I thought this until I used my gravel bike commuting along cycle tracks and bridleways, I'd be forever cleaning it..... can't have a muddy bike for road riding
Absolutely what I was going to say, I do only have one bike and it is a 2x gravel bike. 1x is (IMO) a good option these days for MTBs but 2x (again IMO) gives a gravel bike maximum versatility. Depends where you live of course as Jamie said in the video, but the cycle paths around me are gravel or dirt or cobbled in a lot of places, and there are also several windfarms in the area, and the only way I'm getting to 65kph on the road is downhill with a tailwind.
It's really easy: Wide gravel tyres are completely incompatible with a narrow road frameset, but you can easily turn a gravel bike into a fairly rapid road bike by simply changing tyres. Geometry is down to personal preference and not really specific to gravel or road, since gravel framesets exist that are far lower and longer than many endurance/allroad road framesets. Also, my gravel bike doesn't have flared bars because that's a marketing gimmick; Off-road, you're riding on the hoods with a gravel bike because you need to cover the brakes, and the flares are irrelevant.
@@TriamoDreconfirming this! I have both flared and unflared with basically same bikes. And downhill, i dont know if im really faster. But i feel comfortable on downhill turns on the flared.
This isn't even a question... A lightweight gravel bike with 2x, racy geo, big tire clearance, and a second set of wheels with road tires is hand down the closest you can get to a setup that can flawlessly cover 2 disciplines. A swap of wheels will either get you pretty far off road or 99% of the speed of a road bike. If you're not racing, you don't need that 1% at all
One difference not mentioned in the video are the chain slap tolerance features of the gravel bike groupsets and frames. Even if coarse pavement is the roughest surface you encounter, this is one more argument in favor of the 2x gravel bike for ultimate versatility.
I just went for an endurance road bike that can fit 40mm tires (specialized roubaix sl8 comp). In my opinion its better than a racey gravel bike. It places the rider in a more comfortable position than a racey gravel bike will, it supports the same size tire as most racey gravel bikes (though not all and they are trending bigger). It has a similar wheelbase as a racey gravel bike, often just 20mm shorter, 5mm shorter chainstay, and 15mm shorter front center. It does have a road weight distribution which may lead a rider to want to scoot back a little on a gravel descend. It also has the same futureshock 3.0 as specialized's gravel bike the diverge and some rear seat flex for compliance too. I have it setup with 40mm pirelli gravel h tires right now. I still need to swap the rear derailleur to a grx 825 di2. Im in no rush, i just got the bike, its been on 4 rides. No gravel yet, my tubless repair kit comes monday. Then gravel mode is unlocked! If I hear chain slapping its on time out again... I'm hoping not to have to replace the rear derailleur soon. I should also get some protection tape for that area just in case. Also, waxing my chain gave me more speed gains than was lost by switching from my 32mm road slick to my 40mm gravel tire. Just some food for thought. Were also talking about a factory fresh chain that had been on 2 rides and was giving 0 noises, vs silca secret wax after stripping all the grease. Im also switching to molten speed wax. The marginalist of gains over silca, but half the cost with a bulk buy 3.5lbs/60 bucks. Silca is $40/lb. I also ordered 2 YBN 12 speed gold Ti-N coated chains, should offer some more marginal gains over shimano's chain. I might get some pulley wheels ($50 steel bearing models). The 105 drivetrain is the same tier as my old slx, and both use bushings on the pulley wheels. My inner engineer looks @ them in disgust... I dont need ceramic speed or anything, just a dura ace level upgrade. Ultegra is 1 bearing 1 bushing.
@@stevencooper8804 lol, oh the ,memories. i still have a scar and dodgy finger from having the bike upside down and oiling the chain and my finger going around the cogs :/ prob needed 4 or 5 stitches, i got a kitchen tap and a plaster haha
I still have the bike I raced on in college (and to level set when that was, it was all friction shifting back then, I used Suntour Superbe which shifted way better than anything else.) I also have my race bike from when I finally hung up racing (about ten years ago), and I have a cross bike which I mostly used for commuting (and gravel biking, dirt roads are fine, single track can get a bit iffy.) To be honest, my older race bike is now what is called a "gravel bike" except for the differences in the drive train. My much newer race bike has the twitchy geometry, and an inability to handle tires much larger than a 700x28 (and even that would be very, very tight.) In fact, way back in the day, racers would switch from road racing to cross racing by switching wheel sets, and that was about it.
I use a gravel bike for both. Two sets of wheels, one with 30mm slicks and the other with 50mm treaded. I’ve done a 300k Audax day on the slicks and the Badger Divide on the treaded. Yes it’s not the fastest bike, but at 60 neither am I and the relaxed geometry makes it very comfortable for hours in the saddle.
I'm not advocating for the gravel bike, but if you will be using a second wheel set with road tyres anyway, you will also fit that with a different cassette with smaller jumps between the gears. Where I live (mostly flat, mostly tarmac) a performance/cross/all road bike with up to 35/38 mm tyre clearence should cover everything, even light gravel riding. I do gravel riding on an old cross bike with 35 mm tyres. It works fine.
I've ridden thousands of miles on the Towpath here, never had a gravel bike - just 700cx28s or 32s. With that definition of gravel, I'll stick with road. I one day likely will choose more of an all road/endurance while keeping my road bike.
