Road Vs Gravel Bike - Is A Gravel Bike Really Any Slower? | GCN Does Science
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- čas přidán 7. 10. 2017
- How slow are gravel bikes on the road? Si and Matt do some “damp science” to discover the difference between a gravel bike and a road bike.
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With gravel bikes being commonly used as commuter or winter bikes, Si and Matt wanted to find out how slow they are when they’re ridden on the road. Using a short road loop in the stunning Dolomites, Si and Matt put a gravel bike up against their normal road bikes. The difference, as it turns out, is surprisingly small, but which is the quickest?
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I've got a gravel bike as my one and only bike. Living in a small apartment, no room for more than one bike. It commutes, it races, it rides trails. It's a good deal as far as I'm concerned! Sometimes I worry that it's a jack of all trades, master of none, but I'm no pro, so it's good enough for all my amateur adventures.
You just answered my own questions- debating what bike I should buy. Love the idea of a smooth, light, speedy ride, but it won't really suit my goals- long distance travel over different surfaces.
In january 2018 I decided to ride a bike to loose weight. I bought a gravel bike. After 1,5 month and 1000 km. I started to ride on roads. After 3 months, I bought new tyres 700x25 to replace the 700x35 and make 100 km road tours more easily.
1 month later I was able to ride 100 at 32 km/h av speed.
I still ride my gravel bike but I bought a real road bike to have a more aerodynamique position and ride 100 km at more than 35km/h avspeed.
@@NicoOleron Thanks for the info , I get about the same stats ( 1.8 Km/h slower ) your 100 km are on hills since the difference is 3 Km/h ???
@@dynosores888 the round I did was the same : 101 km with 490m D+.
I stopped to make so long rides to train for races and improve my skill with accelerations like we have during races.
@@NicoOleron Which gravel bike u have and which road bike? ;)
Just stumbled onto this video. Gotta chime in with my experience: When I got into cycling about 15 years ago, it was on a cross bike with 32mm cross tires. I commuted a bit, but mostly trained for basic cardio fitness. My main training course was Prospect Park in Brooklyn. I spent many hours riding that 3.3mi/5.3km loop (one short 3-4% hill) on that cross bike. In a couple of years, I achieved my goal of maintaining 20mph/32.1kmh for 6 laps. At the same time, those cross tires were pretty worn down, so I got some 25mm Conti road tires... when I did my next 20 lap test, my average speed was 21.5mph/34.6kmh.
So the increase I got was 2.5kmh vs the 2.0kmh that you guys saw in your test. Very similar to your results when you factor in that I was using the same bike and just switching the tires.
…which can be done with hardly any costs.
you also have to account for the fact, that they were using a power meter, which means that their power output was constant, and you were just doing you best, but you were probably more motivated with the new tires.
God I love this community 😅 as good as the videos. I learn as much from the comments as from the actual vids 👍🏻
The edits get better and better, the content gets better and better. We notice these things. We appreciate these things. You left in a blooper where mat says the wrong thing, because we love bloopers and we love his laugh, you could've easily "left it at that" and not stuck road tyres on it and we'd be none the wiser, but you did it anyway and the video is better for it. Still the number one sports and Rec CZcams channel and that's because the effort from the editing and the chemistry of the presenters and every ep has the quality of a tv show. .... anyway, love the show, rant over.
The blooper even adds emphasis to the correct answer: road. And it leavens a technical scene. ;) I've made a few vids, and it is nice production.
Just get a room please!! : )
This is the Top Gear in its best days - but for bicycles.
I've got a Trek Ion as my lone bike, love having the ability to switch out wheelsets between disciplines and still performing.
Gravel bikes/cyclocross bikes are great for long roadtrips.... Get bored riding on the highway? Go take a dirt road! In fact I'm gonna explore the USA and my beautiful country of Canada on a Giant TCX Advanced Pro. Just the bike, my tent, and myself 😎
Sounds awesome!
I wouldn't want to pack a tent on a road bike anyways...
How was a trip
Did you ever came back from.your trip?
@@mm166 OP definitely encountered a moose
I was waiting for this video for really long time. Thanks GCN
Just discovered your channel and have devoured like 20 videos in the past week. LOVE the science you guys put out there, I know this video is old but keep it up! Thanks!
This roughly matches my 'findings' when I bought my gravel bike this summer. A favorite training route with a decent combination of climbing and flat yielded approx. average speeds of 15.5mph with a 700x23 carbon bike vs 14.5mph with the knobbie 700x38 gravel bike. As a 190 pounder, I actually prefer the latter for general riding and commutes because of the relative 'comfort' of tires at 50psi vs. 115psi.
I've been riding a Pivot Vault with road tires for over two years now... I love it and have concluded the same. It will keep up with about any roadie out there, if I put the effort in. No excuses! Nice video GCN, you're hilarious!!
Great comparison. This is exactly what we've experienced. I have 2 sons, (13 & 15) who are now getting into racing with the old man and are coming to the end of their first CX season on CX bikes. But we've done some road training already by just swapping out tires on their CX bikes. They are hanging just fine with the fast group rides on the CX bikes with 25c road tires. They'll have to race this way the first road/crit season, until we can get them proper road bikes. It all costs $$... and if they grow more, we've got to replace it all.
when I started racing at 16 I rode a cheap off the peg steel piece of crap. In my first TT ...beat everyone in the club except one ... its the engine not the bike :-)
Good stuff, Scott. Any issues with chain and cassette meshing or not?
