jameso wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 11:55 pm Can't remember what we called these bikes before gravel. All-road?

Tourer?

When I bought my Kona Sutra (around 2007/8) some were calling them Monstercross .

JohnClimber wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 11:40 pm Ok let me re word that.

There are no good gravel roads south of the border apart from fire road double tracks and the odd stretch here or there.....

And there is nothing "local" to me whatsoever.

I'd say that if you don't mind riding in NRW forest, Wales has a fair amount of gravelish roads. You can start South of the Beacons and ride north for miles and miles using haul roads and reservoir tracks and a large proportion of your ride will be on gravel or what used to be gravel.

I don't know about all taxonomy of bikes, I just seem to amass heavy steel bikes that can ride most places... a troll, Pugsley, longitude, tour de Fer, OO 456, stupid really... And I will probably end up with more similar bikes. I could and should have fewer bikes or a much wider spectrum of bikes for different things.

Anyway, my daughter and her boyfriend have just got Canyon gravel bikes and they are really pleased with them and riding them makes them both happy... which is what it's all about I think.

FLV wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 8:22 pmFor something like the Tuscany trail id be tempted between that and a conventional rigid bike

I did the TT on my drop bar'd mtb / monster cross / whatever bike last year and I'd do it again.

So far I've ridden it on.....a fatbike, a carbon rigid 29er, a 29er hardtail, a rigid 29+ and now a 2.4" rigid drop bar'd mtb.

The fatbike was silly (still my fastest time!), The 29+ was comfy as hell but a bit draggy and so that leaves me with my favourites of a nice fast rolling 29er or the monster cross which both work perfectly with ever so slightly different pros and cons.

See you there in a few months.....

(Crossing fingers, praying to deities I don't believe in etc...)

gairym wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 3:57 am

FLV wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 8:22 pmFor something like the Tuscany trail id be tempted between that and a conventional rigid bike

I did the TT on my drop bar'd mtb / monster cross / whatever bike last year and I'd do it again.

So far I've ridden it on.....a fatbike, a carbon rigid 29er, a 29er hardtail, a rigid 29+ and now a 2.4" rigid drop bar'd mtb.

The fatbike was silly (still my fastest time!), The 29+ was comfy as hell but a bit draggy and so that leaves me with my favourites of a nice fast rolling 29er or the monster cross which both work perfectly with ever so slightly different pros and cons.

See you there in a few months.....

(Crossing fingers, praying to deities I don't believe in etc...)

I'd be tempted by my mason for it for sure, if i was to go

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 1:46 am

jameso wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 11:55 pm Can't remember what we called these bikes before gravel. All-road?

Tourer?

When I bought my Kona Sutra (around 2007/8) some were calling them Monstercross .

Ha... yeah, tourers, I hope. When I had the Croix de Fer at sample stage it was still 'a CX bike the sales guys want' but it wasn't a CX bike in intent. Got used for what I use a gravel bike for now, just the tyres were a bit skinnier. I clearly missed the marketing opportunity to be like Gary Fisher and TM the name Gravel Bikes. Why on earth would 'gravel' have come into it for me though, I don't know. Greenlaner/All-road/ARB maybe.
Monstercross term/threads were around on MTBR forum a long time ago, good point.

In my mind, Monster Cross always seemed a term applied to a 'conversion' of a mountain bike rather than something designed to be that way?

Hamish wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 2:42 am
I don't know about all taxonomy of bikes, I just seem to amass heavy steel bikes that can ride most places...

Good to know it’s not just me then

Amongst my heavy steel bikes is a heavy steel CX which is my ‘gravel bike’. I don’t choose overly technical routes to ride it on but am more than happy to take it over some #gnar if that links more rideable terrain into a good quality loop.
Otherwise I tske out on my Krampus which is kind of taking an MLRS to the proverbial gunfight for most of my riding.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 9:07 am In my mind, Monster Cross always seemed a term applied to a 'conversion' of a mountain bike rather than something designed to be that way?

That too, but I think that was because of the lack of choice. As the likes of Surly started developing pre-built options, they were included in the discussion on mtbr.

Re the discussion on gravel living roughly the same area as John i concur there is no gravel anywhere near here - old cobbled/metalized roads yes but gravel no.

You can cobble together a ride [if i skip the gnar] but when I look at strava its no faster than MTB -it is faster up and slower down . This is generally not the way i prefer to ride off road
YMMV as indeed may the available trails

You can do decent loop sin South lakes with one but its not really gravel its just tame off road same with the Dales- though I dont know them that well so defer to others.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 9:07 am In my mind, Monster Cross always seemed a term applied to a 'conversion' of a mountain bike rather than something designed to be that way?

The rules on that seemed strict on MTBR a while back. Bans issued for posting a CX bike with a bigger tyre for sure (probably). Lots of rep for taking any rigid 29er on 2.3 tyres and putting drops on it, no matter what the result.