Conspiracy theory: Gravel bikes were invented to convert roadies into mountain bikers

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I’m not one to dabble in conspiracy theories, and as much as riders like to think the rich and powerful bike industry is out to get them, I don’t believe that’s true. That goes for the part about the industry being out to get us, and also about them being rich and powerful, for that matter.

This week, my eyes were finally opened to a grand conspiracy within the bike industry that’s apparently been brewing for quite some time now: the industry is working to convert road bikers into mountain bikers. Sure, you could argue that’s been happening ever since the first production mountain bike was put up for sale, but this is different.

When gravel bikes rolled onto the scene in the early 2010s, the idea was simple: give road riders something that’s better suited to riding unpaved, gravel roads. The bikes looked like road bikes, with rigid forks and curly bars, but slightly wider, knobbier tires that wouldn’t slip — or worse, explode — at the sight of a jagged pebble.

Like a frog in a pot that’s slowly heated to boiling, tires started getting wider and knobbier. Then came suspension, a little bit at first and only in the front, until eventually, many gravel bikers were saying, “Yeah, rear suspension could smooth things out even more.” Now, it’s only a matter of time until a critical mass of these fresh dirt disciples discover what a game-changer dropper posts are.

Of course, as mountain bikers, we knew all of this was coming. No one needs a special bike for riding on gravel — “Just ride a mountain bike!” we cried. After all, we’ve been slogging up fire roads literally since the beginning, mixing surfaces and having the times of our lives in the woods, far away from the din and danger of traffic.

I get that the goal of any industry is to sell products and to make money. The bike industry has done its job over the years by introducing new categories, and cyclists have responded dutifully by filling up their quivers with arrows they didn’t even know they needed.

This time, however, the industry may be shooting itself in the foot. What happens when riders come to the conclusion that the mountain bike — be it with drop bars or flat, suspended or rigid — really is the one true bike, and always has been?

I said goodbye to my road bike many years ago, and though I do own a gravel bike, it’s likely the next one to go. Late last year, I had dreams of adding drop bars to my hardtail, but now I’m not so sure. Maybe all I need is a regular mountain bike after all.