Additional to yesterday’s publish about Peak Gravel, having lived via Peak Fixie–which, in case you’re fortunate sufficient to have missed it, appeared like this…:
[Unlike the frog in the boiling water, I can assure you that everybody knew how ridiculous this was even as it was happening.]
…I can inform you that one of many surest indicators we had been attending to Peak Fixie was when the so-called “fixie conversion” began appearing in all places you appeared:
The recipe was easy: take a body, ideally a pleasant previous highway bike with horizontal dropouts (or, you realize, a Softride), after which destroy it* by sticking a monitor wheel within the again and a Trispoke, Spinergy Rev-X, or Aerospoke within the entrance.
*[Converting a Softride into a fixie does not destroy it, as you cannot destroy that which is already destroyed.]
After all Sheldon Brown had been a proponent of fixed-gear conversions lengthy earlier than it was cool:
And naturally a fixed-gear or singlespeed conversion is a superbly good use for an previous body. Like most tendencies, it began innocently sufficient–monitor bikes had been costly, however somebody focused on exploring fixed-gear using might flip an previous 10-speed right into a fixie for concerning the value of a rear wheel and a cog. Nevertheless, by the point I began this weblog in 2007, fixed-gear conversions had develop into a illness, with deranged folks in all places defiling completely good Colnagos in what was maybe the darkest interval biking has ever seen:
Immediately, the equal of the fixed-gear conversion is the gravel conversion, and it’s a time period so oft-G**gled that there are video tutorials and search engine-optimized, AI-generated articles about it in all places you look:
Simply because the fixie or singlespeed conversion was a superbly affordable factor to do in loads of instances, so too is a gravel conversion, since changing the tires and including wider bars with extra hand positions to an previous mountain bike can tremendously enhance its rideability. On the similar time, it will possibly additionally go too far–or, within the case of the lazy gravel conversion, not far sufficient–and it’s when this occurs that you realize you’re getting near Peak Gravel. And till each time the following Ultraromance journey is, the perfect place to evaluate the present state of gravel bike conversions is the place the rubber hits the highway the supple tire hits the gravel, and that’s Craigslist. So let’s have a look, and price them in keeping with the Bike Snob NYC Gravel Market Index:
Let’s begin with New York. There are few if any gravel conversions listed inside the metropolis limits, which both means we’re not at Peak Gravel but, or we’re manner past Peak Gravel. In any case, a lot of the conversions present up beneath the “extra from close by areas” heading. First, we’ve got this:
Delusional pricing is the surest signal of Peak [Insert Trend Here], although on this case the worth is pretty affordable, a minimum of by Craigslist requirements. At this similar time, this can be a pretty lazy conversion, because the curator hasn’t modified the tires for tanwalls, and even eliminated the reflectors, a lot much less fitted it with 650b wheels. A hastily-assembled flip like that is typically an indication of an overheated market, so I’d put that at a few 75 on the BSNYCGMI scale.
Then there’s this:
Some precise effort went into this one, each in sourcing an older body with some type, and in making an attempt to implement a coherent aesthetic theme. The pricing is a bit bold since all the cash clearly went into that Brooks, and using each a threaded-to-threadless adapter and the cloying time period “retromod” detract from what’s in any other case a good bicycle. I’d put this one no larger than 70, although to date it’s undoubtedly a front-runner for a JBAR Award.
*[The Just Buy A Rivendell Award is given to any rider who should just buy a Rivendell already.]
Searching for one thing extra upscale? Right here you go:
“Covid mission?” Crust fork? This has “bubble” written throughout it. Additionally, there’s completely nothing “gravel” about these handlebars, and general this feels extra like a basket bike that wants a basket. (We’re in all probability at or near Peak Basket Bike too, however that’s past the purview of this explicit market evaluation.) Worth is excessive, although maybe warranted for the title recognition issue. That is an 88 on the size.
Subsequent up is one thing from Trek:
This isn’t a “restomod,” this can be a refurbished bicycle. Additionally, the outline says “you possibly can entertain gravel and tremendous large tires sooner or later,” which is actually true, so long as you don’t use this bicycle. Rampant hypothesis and flagrant use of buzzwords for a decidedly non-gravelly bicycle. 98 on the size.
Issues are rather a lot higher within the Bay Space, a minimum of if this is any indication:
It’s an previous Jamis with drop bars. It’s low cost. No annoying buzzwords. The bar tape picks up the yellow accents on the body. This bike is…a superb worth?!? 40 on the size!
However then…
Not solely does the advert point out each Rivendell and Crust and make liberal use of buzzwords, however the vendor can be asking $750 for an previous hybrid, which is certainly a hefty price ticket. And in contrast to the endearing Jamis with the yellow bar tape, these bars aren’t taped in any respect:
Sure, the vendor says he’ll tape the bars earlier than buy, however too little too late. That is a minimum of a 90.
And at last, to Portland.
Again after I began this weblog, Portland was a bellwether for all issues biking, so I figured I’d see what the gravel conversion scenario was on the market–however as an alternative of gravel conversions I discovered folks promoting all their bikes:
I assume it’s over for Portland–and never only for gravel, however for bikes. And that’s not a superb signal. 100 on the size.
Taking all these in combination yeilds a nationwide BSNYCGMI of 80.1428571429.
Get out whilst you can, and go lengthy on late ’90s/early ’00s highway bikes.