Was on my bike the other day and literally asked myself this this question. So glad you tested the slicks on the CX bike too. Forgot how good this channel was! :D Thanks guys!
You guys nailed it. I put a set of road tires on my Raleigh Willard 2 for the spring/summer and loved the increased performance while keeping the comfort and versatility of a gravel bike. Now that winter is making appearances in my part of Canada (Calgary, near the Rocky Mountains), I’m putting grippier rubber on the bike. When the snow eventually arrives for the duration, I’ll but Conti Top Contacts on the bike.
I recently moved to a one bike strategy. I donated to charity, both my Cannondale XT CAD 3 hard tail MB......my Specialized carbon Roubaix 105 (both fairly old, but very capable and AWESOME mounts). They served me well, but I struggled with the fact that I had limited options, in that I could only do pure road riding......pure trail riding. Neither bike offered anything close to supporting “hybrid” flexibility to enable me to enjoy the “whatever I felt like doing that day”, sort of riding. I always felt a small amount of stress trying to decide which bike to strap onto my truck’s bike rack. So, I began searching for an option that would support my 2/3 to 1/3, Road versus Trail reality (maybe 75/25, if I’m being honest).
I searched the internet and did scores of test rides for 6 months. I was looking mainly at drop-bar bikes, that were compliant on rougher surfaces, with a tire range from 25 to 38. I wasn’t favoring a front shock, but didn’t rule it out.
IN THE END, MY FINAL CHOICE WAS COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE!!!
I didn’t go pure gravel, but rather chose the Trek 720 “light weight touring bike”, which is standard with 28s, but could accept 38s. I switched out the Bontrager tires with a moderately treaded set of Schwalbe 28s. BEST BIKE I’VE EVER OWNED!
I was very close to buying the Trek Domane aluminum with 105, and disc brakes, as it was compliant on bumpy surfaces, and could take a little bit wider tires. It was $2000+. By pure accident, however, I saw a sales tag on a bike that was near the Domane models, that was rather handsome, fairly sleek, with a nice graphite color, at $999 dollars, with Shimano 105 and disc brakes...IT seemed under priced, and I had to inquire, “What the heck is that?” The salesman explained that it was an odd model that was meant for long distance riding on road and light trail ‘touring” in comfort, with a light weight aluminum frame and carbon fork...BUT...with an intent toward normal endurance road bike geometry, performance, and speed. That sounded sort of suspect to me, but I picked it up, and it was, in fact, lighter than I expected. I noticed it had the options for racks and fenders, though it definitely had the look and feel of a road bike. I test rode it for a few miles, including some fast downhills and decent uphill climbs of 8 to 10%...Surprisingly, light and nimble and fast!!! I was hooked, not only from the performance, BUT THE PRICE OF LESS THAN $1000...and...the manager knocked of another $100 for military discount.
I know that most people have never heard of a Trek 720, but this thing is a “diamond in the rough”, a “sleeper”, a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”...pick your metaphor!!! And, way underpriced for full 105 groupo, disc brakes, light weight aluminum frame with carbon (very compliant) front fork, and a versatility that is unmatched. I take it on bunch road rides on my light tread 28s in the morning, with no disadvantage, I can then add a seat-tube attached floating rear rack with bungie-corded cooler bag, add 3 water bottles on my 3 standard cages, quick attach fenders, slip on my Osprey Talon 11 backpack, and take the wife on a picnic down the trail that same afternoon.
YOU CAN FIND A ONE BIKE OPTION....if you are a normal fitness and social rider with hybrid tendencies. HOWEVER->>>
If you are a rider with actual PRO aspirations, or if you are one of those who really want to impress strangers with a $5000+ Dura-Ace Carbon Fiber machine on your Saturday morning “look at me” ride up and down PCH....THEN THIS COMMON SENSE OPTION IS NOT FOR YOU :-)
[By the way... if you are familiar with the Trek CrossFit series, the Trek 720 is the same bike, re-marketed for “touring”, but with 105 standard groupo, and 28s vice 32s standard tires, and a sleek graphite paint job. There is only one model of 720, whereas the CrossFit offers different levels of equipment. So, all of my comments would apply to the CrossFit with 105 groupo, as well...Crossfit is an awesome choice for a one-bike option. I only chose 720 based on cost (sale-price) and the factory standard 105. And, it definitely appears slightly more like a refined road bike, cosmetically...Something about its, “ Wolf in sheep‘s clothing.”, is appealing!!!]
Forgot to add: I recently did a legitimate “trail” ride with knobby 38s on my Trek 720 at Daley Ranch in San Diego, for those who may be familiar. With 105 gearing, and 34x32 as my lowest option, I admit that on 2 or 3 spots, I had to perform the ‘cyclocross-carry’ where the gravel was pretty loose and sandy. However, overall, I was hanging in there with the mountain bikers for 75% of the ride. I didn’t, at all, enjoy the downhill bumps without a front suspension fork...and I probably (definitely) will not make a habit of trying to use my “hybrid/touring/light trail/road capable” Trek 720 in this category of MB type riding. But, I will not shy away from light to medium trails, if the mood strikes. Hope this helps anyone who has a similar rider profile to mine. Get out there on your bicycle, take in some fresh air, explore this wonderful world of ours on human power, and happy trails!!
thanks! really great feedback, I see that Trek 720 is not on sale anymore, but 920 instead, what do you think about that?
