Building the Hybrid Bikepacking Gravel Bike | Motobecane Elite Adventure PRO

After decades of riding and countless bicycles, I’ve just built my IDEAL gravel bike and bikepacking bike!

Late last Fall, I began the build of my new bike for gravel riding and LITE bikepacking.

I have owned DOZENS of bikes for varied types of cycling, from traditional touring bikes to super-light gravel bikes, “all-road” commuter bikes, Fat bikes and MTBs, to heavy-duty bikepacking rigs with belt drive geared transmissions.

Like many riders, the optimum number of bikes in your stable is always X + 1!

The versatile hybrid gravel and bikepacking bike

TODAY, my bike riding and touring boils down to TWO main pursuits:

1. Unloaded gravel rides, including training rides and the occasional competitive “gravel grinder”. While my traditional touring bikes could handle tires up to 40mm for the occasional gravel road, I wanted more volume for demanding gravel events. At the same time, heavier bikepacking rigs and MTBs were too heavy and too slow.

2. Capacity for short tours on mixed roads with an ultralight load. I simply did not need the capacity of a heavy rig designed for weeks on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. I have developed my style of ultralight touring for durations of a week, or less. I still wanted some front suspension, but didn’t require a full MTB suspension fork. I also prefer straight handlebars for efficient packing with a front harness.

As my riding style and requirements have “matured” over the years, I purchased the Motobecane “Elite Adventure PRO” from BikesDirect that best fit my needs.

Stock Motobecane before gravel and bikepacking modifications

This bike is a “hybrid” in that it is perfect for the casual rider and commuter. However, it has the following features which make it an ideal gravel/light bikepacking rig:

• Lightweight aluminum frame

• Hydraulic disk brakes

• Rockshox Recon front fork, with lockout

• Wide range, 1x12 SRAM Eagle drive train

• 29-inch (700c) wheels which are tubeless-ready

• Straight handlebars

Compared to other bicycles I have owned, this bike did NOT require ultra-wide 3x9 touring gearing, MTB thru axles, or drop handlebars. It is clearly in the middle of the spectrum – not a road bike and not a mountain bike.

One of the requirements for my new bike was 29er (700c) wheels that are tubeless-ready.

I am a firm advocate for tubeless tires. Tubeless tires (like those found on your auto and most motorcycles) have the advantages of lighter weight, ease of plugging most punctures, and the versatility to vary pressures depending on the load and road conditions.

I also prefer the larger 700c (29”) diameter over the 650B (27.5”) diameter tires. Having logged many miles on both, I can testify that the larger wheels are faster. The ONLY argument for touring with 27.5” wheels is that there might be better availability of basic tires in some remote third-world village – which will never be my problem.

The Motobecane “Adventure” model included 29-inch rims that were tubeless-ready.

Like nearly all bikes today, “tubeless-ready” wheels also means that the stock tires are NOT tubeless-compatible. I can understand why brands sell bikes without tubeless-ready tires: the majority of urban buyers don’t bother to spend the extra money to complete the conversion process. Even many round-the-world tourists still ride on inner tubes.

My first goal was to replace the stock 38mm tubed street tires with 50mm tubeless gravel tires. I needed better traction, increased volume with weight capacity, and a strong but lightweight construction to offset the larger tires. After shopping the various options, I chose the Pirelli Cinturato M gravel tires in the 50mm width. (See also the related article where I review these tires and add tips for the tubeless conversion process.)

Swapping the 38mm tube tires for 50mm gravel TUBELESS tires

There is no perfect gravel bike, and there are a wide range of requirements for tires to suit your individual needs. But for my type of “gravel” riding and light bikepacking, the hybrid bike outfitted with Pirelli Cinturato 50mm tires is my new favorite!

Motobecane Adventure PRO gravel and bikepacking bike

Here is a list of the modifications I made to the Motobecane Elite Adventure PRO to complete the transformation from a plain commuter to a capable gravel bike and lite bikepacking rig:

• Pirelli Cinturato 50mm tires: https://amzn.to/3HkThyR

• Double-sided clipless pedals: https://amzn.to/3T44HK6

• Locking handlebar grips with “horns”: https://amzn.to/4juQWyL

• Two Aluminum water bottle cages: https://amzn.to/4kMLacV

• Lower water bottle cage for tools: (complete installation article: Click HERE)

• 27.2mm Carbon Fiber seat post: https://amzn.to/3Svh7um

• Rear pannier rack: https://amzn.to/4kABbHS

• Two Hbar “feed bags”: https://amzn.to/4jyV4xR

• Top tube bag: https://amzn.to/4mLIuOq

• Half frame bag: https://amzn.to/4jxp6C0

I’ve logged many miles on the new Motobecane Adventure PRO. My local gravel is premium, crushed red Wisconsin granite – the state mineral – and this “gravel bike” is up to everything I have tackled. I look forward to many LITE bikepacking adventures!

PRIMO Central Wisconsin crushed red granite roads!!!

When well-packed, our gravel roads are nearly as smooth as pavement. When worn, the chunkier base rocks are exposed – and that is where the 50mm Pirelli tires and suspension fork are an advantage over more conventional gravel bikes. I recently completed the “Bear’ gravel grinder in Laona, (northeastern Wisconsin) and the route included gravel, crushed rock, mud, and sand.

Finish Line at the Bear gravel Grinder, Laona, WI

I am happy with my choice of this new gravel and light bikepacking bike and the tires chosen for my styles of riding.

At the recent gravel race, I was very competitive with gravel bikes that cost 2 or 3 times more! The Cinturato tread pattern never clogs with mud. The center tread blocks function like a continuous rib on hard-pack and pavement, rolling smoothly and quietly.

There is no perfect gravel bike, and there are a wide range of requirements to suit your individual needs. But for my type of “gravel” riding and light bikepacking, the hybrid bike outfitted with Pirelli Cinturato 50mm tires is my new favorite!

Please leave your comments on choosing and installing tubeless tires for gravel riding and bikepacking. Subscribe to the GreatOutThere.online blog for continual updates - and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!