Road Bike With Gravel Tires Vs Gravel Bike - What’s The Difference?
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- čas přidán 11. 05. 2024
- “Gravel bikes are a complete waste of time and the Gravel World Championships made a joke of the whole gravel industry.” After the whole men’s podium at this year’s inaugural gravel world champs raced on road bikes with gravel tyres, there was a lot of debate about whether gravel bikes are pointless. Alex & Ollie take a look at the two setups to see how different they really are…
0:00 Intro
0:44 Gravel bike
1:10 Road bike with gravel tyres
2:00 Rolling resistance
3:22 Geometry
4:42 What does that mean on the road?
5:23 What about on gravel?
7:09 Gravel bike gearing
8:35 Road bike gearing
9:55 So, are gravel bikes pointless?
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Gravel bike or road bike with gravel tyres - which would you choose? Let us know in the comments below! 💬
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Gravel bike or road bike with gravel tyres - which would you choose?
Sticking a set of gravel tires on a road bike seems a great option if you also have a mountain bike(s). A hardtail and road bike with the right tires probably cover all gravel bases, tho admittedly not at the same time
If you're not bothered about the super bike handling and speed, I'd go for a gravel bike (2x with 48/31 and 11/34) with two sets of wheels.
But to be fair my gravel bike the Canyon Grail SLX does handle very well on road but the split seat post does flex when you try to put a big effort in.
I recently took my gravel bike on holiday to Gran Canaria with my road bike wheels in as the gearing was lower and found it was the perfect bike for the area and climbing up Pico Da Nieves.
A sub-$1K gravel bike will be the best option as you won't be too worried if it gets damaged on the gnarly stuff.
Gravel bike with wide GP5000s, there was a GCN video a while back comparing gravel tyres for different levels of gravel and GP5000s were the choice for light gravel and great on road.
Why do you say that gravel bikes are more rugged? I don't think so because road bikes need to be very rugged as well and need to withstand potholes at 80kph. It can't get much worse than that. Most gravel bikes are not approved by manufacturer for jumps and neither allow they higher system load. Therefore I question if gravel bikes are more durable in any relevant way beside the wheels?
"slightly relaxed geometry"
**shows seatpost half a meter above handlebars**
Yup. Everything they ever show is fine for light, young, flexible, very fit racers who are ok with looking at their power meter all day. If that is their audience, great, I guess.
Lol, yeah. Flat handlebars (with bar ends?) are way comfier for the layman. "Fitness" bikes are just as capable and way cheaper. Most of the biggest brands have them on their line up. Bikes such as Trek FX and Specialized Sirrus. Ample tyre clearance, gear ratios meant for the layman, and v-brakes which are easier and cheaper to maintain (and work perfectly fine with the right brake pads).
😂😂😂
I actually use the third option: having a gravel bike with a 2x setup and two wheelsets, one with 38mm gravel tires and one with 32mm road tires. Does its job very well. It is indeed a little bit too compliant for a road bike but therefor very comfortable to ride. It is maybe the most versatile and most cost sensitive option for gravel and road (so to say allroad) usage.
Great sounding set up 🙌 Do you find it much of a compromise?
@@gcntech Its not much of a compromise. I have a Ti gravel bike with 2 wheel sets, and just as referenced, have a road set with 32mm GP5000s (gravel is 40mm, but can go to 45). The 32s are also wide enough for "light" gravel/packed dirt roads. I road that single bike for a long time, but finally broke down and bought a pure road bike. Its a bit faster on the tarmac, but I would hesitate to do a road ride with friends with the gravel bike (and would prefer it if the weather was bad).
I use a Trek Boone cx bike with lightweight Rene Herse 38mm Barlow Pass tires. Still very fast on the road, and has been capable on gravel (though I do not ride on large size gravel). The light carbon wheels have been capable for everything i ride.
@@gcntech It is a very personal choice. I am quite okay with having a bit more compliance over a bit less performance.
I think that if you have plans to do both types of riding, and only want to have a single bike for it, that this is the most sensible options. This what I run, and I really don't have an issue keeping up on group rides in general. Am I going to be winning sprints, or climbs, or races on it? Probably not. But then again I am also probably not fit enough for it to really matter any ways.
I’d def love to see the team’s thoughts on gravel bike with road tyres. I ride a Crux with 2x gearing and two wheel sets; one set up with gravel tyres and the other with road tyres. It’s a very capable bike on both surfaces (more capable than I am as a rider!) - the only downside, as Oli mentioned in this video, is because of the wide tyre capacity, I’m restricted on the 2x chainring sizes and so do find myself spinning out on fast descents. I think the solution will be to wait for 12spd GRX and then buy a Classified hub :-)
That Crux is a lovely bike. But it doesn't have enough mounting points to be a "true" gravel bike by just replacing tyres (at least in my book). Also I'd say running a 2x gearing is more that fast and exciting road+ kind of thing, but for long technical gravel rides or bikepacking trips, a 1x with an extended range cassette is my go-to.
@@KNURKonesur It really is lovely :-) And, while I'd politely disagree with discounting it as a "true" gravel bike (many of the unsealed roads I enjoy riding on are certainly gravel), I take your points about mountings and such. For rougher, tougher, exploring and hauling the Diverge is probably far better suited (or anything by Salsa!)
i ride a crux e5 with a 52t chainring. works...
My current road winter bike is a gravel bike with 32mm tyres. 1 x 11-46 with a 46 tooth chainring.
@@jamiefarrell6496 I agree with you, frame mounts are great. But that is specificaly for bike packing, gravel touring etc, a subset of gravel, but not exclusively ' real gravel'. If you can do loose, rocky unpaved double tracks at sustained %s up to 17% without pushing ( if you are grinding at 4.3 kmph in saddle.. it is okay to push the bike) and also do paved descents above 70 kmph: it's a proper gravel bike . My bike is a first or second gen gravel bike. I lack frame mounts except for a rear rack.
Im using my gravel bike with road tyres. It feels pretty good and is perfect if u only have space for 1 bike. Im aswell using a road groupset on my gravel bike.
I'd definately use an Ultegra RX or GRX rear mech.
