Is a Gravel Bike Really Much Slower Than a Road Bike?
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- čas přidán 12. 05. 2024
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Can a gravel bike really be used as a road bike? I get this question a lot so I decided to go into detail on the pros and cons based on my experience of using gravel bikes as road bikes over the years. The answer is, it depends…
Content
00:00 Intro
1:15 Gravel bikes are slow and heavy?
4:06 Squarespace
5:07 Comfort and grip benefits
5:52 Easier gearing
7:47 Geometry differences
10:13 Dual Purpose Dilemma
10:50 Which is best then?
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Hell yes! If you don’t race, choose a more endurance orientated gravel bike and buy some fast road wheels/tyres and you’re good to go!
I partially agree, but we dont really need slightly faster road tyres. 40mm gravel tyres are reasonably fast.
I had a roubaix with skinny tires that I would ride on the road and group rides and a Diverge with 40’s on it for solo rides and gravel races. I never wanted to ride the Diverge on group rides so I wouldn’t get dropped. One day I let a friend use the road bike and I went on the gravel bike to the same group ride, I pumped my gravel tires up just a tinny bit more and I didn’t feel any difference keeping up with the group. Needless to say I sold the road bike and now I use my gravel bike for everything and I never put skinny tires on it and ride on the same group rides. The regular people that rides the group ride already know me, but new people that come to it always ask me why im riding a gravel bike and how hard is to keep up. My answer is always the same, I feel no difference in performance, but is definitely more comfortable than the road bikes.
I've actually tested this - same road ride on my Giant Revolt gravel bike (with 40mm gravel tyres at 30PSI) as previous efforts on my Tarmac SL4 with 28 mm Conti Gator Skins at 60PSI .The Revolt is about half a mile an hour slower - BUT - so much more comfortable and easier to ride on crap road surfaces. Could the SL4 out pace the Revolt with some decent race tyres - yep. Could the Revolt go a bit faster with 30mm race tyres - yep. I ride alone pretty much all of the time, comfort means greater distances and an easier handling experience. Net net, I sold the SL4 and upgraded the wheels on the Revolt. I'm not saying a gravel bike can outpace or even keep up with ANY road bike but for mortals (AKA 60 year old MAMILS) the gravel bike is a superb allrounder.
Have one myself , makes an excellent road bike for winter especially especially with double chainring
I also have a Revolt (Advanced 1) and treat it like a road bike. I love my bike...I am planning to put the Specialized Patfinder tires on my bike as I was recommended to get them! I love riding the Revolt because I can ride on pavement and dirt/gravel...also, I enjoy my rides more with a bike that can tolerate a lot of stuff!
Try 100psi like a real man and get back to us
@@muthatrucker6485 yeh good luck with that round Hampshire and Surrey
Completely agree - if you can, try the Giant CXR Wheelset with CADEX AR or GX tyres - the ride quality/speed is amazing and I think pound for pound there isn’t a better set of wheels on the market
I must've seen 10+ videos on whether a gravel bike can be as good as a road bike and much to my dismay I've never seen anyone bother to just switch in a nice set of aero carbon wheels and 30mm tyres, and say "ta-dah, road trim" then switch them back to chunky tyres and say "ta-dah, gravel trim"
What seems to be missing from this video is the kind of thought process that accompanies someone who actually wants a single bike, but also wants it to be able to exist in a build/trim that's the fastest possible for road.
By saying 'you don't need speed, just go for comfort' what you're really saying is 'I personally have a nice road bike in the garage, so i don't need speed from this bike' but the person with just the gravel bike will want the option for speed.
The reality is yes. They make great road bikes. My gravel bike is faster, lighter and more comfortable than my previous generation road bike. It's become my proper road bike, but i switch out my carbon wheels and suddenly it's a five day off road adventure rig.
See what I'm saying? The moderate 'oh just get some 40mm tyres it's fine' doesn't really address the whole one bike thing, unless they really don't actually want a road bike at all, they just want a bike
Perfect statement and exactly what I’ve done!
Exactly. A quality gravel race bike with road tyres is a road bike. In fact I use carbon ‘gravel’ wheels on road - 32mm rims (25mm internal) with 32mm road tyres (they're even aero)! + perfect for road training.
