>>1702925Since I now own an absolute overpriced meme of a bike, that I love riding, let me explain the drop-bar phenomenon. A gravel bike is essentially an expensive replacement for the old-school rigid MTB. People want those, because for years they have been shilled into buying heavy and slow bike with a suspension fork that is overkill for everyday use. That use is riding on garbage paved and dirt or wood roads. A cross bike won't do, because they are mostly garbage aimed at dads who want to go on family excursions and also look ugly for the most part. Most of them have suspension forks too. In my experience a rigid bike is more responsive and you feel overall more in control. I can't really explain it but it's just more fun to ride, unless you need the suspension and you mostly don't. Why not an old-ass MTB? They're kinda slow, small wheels make them a chore to ride on paved for longer trips and they don't have drop bars.
It's important to say that gravel drops aren't the same as road drops, they are more shallow and wider for a reason. The benefits are the ability to change hand positions and you use those drops to get more control, if needed and not aero. For me this is a godsend, since longer rides on an old MTB usually cause overall excruciating pains that start with my wrists.
The real mess on the market with gravel bikes and why they're such meme is cause manufacturers, can't fucking make up their mind what the bike is for. There's specialized gravel bikes, there's bikes marketed as "universal" cause you can just buy a set of wheels with thin tires and it's a road bike now. It's utter bullshit and they start to realize it slowly, as more gravel bikes are actually branded as rigid, drop-bar MTBs. I think that if only the youtube shills would shut up, the manufacturers would probably quickly realize what the actual appeal is, and we'd get actually well designed bikes for a lower price.