I’ve got a Orbea Terra carbon gravel bike and have no problem keeping up in group rides with roadies. I use a second set of carbon wheels and Conti 5000s and it’s plenty quick. Maybe if you race there’s a little more noticeable speed on a road bike, but as an enthusiast who just likes to get 2k miles a year on the bike or so, I love my gravel bike. And with 1x12 GRX, I love the simplicity of it. My road cassette is narrower than my gravel cassette, and I put a bigger chainring on it to get the top end I wanted too.
Cool. Whilst you've got both bikes could you do some timed runs with the road bike then just stick its wheels/tyers on the gravel one to compare? Consider comfort too. This was a useful video but I've seen loads comparing gravel and road bikes but whithout just doing the above, which seems the key factor. Worth thinking about tyre clearance wrt mudguards too - esp if they have have mounting points. Cheers!
Bought a gravel bike 6 years ago before they became popular. Still riding a gravel bike , an Orro Terra C , but have an Orro Gold STC for road. Tried the 2 sets of wheels for the gravel bike. Got fed up with uneven wear on the drive train. My Orro Terra C does get ridden a lot more than the Orro Gold
I run two sets of wheels both with their own rotors & cassette already attached. Check the chain often and replace at 0.5 - but if you’re not a regular off-roader/MTBer you’ve probably not yet understood the accelerated wear compared to road. It’s huge.
Just happening to be riding on gravel sometimes is exactly why I got a grail back a few years ago. Maybe only 1% of my riding is actually on gravel but that 1% is brutal on tiny slick tyres. Plus thin slicks launch rocks somehow. I really don't like cycling by people or even houses when on gravel because I don't want to injure someone or smash a window.
Gravel all the way for me, I've just done a 100 mile road challenge on one with 40mm tires, Every down hill I would get aero and would overtaking normal road bikes on skinny tires all day long. I had the advantage of a big granny ring for the really hard climbs too. Yes, gearing is more spaced out but only at the extreme low gear ratios where consistency and pace are less of an issue, these are the gears you use when you're struggling up a really steep ascent anyway. On a final note, I finished feeling a lot fresher than I would on my road bike, bigger tires and better geometry means a more pleasurable ride with very few concessions.
Own the “super” bike but now pivoting to the gravel. Just more versatility with an extra set of wheels. I’m fast enough especially since I’m not racing anyone but myself.
As someone with both, my race bike always makes me smile whilst the gravel bike is a great commuter and winter bike plus it's fun off-road but not at all on the road. Therefore I need more than one
I recently bought a bike to replace my cyclocross and road bike with one bike. This was primarily to make my wife happy :)... My issue was deciding between a road bike that can handle some gravel vs a proper gravel bike. I ummmed and ahhhed about a Specialized Roubaix with the 40mm clearance vs the Giant Revolt with the 53mm clearance. I ride mostly on sealed road with occassional mostly light gravel. In the end I went for the Roubaix as I presume it would be a bit faster on the road but I'm still not sure what was the better choice. With the blurring of the differences between endurance and gravel bikes these days, these decisions get harder and harder.
I have an endurance bike with 38m tire clearance and double chainring. I have 2 sets of wheels and can fit 40m tires if not too knobby. Works great if your gravel riding is not too extreme. Can still race the bike and be competitive.
As a non racer I'm always into 1x endurance road bike. Cleaner look and less parts to maintain. Currently using 50T 11-46T can be fast in flats and easy on climbs. Perfect for MY needs.
Will get a new gravel, most likely with a 1×. Eventually, I will look for a used reasonably priced road bike for a dual bike setup rather than 2 wheelsets for the gravel.
I’m fortunate to own both a Trek Domane (105Di2) and a CheckPoint (SRAM Rival 1x). I mainly used the CheckPoint on rail trails/light gravel and it’s my city bike. Actually went down to 35mm Victoria Terrano tires as I do not do knarly gravel. Sometimes I wonder why I got the gravel bike as I could have gone with another set of wheels with the Terrano tires which the Domane would easily handle. Love both bikes though but in the end, it would be the Domane with 2 sets of wheels.
Ive been riding road bikes for the past 15 years but purchase my first aluminium gravel bike last year. I brought the gravel bike to ride with my kids and commute from time to time, but found myself reaching for it over my top end road bike more often than not 😮 Consequently I decided to sell my expensive carbon road bike, which was just looking pretty hanging on the wall and just have a "do it all" grave bike. I'm a fan of road cycling but prefer riding gravel paths/bridleways. The versatility of having a bike that can pretty much go anywhere was the deciding factor, plus the roads seem to be getting busier in my opinion.
It does frustrate me when I see "can gravel bike double as a road bike" type articles and videos that don't compare 2x which is what makes them so similar. If you never went on road and wanted a pure Gravel bike, maybe then you would go for 1x. But that's not the point of these types of video.
I am very happy with my 2x11 geared gravel bike. It is slightly slower on tarmac than my 11 year old roadbike, but the big upside is that I can choose to go on whatever road I want and that has opened opportunties. My road to work is 14 km, but I have discovered another route going up in the hills. That road is 47 km (27 km tarmac and 20km gravel). This long road is not comfortable on skinny roadwheels, and I will not go there on my old roadbike. 2x11 gear with 46-30 chainring and 11-34 cassette is very good range and it is small differencences between the gears. If I would go mostly on tarmac I would choose skinny tyres thats inbetween road and gravel (38mm), which I am on now, but Iam going to swop to 45 mm because that 20 km gravelsection has a lot stones between 1 and 2 cm size. Because I am a heavy rider it is good for me that the largest cassette-ring is larger than the smallest chainring . This gearing lets me climb 8 percent at ca 7 or 8 km/h.