@@3TZZZ Kind of, but pretty much every new gravel bike is coming with a stack figure at least 40mm higher than their road version. That is going to make a huge difference, tyres will help but the wind resistance will cancel out any gain made through tyres.
I have a mountain bike, gravel bike and road bike. If my wife gave me an ultimatum to keep only one, it would be the gravel as I can ride it all year on most surfaces. I don’t feel it’s much slower than my road bike, but I do have to use a bit more power to keep the same average speed.
If my wife have me that ultimatum i would choose divorce.
@@gravelDave🤣
Unless you are picky on your average speed, the gravel bike wont cut it because group rides. For solo rider like me, gravel is the best since i wont be training to become professional.
Using more power to keep it up (the same) speed as (for example) a road bike means it’s slower… try to negotiate a extra set of wheels with road tyres with your wife.
@@StevenafoeDon’t worry, my wife knows how much I love cycling and all my bikes. Still, she draws the line at three. 😅
I ride my bike to have fun, take my time and not be stressed out by riding in a fast pace. Just a relaxing ride.
This topic seems to come up so often- I find the biggest factor (after tyre size) is the geometry charts. Longer wheelbases and slacker head angles on gravel bikes can be great for off roading, keeping the bike stable but imo can make the bike feel boring and sluggish on the road.. what bike you should get really depends on how much time you actually spend on/off road and then choose accordingly looking at geometry charts.
Hey David I agree a gravel bike is all you need works great as a road bike too.
Absolutely loved this breakdown, David! Your insights into using gravel bikes on the road are incredibly helpful for those of us pondering the versatility of these machines. It's refreshing to see someone address the common misconceptions and dive into the real-world advantages and drawbacks. Your thorough examination of the comfort, gearing, and geometry differences truly clarifies the dual-purpose dilemma. Keep up the fantastic work, and I'm looking forward to more informative content like this! 🚴♂💨
No, not really. Put a nice pair of wheels and tyres and the difference is minimal.....And most people are not racing, so why worry if there's a slight difference.....Comfort rules on the rubbish UK roads.
Spot on Dave, on my gravel bike I can get road KOMs and off-road KOMs on the same ride. Gravel bikes are plenty fast enough as road bikes, especially on UK roads.
David, it would be nice to see you do a video comparing rides with identical power and position on a 30 minute ride, on your TCR and Crux (with RH 44mm slicks), at appropriate pressures using the silca tire pressure calculator.
I use two sets of wheels with my Endurance bike. 700 x 32mm for the road and 650 x 42mm on gravel. Yes the 650's lower the bottom bracket but my gravel rides are on gravel roads and paths, not like I am going to experience pedal strike when going straight. Right now this works for me but I still contemplate a second bike as a dedicated gravel bike. Good video David.
I got a gravel bike for light trails and as my winter bike. It has an aluminium frame, carbon fork and 1x it’s from BMC and it has served me well. Takes mudguards easily. Though will only take tyres up to 35 width. Its simplicity makes it easy to keep clean in winter. In summer the guards come off for easy and fun trail rides.
I was getting the Allez rim brake bike prepped for winter during the autumn when a carbon Diverge came up at a great price. Put 105 Di2 with 50/34-11/34 gearing and 32c 4Season tyres, normal 42cm bars and stiffest spring in my he FutureShock. It rides great, has seen me through winter and not a single flat. The SL7 Tarmac is safe and sound until late Spring. Seems like a great solution to me. And average speed not really changed.
Just curious why you would stiffen up the suspension? I would think a supple suspension for gravel will be a nice bonus to road riding since your bike has it already. Better control over bumps and better comfort is less fatiguing. The only reason road bikes don't have such a dedicated mechanism is weight and cost.
@@newttella1043 even with the stiffest spring in the Future Shock, there is still plenty of progression. Where I live, it’s all the road riding, no gravel. The Diverge gives a lovely stable ride on the road, I didn’t know what to expect, but have been surprised how well this “Open Road” geometry rides on the road. Maybe I’d have preferred a Roubaix but this Diverge came up cheap and now I love it.
