Gravel Vs Mountain Bike - What’s the difference and which is faster?

Are you torn between a gravel bike and a XC mountain bike? Which is faster? Which is more versatile? In this video I do a timed test and talk about the obvious and not so obvious differences between a state-of-the-art gravel bike and a cueing-edge XC race mountain bike. With the help of a Salsa Warbird decked out with a RockShox suspension fork and dropper post and the latest SRAM 2x gearing, and a 2022 Scott Spark with 120mm travel front and rear, a hidden rear shock with three travel modes and a dropper post, I set out to discover which is best in different riding scenarios.

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Content
00:00 Gravel VS Mountain Bike debate
1:11 Salsa gravel bike check
2:24 Scott XC MTB check
4:19 Timed comparison test route
4:51 Gravel timed run
6:47 MTC timed run
8:54 The results - which is faster?
11:13 It’s not just about speed though
12:15 Which is best then?
14:33 Summary

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[scottwatson]

Gravel bikes are cool and I love mine I’ve had it a couple years now but… I also just added a trail hard tail to my stable and find the gravel bike is best used on routes that take in a mixture of terrain where it’s simply fantastic and very, very fast ! but when it gets to rocky or technical sections gravel bikes are useless and suddenly start to feel a little fragile and become very uncomfortable and this is where the mountain bike really shines, there an absolute blast and far more comfortable. My only real gripe with the mountain bike is it’s weight as when climbing on anything mellow it feels painfully slow and far more of an effort when compared to my much lighter gravel bike.

[nathancouse]

In my experience I will always own both. My gravel bike is setup more for ultra endurance road/gravel racing so most of my century's and long races are done on my gravel bike. I also ride road to all my gravel roads. And coming from mountain biking I like chunky mtb trails that the gravel bike could just never do. But I like fast and I always choose my hardtail over a full sus, most full sus takes the fun away from trail riding. And then I have my road bike purely set up for road racing. 3 bikes, with all 3 being aimed primarily for each discipline

[bradsanders]

On an XC bike the trick is, smaller lighter tires, use bar ends even though they arent hip. I use em alot....Strong riders can fly on an XC bike no matter the road or trail. Both have 29'er wheels. 700c is 29'r also.

[jonathanallen]

Nice video! These reviews are always interesting, but never so surprising if you own both bikes. Where I live there are more than 1000sq.km. of gravel/dirt roads. I use the GB for smoother dirt, gravel trails(not so technical or rough) linking them up with road sections and enjoying the same POSITION as on my road bike allowing more comfort with the variety of hand positions, etc and adds a lot of variety to your road routes spicing them up. The speed aspect is more akin to a road feel, but without the bother of traffic.
MTB is best on pure stuff(exploring routes is good as you can go anywhere comfortably) and good when it gets cold, seeking the shelter of woods, trails, etc and windchill is less of a factor....Enjoy the differences. BOTH are great 👍

[m-]

I completely agree with this video.
Even comparing a hardtail and gravel bike would give the same results.

Gravel bike = fast suv
Mtb bike = old school Land Rover defender

[thomasspotzl]

Just for the record: the MTB can ride more kinds of terrain than anything else. It is therefore the more, maybe even most, versatile bike. The Gravelbike on the other hand is more efficient on non bumpy surfaces...unless you put fat knobby MTB tyres and superwide drop bars on it. Then the gravelmonster is just a bad mountainbike.

[StanEby]

David, you do a great job and are very fair and well-spoken. I agree with everything you said, but I'm wondering if whether or not a full suspension mountain bike could be a viable commuter would depend on the situation of the commuter. If a person, esp. an older person, had to course through a lot of rough roads, pots holes or cobble stones, it seems like the mountain bike would be more comfortable. Seems like the bigger knobby tires would also be better in snow. In the summer a person could fit it with narrower, smoother tires. Could also be fitted with more commuter friendly handle bars.
Just an idea. Keep up the good work.

[REAPER-xxx]

I’ve been riding a Scott gravel bike 4 years now. It’s replaced my road bike. A road bike has been obsolete for my uses since. A typical outing for me if riding in the city consists of smooth and rough paved roads, short stretches of gravel roads, sidewalks, low curbs, asphalt bike paths, gravel bike paths, cracked broken raised pieces of asphalt, construction zones, detours through sandy areas, single track trails with sandy spots. All kinds of conditions are necessary to contend with to do a 30km+ loop and end up where I started linking as much bike paths as possible. In rural riding it needs to do long distances on highway, loose deep chunky dirt roads, rough farmers track. All this is what is expected realistically from my bike that excels on asphalt as it’s primary focus.

