Get ready to crush some gravel. They’re fast, quick-handling, and work great on smoother dirt roads but don’t have the geometry, features, or clearance for gnarlier adventures. It’s so damn good, our tester bought the bike when she was done writing her review and has ridden it to the podium. Looking to ride a little bit of everything? Screaming spectators. Elbow-to-elbow battles for position. Though they’re best at what they’re designed for, they’re still very good for many kinds of riding. Plus it’s more stable than the U.P.P.E.R. Adventure bikes, also known as gravel bikes are popular because of their outstanding versatility. The Grail is one of the more unique gravel offerings, with its stem flush with the top tube and signature biplane handlebar. It’s … It’s not about where you’re at, it’s about where you’re headed. These are practically indistinguishable from endurance road bikes and have clearance for mid-30-millimeter-wide tires. Every bike on this list has been thoroughly evaluated and vetted by our team of test editors. Turn to one of these exceptional, versatile rigs, ridden and vetted by our team. Description Description is the prototypical gravel race bike. A no-frills gravel, road, and adventure bike. Tires: 700c x 40mm. Parrott, Georgia & Beyond: A Blazing Hot Summer’s Day Ride! 650b Tires For Extra Grip. Description The gravel bike segment has seen huge growth in the last decade. It is approximately 45% gravel, 50% … The primary design differences are more mud clearance and room for larger tires (than would fit on a road bike). It takes a 1x or 2x drivetrain and fits up to a 2.1-inch-wide mountain bike tires, but also rides great with a 28mm road slick. The Libre is a heavy-duty gravel bike—almost a drop bar mountain bike. Cyclocross, gravel and adventure Cyclist Off-Road issue 4: still available in shops and online Your latest hit of gravel adventure riding from the team behind Cyclist magazine: available now … Agile on the pavement, it still handles brilliantly off road. In the early days, riders tackled these endurance … Blast through the sandpit, carve through corners, and lay down the power on the final finishing stretch. Take a look below at quick info of the top-performing gravel bikes, then scroll farther for buying advice and more in-depth reviews of these and other worthy contenders. Fitting your gravel bike with the best gravel wheels can transform your ride. Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX 2. Gravel riding is the hottest thing in the drop-bar world. Description With road bike features to influence speed, they feature wider tyres for tackling rough terrain and adopt a … Recently updated, the Warbird is better than ever and ready to reel off 100-plus-mile gravel rides quickly and comfortably. This retro-looking bike is as fun to ride as it is to look … Prefer smaller wheels? Why choose between a road or mountain bike when the Haanjo 1 can give you the best of both worlds! The bar’s flexing top section cushions the rider’s upper body when the ground is rough, but the stiffer drops provide control on fast downhills. The Vault is a race-ready gravel bike along the lines of the Open U.P.P.E.R. Between gravel lite and super gravel is a bit of everything. Claud Butler Primal — £529.99. Though meant for burly rides, the Cutthroat still has a carbon frame and fork, plus a surprising turn of speed. Many of the 2020 and 2021 gravel bikes come equipped with the new Shimano GRX. This bike features Canyon’s heralded value, with excellent parts for the money. An upgraded edition of our Adventure … THE ALLROAD MODEL A/1The Allroad Model A/1 embodies the true notion of designing a more capable all roads bike. No surprise that it’s from Kona, a company with deep roots in mountain biking. We research the market, speak with riders like you, consult with product managers and engineers, and use our own experience riding these bikes to determine the best options. Almost anything goes in gravel racing and riding. Gears: 2 x 11. Beyond that, there are as many interpretations of gravel bikes as there are types of unpaved roads. Sprints for victory. The WI.DE is the U.P.P.E.’s more adventurous sibling. Why This Crazy Drop Bar Will Double