[Zest28]

A longer wheel basis and a bit more slack would definetly be more helpful when going down the trails.

And since these bikes are not used for cyclocross races, you do not need the nimbleness and sharp corning capabilities?

So why are gravel bikes setup like race bikes?

 

[Le Duke]

A longer wheel basis and a bit more slack would definetly be more helpful when going down the trails.

And since these bikes are not used for cyclocross races, you do not need the nimbleness and sharp corning capabilities?

So why are gravel bikes setup like race bikes?

They aren't very similar to CX bikes in many cases, though.

And gravel bikes can be/are race bikes. And many of those bikes are used in groups, sometimes quite large ones.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[HTupolev]

A longer wheel basis and a bit more slack would definetly be more helpful when going down the trails.

Some gravel bikes are quite long and slack. Of those that aren't, the intention is more "allroad" than "not quite MTB". A fat-tired road bike does tend to feel skittish on steep rutted rocky double-track forest roads compared with a full-suspension mountain bike, but rarely to a point of hopelessness. And such a bike can still exhibit spicy attitude on paved roads.

And keeping the rear-center short definitely has its benefits. It helps keep the rear wheel planted on steep loose ascents. It also puts more of the CG on the rear wheel on descents, which can be nice when you're running a road fit and are struggling to keep weight back while descending in the hooks.

 

[Volsung]

You also have to go up hills. They're more slack and longer than road or cx, but they're not downhill bikes.

 

[ljsmith]

Just buy a drop bar mountain bike if you want long low and slack.

 

[93EXCivic]

I don't know what a short wheel basis is.

 

[TTUB]

One of the reasons I like t come here to the Gravel Bike area is to escape the "Fatter, Slacker, Dropper is better" mentality that permeates the rest of the site.

I love gravel bikes because it brings that fast, light, quick, responsive road feel to the dirt.

"A longer wheel basis and a bit more slack would definetly be more helpful when going down the trails."

Yeah, that might be the case, but IMO the trade-off is that it would make the bike suck in at-least 3 other areas.

 

[twodownzero]

Because gravel bikes are allroad bikes, not XC mountain bikes. It sounds like whatever trail you're riding on is not ideal for a gravel bike and that's why you're experiencing what you're experiencing. Although my "gravel" bike is actually a touring bike doing dual duty, ideally I'd prefer a gravel bike that had road endurance geometry with maximum tire clearance (for 2" tires ideally). That means the shortest possible chainstays, preferably even shorter than my 27.5 mountain bike.