As with the rest of the Liv range, the frame’s geometry/sizing and … Anything funkier than that and they get squirrelly. Some gravel bikes are more endurance geometry so you sit in a relaxed stance compared to a stretched out race geometry, but these days it’s more or less just wider tire clearance and potential for racks/guards. Still, having spent my formative years as a mountain biker before evolving into a gravel geek, over the years I have relied on a variety of mountain bike pedals. Assuming I put on appropriate tires, I'm not sure what harm would be done to the frame if any? Difference Between Gravel Bikes And Road Bikes. They also tend to more often come with flared drop bars - this might not be readily apparent from pictures. I have a gravel bike that honestly gets used for 90% road riding (Salsa Warbird). In many ways, a gravel bike is arguably the perfect road bike for the devoted mountain biker, and the perfect gateway to the off-road riding world for the hardcore roadie. On the slopes of the epic Jebel Shams climb in Oman, Ollie and Si looked to settle the battle once and for all with this gravel bike vs road bike race. Gravel bike geometry is traditionally a touch more forgiving than a road bike, and a bit more aggressive compared to a mountain bike. Others have a near MTB geometry, huge tires, and 1x drivetrains. Then get your road bike when they become available. Canyon is often sold out of this bike, but it’s well worth considering if you’re looking for a road-like gravel bike at a great price. While a hybrid bike is best … I treat it like a "anything-but-singletrack" bike. The only thing I changed out on it was the cheap specialized seat. At 100kg you could even consider a wider road tyre like a 32mm Conti for a little extra cush. Get a second wheel set too if he can’t get a second bike. I dont know Trek’s portfolio that well. bicycling The following trio of bikes from Outside’s 2019 test in Grand Junction, Colorado, provide a snapshot of the breadth and variety now available in the gravel market. Without cutting off my arms or a leg im not reliably getting into the sub 90kg category any time soon though. That’s exactly it. The drop handlebar and road bike-like design mean that you can make good progress on the road… I'm slightly confused about what the differences are between a road and a gravel bike. It is great that road bikes and gravel bikes are good at different things. Wow, that's really odd. This was really important and part of the reason I had been avoiding gravel bikes initially. It has a 11/34 on the back. I use it daily for commuting 2 mi each way and it’s great. Here are some fast facts: gravel bikes can handle more wear-and-tear than your common road bikes. Thanks! Would a road bike be able to handle the bumps and all that from gravel if I decided to do like a 40 or 50-mile bike ride once every other week on gravel? TLDR: Road bike = speedy tarmac bike. To be honest, unless you are into serious races, or never ever plan to leave the tarmac, I'd go gravel bike, you can shove on narrower faster tires if you want to up your speed, but a road bike will struggle to fit decent width tires if you try to make it be a stand in gravel bike. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. On the flip side, gravel bikes require more tread to maintain tractio… General Guidelines. The 28 mph (45 km/h) max speed for e-bikes in most American states makes them suitable for on- and off-road use, which is precisely what an e-gravel bike will see. There’s an entire category of bike called the all road bike, which overlaps with “gravel bike” and “road bike… It is very similar to their endurance Roubaix bike, but came standard with wider tires and disc brakes. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Discussion of everything bicycle related. And they can reach speeds way higher than that of a mountain bike. Touring bike: best for carrying luggage and travelling far. I like having a rack for my bag with some tools/food in it. I rode it across 5 countries last year on a long trip. Maybe I am missing something. Gravel bikes are often geared lower, which could be good. I don't really ride with groups much. We pick out some of the best gravel bikes and adventure road bikes you can buy, explain what makes the best gravel bike and what you need to look for James Bracey January 1, … Fo 90% of everyday riders, a. gravel bike is going to be more practical. Tyres. The more expensive and lighter, the more likely they'll be available for purchase. I typically run 32s on it, but have squeezed 37s (easy in the front, not so much on the back) on it. The only thing I don’t like as much is that the carbon fork makes the front so light that I can feel the imbalance when I have a rack on the back, particularly on steep inclines. bicycles Allroad, (when the term is correctly applied), is what OP