Why do you like gravel?

[harryS]

I used to consider groomed gravel as rideable, but this trail had been packed with snow a week prior, so it needed work in places. Rear wheel was skittering on the loose stones. Yikes, we drove thousand of miles and both of us crashed. No more gravel for us,

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Gravel riding is a fast-growing style of cycling that blends the long-distance flow of road riding with the off-road freedom of mountain biking. It takes place primarily on unpaved surfaces like dirt roads, fire roads, gravel tracks, bridleways, and canal towpaths.

True.

Looks like Im a gravel rider with the wrong handlebars

Nay, you are an e-MTBer You ride in rough terrain (rocks!) that decidedly requires the full suspension and fat tyres (like 2.6"). You climb a lot on "bridleways" that are rather technical singletracks. You gain a lot of elevation but the distances you ride are nothing compared to a typical gravel group ride. Your drivetrain is perfect for climbing but you are very slow on asphalt or gravel (on the flat or uphill) compared to what a gravel cyclist can achieve. I'm really impressed with your rides but they vary between Cross Country (XC) and Trail, both being flavours of mountain biking.

Once, I took an e-MTB similar to yours to a group coffee ride. The Giant was derestricted but I could not keep up with the gravel cyclists at all! The only time the Trance E+ really shone was a steep short climb on the sand (other riders simply carried their featherweight bikes uphill).

Flat bars are not uncommon in the gravel group I ride with. Several people ride their XC mtbs with flat bars. There are some flat bar gravel bikes, including a few Salsas that have been converted from drops. The Cannondale Tesoro is a popular gravel ebike in my area and that comes with flat bars. I don't think drops are at all a requirement for riding gravel.

I do completely agree. For instance, my brother rides a Marin DSX flat handlebar gravel bike. My friend Alfer achieves high positions in gravel races riding top-tier XC bikes. What's the catch then?
-- 'While I can outmanoeuvre and take over many competitors in rough terrain, I'm dropped on the asphalt' /Jacek/
-- 'I could take podiums were I riding a drop handlebar gravel bike. I'm always beaten by drop bar riders on asphalt but drop bar gravel bikes do not agree with my taste, so I ride XC bikes' /Alfer/

My brother Jacek. He usually comes in the first 1/3 of the result list (62 years of age).

Alfer (typically10th place on a gravel race)

It's necessary to mention there are gravel cycling events that mandate riding a drop handlebar bike.