Why You Might Be Wrong About Gravel Bikes!

We've been invited to @MondrakerTV HQ in Alicante to sample the local area and everything it has to offer by gravel bike. The Arid is Mondraker's first gravel bike and they have not held back, applying their trademark Forward Geometry to the genre. They've crammed this bike with cool features, making it a beast for all-day gravel adventures and multi-day bike-packing trips. Owen Coutts was on hand to try it out, and see if simpler bikes can make for better rides!

⏱ Timestamps ⏱
00:00 - I Love Gravel
01:40 - Our Route Around Alicante
02:21 - City Slickin'
03:12 - What Actually Are Gravel Bikes?
04:43 - Heading Off-Road On The New Mondraker Arid
06:25 - No Suspension, No Worries
08:51 - Some Finer Details On The New Mondraker Arid
10:35 - Mondraker Geometry Rules!
11:56 - Why Not An XC Bike?
13:45 - So... Will Your Next Bike Be A Gravel Bike?

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Are you tempted by a gravel bike?

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[mirkoschulthei]

I am a Mountainbiker with a Gravel-Bike (not with a carbon but a steel frame) and i love this thing. Challenging myself on single-track or just covering more distance is a great thing. Since I've got that bike the radius of my rides has increased a lot. I don't regret buying this beauty at all

[surfroo]

MTB, Gravel and Road .. love them all!! Ride and enjoy

[MTBforCowboys]

I joked about this on the last Owen video, but Owen's throwing everything he's got at videos lately, and I genuinely appreciate his enthusiasm. It reminds me of Chris Packham's TV shows in the 90s and 2000s, in that it feels like they found the person who was the most excited in the world to be telling you about whatever animal was on-screen at the moment. Great work from the crew on this, as well; the camera work and editing has definitely stepped up over the course of the last year.

[KwadSkwad]

comment section is rough from the regular audience.. as someone who drifted here; I've got an XC hardtail and a gravel bike; both are awesome and have different capabilities.

The mondraker looks awesome. I like the mount points in the frame and fork as well. and massive triangle. solid adventure capability.

[mathewpitman]

You never really answered the question abouts whats the difference from an XC mountain bike felt more like advert!

[matt_acton-varian]

Love it or hate it, can we all agree that Owen has been hiding his handling skills pretty well? That steep section and track stand, very slick.

[andymtb]

I ride mtb singletrack as much as possible but in Southern Colorado there are thousands of miles of dirt roads with very low traffic! The roads dry out a lot faster than the trails. A gravel bike rolls faster, has proper gearing and is the right tool for the job.

[Adventuregirl]

I love my Gravel bike and take it on multi day trips all the time. Gravel and MTB rides are great and the make for great GMBN and GCN crossover videos.

[Seppster]

Great video Owen.. My gravel bike was my gateway drug to mountain biking. More of an MTBer now, but I love the ride of my gravel bike once in awhile.

[markhay]

I have both. It’s just different flavours of riding. Gravel a mix of old school xc and road cycling. I don’t do roads anymore but still love the felling of speed and riding a ridged bike . MTB for when I’m ride with my mates for the fun times 😁

[tonkshred]

Anyone else ride gravel roads for years before they invented a “new” must have hype machine?!

[newttella]

Gravel bikes are perfect for when my trails are too wet or snow covered. Gravel roads at lower elevations provide good spring training rides. Plus you're away from traffic!!

[iansingleton]

I really like the look of the Mondraker! I've had my eye on it since it dropped. I was going to buy a new gravel bike this year but there wasn't anything on the market that "wowed" me. I bought a new Giant Defy "all road" endurance bike which I love but I'm still looking for that Gravel bike and I think I've found it. Great video guys. I'd love some of that warm arid weather too.

[ridethroughlifertl]

I converted my 86 Miyata 710 to a 1x9 with flat bars and index shifter [instead of the downtube], and I ride it on and off road. Having bigger tires would be nice sometimes, but I get by with what I have.

[jacksonbangs]

Until just recently, my Trek 520 steal framed touring bike has also performed well as a gravel bike. As time went on the terrain on my riddes have gotten more rough and technical. To spare my touring bike I baught a GIANT hardtail mountain bike with 29 inch wheels. What a difference an actual mountain bike can make.

[cviudes]

Glad to see my home tracks on GMBN. We have a nice landscape here in Elche and Aspe for MTB and gravel.

[bryanooi]

I owning 3 bikes. XC bike, steel adventure touring bike and gravel bike. If I only can own 1 single bike, a sturdy metal gravel bike is my choice.

[redrover]

Yesterday I was in a bike shop in Mesa, AZ. While waiting for my bike I saw a Trek 'Y' bike that was being changed into a Gravel bike. Had dropped bars, proper gravel wheels and tires. Really looked pretty good. I would be tempted into a Grave bike like this.

[xXneorlinXx]

I am a mountain biker that has a gravel bike. And in my personal opinion is:
Everytime I am off road on it, I wish I was on my trail bike. Everytime I am on the road on it, I wish I owned a road bike. Basically, when you can have several bikes there is no point in gravel bike, so I will be selling mine and looking for a good road bike instead

[TCK]

Why wouldn’t you just ride your trail MTB on gravel?