Welp, I hate my gravel bike......

[Mitten]

I stopped riding my MTB a year ago due to a ankle injury. Got the bike bug again before Xmas but my brother convinced me to get a gravel bike as 'everyone is buying them!' I had a few short rides on his and enjoyed it despite it been a medium and I need a large it appealed to me so I blew my tax return and my slush fun on a Norco Search XR S1 from 99 bikes.

Now my first few rides were fine as it was all on tarmac and the bike was easy to ride with a not too aggressive position, good brakes and shifting.

Then I went for a off-road ride with my bro and his 3 gravel riding mates and fuck me it was not fun. First 3k on hard packed dirt was ok then we got some rough gravel and downhill tracks. The vibration, the twitchy handling and the feedback through the hoods was scary on the fast Segments, also found the brakes through the hoods didn't feel 'right' compared to riding on the road.

We spent a afternoon trying to make the bike better for me, let the tyres down from the shops recommend 45psi to 35psi, which helped a bit (off-road good, onroad not so good). Put a better grade of spongy bar tape on the bars, raised the bars a bit, relaxed the geometry and bought a better seat on the bike (stock seat was a bit shit).

Had 2 more decent (30k) gravel rides on it. It feels better but I still hate the rough ride and the violent feedback through the bars on the rutty ground. Most of the time on a ride I'm just looking forward to it ending...

Just think 25 years of mountain biking has conditioned me to comfortable upright and suspension absorbing riding. Feel a bit annoyed at myself for wasting $3500 on this bike, which is a very good bike, it's just not for me and I feel this while gravel bike boom is overrated.

 

[caad9]

Hi Mitten,

Having done a bit of gravel riding and bikepacking, I think you are stumbling upon an issue that many mountain bikers face.

Coming up in tyre size from a road bike feels very liberating for a road rider, they get to explore more roads and enjoy a bit more freedom.
Going in the opposite direction is counterproductive as you get a worse version of everything (Traction, comfort, braking etc)

I have ridden road bikes on gravel, gravel bikes on gravel and MTB on gravel and my advice is that the best gravel bike for a MTB rider is a hardtail MTB. Won't lose much in the way of speed, if at all, but everything else will be infinitely better.

I had a Kona Sutra LTD which was running 29x2.0 Maxxis Ikons and it was the most versatile bike I have ever had, if I currently wanted another bike for that type of riding I would get a Breezer Radar X Pro (very similar). It's more of a cross between a MTB and a Gravel bike.

https://www.whitesbikes.com.au/store/breezer-radar-x-pro-deep-purple

.

Your gravel bike will still be worth what you paid due to being available, so you could quite easily flip it for a hardtail MTB or something a little more in your wheelhouse

 

[LPG]

I always thought a xc bike with a set of tri bars would be a great bike to do everything. Drop bars are only really good for aerodynamics which is less of an issue off tarmac. The tri bars can solve that

 

[bear the bear]

Hey Mitten,
A couple of points:

• Are the tires tubeless?
• If so what do weigh?
• How wide are the tires?
• How wide are the rims?
• How wide are the handlebars?
• How long is the stem?
• Were you trying to descend on the hoods or drops?

The final point has been raised before, but a gravel bike is like an unsuspended 90's MTB. They are great for traveling long distances at speed. However, the habit a lot of MTBers have gotten into (with longer travel bikes) is trying to ride a gravel bike like a plow machine, you need to look ahead and choose your lines more. (just food for thought)

 

[Stredda]

Hey Mitten,
A couple of points:

• Are the tires tubeless?
• If so what do weigh?
• How wide are the tires?
• How wide are the rims?
• How wide are the handlebars?
• How long is the stem?
• Were you trying to descend on the hoods or drops?

The final point has been raised before, but a gravel bike is like an unsuspended 90's MTB. They are great for traveling long distances at speed. However, the habit a lot of MTBers have gotten into (with longer travel bikes) is trying to ride a gravel bike like a plow machine, you need to look ahead and choose your lines more. (just food for thought)

Yes, and to drive that nail home the winner of the inaugural 2021 Devils Cardigan gravel race was Nathan Earle on a full suspension MTB

 

[Rusty_68]

Gravel riding is for roadies who can't MTB.

 

[DMan]

I stopped riding my MTB a year ago due to a ankle injury. Got the bike bug again before Xmas but my brother convinced me to get a gravel bike as 'everyone is buying them!' I had a few short rides on his and enjoyed it despite it been a medium and I need a large it appealed to me so I blew my tax return and my slush fun on a Norco Search XR S1 from 99 bikes.

Now my first few rides were fine as it was all on tarmac and the bike was easy to ride with a not too aggressive position, good brakes and shifting.

Then I went for a off-road ride with my bro and his 3 gravel riding mates and fuck me it was not fun. First 3k on hard packed dirt was ok then we got some rough gravel and downhill tracks. The vibration, the twitchy handling and the feedback through the hoods was scary on the fast Segments, also found the brakes through the hoods didn't feel 'right' compared to riding on the road.

We spent a afternoon trying to make the bike better for me, let the tyres down from the shops recommend 45psi to 35psi, which helped a bit (off-road good, onroad not so good). Put a better grade of spongy bar tape on the bars, raised the bars a bit, relaxed the geometry and bought a better seat on the bike (stock seat was a bit shit).

Had 2 more decent (30k) gravel rides on it. It feels better but I still hate the rough ride and the violent feedback through the bars on the rutty ground. Most of the time on a ride I'm just looking forward to it ending...

