Morphing my MK2 Nomad into a ‘Gravel Bike’

[in4]

Whilst reading that a Club Tour could be a gravel bike (with a few changes)  Given I could take my racks and guards off and fit some wider tyres I don’t think I’d be too far off having a gravel bike, albeit a heavier one than usual. Am I wrong?
TIA

[mickeg]

I do not think there is a good definition of a gravel bike, but as a group from what I have seen they generally have a tire size up to about 45mm, shorter chainstays than a touring bike, typically a 1X drivetrain, drop bars which may or may not have the drops wider than the tops of the bars, and an endurance posture for the rider.  I do not think I have seen any that were 650b, all the bikes I can think of that I have seen labeled as a gravel bike are 700c.

Or to summarize, generically I think of a gravel bike as a road bike with wider tires, a 1X drive train, and a more comfortable posture for longer rides.

First photo.  I think my titanium touring bike would be close to a gravel bike, except the chainstays are too long and the drive train is a 3X.  I have 37mm tires and 45mm wide fenders fitted to it that would have to come off if I wanted to call it a gravel bike.  And of course the racks would have to come off it.  Photo is from my bike tour this past June.

Second photo.  My Nomad Mk II has the right handlebars for a gravel bike, but the bike is not as close to a gravel bike as my titanium bike.  Photo is during winter a few years ago.  At the time of the photo I had 50mm wide Marathon Winter tires fitted, but I usually have 57mm wide tire on it.  I should note here that since the Nomad Mk II was sold as a flat bar bike and I have drop bars on mine, mine is a 590M size since the Nomad Mk II was not available in the S frame sizes.  I built mine up from the frame, not purchased as a complete bike.  That is the size I needed to get the correct reach for my body size, thus the really tall seatpost.

[PH]

Put the labels to one side, they're useful to know where to advertise a bike in the showroom or on a website.  Sometimes useful if the bike is specific enough for a defined discipline ("gravel" has become far too vague).  But for someone with a decent idea what they want to do on their bike, the labels serve little purpose.
Many riders drawn to the gravel label are looking for something that can be used off road without losing too much of the road bike feel, with fast handling and an engaging ride.  Considering how rough some of the best on-road cycle routes are, such bikes are a good choice for a lot of riders.  Your Nomad is not going to be that bike, neither would the Club Tour IMO, though it gets closer.  So what is it you're looking for?  Sure, it wouldn't take much to make the Nomad capable of going anywhere, if that's how you define a gravel bike, you're almost there.  However it's the wrong geometry and construction to throw about and accelerate fast. It's never going to be a very engaging ride on smooth stuff, on or off road.  You could improve that, though I'm doubtful it'd be enough to make a significant difference.  Or, you could accept it's limitations and enjoy it's attributes.
For myself, if I wanted to do the routes becoming increasingly popular to those with gravel bikes, I'd probably use my Nomad (Mk3 650B).  But if that became one of my main interests, I wouldn't rule out a more appropriate bike.

[Andyb1]

Sorry in4, but unless it has multiple bosses on the forks it can not be a gravel bike….🙁…..but why not make the changes you suggest (which are cheap and easily reverseable), ride it for a bit and see if it does what you want.   Don’t worry about what it is called.

[Andre Jute]

Does seem a bit like you want to turn a transcontinental heavy hauler into a short-run rough road speedster.

I'm as confused as Paul about what distinguishes a "gravel" bike from other bikes -- and suspect it is now more of a marketing term, like "29er" soon became a marketing term when OEMs refused to make or fit the genuinely wide rims which are actually required for a gennie 29er to meet its definition as a balloon bike..

But, if the descriptions of a gravel bike offered here are even approximately right, if I wanted a gravel bike I would start with a cheap but strong Surly Karate Monkey frame which has a short, nippy wheelbase, and endlessly versatile socketry and dropouts, which will also help turning it into a more civilized bike when you get fed up with having a market garden up your nose at the end of every days' ride.

And I'd be remembering that a Rohloff installation is definitionally a singlespeeder, just one chainring and one sprocket...

Good luck, whatever you decide.

[brummie]

Whilst reading that a Club Tour could be a gravel bike (with a few changes)  Given I could take my racks and guards off and fit some wider tyres I don’t think I’d be too far off having a gravel bike, albeit a heavier one than usual. Am I wrong?
TIA

.

One could make the point Thorn were making and selling "Gravel' bikes with the early Nomad & XTC models 20 years ago : Wide tyres and gears, mounting points for luggage etc. Your Nomad will be heavier than the current market(ing) offerings, but does this really matter? Just pedal off and go wherever you fancy on whichever roads / tracks and byways take your fancy.

[francy661]

That would sound as if you are heading in the right direction! I’d agree that wider tires and eliminating the racks and guards would certainly turn into more of a gravel bike for sure. That might well add to a little extra of weight but should not pose a major problem while used for gravel rides. But if you’re gonna get wider tires, then make sure the frame and clearance are good for it.