Yea the expensive ones are still available but with Covid I cant justify spending over £1k on a bike atm. Tyres. As long as you don't plan on racing, it can serve as a good road bike. I watched the video and that was part of what sold me especially if I get a more "roadie" groupset. 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 In this video we talk about Gravel bikes - Whats the difference between a gravel bike and a road bike and is gravel cool now? Get the Gravel bike now. This was really important and part of the reason I had been avoiding gravel bikes initially. I run 32mm excursion tires on mine and I find it to be a great compromise for riding roads and gravel bike paths. bicycles 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. I typically run 32s on it, but have squeezed 37s (easy in the front, not so much on the back) on it. I sometimes ride with another guy, but that's it. Gravel bike = slightly slower, all road/light off road practical bike. Without cutting off my arms or a leg im not reliably getting into the sub 90kg category any time soon though. 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. bicycle 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. Get fitter and lighter. General Guidelines. As with the rest of the Liv range, the frame’s geometry/sizing and … Too many times getting off the bike for something wacky like wading through a creek crossing. Gravel bikes are often geared lower, which could be good. 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. Go with a gravel/cyclocross bike. They're fundamentally different, it's not just about tire widths. 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. 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. Most gravel bikes have geometry that will put you more upright, and in the wind. 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. 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. 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? I’m a bit of a spinner (avg 88-92 rpm). The more expensive and lighter, the more likely they'll be available for purchase. My go-to bike is the early generation Specialized Diverge (pre-Future Shock). 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. I love gravel bikes but if you want a road bike I wouldn't try to make a gravel bike into one. I use it daily for commuting 2 mi each way and it’s great. 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. At 100kg you could even consider a wider road tyre like a 32mm Conti for a little extra cush. Others have a near MTB geometry, huge tires, and 1x drivetrains. The 650B wheels are better off-road generally, but tend to limit what you can get in-terms of narrow tires. Please follow proper reddiquette. It's more versatile than a straight up roadie, has room for wider tires, rack/fender mounts, slightly more relaxed geometry etc. Yes. 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. The ONLY bikes in stock in my bike stores are the road bikes. 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. I like having a rack for my bag with some tools/food in it. They actually have a couple of videos on road vs gravel bikes here. Do some all roads exploring on some 28s or maybe 32s. Best gravel bikes … 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! A gravel bike is often a little bit heavier than a road bike, because it’s built to be sturdier. So larger tire sizes, commonly able to fit different wheel sizes, rack mounts are common as are multiple bottle fixings and guard mounts. Trek Checkpoint is a fairly good example. While a hybrid bike is best … discord | Strava | Garmin Connect. This was really helpful, thank you. I treat it like a "anything-but-singletrack" bike. 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. It is great that road bikes and gravel bikes are good at different things. Even my mtb race bikes don’t get XTR. The one I'm getting is far more of a chunky tire roadie. with a larger tire opening and provisions for guards/rack? Difference Between Gravel Bikes And Road Bikes. Allroad, (when the term is correctly applied), is what OP is likely looking for. Also, more rivets for more places to attach racks and bottle cages. Buy the bike that fits your need. You can put road wheels on a gravel bike, but cant put gravel wheels on a road bike. Gravel bike vs cyclocross gearing. Cookies help us deliver our Services. There’s an entire category of bike called the all road bike, which overlaps with “gravel bike” and “road bike… Reddit for cyclists who enjoy riding and racing gravel Connect with us! I ran slicks and had zero problems keeping up. They also tend to more often come with flared drop bars - this might not be readily apparent from pictures. As well, the frame will be optimized for wider tire clearances, and not necessarily as much aerodynamic consideration as a road bike. Gravel bike geometry is traditionally a touch more forgiving than a road bike, and a bit more aggressive compared to a mountain bike. It is a blast to ride and is as close to a “do it all” bike as you can get imo. EVERY bike I have wears XT pedals. Russell Burton. cycling, Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. I prefer the walkability of MTB cleats over road shoes for gravel cycling. It is very similar to their endurance Roubaix bike, but came standard with wider tires and disc brakes. 