The popularity of gravel bikes has exploded over the last few years, due to no other category of bike being as versatile and beginner friendly. A gravel bike provides you with endless opportunities for explorations, along with the ability to spice up your commute to work, rediscover your own turf and even allow you to mix up your boring training plan.
So, what exactly is a gravel bike? Well, stay tuned because in this week’s blog we tell you everything you need to know and more!
What is a Gravel Bike?
Santa Cruz Stigmata with a SRAM 1x ‘Mullet’ Groupset
The gravel sector is extremely diverse; slim 700C tyres, chunky 650B slicks, 1x (pronounced “one-by”) or 2x (“two-by”) drivetrains, sometimes super lightweight and others with more of a heavy duty feel, quick fun after work, or even used for week-long adventures, the possibilities are endless. The gravel sector makes everything possible, with many describing gravel bikes as adventure bikes, all-road, monster cross or road plus.
A gravel bike can be classified as the point where road and mountain bikes meet – the best of both worlds. Gravel bikes provide you with extreme versatility and allow you to combat many different surfaces with ease, meaning you can go pretty much anywhere and do pretty much anything. Riding a bike designed for multi-terrain excursions means you can link together gravel routes in new ways, taking in sections of gravel roads, forest tracks, trails, byways and bridle paths.
Gravel bikes come with either a standard road handlebar or a specific ‘flared bar’
The drop handlebar and road bike-like design mean that you can make good progress on the road, but with wider tyres, lower gearing and stable handling, you can also tackle moderate off-road terrain.
Unlike many people think, a gravel bike isn’t just a road bike with off-road tires. The geometry and therefore the riding position is less focused on being aggressive and as efficient as possible, but more focused on long distance comfort and stability instead; with a side order of speed.
Gravel Bike Features
Frame Materials
Like most bikes, gravel bikes are made from a variety of frame materials, but the most common are either aluminium or carbon.
Aluminium is highly durable, relatively lightweight and doesn’t come with a large price tag, making it a great option for a budget gravel bike. Carbon frames are typically lighter than aluminium, but also tend to be more expensive. Carbon gravel bikes can also be engineered to fine-tune stiffness and comfort, as well as offer more opportunities for aerodynamic tube shapes (and yes before you ask, aero gravel bikes are a thing).
Beside carbon and aluminium, you will also find options for steel and titanium gravel bikes, but these aren’t quite as common.
Geometry
Gravel bike frames have a longer wheelbase and slacker angles
Although a gravel bike has the look of your typical road bike, they are designed more for stable off-road handling. That normally means a longer wheelbase and slacker angles for the frame and forks.
The geometry of a gravel bike will leave you riding in a more upright position than a road bike, with a longer head tube and shorter reach. This results in a more comfortable ride and also allows you to shift your weight around to tackle obstacles when you're off-roading.
The frame tubes will also be shaped to cushion your ride as well, especially in the rear triangle where curved and flattened sections in the chainstays and seatstays help with in-saddle comfort.
Tyres
Tyre choice for your gravel bike really is a key component as this will have a big impact on what type of terrain you can ride on.
The typical tyre size for a gravel bike is around 40mm or so in width and are likely to feature a tread pattern to aid with grip on loose surfaces. The amount of tread you need will depend on the conditions you are riding in, with light trails only needing a light file or diamond tread, whereas for muddy tracks you will need more aggressive patterns with side lugs for extra traction and grip.
There are many wheel and tyre combinations available for gravel bikes
Wheels
Most gravel bikes either come equipped with 650b or 700c wheels.
650b (27.5”) wheels have a slightly smaller diameter and can be fitted with even wider tyres, for more traction, while keeping the rolling diameter of the wheel plus tyre similar to a road bike, for comparable gearing and ride feel.
Most gravel bikes come with 700c wheels (same as a standard road bike) and tyres, which is the better option for those not after the hardcore gravel bike terrain.
Disc Brakes
Disc brakes are now commonplace on the latest road bikes and ubiquitous on gravel bikes. Disc brakes offer consistent, effective stopping, whatever the conditions – crucial for gravel bikes – and leave plenty of room for the wide tyres required for off-road riding.
Gears
Gears are a key feature to any gravel bike set up. For those of you who are looking to do more off-road riding, you will need lower gears to tackle the difficult terrain and steep climbs.
At the very least a gravel bike should be equipped with a compact road chainset with a wide range cassette. However, super-compact chainsets are seen as a more common feature. Dropping the chainring sizes to 48/31t or 46/30t, in the case of Shimano’s GRX gravel groupset, and pairing this with an 11-32t or 11-34t cassette puts tough climbs within reach.
For those wanting the ultimate range, you could go for a ‘mullet’ where you pair a road 1x chainset with a mountain bike cassette and rear derailleur, offering up to 52T at the back!
The ‘mullet’ - road chainset up front paired with an MTB cassette and derailleur out back
Mounts
Another typical feature of any gravel bike is having lots of mounts for different accessories. Many gravel bikes will have mounts for a mudguard making them an excellent option for all weather cycling commutes.
The Gear
When it comes to equipping yourself for gravel biking, don’t go out and break the bank by stocking up on every accessory designed specifically for gravel biking; at least not at first at least!