But beyond that i'd swap anything for road parts if there are problems with availability.
Same, got 700x32 wheels with 11-28t and a 650bx47 set with 11-40 for special occasions
What about a cx bike as a compromise?
I also only have room for 1 bike and went for a gravel setup - I’d love to learn more about fitting a gravel bike with road tires, maybe even road bars to see if that can bridge the gap a bit
How do you find the road gearing on the gravel? 👀
My favorite gravel bikes are an old 26er with 2.3” fast rolling DTH semi slicks with a 63mm travel fork, and a fully rigid XC carbon 29er with low profile 2.6” knobbies. 40mm tire sink into deep gravel and are brutal on washboards, and for me gravel rides are usually on a long slow ride to enjoy the scenery anyway. Swept Alt handlebars (Jones, and VO Seine with inner bar ends) with at least one hoods-like position are key for when you want to tuck in for headwinds or smooth descents. Both bikes would suck on anything above a green MTB trail, but I don’t even ride those. The 26er was used and
Personally I'd love to see comparing gravel and road tires on a gravel bike. Recently bought my first drop-bar bike and chose gravel because of the flexibility, with the intent to eventually get a set of road-specific wheels/tires to swap between for different kinds of rides. I'm pretty new to serious cycling though, so I'd love to see professional opinions from this channel on that approach.
they have made but its on the roller, and outside is just cruising on descent no pedalling. havent found any videos about comparing two tires same bike with power meter yet.
Unless you're super serious about high speed group rides on the road, then a gravel bike with road tires will be quite a good set up and you will still have all the other capability when you throw back on the chunkier wheels. If you are riding solo, you probably won't even notice the difference.
You're onto the winning formula right there. I have a rim brake road bike that's been gathering dust, and the gravel bike will be getting a road set of wheels in the fairly near future.
Sound like a great set up Eric 🙌 Welcome to the wonderful world of cycling! You can always invest in a road bike further down the line. 👀
I've ridden a cyclocross Bike (when I bought it gravel was not a thing yet) with road tyres on it for the last 7 years and Just upgraded to an actual "pure" road bike. Yes its faster but not like in a different league or something. I'd strongly advise against 1x tho as it really limits the bike when on the Road.
I've considered buying a second wheelset, but I'll be swapping my gravelbike for a roadie + MTB any time soon. I'd rather have 2 bikes to truly "do it all" rather than 1 bike that "almost does nearly everything". The cost of both options is smaller than you'd expect.
Gravelbikes usually don't have optimal geometry and gearing for tarmac, and they also lack suspension, truly high volume tyre capabilities and good geometry for MTB. The only surface in between is... gravel (or cyclocross, but we have bikes for that already).
Changing the gearing basically turns your gravelbike into a roadie, but with wrong geometry, and can create very challenging off-road gearing situations.
Doing MTB tracks on a gravelbike can be very difficult or sometimes impossible, but doing gravel on a MTB is very much possible and depending on the type of gravel, you could even do it on the roadie with some common 32, 30 or even 28mm setup.
And for the cost of 2 (preferably aero) wheels + cassette + 2 tyres + 2 discs, there are some very decent entry level MTB's available, giving you much more off-road capabilities than a gravelbike.
The only reason I see for the existence of gravelbikes is for gravel racing, just like cyclocross bikes exist purely for cyclocross races: it's a niche.
The final idea mentioned (gravel rig with road tires) is very practical. I spent much of last season with that set up. Bike was the new Specialized Crux, billed a both a Cross and Gravel rig, but also similar to the Aethos in geometry. Super light, snappy frame. For gravel, i ran a 40mm set up and kept the SRAM xPlor gearing. Excellent for that. For road, i ran a separate 40mm deep road wheelset with 28s. Was loving this set up, but was unable to win the group ride sprints and also didn’t like the large jumps between gears. The solution was simple. Swapped the front chain-ring from a 40T to a 42T, giving me 42x10 top end….that’s plenty of speed. To solve the jumps, i just own three different cassettes for a variety of rides or races. XPlor 10x42 for gravel, 10x33 for Cross, and a 10x30 for flat to moderately hilly road rides. This is an extremely practical set up for 90% of riders…. With only remaining limitation being the 42 chain-ring still limits top end speed for only the fastest of finishes.
I have done a similar test myself. I have a Canyon Aeroad and Canyon Grail. Over the same test route of 25miles (40km) the Aeroad with 60mm carbon rims and 28mm GP5000's did it in 1hour 4min 29seconds @22.9mph (36.8kmh).
The standard Grail (48/31 2X) with 38mm gravel tyres (Panaracer Gravelking SK) did it in 1hour 09mins and 25 seconds @20.9mph (33kmh). And the 'Groad' the Grail with the Aeroad wheels and tyres in did it in 1 hour 7mins and 28 seconds @21.7 (34.9kmh). I tried to keep the avg power to around 230watts.
The Groad, haha nice. That is a good combo of bikes. I have an Ultimate and a Trek Checkpoint. Was the route pretty smooth good condition tarmac? If so then it sounds like the Grail did pretty well with keeping it that close.
@@daryl4841 Thanks, it felt harder on the Grail though. The route is English roads with mix of mainly B and C roads/ ok to grass growing the middle of single car width roads.
That is a very high difference! Where you using the same gear ratios?
Gravel and two sets of wheels is what I’d be considering.
I have a canyon endurance frame now and comparing geometries gravel in other brands seems to be quite similar.
Exactly. I've always had road bikes with clearance and so all you need is a winter/off road wheel set. Done.
I agree. Over speccing the frame toughness and using it for less strenuous tasks is easily doable. Where as under speccing the frame toughness and taking it off road, could get ugly.
@@longdang2681 I've seen what can happen to a carbon race bike taken off road. Front end snapped off
you might see a difference in trail, seat tube angle, and head angle. Theyre usually within a degree of "race" focused gravel bikes. Tire clearance and BB height are the significant factors to watch if you plan to do some more technical riding off road. For _most_ gravel, a road frame is completely fine.