I thought a Specialized Crux was a cyclocross bike. As a cx racer, I choose to fit a single 44t ring with a 11-28 cassette. Switching to a smaller one for the racing season, as I'm not Wout or Mathieu! Using wheels with 25mm tyres (at the moment, 28-30 is the fashion and the bike would look slightly less odd, being made for tyre widths up to 33mm} I find this fine for getting used to riding the bike again pre season, the only limitation is outright speed with road tyres. The above gearing is fine for the cx tyres I use when mixing road and off road. If I wanted outright speed, I'd fit a traditional 39/53 double up front. As far as weight, it's not really an issue as there's little difference between a cx race bike and a road bike. Also a cx frame should be very similar geometry as a road frame so little difference there too. Gravel, being designed for longer distance, a bit more relaxed. If I didn't love building up and keeping bikes, I'd choose a cx race bike without hesitation as my only bike.
It was, and still is, but the latest model has changes to make it better suited to gravel. Watch my review from a few years ago or read some of the launch articles 👍
Another option, particularly for less flexible riders, is flat bar bikes like the Giant Fastroad AR. Fit bar ends for extra hand positions as you don’t need the drops if your spine doesn’t bend and you can put tri bars on, too. A bonus is your spec for dollar ratio is significantly better than drop bar bikes and replacing brakes and shifters is easier and cheaper. You also don’t have the corrosion issues created by sweat soaked bar tape and there’s multiple replacement handgrips and bar ends to suit individual needs.
I ride a Cervelo Aspero with 2x GRX as my road training bike with 32mm road tyres. It’s better in many ways as a road training bike. The geometry is arguably better than an ‘endurance’ road bike, a bit more relaxed, slightly longer wheelbase, the gearing is better + the benefit of being able to run even wider tyres for mixed road/gravel rides; all making it more planted and more comfortable for all kinds of allroad training.
I would also argue that 2x gravel groupsets on gravel bikes are actually excellent for road riding. Shimano GRX 2x for example is Ultegra level and unless you’re a super competitive road cyclist who averages 40km/hr+ there is no reason you can’t do bunch rides with this set up (I do). For the majority, as you point out, the gearing on gravel bikes is significantly better, especially for us mere mortals in the hills! …are gravel bikes too slow as road bikes? Maybe ‘road bikes’ are actually too fast (and less versatile).
Mine speeds along nicely on roads. Might be slightly slower than a dedicated road bike, but it's a machine to take you off road as well. So swings and roundabouts. Maybe people shouldn;t be so weirdly obsessed with KOMs etc and just enjoy riding these things.
Great video, comparison, and explanation. There are differences in the frame geometry and set up on various "gravel bikes", as some (like the newer Crux) are closer to endurance geometry and generally feel quicker and accelerate well. Other gravel bikes are designed for greater comfort and stability off road but do not feel as quick. If trying to use a gravel bike for road and gravel, might need to think about preference between quickness or comfort/stability when picking the best gravel bike to match.
I have a steel gravel bike from Temple and an extra set of carbon roadie wheels for it. Love the simplicity of having just one bike!
Hey David...what casing were you using with the Rene Herse tires? And are you going to do a review of them? Love the channel as well,!!
I used a gravel bike as my only bike for several years. And mostly as a road bike. But I built up a set of carbon road wheels for it. It's a great way to have a good, if not optimal road bike. Eventually, I wanted a second bike, for backup if nothing else, and bought an endurance road bike. It is faster then the gravel bike with road wheels, but isn't a huge difference.
I high recommend a gravel bike for anyone not able or wanting to have separate road and gravel bikes. Better still if you have a set of road wheels to use on the gravel bike.
You guys keep talking about comfort, endurance geometries which is a topic I’m very interested in. I have purchased late last year my very 1st endurance road bike, and after months of careful consideration, I opted for a lesser known brand that had an unbeatable price/quality ratio - the Czech brand Superior.
Could you guys, one of these days, provide an overview of the options available outside the typical big seven brands (Giant, Cannondale, Trek, Pinarello, Scott, Canyon, Specialized)??
That would be awesome!
I bought a gravel bike (Canyon Grizl CF SL7) to compliment a 20y old road bike and it really puts my old steed to shame on the road. The gearing is not optimal but I could definitely see this bike as my only bike with a second pair of wheels and few transmission bits to suit it better for each task.