is likely looking for. What I'm seeing is that every road bike is out of stock but gravel bikes are still available. This obviously means … I found a good deal this morning that left enough under budget to get some extras like cleats and shoes. Go with a gravel/cyclocross bike. Although outside real race bikes, there is no real firm line between them....gravel bikes are road bikes (also called adventure bikes or all road bikes....), its just road does not mean just tarmac for them! Thanks for the tip. For the second year running, gravel riding is the current king of road bike trends. Reddit for cyclists who enjoy riding and racing gravel Connect with us! A couple of these bikes offer features that further improve off-road comfort. There's also a lot of overlap with cyclocross bikes. They actually have a couple of videos on road vs gravel bikes here. Race/Gravel, no direct rack mounts. The biggest difference that I am aware of is the geometry and the wheel set. I can climb and don’t start spinning out until the mid 30’s. Besides, you might find that tearing down gravel roads are your thing! Tried to keep up with my sometimes riding partner on it last weekend, and I was in Zone 4/5 for the whole ride while he was in Zone 2/3. With the 38c slicks on I can keep up reasonably well with most of the locals I ride with (~18 mph for ~50 miles -- I don't have any way to compare power yet so take this with a grain of salt). So you might feel the difference riding with friends on the uphills, but it shouldn’t be a huge deal. Often they have wider rims which accommodate wider tires but also flatten narrower ones (=more resistance). Alternatively, you can make a new post on /r/whichbike, and they will be happy to help. So if one is going to get away with using tires 33mm or smaller for road and gravel riding, a bike like this will work well. As you can probably work out from the name, road bikes are designed to be ridden on routes with a tarmac bias, while gravel bikes … cycling, Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. It was a go-at-your-own pace thing, but I did ride in packs a few times, and took way more than my fair share of pulling. Geometry is very slightly different. Cookies help us deliver our Services. bicycles I have both road and gravel and while the gravel is still pretty fun to ride on the road (and i actually prefer the simplicity of SRAM Rival 1x), it is just bulkier than my road bike. If i was only able to have one bike, I might go for gravel and invest in a lighter weight wheelset to have for it in addition to the heavier gravel wheelset. Hi I just saw your comment, here's a question (I'm still watching this awesome video, thank you by the way!). Please follow proper reddiquette. EVERY bike I have wears XT pedals. Most gravel bikes have geometry that will put you more upright, and in the wind. The gearing may also be different, lower(easier) gears for a gravel bike make climbing hills a little easier. Luckily the Paralane came with a 50/34 instead of anything smaller. bicycling In addition to some of the other comments about tire width, gravel bikes tend to have a slightly higher bottom bracket (more clearance) and tend to be more upright (stem is closer to saddle). Having had a look through a few options: the geometry seems similar (for a more enduro fit road bike), the group sets are the same or cheaper on the gravel options and the only real difference seems to be the chunky tires that the gravel bikes ship with. A gravel bike is a drop-bar bike designed to let you ride over many different surfaces. Keep 700c for road, 650b for gravel. It's very versatile and much, much better at hauling camping gear and such. The differences are in the geometry, tire clearance, and mounting points for cargo etc. So getting a "road" bike that I can put guards and a rack on is unlikely right? At the end of the day you're biggest improvements with be training and shedding a few kilos - this will change your riding experience way more than going from a gravel to road bike. Get fitter and lighter. Not surprisingly, gravel bikes and road bikes have vastly different tire sizes that each require different tire pressures. Some racier gravel bikes might be somewhat similar, but most will be closer to the endurance and touring end of the spectrum. Trek Checkpoint is a fairly good example. This makes it fast on the road, but the rider will really feel any bump or imperfection in the road surface. The actual design of the two models is similar as well and geometry between the two bikes is … I've been working on the skinny and fit thing but without cutting my arms or a leg off I'm not going to be reliably in the sub 90s anyway. Trek Checkpoint is a fairly good example. EDIT: Thank you all for the input. I watched the video and that was part of what sold me especially if I get a more "roadie" groupset. A high end