MTB vs Gravel Bike | Which is best for Bikepacking?
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- čas přidán 2. 06. 2024
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Bikepacking Q&A EP:19
In this video I answer a great question from Joe about Gravel or MTB for bikepacking.
Make sure you leave your bikepacking questions at www.cycling366.com/contact/ - or drop me a message on Instagram: / cycling366
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:14 - The Gravel Bike?
02:30 - The MTB?
06:69 - Which is best for bikepacking?
08:06 - Summary and Q&A Reminder
#bikepacking #gravelbike #mtb
For those of you saying Touring bike... :D czcams.com/video/1NDJZKyZDz0/video.html
Two low cost starter options - 90s steel framed hybrids are dirt cheap, robust, low geared and take tyres up to 42c, mine was £50 - low spec 29er hard tail, my GT was £90 3*8 allows 22T on front with 34T on rear. Not at all fashionable but I have done some great trips across Dartmoor on them. Of the two the hybrid is my favourite.
Sounds cool! I like a good old school MTB build too
I'm converting a 1980s steel frame MTB into a tourer that can handle a bit of offroad. As for going fast, if I want to go fast I'll get in the van.
Nice! Bet that’ll be a beast when it’s done
I’ve both an MTB and a gravel and have bikepacked on both but for rough routes and/or when I’m loaded for camping I prefer the MTB.
Comfier and far more capable when descending on anything other than tarmac/smooth gravel.
Completely agree with that!
Which is more comfortable drop bar or flat bar? Thanks!
@@Paulklampeepsflat bar
Let me know your preferred bike in the comments :) thanks for watching 🙏
I've chosen a bike, and it has 26x4.80" tires. More known as "fat bike". I live in Sweden and we have that white stuff on the ground called "snow" some months every year. I don't have any other bikes than fat bikes, simply because I don't want skinny tires or narrower than 3.80". For bike packing, a fat bike is in my opinion the best choice because you can ride it all year no matter what terrain. We all are different, my choice may not be the same as your.
Besides that, I enjoy bike packing videos no matter what bike is used because I am interested to see what other bike packers have in their bags (gear, camping stuff and so on).
Nice! I do like a good fat bike for all terrain bikepacking. Not owned one myself but wish I did!
When I first started thinking about travel with my bike I had a road bike and I got my touring bike a Dawes Super Galaxy triple chain set fullracks and panniers which was handy at all times as I did on call in a hospital and needed to carry a fair bit.
I now have two road bikes, a gravel bike and two MTB. I would go touring on my road bikes and I did do the Great Glen Way on one of them. I then got my Gravel bike with 650b wheels and quite aggressive tyres for up here in Scotland they are a bit of a bind on tarmac so it does strictly gravel. The MTB’s are for winter the old one is a triple chain set and is pretty much an ornament. I was having it fully serviced and ended up buying a new MTB I forgot just how comfy they were and as you say the gears will go up anything and the tyres over anything and I’d probably be quite happy using it for off road touring. I also quite like the simplicity of just having a single chain set.
Gravel and MTB are great up here in Scotland as out roads aren’t that great and even when I got my latest road bike which wears 32’s the difference for up here comfort wise was so much better.
If I was however only going to have one bike to most things it would be a gravel bike ( don’t tell my ProjectOne Domane though)😂
Nice! Always nice to have options really. Especially on Bonnie Scotland
Great info. I've been looking at moving from my heavy steel touring bike to a gravel bike since, although I do tour a bit, most of my riding is just day to day. One gravel bike that may make a true all-rounder is the Giant Revolt X. It has 40mm front forks and a drop seat post with 30mm of suspension. Definitely not a low cost starter but looks very intriguing as a potential do-it-all. All the best from Atlantic Canada, eh!