Just think 25 years of mountain biking has conditioned me to comfortable upright and suspension absorbing riding. Feel a bit annoyed at myself for wasting $3500 on this bike, which is a very good bike, it's just not for me and I feel this while gravel bike boom is overrated.

I do think the bike itself could be part of the issue. My wife had a Search and wasn't thrilled with it. She much prefers the Merida Silex I just got her. Much more MTB like geometry. The Search to me was much more just a long roadie with gravel wheels. Now I love the Silex as roadie that I can ride happily on gravel roads now and fire roads for long distance and be more stable/ comfortable than I ever was on my roadie. But neither are/ were MTBs if that is what you are really used to.

 

[DMan]

Gravel riding is for roadies who can't MTB.

Sold your ebike yet Grandad?

 

[ozzybmx]

Yes, and to drive that nail home the winner of the inaugural 2021 Devils Cardigan gravel race was Nathan Earle on a full suspension MTB

Would that be pro cyclist Nathan Earle who used to be in Team Sky and still rides for a pro UCI team ?

 

[Ackland]

I see heaps of folks with searches run them with 650b wheels and 2.1 MTB tyres.
Total circumference and ground clearance comes up about the same as the 700c wheels

 

[DMan]

I see heaps of folks with searches run them with 650b wheels and 2.1 MTB tyres.
Total circumference and ground clearance comes up about the same as the 700c wheels

True, there's another option.

 

[Rorschach]

There are a few gravel bikes out there with a more mtb geometry from memory, stuff like a Merida Silex which may suit more?
Or a flat bar gravel bike like a Spesh Diverge Evo?

 

[Stredda]

Would that be pro cyclist Nathan Earle who used to be in Team Sky and still rides for a pro UCI team ?

That's him, bit of an amateur really. lol

 

[ozzybmx]

That's him, bit of an amateur really. lol

He would have won that race on any 2 wheeled bicycle... ok maybe not a 20" BMX

 

[mekros]

I think gravel bikes are for those that came from a road background and want to try some less groomed surfaces. Don't forget that this was an international invention of a market so they can sell people more bikes...

I found I have used it the opposite direction, I will use a gravel bike for pounding pavement, so if I get silly and say "oh look a trail going somewhere", I have a reasonable enough bike and tyres to get to a point I can explore and have fun, or stop and say "next time bring the MTB"

 

[beeb]

I found I have used it the opposite direction, I will use a gravel bike for pounding pavement, so if I get silly and say "oh look a trail going somewhere", I have a reasonable enough bike and tyres to get to a point I can explore and have fun, or stop and say "next time bring the MTB"

+1 on this. Flat bar gravel is still plenty quick on path, but capable enough to tackle some basic off-roading…

 

[caad9]

I think gravel bikes are for those that came from a road background and want to try some less groomed surfaces. Don't forget that this was an international invention of a market so they can sell people more bikes...

I found I have used it the opposite direction, I will use a gravel bike for pounding pavement, so if I get silly and say "oh look a trail going somewhere", I have a reasonable enough bike and tyres to get to a point I can explore and have fun, or stop and say "next time bring the MTB"

I’ll second this as a decent option too.
A bike like the Search would be a good option as a capable roadie without the need for all out lightweight or speed

 

[DMan]

I’ll second this as a decent option too.
A bike like the Search would be a good option as a capable roadie without the need for all out lightweight or speed

I agree. But there are better options for comfort and position in other brands. As an mtber, go a 1X too. 2X sucks

 

[cokeonspecialtwodollars]

you need to look ahead and choose your lines more. (just food for thought)

I found I have used it the opposite direction, I will use a gravel bike for pounding pavement, so if I get silly and say "oh look a trail going somewhere", I have a reasonable enough bike and tyres to get to a point I can explore and have fun, or stop and say "next time bring the MTB"

This and this, riding the gravel bike sharpens up my line choice which transfers back to the mountain bike and it also let's me head out and explore places that would be a chore to get to on a mountain bike.

 

[ForkinGreat]

I stopped riding my MTB a year ago due to a ankle injury. Got the bike bug again before Xmas but my brother convinced me to get a gravel bike as 'everyone is buying them!' I had a few short rides on his and enjoyed it despite it been a medium and I need a large it appealed to me so I blew my tax return and my slush fun on a Norco Search XR S1 from 99 bikes.

Now my first few rides were fine as it was all on tarmac and the bike was easy to ride with a not too aggressive position, good brakes and shifting.

Just think 25 years of mountain biking has conditioned me to comfortable upright and suspension absorbing riding. Feel a bit annoyed at myself for wasting $3500 on this bike, which is a very good bike, it's just not for me and I feel this while gravel bike boom is overrated.

You could put road tyres on it and keep it for that. looks from the specs that the stock tyres are already at max width.
If you have some 650b wheels, then you can fit 650b x 51mm / 2.0in

I made a Banshee paradox (v2?) hardtail into a gravel bike by fitting a steel Salsa fork and reasonably fast XC tyres****.
The frame is stiff AF, so the only way to dial the comfort is through tyre pressure. 25-30 is comfy on gravel for me, but drags on bitumen paths and roads. 40psi rolls well on roads but makes paths a bit bouncy and uncomfortable.
**** I have a 29x2.1 maxxis pace rear and 29x2.25 Onza Svelt front.

Acc to Norco's site

Search XR S1 | Norco

The Search XR S1 has a penchant for speed and style.

www.norco.com

Max 700c Tire Size (* w/ Fender) = (*40mm) 42mm
Max 650b Tire Size (* w/ Fender) =(*48mm) 51mm