Just wondering about gravel racing in general. On a 90% road, 10% gravel course, how much of an advantage can you expect to have riding a dedicated gravel bike versus a dedicated road bike with some modifications for the 10% gravel portion of the race?
I debated all week whether or not I should put those wheels/tire combo on my Dengu R12 instead, since that's my backup crit bike and it has clearance for 32c tires.
In the end I chose this gravel setup for the following reasons:
-Comfort. While it is a sanctioned road race, I'm basically treating it as a fast group ride.
-Gearing. My Dengfu R12 is setup with 52/36t crank and 11-28t cassette. Not exactly great for climbing. The Yoeleo is 50/34t with 11-34t.
-Most people seem to be running either a gravel or CX frame, with anywhere between 28 to 35c tires.
-The race organizers just changed the route earlier today and I suspect there's now gonna be more than 10% gravel.
-It's supposed to rain tomorrow.
All in all...I'm just curious to see how this Yoeleo and Enve setup will perform on faster rides. Sure I'll be using it for longer gravel days in the summer, but those types of rides prioritize comfort over performance. It will be rare I get to full gas my gravel bike for 100km