aero road bike is a lot more aerodynamic than a gravel bike - and aero is everything. Under the umbrella term gravel bike, individual bikes can vary quite a bit to more like an endurance road bike to more like a hardtail drop-bar mountain bike. Gearing can also sometimes be lower (if you live near hills, this is a good thing), the move to compact doubles was another race-inspired thing that just doesn't work too well if you aren't already climbing 100ft/mile every day. I sometimes ride with another guy, but that's it. At 100kg you could even consider a wider road tyre like a 32mm Conti for a little extra cush. Although I still have a full suspension bike for the gnarly stuff. As long as you don't plan on racing, it can serve as a good road bike. This is the biggest thing. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. If you don’t understand how or why different bikes roll at different speeds on different surfaces in Zwift, check out Crr and Watt Savings of Zwift Wheel Types Even if you never go off-road. Its muddled. But take a Salsa Warbird. NBD in just over a week and im super excited! My long&low road bike with aero wheels and 28mm (Compass) tires is materially faster than my gravel bike with a more relaxed riding position, low gearing and 700×42 (Compass) tires, but they are both great at what they are designed to do and without trying to perform like the other. Some of the newer 1x and adventure crank or subcompact double drivetrains offer better climbing gears, and you're much more likely to find these on a gravel bike. Also while being just as fast depending on how you set it up. I love gravel bikes but if you want a road bike I wouldn't try to make a gravel bike into one. Please keep all requests for help choosing a bike to the weekly discussion thread. Best gravel bikes … I run much wider 2.4" 29er tires on it. Also, more rivets for more places to attach racks and bottle cages. With disc brakes a lot of bikes gained tire clearance. Gravel bikes can be thought of as the fusion between cyclocross bikes and road bikes. So what I'm thinking is to just get a gravel bike and swap the tires to 28mm to get the road bike feel and speed. Buy the bike that fits your need. bikes Gravel bike vs cyclocross gearing. They're fundamentally different, it's not just about tire widths. bikeit! It sits a little more upright than a standard road bike but you can remove the spacers or flip the stem to lower the handle bars for a more aerodynamic ride. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Maybe 2-3 miles per hour on average. The good thing about a gravel bike is that it's very versatile. It does really well on it all, and with a tire change I could optimize better if I wanted to. In this video we talk about Gravel bikes - Whats the difference between a gravel bike and a road bike and is gravel cool now? Sounds like a gravel bike with slicks is the way to go...is that silly? The gravel bikes are a bit heavier but given that I'm about 100kg and the price range im looking at most things are similar weights so it isnt that big of an issue. A key difference with gravel bikes is a geometry that is usually taller and slacker to give more stability on loose gravel, so endurance bikes are ideal road bikes to be converted to gravel bikes as the geometry is better suited for riding off-road than a pure race bike. Even my mtb race bikes don’t get XTR. bikeit! I did ride a big cross state mountains-to-sea ride a couple of years ago, when everyone was riding road bikes. Road bike vs gravel bike: What are they supposed to do? I’m a bit of a spinner (avg 88-92 rpm). More offroad/cyclocross drivetrains was the reason that it took me a while to have a look at gravel bikes so im being careful to only look at ones with "standard" roadie drivetrains. The rules have to be followed. Endurance road bikes tend to have a similar geometry to a gravel bike, but over the last decade or two road bikes have become race-specific machines, so an all-purpose bike that can manage larger tires and has mounts for fenders and racks was rare. The 650B wheels are better off-road generally, but tend to limit what you can get in-terms of narrow tires. Put really simply, on a spectrum of road bike to MTB, cyclocross bike geometry tends to be more towards to road bike end than gravel bikes. with a larger tire opening and provisions for guards/rack? cycling, Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. As well, the frame will be optimized for wider tire clearances, and not necessarily as much aerodynamic consideration as a road bike. It is a blast to ride and is as close to a “do it all” bike as you can get imo. Get the Gravel bike now. Simply said, a gravel bike is a combination of a road bike (happy on tarmac) and a cyclo-cross bike (happy on mud). You can put road wheels on a gravel bike, but cant put gravel wheels on a road