I ride a giant gravel bike with 28mm conti gp5000 str and can keep up with our local group A rides 16-18mph. In the stock 38mm super knobby tires I’d be riding with group B 14-16mph. Never ran out of lower gears going up on steep climbs, but wish the big ring in front was 50 teeth. It all depends on what your goals are, and the roads you ride on.
Hi David…Using a BMC Kaius 01 One would have probably provided a better dual-purpose rig. I’ve used mine with road tires (30), 48 chainring (1x), Zipp 404’s, and 11:33 cassette in South Florida for the past year and am just as fast! The only change I’m making is for a 52t chainring very soon. This past weekend I could have used the larger chainring, due to several surges exceeding 34mph.
Would be great to see you assess the Kaius, as I have been amazed by it. Cheers!
My go to bike is my Ritchey Swiss Cross with Gravelking Panaracer SS 700x38c for majority of my rides. It's only the quick group ride were I will ride the road bike with 28c tires.
Switched from a Pinarello Dogma F to a Ridley Kanzo Fast, both with Zipp 353 NSW. The gravel bike with a low pressure tubeless 42mm Pathfinder is so much more versatile and fun, let's me ride everything and is still plenty fast, even on tarmac.
I purchased a 2016 specialized diverge that I set up specifically for road use I have 2sets of wheels road is deep dish carbon and stock wheels I’ve been using for my indoor trainer . I just purchased gravel tires I will be putting on stock wheels for gravel riding then have my carbon wheels for road. Only one thing that’s a pita is when I switch wheels I have to switch derailleur hanger . Stock wheels use stock hanger carbon wheels a couple of mm wider so I have to use a special hanger from specialized (SCS). I don’t race I ride for fun and exercise so slower of faster doesn’t make a difference.
I got a Cervelo Aspero 5 that I use as my road and gravel bike. I pop on 45mm wheels with 30c tires for the road and 32mm wheels with 43c tires for off-road. I've found that I can go the same speeds I go on my proper road bikes. It's heavier and a tad less responsive to accelerate, but overall I can ride just as fast. Though, I went this route because I didn't care about going fast or having the lightest, most aero bike out there anymore. I just wanted a bike that would do it all for me and it does the trick. It doesn't matter that I get to the cafe 2 minutes faster and I gained more room in the garage by getting rid of some bikes.
slapped a 34mm Vittoria Corsa N.EXT on my gravel bike with dt swiss G1600 and it's flying on tarmac, obviously not as fast as a dedicated road but the difference is noticeable vs the usual gravel tire
The roads of North Dorset where I live are diabolical, I sold my road bike with skinny tyres and just have the gravel.
Long days on the road need comfort and having the choice to jump on any tracks and bridleways is great.
My MTB is still hanging in the shed.
I have a gravel bike and a extra set of wheels for the road. It works great for me😀
Bought a Canyon grail in 2020, have not ridden my road bike since. More comfortable to and opens up many, many more options to ride in my area. It handles everything from pristine asphalt to mellow singletrack. Its probably a bit slower than my road bike but I like riding the gravel bike much better. If you wont miss hitting your road strava PR's and dont need to keep up with fast group road rides/compete with your roadie friends then Id say a gravel bike is all one needs...IMO.
As someone who is currently commuting on a road bike with skinny tyres, a gravel bike looks really appealing. I always ride alone.
I think you’d feel that bit more confident and comfy on the gravel bike with decent grippy tyres.
I have a Merida silex 4000 and an Emonda AlR 5. I have put 32c tyres on my Merida and have 28c on my Emonda AlR. In terms of speed and acceleration I don’t see any major difference in stats but in terms of feel I do think the Emonda is far more zippy. My way of utilising both my bikes is doing speedy workouts, intervals on my Emonda while doing long endurance rides on my Merida only because it’s super comfortable, had an upright positioning ideal for long rides and at the same time is zippy enough to not miss the speed quotient. also, an added advantage is the fact that it’s carbon making the ride even more fun!