I'm looking to build a carbon gravel bike soon and might even go for a Chinese electronic group set but still not sure if I'm going to go 1x or 2x... Have a 2021-22 boardman 8.9 which is 2x and a Cannondale caad7 which I've upgraded up 10 speed..
2x Gravel Bike. Especially for people who are training for themself’s and not a world tour spot. Like my middle aged self who looks at power and time spent training instead of KOM’s and thought the heavier tires (8.74 lbs. wheel, tire and sealant) would slow me down and I would end up being safer. I am and they don’t.
A British gravel bike but still no mudguard mounts. I am looking at gravel for winter riding and would also like to fit mudguards to road ride in rainy weather. Go figure 🤔🤔
For a complete newbie I would start with a road bike. Once you get the hang of cycling and joining a club then I would start looking for a gravel bike.
I’d recommend the opposite, especially as most gravel bikes have a more relaxed geometry (taller & shorter) so the newbie will get more confidence, especially on poor tarmac.
Totally. Find the 1990 Bianchi catalog and check out the Intercept Cross-Terrain model. The geo is something bikes seem to be getting back to, and it was amazeballs to ride. Columbus multi-ovalized tubing, 45mm clearance, primo components, etc.
My first new bike was a steel hybrid with 5 gear cassette. It served me well and is in my opinion very close to a gravelbike when it comes to where it could go. Back in me tenageyears I myself was superlight so the heavier gearing was fine with me. I also lived in another area with less steep climbs.
It's important to be aware that a gravel bike without a second set of tires will require quite a bit of extra effort at speed, other than that there really is little difference.
Road bikes! Because I don´t like get dirty. In fact, I have a road bike for endurance, with 32 mm tires and handle bar with 30 degree of flare, perfect for comfort and long rides. The idea is about distance, not maximum speed.
I'm confused, Road bikes are for mostly on road and has an aggressive position for speed and it is not comfortable, while the gravel bike is a comfortable more calm position for long rides and distance.
@@ZNinja1400 when I mean road bikes, I'd like to say endurance bikes. Not speed bikes. Endurance bikes with wide tires (32mm) and flared handle bars are perfect for me.
Why not return to the roots with a road bike that can handle a bit of off road? The times are getting good for it! I just picked up a Specialized Roubaix sl8 (road endurance) and it can fit 40mm tires to serve as an all road/gravel light bike. Eventually im going to get the grx di2 rear derailleur for the clutch, but im a bit tapped after buying the bike.
I never thought to go out on gravels, but in the real world there are roads that are unpaved or underconstruction to get through during the rides. So, I will choose a road bike with 35-38mm tire clearance lol
Ride road group bashes on a Gravel Bike with a Rotor 44 tooth chain ring and 700x35 tyres. No problem at all. You get used to the wider gear ratios. Adapt.
@@korsveien I have a Force 10-33 cassette on my road wheelset and a Force 10-36 cassette on my gravel wheelset. 160mm rotors and Chris King R45D hubs on both wheelsets - it literally takes me three minutes to swap wheelsets with no brake caliper adjustments required. I run 47mm Pathfinder Pro’s on the gravel wheels and GP 5000 AS TR on the road wheels.
So far road bike is far beyond a road bike, but a race only bike. So it's not even good for a good paved surface but for road race ONLY. Nowadays a road bike is not a bike for a daily road riding especially riding alone by yourself. A gravel or an endurance bike just do the riding job so good. It even good for grand fondo. Road bike only do it's job only if you need a very light bike for your everyday local hill strava KOM crushing, racing and with a sprint ending, that's almost all. Gravel bike it's easy to put on road groupset, and it can always be put on road tyres.
For me a gravel bike would be as much use as a oars on a submarine. This is a mad fad by manufacturers to shift a few units to divs that love a fashion. I cite for reference - fixies. Horse dollop tastic.
9.2 kg is a very good weight for a gravel bike, whereas 8.7 kg is proper porkerweight category for a road bike. "Thank you" disc brakes on road bikes, that particular road bike would have been around or under 8 kg with rim brakes and better wheels for the same price tag.
Road Bikes are Faster but more aggressive position and may find it uncomfortable for long rides Gravel Bikes are definitely more comfortable and a bit slower than the road bike but faster than mtb and best for long rides Mountain Bike has 2 types which is Hardtail and full suspension, a hardtail only has suspension on the front and can be used on trails or rough roads and it is the most comfortable bike when long ride since it does not have an aggressive position and the full suspension tho is primarily on trails and mountain since it cam handle rough roads and absorbs vibrations because of the suspension on the frame and front.
Because there’s no gravel roads where I live I’d choose the road bike. That said it’s no problem riding a bike with 28mm tires on compact gravel. Pros do it all the time. I, as an old MTB guy, also do it. It’s more down to technique of the rider than the ability of the bike. If I only could have two bikes I would have chosen a road bike and a MTB bike, instead of buying a gravel bike that many roadies do now.