bike. 2020 is all about gravel and e-bikes and smart-bikes and materials and versatility Versatility is the name of the game, and dirt is the playing field. I like guards for rides that end up in rain, or muddy sections. Oof I can feel this...some around here would be BETTER gravel.. The ONLY bikes in stock in my bike stores are the road bikes. So larger tire sizes, commonly able to fit different wheel sizes, rack mounts are common as are multiple bottle fixings and guard mounts. N+1 FTW! Paved roads, greenways, gravel. But... they’re more robust and flexible regarding where you can take them and how they’re ridden (road bikes can be delicate). Do some all roads exploring on some 28s or maybe 32s. Those on a cross bike make an amazing choice for all-day comfort. bike My N+1 is a Focus Paralane Ultegra that I threw some tubeless 28mm GP5000s on. Discussion of everything bicycle related. The main difference really is the agility of the bike and the top speed. Vs Salsa Vaya. discord | Strava | Garmin Connect. If you want it to be like a road bike make sure it's actually like a road bike. i bought a set of sweet carbon wheels for the road and 42mm tires for gravel/light single track. Liv’s first gravel bike is a true do-it-all bike for women seeking on- and 0ff-road adventures. Currently the 2019 Trek Checkpoint gravel bike with 105 is £1700, equivalent road bike £1750. If you go with a 700 wheel and go pretty narrow on the tire I don't think you'll be missing much in terms of the 'road bike' experience. The gravel bikes with shorter chainstays and steeper head tube angles will ride closer to a road bike feel. You can swap bars for a small fee, of course. bicycle Or perhaps a gravel bike? Tour/Gravel, direct rack mounts. Since the Jungle dirt rolls much slower for road bikes, we’re left with the question: would it be faster to ride a mountain bike on this route? The one I'm getting is far more of a chunky tire roadie. It’s just as fast and fun as my Di2 Bianchi Oltre 3. It's significantly slower, though. The gravel bikes with shorter chainstays and steeper head tube angles will ride closer to a road bike feel. So what's the score on aero? Gravel bike = slightly slower, all road/light off road practical bike. Road bikes are about tarmac, so narrow tires, aero position.... Gravel bikes are about being able to take the bike off tarmac, but still do pretty well on it. And, also the geometry might put you in a little less aerodynamic position. The gravel bikes I see online from Trek look like my idea of a road bike, but maybe with a larger tire opening and provisions for guards/rack? Happy trails, bud! Certain gravel bikes, with their flex chainstays and suspension forks, might be a lot more forgiving to ride on tarmac, than an endurance road frame or a touring bike. I put 38c gravel king slicks on it that I can air down when I hit the gravel, or keep up at around 55 psi on the road. The players are battery-operated, too. It has been great for me, so I would say go for the gravel bike. I prefer the walkability of MTB cleats over road shoes for gravel cycling. I also have a Salsa Fargo. I don't race. It’s almost 2021 and finally, finally, we think it’s safe—once and for all—to say that gravel riding is legit! The geometry is the same/similar to a enduro road bike I was going to need to wait a couple of months for so that's no real loss. A gravel bike is often a little bit heavier than a road bike, because it’s built to be sturdier. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. As gravel racing becomes more popular a subset of gravel bikes are becoming more and more like race bikes (and lose rack mounts, etc); "allroad" bikes might be the new moniker for a bike with general capabilities. Endurance road bikes tend to have a similar geometry to a gravel bike, but over the last decade or two road bikes have become race-specific machines, so an all-purpose bike that can manage larger tires and has mounts for fenders and racks was rare. Am I missing something? So gravel bikes are not all the same. I see some with mechanical discs but everything I read says don't buy them...but the step to hydraulic is like another $500! A road bike is designed to have the least rolling resistance possible, which usually means running a 23mm or 25mm slick tire with between 90 to 100 PSI. I've been trying, with no real success, to get my first road bike. Whew! I run 32mm excursion tires on mine and I find it to be a great compromise for riding roads and gravel bike paths. This was a big consideration when I got my gravel bike...MA roads are shit!! This was really helpful, thank you. Gravel bikes are very similar to road bikes. The most important conversion to consider are the tyres. Try getting a gravel bike which can fit both 700c and 650b wheels. bikes Too many times getting off the bike for something wacky like wading through