Your Adventure. Gravel Cycling at Night: Fun Times on the Gravelly Road Less Traveled, Circa 2015! This is a movement – not a race – it is about enjoying the ride and … A gravel bike opens up new routes, new terrain, and new experiences on familiar road-like equipment. The Best Trek Bikes You Can Buy Right Now, The Best Road Bikes You Can Buy Right Now, Bicycle Accessories That Will Enhance Your Ride, Rear suspension system is simple and effictive, Seatpost length limits dropper-post options, Comfortable over the long haul—and over rough terrain, The double handlebar may not be for everyone, Women’s models available in only XS, S, and M, Stack height may be too tall for riders who want an aggressive position, Gravel race bike with lots of cargo capacity. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. It provides adventure, solitude, and dirty fun away from heavily trafficked roads. Allied's Alfa Allroad, the Trek Domane, and Liv’s Avail Advanced are good examples of this “gravel lite” end of the category. It can fit a 2.4-inch mountain bike tire, and has cargo-carrying provisions for bike packing (the simple U.P.P.E.R. Diverge, check. Sage Titanium Barlow Review: With Campagnolo’s Chorus … Salsa Journeyman Claris 650b A fat-tire, drop-bar bike for off-the-grid adventures. It’s a mixed-up challenge of speed, endurance and handling. From farm roads and miners’ paths to the high passes of the Rockies and Alps, gravel cycling will set … Whichever you choose, they all epitomise the new … Gravel Gear. RLT 9 - 650b 4-STAR SHIMANO GRX 800 1X Description For maximum smoothness over washboard bumps, check out a gravel bike with suspension. Description Description A road bike with unlimited potential, the gravel bike is bred from pure adventure. This is how Salsa makes an all-road bike. 700c has long been the standard size for road cycling wheels, but 650b (the equivalent of mountain biking’s 27.5″) is becoming pretty popular for gravel riding. Pair smaller 650b wheels with your 4-Star Shimano GRX 800 1x kit. And there’s no better material to stand up to gravel’s punishment than titanium. GRX has three levels that we will describe from highest level to lowest. On the other end are essentially drop-bar mountain bikes. Trek Checkpoint SL 6 ($3,800) Frame: Carbon. Adventure-ready features like disc brakes, additional clearance for wider tires, and comfortable geometry let these bikes adapt to … No matter your definition of adventure, we have the gear for you. Put a road bike, cyclocross bike, touring bike, randonnée bike, and a mountain bike in a blender and press frappé—what you get is a gravel bike. Cannondale rei.com. Want something for … It’s at once fast as hell and smooth as glass. In spite of this travel, this bike is stiff and quick. The highest level is represented by … Gravel bikes Gravel bikes can be ridden almost anywhere, on the road and off it. The best part about riding gravel is the sense of adventure that comes from riding rougher and more remote roads. Designed for the Tour Divide—an unsupported race along the continental divide from the Canadian border to the Mexican line—it can carry more and handle a wider range of terrain than any other gravel bike. It has some of the capability of the Cutthroat, with some of the Warroad’s speed. New gravel bikes are released every year with designs and features intended to make them faster, more comfortable, and more capable off-road. Giant Revolt 2 Gravel Road Bike (2021) Description Gravel, dirt and scenic backroads offer some of … Wait — is this a road bike? Many gravel bikes also have fender mounts and rack mounts for additional versatility. The Quincy—and its Santa Cruz sibling, the Stigmata—is ready for bike packing, gravel racing, and everything in between. These can fit 29x2.4-inch mountain bike tires, have stability-focused geometry, and tons of mounts for cargo so you can escape on unsupported multi-day backcountry trips. Our high end 4-star Shimano GRX 800 2-chainring kit starts with Shimano's flagship, gravel-specific GRX... ** total_quantity ** | ** unit_price ** / ** unit_measure **, Giant Revolt Advanced 2 Gravel Road Bike (2020), Diamondback Haanjo 1 Gravel Road Bike (2021), Diamondback