Difference between adventure and touring cycling?

[Mr. Coffee]

Let me help you: It was the Americans And it is not an old invention, relatively. Salsa created the first gravel bike ever in 2012.

So what in heck was this dude doing?

These Australians from 1949 would also be very surprised by your characterization:

Gravel is as old as cycling!

When the project for a Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame was announced, there was immediately some pushback: Isn't 'gravel' too new to have a Hall of Fame? From the perspective of gravel racing, that makes sense. Many of the big names from the early days…

www.renehersecycles.com

 

[Stefan Mikes]

These Australians from 1949 would also be very surprised by your characterization:

They were not riding gravel bikes specifically designed for the purpose.

 

[peterh_nz]

They were not riding gravel bikes specifically designed for the purpose.

Didn't need them!

Following on from the above historical photographs of gravel riding: In 1909 my great uncle established a record riding a bicycle 397 km on shingle (gravel) roads between Christchurch and Dunedin in NZ. It took him 12 hours and 21minutes with an average speed of 32 km per hour!

Does his bike have "gravel" bike geometry and features? Are modern gravel bikes merely a reinvention?

 

[PDoz]

So what in heck was this dude doing?

Gravel is as old as cycling!

When the project for a Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame was announced, there was immediately some pushback: Isn't 'gravel' too new to have a Hall of Fame? From the perspective of gravel racing, that makes sense. Many of the big names from the early days…

www.renehersecycles.com

I'm not certain, but I think the DUDE was taking the photo of his female cycling companion?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Didn't need them

They didn't need e-bikes either...

I'm currently on an adventure ride

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Not specifically ebike related, but I would think maybe interesting to the gang on this thread. I’ve been on Crazy Guy for eight years at least, love the journals, and this one looks like a good one. I would think anyone might agree that the GDMRB qualifies as “adventure”:

EDIT: After reading the original journal a little further, I decided to replace it with an older one, but the one I feel is the all time classic for the route. You want adventure, here it is! As an aside, it was written by the father of Payson McElveen, pro gravel and mountain bike racer, and is one of the most popular ever on Crazy Guy.

Taking a Shot at the Divide, by Mike McElveen

Healed rider on a wounded trail.

www.crazyguyonabike.com

 

[Catalyzt]

Still don't see a consensus on what "adventure cycling" might mean, but it's certainly been an adventure keeping track of all the opinions.

Giant, Ride1Up, and other major ebike manufacturers hawk "adventure" bikes. To me, they look like hybrids — i.e., commuters with limited offroad capability, though not necessarily with the stock tires. Definitely not with the road-bike affinities I'm used to seeing in "gravel" bikes.

My conclusion: "Adventure" sounds great but means little when applied to specific bikes or ways to use a bike.

Subjectively, adventure is where you find it. For some, that's risking whole milk in your latte, venturing onto hard-pack for the first time, or exploring the loading dock side of the shopping center. For others, it's crossing fast water or riding in bear country days from help or even cell service.

Going forward, I'm going to let it go at that and ignore "adventure" as a bike or riding category.

Yeah, this, for the most part. I would avoid the term, or if I used it about rides of my own only if asked about a particular ride, and would qualify it, e.g., 'what sometimes is called Adventure Cycling.' I don't consider it a thing, though perhaps it's vaguely thingish.

I do remember that before 'mountain bikes' were even a concept, we road 'racing' and 'touring' bikes on dirt and gravel railroad right-of-ways, though we called that touring, because they were established routes for bicycles. We argued about the distinction between 'racing' and 'touring' bikes, and what the difference was.

The difference, we decided? About four pounds and Reynolds 531. So not a lot.

Just for the hell of it, earlier this summer I rode my old Raleigh off road during my last visit to New York, onto grass, gravel, and dirt, I did not die, and I was surprised at how natural it seemed, and I have ridden it on trails (half a century ago.) I didn't bounce over any big roots or anything, but it was surprisingly stable. I remember thinking that 'mountain bikes' were a bit silly even as an idea.

 

[mschwett]

They were not riding gravel bikes specifically designed for the purpose.

but they were, in practice! they rode bikes with wider tire clearance, bigger tires with knobbier tread at lower pressure, their bikes had different riding positions for the task, lower gearing, and lots of attachment points for gear/supplies. some even had fenders!

prior to road bikes becoming so specialized, most serious bikes were closer to gravel bikes than anything else!

 

[peterh_nz]

prior to road bikes becoming so specialized, most serious bikes were closer to gravel bikes than anything else!

I agree.

I would guess that road bikes, according to their current label, only evolved once the roads became sealed (concrete, bitumen etc) and smooth. Narrower, higher pressure tyres, modern geometries, etc only became feasible and yielded speed and stability advantages for "road" bikes after that.