I bought a gravel bike and disliked it enough on the road to then build a full on aero road bike, which I LOVE. in Europe, we typically don't have the gravel roads that the US has, because Europe has actual infrastructure. My zone 2 routinely takes me at 38kmh, and that's just fun. For people commuting and wanting something versatile enough, I'd say a bike that takes 38C. Other than that, I'd say don't buy a gravel bike if you don't actually plan to mainly ride gravel. The gearing is shit, it's sluggish, heavy, it's just not meant to be on the road. It can go on the road, but it's not meant to be on the road. That's a big difference when it comes to actually enjoying the road. My 5c anyway.
@@531c yeah I bought the cool aid of "one bike to do it all", but it then does everything poorly and nothing just right. One ought to buy a bike suited to the actual riding that the bike will be asked to do.
Damn Im sitting here in the US and a bit shocked to find out we dont have infrastructure as I stare out the window at roads, an interstate, and powerlines.
A gravel bike is just a hybrid with drop bars, and the cranksets are so small that you cant maintain a reasonable speed in a group ride. Road bikes come with plenty of tire clearance nowadays. Gravel bikes are for unserious riders.
Agree. I ride an endurance bike with 28 mm tires with no issues on any gravel road in Europe. Fire roads in the United States have plenty with big rocks so I can see the use for them there. Pros ride gravel with aero bikes. Usually the problem isn’t the bike but the ability of the rider.
The vast majority of people who have "ridden bikes" are on hybrids or 90s rigid mtbs. Nothing wrong with hybrids with drop bars, especially where bike infrastructure is neglected.
Depends on what speed your group rides at. Most groups here in the UK aren't riding at really fast speeds, so a gravel bike has no issue keeping up. The issue is more that roadies don't like the "large" gaps in a gravel cassette because they've been told it interferes with their cadence, so believe it without critical thinking.
@@wandering_pete Having ridden a 1x gravel bike in a fast group ride I can say from experience that while you can keep up in the line, youll be basically near top gear the whole time, and on even slight declines youll spin out. Avg speed 21-22 mph, so a pretty quick group but nothing crazy. Also, yeah the big gaps between gears do suck, especially if youre used to 1 or 2 teeth between gears across the whole cassette. Being able to effortlessly flow up and down the cassette as dictated by the road is really nice, and those wide range ones really do make things more difficult.
2x gravel bike with a 2nd set of wheels will be perfect for most people that want to do road and gravel but can only have one bike.
Or 3 sets that include a 650b wheel for some gnarrrrr!! 👍
I thought this until I used my gravel bike commuting along cycle tracks and bridleways, I'd be forever cleaning it..... can't have a muddy bike for road riding
Absolutely what I was going to say, I do only have one bike and it is a 2x gravel bike. 1x is (IMO) a good option these days for MTBs but 2x (again IMO) gives a gravel bike maximum versatility.
Depends where you live of course as Jamie said in the video, but the cycle paths around me are gravel or dirt or cobbled in a lot of places, and there are also several windfarms in the area, and the only way I'm getting to 65kph on the road is downhill with a tailwind.
From direct experience, no.
I've just got a new gravel bike with how light and fast it is I'm questioning if I actually need to keep my road bike it's crazy.
It's really easy: Wide gravel tyres are completely incompatible with a narrow road frameset, but you can easily turn a gravel bike into a fairly rapid road bike by simply changing tyres. Geometry is down to personal preference and not really specific to gravel or road, since gravel framesets exist that are far lower and longer than many endurance/allroad road framesets. Also, my gravel bike doesn't have flared bars because that's a marketing gimmick; Off-road, you're riding on the hoods with a gravel bike because you need to cover the brakes, and the flares are irrelevant.
@@br5380100%
@@br5380I can strongly confirm this. Also ride a Rithchey Beacon. Unbeatable downhill.
@@TriamoDreconfirming this! I have both flared and unflared with basically same bikes. And downhill, i dont know if im really faster. But i feel comfortable on downhill turns on the flared.
This isn't even a question... A lightweight gravel bike with 2x, racy geo, big tire clearance, and a second set of wheels with road tires is hand down the closest you can get to a setup that can flawlessly cover 2 disciplines. A swap of wheels will either get you pretty far off road or 99% of the speed of a road bike. If you're not racing, you don't need that 1% at all
And that is exactly what I’ve done.
One difference not mentioned in the video are the chain slap tolerance features of the gravel bike groupsets and frames.
Even if coarse pavement is the roughest surface you encounter, this is one more argument in favor of the 2x gravel bike for ultimate versatility.
I just went for an endurance road bike that can fit 40mm tires (specialized roubaix sl8 comp). In my opinion its better than a racey gravel bike. It places the rider in a more comfortable position than a racey gravel bike will, it supports the same size tire as most racey gravel bikes (though not all and they are trending bigger). It has a similar wheelbase as a racey gravel bike, often just 20mm shorter, 5mm shorter chainstay, and 15mm shorter front center. It does have a road weight distribution which may lead a rider to want to scoot back a little on a gravel descend. It also has the same futureshock 3.0 as specialized's gravel bike the diverge and some rear seat flex for compliance too.
