Eight-ish bikes from Fernie Gravel Grind

Back before every brand had a dedicated gravel bike, before gravel was its own, distinct category of bike, people still rode gravel—just on whatever the heck they wanted. As committed gear nerds, adapting a bike built for one purpose to a somewhat different purpose really was part of the attraction of gravel. That, and getting away from cars.

No conversion was never quite perfect, but it sure was fun finding different ways to make the bike work for how you were riding. That “anything goes” spirit was on full display at Fernie Gravel Grind this year. Which makes sense, seeing as FGG is part of the “Anything Goes with Gravel” event series.

From old-school mtb conversions to pre-gravel bikes gravel bikes to modern carbon fibre race rigs, 650 and 700c, drop bars and flat bars, rigid and suspension, here are eight-ish bikes that caught our eye from the 2023 Fernie Gravel Grind.

Mathieu Bélanger-Barrette’s Cervélo Áspero

The fastest bike at the Fernie Gravel Grind, Belanger Barrette’s Cervélo Áspero was also one of the few running two derailleurs. A mix of 11-speed GRX Di2 and Ultegra Di2 proved to be the winning combo with range to get up the extended climbs and close steps to always be in the perfect gear for the slight changes in gradient on the long, rolling road back towards town. Pirelli Cinturato RC-X 35mm tan wall tires rolled on Reserve carbon fibre wheels for a mix of rolling speed and traction.

Jason Shriner’s classic Kona Kula Primo

Living the “Gravel is just 90s mountain biking” dream, in the best way possible, this Kona Kula Primo is well into its third decade of service. With the suspension fork and flat bars swapped out for a rigid fork and drop bars the Kona was ready for a different side of Fernie than its singletrack origins. Shriner has just enough room to squeeze in 27.5×1.90″ Panaracer Gravel King SK+ tan wall tires on Stan’s Crest ZTR MK3 rims, giving the Kona a bit more rolling speed than the original 26″ hoops. Front derailleur housing stops sat empty as a SRAM Rival/Apex 1 mix gives 11-42-tooth range across 11 gears.

Roland Milligan’s Surly Karate Monkey

This unique Surly rolled through the Short Haul course in Fernie. With a Brooks leather saddle and RockShox Recon fork, it is anything and everything gravel wants to be. Avid mechanical brakes keep the Karate Monkey in check while Shimano SLX 2x mountain bike drivetrain gives it 2×10 range. WTB Riddler 700×45 gum wall tires roll on Mavic A719 rims. Shimano SLX mob-style shifters sit on a Jones-style double-loop moustache bar with a bag tucked into the open space. And are those the iconic and elusive Shimano DX pedals?

Aron Adrian’s Marin Nicasio

All the way from Medicine Hat, Aron’s Marin Nicasio is a solid steel frame, with a sizeable Blackburn frame bag, that is capable of looping trails in with gravel and pavement and occasional bike packing. 650b wheels are a mix of Light Bicycles carbon rims and Maxxis Rambler 650x47b tires. A dropper post helps keep singletrack sporty while SRAM Rival mechanical shifts reliably.

Ryan Johnson’s Trek Checkpoint

At the more modern end of the FGG spectrum, this Trek Checkpoint uses the IsoFlex seat post to add some comfort to the stiff carbon fibre frame. Terravail Cannonball 700-47c tires roll on Bontrager Paradigm Comp 25 wheels while SRAM Rival AXS wireless drivetrain mixes with a Wolf Tooth 38t chainring. A frame bag from Bontrager keeps extras, tools and snacks close at hand.

Markle Verhagen and Mabel Bin’s matching Cervélo Áspero

There were plenty of Cervélo’s new gravel bike roaming around the rockies. Markle and Mabel rolled in from Calgary on similar, but different bikes. One with Reserve carbon fibre wheels, SRAM AXS wireless shifting and Panaracer Gravel King SK tires (700×38). The other on Panaracer’s SK sport wrapped around Alex rims and SRAM Apex 1x drivetrain. Both were also staying hydrated with Bivio alloy, re-usable water bottles.

Rob Veg’s Fairdale Weekender

Fairdale is a brand founded by ex-BMX champ Taj Mihelich with Odyssey BMX. The Weekender Archer is a steel frame made for lite-touring or commuting. So it’s basically a do-anything bike. Veg’s running a mixed SRAM Apex and GX 11-speed drivetrain with a Shimano 11-42-tooth cassette. Terravail Cannonball 650bx47cc tan wall tires roll on DT Swiss R500 db wheels while Avid mechanical disc brakes slow the Weekender down. The most notable component, though, has to be the RedShift ShockStop suspension seat post adding 35mm of comfort as the Fairdale rolled along Fernie’s backroads.

Nick Shultz Rocky Mountain conversion

Another beautiful 90s mountain bike now rolling on gravel was this Rocky Mountain conversion. This bike hits all the nostalgia points. Shimano XTR rear mech, Manitou Minute reverse-arch fork (now back in style), classic Race Face Turbine I-beam alloy cranks with anodised chainring bolts, purple anodised QR-skewers and a white Selle Italia Flite saddle all adorn the metal frame. Mavic Allroad wheels with Goodyear Connector 650bx50 tires and Shimano hoods bring this Rocky into the gravel era.