I bought a gravel bike in a move from MTB and added a set of carbon road wheels & tires. It has worked great, and the only thing preventing me keeping up on big road rides is my fitness ;-)
I love GCN - really started watching a few weeks ago , now im all over it , with Manon's crazy 140 mile Colorado ride , painting her bike , all the comparisons - LOVE IT ALL
I would like to see you guys run another video on whether a gravel bike is worth buying at all, versus a super lightweight 29” wheeled mountain bike.
A gravel bike can obviously run faster than a mountain bike, but that only makes any sense if you want to chase times against other gravel bikers..
We ride the bridlepaths on the South & North Downs, all routes have technical sections that make gravel bikes dangerous and no fun.. We have seen a few crashes, and often overtake gravel bikers pushing their faster bikes on sections these bikes simply don’t cope with.
Drop handlebars for off roading is nuts, it’s a fact drop handlebars have less control. Zero suspension on rutted trails guarantees a sore body, and no dropper saddle for steep technical downhill runs adds more danger to gravel biking..
My mountain bike weighs about 11kg, it has lockable front and rear suspension, and is fast enough for me, but all importantly it carries me through the most muddy, rutted paths all year round..
I maybe being cynical, but the gravel bike phenomenon seems to be just another success of the marketing world to sell us more kit!
I've been riding a Giant Revolt advance with two sets of carbon wheels, one is gravel specific, the other is road, to make it even more interesting, the rear cassettes are also gravel/road specific, plus I swapped out 48/32 chainrings for 52/36 and I love it 😎
Brilliant! Thanks for the breakdown. I am riding an older Trek 2200 roadbike that I treat like a gravel bike. Put 28s on it because that is as big as it will go, and I really ride everything I want. Mind, I am waiting for the day when the bike disintegrates under me, but until then super fun.
That was the question I answered last year. I had a nice road bike and and middle of the road gravel bike. I found myself gravitating to the gravel bike 80% of the time I went out for a ride. It was more comfortable, more versatile, and just a whole lot more fun. So, I sold both bikes and built up a Lynskey GR300 and purchased two additional wheelsets. I have a road set that I run 32C road tires, a gravel set that I run 40c mixed terrain gravel tires, and a 650b wheelset that I run 50c tires on for true offroad and single track rides. I personally will never go back to a straight road bike. This is by far, the most fun I've ever had on a bike. I LOVE IT!!!!
This is my setup too. And if I go bikepacking I switch out the chainring for a 38t.
I did stick with a 2X crankset. I just find that's it's much more versatile. I've been riding for 35 years. 2X still just feels right to me.
Yes! I would love to see a video on gravel bike with 2 sets of wheels. That’s exactly what I’m riding on, a 2 buy gravel bike with road tires when I’m on road and gravel tires when I’m going off road. Thanks for the video, great stuff as always
How do you find the setup? 👀
i just bought a second wheelset for exactly this! how do you like it?
@@gcntech Great actually! It's a good compromise if you don't have 2 bikes. At my level I don't have any problems following friends on the road
You should definitely talk about gravel bike with 2 wheels sets. This is the combo that I think is probably most appropriate for the majority of amateurs/non-competitive riders as it offers the most versatility.
I have been running a gravel bike with 2 sets of wheels for years with 2x drive train and 2 wheel sets (one 700C and one 650b). The 700c gets slicks/semi-slicks for endurance road riding and tame "hero" gravel. The 650B gets knobbies for rougher gravel, double track, and single track.
So if/when you do talk swappable wheels I think it would be great if you pointed out the place 650B can have in that equation. The ability to go wider without increasing the overall diameter of the wheel dramatically can be a big bonus in terms of keeping the handling consistent (avoids major changes to BB height) and potentially avoids clearance issues when using bigger rubber on some frames.
Over this last summer I’ve done exactly what you described; I’ve got 2 wheel setups for my Specialized Diverge and it’s been ideal. DT Swiss 470 wheels with gravel tyres and Zipp 303’s with my road. Wonderful!
My experience and setup is much different, as a gravel bike to me is more of a bikepacking pack mule. I'd be afraid the DT Swiss or Zipps break too easy with multiple bags and my fat ass :D
I have a similar setup. My Panaracer tires are so good though that I very seldom bother to change to the road wheels. I should mention I mostly ride alone so speed isn't crucial.
Sounds like a great set up! Do you find it too much of a faff to keep swapping wheels?
@@gcntech With Thru axles it's a breeze and even if I'm not a fan, discs align perfectly. What bothers me, not two axles are the same. Shimano derailleurs are what they are, sram are easier. Don't know about Campagnolo?
I bought my first Road/Gravel bike last year, a Giant Revolt Advanced, and have done a few gravel races on it but, ride mostly on pavement. I'm currently in the market for a second set of wheels so I can also use my bike for Crit racing. I've changed out the 48/32 chainrings for 50/34 and went to a 11-32 cassette. Feels like a very versatile setup for me.
Fantastic video guys really impressed with your outcomes
I have a Gravel bike and I recently invested in some deep 50mm rims with 28mm road slick tyres. My commute to work is almost effortless now when compared to my 45mm knobblies. Would love to see GCN dive deeper with this.
Great riding 🙌 Maybe we'll double back on this topic 🤔
Got a Cross race bike… stock wheels for racing, set of gravel wheels and a set of road wheels to use as a winter road bike! 👍
@@dionthomas7970 that was exactly my idea. Instead of buying a new race bike and maybe a gravel bike as well, I thought: Why not just buy a CX and use it for all of it?
Did you already make some experience, is the CX comfortable enough for gravel or is it to stiff and direct?
@@f1nnp I am so pleased with my Vitus Energie Evo… it’s a great cx bike but also an awesome gravel bike! It’s super stable downhill, not twitchy at all! The Zipp 303s wheels obviously help but I couldn’t be happier with the performance of this bike… it’s also great on the road, even with the gravel tyres on! 👍
Was excited for my new gravel bike but ended up using 28mm Gatorskins 70% of the time, mostly roadbike use. I have a pair of 36 tufos and curent use is a few times per year in the forest when dry. Mud makes it very complicated to not cut the carbon chainstays or the rear fork, the thick tires stick to a lot of it. The 28mm enable you to go nuts most of the time if you wanna go off course. 32 gators are also a dream to ride if you now your riding
I just ordered a Trek Domane. My intention is to do exactly what you suggest: two sets of wheels one with smooth 32mm tires and the other with knobby 38mm tires.
