Gravel Bike Market Segmentation..

[scott43]

Something to think about..
https://www.velonews.com/2019/04/fr...-segmentation-comes-to-gravel-bicycles_493080

 

[cantunamunch]

I don't really see that as segmentation. This is going to sound cutesy, but I call it reversion-to-type from pre-gravel-hype.

Thus:

Touring bike customer ->add "gravel" -> bikepacking bike customer.

Endurance road customer -> add "gravel" -> All road bike customer.

 

[zircon]

Funny. Last year my LBS tried to sell me a Specialized Diverge as the only bike you'll ever need again. Claiming gravel bikes were invented to solve the N+1 problem. Cynical me is reading that article and thinking they all sold so many bikes as the "perfect all-rounder" that they're now hurting for sales and need to diversify the lineup again, to you know, keep selling bikes. For me, you'll pry my Crux out of my cold dead hands. Wish the broadening range of gravel options wasn't crowding the purpose-built cyclocross racers out of the market.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

It's interesting too to look at gravel tires. That pretty much sums up your market segregation right there. Some of them I'm like why not just get a mountain bike?

 

[EricG]

Depending where you live a gravel bike can be a great primary road option. Around me the roads are dirt unless your on a main route. I don’t generally ride the main routes where the speed limit is 55mph, I prefer less traveled roads. Now when I lived in Denver with the great canyons & bike paths a traditional road bike would be more appropriate.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Not to mention a lot of the paved roads are literally rougher than the dirt roads!

 

[Ross Biff]

It's interesting too to look at gravel tires. That pretty much sums up your market segregation right there. Some of them I'm like why not just get a mountain bike?

I must admit to being tempted to fill a " gap" in my quiver by adding a 650b gravel bike with wider tyres than my current 700 by 40 Merida for the times when the dirt roads haven't seen a grader for a while but then I usually ride my xc duallie. If the dirt is buff I like my Stevens Prestige CX bike which is the fastest option....first-world problem I know! Strangely enough, I have no desire for a fully rigid MTB!

 

[Wilhelmson]

Like skis but more expensive.

 

[Tom K.]

I love my gravel bike (Checkpoint), and with a set of 28c slicks and fast wheels, I'm not sure why I need any other "road" bike of any kind.

But on the rougher gravel roads in my backyard, my hardtail mtb (Procaliber) is SO much faster and funner!

 

[scott43]

I love my gravel bike (Checkpoint), and with a set of 28c slicks and fast wheels, I'm not sure why I need any other "road" bike of any kind.

But on the rougher gravel roads in my backyard, my hardtail mtb (Procaliber) is SO much faster and funner!

Sacrilege! You must use a gravel bike on gravel!! And if it changes to pavement or single track, you much change bikes.. Noob...

 

[EricG]

I prefer to just roll on 40’s be it dirt or pavement. I’m going no where that fast nor that important.

 

[Tom K.]

I prefer to just roll on 40’s be it dirt or pavement. I’m going no where that fast nor that important.

Same!

Except.......when the rest of the group is on 28c slicks, and are 15 or more years younger than me!!!

 

[robertmoore]

It seem cycling has become increasingly segmented. But it's not. Bicycle production companies are trying to bring in new bikes in a growing order. But in fact there are very few differences inside many types of bicycles. Gravel Bicycle has many similarities with other bikes: like: cyclocross bike, even with road, hybrid and mountain bike.

People are taking segmented positively. So, bicycle production companies doing their business.
I am a really big fan of a gravel bike. You can ask me why? I like the design and strangeness of this type of bike.