Prior to that, in my grandfather's generation (100 plus years ago) all the bikes they raced or used as transport on the roads were, by necessity, "gravel" bikes.

 

[PedalUma]

In the 1890's most roads were not paved in North America and people used bikes mostly for transportation. Cars were very rare. During WWI bikes were essential. They had to be strong and tough in those 'adventures'.

8 Ways Bicycles Helped Win World War I

This Memorial Day, we look back at how bikes helped move troops quickly and efficiently in the Great War.

www.bicycling.com

 

[mschwett]

I agree.

I would guess that road bikes, according to their current label, only evolved once the roads became sealed (concrete, bitumen etc) and smooth. Narrower, higher pressure tyres, modern geometries, etc only became feasible and yielded speed and stability advantages for "road" bikes after that.

Prior to that, in my grandfather's generation (100 plus years ago) all the bikes they raced or used as transport on the roads were, by necessity, "gravel" bikes.

yep, and they're really pretty evolved for strong riders to go fast. thankfully things have started drifting back towards sanity, with a lot of newer bikes increasing tire clearing and compliance and offering wider gearing ranges. the difference between a specialized aethos (road bike) and a specialized crux (gravel/cross bike) is frankly not all that much, and they have more in common than either would to a hardcore road bike of 10-20 years ago.

a nice article on the topic :

Stop Calling Race Bikes Road Bikes

Bikes purpose-built for use in competitions aren't great everyday bikes.

www.bicycling.com

 

[PedalUma]

Akin to race cars, race bikes are twitchy, hard, and uncomfortable. You would not take a race car to go to a café or grocery store around town. I would laugh at people in super cars stuck bumper-to-bumper on the 405 by LAX. Sure it has status, but only to people I would not care to impress. Give me a town bike with gravel tires, and a rack with panniers.

 

[LBP]

@Stefan Mikes , for the record, the population of Canada as at April 1, 2023 is 39.9M so you’re off about 13.9M

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Stefan Mikes , for the record, the population of Canada as at April 1, 2023 is 39.9M so you’re off about 13.9M

Try harder Although I think the population of my country has rapidly increased because of the influx of our Ukrainian neighbours...

This thread seems to have evolved into a quite interesting discussion. However, the title has been "Difference between adventure and touring cycling?". The answer is: "The adventure cycling is the synonym of so-called gravel cycling". Anybody disagrees?

 

[PedalUma]

Yes, 'Adventure' is rough gravel, plus smooth tarmac, and can carry stuff up and down mountains.

 

[LBP]

Merely point out a statistical discrepancy in your comment, nothing more.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Yes, 'Adventure' is rough gravel, plus smooth tarmac, and can carry stuff up and down mountains.

You just reinvented a touring bike.

 

[peterh_nz]

The adventure cycling is the synonym of so-called gravel cycling". Anybody disagrees?

I think it would be ridiculous to confine the description "adventure cycling" to gravel bikes.

One can have adventures (an exciting, ususal or remarkable experience) on any type of bike!

In my opinion, the recent Three Peaks Race from Vienna to Barcelona (I linked it above) was very much "adventure cycling". Apart from the mandatory crossing of three mountain passes the route choice was up to each competitor.

 

[PDoz]

Anybody disagrees?

Does anyone actually agree with stefan?

I thought we had reached a consensus:

Adventurous countries alike canada / Aus define adventure cycling as multi day self sufficient travel where s*it happens

US , well, they either consider a shopping centre adventurous or posting photos of their female partners

Poland , adventure was lost in translation but seems to be a single day of following the leader in a loop?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Does anyone actually agree with stefan?

I thought we had reached a consensus:

Adventurous countries alike canada / Aus define adventure cycling as multi day self sufficient travel where s*it happens

US , well, they either consider a shopping centre adventurous or posting photos of their female partners

Poland , adventure was lost in translation but seems to be a single day of following the leader in a loop?

PDoz you may quarrel as much as you want but the "adventure bike" is synonymous with the "gravel bike". It is the definition coined by the industry and media. And no, it is not for Poland only. You simply know nothing about modern gravel cycling, as it is relatively a new fashion with new rules (I remind you I have completed a gravel ultramarathon when you were bringing your e-MTB to the trail with your car). I'm surprised the UCI has not laid their dirty hands on the sport yet, and all gravel cycling events are organized by enthusiasts.

There are so many new things in this world. Like craft beer, for one. You can quaff your lager and argue nobody needed craft beer 50 years ago but many hop-heads would laugh at you (craft beer is yet another great American invention adopted worldwide since early 1980s).

Poles are just good at adopting new trends. It is a famous early 19th c sentence of our great poet Adam Mickiewicz:
"Paris is famous of frequent changes in fashion
And what a French invents, a Pole will like".
Just substitute it with Seattle and American