Haanjo 2 Gravel Road Bike (2021), Liv Devote Advanced 2 Gravel Road Bike (2021), Diamondback Haanjo 6C Carbon Gravel Road Bike (2021), Giant Revolt Advanced 2 Gravel Road Bike (2021), Giant Revolt Advanced 1 Gravel Road Bike (2020), Giant TCX Advanced Pro 2 Gravel Road Bike (2020), Giant Explore E+ 2 GTS Electric Hybrid Bike (2021), Giant TCX Advanced Gravel Road Bike (2020), Vaast A/1 Gravel Road Bike - Rival (2021), Giant TCX Advanced Pro 0 Force Gravel Road Bike (2020), Giant Explore E+ 2 STA Electric Hybrid Bike (2021), Niner RLT e9 RDO 4-STAR Shimano GRX600 Electric Gravel Road Bike (2021), Niner RLT 9 3-Star SRAM RIVAL 1 Gravel Road Bike (2021), Niner RLT 9 Steel 5-Star Shimano GRX 800 2X Gravel Road Bike (2021), Niner RLT 9 Steel 4-Star Shimano GRX 800 2X Gravel Road Bike (2021), Niner RLT 9 - 650b 4-Star Shimano GRX 800 Gravel 1X Road Bike (2021), Niner RLT 9 5-Star Shimano GRX 800 2X Gravel Road Bike (2021), Niner RLT 9 - 650b 3-Star SRAM RIVAL 1 Gravel Road Bike (2021), Niner RLT 9 4-Star Shimano GRX 800 2X Gravel Road Bike (2021). You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, The 10 Best Cheap Bikes for Every Kind of Ride, Campy’s Ekar Is Your New Favorite Gravel Group, Evil‘s Chamois Hagar Is a Beast of a Bike, The Diamondback Haanjo 8C Is Gravel and Road Ready, Go Fast Anywhere on the 3T Exploro RaceMax, Cannondale Topstone Neo Carbon 3 Lefty Review, SRAM Adds Lower Gearing Options to Force eTap AXS, The New Specialized Diverge Is a Gravel Dream Ride. Gravel … has none). Best for Beginners: The Surly Midnight Special. Essentially it’s a road bike designed for use on unpaved roads. It doesn’t have the cargo carrying capacity of a Warbird (below), but the Warroad is so fast you’ll get home before you run out of water. At 8.9 kg and more than double the price of any gravel bike we tested, if there was ever a mountain bike to outshine a gravel bike on its home turf, this was it. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. With a tire swap—and perhaps a gearing tweak—you can use them for pretty much anything: road riding, gravel, singletrack, cyclocross, touring, commuting, and bike packing. Gravel cycling is a glorious return to the purest roots of two-wheeled adventure. Our purpose is to build Australia’s gravel community. Equipped with disc brakes, wider tire clearance, and endurance geometry these bikes allow you to go anywhere. With rack mounts & big tires, you'll find the road less traveled is calling your name. With tall and wide bars and provisions for a dropper post, the Libre DL is ready for the rowdiest gravel adventures. Adventure Pro When the forecast calls for grinding gravel, flaying fire trails, and jamming through the jungle our Adventure Pro will get you and your gear all the way to basecamp without breaking a sweat. Hydraulic Disc … 2021 Poseidon X – North America – $699. Description How we test gear. 18/20 – This price almost seems too good to be true. Our team of experienced testers spent many hours and miles riding and racing gravel bikes both in their natural element, and also on roads and singletrack. RLT 9 - 650b 3-STAR SRAM RIVAL 1 Description Description A cyclocross rig? Shimano’s component brand PRO have released a whole suite of gravel-centric finishing kit to complement the GRX groupset and wheels in their Discover range, designed for gravel, adventure … A blend of performance, versatility, and value are distinctive in the RLT e9 RDO parts kit. Need a gravel race bike for Dirty Kanza that can also shred fire roads and singletrack? RLT 9 4-STAR SHIMANO GRX 800 2X The Warroad is Salsa’s fastest gravel rig, with a stiffer frame and more responsive handling that makes it livelier than the company’s other bikes. Best of all, gravel bikes are the most versatile drop bar bikes going and the antidote to the N+1 theory of bike ownership. … Buy Now. RLT e9 RDO 4-STAR SHIMANO GRX600 The trail less traveled is waiting for you! Description Description In general, gravel bikes have long wheelbases and relaxed steering geometry for improved stability; taller stacks for a more upright position; wider bars for more control; tuned flexes—and perhaps suspension—to smooth the ride; lower gearing for grinding up steep