I have it setup with 40mm pirelli gravel h tires right now. I still need to swap the rear derailleur to a grx 825 di2. Im in no rush, i just got the bike, its been on 4 rides. No gravel yet, my tubless repair kit comes monday. Then gravel mode is unlocked! If I hear chain slapping its on time out again... I'm hoping not to have to replace the rear derailleur soon. I should also get some protection tape for that area just in case.
Also, waxing my chain gave me more speed gains than was lost by switching from my 32mm road slick to my 40mm gravel tire. Just some food for thought. Were also talking about a factory fresh chain that had been on 2 rides and was giving 0 noises, vs silca secret wax after stripping all the grease. Im also switching to molten speed wax. The marginalist of gains over silca, but half the cost with a bulk buy 3.5lbs/60 bucks. Silca is $40/lb. I also ordered 2 YBN 12 speed gold Ti-N coated chains, should offer some more marginal gains over shimano's chain. I might get some pulley wheels ($50 steel bearing models). The 105 drivetrain is the same tier as my old slx, and both use bushings on the pulley wheels. My inner engineer looks @ them in disgust... I dont need ceramic speed or anything, just a dura ace level upgrade. Ultegra is 1 bearing 1 bushing.
That's a modern endurance road bike, most of them can use 38c or even wider.
@@brandonhoffman4712 I love your noble steed 👍. You can wax all the chains you’d like - the Engineer in me giggles. 🤭
when i was young it really didn't matter is it was a grifter, chopper, bmx or racer, a bike was a bike :)
The Raleigh chopper the bike that you couldn't ride very far. I had the chipper and the Chopper in the 70's now there back in fashion apparently 😱🤣🤔
@@stevencooper8804 fell off and lost my front teeth on that chopper haha The Chipper, how could I forget :)
@@PazLeBon you was lucky it was only your teeth. The gear change on the original design was brutal on your privates.😱🤣
@@stevencooper8804 lol, oh the ,memories. i still have a scar and dodgy finger from having the bike upside down and oiling the chain and my finger going around the cogs :/ prob needed 4 or 5 stitches, i got a kitchen tap and a plaster haha
I still have the bike I raced on in college (and to level set when that was, it was all friction shifting back then, I used Suntour Superbe which shifted way better than anything else.) I also have my race bike from when I finally hung up racing (about ten years ago), and I have a cross bike which I mostly used for commuting (and gravel biking, dirt roads are fine, single track can get a bit iffy.)
To be honest, my older race bike is now what is called a "gravel bike" except for the differences in the drive train. My much newer race bike has the twitchy geometry, and an inability to handle tires much larger than a 700x28 (and even that would be very, very tight.) In fact, way back in the day, racers would switch from road racing to cross racing by switching wheel sets, and that was about it.
I use a gravel bike for both. Two sets of wheels, one with 30mm slicks and the other with 50mm treaded. I’ve done a 300k Audax day on the slicks and the Badger Divide on the treaded.
Yes it’s not the fastest bike, but at 60 neither am I and the relaxed geometry makes it very comfortable for hours in the saddle.
I'm not advocating for the gravel bike, but if you will be using a second wheel set with road tyres anyway, you will also fit that with a different cassette with smaller jumps between the gears.
Where I live (mostly flat, mostly tarmac) a performance/cross/all road bike with up to 35/38 mm tyre clearence should cover everything, even light gravel riding. I do gravel riding on an old cross bike with 35 mm tyres. It works fine.
My new 1x10 "gravel" bike is really just a road bike with fat tires. I ride it everywhere and it is way more versatile than my old road bike ever was.
I've ridden thousands of miles on the Towpath here, never had a gravel bike - just 700cx28s or 32s. With that definition of gravel, I'll stick with road. I one day likely will choose more of an all road/endurance while keeping my road bike.
Whatever's the best bang for buck is the answer. Endurance or Gravel. I would advocate gravel for bikepacking and exploring nature.
super helpful video thank you
I’ve got a Orbea Terra carbon gravel bike and have no problem keeping up in group rides with roadies. I use a second set of carbon wheels and Conti 5000s and it’s plenty quick. Maybe if you race there’s a little more noticeable speed on a road bike, but as an enthusiast who just likes to get 2k miles a year on the bike or so, I love my gravel bike. And with 1x12 GRX, I love the simplicity of it. My road cassette is narrower than my gravel cassette, and I put a bigger chainring on it to get the top end I wanted too.
Something like the Specialized Crux can do both things very well. Fortunately I have both, a BMC URS and an Orbea Orca Aero
Cool. Whilst you've got both bikes could you do some timed runs with the road bike then just stick its wheels/tyers on the gravel one to compare? Consider comfort too.
This was a useful video but I've seen loads comparing gravel and road bikes but whithout just doing the above, which seems the key factor.
Worth thinking about tyre clearance wrt mudguards too - esp if they have have mounting points.
Cheers!
Bought a gravel bike 6 years ago before they became popular. Still riding a gravel bike , an Orro Terra C , but have an Orro Gold STC for road. Tried the 2 sets of wheels for the gravel bike. Got fed up with uneven wear on the drive train. My Orro Terra C does get ridden a lot more than the Orro Gold
I run two sets of wheels both with their own rotors & cassette already attached.
Check the chain often and replace at 0.5 - but if you’re not a regular off-roader/MTBer you’ve probably not yet understood the accelerated wear compared to road. It’s huge.
