Road Bike AND Gravel Bike: Can This Do Both?

Are gravel bikes dead? We're going to find out! Si & Ollie've just been supplied with two killer @ride_bmc bikes that have identical frames but different setups: one has road tyres and the other gravel. Si thinks this could spell the end for dedicated gravel bikes, but Ollie isn’t convinced... Who’s actually got it right? 🤔

⏱️ Timestamps: ⏱️
00:00 Are gravel bikes dead?!
00:47 Can these BMC road bikes do it all?
01:28 The BMC Road Machine 01 & its "alter-ego"
02:32 Differences between gravel and road bikes
03:28 Is this is "all the gravel bike" people need?
05:01 Does it feel more like a road or gravel bike?
08:00 What does "gravel" really mean?
08:55 Swapping wheels & why use wider tyres
10:54 Ollie's gravel test ride
12:16 So, are gravel bikes a thing of the past?

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What do you think? 🤔 Is a road bike with gravel tyres all you need, or are dedicated gravel bikes still king? 🚵‍♂️ Drop your thoughts below! 👇

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[gcn]

What do you think? 🤔 Is a road bike with gravel tyres all you need, or are dedicated gravel bikes still king? 🚵‍♂️ Drop your thoughts below! 👇

[BryanStange-gk]

Gravel riding is simply returning us all to our child hood of riding whatever the heck we had on what ever surface there was to just go have fun with our friends. I ride a 2022 Cannondale Topstone 1 and I can comfortably ride anything I want here in Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley!

[Zerotonin]

And the Roadmachine is only 14000€ so who wouldn't. There should be a "GCN pleb" channel where bikes can only cost up to 4000€

[philliplister]

I’ve been riding bikes for 58 years. I’ve raced, I’ve done centuries and double centuries. I’ve also done lots of MTBing too. I used to have a bike for everything. Now, I only have my second full-rigid Lynskey Ridgeline and three wheelsets: one for trails, one for road and one for gravel. I run a 1x11 and I couldn’t be happier.

My wife also loves that I only have one bike taking up space in our garage.

[CatManDoSocial]

Don't care about gravel but I'll watch anything with my two favorite presenters. Bravo! That said, with bike prices being what they are, being able to have just one, all-road bike that can accommodate a wide variety of tire styles and widths just might be the best choice for most of us.

[roysauto]

Good content and Ollie and Si worked great together. I started with a road bike with 40mm tire clearance but soon realized that for more relaxing rides, such as my preferred gravel, that it was difficult for me to slow down and enjoy the sights. This is mostly down to my neck flexibility. So I added a more relaxed gravel bike that allows me to sit up in a more comfortable position. I now use this bike when I want to take a relaxing ride and see the sights and for long, low effort, rides when comfort comes before speed. The road bike comes out when I want to push things and go fast. I could easily get by with the relaxed bike for both purposes but since I already had the road bike, and can afford to keep both, it's nice to mix it up.

[rudolphpyatt]

The reason for the popularity of gravel bikes is the same reason hybrids came about (and to some degree, why cyclocross bikes had a surge in popularity): Road racing bikes are not suitable for most users—especially the skinny tired versions that used to be common. Or, as Ollie puts it in another video, most people buy bikes that “are not fit for purpose.” Because, just as Si says here that most people don’t use gravel bikes for long and unsupported tours in the wilderness; most people don’t use road bikes for racing Milan-San Remo or the grand tours.

[Intrudr]

This actually is all the gravelbike people need - only for about 14000 Euros. A real bike for the common man.

[abrickman]

I use my Specialized Roubaix as both my gravel bike and road bike. I live in a rural area with lots of gravel roads that I need to use to connect between paved roads to make an interesting route (rather than out and back all the time). I leave the gravel tires on most of the time and when it’s time to race I put the road tires on. I love the bike because it can easily do both and allows me to enjoy myself and have fun riding.

[hicky]

40 years ago, I was riding a steel bike with Campagnolo and 1 1/4 inch tyres on. I used it for touring, or bikepacking, including gravel, commuting, and of a weekend I'd put narrower, lighter tyres on and compete in club races and TTs. Did I win, no but I didn't expect to. Was I happy whenever I rode it, definitely. Now I have 3 bikes to do the same stuff. Like most people, I've fallen for the newest, and lightest is best marketing ploys. Am I going to buy a new bike because it takes wider tyres and has disc brakes, no. Ive learnt my lesson. Manufacturers need to sell bikes, fair enough, but we dont have to keep changing for the latest model.

[FranderPoel]

Thanks for the video Si and Ollie, my cervelo áspero 5 with 32mm tires improved a lot my rides in worn out pavements in Brazil, I really love those kind of bikes!

[raylovinggood]

I sold my road bike and bought a Kona Libre CR gravel bike in late 2020. It came with 650b x 47 WTB Venture tires. I really enjoy riding the few gravel roads in my area. I also have DTSwiss wheels and Teravail 700c x 38 Rampart “road” tires that are wonderful on the road and fine on the gravel. Big volume and low pressure compared to 23 and 25mm tires convinced me to never go small again on tires. Nothing smaller than 38mm!

[dagatoe]

No. Although I think your point is valid what sets my gravel bike apart is not just clearance but the gearing and the ruggedness.
I live in an area with mountain roads and access roads that can be super steep with lots of loose gravel and road gearing just wouldn’t cut it here.
Again it comes down to the terrain and the type of riding you intend to do.

[edwardsykes]

Why do people watch these videos to complain about the price of the bikes. If you watched top gear and the trio driving quarter of a million pound cars, you watched it for the enjoyment due to the presenters and the content. That’s why I watch GCN because they’re entertaining and I like bikes. Stop complaining about the fact that the new tech is expensive and just enjoy the fact that we get to watch these guys make great content that is available for us for free.

[lauratimmins]

I'm a 65 gal who rides road mainly but bought a 2024 e-assist Creo 2 expert. I did have 47 mm that came with the bike but switched to 38 mm with centre slick on the tire. Loving the bike for all reasons. Climbing hills is easier now. I can now ride gravel and dirt trails which I would not ride with skinny tires. Plus the descending on hills is amazing like you say with fatter tires giving you more confidence. I do love descending on my 23 mm tire on my 16 year madone but the two bikes are worlds apart.
Fab video!!!❤

[lxpkosd]

I built up a cheap gravel frame with a 2x Force AXS groupset 45/33 and 10/33 cassette at the end of last year. Got 2 sets of wheels, set up road and gravel. Just swap the wheels depending on what I'm doing. Result is absolutely brilliand fun and haven't touched my "proper" road bike all 2024 - to the point I'm seriously considering getting rid of it.

[lenwilkinson]

I guess I am ahead of the curve. I have owned a BMC for over five years. It is a road bike fitted with 38mm Rene Herse Barlow Pass tires, which have almost no tread. My BMC works extremely well both on the road and on Gucci gravel.

[Aragorn.Strider]

Well I still use my gravel bike as a road bike with bigger tyres on them and works great. And if there is a small gravel section, no problem

[nickize]

I love GCN's videos that research new technologies. And the banter between your hosts! 😊 I'd love a video about the massive tires I'm seeing on bikes. They're about 5 cm wide. I live in Ontario, Canada and I'm seeing them everywhere. I saw someone fall off their bike. I think she thought it was safer with the wider tires.

[wheeler]

Main factor is the area where you actually live and do the majority of riding. Its mostly bridle and canal tow paths around by me which a training road bike with 28s on has always been able to handle.