and loose hills; additional mounts for carrying more water and food when you’re far from 7-Elevens; and wide, knobby tires for a smoother ride, better traction, and more control. The Cutthroat laughs at your puny gravel rides. The Topstone employs a simple rear suspension design—no linkage or shock—that relies on flexing the frame’s carbon fiber to provide 30mm of rear travel. Luckily for gravel riders on modest budgets, the technology isn't just focused … Gravel bikes were born out of the American Midwest, where racing on gravel roads took hold a decade ago and has steadily gained popularity. The answer: Yes. The Donnelly G//C Gravel Bike Glides Over the Gnar. Description Buy Now. Gravel-bike technology is expanding at an exponential rate, with new features and designs regularly being released. ADVNTR - The home of gravel cycling and bikepacking, UK and beyond. Steel is truly real It provides a smoother ride, especially welcome when the bike is equipped with a stiffer-riding dropper post. Find your next adventure with our Adventure and Touring bikes. Though built to be versatile and utilitarian, it’s also a fast bike that, with narrower tires, is no slouch on the road. The simple design belies layered performance. For years, your race bike selection was limited to stiff and snappy or compliant and comfortable—that is, until the new Roubaix. A commuter? Claud Butler's Primal is just about the cheapest gravel bike we've … Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. From summer rides in the urban streets, to bikepacking on frost covered fire roads in mid-winter. For the riders who like to take their bike off the beaten path and go fast in search of adventure, Bianchi presents the new full-carbon gravel model Arcadex, combining an emotional communion with nature, … and the Salsa Warbird (below), but with one unique feature. Featuring a completely Rider-First Engineered frame, our Future Shock … Then we evaluated them on performance, price, comfort, handling, value, and how fun they were to ride. The Salsa Cutthroat is the best of these “super gravel” bikes. Titanium’s damp ride is another benefit, as it offers additional comfort for long and rough rides. These things will give you more control, confidence, and … It’s super strong and durable, and it doesn’t need paint so there’s no need to worry about bag straps ruining the finish. MAKE YOUR ESCAPE. Cannondale Topstone Carbon. Bicycling participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Gravel riding is hard on equipment. Most of us don’t have the space to assemble a massive quiver of bikes. Description GRAVEL. It takes 700 x 45mm tires, or 650b x 2.1-inch mountain bike tires and has mounts for fenders and a third bottle cage. Description But, like its sibling, the WI.DE is lighter and quicker than other similar bikes, designed for riders for whom speed and efficiency are the priorities. The Ritchey Outback Is a Steel Lover’s Gravel Bike. The gravel category begins with all-road bikes. Pick your destination and find joy in the journey. Pivot drop bar bikes have been proven at the highest levels in gravel… Brakes: Hydraulic … Then again, versatility is appealing. Super light, with a frame weighing 880 grams and a fork weighing 370 grams, the U.P.P.E.R. The seat tube features Pivot’s IsoFlex sleeve, a hunk of rubber and nylon that isolates the seatpost from the rest of the frame. Graveleur is a cycling community drawn together by one thing – back road exploring. Gravel riding has been given a multitude of synonyms, such as adventure, all-road, groad, gnarmac and our personal favourite, gravé. If adventure strikes and you don’t have access to a true gravel bike, we’d recommend heading out on a bike with disc brakes and wider tires. Pivot gravel bikes take performance, comfort, and versatility to new levels regardless of the height of your goals, or the distance of your backroad adventure. This 28-mile one-way or 56-mile out-and-back Bella Vista, Arkansas gravel route is brought to you by Krista Cloud of Touring the Ozarks Adventure organization. Gravel, dirt and scenic backroads offer some of the best opportunities for freedom and adventure. 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