2021 Giant Revolt. Has about 25k km on it.
11speed GRX. Have swapped wheels, saddle, seatpost (zero setback) Narrower bars and longer -17° stem. The frame has more stack than I’d like.
It will only fit ~47mm WAM tyre in the back. I’d like to go wider and 1x eventually. There are some good frames coming out of China at the right price. A section in Chinertown on gravel has them.
It looks like that position would put a lot of weight forward and on the front wheel. If things get suddenly slippery, rough, or soft, a bike with that geo might become a handful.
As you know below is my gravel bike. When I’m descending on that 36% gradient section with the dropper down and both tyres struggling with grip - since it’s hard to even walk up or down. I don’t feel that confident. I can’t say I’d want to try it on that bike.
Yeah fair enough. It is a mountain bike but yeah even with that 36% would be steep. Gravel roads and rail trails is what I ride with a gravel bike.
Pretty similar to what I ride on the road but on the dirt. No single track type stuff. I avoid wet stuff too. I’ll just get on the trainer if I must ride and it’s wet outside.
I want a very similar position to what I have on the road. High and wide bars are a no.
Wouldn’t mind a MTB. Maybe one day.
The fire trails I’m describing are still dual track, so technically gravel. But it’s common to have 30% gradient sections because their purpose is to circle around the housing, rather than take the easiest geographical path.
Consequently some short sections are roughly concreted, which is I can only assume because even the fire trucks were struggling when wet.
Like yours, mine was bought and modified for purpose. So I suppose it’s safe to say that gravel bikes aren’t build for steep fire trails unless the average rider wants to walk a lot of sections. On a good day I can ride it all. But most days I’m walking bits too.
Which brings me to the question of gravel bikes moving forward. Are gravel events eventually going to go the way XC MTB did of getting more challenging? Not likely an issue for you, but it appears a common trend in off-road events. That will probably influence future gravel bike design, if it isn’t already.
My current gravel bike has over 25k km of gravel on it and has a 130mm -17 stem on it to suit my fit. It is pictured in the first post of this thread. Yes it has done plenty of rocky fire trails. That is where the larger tyres would be preferred. Some steepish descents in that 25k km. Zero concerns with faceplanting over the front with that set up. I see road and gravel getting longer and lower as aero drag is still the biggest resistive force to forward momentum faced.
As a side note I don’t see 30% as common at all. I have 180k km on my Strava. A shed load of steep climbs in that, including the back of Falls creek several times. Nothing over 20% that I recall. Anything over 30% would be very difficult to form/maintain.
I’m not implying that 30% is common. But that’s what I measured with an inclinometer at various points. Since I was curious as to why my gravel experience was quite different to the perceived norm. That probably is my point as to why my bike for riding mainly gravel looks different to the norm. You’re confirming why the typical gravel bike looks more like a road bike with fatter tyres and lower gears if you’re not doing more than 20%.
It’s probably why I only see MTBs on the local fire trails. Most of the inexperienced ones are pushing their MTBs on the steep sections. I was told by a runner that he only sees e-MTBs climb that 36% grade section. Well I managed to get up there today. 
But that isn’t the norm. Walkers are often impressed when they see me riding up these steeper hills. They’re not expecting it.
Getting up something that steep is very impressive! 
Getting down without locking on a rigid fork is also very well done I am guessing.