But speaking of the future - I am convinced that gravel is the way forward for masses if racing is not an intent. Silex as you have mentioned in your reviews is an MTB inspired geometry and so it’s more of a CX/touring category. Have decided if I plan to upgrade my gravel, my next bike would be a performance oriented gravel only because it offers the flexibility to go from 28c to 40-50c. One bike to rule them all…😊
Hi David. Great video as usual. One question about your comments on easier gearing compared to endurance road bikes. Most that I see are coming with 50/34 & 11-34 (Shimano) or 48/33 & 10-33 (Sram) which give a 1:1 climbing gear that seems very close to your 44 & 46 esp with your bigger tires having a slightly larger circumference. I don’t think there’s really any easier gearing on gravel bikes with the current trend to stock gearing on endurance road bikes. Are you still seeing a lot of bigger rings and smaller cassettes in new endurance road bikes?
Hi David, thanks for this informative video…I’m currently doubting between road or gravel…regarding the easier gearing…would a Classified Powershift help to keep up with a group or is the ratio too small to have benefit when choosing a gravel with road wheels?
My road bike can fit 35mm tires and my gravel bike 45mm. I do feel there’s some overlap, to the point where I would actually want a shorter, twitchier, more old school rim brake road bike
I have a cube nuroad pro race gravel bike and I love it. I have it and a decathlon single speed bike. I'm not bothered about super speed on my bike and prefer the comfort of the 37mm schwalbe all rounds that I have than a super skinny rise tyre. Yes it means I can't join a cycling club as most of the local ones I've tried want me to have a road bike or skinny tyres on my gravel bike neither of which I'm prepared to do so I usually go out on my own. Bottom line is I think gravel bikes are great as they mean you can ride them on the road and if you want to veer off the beaten track you can.
Cube cross pro race here, I might keep the stock X-One 33mm front, slicker 28mm cinturato velo rear...
I put some 32mm road tyres on my boardman cx team. It was a comfortable and fun ride, but it wasnt fast. Though at 9.5kg its heavy.
I took the gravel bike as a road bike as no pure road bike had enough stack height to deal withback issues and to have short enough reach. The solution: keep the gravel wheels and tires and fit a second set of carbon road wheels with 28mm Conti 5000 tyres as tubeless. Works a treat.
Still can't decide lol. Guess I'll have to see how fast my gravel goes on group road rides. Don't want to get new wheelsets just to get a road bike later on.
David, I agree Gravel bikes are the best. I only use gravel tires for our roads in Ontario, Canada. If I were to do a road event I would get some road tires as wide as possible
i have a trek domane AL5 and it's pretty much just a road bike with fat tires. the only time I don't like it is when I'm riding hills
Your awesome crux looks great with RH tires, the skinwall matches the gold color. You are riding 38 or 44?
They were Barlow pass which are 38
My gravel Cannondale Topstone Lefty is slower on tarmac than my Wilier Triestina Gran Tourismo, especially in accelleration and 1,5% decline, but it doesnt matter much. I have no problem riding my slightly slower gravel bike on tarmac, and I like that its better damped when the road gets worse. The gravel bike is also much better for 4km long 8% climbs due to the larger cassette . Easy said: The gravelbike is a quite fast plain daily do it all bike, and the road bike is a specialized bike for going a bit faster on fine tarmac.
“It adds choice or confusion”. Well put 😂
My gravel bike (Sage Titanium Barlow) is both road and gravel. I just change the wheels for fast rides.
Scott addict gravel with Sworks Pathfinder tires and 40mm carbon wheels enabled me to set a few KOMs on the road. Gravel bikes are just as fast
For general purposes gravel wins.
BUT there's no better feeling than a nimble and lightning fast accelerating roadie that gets top marks in performance..
I have a road bike and a gravel bike with road wheels. The road bike is noticeably faster but it's a non issue for me. The gravel bike is definitely more versatile.
Hi there I have a fuji jar 2.5 gravel bike can I put faster tires and of course the peddles
Endurace-style roadbikes with 700x32mm tyres are the happy medium imho
Nowadays almost all endurance road bikes accept 32mm tyres
100% agree
Gravel bike on the road in winter is fine.. solo, if you turn up to a group ride and everyone else is on summer bikes with clip on mudguards, then it's gonna be a hard day.
The issue is that these days cycling is way way way over inflated. The fact that a frame with good components cost as much as a highly engineered enduro dirtbike is insane. Most of us scoff at one expensive ride let alone 3 or 4. Of course it’s also exactly why the bike messenger counterculture exist…. Some of the fastest guys I know ride steel track bikes😂. Even yesterday I checked out a specialized crux which with tax was sitting at almost 4K USD and they told me it was a great entry level bike. Entry level. I’d love to see the vacation homes of corporate cycling America.