Awesome info, dude. I really appreciate the detail and apparent time/effort you put into your comment.
It'll help me find a bike for my gf.
CONAN-FA18 This is a great review, and thanks for explaining your selection process. I am doing something similar. I currently ride a mountain bike, but it’s horrible when I want to tag along with friends on the road. So I was looking at road bikes, and like you, spotted the Trek light touring line. Took it for a test ride and was pleasantly surprised.
I’m going to guess that by “Crossfit” you meant “Crossrip”. I have a Crossrip Elite, although it came with Shimano Sora, I love that bike. It’s light, responsive and fast. Thank you Conan
I think for the average road rider a gravel bike makes more sense. Just that little bit comfier, better brakes, better gear ratios, etc. Plus it opens up loads of fun tracks and paths you couldn't really do on a road bike. I even did ride London this year on mine (Norco Search) - Did most of my training with the standard 35mm gravel tyres, then switched to 28mm slicks just before the ride and flew along.
Yes, my only bike is a gravel bike, after 25 years on a Raleigh Pioneer hybrid, I finally invested in some new wheels and am hoping to do off-road and road work on a Giant Anyroad, so far so good, currently running the standard tyres 700x30, but as Matt said swapping out to road tyres with slightly smaller profile should give me a bike for all seasons and all (non MTB) terrain. Enjoying my new found bike enthusiasm. Great videos, keep up the good work.
Living in Toronto, Ontario, and just bought a Norco Threshold for my winter commute and for next year's cross season! Had 10 cm of snow today, loved my ride home!
Happy with my gravel/cross/touring bike 👍 comfort is all you need.
Totally agree.
@gcn One bit I feel like you guys should have touched on was how the gearing felt between the two bikes. It seems that others try to argue that the big jump in teeth from cog to cog on a 1x setup would cause more fatigue and generally slow the rider down due to the lack of cadence options. I would love to know how you guys feel about this!
Anthony Explosion I agree with you! That huge gap between gears on the Trek can be more key than the whole bike...
1x is a joke not worth the weight savings. Always looking for a gear that's not there.
Liked this piece a lot. Seems like a typical GCN segment with a nice mix of humor and info. Relatively new to my GCN addiction. Looking forward to diving into loads of older content to catch up. Thanks for cheering me up on an ugly and rainy California winter day. Keep up the good work guys!
5 years later 😆 gravel with spare road tyres is my one and only (apart from a vintage town bike which i'll always have). i'm not pro or even amateur 🤣and can't imagine ever moving fast enough to race. great video for real life cyclists
Enjoyed the video GCN !
I'm on the one bike strategy - a 2017 Specialized Roubaix. Great machine.
Nice! You should check out our 2019 trends 😉
Yes I’m already sold. After returning to cycling after many years due to MS, I’m currently on a mountain bike, but damn I’m missing drops! Gravel bike it’ll be for me then for my next bike, with the more relaxed geometry and freedom to throw it around anywhere I wish! Thank you GCN for continuing to provide a fantastic, informative and immensely entertaining channel! 😊👍🏻👊🏻
I bought a cx bike this spring (caadx ultegra) after watching your channel. As I only have room in my life for 1 bike, the idea of 2-bikes-in-1 appealed to me. I take it on tours and commuting kitted out with mudguards, G-one 38mm tyres and a rear rack and it's great - lighter and faster than a touring bike, more comfortable than a road bike. I have also ridden it in "road bike" mode i.e. no mudguards or rack, with 30mm slicks. Originally I intended to buy an extra set of wheels and a cassette to make the swap-over easier but tbh, the G one tyres are so good I changed my mind. The functionality of the bike and spontaneity of taking it off road more than make up for the 2 kph lost. I'm not a competetive cyclist, riding avg 25kph on commutes and tours with luggage, or 28-30kph for road rides.
Would love to see this same test with identical wheel sets and tires
I have a GIANT Anyroad, and I´m happy with it. I ride for 200-250 km/week, mostly commuting to work. Love it.
I do too. I also run road tires on it most of the time. And swap them over when I am going to do some gravel riding.
Add me as a Giant AnyRoad rider as well, running the original 32mm tires. They're perfect for crushed limestone paths...and not bad on roads. But this summer I added a Specialized Roubaix road bike and can tell the difference. Both are terrific bikes...and I'd recommend each without hesitation.
I had a Anyroad, too, but i got mine stolen... a real shame. It was the first bike i`ve ever driven a race with :(. Now i guess i`ll be going with a rose xeon team 3000 (quite more road and less cyclo), hope that will make me happy :)
Sorry to hear about your loss, good luck with your new bike.
Hi Francisco, i commute roughly the same distance. I made my own "gravel bike" out of my 26 year old bianchi grizzly 15 years ago. Still love the way it feels, and its fast, very fast for the weight and the age. I think in a few month i have to buy a new one. Sad thinking about. My commute carried me for so many thousand kilometers. Now i am forced to admit its getting old.
I‘ve been waiting for a video like this, thank you! It makes the decision what my next bike will be a lot easier.