Just happening to be riding on gravel sometimes is exactly why I got a grail back a few years ago. Maybe only 1% of my riding is actually on gravel but that 1% is brutal on tiny slick tyres. Plus thin slicks launch rocks somehow. I really don't like cycling by people or even houses when on gravel because I don't want to injure someone or smash a window.
omg i didn't realise, now i just have to get one :)
Gravel all the way for me, I've just done a 100 mile road challenge on one with 40mm tires, Every down hill I would get aero and would overtaking normal road bikes on skinny tires all day long. I had the advantage of a big granny ring for the really hard climbs too. Yes, gearing is more spaced out but only at the extreme low gear ratios where consistency and pace are less of an issue, these are the gears you use when you're struggling up a really steep ascent anyway. On a final note, I finished feeling a lot fresher than I would on my road bike, bigger tires and better geometry means a more pleasurable ride with very few concessions.
X1 cyclo-cross bike, sorted 😁
Own the “super” bike but now pivoting to the gravel. Just more versatility with an extra set of wheels. I’m fast enough especially since I’m not racing anyone but myself.
As someone with both, my race bike always makes me smile whilst the gravel bike is a great commuter and winter bike plus it's fun off-road but not at all on the road. Therefore I need more than one
I recently bought a bike to replace my cyclocross and road bike with one bike. This was primarily to make my wife happy :)... My issue was deciding between a road bike that can handle some gravel vs a proper gravel bike.
I ummmed and ahhhed about a Specialized Roubaix with the 40mm clearance vs the Giant Revolt with the 53mm clearance. I ride mostly on sealed road with occassional mostly light gravel. In the end I went for the Roubaix as I presume it would be a bit faster on the road but I'm still not sure what was the better choice.
With the blurring of the differences between endurance and gravel bikes these days, these decisions get harder and harder.
Also, for my TREK, I find the GravelKing Slicks in 38mm are a great compromise for road/gravel use.
I have an endurance bike with 38m tire clearance and double chainring. I have 2 sets of wheels and can fit 40m tires if not too knobby. Works great if your gravel riding is not too extreme. Can still race the bike and be competitive.
As a non racer I'm always into 1x endurance road bike. Cleaner look and less parts to maintain. Currently using 50T 11-46T can be fast in flats and easy on climbs. Perfect for MY needs.
Will get a new gravel, most likely with a 1×. Eventually, I will look for a used reasonably priced road bike for a dual bike setup rather than 2 wheelsets for the gravel.
I’m fortunate to own both a Trek Domane (105Di2) and a CheckPoint (SRAM Rival 1x). I mainly used the CheckPoint on rail trails/light gravel and it’s my city bike. Actually went down to 35mm Victoria Terrano tires as I do not do knarly gravel. Sometimes I wonder why I got the gravel bike as I could have gone with another set of wheels with the Terrano tires which the Domane would easily handle. Love both bikes though but in the end, it would be the Domane with 2 sets of wheels.
Ive been riding road bikes for the past 15 years but purchase my first aluminium gravel bike last year. I brought the gravel bike to ride with my kids and commute from time to time, but found myself reaching for it over my top end road bike more often than not 😮
Consequently I decided to sell my expensive carbon road bike, which was just looking pretty hanging on the wall and just have a "do it all" grave bike.
I'm a fan of road cycling but prefer riding gravel paths/bridleways. The versatility of having a bike that can pretty much go anywhere was the deciding factor, plus the roads seem to be getting busier in my opinion.
It does frustrate me when I see "can gravel bike double as a road bike" type articles and videos that don't compare 2x which is what makes them so similar. If you never went on road and wanted a pure Gravel bike, maybe then you would go for 1x. But that's not the point of these types of video.
1x cyclocross bike with 38c tyres for me, does road and off road just fine :)
That Boardman with 42mm tyre clearance is nowhere near enough for chunkier gravel even though you tried to imply that it was!
I am very happy with my 2x11 geared gravel bike. It is slightly slower on tarmac than my 11 year old roadbike, but the big upside is that I can choose to go on whatever road I want and that has opened opportunties. My road to work is 14 km, but I have discovered another route going up in the hills. That road is 47 km (27 km tarmac and 20km gravel). This long road is not comfortable on skinny roadwheels, and I will not go there on my old roadbike. 2x11 gear with 46-30 chainring and 11-34 cassette is very good range and it is small differencences between the gears. If I would go mostly on tarmac I would choose skinny tyres thats inbetween road and gravel (38mm), which I am on now, but Iam going to swop to 45 mm because that 20 km gravelsection has a lot stones between 1 and 2 cm size. Because I am a heavy rider it is good for me that the largest cassette-ring is larger than the smallest chainring . This gearing lets me climb 8 percent at ca 7 or 8 km/h.
I'm looking to build a carbon gravel bike soon and might even go for a Chinese electronic group set but still not sure if I'm going to go 1x or 2x...
Have a 2021-22 boardman 8.9 which is 2x and a Cannondale caad7 which I've upgraded up 10 speed..
2x Gravel Bike. Especially for people who are training for themself’s and not a world tour spot. Like my middle aged self who looks at power and time spent training instead of KOM’s and thought the heavier tires (8.74 lbs. wheel, tire and sealant) would slow me down and I would end up being safer. I am and they don’t.
