XC Vs Gravel Bikes | What’s The Difference? What's Faster?

Join Neil Donoghue and Blake Samson for an epic race across the wild Swedish landscapes as they put the question of XC Vs Gravel bikes to the ultimate test! Which rider will be victorious? Will the capabilities of the XC beat the outright speed of the gravel bike? There's only one way to find out! 🎬

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What's your go-to bike? Share with us down below! 👇

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What's your go-to bike? Share with us down below! 👇

[JimiAle]

I have both and love both. The XC bike is faster off road a lot more confidence inspiring. However the gravel bike tends to be more fun, choosing lines & bike control. Underbiking is where it at :-)

[SimonBauer]

for me the ultimate all round bike is a hardtail xc bike. enough suspension and wide enough tires to get you into trouble but not too much that it doesnt ride like crap on the road.

[charliecook]

I'm a cross country hardtail bike lover, not much use for a gravel bike around where I live , but doesn't stop me wanting one 🤣

[birkaster]

This Gravel vs MTB thing gets really tiring now, honestly, doesn't really matter as long as you have fun. And probably it's an unfair comparison, a gravel is just a usable road bike for regular people: more relaxed geometry and capable to handle crappy roads, you can put bags on it, etc. If you have only the money to buy one bike just for biking, than probably the best choice, you can use it on- and offroad, commute. If you fancy off-road a bit more, than probably the XC is a very good choice.
On the other hand, let's just appreciate that Blake probably could do this with a unicycle, that guy has crazy bike handling skills.

[tsurutom]

I have exactly those, a hardtail XC and a gravel bike, love both, and use both for nearly the same things. They're so close together, and it all depends on the tyres you put on them. The gravel bike goes just that bit faster on flat surfaces and the XC bike can ride a bit bumpier off road stuff, but for me (and probably the average rider) there's like 90% overlap.

[scossar]

Yeah, gravel bikes are great general purpose bikes, but really come into their own on logging roads. They're also a great way to get out onto single track if you don't have a car.

[chrisridesbicycles]

Saalbach has changed a thing or two. GCN presenters falling in love with MTB, Blake on drop bars. This is wild. Both have their use. Neil, did you have to use the lockout lever on the Exie?

[beigemaster]

The main reason I love my gravel bike is because I loved being able to go straight from my door wherever I want to go, so if (like me) you have at least 10 miles of road to access the good off-road stuff then it’s a game changer. No need to take the car or long slow miles on an XC bike on the tarmac.

I guess if you’re limited to space and finance then the gravel bike is the ultimate utility bike- can ride mine with 48mm 650B wheels or 700cc with road slicks to do century rides.

[DickSpencer]

Blake! You spinning machine!! GMBN needs to bring you back to the USA to run some gravel races. Unbound, Steamboat, Belgian Waffle. You would tear it up!!!

[garethbingham]

Love this video...have both, albeit a more trail orientated MTB, but watching has reinforced why I gave up road riding for off-road...so much more fun!!!

[YogiliciousP]

Love the head to head! Suggestion: when you pop up a view of where on the map one of them was, overlay the other’s in an alternate color. Now swap bikes and do the same race!

[gordion]

I have a cross bike which is nothing like a mountain bike thankfully. It is not about speed but enjoyment.

[cliffsangelsphotography]

It's about time I see an Ibis on the channel

[snowmanism]

Wicked shot of Blake riding through the puddle... Love it... The video quality at GMBN is outstanding...

[colinl]

Nice fire trails there. Ours are more sandy or rubble with heaps of potholes, so suspension is more a necessity.

[elrictdb]

The road conditions where I stay almost require a full sus gravel bike. Road bikes just really suffer from big impacts and loose gravel on our main roads and that's before the rain starts.

[ChrisKim-eoku]

Blake's just out here riding Scandinavian rally roads, no wonder he had fun!

[Desmond]

Wait, what ?!? Blake is going with the gravel over the MTB ? I see the roadies at GCN (Hank especially) have started their shenanigans to bring Blaky boi to their side.
Sneaky buggers...

[paulbeth]

Mtb, road, gravel... why can't we all be friends?