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190 Posts
I have always said... todays gravel bike is a front fork and drop bar away from a mountain bike from 10 years ago. (Wider tires, wider bars, slacker, suspension). I swear to god that in a few more years a gravel bike will be an xc bike... just rebranded as “the new cool.”
So... i have a 2016 scott spark 700 (so ”old news” in the mtb world) and i am seriously thinking about putting force 1 and drop bars on it with a 38t chainring (10-42 in back, to beat the range on my apex 11-42 x 40 cx bike).
I did some reading, and it would seem that many that have never tried it... think the geometry would be terrible. Many that did it seem happy... but it was mostly with 10 year old mountain bikes. A shorter stem was advised.
Comparing my 2018 giant tcx advanced sx to my 2016 scott spark 700 (both size small), it would appear they are quite similar...
- seat tube angles are within 0.5 degrees (about identical as my spark is lower in the front vs stock).
- Reach is about 25mm longer on the spark (made near the same by my zero offset post currently on the spark vs the oem -15, and with a 90mm stem i can easily shorten that also.).
- Stack height is 30mm higher on the spark, but the front was dropped 20mm (shorter fork) and i have another 10mm spacer that i can remove.
- head tube angle is about 69 on the spark (Closer to 70-71 due to the short front fork), and 71, on the tcx.
- chainstay length 430mm vs 433.
- 27.5x2.1 will be close to 700cx40 in diameter (i currently have 27.5x2.1 on the Tcx).
- the spark has twinlock... allowing full suspension lockout, full open, or something in between. So aero aside, no efficiency loss on the flats... and i can CRUSH the rough stuff.
Am i missing anything, aside from maybe fork offset? Will the bike explode upon first riding it due to sins of geometry and bike purity? Will i rip gravel and become a singletrack xc hero?!?
And why am I doing this you ask? Partly for shits and giggles. Partly because i figure i will sell the tcx, and the spark is retiring from single track services. Partly because with the same 27.5 tires, the spark will only end up about 1lbs heavier than the txc (20lbs baby!!!), yet be silly comfortable on rough stuff. Partly to shock and awe those in the wild west of gravel biking... and piss off purists in both mtb and cx/gravel camps.
I might first swap my apex 1 over to the spark and see how it feels before i commit to force 1.
So... i have a 2016 scott spark 700 (so ”old news” in the mtb world) and i am seriously thinking about putting force 1 and drop bars on it with a 38t chainring (10-42 in back, to beat the range on my apex 11-42 x 40 cx bike).
I did some reading, and it would seem that many that have never tried it... think the geometry would be terrible. Many that did it seem happy... but it was mostly with 10 year old mountain bikes. A shorter stem was advised.
Comparing my 2018 giant tcx advanced sx to my 2016 scott spark 700 (both size small), it would appear they are quite similar...
- seat tube angles are within 0.5 degrees (about identical as my spark is lower in the front vs stock).
- Reach is about 25mm longer on the spark (made near the same by my zero offset post currently on the spark vs the oem -15, and with a 90mm stem i can easily shorten that also.).
- Stack height is 30mm higher on the spark, but the front was dropped 20mm (shorter fork) and i have another 10mm spacer that i can remove.
- head tube angle is about 69 on the spark (Closer to 70-71 due to the short front fork), and 71, on the tcx.
- chainstay length 430mm vs 433.
- 27.5x2.1 will be close to 700cx40 in diameter (i currently have 27.5x2.1 on the Tcx).
- the spark has twinlock... allowing full suspension lockout, full open, or something in between. So aero aside, no efficiency loss on the flats... and i can CRUSH the rough stuff.
Am i missing anything, aside from maybe fork offset? Will the bike explode upon first riding it due to sins of geometry and bike purity? Will i rip gravel and become a singletrack xc hero?!?
And why am I doing this you ask? Partly for shits and giggles. Partly because i figure i will sell the tcx, and the spark is retiring from single track services. Partly because with the same 27.5 tires, the spark will only end up about 1lbs heavier than the txc (20lbs baby!!!), yet be silly comfortable on rough stuff. Partly to shock and awe those in the wild west of gravel biking... and piss off purists in both mtb and cx/gravel camps.
I might first swap my apex 1 over to the spark and see how it feels before i commit to force 1.
