FWIW my gravel bike does have flared drops at a higher level than any other drop bar i have ever used and yes it gives far more control than standard drops but I think it will be a while before DH racers uses them or an xc racer for that matter
YMMV but never going to happen for me. Its just not a good solution for a MTB hence why it has never been used until recently- are they running out of ideas to sell us and have gone daft

Is it steve who has the one bike like this with drops and suspension ? i can see why that bike happens to be fair and its all personal choice confesses to having bar ends on riser bars so its not like my choice would suit everyone - performance or aesthetics.

EDIT: If it was me who misquoted I was skim reading so did not mean to misrepreent take out of context - Sorry if it was me

Lazarus wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:07 pm FWIW my gravel bike does have flared drops at a higher level than any other drop bar i have ever used and yes it gives far more control than standard drops but I think it will be a while before DH racers uses them or an xc racer for that matter
YMMV but never going to happen for me. Its just not a good solution for a MTB hence why it has never been used until recently- are they running out of ideas to sell us and have gone daft

Being pedantic John Tomac raced XC with drop bars back in the early 90s with some success so it's not a new thing but essentially I think you're right, for pure off-roading including some technical riding flats or risers are a better option for most people. The alt bar/drop bar option only makes sense for me when more road/easy off-road and longer distances come into play (which is why I now have drop bars on my gravel bike and normal risers on everything else). Sometimes it's just nice to try something different though.

Lazarus wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:07 pm FWIW my gravel bike does have flared drops at a higher level than any other drop bar i have ever used and yes it gives far more control than standard drops but I think it will be a while before DH racers uses them or an xc racer for that matter
YMMV but never going to happen for me. Its just not a good solution for a MTB hence why it has never been used until recently- are they running out of ideas to sell us and have gone daft

Is it steve who has the one bike like this with drops and suspension ? i can see why that bike happens to be fair and its all personal choice confesses to having bar ends on riser bars so its not like my choice would suit everyone - performance or aesthetics.

EDIT: If it was me who misquoted I was skim reading so did not mean to misrepreent take out of context - Sorry if it was me

It’ll also be a while until anyone’s seriously bikepacking on a DH bike.
Alpinium - feel free to disagree

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 11:47 am

It’s funny seeing that again! I once did a 10 mile road time trial on my fatbike..... average 23mph and didn’t finish last!

Jurassic wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:16 pm

Lazarus wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:07 pm FWIW my gravel bike does have flared drops at a higher level than any other drop bar i have ever used and yes it gives far more control than standard drops but I think it will be a while before DH racers uses them or an xc racer for that matter
YMMV but never going to happen for me. Its just not a good solution for a MTB hence why it has never been used until recently- are they running out of ideas to sell us and have gone daft

Being pedantic John Tomac raced XC with drop bars back in the early 90s with some success so it's not a new thing but essentially I think you're right, for pure off-roading including some technical riding flats or risers are a better option for most people. The alt bar/drop bar option only makes sense for me when more road/easy off-road and longer distances come into play (which is why I now have drop bars on my gravel bike and normal risers on everything else). Sometimes it's just nice to try something different though.

JT only raced with drop bars because he was prioritising his training for the 7-11 Road team. He's said that it wasn't really a good idea. I think any of his success was down to it being him and not the bars.

*edit* For the record I have a Fargo and a Cutthroat

I thought stu had taken a 1980’s mountain bike and attached drop bars.

Then saw this is a current bike and available to purchase.
The mind boggles.

I started out bikepacking on a gravel bike. [*]
Quickly saw the error of my ways and am now very much in the hardtail front, suspension, 1x point of view.

This seems the worst of both, best of neither.


—-
[*] I did my first bb200 and the Tuscany trail on a 2002 spesh stumpjumper.
We’ll forget that blip in history.

substandard wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 7:21 pm

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 11:47 am

It’s funny seeing that again! I once did a 10 mile road time trial on my fatbike..... average 23mph and didn’t finish last!

Closest I got to feeling like a road cyclist was during the last stage of a multi day stage race I was invited to. Drafting at >30 km/h.
I had a beard. Some gravel rider feelings too.
Was on groomed snow, riding the fatbike...

lune ranger wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:34 pm It’ll also be a while until anyone’s seriously bikepacking on a DH bike.
Alpinium - feel free to disagree

Since 2017 I've been working on a route in the eastern parts of Switzerland (goes into Italy a tiny little bit). The route takes you down the 2005 DH world champs track at Livigno. Last two times I rode it, it was early morning since there's a lovely bivy spot ontop of a prior pass. There you go. Downhillbikepacking.
No drop bar seen there, but there's always a first. I won't be it.