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. 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. TLDR: Road bike = speedy tarmac bike. If you want it to be like a road bike make sure it's actually like a road bike. Maybe 2-3 miles per hour on average. I don't race. 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. There's also a lot of overlap with cyclocross bikes. The good thing about a gravel bike is that it's very versatile. So what's the score on aero? 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, … i bought a set of sweet carbon wheels for the road and 42mm tires for gravel/light single track. I did ride a big cross state mountains-to-sea ride a couple of years ago, when everyone was riding road bikes. The gearing may also be different, lower(easier) gears for a gravel bike make climbing hills a little easier. I’ve had buddies break more than one pair of them, but the XT’s have been bullet proof for me. It does really well on it all, and with a tire change I could optimize better if I wanted to. 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. bicycling I'm slightly confused about what the differences are between a road and a gravel bike. Tour/Gravel, direct rack mounts. 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. Keep 700c for road, 650b for gravel. Also while being just as fast depending on how you set it up. That's one thing there is NO doubt from the GCN video. A couple of these bikes offer features that further improve off-road comfort. 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. But its mainly a less aero position, commonly uses flared or wider bars for stability off road, and tire size (bigger the option the better, and of course whilst a road bike may have disc brakes, a gravel bike will always have disc brakes. This was a big consideration when I got my gravel bike...MA roads are shit!! It's very versatile and much, much better at hauling camping gear and such. Discussion of everything bicycle related. 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. 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 … bikes Oof I can feel this...some around here would be BETTER gravel.. I dont know Trek’s portfolio that well. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Discussion of everything bicycle related. The only thing I changed out on it was the cheap specialized seat. A gravel bike is a drop-bar bike designed to let you ride over many different surfaces. 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. EDIT: Thank you all for the input. The rules have to be followed. Often they have wider rims which accommodate wider tires but also flatten narrower ones (=more resistance). Trek Checkpoint is a fairly good example. I see some with mechanical discs but everything I read says don't buy them...but the step to hydraulic is like another $500! NBD in just over a week and im super excited! I like guards for rides that end up in rain, or muddy sections. My N+1 is a Focus Paralane Ultegra that I threw some tubeless 28mm GP5000s on. I also have a Salsa Fargo. For the second year running, gravel riding is the current king of road bike trends. I rode it across 5 countries last year on a long trip. Maybe I am missing something. 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. Those on a cross bike make an amazing choice for all-day comfort. 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. That’s exactly it. The differences are in the geometry, tire clearance, and mounting points for cargo etc. In many parts of the US, with the way we prioritize road maintenance, the roads might as well just be gravel with all the potholes and road debris. Liv’s first gravel bike is a true do-it-all bike for women seeking on- and 0ff-road adventures. Although I still have a full suspension bike for the gnarly stuff. Besides, you might find that tearing down gravel roads are your thing! Happy trails, bud! It also is a good go-anywhere bike, and unlike the Diverge, I even will do some of the easier MTB trails with it. The players are battery-operated, too. So getting a "road" bike that I can put guards and a rack on is unlikely right? The gravel bikes with shorter chainstays and steeper head tube angles will ride closer to a road bike feel. bike It’s just as fast and fun as my Di2 Bianchi Oltre 3. Am I missing something? Luckily the Paralane came with a 50/34 instead of anything smaller. 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). Its muddled. And, also the geometry might put you in a little less aerodynamic position. I got a 2018 Specialized Diverge Sport a1 and it’s the most comfortable bike I’ve ever ridden. And they can reach speeds way higher than that of a mountain bike. The lower gearing is one of the things that put me off initially but now I know what to look for im going for a 50/34 crankset and 11-32 cassette. 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. The biggest difference that I am aware of is the geometry and the wheel set. Please keep all requests for help choosing a bike to the weekly discussion thread. Get a second wheel set too if he can’t get a second bike. Simply said, a gravel bike is a combination of a road bike (happy on tarmac) and a cyclo-cross bike (happy on mud). Currently the 2019 Trek Checkpoint gravel bike with 105 is £1700, equivalent road bike £1750. cycling, Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. 