Gravel bikes are becoming one of the most popular bikes on the market, and we can see why. They can ride fast on the road, are excellent off-road, and are a lot of fun to ride. Nobody expected how popular they would get, and so many cyclists now buy them as a do it all bike. What we really like about gravel bikes is you get a lot of bike for your money when you buy one. Unlike other kinds of bikes, they don’t require to be extremely lightweight or have incredible suspension, heavily lowering the cost. In this article, we’ll tell you about some of the best gravel bikes you can find on a 1000 budget.
Table of contents
Buying a gravel bike: Where to spend and where to save
When looking for a gravel bike, knowing where to put your money and where you can save some cents is important. Here’s where we think your money should be invested and where it can be saved. If you want to spend 1000 or less, these are things to consider before getting into the best gravel bikes under 1000.
Invest
Frame and Forks
When you buy a gravel bike having a good base is very important. It doesn’t have to be one of the top end carbon gravel bikes. The best way to go is good quality aluminum or steel gravel bikes . If you can a full carbon fork goes a long way too. We recommend putting money into frames as you can upgrade on them later instead of buying a new bike.
Brakes
When it comes to any kind of off-road riding, you really want good brakes. We recommend going for mechanical disc brakes as a minimum. Ideally, you want hydraulic. These will stop you quickly and safely in all weather conditions. Most gravel bikes will come with disc brakes, avoid the bikes that don’t.
Gearing
Finally, the last thing we think it’s worth investing in is gearing. Gearing helps you get up and downhill efficiently. Gears that have a good range on and are reliable work better and make it so much easier for you. Budget gravel bikes will have basic gearing but it will generally have a great range.
Related Reading: 7 Best Gravel Bike Shoes
Save
Wheels
Wheels in modern day times are much better than they ever have been. They are stronger than ever before, and you tend not to need to do anything to maintain them. Even a cheap set works well; if you don’t like them, they are cheap and easy to upgrade later.
Tires and tubes
Then we have tires and tubes. When you’re buying a bike, we recommend not overthinking them. These will need changing regularly, and you will buy another set before you know it, especially riding off-road. Save your money and use what you have until you have to change them.
Finishing kit
The finishing kit is handlebars, seat post, stem, and other add-on parts. These are not worth worrying about on bikes of this price. They will be heavy, but they will work and be very strong for gravel riding.
How much is a decent gravel bike?
It depends on what you want the gravel bike for. Suppose you plan on going out a couple of times a week with friends, maybe the odd bikepacking trip or commute. An excellent gravel bike can come as low as 500 to 1000. For this reason, you should have no issue finding one of the best gravel bikes under 1000.
If you plan on racing professionally and want to see yourself at the next gravel championships, then you’ll need to spend 5000+. The best gravel bike you can buy is over 10,000. It comes down to what you want the bike for, and for people who fancy a ride with friends, you don’t have to spend much at all.
Best Gravel Bikes Under 1000
Let’s start looking at some bikes. Here are some of the best gravel bikes under 1000. Enjoy!
Marin Nicasio 700c
Frame: Chromoly Frame
Forks: Chromoly Fork
Gearing: Shimano Claris 2×8
Brakes: Promax Mechanical Disc
Wheels: 700c
Tires: 30c Vee Tires
First on the list is the Marin Nicasio. Marin is known for making incredible off-road bikes and originally came from Marin County in California. The Nicasio 700c is an excellent gravel bike that is designed to be excellent on the road but still run a light trail and handle itself well.
It’s a Chromoly frame and fork, which is great for durability and strength. The Shimano Claris groupset gives you a great range and is very reliable. You get Promax disc brakes and a double-walled aluminum road bike wheelset with Vee tires to finish it.
Pros
- Quick on the road
- Looks great
- Disc brakes
- Shimano Gearing
Cons
- Small tires for trails but can be upgraded
- Not the lightest bike
VooDoo Limba
Frame: Steel
Forks: Steel
Gearing: Shimano Claris 2×8
Brakes: Tektro Mechanical Disc
Wheels: 700c
Tires: 37c WTB Riddler Tires
The VooDoo Limba is one of the best value for money bikes on this list. Not only does it look the part, but it ticks every box for us when it comes to being a good gravel bike. The frame and fork are made of steel which is heavy but very flexible and strong. It has excellent geometry for off-road riding, and you get a very comfortable position.