Perfect guys! Looking to buy a gravel bike in the spring but was a little reluctant due to all the questions you guys addressed here. Gravel bike with slicks it is! Thank you!
GCN You should do a compilation of Matt laughing. When ever somebody is in a bad mood it can make him laught.
Love my old cross bike, ride it on same back roads a my MTB , makes you watch your line a bit more . Could you do a test on a similar dirt road with a climb and decent with both bikes.
I have a carrera hybrid bike I bought this summer. In a few years when I have saved up and graduated hopefully I want to purchase a gravel bike and go bike packing with my friends. Been so obsessed with gravel bikes and cycling in general this past few months and the specialized diverge e5 looks amazing. I live in London so have been cycling everywhere I can in London. Been so obsessed with GCN, you guys are an amazing channel!
Been riding a Kinesis CrossLight for 2yrs now and loved it. Got some really good times on the local MTB trails (blue runs) and happily see 70kph+ on the road descents. Run CX wheels and tyres for the winter and race CX, road tyres for the summer Sportives, all tubeless. Di2 1x11 (10-42 cassette) with Hope four pot RX4 calipers. Dream bike! So much fun and will take on pretty much anything and keep up with most. 8.5kg abouts. Love it!
If I could suggest, a next comparison for a gravel/adventure bike could be 700c vs. 650b? I think this hasn't been sufficiently covered and would be quite interesting.
Ya, I'am pretty sure they never reviewed the Slate.
2:57 - I just wish I was there **points to 45 deg descent/ascent without any trail**
I got a Cannondale CAADX about a year ago and fell in love with it. Sold off my carbon road bike and picked up a set of ENVE 3.4 disc for the CAADX (for road use) and I've never been happier. I just swap wheels to go ride gravel. It's my one and done machine.
Picked up a Specialized Diverge 2018 and love it. Going to be my primary ride moving forward getting slicker thinner tires for those racier days!
I just tested my Trek crockett with road tyres - not a big difference from a proper road bike.
Si beating Sam Bennett and Adam Yates in a stage of the rás not bad !!
www.cyclingnews.com/races/an-post-ras-2-2/stage-3/results/
cilliwilli2k11 Awwww thanks for posting that Si.
There should be a Gravel race in Finland!! There are so many gravel roads, I am really wondering why Gravel Grinding isn't more popular...
John Porno 30mm is a little big. 28mm slicks feel like commuter road tyres. I’ve put 23 front and 25 rear on my cyclocross bike and it’s feels like a dead to eights road bike with those tyres
@Fabian Ansteg i've been wondering the same thing
Just traded my road bike for a gravel bike as my only. Got a set of road wheels and am loving it. Best decision I ever made.
what chainring are you riding, I'd like to do that but all gravel bikes come with super compact.. and I'm afraid I'll be left behind on my ocasional road rides with friends with a 52T chainring...
@@setoain20
My Marin Nicasio 2 gravel bike has a 50T chainring.
Thanks for this video. I am newer to biking and bought a gravel bike and wondered if I should have went with a roadie for commuting. I now know that I made a good decision and can swap a road wheelset in for dry conditions. The bike is a Niner RLT9 Steel 3 star.
Nice comparison! My gravel bike runs 28mm slicks when I use it as my road bike, but then that's probably because I've also got a drop bar touring bike with 2" wide tires, a full suspension mountain bike, a fat bike, a tandem, a townie, and an equally wide selection of bikes for my wife - combine that with limited garage space and something had to do double duty somewhere.
I ride my CX bike for everything now. Have two sets of wheels. Even sold my aero road bike because I can manage similar speeds with more comfort. I know I cant carry speed on long climbs the same way, but I still manage to get PRs regularly so Im happy.
Branden Carlos i have a specialized Crux e5 2018. Its so great. I LOVE it.
Same for me! Except for I only change tires based on what I'm doing on a certain day/week. I have 3 sets, 28mm, 32mm, and some knobby 35mm tires. Now I want to get some 40mm, am I crazy? :P
Y’all with gravel bikes, can you keep up in a group ride with all road bikes? If is are you working harder just to keep up? I want to get. Gravel bike but if not going to be able to keep with ease then I’m not sure about it
@@KendallDNixon I don't have cyclecross bike yet but I don't think it adds allot to the weight if you have road wheels. Working harder will probably show in long uphills but even then, maybe few seconds more on a 10 minute uphill.
Do you have two sets of wheels or just one set and two sets of tyres? Depending on what you have, do you think you have chosen the more convenient/price effective option?
If you don't want to pile several bikes in your inventory, take a gravel bike, optionally get a lighter wheelset for paved roads trips. Or just swap slick and off-road tires depending on your plans. My personal comparison of the budget road bike and average gravel bike shows similar difference as in this video for high end bikes.
When it comes to fitness, upgrade yourself first. Most of us can get more advantage from getting fit rather than from getting "faster bike".
Lisa, any particular ways you work on fitness? Just curious.