I have a Domane SL6. I run GR1 35mm (measured 37mm) on the stock rims and 28mm tires on a set of Aeolus Pro 52s. Works well unless the off road get too rough.
Oh on the internet supposedly can fit up to 42mm tires but not ideal for mud.
recently took the wheels from my road bike and put them in my gravel bike. Wow what a difference. No measurements taken in terms of speed or time but instantly the gravel bike felt very close in speed to the road bike. definitely like to hear others thoughts on this
After a year of research I moved from a aluminium Ridley to be faster on B roads. I went all in with a Cervelo Aspero. 2 wheelsets. Nevermind all the reviews...all bikes usually can handle a lot wider/chunkier tires than stated by manufacturers. Also if your off road action is close to MTB, choose gravel bike over a high clearance racebike. It is simply not as robust and designed for that much off road action. I am thinking of upgrade to 2x gearing on road descends, but this is very personal to how and where you are riding. Nice video. Suggestions for the gravel bike test with 28mm tires: Ridley Kanzo Fast, 3T exploro racemax, Open Up.
The problem with gravel bikes is the over and hyped promotion. Bikes exist that can tackle the so called gravel terrain, gravel bikes are an additional to an ever expanding and money making bicycle range
For me the biggest advantge of a gravel bike is that I can have a dedicated bike for bike packing with all the mounts that I may want to use especially the fork mounts
Lol look up «superior x-road» gravelbikes… not even holes for a rack
@@akepaow well I guess those don't have mounts but at least some gravel bikes have them compared to effectively no road bikes
Great vid guys! If the ultimate held up to 42c pathfinder pros it would be the dream bike - for now, I believe the Specialized Crux is the one bike to rule them all 😃Light, reactive, and climbs better than my road bike
What more could you ask for 🙌
When i was young i was always an avid cyclist and occasional races. Rode til my early 40's and remember when my ovetsized aluminum Cannondale was the hot setup. I recently decided to get healthy and lost 35 kg (75 lbs) and am rediscovering my love of cycling. I bought a 2017 Guerciotti Lembeek. The prior owner raced jr. Cross nationals. I put Pirelli 32c tires on it and i am enjoying it very much. It does run out of gear on decents. I am thinking about going from 42 to 46 on my Sram 1x11. I do want to get road wheels so i can trail ride in the cold months. Enjoying my return to the sport at 59.
I love the road tires on my gravel. I don’t want to ride above 55kph so spinning out is not a concern on my 40- 11/42. When I’m tired , the 42 is fantastic.
I’d love to see a good road bike tyres on a gravel bike video! I swapped a year ago from using my light road bike to a Ribble CGR 725 and I love that I can use tracks and mix up my routes … but if I were to start doing more events I’d be tempted to tweak the gravel bike instead of going back to the roadie! 🚲 💙
Maybe we should double back to this idea 👀
Thank you very much for this sharing, this subject of having a multi-function bike has always been my thought because of my budget. In my case I invested in a CX bike the Canyon inflite sl6 (unfortunately it is not the top of this range) to perform gravel competitions and cyclocross competitions. I'm not sure if I made a good choice because the bike can't use more than 35mm tyres. But, I like the multipurpose geometry of this bike and great handling on different terrains. Now my question is can my bike be useful on the road by changing the tyres and the gear ratio?
Currently running gp5000 on my canyon grail gravel bike. Uploaded already on the GCN app bike vault. It’s a thing of beauty. Having said that, it’s currently running the 1by set up and to the presenter’s point, you do spin out of gear on fast décents. My ride buddy has the same bike in a 2by set up and that problem is not an issue.
I ride my RC 500 on 28mm road tyres everywhere. I just take it easy when the grip is significantly reduced. A plenty of paint chips and scratches on the frame and both rims, but I don't mind that much these days, the bike was very affordable.
I've put 38-40mm tyres and rode a full seasonon all terrain, but eventually my neck and wrist were conquered by lack of flexibility and on longer riders. Plus it never felt fully confident in a more sketchy terrain. Thus a flatbar swap to a fitness/ATB (?) bike.
@@gnooy13mdfk When I got the bike. I used to have neck and wrist pain and even the man parts numbness on my bike, but then I replaced the seat, got shorter stem to bring the bars closer to me and I'm alright now. My last trip was 140km and apart from my dodgy knee that hurt on the steeper inclines I felt alright aftewards. I do a lot of core stregnth excercises which, with proper bike setup, helps a lot. By the way, speaking purely about ergonomy, the drop bars are much nicer on your wrist when riding in the hoods/drop bars. That's the natural position for your forearm bones.
I'm a late comer to cycling overall as I'm now 51 and this is my third year of riding. As a kid / teenager I rode bikes all the time and in mid-eighties we rode whatever bike we could get hold of and loved it. There were no genres of riding, just fun doing all kinds of stuff with what we got. I hadn't followed the bike industry or trends at all and when I again found the joy of riding I came across the term gravel I hadn't heard before. As I found out about what was actually involved it intrigued me even more - freedom to ride pretty much where ever I wanted and not be restricted to just tarmac or those flowy trails where you perhaps had to drive your car to get to. Just go out the door and ride.
I now have a Cervélo Áspero with mechanical GRX gears, 40 tooth chainring and an 11-speed 11-42 cassette giving me a top speed of roughly 40 kmh with a cadence of 90. I have two goals for my cycling. One, to go out and ride my bike regularly, and two, to have fun while riding. I know that if I don't hit target number two it's quite likely I won't hit the target number one either. And that is why I don't give rat's ass about whether I run out of gears on a descent - if I do I just free wheel and continue pedling once the gradient levels off. I'm actually thinking whether I should get a 38 tooth chainring to make those climbs a bit more accessible. I love the confidence my gravel bike gives me of knowing I can handle pretty much anything I may come across and that's so much more important for the enjoyment of riding a bike than haggling over whether some different setup could save me a watt or two and make me marginally faster.