Thanks mate! Sounds great :) I like the super short travel suspension forks concept
Interesting I agree with most of what you said but I run 700x 45 on my titanium gravel bike and could go bigger, I have ridden it mostly off road all year and with the right tyres it pretty much copes with anything and I have a 36;46 gear set up which gets me up most things even at 67. I regularly ride in the lakes, and Yorkshire Dales on what would have been considered xc routes. That said I have been thinking about a hardtail like a Cotic Solaris, or a Moxie Sirius so I have the option of plotting some really rough routes where grip control and comfort become a factor. Also in that terrain overall speed is less important and probably going down hill you will clear obstacles better and go quicker. In winter you definitely need more kit especially if your are a bit more remote just from a safety and comfort perspective. I think the lines are blurring and some new bikes like those made by Pace offer drop bar, carbon fork or flat bar / 120mm fork for the same frame. Also you can hoon around local trails on the suspension bike. I am waiting to see if my bank balance allows for an extra bike as already have , road, full suspension and gravel bike but deep down I would like another.
Sounds cool! Always room for more bikes for different stuff :)
Great video! I agree it totally depends on what kind of terrain you plan to ride, and whether you can afford multiple bikes. For me I ride almost exclusively off-road on rough terrain so the mountain bike makes a lot more sense.
Absolutely!
Nice presentation Tom and I used a Ridgeback hybrid when I did the Coast 2 Coast. Great for clocking up the miles on the tarmac but murder on my arms going cross country. I'll be doing the King Alfred Way on my MTB in May because, as you say, the front suspension will protect my hands and wrists. Cheers.
Cheers! Nice one, I agree with the MTB move for the KAW. Sounds like a great adventure
Thank you for the review. I have both types and recently upgraded my MTB from Schwinn (Walmart yes I know hangs head low) to a Giant Yukon with Deore components. Like you said, I love the flexibility of the gravel bike and I do ride it in Winter months up to a certain extent before I have to put it away and get out my old steel commuter with the twist shifters (blah!) After a few years of this twist and pull, I bought a used Giant Yukon and am loving it. Best part is that it's an MTB and can take a beating on any surface. Since the Winter has been mild this year, I'm curious how the 26" tires handle snow since I struggled with anything above 6" on the ground. Speed isn't a concern on snow surface for me. Not like I'm racing anyone out there when I'm by myself lol.
Haha awesome. Thanks! Nice to hear others use a mix of different bikes as well
Be careful of drop position and no suspension set ups as your wrists can take a beating. I did the Canaries last year on cx bike with 40c tyres and I was a broken man (I'm 61 now so maybe that had a bearing). You can get suspension handlebar bits but then you are adding money.
Yeah definitely, got to work within your limits :)
I chose a touring bike. Recently bought a Giant Toughroad SLR2. Mountain Bike for stunts and enduro riding. A gravel bike for high-speed, semi-sporty off-road driving. And for traveling, it is better to have a comfortable fit, a long wheelbase for stability, and high reliability of the structure in order to hang equipment on it. Just my opinion.
Yeah nice! Touring bikes are in a different league for some things
Excellent video mate! I'm hoping the industry comes up with an "affordable " suspension gravel bike at some point. That, or I have to buy an mtb and tweak it to be faster..
Thanks very much! Yeah that sounds like something that’s coming down the pipeline I’m sure
What you're describing is just an xc mtb
Would prefer one of each😂 currently have a Cube e-mtb which I love and completed the Trans Pennine Trail on last summer. Planning the Yorkshire Dales Cycleway and a LEJOG soon-hence the interest in the gravel option!
Haha can never have too many bikes 😃 Sounds great! LEJOG is an awesome challenge
Best Allrounder: Steel / Titanium Drop Bar MTB Like Fargo , Sutra LTD or Stargazer or La Cabra
Each to their own!
I definitely agree it matters where and how you want to ride, for me drop bars are so much more comfortable for my hands-so I found a gravel bike that will take up to 700x50 tires and going to 650's would increase that clearance
Definitely! Two wheelsets is a good shout :)
A drop bar titanium MTB would be the ultimate compromise between the two mentioned. Great tyre clearance with drop bar comfort, add in 100mm travel and you get most of the best features from both. And titanium is a lot easier to look after, I have a 2 year old carbon gravel bike and it's showing signs of wear already, and it's only a little lighter than a titanium equivalent.
Yeah definitely. The ultimate compromise but quite costly of course!
I have a bike that does the heavy and the easy stuff: Idworx All Rohler. But everbody should decide what works the best. Happy trails!
