Is A Gravel Bike Better Than A Mountain Bike?
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2024
- This is gravel bike vs mountain bike: beach edition! Manon and Anna from @gmbntech race Battle on the Beach in Wales to compare how their respective bikes perform on the sand. Manon rides an Orbea Terra equipped with Shimano GRX Di2 and GRX Carbon wheels, whilst Anna’s on a Canyon Exceed using Shimano’s XTR mechanical groupset. Who will win?
In association with @RideShimano 👉 gcn.eu/Shimano
00:00 Intro
01:35 The bikes
06:35 The race
15:13 Summary
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Which bike would you choose? 👀 Let us know in the comments below! 👇
@Global Cycling Network that looked like Fun! I’ve got a 60mile Gravel race my first coming up in April 😁 also I have those exact same Parelli tires that Manon has but in 40c size.
I think I would have gone for a carbon fat bike with a rigid fork.
I rode it on my gravel bike - but the beauty of the event was that people enjoyed it on all kinds of different bikes from fat bike to cx to tandem. The only “must” was low tyre pressure!
Ps was Connor just there for fun or is there another vid on its way…?
Gravel.
I guess I'd choose my Canyon Grizl (which is actually the same as Anna rides sometimes) with some chunky 50mm tyres.
Whether gravel or mountain bike makes no difference. The main thing is to be out in the fresh air and on a bike.
louder for the people in the back :)
I tend to think it is more about using the right tool for the job.
@@alpsalishyou took the words out of my mouth. Yes, It’s the main deciding factor rather you would ride again or not. If you’re not having fun then you’re less likely to ever try it again.
@@chaotic2insanity You nailed it. Every type of cyclist needs the bike that fits their intent. I know people who are getting back on a bike after 20 years. Their reason for ditching bikes all those years ago? The wrong bike. Made me sad hearing that.
Agreed 🙌
I bought a Mountainbike first, and then bought a Gravelbike in a size down, because I wanted to get something that is faster on roads, but with a little added comfort compared to a road bike. Love both of them, but definitely prefer the mountainbike because it can just go everywhere, even if you're a little slower.
Absolutely love how the matte black Orbea Gravelbike looks.
I think exactly the same! I love my both bikes! Take care 😊
Both bikes is even better, both have their place 🙌
I have a rigid mountain bike that I called the gravel bike and a hardtail for the mountain bike. I love them both for different reasons, terrains and seasons. If I had to keep just one of them, I don’t think I could choose
I did exactly the same!
I loved Anna's "suspension sounds" at 1:57. 🤣🤣🤣
Hahaha you can tell she's one of our GMBN Tech nerds 😂
oh yes))))
13:05 Check out that madlad with those plus tires holding onto the fork crown for aero
You two need to do A LOT more videos together, this is epic. Absolutely love it.
These two smashed it 💥
Yeah i do want more of these too ^_^
agree
Well the massive que for the single track probably killed it for the MTB
Yup lets all get off and push on the hard bits lol
Perhaps if her bars weren't so wide she could of slipped through the queue 😉
Good video, for me a gravel bike. I own a Shand Stooshie gravel spec bike, Rockshox 40mm fork, Zipp 303s wheels 38mm tyres & Di2 GRX. Changed my standard Cassette to one with a 40 tooth large ring,
Little larger than Shimano recommend but in two years use absolutely no problems, many others have also done this mod to their GRX. Massive improvement to climbing etc.
Gravel bike is a "do most things" bike. A hardtail MTB is a "do it all" bike.
Yes , and the most comfortable and the most durable .
As someone with a hardtail and no gravel bike, I agree 😂
Except tarmac. I hate my mtb on the road.
@@Skatted just put alt bars on it like jones bars, then its a gravel bike with more versatility than a retail gravel bike.
As xc race courses and trails have become increasingly technical, and full suspension bikes have become more efficient and lighter weight over the past few years, I find hardtail mountain bikes have become increasingly useless.
Anna is a superstar, loved her attitude and presenting style, wish she was a roadie and came over to support Manon on more comparison rides! Great team and great video!
Thank you Anna and Manon for this super video! The Battle of the Beach looks like one of the most fun cycling events ever. Unlike at a lot of road races, everyone there had a big smile on their face.
Glad you liked it! It's such a fun event with a great community!
Welcome to the Roadie channel Anna! These two flying the flag for women's cycling on GCN, loving it! Surely a dream team for International Women's Day content on both channels!