Would love a video about road tires on a gravel bike. Live in a hilly part of Los Angeles with a lot of trails, have a nice topstone lefty and have always been curious about throwing on faster tires for a commute.
2x gravel is perfect for me, all the range I need off road and plenty fast enough on tarmac. Haven't riden my roadie for over a year. 👌
More and more people are finding out that, unless you're trying to get into racing. There isn't really a point in choosing a road bike over a gravel bike if it's gonna be only one bike you own. Variety is everything. And only a gravel bike gives you that.
@@AliZurix Though I would like a gravel bike for occasional gravel events, I commute an 11.5 miles to work each way on my roadie and those extra 5 minutes each trip would add up
1x is the biggest issue I had with my previous 2 gravel bikes, I was always spinning out on flats trying to keep up in groups. On my newest gravel, a Supersix EVO SE, I am much more content with 2x 12 speed setup, and increases the versatility of the bike, which now also serves as a winter bike and commuter.
The issue here wasn't the bike, it was riding on flats :P
@@KNURKonesur a lot of gravel roads are flat. They should've thought about that when they put those gearings 😅
4th option.... Saving up for a custom build. First off, great video! When you mentioned the third option at the end, I just felt there was one option missing, and a short comment doesn't really do the topic justice. So I'm going with an overly enthusiastic, "Too much info." post instead. :) I got into gravel before there were many options that fit what I really wanted. For me, I had ridden BWR San Diego (100+ miles, 30% dirt) on my TCR SL with file-tread 28s and loved it. So I totally get the argument that that most gravel bikes can be a bit over done beyond what is really needed. And I also see the desire to not take your expensive bike out and bang it around on a bunch of rocks. For me, though, I want gear that works for what I want to do and if what I want to do beats it up, then it's going to look like I had a Sh!t ton of fun riding it!
My situation came about as I was planning to compete (or just complete, cuz I'm slow.) in the inaugural ride of the BWR Cedar City in Utah (100+ miles, %70 dirt) and I knew that I needed more than my road bike could deliver as I couldn't go any bigger than 28s without rubbing the frame. I was blessed when the planets aligned and my wife was on board with getting a new bike! But what I wanted didn't exist. Then, blessings again when I found.... www.englishcycles.com. Rob English is an award-winning steel frame wizard, building some of the lightest weight truly AMAZING steel frame bikes out of Eugene, OR here in the US. (GNC should do a special on him!!!) And while the cost was more than I have ever paid for any bike related anything, I had been saving for quite some time to be able to splurge and, in reality, it wasn't any crazier than your normal top of the line road bikes out there. At the end of the day, with over 12k miles on it so far, I feel like I can ride this bike anywhere in any conditions. It is the one bike that does 90% of anything that I would ever want to do on a bike. Moral of the story is, if you really love the adventure of gravel riding, and you can't seem to find that perfect setup, then maybe the 4th option is for you.
For those who are curious, Rob does a write-up on each bike he completes. Here is a link to mine... www.englishcycles.com/custombikes/petes-lightweight-gravel-bike/
Good points about gearing. I do a lot of adventure riding either bikepacking on a 29er or gravel grinding on a Soma Double Cross I built up for gravel. On a day ride or multiple day ride I find the terrain, and surface vary from chunky gravel climbs to fast paved descents. I find 1x do not give the the high gears I want for fast paved descents nor the close ratio I like when on pavement. I am still riding triples with both bikes to get the range with a high gear and the closer ratios. I purchased and built these two bikes prior to 2015. Today I would go with a modern 2x10 or 2x12 to archive the same gearing. I just don't see 1x working for all conditions and types of riding I do on any one bike except pure mountain biking.
A gravel bike with a compact 2x 105 group set (50-34 / 11-34 11-speed) is exactly what I have. I currently run 32 mm tires as a pretty nice do-it-all setup for both road and light gravel. Super happy with this setup, but I am considering buying a second wheel set to be able to easily swap over to 40 mm tires so I can handle rougher gravel.
Sounds like a great versatile option 🙌
i bouth second wheelset today, can't wait to test it out. black friday discounts really are worth it where i live
what tyres are you using make, tubeless or tubes?
@@k74-martijerrard12 I haven't made the switch to tubeless (and doubt I ever will), and the tires are really nothing special aside from having a thin kevlar layer. I'm happy to sacrifice performance for fewer flats. :)
The newest emerging trend is the Allroad Bike, something in between a gravel and a road bike with 38-40mm tire clearance and moderately quick steering. Like the new Votec VRC, Canyon Endurance and many others. Just get a second wheel set and you are set.
if you’re in a great place with hardpack or fine-over-hardpack gravel, that’s a perfect sort of option! sort of reminds me of 2017’s gravel bikes 🤔🤔
It's a bit like a racier version of a rando bike.
Yep nice one lads 🤙. Also got the new crux with 2 wheel sets. 1x 46 oval abblack ring up front and 10-42 with gp5000 tr s 28mm on the road set and 10-46 with schwalbe g-one rs 40mm on the gravel set She’s quick round the track 👍
My first go with a drop bar bike saw me go for gravel. But I ended up enjoying my sections of road so much I now have 25mm road tyres on. I bought a second hand set of wheels and put my gravel tyres on those and just switch out as and when. Would love to see a comparison of all 3 options
I definitely want to see you do a video on gravel bikes with road wheels as that is the direction I am thinking of reading with my Giant revolt. It also suits where I live.
Hi Michael, I'm seriously considering the purchase of a Giant Revolt (Advanced 0) which I would use with two wheel set-ups or more simply switching tires when needed (running them with tubes of course), but I'm also seriously worried about reports of cracked seat tube... there's even a Facebook group on the subject! What is your take on it? Do you know of any other Giant Revolt owner around you having had that problem? I've read somewhere that this only concern the newest generation of Revolt (2022)...
What sort of riding are you doing the most of? 👀
Most of modern gravel bikes can take 45mm tires, some even 50mm and I can tell you there is great difference in comfort with wider tires. Especially when you ride longer rides.
so get a mountain bike then?
