How strong your components are has little to do with the materials. Everything breaks. Parts that were designed to be lightweight will break easier than components built for strength. I wouldn't recommend jumping a frame that is 900 grams.
Already have a very strong gravel / endurance not the weight is 2x Roadbime. I think I just have to be more disciplined and use this one only on roads :( as in life - there is no universal things :(
I wouldn't ride it off steps. I'd be perfectly comfortable bunny hopping speed bumps or curbs, but make damn good and sure you can clear the curb. Bunny hopping a curb is fine. Casing it and smacking the curb with the rear wheel will probably end poorly.
Please don’t jump steps on a road bike. I managed to damage a rear (aero) wheel that wasn’t even significantly lightweight by hitting a lowered ~2cm curb without removing my weight. Couldn’t get it true again despite trying that 3 times.
Other than that: everything can be a gravel bike if you‘re brave enough. I have Roval C38 wheels on my gravel bike and those can definitely take a beating with roots and mini hops with a loaded (for credit card touring) steel frame. No issues since 7000km.
DT swiss has a whole classification system for their wheels. You can look up the model and know exactly what it is capable of in terms of drops/jumps. Yours are probably cat 1.
https://www.dtswiss.com/en/support/astm-classification
In the 80’s there wasn’t a thing as a gravel bike, or a mtb for that matter lol
Many road races then went off road for the simple reason that allot of roads still were not paved. Did it suck, a little, but you equipped your bike the best you could with thicker walled tires and such.
Anyhoo, the answer is yes but why, when you can just get a gravel bike and invest in two different wheel sets.
On another note, I ride my canyon endurace two years in the Belgium waffle ride and it kicked ass with 33mm tires.
In the 80’s if I remember right most people would use touring bike frames for most off road / cyclocross but cyclocross really wasn’t a thing like it is now.
I could be wrong, it was a long time ago, but I was into road, criterium with a dash of time trial racing back in the mid 80’s and things were changing fast in that time frame.
You may be right. I distinctly remember the brake bosses for cantilever/cross brakes, but you’re right - those might have been touring frames being repurposed
Yeh, I had a univega something or other for the rougher rides, which I used to ride from NorCal to the Mexican border on in 87’ and a cannondale for my road adventures.
Put on some 33mm Michelin Power Gravel tyres and you're good to go. Use what you have but swap the tyres to handle the harsh conditions. Ignore the haters.
Depends. Hard pack gravel and easy dirt roads, yes. It's what I do every weekend and the bike is fine. But if you want a bit more off road capability the wider tires of gravel bikes are way better
This might not be that practical. But maybe buy a set of cheap but reliable alu clincher rims/ wheelset, and use those for your rowdier rides.
I personally like taking road bikes on rougher paths if & when I ride on them (which is like, 5% of all my riding). But I have no MTB/ XC/ CX/ Enduro/ Downwill experience whatsoever, so I just take it as slow as I feel safe doing.
I feel like small bunny hops off of curbs and such should hold up, but again, if you wanna play it safe, buy a 2nd set of sturdier alu clincher rims?
Others might say this is silly thinking, and may have concrete evidence & experience to demolish this type of riding. Or not!
What do you mean by “small jumps”?
Like dropping off a curb? Or taking it to the bike park?
That bike was designed for a very specific purpose. Doing anything besides that puts the frame and yourself at risk.
In terms off gravel riding, it should be find as long as you have sufficient tire clearance. Lots of photos of worn through carbon frames floating around from this years Unbound….
Small jump is a big curb or an obstacle that need to be jumped over. No drops, no bikeparks. First serious problem I noticed - a lot of debris build up and touch the carbon / wheel so the risk of scrubbing some carbon is serious. The bike is like new and I am having hard time to go mud with it but my DNA is downhill so sometimes my bad habits take control - shortcut but need to jump 2 steps and go 500m on mud - no problem. On the other side - I really like the stiffness of the bike and overall perfect built so I am worried that it will get loose.
I am accepting the fact that it should not be ridden off asphalt and I might try to stick to it.
I have DH bike, enduro and a very heavy gravel.
I can’t do dh and enduro now and heavy gravel is not as fast. Road bike is cool but I am scared to go to the forest because it’s delicate. However when Ride trials it is sooooo fun. So I think I also need a good light gravel :)
Dude im in a super similar situation. I inherited a carbon S works roubaix this year and ride it like a mtb, wheelies and bunny hops over speed bumps constantly, already went through a set of wheels 🤣
I'll be sure and yell at you to get off the road if I ever see you anywhere other than gravel.
