Can You Use A Gravel Bike As A Road Bike?

Once you've changed out tyres, how much difference really is there between a modern gravel and road bike? We find out.

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[Cade_Media]

Eagle eyed (no pun intended) viewers may have spotted the spec of the gravel bike was different to what I described at the start of the video - turns out the original bike was dismantled so slightly higher spec addict gravel (minus rival levers) was subbed in!
- francis

[PavoniFan]

As a long term viewer of the channel, I find the content shifting more and more towards GCN and Co. All the sponsored stuff, the product reviews, quite similar. I don‘t mind but I kinda miss the days where the local cycling scene was involved, the social aspect was more present. Production value has skyrocketed and yet, I miss the spirit. Thanks for getting the vids out nontheless!

[pabloinones]

I have just bought a road wheelset to put on my gravel bike.
I make the change in 6 min flat and enjoy whatever the day brings.
I am super happy with the decision and encourage others to try it!!

[clairer]

Great discussion, I currently use a gravel bike as my primary road bike. I have 2 wheel sets, 28's on the road set up and they spend the most time on the bike, I have the 2x grx and am able to hold pace on club rides and with friends without issues. I can then pack the bike with bags etc for a bit of cycle touring or bikepacking. I never run out of gears and can climbs most gradients. For me it's the perfect and most cost effective set up. I have been riding the bike this way for over 2 years.

[slickfast]

Absolutely LOVE this debate and wish it could be covered more often. The whole idea of one bike to rule them all (for most people) with the popularization of disc brakes and gravel frames kind of means to me that can do about 90% of all riding with one bike and not really miss out anywhere. If you want to get into the rough stuff you'll need a mountain bike, and if you're getting into the ridiculously fast riding you'll want an aero bike. But MOST people I believe can probably have one bike with two (or even 3) sets of wheels!

[timdhaeyer]

I recently switched over from a road bike to an All-Road (Ridley Grifn) with 35mm gravel tires (Schwalbe GS-ONE RS). I don't have any issues following my friends on their road bikes. I actually started off with 32mm road tires and they felt slower then the ones I have on now. I'm not regretting my decision so far. It's way more comfortable and I have more riding options. I did go for a 2x setup. I live in a quite hilly area (Tour of Flanders region), so having easy gears to go up hills like the Koppenberg is a real must.

[Rich_Mitch_Creative]

I've been using one bike on the road and gravel for the last three years. I love it. I swap the tyres around, I'd love to have two sets of wheels but hey ho, budget etc. I have a 2x set up, with a Praxis Alba chainset with 48/32 rings on it and a 11-34 cassette on the back. I've yet to feel under geared, even on a 100km ride last year when the folk i was riding with took it up to 40kmh plus on the ride home... I use SPD pedals, and love them. It's proper comfy on longer rides. I'm not going to race anymore, so I'm not stressing. Great video lads, nice one.

[kyleellsworth]

You nailed it. I mostly ride my old 2012 gravel bike now with 700x40mm tires and (usually) a semi-slick rear tire. I use a 48/32 rings x 11/34 cassette gearing. Amazing all the different things you can do with that set up alone. The road bike is mostly sitting on the trainer.

[fotografamos]

I'm riding a - on paper - road bike with bigger tires - 700x38 slicks. It's perfectly fine for gravel and road. 50/34 + 11/36 cassette. It handles all climbing needs easily. Triban RC520 "road", 2x Shimano 105 - the almost perfect bike. And under 1000.

[markreams]

Yes, with 2 sets of wheels. I do it. You can also use less aggressive gravel tires in 35 with a slick center section if you ride mixed surfaces. If you race then a two by set up on your gravel bike would be better. There are carbon sole mountain bike shoes from Shimano and Sidi. There are probably others as well. Gravel bikes are the Swiss Army knives of bikes.

[grahambell]

Another open & honest review guys between the bikes & the variations of setups. As amateur cyclists, we have choices and we can mix them up with the resources we have👍

[thecappy]

Absolutely! There’re just endurance road bikes with larger tire clearance. Just need another set of wheels for the skinny tires.

[alexpomeranets]

Great video Francis!! Been waiting for you guys to make a video just like this. I’m 15 and I started road riding a cheaper gravel bike last year and really got into the sport. I was noticing some difficulties and this video really helped explaining them.

[johnhilton]

I've used my gravel bike as a road bike for years 11, 42 cassette with 42 chainring and 30mm road tyres .... absolutely fine

[lookpro.rideslow]

i swear bike channels have this conversation every 6-7 months. Yes, you can use gravel bike as road bike. Why is it so hard to understand? Why is it even up for debate? I used to have three sets of wheels for my Diverge: commuting, gravel race, crit race. Done I used that bike for everything and it worked just fine...

[garyhocking]

2x gravel bike with 2 sets of wheels, same cassette on both. Allows me to use my gravel bike everywhere comfortably. And no issues keeping up on group rides.

[ianlainchbury]

I bought a Merlin Malt G2P gravel bike, and a second wheelset. Gravel tyres on one set, 700x28's road tyres on the other. It's running SPD's and Tiagra 50/34 - 11/32 gear set up, and it's a great all round bike. 100% agree with this video :) Thanks guys.

[SamGrayPlus]

Trapped in a room today waiting for jury service and watched a load of cycling content pushed to me by the algorithm. Only Cade’s videos have a constant attention to narrative and flow and keeping me engaged. Not just “random thought” smash cut to cycling footage smash cut to “another random thought”.

This is something I think about a lot, I have a carbon bike with endurance geometry, is it worth spending £5k to upgrade to aero when all I do is ride with mates? Prob not.

[patrickgallagher]

Bought my Triban RC120 after watching your review. Got another pair of wheels, 650B with 40mm tubeless gravel tires, swapped out the stock crankset for one with 165mm cranks and 2 less teeth on the smaller ring (32T) as well as the cassett (x2) to another Microshift but with 6 more teeth on the largest cog (38T) and naturally a different Microshift RD with a long cage (didn't even need a Wolftooth!). Now it's got a suspension seat post and suspension stem and rides like the wind through the nearby forest roads on weekends. Weekdays I swap on the tubeless 28mm road tires and commute 45 minutes to work and home again. Gonna take it on tour from Stockholm to North Cape and down the Norwegian coast this summer, fully loaded with 15 litre rear panniers, fork bags, top tube frame bag and a Specialized Handlebar Harness. 63 litres of baggage space and the bike will probably weigh about 25kg - half of what I usually tour across continents with. But bet I'll be glad I got one lower gear on the new drivetrain!

[willparsons]

Yep. I have a Addict 10 and use it for everything other than racing. Use it for the shops, casual rides, commuting, training whatever really.

It came with 45mm tyres and when they where about done I went down to 35mm that are slightly less aggressively treaded.

I have no problem keeping up with amateurs on nice bikes or even those ridiculous over powered garage e-bikes.

Crucially it’s two bi, as standard and it’s fine in everything. Never run out gears.

I did a bit of research before I bought it and it just made so much sense.

Maybe a little compact on the long rides but equally it is slightly more comfortable because of this.