@@miffachan123 who the fuck wants to ride a mtb for 50+ miles?
@@miffachan123 Different posture and not so good if intended as a jack-of-all-trades. Though sure, it has suspension.
Took a break from the cycling world for a few years, I am back, and these videos still slap. Thanks bois.
A few months ago I got a gravel bike (Vitus Substance CRX-1) and started doing loads of road riding with slickish tyres and planned on getting some 700c carbon road wheels to blast out the miles on tarmac. However I had lots of punctures with the slickish tyres (Panaracer Gravel Kings) so decided to put the original tyres back on (Maxxis Rambler) and enjoyed the comfort so much heading into winter that I'm now at the point of giving up on the road wheel route until spring or summer. Even then I'm still not sure as the extra comfort makes all my rides more enjoyable, which in turn means I ride more. This may different for others as I'm from a MTB background, so I'm not too bothered about getting around a course in record time, fun is what I'm seeking. Another great video though, cheers guys.
Go tubeless with your Gravel Kings. That's what I run. I never get flats and I'm on hard-core gravel > 2000 miles a year.
I’d like to see how the speed/watt differences are when setting a gravel bike up with road wheels vs. a standard road bike. Just to see is there really that much a difference?
Maybe we'll give Alex and Ollie the go ahead on a deep dive into this subject 🤔
I use a road bike for the road , will always choose my 29ner hardtail for off road , with it locked out its pretty much a gravel bike ,just more comfortable also way more fun for the down hill sectons , if you were bike packing I understand having a gravel bike for the mounting points
I've been using a Trek Checkpoint aluminum gravel bike as my only ride for the last couple years. 28 mm road tires in the summer and 35 mm treaded hybrid tires and fenders the rest of the year. I have only a few gravel runs around where I live, but a do have enough wet weather and "Amish exhaust" on the road to make the fender set up a great way to extend my riding season. I kept the the 2x gearing and it is perfect for all the local hills and my advancing age.
The wife has swapped a road bike and mountain bike for a 1x11 Ribble CGR-Al-E, with 40mm offroad tyres and GP5000's for road. She enjoys road rides with the son, brakes down hill anyway so no need for a 50/11 and now flys up the climbs. Swap tyres and she can enjoy the fire tracks at Dalby, whole us boys are on MTB's on the red route.
If you want to be the fastest at at one discipline, you need an uncompromised bike to suit it - if your not bothered but just want to get out, then a do it all bike is perfect.
Same as me doing a cyclocross race on a mountain bike - better than not taking part at all, target is not to be last - LOL.
Why is everyone posting the same topics at the moment?
Haha! I’d love to know how all post the same topics at the same time. Road cc just did an identical type of video a couple of days ago. A couple of weeks ago they all did a “is there too much tech or is it all marketing” videos (Dave Arthur included). I wonder what the next topic will be?
@@a1white Katie kookaburra did shoes a few days before GCN as well. Who’s leaking the schedule? Very strange at the moment
Would love to see your impressions of a 2x Gravel Bike with road tyres
Great video gentlemen!!! Count me as another vote to hear about the idea of a gravel bike with road tires and perhaps a 2-by front. I've just started to think about a new road bike as my current is getting older (2014 but still fantastic and fun Felt Z4 - though I did snap the rear derailleur hanger recently) and the notion of a gravel bike setup mostly for road was suggested to me as an option.
If you want to road unsurfaced roads / off road just ride a mtb🤷♂️
Why carry all extra weight form suspension when most of my off road is almost flat? Gravel works perfect on that.
Less efficient on fire roads and paved connections.
Not able to carry much on the bike.
Less comfortable on longer rides.
Mountainbikes obviously come to their own on more technical terrain.
Gravel bikes are pointless in Europe. There is no Gravel, there is tarmac or Mud or so many rocks and trunks that you need a 29er Hardtail with Suspension. I figured it out myself unfortunately...
Just bought my first gravel bike, with two sets of wheels. I put Conti 700 x 28 GS5000 tires on the stock wheels and WTB 650 x 47 Byway tires on the second set, for gravel and touring/bikepacking.
You guys make great videos. Very interesting. :)
No, it is that road bikes are no longer optimised for speed, they’re optimised to sell to the masses. Pros are no longer riding the fastest bikes possible because of market forces.
Frames are also graded depending where they are going to be used, so using a road bike off its normal tarmac home soil is not always a good thing.
I did 2 major gravel events this year with a gravel bike. BWR in So Cal needed either a gravel bike or a mountain bike in the mtn off road bits, a road bike with gravel tires on the flat gravel bits a aero road bike for the flat road bits and a pure climbing road bike for 2 of the road climbs. All anyone really needs is 4 bikes available to them in the same day.
I recommend GCN do BWR in So Cal, its the most mad event I've ever done.
Did the BWR in California and Utah this year and it was so fun! The BWR in California is all about compromise in bike setup. Went with the full assault gravel setup and didn't regret it. It's definitely a challenging course with everything from rocky singletrack, sand traps, washboarded gravel roads, miles of smooth pavement, and the infamous Dubbelpeak 20%+ climb 120 miles in. In fact, I think this year's course was considered the most challenging one yet. A huge day by anyone's standard.
Ive gone with exactly that bike (that you didn't have)...Just ordered a new Ribble CGR SL...initially with 650B wheels with gravel tyres ( WTB Byway Road) with slick centre....(and thanks to that website, I know they have a rolling resistance of 30.4 watts) but then will get some carbon wheels for the road in the summer (thinking Zipp 303S)...so best of both worlds....2x Force AXS as well cos I don't want to be spinning out......ready to put down some serious mileage...and when I want to ride the really gnarly stuff, Ive got the full suspension mountain bike....so 2 bikes instead of 3...
This kind of comparison video should be done with GMBN. Compare geometries, tires, gears and handlebars. Ride road bikes, gravel bikes, XC-bikes and enduro bikes head to head on different terrain: in the woods head, on the road, some techy handling stuff etc. That would be an awesome video! :D
I love my gravel bike mainly because in winter months feel much safer on my commute to work with the wider tyres etc. But very interested to see gravel bike with slicks.