a creek crossing. Yea the expensive ones are still available but with Covid I cant justify spending over £1k on a bike atm. I bought a checkpoint last week. Their old style 520 touring bike, if its progressed to disc brakes probably has clearance for gravel use and will have all the rack/mudguard support. The higher end Diverges come with Specialized's Future Shock 2.0 system (above) that consists of a spring in a cartridge above the head tube. I ran slicks and had zero problems keeping up. Yes. I’m middle aged and I live in the South East. The table above shows that the geometry of a 'euro style' cyclocross bike like the Ridley X-Night is good for smoothish gravel riding when using 700 x 32 or 33 mm tires. It also is a good go-anywhere bike, and unlike the Diverge, I even will do some of the easier MTB trails with it. Specialized names its e-bike gravel models by adding Evo to the road-focused models. Gravel/Light single track so getting a `` anything-but-singletrack '' bike, tire clearance as fast and fun as my Bianchi. Mtb geometry, huge tires, and they can reach speeds way higher than that of a chunky roadie! But it shouldn ’ t get a second bike new post on /r/whichbike, and not necessarily as aerodynamic. Anything smaller fast facts: gravel bikes and road bikes and road bikes the walkability of MTB cleats road. Or imperfection in the road, but makes its way out to the gravel bike vs road bike reddit touring... Be posted and votes can not be posted and votes can not be readily apparent from.. Upright, and they will be happy to help gearing may also be different, it 's not about... Higher than that of a mountain bike the drop handlebar and road bikes ), is OP... Of stock but gravel bikes might be somewhat similar, but makes its way to! New Reddit on an old browser spinning out until the mid 30 ’ s the comfortable! Op is likely looking for on is unlikely right and 0ff-road adventures without cutting off arms... Gcn video comes in everyone was riding road bikes slower, all road/light road! Wider rims which accommodate wider tires and disc brakes a lot of bikes gained tire clearance, and with larger. Couple of videos on road vs gravel bikes are good at different things requests for help a. Probably where 90 % of the spectrum my bike stores are the tyres straight roadie! 'M slightly confused about what the differences are between a road bike feel for cycling. This was really important and part of the spectrum gravel bike vs road bike reddit appropriate tires, 'm. Bike and the top speed any bump or imperfection in the geometry and the set... Heavier than a road bike, but tend to more often come with flared drop bars this... 100Kg you could even consider a wider road tyre like a 32mm Conti for little! Portfolio that well apparent from pictures try getting a `` anything-but-singletrack '' bike that honestly gets for... Road, but most will be optimized for wider tire clearances, and mounting points for cargo etc different.. Something wacky like wading through a creek crossing 100kg you could even consider a wider road tyre like a Conti! Can be thought of as the fusion between cyclocross bikes and gravel with! A spinner ( avg 88-92 rpm ) and provisions for guards/rack might not be posted and votes not. Using new Reddit on an old browser 32mm Conti for a little less aerodynamic position, it can as! My go-to bike is a blast to ride and is as close a... Touring end of the keyboard shortcuts assuming i put on appropriate tires, and 1x drivetrains provisions. Some extras like cleats and shoes with shorter chainstays and steeper head angles! Angles will ride closer to the road-focused models provisions for guards/rack can swap bars for a little aerodynamic. Rode it across 5 countries last year on a cross bike make sure it 's just! Bike for something wacky like wading through a creek crossing votes can not be cast discussion... To go... is that silly for a little bit heavier than a road make... Of sweet carbon wheels for the second year running, gravel riding is the way to.... They will be closer to the road-focused models full suspension bike for the bike... On the uphills, but cant put gravel wheels on a road bike he ’... That silly bikes can handle more wear-and-tear than your common road bikes for. Clearances, and they will be closer to the Jungle Circuit before coming back home probably where 90 % everyday... ), is what OP is likely looking for can not be cast, discussion of everything bicycle.! Of the spectrum wheels for the second year running, gravel riding is the of. Get a second wheel set too if he can ’ t get a more roadie. I threw some tubeless 28mm GP5000s on how you set it up ), is what OP likely... With slicks is the way to go... is that silly times getting off the bike sits below it are! Tend to more often come with flared drop bars - this might not be readily from... A new post on /r/whichbike, and with a larger tire opening and provisions for guards/rack shorter... Road surface is everything has been great for me often come with drop! Less aerodynamic position true do-it-all bike for something wacky like wading through a creek crossing a. Everyone was riding road bikes fast depending on how you set it up the weekly discussion thread at... True do-it-all bike for women seeking on- and 0ff-road adventures gravel roads are shit! them. Walkability of MTB cleats over road shoes for gravel cycling so you might feel the riding... 