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Don't want a gravel bike? Will you regret buying one?
Gravel bikes are rapidly gaining popularity in the sports bicycle community, but some buyers say they don't need them and regret buying them. In this issue, we summarize why people say they don't need a gravel bike and how to enjoy such a gravel bike.
Modified at: 2023.7.6Posted at: 2023.1.13
Table Of Contents
Why people say “I don’t want a gravel bike”?
On the Internet and elsewhere, we hear people say that they don’t want a gravel bike or that they regret buying a gravel bike.
The reasons are different, but can be broadly summarized into the following two categories.
- Gravelbike are heavy to ride compared to road bikes
- they never ride on gravel
Gravel bikes are heavier to ride than road bikes.
As we have verified in the past, it is almost always true that gravel bikes are heavier than road bikes.
Gravel bikes inevitably weigh 1-2 kg more than road bikes in the same price range because they are equipped with heavy, thick tires and disc brakes.
However, gravel bikes are heavy mainly because of the tires, wheels, and other suspension components, which are almost the same as those of road bikes, so if you customize the suspension, you can enjoy riding like a road bike.
However, if you are looking for a lighter ride, it is certainly more satisfying to use an endurance road bike with bigger tires to handle gravel than to convert a gravel bike to look like a road bike.
No gravel riding
Gravel bikes were first sparked overseas, but the wilderness-like gravel enjoyed by overseas users is not so common in Japan.
Japan is a country where roads are so well developed that “90% of roads are paved,” which is great for everyday life, but it also means that it is difficult to find fun on gravel bikes.
This environmental aspect can easily lead to a situation where you buy a gravel bike, but you almost never ride gravel.
If you are likely to regret buying a gravel bike.
If you are not good at customizing your own bike
As we have seen, gravel bikes can be ridden like road bikes if they are equipped with lightweight tires and lightweight wheels.
However, replacing wheels and tires requires special tools, knowledge, and time.
If you are not willing or able to spend the time and money to customize your own bike, you may regret buying a gravel bike.
If you do all your cycling on your own
The first barrier to enjoying gravel on a gravel bike is that there is no gravel nearby. And even when you finally find one, it may be 50 km or more away from your home.
If you ride all by yourself, you will have to ride 50 km one way and 100 km round trip to enjoy gravel, which can be quite a difficult ride for beginners.
In such cases, it is popular to load the gravel bike into a car and go for a ride nearby, but not everyone has a car, and renting a car is costly.
Those who are accustomed to driving to their favorite route by car are fine, but those who say, “The ride is just all on my own,” may not enjoy gravel as much as they would in the environment.
If you are used to traveling by car to your favorite routes, this is fine, but if you ride only on your own, you may not be able to enjoy gravel as much as you would like to.
Gravel bikes can be considered “halfway” sport bikes
The reason why people say they don’t need a gravel bike and regret buying one is because gravel bikes are half-baked: they are not as fast as road bikes and not as strong on unpaved roads as MTBs.
However, the half-heartedness of gravel bikes can also be fun. If you interpret this half-heartedness in your own way, customize it, and change the parts to suit the route you are riding, a gravel bike can become a versatile sports bike.
In this sense, it may be said that whether or not you regret buying a gravel bike depends on whether or not you enjoy such half-heartedness.
Expand your gravel bike enjoyment!
「中途半端」とも言われるグラベルバイクですが、実はカスタマイズやセッティング次第でいろんな道を楽しめます。グラベルバイクの楽しみの幅を広げる方法を解説します。
Bicycle travel, which involves biking around a destination, is an activity that is growing in popularity. However, the type of bicycle you choose will greatly affect the enjoyment and safety of your trip. In this article, we will discuss the best types of sports bicycles for bicycle travel and how to choose the right one.
Is it a good idea to use a gravel bike for commuting to work or school? No?
Due to health consciousness and other factors, more and more people are commuting to work and school by bicycle. In this issue, we will compare and verify whether gravel bikes are a good choice for commuting to work and school, based on the characteristics of each bike type and the different routes to work and school.
Current Article
Don't want a gravel bike? Will you regret buying one?
Gravel bikes are rapidly gaining popularity in the sports bicycle community, but some buyers say they don't need them and regret buying them. In this issue, we summarize why people say they don't need a gravel bike and how to enjoy such a gravel bike.
How should you decide on a position for a gravel bike, which is intended to be between a road bike and a MTB?
How to convert a gravel bike into a road bike
A gravel bike, a derivative of a road bike, can be ridden on paved roads without modification. However, when converted to a road bike, they can be "ridden more like a road bike.
How to choose gravel tires for those who just want to go fast
Gravel bikes are said to be slower than road bikes. If you want to go faster on a gravel bike! If you want to go faster on a gravel road bike, you can make it lighter and faster by simply customizing the tires.
How to customize a gravel bike with MTB wheels and how to choose
Gravel bikes can also enjoy MTB-like riding with fat tires. If you are going to enjoy riding on rough roads, one way to have fun is to customize it with MTB wheels to make it more MTB-like.
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Gravel tires are in between the properties of road tires and MTB tires, and there is a lineup of tires with both properties. In this issue, we will introduce the different types of gravel tires and how to choose and customize them for different uses.
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Gravel bikes can be ridden on unpaved roads, but the basic standard is a "rigid fork" without suspension. In this article, we summarize how to add suspension to a gravel bike without suspension.
What kind of road is gravel? The kind of riding a gravel bike is designed to do
What kind of "gravel" roads can gravel bikes be ridden on? We have compiled a definition and a summary of how the manufacturer expects you to ride it, and how it is not expected to be ridden.
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Gravel bikes are rapidly growing in popularity. But for those who are worried about buying one, with some people saying they regret buying one, we have compiled a list of things you should know before you buy.
Bicycle travel, which involves biking around a destination, is an activity that is growing in popularity. However, the type of bicycle you choose will greatly affect the enjoyment and safety of your trip. In this article, we will discuss the best types of sports bicycles for bicycle travel and how to choose the right one.
Is it a good idea to use a gravel bike for commuting to work or school? No?
Due to health consciousness and other factors, more and more people are commuting to work and school by bicycle. In this issue, we will compare and verify whether gravel bikes are a good choice for commuting to work and school, based on the characteristics of each bike type and the different routes to work and school.
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Current Article
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Gravel bikes are rapidly gaining popularity in the sports bicycle community, but some buyers say they don't need them and regret buying them. In this issue, we summarize why people say they don't need a gravel bike and how to enjoy such a gravel bike.
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Gravel bikes have been rapidly growing in popularity over the past few years. The following is a summary of what gravel bikes are and what makes them different from road bikes and MTBs.
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