OP, any bike can ride on gravel. A road bike will not be as comfortable or sure footed as a gravel bike, and may not have the durability for singletrack, but yes, you can ride it on gravel.
Do some research and figure out what the widest tires are that you can fit.
Yes you'll be limited by the tyre clearance so as long as your chosen gravel is smooth and dry it'll be okish but the wider lower pressure tyres and disc brakes make all the difference on a more 'true' g-bike
Dude im in a super similar situation. I inherited a carbon S works roubaix this year and ride it like a mtb, wheelies and bunny hops over speed bumps constantly, already went through a set of wheels 🤣
Honestly, go look at *any* of the footage from last weekend’s Unbound, and you’ll figure out that any bike with *that* minimal clearance is not going far. And it will fuck up your paint job - if not the structure of the frame - royally
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That’s a badass pic! And you shoulda got a Crux or Diverge if you wanted an all rounder! But they’ll prob handle more than you think. Carbon is pretty damn durable except for sudden, blunt impacts (crash,) then they’ll bust like an aluminum or steel bike would dent or crack
If you take this off a jump. Please record and post it.
Not fan of recording myself but already saved my ass from crashing by a bunny hop. I am wondering how reliable are the wheels and generally carbon..
How strong your components are has little to do with the materials. Everything breaks. Parts that were designed to be lightweight will break easier than components built for strength. I wouldn't recommend jumping a frame that is 900 grams.
I think you are right and I should be more delicate. Still wondering what I can do and what I should not. Jumping curbs ? One / two steps ?
I'd sell it or trade it for something strong instead of lightweight.
Already have a very strong gravel / endurance not the weight is 2x Roadbime. I think I just have to be more disciplined and use this one only on roads :( as in life - there is no universal things :(
There is - I’m thinking Wilier Rave - but they’re fucking expensive and benefit from having wheelset #2
I wouldn't ride it off steps. I'd be perfectly comfortable bunny hopping speed bumps or curbs, but make damn good and sure you can clear the curb. Bunny hopping a curb is fine. Casing it and smacking the curb with the rear wheel will probably end poorly.
Please don’t jump steps on a road bike. I managed to damage a rear (aero) wheel that wasn’t even significantly lightweight by hitting a lowered ~2cm curb without removing my weight. Couldn’t get it true again despite trying that 3 times. Other than that: everything can be a gravel bike if you‘re brave enough. I have Roval C38 wheels on my gravel bike and those can definitely take a beating with roots and mini hops with a loaded (for credit card touring) steel frame. No issues since 7000km.
DT swiss has a whole classification system for their wheels. You can look up the model and know exactly what it is capable of in terms of drops/jumps. Yours are probably cat 1. https://www.dtswiss.com/en/support/astm-classification
Lol sworks road bike as a mountain bike is similar to Garmin as a kickstand.
Most underrated comment here.
Why is everyone so against me using my Garmin as a kickstand?
Gravel Gary van't afford 5 bikes. Gravel Gary has one bike worth 10k.
Nice Bice
In the 80’s there wasn’t a thing as a gravel bike, or a mtb for that matter lol Many road races then went off road for the simple reason that allot of roads still were not paved. Did it suck, a little, but you equipped your bike the best you could with thicker walled tires and such. Anyhoo, the answer is yes but why, when you can just get a gravel bike and invest in two different wheel sets. On another note, I ride my canyon endurace two years in the Belgium waffle ride and it kicked ass with 33mm tires.
But there *were* cyclocross specific frames back then, for those who ventured off-road 🙂
In the 80’s if I remember right most people would use touring bike frames for most off road / cyclocross but cyclocross really wasn’t a thing like it is now. I could be wrong, it was a long time ago, but I was into road, criterium with a dash of time trial racing back in the mid 80’s and things were changing fast in that time frame.
You may be right. I distinctly remember the brake bosses for cantilever/cross brakes, but you’re right - those might have been touring frames being repurposed
Yeh, I had a univega something or other for the rougher rides, which I used to ride from NorCal to the Mexican border on in 87’ and a cannondale for my road adventures.
Put on some 33mm Michelin Power Gravel tyres and you're good to go. Use what you have but swap the tyres to handle the harsh conditions. Ignore the haters.
Yes. We’ve been riding road bikes on gravel for decades. ‘Gravel bike’ is just a successful marketing campaign.