Nice! Absolutely, everyone is different :)
very helpful thank you!
No worries thank you :)
Agree on everything you said and I’m one of those privileged ones who has a couple of bikes to choose from, cheers from Norway 🇳🇴 😎
Thanks mate! Love Norway 🇳🇴 🥰
Love my 100mm travel hardtail MTB for our rough roads/trails!!
Same!
The second set of (smaller, better rolling) tyres on an MTB will do for road touring/bikepacking. Regular 29er can fit any gravel tyre just fine. With those, speed is identical to gravel, counting all the stuff we carry with us.
Yes you can definitely do that, but then again, riding position will not be ideal for speed on the MTB but good shout
@@Cycling366 well, each bike is a compromise of sorts :) Your point is absolutely valid, I just wanted to point out that not every MTB has to be that fatbike/gnarly/trail oriented machine.
Literally just today traded my gravel bike in for a hard tail MTB it just wasn't capable enough and uncomfortable on anything rougher than a smooth towpath and sketchy af in damp muddy conditions.
Nice! Yeah nice to have that stability on the wet descents for sure
Relatively flat and fast = Gravel bike.
Hilly/slower and not chunky and not to much single track = Drop bar MTB or Gravel Bike with a gravel fork with ~30-40mm of travel. If you use a gravel bike, use a 1x + a 500%+ cassette. The looser the terrain, the more you should lean toward the MTB for better tire clearance.
Hilly and a bit chunky but not to much single track = Drop bar MTB with a fork with ~100mm of travel. e.g., GDMBR
Lots of single track = Flat bar MTB. e.g., Colorado Trail
Good idea 👍
Hi, great video, me and the wife both have Sonder Frontiers, may I just ask which rear rack you have fitted? We have the Ortlieb quick racks but the mount on the seat tube seems a little flimsy!
Cheers mate! It’s a Topeak MTX rack. All details about that bike are in this video: m.czcams.com/video/xpGWSNCQcv0/video.html
@@Cycling366great videos can I ask what mtb you are using please looks a robust machine and is it stock bike or have you done some upgrades on it please
@@stuartharkin-rl6uf It's the Sonder Frontier linked above :) I built it up so it's not stock. But it's also not that high end so could easily be replicated. Check that video out for a closer look.
Yes i think grsvel bike is the way 2 go. Especially if you have something like specialized diverge thst im lucky e have as that has s touch of front suspension not much but it definitely helps
Yeah that’s my go-to normally as well. Not got any suspension on it but maybe in the future!
Frontier owner here too, love it....MTB all the way for me, don't like drop bars and just find the MTB far more comfy and can be ridden all year. I'm not fussed about speed really.
Nice! Yeah I get that, it’s a decent bike for all terrain stuff so I can see why you’d want to use it all the time haha
To me the gearing is the main differentiator. You can always get fatter tires on a gravel bike (of course not as fat as on a MTB) or skinnier tires on a MTB so there are a lot of overlap in the terrain/roads they'll handle, but where I live I always appreciate the gearing of a MTB even when in shape. Anywhere with lots of steep gravel roads a MTB will shine. Of course if you live in Denmark, the Netherlands or somewhere else with mostly flat terrain then the gearing and design of a gravel bike is more suited.
Yeah gearing is a big factor in bike choice in my opinion!
Do you ever feel any worries when you are out on longer trips that the frame (sonder) might fail or does it feel solid? fully packed?
Nope not really. Both my bikes are aluminium frames and never had an issue loading them up. I just don’t do any jumps on it while loaded 😛
As someone in their sixties with neck problems I find dropbar bikes uncomfortable for prolonged periods although I was once younger where I did not ride anything but dropbar bikes!
Yeah I get that, nicer to be more upright for neck or back issues. Got to do what you can! Thanks for watching :)
I see few bikepacking with rear suspension. Why is that? Wouldn't it make the right much more comfortable? Thanks!
Yeah i imagine it’s down to not being able to fit rear racks or decent sized frame bags due to the rear shock. Also probably not worth it for road sections!
mtb with 100mm of travel all the way, bigger tires, more options,, more comfort, i have an 8bar tflsberg, its amazing, great steel frame, great geometry. old mtbs have crap geometry, better to buy a new frame and build it up or get an atb designed for long hours in the saddle.
