fat off road downhills and trails. Gravel tho, is better as an all-around bike.

you realise proper mountain bikes are using 2.4-2.6inch wide tyres? I'm not talking about trail bikes, also your rims on a gravel bike have to worry about what's under the water, mine don't because MTB wheels have reinforced and thicker sidewalls
What's your ground clearance from the floor to the bottom part of your bottom bracket?

you know those paths that have the bike gate and the other bit next to it for horses.

can you ride over it on a gravel bike? I can ride over them at 5-10mph like it's just a branch or something across the path.

there's no way a gravel bike can compete with a mtb when it comes to riding through any paths with big puddles/flooded areas or thick mud, which is going to happen soon, people will start wearing wellies etc even on your "gravel paths"


MTB is also running a lot lower tyre pressure which makes going over any unseen obstacles a doddle because our chunky tyres with thick tread are more like tank tracks, they don't try to bounce off things or get stuck on them so easily.

 

[SoliD]

Lol you can ride over one of those? Impressive, I'd be straight over my MTB handlebars if I attempted that. Can bunny hop them much easier on my gravel bike than my mtb though!

 

[grudas]

you realise proper mountain bikes are using 2.4-2.6inch wide tyres? I'm not talking about trail bikes, also your rims on a gravel bike have to worry about what's under the water, mine don't because MTB wheels have reinforced and thicker sidewalls
What's your ground clearance from the floor to the bottom part of your bottom bracket?

you know those paths that have the bike gate and the other bit next to it for horses.

can you ride over it on a gravel bike? I can ride over them at 5-10mph like it's just a branch or something across the path.

there's no way a gravel bike can compete with a mtb when it comes to riding through any paths with big puddles/flooded areas or thick mud, which is going to happen soon, people will start wearing wellies etc even on your "gravel paths"


MTB is also running a lot lower tyre pressure which makes going over any unseen obstacles a doddle because our chunky tyres with thick tread are more like tank tracks, they don't try to bounce off things or get stuck on them so easily.

at this stage I think you're just trolling.

 

[Martynt74]

Found a pic of Arknors bike

 

[arknor]

at this stage I think you're just trolling.

so you can;t ride over them?

It's literally lower than a rock

I'm not the one claiming a gravel bike has the same grip and traction as a mtb, 2.1inch tyres on a mtb would look skinny

 

[grudas]

so you can;t ride over them?

Neither can you. I can bhop over them.. like everyone else. On any bike.. even a single speed.

 

[arknor]

Neither can you. I can bhop over them.. like everyone else. On any bike.. even a single speed.

I don't think you realise just how big of an object mountain bikes can easily ride over
the bottom bracket on my bike is a whole 1ft/12inches of ground clearance, just measured it.

Gravel bikes will struggle in sloppy muddy terrain and flooded paths where an mountain bike can just blindly go forward, even if there could be hidden obstacles.

That little horse gates are almost nothing.
look at the pros.

 

[grudas]

I don't think you realise just how big of an object mountain bikes can easily ride over
the bottom bracket on my bike is a whole 1ft/12inches of ground clearance, just measured it.

Gravel bikes will struggle in sloppy muddy terrain and flooded paths where an mountain bike can just blindly go forward, even if there could be hidden obstacles.

That little horse gates are almost nothing.
look at the pros.

I don’t think you realise how big of an object gravel bikes can ride over, your video examples show lifting front over to get over the obstacle first. That’s achieved on gravel bikes too.

Have you actually ridden a gravel bike? Or are you just going by the assumption that gravel bike is just a road bike with wider tire? Your comments about weak wheels, tire pressures etc are all wrong.

I run reasonably skinny tires fro my gravel bike at 45c and barely run 35psi. I can go off road, jump over things etc and it handles it fine.

Yes mountain bike is better at it but the point of this thread is OP asking what would you choose. For hardcore mtb, downhill trails etc of course a mountain bike is going to be perform better. It’s what it is designed to do.

For an all around bike tho, one that can do everything well a gravel bike is a better choice. End of the day he said he’s riding with his kids, I highly doubt he’s going to do red, black etc trails down with his kids following him around.

Gravel bikes have evolved massively from the early days of CX where even then people rode over some rough stuff. These days they’re very very close to a hard tail with drop bars.

You need to drop this whole is vs them bs and accept that lines are very much blurred at this stage.

I personally said, for me, a gravel bike is a better all rounder. I can comfortably jump on it, do 50k on road or jump over a kerb into a random bridle way and enjoy some decent gravel, woodland rides etc.

MTB on the other hand is a pig to drag around on everything other than fat muddy trails where big wide tires perform better. But you do you, I’m done trying to understand your pov as you seem to be heavily biased towards one side and refuse to accept that gravel bikes are able to perform well off road.

 

[Begbie]

I don't think you realise just how big of an object mountain bikes can easily ride over
the bottom bracket on my bike is a whole 1ft/12inches of ground clearance, just measured it.

Gravel bikes will struggle in sloppy muddy terrain and flooded paths where an mountain bike can just blindly go forward, even if there could be hidden obstacles.

That little horse gates are almost nothing.
look at the pros.

Sorry but this is a crazy argument you've linked chris akrig. Whos done pretty much the exact same stuff on a road bike (road bike party), comparing a pro is crazy.

A gravel bike is far the better all road bike, if your having just one bike its great. But also they've went so far into bigger tyres etc etc. I think the lines between a xc bike and gravel bike are blending a bit.

Imo a gravel bike is the perfect balance if you want road riding and some off road. I've done trail centres on mine, its fun and they're capable.

The biggest downfall is smaller tyre widths and winter riding in slop. Its a chore compared to a mtb with bigger tyres, but then the road back is a bigger chore on chunky grippy tyres. Plus you destroy soft mtb tyres on the road.