A British gravel bike but still no mudguard mounts. I am looking at gravel for winter riding and would also like to fit mudguards to road ride in rainy weather. Go figure 🤔🤔
Gravel bike is a must have but road bike is a luxury I don't want to live without.
Also there are "Dylan Johnson bikes". Those are the best choice. ...for me.
I have an endurance road bike. If I want to ride through the forrest I change tyres
For a complete newbie I would start with a road bike. Once you get the hang of cycling and joining a club then I would start looking for a gravel bike.
I’d recommend the opposite, especially as most gravel bikes have a more relaxed geometry (taller & shorter) so the newbie will get more confidence, especially on poor tarmac.
30-year-old Hybrid forced to do both with upgrades worth 5x it's value is the real answer
Totally. Find the 1990 Bianchi catalog and check out the Intercept Cross-Terrain model. The geo is something bikes seem to be getting back to, and it was amazeballs to ride. Columbus multi-ovalized tubing, 45mm clearance, primo components, etc.
My first new bike was a steel hybrid with 5 gear cassette. It served me well and is in my opinion very close to a gravelbike when it comes to where it could go. Back in me tenageyears I myself was superlight so the heavier gearing was fine with me. I also lived in another area with less steep climbs.
It's important to be aware that a gravel bike without a second set of tires will require quite a bit of extra effort at speed, other than that there really is little difference.
Road bikes! Because I don´t like get dirty. In fact, I have a road bike for endurance, with 32 mm tires and handle bar with 30 degree of flare, perfect for comfort and long rides. The idea is about distance, not maximum speed.
I'm confused, Road bikes are for mostly on road and has an aggressive position for speed and it is not comfortable, while the gravel bike is a comfortable more calm position for long rides and distance.
@@ZNinja1400 when I mean road bikes, I'd like to say endurance bikes. Not speed bikes. Endurance bikes with wide tires (32mm) and flared handle bars are perfect for me.
To me that is my 2x Gravel Cargo!
I ride every day and have the choice between a road bike, an MTB and a gravel bike. My favorite thing of all is riding my gravel bike.
Why not return to the roots with a road bike that can handle a bit of off road? The times are getting good for it! I just picked up a Specialized Roubaix sl8 (road endurance) and it can fit 40mm tires to serve as an all road/gravel light bike. Eventually im going to get the grx di2 rear derailleur for the clutch, but im a bit tapped after buying the bike.
Gravel ofc. More versatility is always a plus for non competitive cyclist
with the state of the roads I go with the Gravel Bike. (Luckily I have both road and Gravel)
If you are lucky enough to have good tarmac get a road bike. If your tarmac sucks or if you have good gravel roads get a gravel bike.
What is you've got both?
@@FoobsTon 2x gravel with 2 wheelsets or 1 of each.
@@swazi5
What would suggest on drive trains? Previous convention was 2x but I see 1x now predominating...
@@FoobsTon only 2x if your going road gravel dual purpose with the bike. Either sram or shimano doesn't matter that much.
I never thought to go out on gravels, but in the real world there are roads that are unpaved or underconstruction to get through during the rides. So, I will choose a road bike with 35-38mm tire clearance lol
Ride road group bashes on a Gravel Bike with a Rotor 44 tooth chain ring and 700x35 tyres. No problem at all. You get used to the wider gear ratios. Adapt.
the best is all road bike use new zipp gravel wheel with 35 panaracer and front shock.
Endurance Bike FTW!
A gravel bike *IS* an endurance bike
@@petersouthernboy6327No it’s not. Different gearing
@@korsveien I have a Force 10-33 cassette on my road wheelset and a Force 10-36 cassette on my gravel wheelset. 160mm rotors and Chris King R45D hubs on both wheelsets - it literally takes me three minutes to swap wheelsets with no brake caliper adjustments required. I run 47mm Pathfinder Pro’s on the gravel wheels and GP 5000 AS TR on the road wheels.
Gravel bike with ultegra mechs, triple crank, and aluminum rim brakes.
I don’t agree. At the least 2x-12 Endurance bike. Then you can buy a second pair rims.
So far road bike is far beyond a road bike, but a race only bike. So it's not even good for a good paved surface but for road race ONLY. Nowadays a road bike is not a bike for a daily road riding especially riding alone by yourself. A gravel or an endurance bike just do the riding job so good. It even good for grand fondo. Road bike only do it's job only if you need a very light bike for your everyday local hill strava KOM crushing, racing and with a sprint ending, that's almost all. Gravel bike it's easy to put on road groupset, and it can always be put on road tyres.
A fixed gear is the best option.
Followed by a basic steel road bike.
The head tube is taller? It doesn‘t look like this. It is shorter on the gravel bike
For me a gravel bike would be as much use as a oars on a submarine. This is a mad fad by manufacturers to shift a few units to divs that love a fashion.
I cite for reference - fixies. Horse dollop tastic.
Road bike!
9.2 kg is a very good weight for a gravel bike, whereas 8.7 kg is proper porkerweight category for a road bike. "Thank you" disc brakes on road bikes, that particular road bike would have been around or under 8 kg with rim brakes and better wheels for the same price tag.
needed this video pre season, so I would not have bought a Gravel instead of a Road Bike for my needs
Just get both
As soon as i saw the 1X i said NOOOOOO! 2x for some on road versatility sir
I dunno, i still take out my hardtail more than my gravel bike on trails and my road bike more than the gravel for road.
