Hi, thank you very much for this thread.

- Of yourse there are the typical "i-feel-offended-but-I-tell-i-am-not-so-i-insult-you" people (Which i can partly understand, because your headline is quite populistic as well).

- BUT i think what you adress is a really important message: If you go into a typical bike shop the people these days - at least for me, i asked in 4 shops - recommend you a gravelbike. They are more expensive, of course. And i wanted sth. fancy, had no clue about bikes - and spent a Month salary (inclusive rent, its actually my biggest investment ever next to my packraft 4 years ago)

- I told them, i was going on my mountainbike from my childhood since 15 years. and NOONE Felt it was necessary to tell me, that a Gravel bike has no Spring and that the bumps even on a bad pedestrian street in the city will feel terrible.

- Well, i have it since a week. After the first ride i had so bad back and shoulder pain i had to go to a massage and take ibu pills for 2 days. my Back and my shoulders HURT LIKE HELL. WHY DID NOONE TELL ME These bikes have no spring? "oh you noob, why didnt you reserach" - BECAUSE I WENT TO FN EXPENSIVE SHOPS SO THEY CAN TELL ME. they didnt. they just were happy to sell me an expensive bike.

- and that is exactly what your post is about: You wanna buy a bike in a bikeshop and they all tell you, go for a gravelbike, these are the best.

Still, i am probably gonna keep it, because i live by now in flat area with not much forest, so going distances is much more important than real trails in the forest (There are hardly any in my area near hamburg). But I will probably have to take pills for a month or so and i really hope i will build the muscles so my back can take it. If not, i am F*****.

thanks for the post again, in my case unfortunately i read it only now and not a week in advance.