How To Choose A New Gravel Bike

Thinking of buying a new gravel bike? Overwhelmed by the vast range of drop-bar off-road steeds now available? Don’t sweat, Si, together with help from our friends at Shimano, takes us through the key things you need to understand to chose the right bike for you.

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[jimk]

My two cents...I wanted a gravel bike because:
1. I'm on the heavy side (5'9", about 260 pounds)
2. I'm 55, and just getting back into riding...wanted something I would feel stable on and less "twitchy"
3. I liked the flexibility of putting fatter or skinnier tires on it

I didn't want to spend a ton of money, but wanted something that would give me a good experience. I ended up getting the Giant Revolt 2...has Sora components, a fairly relaxed geometry, and $1, 000(US). I switched out the tired and put some Specialized Pathfinder 42mm tires on it, and love how it rides. If I get in better shape and want to do a 50 miler at some point, I can put some 32mm road tires on it and I think it would do nicely. All in all, I love the bike.

[endcensorship]

Any time you do a buying guide, may it be for Gravel or Road or Mountain, you need to reference the "Bontrager Axiom." The Bontrager Axiom stated simply: Lightweight, Durable, Inexpensive. Pick Two.

[andyheilmann]

Can you make a graphic of the gravel spectrum?
Like a road bike on one side, and a mountain bike on the other, with different gravel bikes in the middle where they would fit?
That would be nice

[kaatdebusscher]

About the tire clearance being limited on 2x setups: My Giant Revolt can fit up to 45 mm tires and even up to 50 mm with 650b wheels. I'd say that's more than ample tire clearance on a gravel bike.

[bludog]

A couple years late on this, but just wanted to give a thank you shout. Just bought a Devinci gravel bike...the smile was plastered on my face the entire ride.

[dannygayler]

I'm learning more every time I watch G C N, Thanks !

[danielbum]

Wait, you guys don't have a reach and stack spreadsheet? It's on page two of my cycling spreadsheets, between gearings and the parts weight

[noahs.]

Absolutely love my Bombtrack Hook EXT. I have 2 wheel sets for it and can explore all I want with tons of bosses for accessories.

[eltribun]

I want one, but canyon still hasn't got it back in stock, the grail AL 7.0 SL.


For me, it is not just a trend, it is the freedom to go where no cars are, being able to go on roads AND offroad. So the argument to go for an mtb, comes to short- I don't need to ride trails, but it is just awfull to ride through forrests and rural paths with the roadbike, and therefor a gravel bike is the perfect hybrid to combine it. And roadriding on mtb is just you know what

[ianparkes]

Such good info – GCN is so good at this – but I thought it just fell at the final hurdle when encouraging people to get interested in the numbers. When you are looking at the numbers, they are just numbers. The readers are no further ahead – but they are now in an alien landscape with no map. Just needed to take one more step to say which direction indicates racier or more responsive (which you called faster), and which slacker/ more relaxed or comfortable ('slower'- but not sure this is helpful as who wants 'slower'?).
Reach and stack will help you find a bike that fits (or you could just try a few out) but it would be good to learn which geometry numbers, (which range within head angle for example) put a bike where on the spectrum. That's different to saying the numbers tell the story. Unless you can read the numbers you can't read the story.

[RobBastien]

Man O' Man, GCN videos are well produced. Keep up the good work guys!

[Countrystock]

Looking for a gravel bike for my first commuter bike. Mix of road, woodland trails and cycle track. This video has helped. Nice one Si

[yanncampbell]

My best upgrade this year go from a 50-34 to a 46-30 crankset. Great to go up steep gravel roads.

[LeSpocky]

Last year I looked out for a new (maybe gravel) bike from August till December. Luckily the local dealers allowed me to do test rides on a lot of bikes, and if you have such an opportunity: do it! That gave me more insights in what I want and need, than any spreadsheet could give (and I had a spreadsheet).

And it made one thing perfectly clear: size and geometry have a huge impact on comfort, little details matter if you feel comfortable on a bike or not. And: the material is especially important for the fork, the frame material is actually of less importance in my opinion. If you can avoid an aluminium fork: avoid it. Steel or carbon is a lot, and I mean really very much, better than aluminium as fork material.

Eventually I was very close to buying a Breezer Inversion, a real steel dream bike, what a beauty in look and riding impressions, but quite expensive for my budget. I ended up with a used 2016 TREK CrossRip LTD which has an aluminium frame with carbon fork. and replaced the stem with a shorter one. And it's great. It's so much fun to ride.

Long story short: it pays off to put a lot of effort in research and tests, before you actually buy. At least if you don't buy a new bike every year anyway.

[brosettastone]

I went with a 2020 Fuji Jari, she weighs about 28 lbs but I still love it

[michaelpaine]

Really enjoy your comparisons, I have a Holdsworth Mystique, for the summer I bought some folding slicks and put some road spd's on, made a massive change to the weight and it flys! Not concerned about spinning out on the gears as the best way to improve you average speed is on the climbs anyway! However after a few weeks I have just swapped back to mtb spds and Vittoria revolution tyres that it came with as I felt I was missing out on a few excursions off the tarmac. Feels heavier and slower but more comfortable, tyres soak up the harsh bumps in the tarmac. I think the main difference on speed is down to tyre pressure with a max of 75psi vs 100psi. Will either continue to swap around as and when or if I decided to stay with gravel set up I might invest in going tubeless as the Fulcrum race 7's are tubeless ready.

[danielhofer]

I now own a Merida Silex +6000, and I am absolutely in love with this thing. The 1x11 SRAM Force 1 gearing is perfect for my area (ˋmountainsˋ up to like 600 meters, more like big hills, but can be really steep here and there). But I can also ride on a even road to like 40 kilometers/hour speed with ease, if there is no wind. I can modify it to be more like a mtb with 50mm tires or use 35mm ones more used for tarmac. All in all a superb everyday bike.

[victorbjorn]

Just got a new Jamis Renegade A1 for $650. People argue about the cheap Claris system, brakes but it just works and I'm having fun.

[ArnageLM]

I ride a 2019 Cube Cross Race Pro. A cross bike at heart, but my gravel bike for Dutch gravel. Really love the package with a two by, full 105 and hydraulic discs. The aluminum frame is rock solid. Price wise it is dirt cheap, I bought it for €1100!

[Hardi]

I think the tire width, still depends of the gravel type and your power output/speed, possibly also body weight. If I have enough power, that I can ride 35+km/h on gravel, then that wider tire won't make me more comfy, (because my weight isn't on saddle and bike shakes less on that speed and it's even easier to pedal.) instead it tires me faster, so I'm not able to ride so fast so long.
I rather ride fast a bit longer and then bear that uncomfortableness of 30mm tire, than ride slow and work hard. I often find, that the best speed on gravel, where I ride, is somewhere over 30kmh, but over 45 is already too fast, for 30mm tire. With wider tire I can go faster too on downhill. Though I won't be able to react in time, when road gets too bad, into washboard, because on gravel it's difficult to notice potholes and road waves(washboardness) from far. The worst it shakes on speeds betwen 20km/h and30km/h. Well people who are strong probably won't feel any difference whether it's 20mm tire or90mm wide tire. It's all same. Of course between manufacturers ant tire models there are difference too. Maybe those continental tires just are so good.. But no I still prefer 30mm tire, because it's more fun. With wider tire the bike gets too stable on these slow speeds that I ride, or too good roads that I ride. It will be so boring.