100% insanity. And people in honest shops usually agree 😂
Inflated by whom? Last I checked it was a highly competitive free market, so if you think you’ve got a genius idea to deliver a better bike at a lower price let’s hear it.
@@RookYZRM1 Let me guess, you work for Trek or Specialized.
@@Burritosarebetterthantacos so no genius idea, just whiny tantrums and ridiculous comparisons, got it👍🏼
@@RookYZRM1 You really are a special kind of guy arent you. Does being a troll give you some sort of fulfillment that you aren’t getting in real life?
Ribble CGR SL vs Orro Venturi. Using the same carbon wheels on both, the Orro is faster and just feels better, so much better climbing etc.
I think on a more road like fast gravel bike and up to 18mph av speed then difference will be negligible with fast road tyres, if you are capable of going faster then a race bike easily wins, gravel bikes are brilliant winter bikes
I use a Diverge with 28mm tires with 2x GRX gears and have no problems keeping up with fast group rides. The only downside I see is the steering. I can't turn as tight on fast corners due to the slacker head angle when compared with my race bike. Overall, though it wouldn't be different with a Roubaix, or many endurance bikes.
Gravel bike is on my wishlist, I’m to old to fast and not mention I can’t even peddle that fast😂😂 I prefer climbing
If you are not a racer... go for gravel and endurance bikes or hybrid if you can afford at least 2.🎉
Wheels, tyres possible to change but to be faster on gravel also geometry must be corrected to lower position to more aero so handlebar more narrow and lower seat correction and clothes. To much things to do money to spend so maybe t is better be slower and have more comfort? Somebody has his own needs and set bike in optimal way for himself.
If it doesn't slow you down, the industry has to ditch road bike category altogether
Depends what ride you're doing. You're gonna get dropped if you're on a gravel bike in a pacey ride with people all on road bikes.
Hi, which rene herse tire size 44 rolls as fast as a 28 ? That's the one I want .
Would be the one with thinner tyre casings like the Barlow (38c). May need to run tpu tubes as theyre not recommended to run tubeless..
I think it's the snowqualme pass , they all come in different casings , they must be tubeless compatable , I seen them on you tube racing on those tires in the snow , .. but they're slick ? so I'de like to know more .If they roll like a 28c I'll buy them .
@@kevinadams1049 yes that's right.. Most tyres come in different casings. According to the article casings reduce rolling resistance. So pick the tyre width and tread you want to run...
Also The lighter casings are not recommended by reneherse to run tubeless for some models.
So what's different about a gravel bike? Maybe it takes a little longer to get it up to speed.
I use 28 mm slicks on a gravel, I can still handle gravel around here.
Get a bike that suits the majority of the roads you can ride.
Got myself a gravel bike post pandemic and was disappointed how sluggish it was. Did an FTP test and it turned out it was me who got fatter. 😅
The only thing slowing me down is me. Good job I'm not in a hurry.
Seems which you ride more. I ride 90% road and 10% gravel. I have to make an effort to find gravel trails where I live. Not so for road obviously. So for me it’s more can I make my road bike a gravel bike and the answer is yes. I ride fatter more aggressive tires on my endurance bike.
Awesome
Most gravel bikes have much longer reach compared to many road bikes, especially those of endurance bikes, could be a big reason why I never bought one.
The only time I ride my tarmac specific bike anymore is on the mag trainer only these days, when I want to brutalize myself speed wise it's the CX bike on a demanding course, I don't even bother with anything mountain bike type anymore, the rest of the time it's my high-end gravel e-bike without the crippling EU e-bike speed restrictions in place.
I use the specialized pathfinder tyres on my gravel e-bike - for tarmac only rides it's higher pressures used than mixed surface rides and yes you have to be a A-grade level club rider on a pure road racing bike too even keep up with me when I'm in the go fast mode on tarmac rides on my gravel e-bike, the rest of the time it just ride too actually enjoy not race on mixed surfaces routes, tarmac routes only are so boring!.