Generally, all you need is to carry the basics that you would for any long ride:
A patch kit and a boot - in case you get a nasty slash in the side of your tyre.
Multi tool kit.
Mini pump.
Spare tube or two.
Tubeless plug kit.
Seatbag/handlebar bag.
Water bottle.
Lights.
GPS unit/phone.
How much equipment you need beyond this is really dependent on how far you are planning to ride and how far away you will be from any available aid. The most important thing to remember on any off-roading adventure is having your bike equipped with the right tyres, because without these you can have all the tools in the world and still not get very far!
Essential Gravel Bike Skills
Gravel riding is great for all abilities and is brilliantly simple. Having a few essential skills will allow you to enjoy your ride and push your performance to the next level, so we recommend practising them whenever you get the opportunity.
When descending try and move your hands into the drops, but with your elbows still bent and relaxed, as this helps to lower your centre of gravity providing you with a more stable and smoother ride. It’s also a great idea to practice shifting your weight to the back of the seat, whilst bending your legs to use them like springs to absorb the bumps and allow the bike to continue tracking in a straight line.
Top Tip: When you encounter some really rough terrain, try hovering out of your saddle to allow the bike a little more freedom to move beneath you. This will allow you to stay in control and keep the bike on the right track.
Gravel Bike vs Mountain Bike
Gravel bikes borrow many features from mountain bikes, such as their geometry designed for stability, suspension features, wide tubeless tyres and wide-range gearing. But the more you ride off-road, the greater the differences between gravel and mountain bikes become.
While a 700C / 29” gravel bike often has more in common with a mountain bike than a road bike, the frame is designed for drop bars, meaning the top tube is comparatively short. This is great news for those of you who love to include tarmac and less technical off-road terrain on your rides.
The gearing on a gravel bike is also significantly easier to use than a road bike, but it is not a match for the range that a mountain bike can give you. The tyres on a mountain bike will also be wider and grippier, along with more effective suspension than what you’ll find on even the most cushioned gravel bikes.
For a lot of road routes and light off-road terrain, a gravel bike is your perfect fit, as they are just as effective and a lot lighter than the equivalent mountain bike, but as soon as you start venturing onto more technical trails, mountain bikes take first prize.
Gravel Bike vs Road Bike
As we have already said, a gravel bike has a less aggressive setup compared to a road bike, meaning that you tend to sit up more upright and in a more relaxed position, leading to more stability and comfort. Plus, you’ll have room for wider tyres with extra tread and a wide gear range that includes lower ratios.
Don’t be fooled by these differences, you will find that a gravel bike is just as speedy on the road as your standard road bike, especially if you opt for tyres more suited for riding on tarmac.
Gravel Bike vs Hybrid Bike
Much like gravel bikes, hybrid bikes usually have lower gear ranges and wider tyres than a road bike but come with flat bars rather than drop bars. Hybrids also tend to be suited more towards commuting and road use, so therefore often have less aggressive tread patterns on their tyres.
All these features combined, leads to less off-road ability, so while hybrid bikes are a great option for or riding on light off-road trails, if you do want to venture onto anything even slightly more technical, than a gravel bike is definitely a better option.
Gravel Bike vs Cyclocross (CX) Bike
Wide tyres, big clearance, lower gearing – these are all features of cyclocross bikes, so what’s the difference between a CX bike and a gravel bike?
Where a gravel bike is designed for exploring and endurance, a cyclocross bike is more geared towards racing. This means a cyclocross has more aggressive geometry to help riders accelerate faster and steer around tight corners on a racecourse, rather than the all-day riding position of a gravel bike.
The tyres on a CX bike tend to be narrower than those on a gravel bike, meaning you get less clearance and may find that there aren’t as many mounting points for mudguards and other accessories that would be found in your traditional gravel bike.
Training for Gravel
How much time you dedicate to training largely depends on your goals. There are no gravel bike races per se, but using a gravel bike for training in preparation for either road racing or MTB racing can give you a nice bit of variation.
If you’re training for an event, it’s all about doing the distance. These events are designed to be tough but preparing yourself in your training by covering mid-range distances multiple times a week will be sure to help your chances in your next event.
As we said above, your training regime will really all depend on what you're aiming to get out of each session. The thing to remember is to always have a clear goal for each session so you know what you are trying to achieve.
When it comes to training out of the saddle it’s all about strength and stability. That’s why even whippet-thin distance cyclists are now in the weight room doing deadlifts and full squats. Strength training ultimately makes you more efficient, more powerful, faster and less likely to get hurt.
Try sticking to compound exercises that focus on large muscle groups to build up strength especially focusing on your lower body which is your driving power on the bike. However, it is important to train all muscle groups to help with overall fitness and cardiovascular efficiency. One muscle group many forget about is the abdominals. Having a strong core is super important as this massively helps with your stability when in the saddle.
Check out our strength training blog from earlier in the year if you after specific exercises for cycling or mountain biking.
Which Gravel Bike to Buy?
Picking the right gravel bike for you all is part of the fun, but often comes down to budget. Just remember to be honest with what type of rider you are and where you’re going to be riding the bike, because without that the bike won’t be the right fit for you.
We offer a range of gravel bikes from Santa Cruz, Cervelo and Juliana, as well as full custom gravel bike nirvana from DeAnima.