@@themastersclay5579
- structured training with variety of loads within favorite discipline
- crosstraining
- recovery time
- training periodization (it's a superset of all above)
i am a triathlete and like to take winter breaks to try different things. this winter i decided to go with a gravel bike, i bought a Raleigh Tamland 2 and planned on using this as a second bike (first bike is my tri bike). After a few months i decided to try a few group road rides and was surprised about how well i could keep up (as long as i wasn't pulling for a long time!) i realized that i can perfectly use this bike as a road bike as well and all i needed was to get a separate set of wheels with narrower, road tires.. this video helped me make my mind about it! i have 40mm clement tubeless gravel wheels and got a set of FSA Convertible wheels where i installed 28mm tires.
I've got the Canyon Inflite gravel bike. I love it (good geometry for me). I recently swapped out the knobbly tires for slick tires and got huge bump in my average speed. For some reason I get way more power off a gravel bike than a road bike which is counter-intuitive but it works for me!
My first road bike was--and still is--a gravel bike and I haven't yet felt the need to "upgrade" to a full fled fledged road-only road bike, tbh.
I use my Canyon Ultimate CF SL 9.0 Disc as a CX / Gravel bike. Works great. Just switch out the tyres. Since I already have a light bike I don't get the weight penalty from a Gravel bike. The only penalty is rolling resistance from the tyres.
Alan Taylor Farnes I suggest you try Schwalbe CX Pro tires for mud, extra narrow, lots of grip and mud clearance even on tight frames. Also cheap as hell.
Umberto Masoero I’m using Schwalbe X-One Bite clincher 33mm. They were like $15 each and I love them. I would love to go to the Schwalbe X-One tubeless but those are like $60 each. Same tire just tubeless version.
Yup. Just sold my winter bike and summer road bike. Purchased the Giant TCX Ad Pro 2 . Got 43 Gravel-kings on at the mo and slot some road 28/32s on when needed. Great bike. Thanks.
I have done exactly this using my Trek Boone with ultegra 2x front chainrings and disc brakes for both gravel/dirt and also for road, with one set of cyclocross wheels with Maxxis Rambler tires and a set of carbon road bike wheels with slicks. I love the setup.
Please keep the volume level throughout the video, the music is too loud most of the time and some of the voiceover is at different volumes...
The music in this video was god awful 😂
Note to editor (sure they will also be in charge of sound mix) stick a compressor on the master channel or at least the vocals ;)
I've been using my cyclecross for road commuting with road tyres for 5 years. It's an excellent compromise. And would be even better with disc brakes...
I thought ny phone was broken. Thank god
Rampas Inhumanas it’s a CZcams video not a sound track to a blockbuster film, most film editors don’t really have a clue about sound (no offence to video editor) just as a sound mixers or mastering engineer don’t really know about film editing (no offence to mixing and mastering engineers), just because you want to show off that you know a little bit about sound doesn’t mean you need to be rude, may be the thing to do would to offer some advice or help Instead of criticism
Great review, reflecting many of my experiences. I was new to biking, and signed up to the Grand Defi (1000km) through my company team. Think of it as a mini Tour de France. Coming from mountain biking, I did not want to fully invest in a road bike just for the tour as I also wanted to have some fun in the gravel, so I bought the Devinci Hatchet (lowest model, integra, aluminum). The bike came with 40c tire, which was great for training, but I ended up throwing the 32c Schwalbe Marathon Supreme Road Tyres on 2 weeks prior to get used to them. Felt like going from a Subaru to a Ferrari in terms of grip and speed. One thing to consider, for new cyclists is that the wheels that come with gravel bikes, are likely to be wider and therefore they will be limited in the width of tires they can go to (was recommended to go 8mm range max - hence from 40c to 32c). Purchasing a gravel / cross bike with two sets of tires allows you to enjoy both worlds, but also direct you to where you want to invest more :)
Keep up the great videos - looking forward to see the Ebike race... haha
Hi there, interesting point. I am considering buying a gravel bike, it has 11/42 cassette and 1 chainring of 42 (I think) , I calculated there is a 10kph diff compared to the typical set 34/50 front, 11/28 cassette. Do you think it does not matter this for top speeds?
I just bought my first bike. After reading through countless options and reviews, I decided that to place versatility as a high priority in my first bike. The base model Diverge by Specialized is what I settled on and I bought an additional set of wheels which are thinner with smooth tires so I can ride quick, fast, and efficient when I decide to take on the MS150 in April.
Im already thinking about the day I upgrade my groupset and I don’t even have the bike delivered yet haha 😅.
I’ve rode the same 8-speed Kona MTB since I was a teen. As I aged, I hit less trails and a lot more roads. Looking to buy a new bike at 30yo and a gravel bike looks like the best option for me. I’ll keep road tires on for the summer, and will put on the wider tires for spring and fall. I like having the option of both and can only afford one bike. Thanks for the reviews!
Gravel bike with two pairs of wheels works a treat if you can only have one bike - quick quick to swap depending on your route😀
Do you have two sets of wheels or just two pairs of tyres?
@@christian-g 2 pairs of tyres is enought. But 2 pairs of wheels alow to change faster. Also when you use tubeless tyres on your gravel wheels.
I use 2 paires of wheels the genuine is more confortable but less efficient. Buy good wheels with road tyres then you're be able to ride long and fast also climbing is easier. Good wheels are really important even between genuine aluminium wheels and top of the line aluminium wheels.
It's best to have to set of wheels one for road and off road. It's a win win for a gravel bike
Is it important to keep similar cassettes on both wheel sets? If you didn't. , would that lead to having to index the shifters each time you swap the wheels?