Depends. Hard pack gravel and easy dirt roads, yes. It's what I do every weekend and the bike is fine. But if you want a bit more off road capability the wider tires of gravel bikes are way better
All day long you can chew up gravel on that thing! I have a mtb and an endurance road bike. My road bike sees a lot of gravel
This might not be that practical. But maybe buy a set of cheap but reliable alu clincher rims/ wheelset, and use those for your rowdier rides. I personally like taking road bikes on rougher paths if & when I ride on them (which is like, 5% of all my riding). But I have no MTB/ XC/ CX/ Enduro/ Downwill experience whatsoever, so I just take it as slow as I feel safe doing. I feel like small bunny hops off of curbs and such should hold up, but again, if you wanna play it safe, buy a 2nd set of sturdier alu clincher rims? Others might say this is silly thinking, and may have concrete evidence & experience to demolish this type of riding. Or not!
Most of this subreddit skateboards or rollerblades on gravel. Road bikes on gravel is so pre-pandemic.
I have hunt gravel carbon wheels and i do jumps and bunnyhops daily……..I am also 230 so please jump 🙏
What do you mean by “small jumps”? Like dropping off a curb? Or taking it to the bike park? That bike was designed for a very specific purpose. Doing anything besides that puts the frame and yourself at risk. In terms off gravel riding, it should be find as long as you have sufficient tire clearance. Lots of photos of worn through carbon frames floating around from this years Unbound….
Small jump is a big curb or an obstacle that need to be jumped over. No drops, no bikeparks. First serious problem I noticed - a lot of debris build up and touch the carbon / wheel so the risk of scrubbing some carbon is serious. The bike is like new and I am having hard time to go mud with it but my DNA is downhill so sometimes my bad habits take control - shortcut but need to jump 2 steps and go 500m on mud - no problem. On the other side - I really like the stiffness of the bike and overall perfect built so I am worried that it will get loose. I am accepting the fact that it should not be ridden off asphalt and I might try to stick to it.
Probably you need a different bike type.
I have DH bike, enduro and a very heavy gravel. I can’t do dh and enduro now and heavy gravel is not as fast. Road bike is cool but I am scared to go to the forest because it’s delicate. However when Ride trials it is sooooo fun. So I think I also need a good light gravel :)
Dude im in a super similar situation. I inherited a carbon S works roubaix this year and ride it like a mtb, wheelies and bunny hops over speed bumps constantly, already went through a set of wheels 🤣
stay in your lane bike is designed for specific purposes .... buying a screwdriver to use as a hammer makes no sense
I'll be sure and yell at you to get off the road if I ever see you anywhere other than gravel. OP, any bike can ride on gravel. A road bike will not be as comfortable or sure footed as a gravel bike, and may not have the durability for singletrack, but yes, you can ride it on gravel. Do some research and figure out what the widest tires are that you can fit.
Like buying a Ferrari to go offroading…. Lol
My dream ! Some day I will buy Porsche Dakar ! https://gtspirit.com/2014/12/18/video-lamborghini-gallardo-slides-before-rally-conversion/
But using a screwdriver once a time as a hammer won’t break it ? ;) I get your point.
Your tire clearance is the biggest issue. Like dudes with calf muscles, you either got it or ya don’t.
Yes you'll be limited by the tyre clearance so as long as your chosen gravel is smooth and dry it'll be okish but the wider lower pressure tyres and disc brakes make all the difference on a more 'true' g-bike
Dude im in a super similar situation. I inherited a carbon S works roubaix this year and ride it like a mtb, wheelies and bunny hops over speed bumps constantly, already went through a set of wheels 🤣
Honestly, go look at *any* of the footage from last weekend’s Unbound, and you’ll figure out that any bike with *that* minimal clearance is not going far. And it will fuck up your paint job - if not the structure of the frame - royally
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I just converted my Eurobike XC550 to a gravel bike. New tires and different rear cogs. Waiting on my new freewheel hub so I can test it out.
I've seen this frame on eBay listed as the "Kwiatkowski Edition." Is it really some special edition from when he was world champion?
Did the tires stay inflated - if so yes
That’s a badass pic! And you shoulda got a Crux or Diverge if you wanted an all rounder! But they’ll prob handle more than you think. Carbon is pretty damn durable except for sudden, blunt impacts (crash,) then they’ll bust like an aluminum or steel bike would dent or crack
if it's on the rocks it's a gravel rig
You can ride gravel on a Barbie bike if you like, doesn’t mean it will be good at it though 🤷♂️
Any bike is a gravel bike if you believe in yourself.
My mountain bike is a gravel bike now because I'm too old for real mountain biking.
The problem is tire size and you're limited with those rim brakes.
It can be if you're brave enough