Endurance Bike VS Gravel Bike: Which Should YOU Choose?

Endurance road bikes and gravel bikes are very similar in many ways, but how do you choose which bike is best for you and your cycling? In this video, we look at some determining factors such as tyre clearance, geometry, and gearing to help you make a more informed purchase. Road bike vs gravel bike - here goes!

Would you choose a road bike or a gravel bike? Let us know in the comments section below...

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[jmcc]

Gravel bikes with slicks are road bikes for everyone who doesn’t race. With the option to actually go off road. Having swapped 23mm road 2x for 32mm gravel with a 2x- the comfort for a recreational <200km rider is so much worth the slightly less racy geo.

[ericpmoss]

I've had them all, more or less -- road race, cyclocross, hybrid (old school gravel), fat tire, etc, and think that non-competitive people would mostly be better served by an "all road" bicycle. They are kind of like old French touring bikes but with modern components and materials. Wide, supple tires, mud guards (full or partial), some braze-ons for light bags, and not too aggressive geometry, and not too stiff. No need for carbon or titanium. Those are fun (I've had Carbon and Ti), but I got more out of custom fitting and tube selection than I ever did from the rest.

[mellissanash]

There are Endurance Road bikes that can fit 650b, the Soma Fog Cutter maxes out at 700x38mm or 650x48mm(about the same diameter as 700x28). So the same trail as a 700x28mm road tire while offering the comfort of a 48mm tire. Great if you want to do an Audax or poorly paved road.

[sepg]

Gravel frame with 38mm front and 45mm rear "road" tires, 46t-30t chainrings, 11t-36t cassette Alivio shifter+rd setup, 46t-30t chainring setup with tiagra flatbar shifter+fd setup, MT201 levers with BR-UR300 calipers, 640mm flat bar, spirgrips bike handles. That's my next city/all road bike build. I'm not a pro racer so i don't need very expensive components and even buy chinese branded stuff, but i do love building my own bikes.

[mister_ray]

I find CX bikes the sweet spot. Good on and off the road. Run Schwalbe G-One 40mm tubeless tires. In my case a Trek Boone with ICAN G25 carbon 650b gravel wheels.

[marco]

I bought a Canyon Endurace:On 7 and put 40mm Gravel tyres on it, replacing the default race tyres it comes with. I now ride it mainly on rough dirty surfaces in the mountains. Experience has been great so far.

[Mgrant]

I have both an endurance bike for the roads and a mountain bike for the gravel/dirt/single tracks. In my area there are not that many gravel roads. Bascially they are in-between the roads and the trails and that's it. Not much use for them around here.

[WhaJMc]

Wider tyres do not necessarily have greater rolling resistance. In fact they can in some cases have less rolling resistance due to less deflection.

[restraum]

I really like these comparisons between categories. If only to see how builders are tweaking geometries/features outside the norm.
The Checkpoint Gravel bike has a steeper head angle, and a lower stack, than the Domane endurance bike. I would say that’s fairly untypical. What do you think?
The Canyon Inflite you show is actually a cyclocross bike. I guess you will not be doing a video about the differences between Cyclocross and Gravel bikes? :)

[captaingsvfreedom]

Gravel bikes are for people who want two bike in one..I'd rather have an endurance and an xc fs.

[donaldduck]

I tend to follow cycle routes like the sustrans network for example, too many lunatics in cars on the roads these days, looking at getting a new carbon endurance bike with wide-ish tyres, but with many you can’t fit a pannier rack. Don’t know if I’m missing something, I need somewhere to put a bike lock, dry warm cloths/waterproofs and munchies if I’m out for a long day or two, my current Giant Roam is versatile and good for that sort of thing.

[xelseartheonlyone]

Nice video. I love gravel bikes. Roads here are so crap and full of garbage. I don't wanna bother with a 28mm tyre at all. 32mm at least for me and a strong comfortable frame.

[ariffau]

I choose endurance bikes.

The sportiest one would be Orbea Orca. Not the OMX, the OMR!
it fits 35mm tyres and have very roadie geometry

[renegadeflyer]

For me, I like a bike that is efficient and I'm not interested in old skool mountain bike with wide drop bars. If you're riding is over ruff trails and roads, you don't need drops. If you're looking for some efficiency to ride the long rides. I can't recommend the gravel bike with a one by, and the wide bars that puts your hands and arms out in the wind. On normal gravel roads, 25c and 28c will work fine.

[tanawatleelayouva]

Frankly if you need more than 50 mm. of tire to ride in that road i would rather go for hardtail MTB instead non suspension bike so gravel bike is not in my scope at all its just endurance bike with big tire however its has limit over the tire size more than that >>MTB bro its suit your need its better choice

[jeffreycohen]

lost me at over 28mm is a drag, welcome to the 00s

[mohamadjamil]

Hello. Your videos are becoming more objective and very interesting. Please maintain :)

[renegadeflyer]

If I want to ride very rocky or muddy trails I will get a trail or a XC mountain bike. I have no interest in riding those trails with a drop bar. In Canada, gravel roads are built using gravel. Crushed stone and sand. I do have an older aluminum cyclocross bike for doing everything from carrying bigger loads and running around. My do it everything else bike. As for my play bike, I ride my road bike.
My road bike can almost do, everything the cyclocross bike can do. But I would like to keep it in top condition. I do ride it on gravel roads also, as in no pavement.

[brandonhoffman]

7:02 Theres nothing like seeing a $500 pulley on a $170 derailleur...

Its like buying a cold air intake for your car for $10, 000 (3x more than the transmission)

I chose cold air intake because it should be similar performance gains.

[CB-ldno]

GRAVEL GRAVEL GRAVEL. Rethink gravel to mean multisurface. Do not limit horizons of exploring with a Domane or Checkpoint setup with a fast rolling 700x40mm Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H tires or wider for some bikes. And a 2x drivetrain if live and ride hills and mountains. 1x for strong legs then zigzag uphills, and ultra fast cadence downhill then coast.