@@jonathanschwarz3199
Never had this problem.
I have 2 sets of wheels for my S&S coupled surly travelers check.
One is set up tubeless with 50c tires for dirt, the other set is tubed and set up to run any tire (for travel)
Same hub and rim, so the braking track and hub spacing is identical.
I just swap cassette and plug em' in. No shifting adjustment needed.
Specialized Diverge is my gravel/winter/rain/all-round bike.
Matt Meskill mine too. Now with carbon Rims.
did either of you invest in some road tires / wheel sets? if so which ones? curious because I also have a diverge
I'm a roadie in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. As the home of the unofficial Gravel Worlds, we've got miles & miles of gravel just outside the city limits. I love my carbon road bike, but my Specialized CruX 1x CX bike is SO versatile. It's my everything (but go as fast as possible on the road) bike-it's a commuter, winter, gravel, CX, & even MTB singletrack bike. For all but CX racing, I ride 38mm Challenge Gravel Grinder Race tires & love them.
I owned a cyclocross bike last winter for about two months before it was stolen. It was a fantastic experience and I really enjoyed riding it (riding through mud, cracking through the ice on small puddles). After it was stolen I bought an endurance bike and I really loved it over the summer season. Now as winter approaches here in Austria I'm considering buying a cyclocrosser again. It just made so much fun.
Okay, it helps me, now buying a Gravelbike with two different wheelsets. the times of chasing every gram is over for me as an old man. :D
At 65 years old and 200 pounds, I am not worried about grams anymore...
Same here Flex
I'm not old yet but I'm almost twice the age I was when I took up cycling. I'm also a bit heavier than the average 6ft bloke in his 50's should be so the weight of the bike isn't as much of an issue as it once was.
@@nealmont Switch to kilos. The numbers are smaller and help me (err... you) feel better
Yeha chasing grams doesn’t make sense
I am getting gravel and that’s it
Fantastic video, as always, thank you.
Just picked up a CX bike for the winter months. I couldn't bring myself to subject my Trek Madone 9 to the long wet winter/spring here in Oregon, so a Raleigh RX 2.0. very pleasantly surprised at how much fun I had on my normal route as well as the gravel fire roads that have been tempting me for ages!
I have a Specialized Diverge gravel bike with semi-slick 32mm tires, and it absolutely flies on the local (flat) bike paths, comparing very favorably with others on pure road bikes with slicks. There was a noticeable speed increase over the grippier 32mm Schwalbe Marathon+ tires that I had on it for commuting (generally on the gravel/potholed shoulder of paved roads). I've considered getting a road bike, but have found that the gravel bike serves every purpose (save technical trails) and is "road-y" enough while still being strong enough for my Clydesdale body.
super video! just one question,about the comfort: is a gravel bike more comfortable than an endurance road bike (canyon endurace)? in particular on long rides
Radelmaus in my opinion it is. The bigger tires provide more damping plus you will be less afraid of potholes. If you’re doing long distance rides which are not about the fastest time, definitely get a gravel bike.
8:22 a legend :D
I really appreciate all the information GCN puts out there for us. I'm finally leaving the "department store" bike level for a enthusiast level bike but I've only got the budget for one bike. Gravel bikes are especially appealing to me for the fact that I can almost match a road bike on smooth paved roads while still having the option to jump off road. More so with two sets of tires, one road and one gravel set. Obviously I don't want to speak for everyone, but as someone who has never been on anything but a bike around 300 to 500 bucks, it is very appealing to invest in one bike that can handle most terrain with minimal compromise.
Did you end up getting a gravel bike, and if so, how has it been holding up for you? Would really appreciate a reply!
Been using my salsa warbird for three yrs now as a commuter and I love it especially on Minnesota roads and trails it really gives me the freedom to take shortcuts that Roadies can't while being miles faster than a MTB. At the end of the day if you're looking for a one mount solution do it, if you're a weight weeny with a $5000 steed in your garage already you'll probably be just as happy with a second set of wheels and if your new to the scene go for the gravel it's a bit more forgiving than a road racer. Whatever you do ride what you love, love what you ride!
actually, if you get 700 slicks and a pair of 650 b wheels with knobbies you have almost 3 bikes in one,..... Road, Very capable off road for singletrack (no drops or jumps) and of course gravel with the knobby 700 c tires. Pretty good all around bike if you ask me!
Highly agree!
That dirty sensor though...
Btw the moment you realize your road bike is heavier that their gravel bike 😂😂😂
Just get yourself a Trek Emonda SL6.
Surprisingly affordable, light as hell for the price, and climbs like a Billy goat on crack.
I absolutely adore mine.
@@stinkyfungus "for the price" haha dude its 2800 dollars :(
Sounds like a good time to switch out the older road bike for a gravel bike + extra set of road tires.
@@iAmazingGrace One of the downsides of your non-big-box-store, "real" bikes. They do get quite expensive really fast. Unfortunately, that does mean stinkyfungus' comment above really wasn't out of line. While I don't can't really say on the Emonda SL6, if it's performance is comparable or not far off of a $5000 or even $10000 US bike, then it would be a very good value.
The funniest (or saddest) thing about this comment is that it's still relevant 3.5 years later...
