Fads boom and are over quickly. They're driven by emotional needs and hype. They usually have limited scope.
Trends slowly build up. They're driven more by functional needs and have larger scopes.
Gravel bikes aren't anything new. Most people would have just used a cyclocross bike but the evolution away from cross racing features to a larger scope of utility indicates that this isn't a fad. The gravel bike is still a little bit amorphous as more and more people take the concept and do something with it. For some it's about racing others, for some challenging themselves, and for others it's the right horse for the course. They don't have a defined authenticity.
Fixie bikes, on the other hand, are bikes that are defined more by style, not by their function. They're a fad.
I think there also should be a distinction between gravel riding and gravel bikes. The trend really is gravel riding. The events are inclusive and easy to organize and successfully pull off. They have a low barrier to entry for organizers and participants. Gravel bikes are the manufacturers attempt to sell bikes to something that now is at least an identifiable thing. They may end up overestimating demand, but this isn't an example of a manufacturer trying to invent a category to sell a new gruppo (anyone remember Formula 1?).
drwelby - well put. I appreciate your distinction. I don't have a specific or made for gravel bike but i do gravel riding on three of my bikes. A Litespeed Tuscany road bike (can fit 28's), Salsa Casseroll (my do everyting commuter, light tourer, dirt road bike) and a Ritchey Breakaway Cross. Finally, i'm not a fan of the term gravel grinding. My favorite roads in Georgia may have gravel but they can also be hard pack, double track or some combination with or without gravel. Hardpack can be a fast surface to ride on and the term "grinding" doesn't fit.
It's not just a fad. Perhaps it's even more than a trend. It's growing like a religious movement. Many who come to experience these iconic rides leave changed forever. They take that experience with them and occasionally one of these new disciples creates another iconic ride.... So goes the movement: "Unlearn Pavement!"
I learned to ride a bike on gravel and I am 42 so I been riding on gravel for 35 yrs at least not a fad to me either I just use my mtn bike with lite treaded tires for speed .
Gravel bikes are a fad, but gravel grinding is not. This happens all the time in the cycling industry! Look at the track bike: They've been around since before the freewheel, used in velodromes for a long time, and they certainly were extremely popular a few years ago. (Starting to die off). But they were being sold to people who weren't riding them where they were ideal. They were riding the fashion statement when they should've been on some sort of hybrid.
I think it's nice there's finally more options for these locations and conditions, but more than half of the new buyers will be using them solely on pavement I bet.
There will never be enough folks gravel racing to justify the mass production of dozens of different brands of so called gravel bikes so , once more, the manufacturers are going to have to convince the average rider that they MUST have what the racers are riding. They did it with road bikes, they did it with snow skis and now theyre gonna do it with gravel racing bikes.
ayjaydee wrote:There will never be enough folks gravel racing to justify the mass production of dozens of different brands of so called gravel bikes so , once more, the manufacturers are going to have to convince the average rider that they MUST have what the racers are riding. They did it with road bikes, they did it with snow skis and now theyre gonna do it with gravel racing bikes.
Calling something a "gravel bike" is easy because there is no consensus on spec, so they're doing it. They can call them "any road" bikes if the gravel term becomes poison for some reason.
There's really nothing crazy about these supposedly gravel-specific bikes... they're typically a bit lower centered and longer, and they have room for more rubber. I'd say they can call that any number of different things and it will sell.
As for gravel riding . . . if you live in a lot of the Midwest (I'm thinking central and western Kansas), 95% of the roads in your county are dirt/gravel roads. If you're a cyclist, you almost certainly ride gravel. It's not a fad. It's life on a bike. Until there is universal paving, you're going to ride gravel. On the other hand, there are tons of people riding gravel today who don't live anywhere near a gravel road. There are counties in the U.S. that have no gravel roads at all. It's easier to find a mountain bike trail. For these people, eventually, it will be more trouble to transport their bike to gravel than they think it's worth. For a lot of them, not all, gravel biking is a fad. It won't die for that group, but it will become much like mountain biking is, for most of the market, today.
As for gravel bikes . . . longer wheelbase, more tire clearance, more stable geometry, more comfortable. Whether you call them "gravel bikes" or not, they are a lot more practical and user-friendly than traditional roadie race bikes. Calling them gravel bikes might be a fad, but I don't think the more versatile bike that's coming from this sport will go away. In fact, it should expand the number of people who ride bikes. Call them all-road and get the word out on how much fun they are and they will bring lots of new riders into the sport. Unfortunately, not all bikes labeled "gravel bikes" by manufacturers today fit the rather broad definition -- every manufacturer is in a rush to capitalize on the trend, even if they don't have a bike to do it. There will be a shake out among the bikes that don't fit the bill. But the more versatile, comfortable bike should be a trend that changes the industry. It's a better bike -- even on paved roads -- for 90+% of the people who might ride a bike.
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