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Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Open Source Naming Project: The Contenders

Giant's Revolt _______rig. (Fill in the blank)
Okay folks. That was a great response to yesterday's request for names to attach to these bikes that are better than racing bikes but not mountain bikes. These bikes that are versatile, multi-terrain eating, fast, light bicycles that resemble road bikes but are more.

(See- I am resisting the urge to call these gravel bikes!.....whoops! Ha!)

Well, anyway, I figured I would present the contenders for a final vote which will reveal the name I will use in an open letter to the industry here and on Gravel Grinder News. (But I'll clue you- the industry is already looking inon this.)

All Road: There were many thoughts left in support of this one. I still think it isn't going to work from a copyright perspective, but I could be wrong about that.

All Rounder: I believe this is a term in Europe for such bikes like to what we are thinking about here. Good, but maybe too generic. Brits seem to be all about this term.

Country Bike: This is a term used by Rivendell's Grant Petersen. I don't mind it, but I wondered yesterday if it doesn't bring up a negative perception. It is a good foil for "Urban Bike", or "Townie", so maybe it could have some legs.....

All Purpose Bike: Sort of reminds me of "All Terrain Bike", the term that was bandied about before "mountain bike" finally won the day. Not sure the acronym, APB, is appropriate.

VRB- (Versatile Road Bike): Good descriptive name. Maybe would end up being called "verb". Hmm...

Multi-Road, Multi-Surface, Multistrada: I like the names in this vein. The "Multistrada" name is sexy, but since it is a motorcycle model name, it may be tough to appropriate it for bicycle use. Of these, Multi-Road is perhaps the winner, but I do like Multistrada.

Fat Road: Still one of my favorites....

Utility Road: Came across this today. Interesting...

Cross Road: A new one just suggested. I like it.....

Okay, vote in the comments or make another suggestion.
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33 comments:

  1. Chuck7:45 AM

    Adventure Bike

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  2. Tom8:35 AM

    All Rounder

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  3. BB8:35 AM

    I vote for a different name that I call mine - the "Groader". ;-)

    Let's go groading! Hey, hon - I had a "great groad ride" today! And on and on....

    Groad captures the "fat" element and captures the G of "gravel" and of course the "road".

    Just happy so many bikes are targeting drop bar riding of the kind of riding we all really do the majority of the time - which is ride, rather than race on "road" bikes. Certainly for those of us in Iowa, gravel is a reality (2 blocks away from my doorstep). Disc brakes simply make year round riding a tad easier in terms of maintenance.

    Groad on...

    BB

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  4. Tom8:36 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. jkeiffer9:20 AM

    Everyone

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  6. Aaron R.9:45 AM

    VRB- (Versatile Road Bike)

    Gets my vote.

    Aaron R.

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  7. GOTA10:01 AM

    Country Bike is the kind of name that marketing people can really work with. It has that same cool ambiguous vibe that makes 'Urban' work.

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  8. David11:43 AM

    Mark, I am not sure any of this discussion will serve any real purpose. If it is seems appropriate, a "name" for these bikes will evolve naturally over time. But for the sake of conversation and blog commentary, I was thinking of the Bridgestone Rb road bikes and mb mountain bikes. Maybe Mrb for Multi-road bike? No. I think what may be a better term for this category of bike that slots between those road bike and cross bike categories is CrossRoad.

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  9. Unknown11:52 AM

    This is a trademark issue, not copyright. Very different things.

    Utility says work/cargo/city to me.

    I think Gravel Bike is going to stick. Not just for gravel and Mountainbikes are not just for mountains.

    The name has to form organically to last. In the '80s the media tried to call mountainbikes ATBs after a few polls.

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  10. youcancallmeAl12:10 PM

    All road and if cannot be used then all rounder. 3 rd choice:country bike

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  11. Guitar Ted12:13 PM

    @David: I like "Cross Road". Cool.