I would love to see the gravel bike with road tires video. I currently only have a gravel bike and 26 inch hardtail.
The gravel with roadie tires was always the intent for a “proper” road setup on my budget.
I'm looking very hard at getting a 2x gravel bike to use as my winter roadie (with road slick tyres and mudguards), and then with knobblies for my summer Adventure Bike.
Hi guys. Yes do please bring us a video looking at a gravel bike with alternative sets of wheels - one for road and one for gravel. Perhaps the Ribble CGR SL as your test machine? This is precisely the arrangement I’m planning!
The most efficient set-up that I use already for more than 30 years, and before the 'hype' or 'need' of a gravel bike was introduced: I have a second set of wheels with CYCLOCROSS tires...you can ride most of the gravel routes in Belgium (where I am) and the Netherlands. Only the roads with larger loose stones are not possible, but we don't have much of those here, or I avoid riding on them :) ...maybe an idea for a 'comparison' video: road bike with cyclocross tires vs a gravel bike! cheers, and greetings from the Flanders.
If you do a comparison - consider including a monster cross frameset - as it may have a more aggressive race geometry than a gravel bike. That is what I did for my son as I wanted one excellent bike to cover his entire race season: gravel, road, and CX. I got him one wheelset, 5 tire sets: one for road (25mm), two for gravel (35mm and 47mm, because he was just starting out), one for CX (33mm) and 1 for MTB (49mm) for a camp, and two cassettes: a narrow for flatter road and CX and a wide one for everything else. Worked great - I could build him up an excellent light weight bike he could ride anything his friends were doing at the same price as two decent bikes devoted to one or another thing and certainly less than three.
I have recently started a nightly 15 mile ride 5 of which is wide gravel and dirt farm track with plenty of stones, rocks and an unholy amount of gargantuan pot holes or small lakes in the rain....Some may think I've lost it but I have been loving it on my 23c semi slicks, it is a whole other game of focus to avoid everything though as a good old pinch puncture is always lurking close by.
Yes, please do the gravel bike with road tires video! My wife has this setup on her Trek Checkpoint - 700 x 35 Continental Terra Speed tires on one set of wheels and 700 x 32 Continental GP5000 on the other wheel set. Seems to be fine, but we wonder if she would be better off with a dedicated road bike for road rides?
I would love to see a review of a gravel bike with road tires. In fact I was intending to downsize my bike collection and wanted a do it all bike. I'm not a very technical rider, but the roads around me are quite rough. I do like the idea of trail riding, however my main riding group does 30-50 rides on the road each weekend. I struggle greatly to keep up on flats using my hyrbrid, so it is important to me that if I get a gravel bike that I get a setup that is comfortable and quick. I have a rode bike, but I don't like the geometry of road bikes in general. I prefer a more upright stance and wider grip.
Right now I am looking at a Cannondale Topstone 2 Lefty. The only concern I have the front set is a single cassette.
Love the video. Personally for me getting back into cycling I’m going for the road bike so I get the benefit of faster road/training rides. But then also able to do leisurely gravel/bikepacking with an extra set of wheels
I have 2 gravel bikes currently. A Lauf Seiga and a Cannondale Topstone that I've upgraded to SRAM rival etap. I'd really like to see the "gravel bike with road wheels compared to road bike" comparison because I have it setup 2x already and I'm looking at maybe getting a Caad13 next year as a dedicated road bike. Wondering if I should save 2k and just get a set of carbon rims and slick tires?
I bought a gravel bike with a really mountainbike-esq geometry (dropper post, no less!) when I was 4 weeks pregnant (Marin Headlands 2). I have a second set of wheels for the road, and could comfortably ride it road and trail to 34 weeks! As I'm not much in to group rides or anything that culturally goes with road biking, there's really no question for me :) They are so versatile and so much fun!
Great review of the options, except of course running a gravel bike with road tires. I'm close to 9000 miles this year on my Parlee Chebacco with two sets of wheels. Boyd Carbon road wheels do most of the heavy lifting including the 142 mile B2VT in June but I also switch out to my DT Swiss gravel wheels for VT Overland and bikepacking the VT Gravel Growler over 4 days. With the road wheels I have no issues keeping up with group rides, typically 16-18 mph over 40-60 miles so not winning any races but perfrectly fine for a ride with the road guys and gals.
Have a carbon Ridley Xtrail that I've really enjoyed, sort of a cross bike that will take up to 38" tires, but still is pretty fast on the tarmac. Downside is that nothing like this is really up to harder adventure rides (I ride across Dartmoor/Exmoor), you need something more robust with larger tires. Found the perfect solution in a classic 90's titanium MTB that I've converted over with adventure drops -- it has low Q-factor and decent aero position for the rider, the frame is super responsive and faster than modern MTBs, but it can run 2.2" tires and take gnarly trails without a hiccup. And then there are the beautiful French Allroad bikes, super nimble, yet rugged -- sometimes the old ways are still the best!
I have 2 sets of wheels for my gravel bike - one for gravel and one for road. It’s working quite nicely for me. I’m not a competitive road cyclist. I go out for fun. So the small difference in speed with the gravel bike frame isn’t an issue for me. Also, it’s got a 2x11 set up, so I do have plenty of gear options when I’m on the road. Honestly, this bike renewed my love of cycling and had me out more in the last year and had me out riding more than ever. Hope this helps someone trying to decide what to do!
I'm in the process of getting a custom Speedvagen Rugged Road built but I'm setting it up more like a gravel bike but for the road. Since I'm not too concerned with speed much anymore with this bike, I'm going for something that will be comfortable but rugged enough when it comes to not so perfect conditions. I'll be running a 1x with 11-42 and 35c road tires. I think it'll offer a plush ride on the road but if I have to go off-road a bit it'll be capable. I'm just using it as a commuter, leisure rides, and getting about town but I hope it suits all my needs to where maybe I don't need my other race bikes anymore. Already sold off one to pay for this build, but may keep another just in case I just want to get up an go faster. I also have a gravel bike but I'm hoping this new bike may be the best of all of them. I'll have to wait and see but in the meantime I'm keeping all my bikes.
