Gravel Bike Riding (Part 2)

After last week’s post, we hope many of you have had your interest piqued about gravel riding. So this week, I asked a friend, Randall Jacobs, Founder of Thesis Bikes (the bikes that Gail and I ride), to answer some basic questions about gravel bikes. We hope that this will help you understand what gravel riding is, and how gravel bikes can help fuel your adventures. 

SR: What is a gravel bike?

Randall: The term “gravel bike” has been used to describe everything from road and cross bikes with a smidge more tire clearance, to de-facto drop-bar mountain bikes with huge tires or suspension. The former can feel light and spirited on non-technical terrain but struggle as soon as things get rough, while the latter can tackle rugged trails while loaded up with gear but feel heavy and sluggish even when outfitted with road wheels and tires. In the middle, I’d place the recent crop of long-reach, short-stem gravel bikes that have been stretched to accommodate higher-volume 700C dirt tires in a way that sacrifices the road-mode experience.

Fortunately, there are gravel bikes that excel across all of the aforementioned disciplines. I call these “onebikes” (yes, that means one bike to scratch virtually all of your biking itches; more room in your garage, more money in your wallet!), and you can identify them by looking for the following:

• A responsive endurance road geometry – Basically, more upright, less hunched, and more comfortable for long days in the saddle, while maintaining responsive handling. For the bike nerds out there, look for 415 – 420mm chainstays, 72 – 78mm of BB drop, a 72° – 72.5° head angle (sizes M-XL), a shorter reach/longer stem, and <62mm of trail when running 700C x 30mm road slicks.
• Clearance for 650B x 47mm tires – Bikes built around 650B for dirt instead of larger-radius 700×45+ are able to tackle equally technical terrain without compromising geometry for when road wheels/tires are swapped in.
• A round 27.2 seat tube – This allows the use of either a rigid post typical of road bikes, or a mountain bike style dropper post, the latter radically enhancing off-road confidence and control when dropped while maintaining an uncompromised, power-optimized position at full-extension.
• Wide-range gearing – I’m partial to one chain ring in the front with no front derailleur, commonly referred to as “1x”. This set-up is known for simplicity and reliability with the ability to achieve a huge gearing range. That said, today’s electronic 2x systems also work well if tighter jumps between gears are what you’re after. Either way, consider running a taller/tighter cassette on your road wheels and a lower/wider one on your dirt set.
• A compact, moderately-flared handlebar –  Proper fitting and a moderate amount of flare in the drops (the curved parts of the handlebar) help maintain on-road feel on the brake hoods while enhancing off-road control in the drops. 
• Reliable, high-performance components – Durable hubs, wide tubeless rims, threaded or thread-together bottom brackets, and hydraulic disc brakes can make a bigger difference than you might imagine. Carbon is nice-to-have but not-at-all critical if you’re on a budget.

SR: Why did the world need another bike manufacturer?

Randall:I don’t believe that the world needed another bike manufacturer at all. What I do believe is that the traditional model of often inadequately-trained salespeople selling generic-fit bikes off a showroom floor often results in a bike that doesn’t fit the rider’s body or needs. A bicycle is essentially a prosthesis, and as such, requires careful design, fit, and calibration to achieve the merger of human and machine that is the foundation of a joyful ride experience. 

I founded Thesis to  bring such customization within reach of more riders. This approach required a complete rethinking of bicycle industry supply-chain, distribution, and rider support models. On the logistical side, we work with the factories behind the big brands to directly source a tightly-managed assortment of high quality components. We work with them to modify these components to our standards, bring them all into our Taiwan facility for quality control, assembly, and fulfillment, and build-to-order before drop-shipping direct to the rider. On the experiential side, we offer free fit consults to help riders dial the optimal component sizing, gearing, wheel packages, and features for their needs. We also support local mechanics in delivering warranty service, and collaborate on The Gravel Ride Podcast and The Ridership Forum to help all riders, not just those who ride our bikes, connect with information, experiences, and each other.

SR: What should a new Thesis owner do after they receive and assemble their new bike, and why?

Randall: If you need help dialing your fit, I’d advise that you check out the Bike-Fit 101 episode we produced for The Gravel Ride Podcast and then work with a local professional fitter. For advice on gear, maintenance, routes, and events, or to find people to ride with, join the thriving community of riders-helping-riders in The Ridership Forum (and be sure to say hello). Otherwise, assuming you’ve built your new Thesis in accordance with our build guide, get out and explore the full range of adventures that your new machine unlocks and send us photos from the trail!

SR: Thanks Randall for your time and thoughtful insights. Gail and I can speak from experience: Our bikes from Thesis have changed the way we ride, and have helped facilitate the adventuring that you have read about in these pages. And on top of all that, they just plain work!

What Randall did not mention, among other things, is that because the bikes are sold direct to the rider, with no retailer in between, the prices are significantly lower than a comparably built big-name bike. In addition, Randall and his team are available for personal, one-on-one assistance in choosing the right bike, the right components and the right fit. 

Thesis, like so many companies since the onset of the pandemic, has experienced serious supply-chain challenges, but they now have bikes in stock. But don’t wait too long.  Randall’s best guess is these bikes will be gone before the Spring riding season.

We make no money from any sales. We just firmly believe in Thesis Bikes, and we want to share our experience. 

Keep moving, stay safe, have fun!