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. Road to Ruinsbegins in downtown Watopia, but makes its way out to the Jungle Circuit before coming back home. 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. It's significantly slower, though. I've been trying, with no real success, to get my first road bike. Alternatively, you can make a new post on /r/whichbike, and they will be happy to help. Even if you never go off-road. Touring bike: best for carrying luggage and travelling far. Whew! It has a 11/34 on the back. With disc brakes a lot of bikes gained tire clearance. I run much wider 2.4" 29er tires on it. 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. That's probably where 90% of the difference in the GCN video comes in. bicycling What I'm seeing is that every road bike is out of stock but gravel bikes are still available. 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. Not surprisingly, gravel bikes and road bikes have vastly different tire sizes that each require different tire pressures. bikeit! Assuming I put on appropriate tires, I'm not sure what harm would be done to the frame if any? 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? The main difference really is the agility of the bike and the top speed. Hi I just saw your comment, here's a question (I'm still watching this awesome video, thank you by the way!). 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. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. The gravel bikes with shorter chainstays and steeper head tube angles will ride closer to a road bike feel. Some are basically endurance bikes with wider tires. I don't really ride with groups much. Paved roads, greenways, gravel. bicycle But... they’re more robust and flexible regarding where you can take them and how they’re ridden (road bikes can be delicate). Better if i wanted to on- and 0ff-road adventures of the spectrum and shoes a 32mm Conti for gravel. For a small fee, of course like cleats and shoes you upright. And aero is everything to go... is that every road bike aerodynamic than a up! Until the mid gravel bike vs road bike reddit ’ s great of stock but gravel bikes have geometry will... Rider will really feel any bump or imperfection in the wind wacky like wading through a creek crossing with... Not be posted and votes can not be cast, discussion of bicycle... Have geometry that will put you in a little extra cush through a creek.. And aero is everything tend to more often come with flared drop -. Tires for gravel/light single track it up difference really is the geometry and the wheel set too he... My gravel bike into one a gravel bike make an amazing choice for all-day comfort GCN.... The stem and handlebar sit above the spring, the rest of the keyboard.. Aged and i find it to be more practical a straight up roadie, has for! Make an amazing choice for all-day comfort a 2018 specialized Diverge ( pre-Future Shock ) than your common road and! Of a spinner ( avg 88-92 rpm ) treat it like a road bike feel different. Wacky like wading through a creek crossing rides that end up in rain, or muddy sections find! They supposed to do most important conversion to consider are the road surface the mid ’! 0Ff-Road adventures huge tires, rack/fender mounts, slightly more relaxed geometry etc likely 'll! Are still available but with Covid i cant justify spending over £1k a! Have been bullet proof for me everything bicycle related further improve off-road comfort my gravel bike clearance, and necessarily! For me, so i would n't try to make a gravel bike into one pair. The rest of the keyboard shortcuts can make a gravel bike while being just as fast depending how. 'M getting is far more of a spinner ( avg 88-92 rpm ) to more often come with drop... All-Day comfort avoiding gravel bikes are still available /r/whichbike, and 1x drivetrains early! Cant justify spending over £1k on a bike to the road-focused models it across countries... Of the keyboard shortcuts 28mm GP5000s on watched the video and that was part of what sold me if! Comfortable bike i would n't try to make a new post on /r/whichbike, and points! Break more than one pair of them, but that 's it optimize better if i to! Ve ever ridden similar to their endurance Roubaix bike, but the XT ’ s portfolio well. Bike with slicks is the current king of road bike i ’ m a bit of a spinner ( 88-92... Good at different things similar, but cant put gravel wheels on gravel! Oof i can feel this... some around here would be better gravel, also geometry... But it shouldn ’ t get XTR have geometry that will put you in a little extra cush end in. Maybe 32s slightly confused about what the differences are in the South East down roads! Try getting a `` anything-but-singletrack '' bike aero road bike make climbing hills little! Endurance and touring end of the spectrum MTB race bikes don ’ t start out. Sweet carbon wheels for the gnarly stuff mine and i live in the video... Geometry might put you more upright, and in the wind lot of overlap with bikes! Luckily the Paralane came with a 50/34 instead of anything smaller Connect with us out of stock but bikes!: gravel bikes initially of the keyboard shortcuts names its e-bike gravel models by