Yes please do a video for gravel with road tires! I ride a diverge and slapped on gp5000 32mm slicks for road riding and I honestly love it more than my road bike. Thinking about upgrading the wheelset to carbon now, and debating if I should put some aero carbon wheels on to see what that'll do.
Gravel bike with two wheelsets is what I'm planning. I've just sold my Emonda SL6 (with rim brakes), and replaced it with a Checkpoint SL6 eTap. I'm not fast, and I don't race, so what's the benefit in a road bike? Anyway, the roads here in SE Queensland are rough as, so the extra cush from some 40s is going to be very welcome, especially on the local gravel trails. If I'm wanting for extra speed, a set of aero wheels will make an appearance. Great work as always, chaps! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Many of our back roads are gravel. And more scenic, getting to some nice places away from people. When I bought my first road bike (devinci) in October, I swapped out the tires for ones that are smooth enough for paved road yet enough grip for gravel. Later I changed the cassette for one with better climbing gears. It’s now a really nice and versatile ride. Won’t be riding it again till spring-with all the snow my fat bike (which I bought in February) is now king (ha, originally I put the first space in wrong spot and got, i snow king).
Definitely make a video on gravel bike with road tyres.
Yes definitely the gravel bike with road wheelset is my choice for winter season when i do more road stuff and for sure 2×11 it's much better even on gravel bike ! Thanks for the video !
All that Specialized provided in their Diverge gravel bike at the time in 2022 were single speeds. So I bought a used 2021 Diverge with the Shimano GRX 2x, 31-48t chainring and 11 spd 11-34t cassette. On the road i stay in the 48t with great gear selection of smaller steps than on a 38x10-52 single speed and on the rougher stuff I normally stay in the 31t, and again much smaller jumps in gearing. As I ride a combination of pavement and gravel in hilly NorCal, I am so glad I went with the GRX 2x and not the single speed I was hot for, Single speed is great on my MTB, it's wonderful, but for a gravel where its not primarily in an ascent or decent like on my MTB, a 2 speed being over looked by most of the manufacturers on a bike that likely spends a great deal of time on fairly flat roads, gravel or paved, is in my opinion chasing the newest shiny object. Others, I'm sure will disagree, mostly those younger with legs of steel. Can't beat gearing as you get older.
I also use a 2x gravel bike with smaller tires. Changed from 38mm to 32mm for road riding.
I converted a 2003 vintage OCLV Trek (with USPS livery!) to gravel endeavors by using 650b wheels with 35mm tires. I had to change and tweak brakes, swap crankset for one with shortest possible crank arms, and use a long cage derailleur, but the setup works quite well. I wish I could post a pic for all to see.
Guys, I’m sure someone has already mentioned this tidbit, but if you have a road bike from as little as 4 years ago, gravel tires simply will not fit on your road bike!!!
I bought a Trek Crockett CX frame which has racier geometry but does gravel well. Will be buying a road wheelset for road riding. Bottom bracket height on the crockett is still fairly low, so it's a great all rounder.
I have a Liv Devote Advanced Pro gravel and it came with slick tyres. It was a great idea, until pictures just weren’t sealing. I’ve since swapped it out for gravelkings tyres and it’s been perfect.
I used a Giant revolt 0, mounted with Hunt wheels and road tyres continental 4 seasons 28, on tarmac in Kenya and that was really good fun. Climbed some hills on the coast under rain. 126 km, 1500 m climb, 28 kph.
I replaced my road bike with a gravel bike and 3 wheelsets. And it works really well. Over the last year I have used it for triathlon team time trial (45km/h), mountain gran fondo (5000hm), gravel ultra (300km) and cyclocross competition. The aero and weight disadvantage of my gravel bike with a road wheelset are little compared to a road bike. But please be aware that the gravel bike category is very diverse. Some gravel bikes are almost mountain bikes with shocks and all. Others are optimized for bikepacking, and my Cervelo Aspero is designed for racing. So it is more or less a more robust road bike with larger tire clearance.
My setup a "mild" gravel bike (Ribble CGR AL) with road tyres in the summer, gravel tyres in the winter (and when doing many miles off-road) and compact chainrings with 11/34 cassette. Does everything I want and goes plenty fast.
happily transformed my Topstone Carbon in a road traveling bike. 32mm Panaracers. I enjoy the frame suspension and the cockpit relaxed position. It's a very high bike which gives a lot of clearance from the ground and in curves. And I have got two plates.
Yep, that'd be great to see a video focusing on a gravel bike fitted with road-specific tires. I have a 100% Sportive comming up next year....my first!..... and I'm toying with the idea of putting road-specific tires on for the event. Go on, do it. You know you all want to! 😂 Thanks for another great vid. 👍
You can easily get a slick 32mm road tire on that bike and maybe even a 30mm.
I feel like at this point gravel bikes are road equivalent to trailbikes on the mtb sector. Bikes not best on any race, but all around the most comfy and fun bikes to casually ride around when you don't need to be racing
Gravel with 2 sets here.. 1 knobbly 650b 47mm. 1 semi-slick 650b 47mm. 80% of my riding is bridleway gravel bashing.
The semi-slick does 3 season gravel perfectly, low pressure tubeless for bridleways and up the pressure for tarmac, it's 95% a road bike in that mode.
The kobbly 650b excels at lower presure (15psi), mud chugging, winter, bumpy stuff.
Geometry is softer, a nice set of flared bars, no toe catch (i'm short so need small frames), 1x is super light and minimal fuss.
I do miss the gearing of a closer range cassette but 90% of the time, it's perfect.
I have actually set up all my bikes and wheel choices to be swappable back forth across each other as the mood or day inspiration takes me. It’s been very versatile and great fun. Though I would say I find the gravel specific bike to be the most comfortable and versatile of my bikes.
*note: I do well enough but don’t set out to break any land speed records. Speed and watts are not my key metrics.
Also! Also maybe compare gravel bike with road tyres and a cyclo-cross bike as the ultimate do-everything bike? Topic for the next video.