Yeah I do like a short travel MTB
I prefer a all terrain bike like my Olsen Pinion Lamb ,they are more expensive but you only need one bike ,I never now use any of my other bikes .I also have a suspension stem & seat post .
Yeah nice bike! One bike to do it all sounds ace.
Get any surly in any color you want 😁
I’d love to!
Can you explain about the elliptical front sprocket
I’ll do a Q&A video on that at some point
What about fat bike? Between MTB and fat bike which would be better for trekking for offroad?
Depends! Fat bikes are better for sand and snow and in theory can carry more luggage. Tend to have rigid forks mostly but they’re still a great option for rough stuff in my opinion
What rack do you have on the front of the mountain bike with suspension please ?
Topeak Tetrarack - My New Bikepacking Bike - Sonder Frontier
czcams.com/video/xpGWSNCQcv0/video.html
I have a MTB dont mountain bike and im getting a beach cruiser and no beach
😅😅
Haha bikes for the sake of it! Always ok!
@@Cycling366 yes 😁
I think England is best for bike packing, no predators 😅
Watch out for those mad scotch people, we are coming for you.
Haha not that I’m aware of… just roaming haggis across the border
@@garyboyle695 😅
@@Cycling366 I'm American what's a haggis 🤨
Could someone turn the drop bars up for more comfortability?
Yes but it’s not pretty or ideal!
Another point when putting weight onto your bike... all of your baggage on a gravel bike will be unsprung mass and potentially impact your handling. Don't wanna find out what momentum my mounted bags can carry after going through a washout that may not have been an issue on an unladen gravel bike... the mtb doesn'T care
Good point
Hardtail mtb for me. Mind you its the only bike i have.
Got to go with what you got! :)
Is that Drax power station .
Yep!
If you're bike packing on easy terrain then the gravel bike but if you're doing serious off road miles a gravel bike is as useful as a chocolate watch.
Absolutely!
is that Drax in the background?
Yeah 👍
Funnily enough I’ve got the same model Topstone, but hadn’t thought of running it as 650b. How does it ride - a noticeable difference?
Cool! No noticeable difference in honesty! Been riding mostly 650bs on it for the last two years and it’s been great
Please explain the stylistic voice of placing a nuclear reactor in the background of your video.
It’s a power station not nuclear. And I fancied a change of scenery 😛
I don’t get all of the venom about what to call it, touring vs bike packing and the what the bikes are called or the type of bags used. Would you call an overnight backpacking trip touring?? In the end, WTF does it matter?
100%. Not got time for people who moan about names. Just get out there on your bike and enjoy it haha
Gravel ? lol 😂
We use to call those touring bikes until the eighties MTB came along . then the gravel bike suddenly had two origins.
question- if i ride my MTB or any bike for that matter on Multiple surfaces , am i gravel riding or am i just riding my bike on multiple surfaces ? 😂
You know I didn’t name these bikes? I don’t have a preference what you call your bike, just get out and ride it!
If you want to go "fuster" get a racing bike. Bikepacking isn't about that.
Maybe not for you! But for some people it will be important
Forget this crap about "bike packing". I have been bike touring for 40 years, get a touring bike and get out there, throw away all those rediculous bags and get a set of panniers, some decent camping gear and get on with it. Forget the dictates of the fashion/cycling industry and get engaged with the reality of living outdoors on a bike. I have cycled thousands of miles thro Europe etc, doing it with a "bikepacking" setup is total nonsense.
Ya but you're always on a road so why not just drive 😅
@@PEDALSnPROJECTSbecause it's about the journey, you miss out on so much by driving. You miss out on the solitude, the me time, the time to think, to realise that you're not that important and not to stress too much about life. Cyclists are happier people.
@@PEDALSnPROJECTSidtent
Glad you’re getting out there but for me the adventure begins off road. No fancy gear required, but it sure is convenient; you know, like a good pair of panniers. But I agree, just get out there.
No thanks. I don't trust car drivers. I want to be as far from cars and pollution as possible. Single track and fire trails for me please.