Before any of you go but your riding a e-bike and your not doing any real work out at all , think again! Try doing a interval training session only on a mixed grade gravel route of an hour interval at a maintained 40kph avg speed and not even at maximum assist from the e-bike, it hurts! Tarmac only specific bikes really suck at been on gravel at speeds above 30kph where's gravel bikes can do both tarmac & gravel with a ease that makes buying tarmac only bikes a waste of time & money.
The question should be : can a tarmac specific bike be as safely fast as a gravel specific bike can be on gravel?
CX rule. But they are not for anyone...
Just need semi slick tires and my gravel bike is just as fast as my road bike.
Can we define slowness? And of course the speed?
age, weight, program, experience, budget, goal….
Pointless
the majority of people who think that a gravel bike is going to be significantly slower on the road than a road bike are dumb and spending $10k on a carbon road bike is still going to have them running slower than me on my steel cyclocross. lol see ya!
Took my gravel bike on a chain gang. I was yo-yoing off the back all the way.
According to the new people who drink cycling koolaid, a gravelbike should be faster because the tires are wider, and we all know the wider the tires the faster the bike. Fat bikes are the fastest.
Hahhaa correct. The bike industry marketing militia always manage to convince the masses a.k.a. sheep that what they say is the truth and the only truth, even if the truth changes many times over a period of a few years. Next lie I'm waiting for: heavier bike = faster bike 😂😂. And low and behold! Everyone will start buying 15kg road racing bikes. This is like the 'upgrade' to 1x from a 3x. Lol of course less gears and crazy cross chaining is called an 'upgrade' 😂😂
@@radiocontrolled9181 I've yet to figure out what their "optimal tire size" is. When they say that wider are faster, and I ask them why we aren't we running 50mm tires with slicks then, I'm gawked at and told I'm dumb for not knowing what diminishing returns is. Then I ask what the optimum tire width for speed is, and I can never get told an actual answer, only that wider is faster.
So I'm quite confused.
Road bike all day long no question and I don’t race but so what 🤷
Do Ferrari owners need to race to own one , do speed boat owners need to race to own one. The point of view of “ you don’t race so you don’t need it “is ridiculous.
So should we all live in a 2 bedroom house with white walls and a white kitchen and drive Honda Prius about 😁
I would love to see a video of you riding at 70kph doing 130 rpm 😂
I reality 50-55kph would be the fastest you could get, I doubt anyone could spin that fast on the flat in the tuck. Some group rides will go that fast
I don’t want to embarrass you but I actually think you are wrong in that assumption. I’m not a pro and at +50 years i could still make a cadence of 90. I’m convinced more fit riders than I do more than that.
@@sssxxxttt nothing embarrassing, it's my wording I mean 50-50kph would be in the 90 rpm range. That's what I meant.
My natural cadence is around 80-90
road to gravel. Road bike is too lightly built for the knocks and vibes of gravel. Also no clearance for fatter tyres.
short answer: YES. will slow you down
Will a bear shit in the woods?
What a headache
Gravel bikes are fine on the road if you have the right tires. That said, I have noticed my gravel bike is slower on the road largely because of the wider bars that favor better leverage and control but also result in substantial aero losses.
Im 30 mins faster around lake Garda on my Crux pro with Zipp 303s, GP5000 28mm, road shoes and pedals vs oem pathfinder 38mm, heavier shoes and pedals, with the time changing pedals and wheelset its +/0 and less total effort with the road setup. So Im gonna sell all my expensive stuff, thinking of geting a heavier bike to for a better workout. Its completely decadent and pointless evolution, soon you'll do a 160km trip without any effort at all, and burn equal amount of calories as if you were driving a moped 🤣
I’m sure we’ve covered this already.
There’s nothing new under the sun.
I honestly don't get why anyone not riding on flat terrain would be interested on a 1x gravel bike. At home I have 18-24 degree hills in any direction. And then I find some flats and you guessed it ... uphills turn into downhills and viceversa. On the mtb I run 30 f 10-51 r and gravel and paved roads get boring with a 30-10 combo. Anyways, only reason why I complain is because 2x gravel bikes are nearly as rare as 2x mtbs 12-15 years ago.
WHO CARESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Enough with the gravel bikes on the road and the road bikes on gravel....