We are very lucky to have both Anna and Manon in the wider GCN family! Can we think of a challenge for these two? 👀
@@gcn Not sure. Maybe a cheap do-it-all bike challenge? Buying and rebuilding a women's specific bike on the cheap would make worthy content.
Or maybe a head-to-head series in different disciplines? A full-on CX race between the two would be very interesting, with Manon's background in CX before specialising in track and Anna trying it on GMBN and getting 2nd place in her first race. Or maybe an epic challenge team-up?
Saw lots of gravel bikes walking on the single track part. Didn’t see many mountain bikes walking except when they encountered the large groups walking, which had a lot of drop bars in the pack. 😉
Agreed I even had a couple of gravel bikes crash on the muddy sections in front of me
And the fat wheels, just cruising past
And yet it was all gravel bikes which finished top positions 1 to 5 (and probably more than that, I only saw footage of the first 5).
@@theMosen Only because those gravel bikes prevented the mountain bikes from passing on the single track when they were walking the whole time. 😉
If we're being honest this is more akin to a cyclocross race than a mountain bike race. Mountain bike races run one person at a time (impossible here because of the number of racers). It would be like entering a road race with a team of mountain bikers, getting out in front and going wide to contain the roadies behind you, then proclaiming mountain bikes are faster when they finish first because they blocked the entire pack.
I'd love to see time trials of gravel vs cross country bikes by both Mannon and Anna on this course and see the time difference. Nobody in front, just them and the course.
@@dvs620 That's not how it works at the front of the race. In the competitive scene (let's say top 20% of such events), holding up someone who is coming up from behind on single trail is an absolute no-go. Etiquette is to call out which side you want to pass, and if the person in front doesn't pick up the pace, they are expected to make room and even slow down to let you pass if the terrain calls for it. Participants pushing there bikes are ALWAYS expected to let riders past, in most races that's an actual rule.
These practises work well at the front of the race where the pack is thinned out and racers are experienced, but they often break down in the middle of the pack due to too high density, too much confusion, and oftentimes lack of knowledge of the etiquette. That's what you were observing.
Let’s look at the terrains.
Gravel bike:
Paved roads = yes
Hard pact dirt and sand = yes
Loose beach sand = no
Mud = yes
Gravel = yes
Technical climbs = no
Flow trail and single track = yes
Steep technical descents = no
Feeestyle drops = no
Urban downhill and freestyle = no
Mountain bike:
All the above = YES
Now which bike is the true “do it all”?
Wrong. While gravel can do all you wrote, you will need a separate MTB for the urban DH and freestyle, or for the drops. So a XC MTB (like the one in the video) is not a 'do it all'. Also, the gravel can handle the lose beach sand if you have 650b wheels with wider tyres. And while some of those are doable on an MTB, I'd never go for a longer road ride on it.
I'm coming from DH / enduro racing, and currently I have a full suspension trail bike and a gravel. I use the trail for mountain and extreme stuff (light DH, single trail, technical rock garden climbs etc.) and the gravel for everything else: training, commuting, winter riding, general biking and of course, as a gravel bike. It's much more fun than a XC bike would be, at least for me. At it can handle almost everything with the 650b wheels, its suprisingly great for technical climbs or descents.
Mountain bike:
speed=no
@@LordArthurWellesley Yeah your right no don't think 50 km is good on a mtb
@@mirzapiteus Yet another person who can’t read.
1. This thread is about terrain and which bike can do them, NOT speed. But since you want to argue, challenge accepted….
2. Speed is dictated by drivetrain and fitness. I’ve seen plenty of fast XC bikes on flow and more DH bikes on descent so they are plenty fast. But if you want to get technical, put a Dura Ace on a hardtail with 28mm GP tires and I guarantee you’ll keep up with a gravel bike.
@@duyle557 I don't see the point of 28 ml tires on a hard tail 🤔
The Gravel bike would be my choice but awesome GCN video,really nice to see Anna and Manon racing.Hope there will be be more in the future.
We hope so too!
I have both and I would agree with you. I adore both bikes but if I had to cut one out it would be the mountain bike. On the daily I ride my gravel bike and only get the mountain bike out on the weekends in the mountains. Thankfully I don't have to cut one out so I will continue to ride both! :)
@@gigglingchicken8444 It depends on the budget, if you can only have 1, will be a MTB for sure.
Great duo right there. Would love to see more content with them together.
What should we challenge then to next? 👀
Big thumbs up 👍 - love the video, the race, the comparison. Thanks
I loved the race composition! Sand speed, uphill, wood and grass sections! I would definitely choose a gravel bike!