Great effort! Kudos to GCN Team and Michael Kolmakov for starting this topic!
Me and my son have now cyclocross bikes, we choose them due to their wide use range.
Because we live in the country side in Finland, we can ride either on paved roads as well as sand/gravel roads in the forest with them.
They just work amazingly and we have so much fun ridding together.
My Gravel bike is my, well all road bike. It’s one of three bikes I have, SS mountain bike and a fat bike.
Matt's laugh makes my day
Started with my CX bike last Autumn so I could ride through Winter. Road bike has had a cover on it ever since, it's not turned a wheel. Use mine 50/50 road and then all other stuff (tracks, trails, gravel, grass etc) and it's pretty fun on the road. Much more confident in traffic and happier to hope up curbs at 30kmh which I just would have never done on a road bike. My Scott road road bike has since been CX converted and given to my daughter, she loves it !
I bought an Orro gravel bike at the end of last summer, plus a spare pair of wheels with slicks on. It is brilliant and I have definitely done more riding this winter as a result. It's handles very well and it is really good fun. It's the way of the future
I'd love to see a test with the same wheels or at least the same tires!
Hi GCN,
if you compare speed of a gravel bike and a road bike:
why not compare speed between a mid range alloy bike and a top stage carbon bike (Vuelta, TDF level)?
It's about time to do this and you know it!!!
Jan Willem Kuilenburg they do have an aluminum vs carbon video. May not be exactly what you want but similar concept
This may show up the fact that spending x thousands more on a top end carbon bike doesn't give the massive increase in performance that the industry wants everyone to believe. This is a NO NO. It would be good if they did, though.
Richard M, they did do a video comparing alloy to carbon, so no, there's no conspiracy.
Also, if you think a top end carbon frame doesn't perform better than a heavier alloy frame, you weren't watching this video. Just a kilogram in weight savings changed a very short 3km climb time by 20 seconds - over a long ride with lots of climbing, that would be huge. Similar performance in flats and descents, maybe, given similar geometry, wheels, and tires, but climbing is a whole other story.
Also, the biggest reason top end carbon bikes cost thousands more than alloy bikes is that alloy bikes don't generally come with top tier components, but top carbon bikes do. Manufacturers know that if you're buying alloy, you're probably not racing so using Ultegra will allow them to market that alloy bike much more cheaply. But a racer coming in to buy a top end carbon bike is looking for Dura Ace or SRAM Red almost every time.
If you build your own bike from parts, you can get a top tier carbon frame with Ultegra components and a 2nd tier wheel set that will cost you the same as the best alloy bikes and still be lighter. I know, because I just did.
Twenty seconds over 3 km is not a big deal for majority of riders. So it's mostly about pleasing ego and getting a nice toy. Besides, "a racer coming in to buy a top end..." usually would not make enough money from racing to cover the cost of a bike. If he or she makes such money from racing, the bike probably is provided by sponsors.
Love watching your videos, you guys have such a fun time which makes it more fun for the viewer! I have a gravel bike as my only ride at the moment, with slicks, full knobbies, and somewhere in between tires. I can only afford one bike right now, and in my experience I am not too much slower with the in between tires most of the time. Most of my cycling is in the hills, and I use the in between tires to put a bit more effort in my ride, hopefully making me a little faster when I put in the road tires!
Hello Simon and Matt. Thank you from all us for hearing us. We really appreciate you feedback. My own observstions show diffrence of 1,5 km per hour between Conti gp4000 28 mm and Challange gravel grinder 36 mm on my Focus mares. Cx bike with 2 good wheelsets is my chose.
Did you run into any limitations with the, what looked like, one-by drivetrain?
Music volume: over 9000
Voice volume: subzero...
I know this video is a few years old but I just got my Trek Checkpoint ALR5 and couldn't be happier. It's a bike for all seasons, and for my purposes (commuting, NYC rides, upstate adventures) it's perfect for everything. Maybe one day I'll get a pair of slicks but for now it's not necessary. The confidence the 40c tires give me riding on city roads is worth losing a barely noticeable amount of speed.
This just helped me make my decision! I am looking for a good jack of all trades bike and I think I will now only look at gravel bikes. I want something to go off road but also something that I can commute with and do long road rides on! I am far from a good cyclist but definitely love the sport and want to get a lot more into it. Thank you GCN!
Thanks for the Test
I will buy the Canyon Grail 7.0 and train with it for a Triathlon. Make a Bike Fitting and for the Race I will change the Tyres...
Love that for me new category of Gravling Bikes
Hi!! how was your experience with the Grail 7, have you notice any big difference with a road bike? have you used a lot to explore trails?
When comparing a road bike to a gravel bike, it may actually help if you use a gravel bike rather than Trek's aluminium CX bike. You may be able to use it as a gravel bike but it is still a CX bike.
Alex ?????? I hear ya loud and clear. This video is a waste of time.
Just purchased a Specialized Crux Pro - basically the same geometry as a Tarmac Pro with disks and more tire clearance. I purchased two sets of higher end carbon wheels - one with 28 slick road tires and one with 33 cross tires. So nice to have one bike that I can spend a little more on and make just the way I want it and essentially get two amazing bikes for the price of 1 and a third. First ride out and was about 3% slower - well within my normal variance due to sleep, wind, hunger, attitude... Love it!
