I started gravel grinding years before it became a thing in Switzerland. At the time gravel-specific bikes didn’t really exist so my first two gravel bikes were pure cyclo-cross bikes. I did a bunch of gravel riding for seven years and then moved on in 2018. I can still be found on gravel, but now it’s generally to get from one paved road to another, which are not otherwise connected. When I was gravel grinding, I always planned my rides to be on gravel all the time. Gravel rides did not cut into my road riding, but cut heavily into my mountain biking. The more I spent on gravel, the less I spent on trails. So, I currently no longer own such a bike, although I may get back to it in the future.
Back in 2011, I bought a Focus Mares CX2.0 cross bike to do gravel rides when I didn't feel like mountain biking. A few years later, in October 2014, I replaced it with a Focus Mares CX 0.0. I only kept that bike for a year and bought a second Volagi Viaje the following spring. This one was set up as a gravel bike with a 1x11 drivetrain. Loved it; the stealth black frame, the re-purposed Enve AM 29er/700C wheels, and mostly how the bike performed.
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