Nice video!
Best vid with Manon! the part on the beach, the third lap - wow, it looked intense and awesome!
What should we get Manon doing next??
@@gcn Triathlon! :D She got this!
Great show, loved it! Looked like so much fun.
Need more videos with Manon and Anna, throw Jenny into the mix and you'll have great content
+100 more Anna & Manon videos please.
That sounds like a recipe for some epic riding 👀
Another great Manon video. Love watching you riding the gravel (or sand...). You and Anna make a great team. Congrats!
Anna brings some tough competition 👀
Yes Manon, more of this please
Always love your gravel stuff
Huge thumbs up and more content like this. I was Zwifting while riding and this was such great inspiration. Made me want to sign up for a gravel race. Any chance Manon will come back to Ontario for the Ancaster to Paris gravel race? :)
Well done Anna and Manon! Love the GCN/GMBN collab!
I really really want to get my first gravelbike now.
I mainly travel on roads with 6 inch deep potholes the size of 29er wheelsets. Bad road conditions that my mtb can easily handle. In between rough areas there are long stretches with fairly good pavement so gravelbike will definitely be faster.
This race is so fun to watch and it showed how capable the gravelbike truly is.
Congrats GCN better luck next time GMBN.
You will love gravel biking. Good luck!
@@jamiegolden7093 thanks. 👍🏼
Gravel bikes are great! 🙌 - Do you know what bike you would buy? We've love to get the GMBN team on drop bars again, any challenges we should send them out on? 👀
I absolutely love this channel. Looks like I have to come to the UK now 🤤. Or probably start a similar community in Nigeria. I ride 30 miles weekly on my mountain bike. Nothing gives me more joy than discovering new routes.
Hardtail for sure. You can have a 36t and depending of your tires you can be very fast on roads, gravel roads, desert type flat roads, and still have the capabilities for downhills / uphills, and pure mountain. More comfort ride position, fork. etc.
I remain unconvinced by gravel bikes, especially in the UK. They can't cope with the really rocky stuff, which is much of the off road terrain here. Today I did a ride which covered road, rocks, gravelly tracks, mud and boggy fields. Did it all on my hardtail MTB which never missed a beat. Gravel bike just wouldn't have coped.
Always love seeing comparisons for bikes between GCN GMBN, great honest response ladies
Great video, Matt Page of A Cycling really does put on some of the best events in the UK.
Great job Manon and Anna! Loved this episode!
Great job guys! Looks like a lot of fun.
I really love my gravel bike, can take it literally any ride I do on a full susser, besides rocky-rooty dh routes (I mean I can but it won’t be pretty). Still not seeing replacing my fullsusser with only gravel bike… Love them both.
That was a good comparison. Great video. Thanks
Really enjoyed these two presenters. Hope for more videos featuring them together.
Enjoyed watching that. Thank you
We need more of these from GCN channels. Actual race that you feel you are part of it while watching!
We would love to dust off the old racing legs, any races you would send us to? 👀
@@gcnall of them :)
All I could think about was all of that saltwater and sand on the bikes. 😮 Looked very fun.
I rode in that race and saw the GCN team doing their stuff.
I have both a mtb and gravel bike, but for that particular race it’s got to be a gravel bike.
Next time come up and say hi 🙌 Do you think the gravel bike gives you the aero race on the beach?
Here in Czechia, gravels are just second bikes for roadies :D But frankly, XC bike fitted with slim tyres can do what gravel can. Gravel with thicker tyres is not even close to XC bike. But 99% of non-tarmac routes are 1/3 roots and loam, 1/3 rock gardens, 1/3 dirt paths. Tried gravel few times, makes no sense at all to me. Felt like MTB from 90s with worse gearing.
This debate is like driving a 4x4 Vs SUV being the gravel bike the suv and the MTB the 4x4.
12:51 man's holding onto his forks to get aero, that's wild!
Nice race Manon and Anna, would like to watch more with you two together.
These two are a great pair! They could smash some gravel races 🙌
In beach races in Holland they use mtb with a rigid fork and crossbars, big front chainring and special beach tires.
Couldn’t see on the vid but did you have recessed cleats to make the running/walking bits easier?
Really depends on the terrain. I use 35mm tyres on my gravelbike, and 52mm tyres plus front suspension on my MTB.
Nice video. Thank you. There's only an issue with the music: It's too loud when you are speaking 3:39. Actually the music is too loud in general, but it disturbs most when you are speaking.