A while ago the only bikes I had were a Kona Coilair and a Devinci Wilson, which was soon 'swapped' with a Mondraker Summum.
I was well into bikepacking, but called it bivybiking, since the term "bikepacking" hadn't yet arrived in my cave. Mostly I'd use the Coilair - as so often with Kona - truly a bike ahead of it's time (unlike the Stooge gravel bike/monster cross thing shown here), but on a couple of occasions my friend and I would go to a bivy spot with a view, deposit the gear for a day of mostly assisted (think cable cars as public transport to villages and then some more climbing under own power) riding.

Horses for courses obviously.
And repeatedly.

As a mountainbiker at heart, I consider this as a gravel bike from Stooge:
When I'm old, this will be my do it all.
Now I have something worth living for. Sometimes it just takes two wheels and a flat/riser bar.

Isn't a flat-barred gravel bike just a hybrid? They've been about for decades.

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:40 pm Isn't a flat-barred gravel bike just a hybrid? They've been about for decades.

And before they became hybrids, weren't they called trekking bikes?
That's how I remember narrow tyred mtbs (or wide tyred flat bar road bikes).

Today it seems they are being sold as flat bar gravel bike.

Language is dynamic one could argue.

Alpinum wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:49 pm

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:40 pm Isn't a flat-barred gravel bike just a hybrid? They've been about for decades.

And before they became hybrids, weren't they called trekking bikes?

That must have been before my time.

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 10:02 pm

Alpinum wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:49 pm

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:40 pm Isn't a flat-barred gravel bike just a hybrid? They've been about for decades.

And before they became hybrids, weren't they called trekking bikes?

That must have been before my time.

About 30 years ago.

May have been a mainland Europe or German speaking country kind of thing..?

Alpinum wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 10:05 pm

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 10:02 pm

Alpinum wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:49 pm

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:40 pm Isn't a flat-barred gravel bike just a hybrid? They've been about for decades.

And before they became hybrids, weren't they called trekking bikes?

That must have been before my time.

About 30 years ago.

May have been a mainland Europe or German speaking country kind of thing..?

O yeah - they've been called Trekking bikes for a long time in Europe. Folk like Cube etc usually have a big range of them.

Thinking about it, trekking is more used in German speaking countries and Asia (countries of the Himalayas).
When I go Munro bagging for multiple days it's just that or backpacking.
Here (Switzerland), most would call it "Trekking" from trek obvs.
As are all multi day hikes in the Himalayas called. Even those going from lodge to lodge (teahouse trekking).

Considering this, how long will it take 'till we read about trekpackbiking and biketrekking and trekcyclepacking and ...

When I think about the terrain I usually find myself in when trekking, I'm mostly quite happy to be without my bike. And surely a hybrid would only survive when carried all the way without ever touching the ground.

Alpinum wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 10:24 pm
When I think about the terrain I usually find myself in when trekking, I'm mostly quite happy to be without my bike. And surely a hybrid would only survive when carried all the way without ever touching the ground.

Essentially what I did when I ‘rode’ the Annapurna circuit trek with a proper MTB. Or as you’d call it, judging from the Stooge above, a gravel bike

lune ranger wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 12:38 am Essentially what I did when I ‘rode’ the Annapurna circuit trek with a proper MTB. Or as you’d call it, judging from the Stooge above, a gravel bike

That's definately a gravel route in my books (been there too).
There's even a track to follow.

No. I'm thinking of such:

Sorry, I think you'll need to 'do' FB to see this.
https://www.facebook.com/jamiebestwicko ... 2011772992

Alpinum wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 10:15 am

lune ranger wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 12:38 am Essentially what I did when I ‘rode’ the Annapurna circuit trek with a proper MTB. Or as you’d call it, judging from the Stooge above, a gravel bike

That's definately a gravel route in my books (been there too).
There's even a track to follow.

No. I'm thinking of such:
Screenshot_20210131-101145_Instagram.jpg

Maybe a fat bike with 40” wheels?

I like the Stooge quite a bit, so much so that I've asked how
Much it's going to be, I'd need to ride one first probably if
Possible because my last dabble with a steel frame (Vagabond)
Left me highly disappointed

lune ranger wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 10:46 am Maybe a fat bike with 40” wheels?

I like to think of fatbikes too, when the going gets really rough, but I actually prefer my 29er fs bikes unless the surface is soft.
I shall start calling all my mtbs (and my fatbike) trekking bicycles.

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