    @shiggy: What's more organic than asking a bunch of bike geeks to come up with a name? I happen to know that "gravel bikes" is not working as a name for many outside of the Mid-West, so this also prompted the search for a new name. And if no one tries anything, nothing will happen sooner than later. If that makes any sense. If it all is for naught, then at least we gave it a go, ya know what I mean?

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  12. Unknown12:41 PM

    GO2
    Go to bike for any kind of riding

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  13. The Biking Viking12:51 PM

    SUB
    Sport
    Utility
    Bike

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  14. youcancallmeAl1:07 PM

    Ted, CrossRoad is perhaps too close to the Specialized Cross Trail.

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  15. Unknown1:21 PM

    What about Open Road?

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  16. paddy1:37 PM

    lets name it after the all-terra-multiuse-ueber-cross-monster-road-doitall tire out there:rock'n'road
    and ask bruce gordon if he approves .
    a bike category named after a tire which started it all.
    happy-trails

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  17. paddy1:43 PM

    rock'n'road

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  18. Isolation Helmet1:47 PM

    I have read through all of the names several times and come to this page several time thinking I had picked a winner and then gone back and forth. So basically I have no "winner" but like: All Arounder, Country Bike, Fat Road.

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  19. Leslie1:50 PM

    All-Rounder, I think is my favorite.
    Country Bike, makes sense.
    Adventure Bike, I also like

    But, I know what's meant by Gravel Bike; if that name sticks, I think it's not bad...

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  20. .s.s.7:11 PM

    All road

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  21. bicycletorch8:35 PM

    I am a fan of the Country Bike name from the first I read it many years ago from Rivendell. Ride it in the country, around the country, or while listening to country. It all fits.

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  22. Travel Gravel8:40 PM

    Late to the party but I will offer up Gravelo. Half "gravel" half "velo" inflection mark over the 'e' as in Cervelo, (can't get my phone to make the mark)

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  23. bwc9:08 PM

    What, back road bike didn't make the cut, GT?

    :-)

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  24. glenn9:30 PM

    I like that "Cross Road" name.

    There's also "Every Road", which would be similar but different to "All Road"

    Combining a couple of suggestions, what about "Adventure Road"?

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  25. Zeno12:04 AM

    'On-off-road bike', or 'ORB'; 'cross-purpose bike', or 'XPB' (both meanings intended); 'jack-of-all-trades bike' or 'jack bike'.

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  26. Roasta12:20 AM

    I like Cross Road but it is possibly too similar to Cross Bike from a marketing perspective. Albeit though that a Cross bike is named after a sport - Cycle cross, so I guess cross road works.

    I think there needs to be some guidelines from a marketing point of view. Most of these names sound like a bike model not a term to define the variant of bike.

    For me you need one word followed by bike to align to the way things are. Eg, Tri bike, Mountain bike, trials bike, road bike, cross bike etc.

    Gravel bike is too specific but works given it was the catalyst name, and most of the other names on offer here are in use already with a bike design that is different to the Gravel Grinder theme and purpose.

    A sales person or Joe Blo should be able to say you need an XYZ bike or I am going riding on my XYZ bike today.

    Random thesaurus inspired ideas:

    Route bike
    AnyRoute bike
    AllRoute bike
    Pickaroad bike
    Uniroad bike






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  27. Dave7:38 AM

    Adventure Bike

    I really like SUB

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  28. tucker_arch1:33 PM

    Maybe it could follow a similar naming to Snow Skiing.
    Side Country = close to ski resort with lift access.
    Back Country = no lift access.

    So with that it could either be Side Road or Back Road.

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  29. rex6:08 PM

    How about 700 double wide

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  30. MG9:51 AM

    I agree with Shiggy. I think the market is into the concept of a gravel road bike, or 'gravel bike', and to a certain extent, has already christened the category as such.

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  31. Unknown11:54 AM

    GRB: Gravel Race Bike

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  32. Bob11:56 AM

    BRB: Back Roads Bike

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  33. Toad the 12 sprocket8:24 PM

    Gravel grinder = dirt hoagie.

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