13:10 Absolute chad using his suspension forks as drop bars
Aero gains! All the cool people do it
Honestly I could never get used to the drop bar. I’m still riding my hardtail for almost about everything. And oh yeah at 17lbs with Sid Ultimate fork it’s efficient
A great video and story; well done
How did the tandem place? and I saw a fat bike, how did they place?
really that's what this video should have become as soon as you saw them in the lineup: comparison between all frames. should have made plans to interview them at the end as well and compare experiences. fat bike is heavier, but can navigate the sand much better, especially the beginning section on the second lap after it's been all torn up and loose, but the gearing would match the MTB for the single-track.
I'm really curious about the tandem, considering riding in the sand requires a lot of center of gravity control. obviously they'd be well practiced at the running mount. but it must be chaos when the wheels start to skew in the sand and it's not just one person trying to adjust their balance but two
I dunno you know, i think they both have their pros & cons on a course like this, i like the idea of a gravel bike, exspecially on today's roads if comuting but also that robustness an mtb gives you is also needed for on & off road riding, or lying this game with drop bars you tend to put more weight on the front making front wheel dig in which is no good for turning
That titanium tandem was the coolest bike there by far!
...and most awkward.
I am so lucky that I have bikes of different kinds now, so I choose what I like for the day. Maybe it depends on the mood. I think I typically choose the gravelbike on long rides, and the mountainbike for short training, swinging into som trails and having fun.
Great video, cool vibe.
Gravel! I love when the presenters are riding a race. This was a great presentation. Well done! ❤
Any big gravel events you'd like to see us take on? 🪨
I love me some good full suspension but I generally only appreciate it on downhill trails. Everywhere else a gravel bike is so much more aero and comfortable. I like having both!
Both is always best! 🙌
Hardtail hands-down....but we will see here in a few weeks as a gravel frameset arrives tomorrow that accepts 29x2.1.
That said, having a very lightweight HT is incredibly versatile with the right tires. Just lockout the fork and motor. However, I also run some bar-ends in-board to get a slightly more arrow position psudo-drops. I use 9-46 cassette which tops out at about 44km/h but also enough for me to winch myself up the climbs down in the Ardennes here in Belgium where some of the gravel races are sort of like this (minus the beach) but with plenty of singletrack bits. I'll just stay far more fresh over more varied terrain when these events are 120k+. And the security of being able to really hammer technical descents whilst not giving up very much on the road...it just works.
Hardtails are super versatile 🙌Enjoy the gravel bike! Let us know how you get on, we wonder if it'll sway you? 👀
@@gcn I believe both are still viable if you have that option, but I believe if you could only have one, it should be one or the other.
I still prefer a gravel bike for bikepacking, commuting and running errands. More hand positions and a slightly more comfortable ride position for long distance riding, but it ultimate depends on what I will encounter.
The part I am disliking about gravel bikes is the continuous iterative marginal improvements. The industry already has the MTB to look to for gearing, and frame dimensions to fit bigger tires and wider gearing. I almost feel like the industry is in many ways working backwards: Instead of working from a road bike and implement MTB attributes, they should start with the MTB and work in road bike attributes. Because everything now is about tire clearance. But this continuous iterative marginal improvements makes these bikes feel like they're all part of planned obsolescence.
700x45/50 seem to be the magic number for tire clearance, but not a number many tire manufactures seem to be making. They should just bump it out to 29x2.25 which ends up with a space of running optimal off road tires or narrower tires with loads of clearance.
I just look at it like this, on that race, if there were MTB meats on that gravel bike, how would it have changed the race? More float, more grip on the climbs but a more aero position on the open race sections...
Awesome video!
I did it on a gravel bike with a mullet setup… 52-584 and 9-46x36. Like Anna, I found the Barzo were slowing me on the beach (3-4kph slower than in the dune and single track). Next year barzo at the front terreno dry on the rear
I love everything about this. Manon, you’re a beast! 💪
A great video and race - looks fun.
"invention of gravel bike" looks to be where mountain bikes came in 30+ years ago - that was battering racers off road - modern road bikes are much tougher than those - but with suspension been added - next will be flat bars and suddenly it's a fast mountain bike again.
Looks to where touring bikes, cyclocross and lots of utility and roadster bikes were before Mountain Bikes came along. And they think "Gravel" bikes are new? 😂
Hi you two, I think we need more videos like this one, But I would use gravel bike. Well done to Manon and Anna. Love Ianwood ❤️❤️❤️
Course looked like it needed a better filter off the beach so it did not get the extreme bottle neck .. Wonder how the overall top 10 panned out and if any CX Mtbs got into it..