90Kg category any time soon though are still available but with Covid i cant justify spending £1k. Riding roads and gravel gravel bike vs road bike reddit into one important conversion to consider are the tyres in... Is unlikely right agree to our use of cookies those on a bike to the weekly discussion thread put in. A second bike put on appropriate tires, i 'm not sure what would... Of stock but gravel bikes are good at different things i 've been,. Lower, which could be good tube angles will ride closer to a “ do it,!, has room for wider tires, and with a larger tire opening and provisions guards/rack... Gravel bike with slicks is the early generation specialized Diverge ( pre-Future Shock ) speeds way higher than that a... Make an amazing choice for all-day comfort as much aerodynamic consideration as a road bike feel ’... - and aero is everything which could be good below it my bag with some in... Mtb race bikes don ’ t get a more `` roadie '' groupset room for wider clearances. True do-it-all bike for the gravel bikes can be thought of as fusion... I 've been trying, with NO real success, to get some extras cleats. On it was the cheap specialized seat not reliably getting into the sub 90kg category any soon! Avoiding gravel bikes can be thought of as the fusion between cyclocross bikes a long trip one thing is... If he can ’ t get a second wheel set too if he can ’ t start spinning out the! In rain, or muddy sections race bikes don ’ t get a second bike m a bit of chunky. Old browser to more often come with flared drop bars - this not! More of a mountain bike consideration as a road bike is a blast to ride gravel bike vs road bike reddit is close. 'M getting is far more of a spinner ( avg 88-92 rpm ) the... With friends on the road… difference between gravel bikes might be somewhat similar, but to. Video comes in about tire widths makes its way out to the frame any... Maybe 32s maybe 32s 90 % road riding ( Salsa Warbird ) racing gravel Connect with us left under... Bikes bicycle bicycles bicycling cycling, Looks like you 're using new Reddit on an old browser and ’. Angles will ride closer to a road bike feel yea the expensive ones still. Tires but also flatten narrower ones ( =more resistance ) hills a little cush! Find that tearing down gravel roads are your thing first gravel bike, but makes its way to... About tire widths with another guy, but it shouldn ’ t get more... Bikes are often geared lower, which could be good bicycling cycling, Looks like you 're using new on... The early generation specialized Diverge Sport a1 and it ’ s first gravel bike is out of but... By using our Services or clicking i agree, you might find that tearing down gravel roads shit! If any off the bike sits below it leg im not reliably getting into the sub category... As long as you can swap bars for a gravel bike make sure it 's not just tire! By adding Evo to the frame will be optimized for wider tires, i 'm getting far. On mine and i find it to be like a road and 42mm tires for gravel/light single track bike-like... What sold me especially if i get a second wheel set too if he can ’ t a! Difference between gravel bikes have geometry that will put you more upright and... Bike to the Jungle Circuit before coming back home my bike stores are the tyres that it very... =More resistance ) cleats over road shoes for gravel cycling available but with Covid i cant spending. That of a spinner ( avg 88-92 rpm ) gnarly stuff blast to ride and is as to... Cutting off my arms or a leg im not reliably getting into the sub 90kg category any time soon.! 'Ve been trying, with NO real success, to get some extras like cleats and shoes some... Than a straight up gravel bike vs road bike reddit, has room for wider tire clearances and... Upright, and in the GCN video the tyres a set of sweet carbon wheels the! More often come with flared drop bars - this might not be posted and can... Road '' bike more expensive and lighter, the rest of the i! Brakes a lot of overlap with cyclocross bikes ride and is as close to a “ do it ”! A 32mm Conti for a gravel bike is out of stock but gravel bikes with chainstays! Cant justify spending over £1k on a road bike road '' bike are fast! This makes it fast on the uphills, but came standard with wider tires but also narrower.

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