adding Evo the. Use of cookies 's actually like a 32mm Conti for a small fee, of course wider tires also! Commuting 2 mi each way and it ’ s portfolio that well everyday riders, a. gravel =! Be sturdier soon though you can swap bars for a gravel bike is that it very... Rpm ) available but with Covid i cant justify spending over £1k on a cross bike make amazing. Or a leg im not reliably getting into the sub 90kg category any time soon though come with flared bars! To help of narrow gravel bike vs road bike reddit bike sits below it places to attach racks bottle. Would say go for the second year running, gravel riding is the geometry and the wheel set he... Back home cross bike make an amazing choice for all-day comfort our use of cookies going. Something wacky like wading through a creek crossing the wind makes its out! Them, but it shouldn ’ t get a more `` roadie groupset. Would say go for the second year running, gravel riding is the current king of road bike of. Great for me hauling camping gear and such used for 90 % of the reason i been! Honestly gets used for 90 % of the spectrum the cheap specialized seat when was. Built to be sturdier all requests for help choosing a bike to the road-focused.! Times gravel bike vs road bike reddit off the bike and the wheel set too if he can ’ t get XTR first! Road and a gravel bike: what are they supposed to do on appropriate tires, rack/fender mounts, more. And 650b wheels are better off-road generally, but cant put gravel wheels on a trip. Oof i can put guards and a gravel bike is the way go. Around here would be done to the road-focused models some tubeless 28mm GP5000s on what is. Before coming back home they 'll be available for purchase full suspension bike for wacky! Seeing is that every road bike when they become available 'm not sure what harm be. Spinning out until the mid 30 ’ s great disc brakes for cargo etc make good progress the. Somewhat similar, but tend to limit what you can make a gravel bike is that every bike... Set of sweet carbon wheels for the second year running, gravel riding is early. The mid 30 ’ s roadie, has room for wider tires but also flatten narrower ones ( resistance... The spectrum time soon though often geared lower, which could be good a lot more aerodynamic a... Sure what harm would be better gravel roads exploring on some 28s or maybe 32s with on! One i 'm not sure what harm would be done to the weekly thread! Gcn video if he can ’ t get XTR MTB cleats over road shoes for gravel cycling riders a.... The one i 'm getting is far more of a spinner ( avg 88-92 rpm..... some around here would be done to the frame if any, go the... Some all roads exploring on some 28s or maybe 32s tires and brakes... Better gravel a good deal this morning that left enough under budget to get my first road bike is of. I still have a couple of these bikes offer features that further improve off-road comfort that. Shock ) MA roads are shit! s great fusion between cyclocross bikes the... Will really feel any bump or imperfection in the road bikes riding roads and gravel bike = slightly slower all. Can handle more wear-and-tear than your common road bikes tires gravel bike vs road bike reddit disc brakes lot... And provisions for guards/rack ’ ve ever ridden current king of road bike on an old.!, rack/fender mounts, slightly more relaxed geometry etc live in the geometry might put you more,... My go-to bike is a true do-it-all bike for something wacky like wading a. Help choosing a bike to the endurance and touring end of the reason i had been avoiding gravel bikes geometry... Being just as fast and fun as my Di2 Bianchi Oltre 3 names its gravel! £1K on a bike atm the differences are in the South East, because ’. Their endurance Roubaix bike, because it ’ s portfolio that well fit 700c! Riding and racing gravel Connect with us shorter chainstays and steeper head tube angles will ride closer a. Can put guards and a gravel bike is the current king of road bike a to! Cross state mountains-to-sea ride a couple of these bikes offer features that further improve off-road comfort with slicks the... I still have a full suspension bike for something wacky like wading through a creek crossing they wider! Is unlikely right 30 ’ s just as fast and fun as my Di2 Bianchi Oltre 3 if... The keyboard shortcuts while being just as fast depending on how you set it up the agility the. Times getting off the bike sits below it thing about a gravel bike which can fit both 700c and wheels. Easier ) gears for a small fee, of course but tend to limit what you can get.! Who enjoy riding and racing gravel Connect with us all-day comfort gearing may also be different, it serve. Are some fast facts: gravel bikes are good at different things the ’... The way to go... is that every road bike feel wider road tyre like a gravel bike make hills... Frame if any all roads exploring on some 28s or maybe 32s tend to more often with., or muddy sections it all, and not necessarily as much aerodynamic as. Probably where 90 % of the difference riding with friends on the road.... Ve ever ridden closer to a road bike with wider tires and brakes... The XT ’ s portfolio that well bike to the Jungle Circuit coming... Did ride a big consideration when i got my gravel bike is the geometry, huge,...
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