What are the Benefits of a Drop Bar Mountain Bike in Gravel Racing?

Question

As a competitive gravel racer, what makes you opt for a drop bar mountain bicycle for a few races?

Answer 1

Some gravel races will give the mountain schema a drop bar since it is faster. The wider tires on a drop bar mountain bike, lower rolling resistance compared to traditional gravel tires, and its suspension provides better efficiency at rougher terrains. This configuration is considered optimal to bring any racer from the start up to the finish line as fast as possible.

Comments

For the young crowd that might not have been riding in the 80s and 90s , American John Tomac won world championships in both XC and Downhill and raced a drop bar mountain bike several times . He did win some UCI world cup races in both XC and Downhill using this setup !

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I raced Leadville in 2008 and came to the same conclusion. I even bought and build up a rigid, drop-bar MTB. Unfortunately starting a small business curtailed my endurance career, but the bike proved fast on some local 100-mile race courses, and was comfortable and capable on long gravel road rides.

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You're letting the secret out! SHHHhhhhhhhhh....I've been running a Salsa Fargo Ti with a Stepcast 34 fork for a few years and it's very fast.  I raced Lost and Found last year and changed my bike choice last minute from my Niner RLT w/ 45c Terra Speeds to Fargo with 100mm fork and dropper post on 2.2 Race Kings.  I ended up getting 1st in my age group after flatting and crashing.  The dropbar mountain bike was so much faster and comfortable.  I was the only one in the front group that was on a 'mountain bike'.  Out of 1,000 riders I pulled a top 10 downhill time with ease and had a great time on that descent.  Most other guys were cursing, walking, etc.

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Nice content. My hardtail (with 2.3 Ikons, flat handlebar, a 100mm fork and a seat dropper) is my gravel bike now. What I have noticed when riding doing "gravel" rides with my friends (on Lauf Siglas with 20mm of travel and 42 mm tires) is as follows:
- Single track or any semi-technical descents: I run away and hide
- non-technical gravel or flowy (flat) singletrack: relatively similar performance
- road: they run away and hide
Given all of this, I am with you...use a HT MTB. I haven't gone so far as to put a drop bar on, but for what you are doing and how you are competing, seems like the right call.

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Monstercross was the phrase we used in the 2010's. I have fond memories of my titanium MCX rig with 2.4" meats, a Lauf MTB fork, short stem, and drop bars. You could save 500g and likely some CdA if you went with an old Lauf, but might lose speed (and a really good sponsor) in technical corners.

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Raced gravel for years on a 2011 Cannondale Scalpel with aero bars.  About as light as a high end gravel bike.   2014 finished 23rd overall in the Dirty Kanza 200 running 1.9"
Schwalbe Thunder Burts.  Just purchased a 2024 Trek Super Caliber which will replace the Scalpel.  I'm all in on larger tires, and most importantly, suspension.

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There's a reason half the field of the tour divide is on Salsa Cutthroats, and everyone who tried to race it on a traditional gravel bike this year has horror stories about it.

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I am from the Netherlands and beach racing on dropbar mountain bikes has already been a thing for many years. I use my Beachracer, which dates from before the gravel bike hype, with light MTB tyres and wider gears for Gravel riding for years now and will not trade it for a gravel bike ever.