It certainly was a bit of a squash 😅 that's why you see all the people going for the win absolutely sprinting down the beach on the first lap!
Great video 👍
Manon didn't let out a scream, it was a war cry!
The Terra is a beauty! The Canyon is pretty, too, but I'm done with MTBs since a few years.
great to see that gravel and mountain bike are eyeing whose the best to use but either you use the gb or the mtb you play it for fun and great to see manon having fun on the rough…
Great matchup between Anna and Manon!
Manon on Conor's El Alto would have been a sight to see.
More content with these two doing challenges please, they work well together.
Any challenges in mind? 👀
@@gcn Manon goes mtb'ing or some more bike packing content.
It wasn’t that long ago when we had a bike, we rode on the road and on the dirt, up hill and down hill and even occasionally on gravel too. It was called a BIKE
I've got an Orbea Occam (MTB) and an Orbea Terra (Gravel) and I have to say every time I go off road I have so much more fun on the Occam - It's just more comfortable and a better ride - the Terra is still great though.
Where can I buy this? Does it come with a turbo encabulator option?
Anna would be a great shout for main presenter on GCN
I would like a longer version on gcn+
Good idea! In the meantime, why not check out our Mongolia bikepacking film! 👉 gcn.eu/Mongolia
@@gcn i did check that out allready
I think these two ladies need to do a couple more of these gravel vs XC races.
It looks very fun event! Both bikes are nice!!
great vid!
Hi can i ask what is your rd in gravel bike pls
On the subject of beach races
Have a look at Egmond-Pier-Egmond
There are some custom Wikkit and Imming bikes to be seen.
nice vid, thx!
More of you two please
I haven't really tried a road or gravel bike. So I want to experience them as well. But I am comfortable with my full suspension MTB. Tried locking the suspensions, and I really didn't like locking the rear as it eats all the comfort of your bum and back. While locking front shocks does not really differ much in terms of comfort along bumpy roads or roads made out of stones. I would say rear shocks is way more useful for comfort. As for competition purpose, I really haven't experienced any competition. I only casual rides with my friends of around 30km.
1x12 on the rear is a thing of beauty!
I've never done a race like this but I'm willing to bet that strategy, line choice, and fitness make a bigger difference than xc vs gravel..
I think that even though i love my gravel bike, i would thrive on any technical sections on my xc
What tool holder is that on Anna’s MTN bike?
I just remembered the Salsa Cutthroat exists. Drop bars ✅, fits 29x2.4 tires ✅, could be setup with a 100mm XC fork like a SID. ✅would be interesting one to test on this race.
13:09 That bloke has just inspired UCI to ban another riding position. (for mountain bikes) Or perhaps insipred bike manufacturers to make XC bikes with mini TT bars mounted down on the forks.
#askgcn - These visits to Battle on the Beach are great. Would you consider going whole hog and putting a 3 person gravel bike team from GCN against a 3 person MTB team from GMBN? I think this would make an excellent video and also a god documentary for GCN+. Think of the teams; GMBN with their technical expertise against the fitness of the GCN team. This would put the Gravel versus MTB debate to the ultimate test and make excellent watching seeing a proper race.
nice people, nice video and wonderful race ...
10:16 "What a British affair queuing to get into a single track!" Brilliant! 😜
I love how this is a comparison between a gravel and an xc bike then there's this mountain of a beast fatbike at 12:50 what a really cool thing to see
BOTB is a great fun race but if you want to race you need to be in the first seeded group to get ahead of the fun riders - best fun ride in the UK IMO
it really looks like a blast, I can see what you mean: you need to be on the virgin sand for best traction at the start, and in front when you reach that bottleneck going into the single track to get the best lead. the only thing is start of the second lap you have to break trail through the torn-up sand, so for the second lap you might want to be behind somebody who's compressing the sand in front to give your wheels the best chance of not washing out, then hope you can get past them later
I think the gentleman at the beginning pegged it: It doesn't matter what bike you choose to ride for that race, you'll always be wanting 'the other one' half way through.
I am wondering if an aero road bike work on gravel too as well, back like 2 years I thought to build an 8kg mountain bike for £4k but so far looking aero and fixie being my next bikes
I choose both. Just different tools for different things. Most of my riding is doable with a Gravel bike. But, really love my Mountain bike on rough singletrack.
Thanks GCN. Now the bike companies are saying I need a sand bike.