What is XRP and why to use it
Approximately 1 billion XRP was previously mined at launch and the major investors were gradually brought into the market
Best gravel bikes under 2000
Gravel, on the contrary, takes strong features from its ancestors: on asphalt it is almost a road bike: the landing, although not as low as on a classic highway, is by no means vertical.
2022-06-01, by ,
#Bikes || #$2000 || #$1500 ||
Table of contents:
Gravel is more like a mixture of a road builder, a touring bike, a city bike and even a hybrid, that is, a universal car that loses both in speed and handling, but wins in comfort. That being said, it's still light enough (mid-range models average 10kg) to feel fast and nimble on the road. Gravel is such a crossover, if you use automotive terminology, its main element is the highway, but if necessary, it can also light up primers.
As you can see, the characterization of the gravel is rather vague, so for now, bike manufacturers understand the new trend in different ways. Someone, as I said, simply relabel ordinary cyclocrossers into gravels, someone puts disc brakes on touring and calls it an adventure bike. So, let's try to imagine the Best gravel bikes under 2000 in 2022.
Why not a hybrid
Again, an experienced person will ask: “Well, ok, you need a bike for long comfortable trips on asphalt with off-road capability. There are hybrids - they are just invented for such use. Personally, two things do not suit me in hybrids: a direct steering wheel and a lot of weight. After riding this type fairly well, I came to the conclusion that it does not combine the strengths of MTB and road bikes, but vice versa - weaknesses. On the highway, it is not too fast due to the large weight and almost vertical seating position, while off-road it merges into a mountain bike due to the narrow tires and high center of gravity.
Gravel, on the contrary, takes strong features from its ancestors: on asphalt it is almost a road bike: the landing, although not as low as on a classic highway, is by no means vertical. On the road, because of the wide tires (I think that a real gravel bike should be equipped with wide soft rubber without a pronounced tread), it will be quite competitive everywhere, with the exception of liquid mud.
So, the recipe for a good gravel bike:
Frame
We take a lightweight frame from a cyclocrosser, modify it to fit a wider tire, full-size fenders and still have enough mud clearance. ETT frames need to be slightly shorter for a more upright seating position and less sharp head tube angles for a more comfortable and smooth ride. We make the rear triangle longer, much longer, so that the wheelbase expands almost to the value adopted by the touring. Be sure to add threaded holes for mounting fenders and trunks.
Transmission
The “one chainring up front” trend is likely to catch on on a gravel bike, so an 11-speed cassette transmission with large “lower” chainrings, something like 11-42, will be appropriate.
Steering wheel. Since the gravel is intended for highways and gravel roads, and not for the city, it makes sense to put a wide “ram” - on long hauls, such a steering wheel allows you to change the maximum number of hand positions.
Brakes
Disks, no options. In general, the gravel bike story partly began with disc brakes, for example, Specialized marketers were among the first to put discs on their non-racing cyclocrossers and called it gravel advetnure bike.
Tires
It is not so much important here which tires are installed in stock, but the ability to set the size up to 40mm, and so that there are still mud gaps. By default, in my opinion, there should be something with a not too aggressive tread, but wide enough. The point is that this is a gravel bike - a bike for gravel roads, not for dirt. On gravel roads, you need wide and soft tires. The same rubber will roll well on asphalt.
Gravel bike as touring
I think that many of my readers have already thought that the gravel could be a great touring, and I completely agree with this. Moreover, one of the central ideas of this concept is the possibility of multi-day bike trips. Classic touring bikes irritate with overly reliable construction, which leads to an increase in the weight of the bike. Yes, reliability is extremely important in round-the-world travel, when you need to travel thousands of kilometers with little or no maintenance, and with a load of several tens of kilograms.
The vocation of the gravel is the usual bike trips for a conditional few weeks, in quite civilized places, while the bike is strong enough to carry 10-15 kg of cargo on a standard trunk. In general, this approach allows you to move not in the classic tourist style, when speed does not matter, but to overcome space, maintaining a fairly high speed.
One of the most impressive touring grade gravels is produced under the PlanetX brand. The handcrafted titanium frame called Tempest is what I would call the perfect base for a gravel bike.
There are all the necessary threaded holes for attaching the trunk and fenders, the geometry is just what you need for long distances. Titanium is a great material for touring and simple city riding because of its ability to absorb small vibrations, plus it's virtually scratch-resistant. The only pity is that the price of 1200 pounds for a frameset (frame + fork) without including delivery still casts doubt on the prospect of owning this bike. See details here: Wiki.
Consumer Throwing
I still have a struggle of opposites in my head: it seems that I need a new bike and it seems that gravel is just what I dreamed of on long winter evenings. But! The inner voice of the toad whispers: why did you need another one, because there is a warehouseman and a hybrid. The voice of practicality whispers: why do you need a gravel, remember how many times this year you drove off the asphalt, take an ordinary highway and don’t show off!
So I haven't decided yet if I need gravel as much as I like this concept. Maybe, given that I'm extremely reluctant to leave the highway and that where I ride the road, the asphalt is quite good, the gravel will end up in the role of an "urban MTB", which travels on asphalt 99% of the time and buzzes with spiked tires.
On the other hand, gravel will be just the perfect option for those people who dream of a road bike, but because of the poor quality of the asphalt, they do not dare to buy it. On a bad road surface, gravel will be much more comfortable and maybe even faster than a highway, plus you will have a full opportunity to move into the forest for a primer.
Which gravel to choose
So far, it is difficult for me to give recommendations on models, because the manufacturers have not yet decided what to consider gravel. Some make bikes with road sharpening, leaving only a little bit for dirt, like the Specialized Diverge. This is probably just what I need - a comfortable road bike with wide tires and a more relaxed fit.
Or the opposite, the Salsa DEADWOOD 29+, a hard-to-categorize gravel touring bike geared for off-road use.
But the GT Grade Adventure, it seems to be gravel, but in terms of geometry and mud gaps, it is practically a cyclocrosser.
Now, in the lineup of the main manufacturers of the first and second echelons, there is sure to be a bike that one way or another fits the gravel classification, so just compare the characteristics and choose what you need. Marketing is such marketing - it gives us a choice, no matter what they say. Although, it often takes him away ...
