For about 3 years now us cyclist consumers have seen a massive marketing shift toward a supposedly new breed of road(?) bicycle that has been branded under the title of gravel grinder, all road and adventure bicycle. The identifying features of such bikes are taller bottom bracket heights, clearances for larger tires (typically up to 45mm), more lax geometries, more fork offset (rake) and the utilization of what some consider to be the more primitive of frame materials being aluminum, steel and sometimes titanium. The reality of the matter seems to be that these new fill in the blank style do-it-all bicycles have more in common with our French/British cyclotouring and American mountain biking ancestry than any contemporary road bicycles and deserve close scrutiny as being legitimately new or groundbreaking for various reasons. When purchasing one of these new bikes we have to ask ourselves if we are truly the beneficiary of something that lends itself to rationalizing a purchase often well over the $2,000 "entry level" mark that quite possibly overlaps as a redundant purchase in our stable of bicycles. Lets embellish the ups and downs, pros/cons and realities of these all to often differentiated sub genres of bicycles.
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| Exhibit A: Modern "adventure" bike. You know this is a big deal when a company like Trek jumps on board. |
Randonneur roots
Many of the quality bicycles of yesteryear would be of particular interest to the avid adventure oriented cyclist, particularly those of the late 1930's to the 1960's. These bicycles were outstandingly diversified machines capable of being utilized on mixed terrain with comfort, speed, durability and load bearing in mind. These bicycles were called cyclotouring or randonneur bicycles and filled a massive niche in the cycling industry during a time when longevity and versatility reigned supreme. This lineage of primarily French, British, and Belgian heritage arguably helped pave the way for the modern mountain bike of today, but certainly acted as loose template for this "new" style of bicycle that is being investigated. All the previously listed earmarks are here such as the wide clearances, more fork rake, tougher material selection and comfort oriented geometry and component selection. Even the incorporation of bicycle specific methods of lighting are present. So what gives? Is this nu-adventure bicycle marketing just a gimmick to sell us yet another bike to serve yet another different job, or are we really looking at something special here that is really shaking the market up. The answer is just as much yes as it is no.
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| Exhibit B: a well kept Rene Herse cyclotouring bicycle outfitted with all the usual goodies. |
The future in the past
At this point we can clearly see that there is a cyclical trend occurring in the bicycle industry, and it seems indeed to be a healthy one that promotes the more spontaneous and uncalculated side of bicycle riding. This new shift in design and marketing that is seeming to stitch up the split in the road vs mountain bike world has come at an important time for many who have fallen into the black and white scenario of picking either their "road" or "mountain" bicycle and going out for a ride accordingly. Being able to mount your steed and take that turn from pavement onto that unknown gravel road or finally being able hold the confidence to ride that bit of windy single track all on the same ride has never been so close to being reality. It's exactly this ability of such bicycles to dance around from one form of terrain to another that lends itself the new moniker of the "Adventure" or "All road" bike. But we must acknowledge the fact that all of this has truly been done before though in a slightly different package, and that out there in the world is a multitude of forgotten bicycles that are more than capable of being sized up to the adventure oriented task of bicycle riding that your heart has been so desiring. Coincidentally enough, that forgotten bicycle might be right under your nose in your own garage collecting dust behind the supposedly more noble steeds of today.
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| Exhibit C: what would typically be considered a generic vintage mountain bike turned full tilt utility machine. |
The touring and mountain bike
The 1970's through the 1990's was a breeding ground for what make some extremely fine candidates that are very much capable of filling the previously mentioned niche. For just a song one can acquire a late 80's to mid 90's mountain bike frame for next to nothing and easily build it up to accommodate rides of all sort. Virtually all frames of this vintage come standard with braze-ons for mounting rear, and sometimes front racks as well as having holes drilled for fenders. By outfitting the bicycles with slightly smaller tires having tread to your liking (sub 1.95") and making handlebar changes or adjustments you can in no time set yourself up with a dynamic bicycle capable of handling most jobs throw it's way. The same can be said for older touring bicycle frame sets. Though not as wide they almost always have generous tire clearances and slightly more aggressive geometry for those looking for a more sporty, less off road oriented variant of "adventure" bike. Compromise is inherently nature of the beast when it comes to jack of all trade bicycles like this and must be considered when buying or building up such a bike. Should more robust but heavier steel tubing be used or perhaps lighter less impact resistant tube sets? Should wider tires with slightly more knobby tread be used or a more narrow and slick tires; perhaps wide and semi slick? Should I build a bike with 26" wheels for more strong, fatigue resistant and nimble ride characteristics or a 700c/29" wheeled setup for better rolling and stability characteristics? Such questions can only be answered based on the desired applications and frequency of particular terrain encounters. Will you see more paved and easy going gravel riding on your ventures or perhaps primarily rough trails mixed with lots of loose sections? To attempt to perfectly bridge the gap is of course futile but indeed important in the quest to build or buy the most neatly tailored bicycle that suits your defined goals.
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