For me, gravel all day long. It's much more versatile.
Aero titanium gravel bike for a one bike garage
wiche one is faster???
Road Bikes are Faster but more aggressive position and may find it uncomfortable for long rides
Gravel Bikes are definitely more comfortable and a bit slower than the road bike but faster than mtb and best for long rides
Mountain Bike has 2 types which is Hardtail and full suspension, a hardtail only has suspension on the front and can be used on trails or rough roads and it is the most comfortable bike when long ride since it does not have an aggressive position and the full suspension tho is primarily on trails and mountain since it cam handle rough roads and absorbs vibrations because of the suspension on the frame and front.
@@ZNinja1400 thanks
Why didn’t they have road boardman and the gravel boardman same price compare them then you get a better look
And here I am riding my 2019 Allez with 25c on both road and gravel. 😂
most people who buy gravel bikes really use it as a road bike with more tyre clearance, so just buy that
Only one bike in the garage (or living room, in my case)..... never, never, bite thy tongue.... Four seems to be the bare minimum, IMO.
Orro? I’ve seen vids showing poor construction of Orro bikes. Has me thinking they’re not for me.
idk abt u, but that dropbar angle on that gravel bike is bothering me.
Let me guess: it depends on how/where u want to use it
So the main difference is the color.
Road Bike For The Win 🤙🤙
Roubaix SL8 entered the chat…
Jamis: "Road Bike vs Gravel Bike - Which One Is The BEST Buy In 2024?"
Answer: 0:01 Easy, whichever one that stays upright!
0:01 was not his finest moment!
@@roadcc yeah, but close, I guess
Gravel bike with two wheelsets
All road is the answer.
Most all-road bikes come with GRX or similar SRAM groupset anyways. It's a broad term that includes many gravel and endurance road bikes.
Don’t wanna get the road bike dirty whaaa?
Because there’s no gravel roads where I live I’d choose the road bike. That said it’s no problem riding a bike with 28mm tires on compact gravel. Pros do it all the time. I, as an old MTB guy, also do it. It’s more down to technique of the rider than the ability of the bike. If I only could have two bikes I would have chosen a road bike and a MTB bike, instead of buying a gravel bike that many roadies do now.
cleats on bike shoes are stupid - flats with MB shoes are wayy better.
I bought a gravel bike and disliked it enough on the road to then build a full on aero road bike, which I LOVE. in Europe, we typically don't have the gravel roads that the US has, because Europe has actual infrastructure. My zone 2 routinely takes me at 38kmh, and that's just fun. For people commuting and wanting something versatile enough, I'd say a bike that takes 38C. Other than that, I'd say don't buy a gravel bike if you don't actually plan to mainly ride gravel. The gearing is shit, it's sluggish, heavy, it's just not meant to be on the road. It can go on the road, but it's not meant to be on the road. That's a big difference when it comes to actually enjoying the road. My 5c anyway.
This is so true in England. Our roads are very poor in places so a gravel bike can make sense
@@531c yeah I bought the cool aid of "one bike to do it all", but it then does everything poorly and nothing just right. One ought to buy a bike suited to the actual riding that the bike will be asked to do.
Damn Im sitting here in the US and a bit shocked to find out we dont have infrastructure as I stare out the window at roads, an interstate, and powerlines.
@@pierrex3226 So get a TT bike or better yet, a triathlon bike. My half ass it with a road bike?
@@mikethomasmcm tht was indeed a weird thing to say lol
Road bikes: Good for on road only.
Mountain bikes: Good for off road and on road.
Gravel bikes: The dual sport of bikes.
Labels
The argument here is: Why buy a Ferrari when a Toyota RAV4 can drive on all roads. 😝
Road is dead.
Come at me
good, get off our cars roads :)
In the US - road is dying, gravel is *KING*
Just get a MTB
MTBs are possibly the most boring bike on roads
Who wants to ride gravel? Hard pass from me.
A gravel bike is just a hybrid with drop bars, and the cranksets are so small that you cant maintain a reasonable speed in a group ride. Road bikes come with plenty of tire clearance nowadays. Gravel bikes are for unserious riders.
Agree. I ride an endurance bike with 28 mm tires with no issues on any gravel road in Europe. Fire roads in the United States have plenty with big rocks so I can see the use for them there. Pros ride gravel with aero bikes. Usually the problem isn’t the bike but the ability of the rider.
The vast majority of people who have "ridden bikes" are on hybrids or 90s rigid mtbs. Nothing wrong with hybrids with drop bars, especially where bike infrastructure is neglected.
Depends on what speed your group rides at. Most groups here in the UK aren't riding at really fast speeds, so a gravel bike has no issue keeping up. The issue is more that roadies don't like the "large" gaps in a gravel cassette because they've been told it interferes with their cadence, so believe it without critical thinking.
@@wandering_pete Having ridden a 1x gravel bike in a fast group ride I can say from experience that while you can keep up in the line, youll be basically near top gear the whole time, and on even slight declines youll spin out. Avg speed 21-22 mph, so a pretty quick group but nothing crazy. Also, yeah the big gaps between gears do suck, especially if youre used to 1 or 2 teeth between gears across the whole cassette. Being able to effortlessly flow up and down the cassette as dictated by the road is really nice, and those wide range ones really do make things more difficult.