I bought my first mtb this summer with the intent of using it as my winter bike. So far I don’t enjoy it on asphalt or gravel bike paths. Your just too insulated from the surface your riding on. Feedback and responsiveness are NIL. It’s amazingly capable though. It excels on uneven surfaces, roots, rocks, curbs, obstacles, sandy spots, single track, mtb trails, high speed 🟦 descents.

3 areas of over lap between styles where I actually prefer the mtb is on the loose deep chunky rural dirt roads, short distance commuting, short distance errands. The fact it has a dropper, big tires, suspension, wide stable bars, upright position make it really comfy and easy to stop and go at intersections, hopping curbs and slow speed control. All ideal for running to the corner store.

Mtb - avoid distance if not on proper trails.

Rdb - avoid proper trails

I really dig that Scott Spark. I bet that gravel bike excels at loose deep chunky dirt roads. NA has some really hard to ride dirt roads that are beyond your typical rigid gravel bike with 40mm tires. Doable but rattles the teeth out of your head. Great video.

[nellyxx]

Now compare the gravel bike to a superlight race Xc hardtail...in previous decades that Scott 'XC' bikes capabilities would have been closer to a downhill bike, it's probably closer to 'trail' now. Having ridden lightweight hardtail on all terrains since the late 80's, I still find them the perfect bike for everything. My Xc hardtail will be lighter than that gravel bike (19lbs), I'll easily match its pace on the road (tyre dependant) but on proper offroad terrain the speed will be closer to that full-suss - so arguably an xc hardtail is a touch more versatile but very close to gravel bike performance with just hand position preference splitting the two.

[alertelectrical]

Fully agree with your conclusion. One extra option I have tried a few times is aero bars on my XC FS MTB. It works very well on those gravel or road sections and extends what kind of ride I'm prepared to look at. It also feels like a strong position to drive the pedals. It's all about the amount and type of off road versus road. One other thing is my Canyon Grail has mudguard mounts so not only is it super versatile but it is also my winter road bike.

[Dramboli]

Those bikes are very different - I have them both and the mtb is nice for some trails and technical stuff.
But for everything else the gravel bike is great - you can do longer distances, its fast on the road and gravel, you can close the stretches where the roads end. I use it to avoid busy roads and to explore new quiet roads which sometimes end in gravel where I would have to stop with the normal road bike. For climbing it is great, I can nearly do everything (even on slicks with low pressure), but technical downhills are for mtb and not fun on the gravel.

[simonalexandercritchley]

Another solution to the equation is to fit some old aerobars to your mtb.I have a 10 year old Kona Kahuna 29er hardtail which I really like but the nearest trail is about 4km away.With the aerobars I can be comfortable and aero on any smooth section or road.Sometimes I do road training on this bike for extra resistance but pump tyres up hard. Most of the terrain here in New Zealand is steep to very steep so the mtb is better.apart from weight.

[leeharding]

So to summarise the mountain bike is better at mountain biking and the gavel bike is better at gravel tracks 🤪

[Dave-hwvy]

Great vid again David. I love my Topstone Lefty and also my Stumpjumper but I really think I am going to buy the Scott for places like Affan. I have sold both of my Tarmac’s including the S-Works because of the danger of cars and vans. It’s horses for courses really. I say “get one of each and have a stable. Happy riding everyone and stay safe.J

[JSC]

Mountain bike all day long Enjoyable video David keep um coming.

[treyquattro]

goal achieved I would say: you answered the question whether a gravel bike is just a modern mountain bike and the answer is: no. Enthralling content, especially the steep section: that was unexpected!

[RogerWatson]

I'd have that Scott Spark because it's so cool. Gravel is my choice it's more versatile and suits the terrain where I live. We have many many miles of gravel riding. I also use it to commute to work so it's a brilliant and quick all-rounder. Great Video :)

[santibaiona]

I'm debating between buying a 29" hardtail (Giant XTC SRL 29 1 or similar) and a gravel bike (Canyon Grizl AL or similar) and this is just the video I've been looking for. 😎👍🏼

The bikepacking part is making me lean towards the gravel bike as I'm hoping to do the Way of St. James via Portugal next year.

Thanks. Keep up the great work. 😀👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[lterra]

I love my hardtail MTB. Litespeed owl hollow full xtr. It looks like a dinosaur next to todays bikes, but she rips the technical stuff and a light climber.

[SM-]

Enjoyed the video but you’ve missed the number one rule…..have one of each !