I have a GT Grade as my road/gravel/commuter bike (already have 2 pairs of tyres) and a 20 yrs old Trekking Fox ESCORT as a mountain bike, also 2 pairs of tyres. I love the Grade so much, it can do just about anything, and being faster than my MTB friends everywhere (except on singletrack trail) just feels great.
Gravel bikes are way faster...on the gravel😉 would be interesting to se an endurance bike comparison to its "race bike" counterpart i.e. Trek Emonda vs Trek Domane or something of that nature #torqueback
Not that complicated. I have both the Emonda (carbon rim brakes, 26 tires) and a Domane Disc 32 tires (almost two pounds heavier) The Emonda is noticibly faster on climbs but leaves you feeling more beat up after 70+ miles.Mostly I ride the Domane unless I am doing a lot of 12% climbs or if its wet. It rolls over anything without notice and leaves my back, feet and wrists feeling better. Carbon rim brakes suck when its wet and steep. Riding alone without competition or any sense of urgency I'd always pick the Domane. Ocassionally when going alpine with the big dogs, need the Emonda.
@@frankiebguitar Thanks that helps allot
Matt's Mating call
8:22
reading my own comment made me do the Matt's Matting call .
Recent evidence suggests it's effective! :D
Gravel bike is my only bike, use it for commuting, long rides, soon to race cross, and will road race on it in the spring! Fuji Tread 1.0 LE with slicks for road and knobs for cross/gravel riding. I'm pretty new into cycling and I would say this is a great way to get into multiple aspects of the sport without having to buy two bikes. Great video.
Great info, guys! I have a good gravel / versatile bike and tho I often wish I had a street bike again so I could glide thru a 40-60 mile ride again with ease, I plan to stick with gravel since it feels comfortable for me no matter where I use it. Its just great knowing almost no doors are closed for me and my gravel.
Good vid!!!
Greetings from east coat USA!!!
That's my solution. I will have 1 bike (can't afford two), so 1 gravel bike with 2 sets of wheels. And being in Quebec Canada, looking at my homegrown Devinci Hatchet as my solution.
Eric Potvin I agree no matter where you live. A gravel, endurance, or CX bike will still allow you to ride group rides with roadies and haul ass but you probably don't want to go through to much rough terrain on a road bike even with 25s.
My cyclocross bike is my main bike commuter and weekend rides
What size tires are you running?
Decent Gravel bike for commuting, nice Road bike build by myself for traning and old scruffy 26" MTB for fun and Winter commuting in Sweden ;)
Love to ride all of them just as much, living the Dream on my bikes! :D
I ride a 2012 Fuji cross 3.0 as my all around bike. I ride it to work, on rail trails(paved and unpaved), road rides, easy trails, and just around town. It works great, and is very comfortable. Having the dual brake lever setup gives versatile hand positions. Two sets of h2o bottle braze ons and rack braze ons. Fender mounts. love this thing!
Follow up project: how much gravel/mud-path do you need to include in your ride to make the gravelbike faster overall?
koko lores Exactly. My commute takes the same amount of time on both bikes, since I can easily take one specific shortcut on my cross bike and cut a few corners not having to slow down as much as on my road bike.
Using a gravel bike as my main bike for the roads, love the comfort for the longer rides (on 32mm slicks) and the riding position; the road bike has been relegated to the turbo. I find the gravel bike much faster than the road bike, as it's so much more comfortable that I find myself cycle more, gaining fitness and thereby increasing my average speed.
So I brought a cyclocross bike 2 yrs ago - its my only bike and I love it! I swop out slicks and cx tyres, which is a bit of a faff, so I'm going to buy a decent set of wheels and therefore have one bike but two wheelsets: one for each discipline. Purrrfect!
I ride a Surly Cross Check as my commuter. Compared to the cross bike you used, I would call mine a bit more sturdy. In case you didn't know, Surlys are steel. My front wheel is a Salsa Delgado and my rear is a Velocity Chukker. The Chukker is designed for Bike Polo. I have full mud guards and a whopping 72 spokes. I use Continental Touring Plus tires. More than anything else, this bike keeps me out of the repair shop. It's the C-130 of bikes.
I love this bike. It has become my "One Bike".
Well, my Giant Revolt is my only drop-bar bike, so it has to "to do it all." I traded my road bik on it, because I loved the comfort and stability of the geometry and wider tires..
But since I'm a GRAVEL rider, I see no need to handicap my bike or myself with knobby tires that are only of any use in the mud.
And, BTW, cyclocross bikes aren't really proper gravel bikes anyway. They are too short, too steep geometry and too high bottom bracket, get a real gravel bike equip it with decent gravel tires, and have another try.
I was thinking about getting Giant's gravel bike. I do mostly road though and didn't want the tires to slow me down too much. I do see a gravel bike in my future though. Mostly for riding gravel roads and forest roads.
I have a revolt. I love it.
all i saw in this vid is hedonistic coffe enjoyment in the mountains 😂
Yes my Cyclocross bike is my only bike and it is the Crocket 5, 2015 model, I love it! :D I use it for every day commutes, training and competing in triathlons, but for the races I swap the thick 43mm tires to 28mm ones :D
you channel is just awesome. I'm just on my way buying a new bike, and you answer all my questions in a perfect way, video by video. you got my sub for sure!