What Is A Gravel Bike And Do I Need One?

This video features product placement for Giant Bicycles.

What the heck is a gravel bike? How do they differ from road and mountain bikes? And why should you consider buying one?
Gravel bikes have exploded in popularity in recent years, and it’s easy to see why.

Offering versatility and the opportunity for riders to get away from the bustle of traffic filled roads, a gravel bike has a lot to offer the everyday rider.

In this video we’re going to run you through everything that goes into making a gravel bike, and what you should consider when shopping for one.

Would you rather own a gravel bike, road bike, mountain bike, or all of the above? Who are we kidding, it’s always n+1 but leave your thoughts in the comments!!

#gravelbike #bikeradar

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:54 What is a Gravel Bike
02:47 Frame Material
03:23 Geometry
04:12 Tyres
06:24 Wheels
06:50 Disc Brakes
07:08 Gearing
08:41 Mounts
09:24 Comfort and Control
10:29 Electric Gravel Bikes
10:53 Gravel Bikes vs
13:57 Outro

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Boutique Vs. Big-brand Gravel Bike | Giant Revolt Vs. Vielo V+1 | Versatility or Speed?

What UK Gravel Cycling is REALLY Like! | BikeRadar Gravel Diaries Ep 5

RECORD BREAKING Gravel Ride?! ⏱ Trans Cambrian Fastest Known Time Relay Challenge

EPIC Urban Gravel | Do NOT Underestimate This Route! | BikeRadar Gravel Diaries Ep 04

What Is the Best 2022 Gravel Bike? | Specialized Crux, Wilier Rave & Trek Checkpoint Reviewed

Giant Propel 2023 | A 6.91KG Aero Road Bike... With Disc Brakes!

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[budycelyn]

horses for courses, i like my gravel bike for long days in the saddle on gravel roads and single track, i also like my xc hardtail for long days in the saddle on gravel roads and single tracks, i also like my full suss for getting a bit more shreddy. no point in opinions about whether a gravel bike is a 90's mtb ripoff or a gimmick, if you enjoy it, ride it.

[skulluxe]

Wow… so many people are “if I don’t ride it… I hate it” It’s disheartening… the number of people expressing loathing for one type of cycling… if you don’t like it… fine… you don’t have to shit on it… ride what you want, no one is making anyone buy or ride anything they don’t want to. Cyclists should embrace all cycling types since it seems everyone else (cars, pedestrians) are against us. Ride your and quit bitching.

[faceinthecrowd]

For me the flat bar gravel bike is my choice. Some what less areo, but great control and comfort. My Trek sport FX5 has a carbon frame, 1xdrivetrain, 700x40 tires, disc brakes. Very happy with the variety of riding this bike handles.

[walshman]

An exhaustive survey! And a nice clarification towards the end of the important points that still make a cyclocross bike valid! Racing! Well done!!

[alanhill]

Always enjoy Bikeradar video’s, After getting my Grail my road bike is gathering dust the gravel bike brings out the teenager in me

[lexington]

This is actually one of the better videos I've seen on gravel bikes. Definitely better than anything I have seen on GCN for gravel bikes.

[bhatch]

Haha the slow-motion really shows how well that carbon handlebar absorbs vibrations (not appreciably). It would be great to see a comparison video using slow motion to compare the vibrations at your arms over gravel between suspension types - Redshift stem, Lefty Oliver, Future Shock, Rudy, Fox 32, Lauf, and just plain bigger tires!

[spinwin]

I honestly tried hard to like gravel riding and ended up just getting into MTB. Miles on end getting rattled vs a full squish and more capable machine made it an easy choice.

[adityasundar]

I have an entry-level Gravel Bike. According to me, a Gravel bike is a practical road bike with wider tyres for bad roads, lower gears for steep climbing, mounting points to carry stuff during commute and very versatile compared to an outright RB.

[ACTIVEPAIR]

Had a Boardman CX for years, loved it so much I recently upgraded to a new OnOne Free Ranger, sold the CX and my Trek Roadie, simpler life for on and off road👍🏽

[cokebottles]

To those that live in Utah, don't get a gravel bike. I have nothing against them, they are GREAT in some parts of the country, just not the right tool for this state. Get a road bike with decent clearance for the rare smooth dirt patch and/or an XC bike. XC bikes are still quick on the pavement, but can handle the rock gardens and boulder sized "gravel" roads we have here. Plus we have a lot of XC friendly single track... in fact the single track here is often nicer to gravel bikes than the dirt roads. Nice job on this video btw Bike radar!

[breathestrongcycling]

Currently living in the Philippines where all the dirt roads near me have now been covered in concrete....crap concrete...a gravel bike is a good idea if just to run wider tyres, 30-40mm without sacrificing too much speed....oh and wider gearing for those brutal 20% + climbs in the Cordillera 😫

[sventice]

Great summary of the advantages of "gravel" bikes. I bought a gravel bike as a supplementary weekend fun ride a few years ago and now it's pretty much the only bike I ever ride; I even use it for touring.

I do think the boundaries between bicycle genres does get a bit blurry at the edges, though. A gravel bike fitted with road tires serves quite well as an endurance road bike; but newer endurance road bikes have fender mounts and clearance for wider tires. Even more recently, much to my dismay, a lot of gravel bikes now have suspension built into the very frame, so now you're stuck with suspension (i.e., squishy inefficiency) whether you want it or not. Sometimes I have the irrational fear that all bike types will eventually merge into a generic, bland SUV-style ride that's OK at everything but excellent at nothing.

[aminostruth]

We don't have enough gravel trails in the UK so best refer to them as adventure bikes!

[davidbackhouse]

My road bike is basically a gravel bike with 28 mm tyres and road cassette. The comfort, stability and compliance is great for all day rides and it is fine for amateur group rides on tar. What is being done with gravel bikes is a return of common sense to bike design for the masses. Pity there is so much marketing hype.

[nikveldkamp]

Loved the pigeon down in the right corner, and the splendidly green socks of course 😋

[ArteUltra]

As long as it can fit 35 mm tyres and looks like a road bike, it will do for me.

[tomas]

Three years ago I used to say gravel made no sense, but muy girlfriend fell in love with a gravel and then we both got two gravels. Since then I had to swalow my words so I ride It more than my carbon mtb by far.

[michaelpegasiou]

Riding on proper gravel is a bit scary on my mountain bike with gravel tyres flat handlebars and front suspension.That racer with gravel tyres would be too sketchy for me.

[amitkumar-wjgn]

I like how Bikeradar asks this question every two years or so...:)