It comes with that excellent Shimano Claris 2×8 groupset ready for silky smooth shifting. The Tektro mechanical discs will do a good job of stopping you and are known as some of the best mechanical disc brakes you can use. It comes with 700c aluminum wheels paired with great WTB Riddler tires in 37c, which are real adventure-ready tires.
Pros
- Great all-rounder
- Tektro Disc brakes
- Shimano Gearing
- Excellent Price
Cons
- Color isn’t for everyone
- Not the lightest
Schwinn Sporterra
Frame: Aluminum
Forks: Aluminum
Gearing: Shimano Tourney 2×7
Brakes: Mechanical Disc
Wheels: 700c
Tires: 38c Tires
Schwinn is a big name in cycling and makes an excellent budget gravel bike. The Sporterra is their fairly new model, and we really like it. The frame is lightweight aluminum and is a super relaxed geometry with a great upright riding position for control. We love the stealthy matt black finish. It looks very modern and slick.
It comes with a Shimano tourney groupset giving you 14 gears to choose from and a decent range across them. In addition, it has the disc brakes we feel every gravel bike should have, and they are going to stop you safely. You also get strong 700c with large 38c tires for comfort and to help control the bike on those rough trails.
Pros
- Excellent geometry
- Lightweight aluminum frame
- Amazing value for money
- Shimano gearing
- Mat black finish is very cool
Cons
- Color isn’t for everyone
- Not the lightest
Tommaso Sentiero
Frame: Aluminum
Forks: Aluminum
Gearing: Shimano Claris 3×8
Brakes: Mechanical Disc
Wheels: 700c
Tires: 40c Tires
Tommaso is an excellent brand to go to when you’re looking for a good bike on a budget. The Sentiero is their gravel bike, and it’s very cool. It’s a lightweight aluminum frameset that sports a long sloping top tube to help with handling and keep you fully in control. It looks great and much more expensive than its price tag.
The groupset is the older Shimano Claris, but don’t let that put you off. It offers a 3×8 system with a wider, very low range of gears for climbing hills. It has those disc brakes to help you stop quickly, and they will work rain or shine. What makes this bike is the 700c wheels with huge 40c tires. They not only offer control but amazing comfort and off-road ability.
Pros
- Lightweight aluminum frame with sloped tube
- Shimano Claris 3×8 gears offer a huge range
- Large 40c tires with 700c wheels
- Great for control and handling
Cons
- Very close to the top of the budget
- Will be more sluggish on the road compared to others on the list
Giordano Trieste
Frame: Chromoly Steel
Forks: Chromoly Steel
Gearing: Shimano Claris 2×8
Brakes: Mechanical Disc
Wheels: 700c
Tires: 30c Tires
The Giordano Trieste is a popular bike for cyclists who like to be on the road a lot but also want to hit a cheeky trail on the way home confidently. It’s not the lightest bike being Chromoly steel, but it does offer a smooth ride with the thin tubing and excellent flexibility.
It’s got the Shimano Claris groupset 2×8 seen on many of the bikes here, which we highly rate for performance and price. Of course, it’s sitting on disc brakes we believe every gravel bike should have. The wheels are 700c road wheels, and they have 30c tires. These are pretty small for gravel, but they will make it super quick on the road, but off-road, you might feel a little less comfortable.
Pros
- Great for road riding and light terrain gravel
- A very comfortable ride with thin steel Chromoly tubing
- Disc brakes for stopping
- Looks great
Cons
- Quite small tires
- Thin tubing is classic but not for everyone
Mongoose Define
Frame: Aluminum
Forks: Aluminum
Gearing: Unbranded 1×10
Brakes: Mechanical Disc
Wheels: 700c
Tires: 45c Tires
Mongoose makes great bikes, and we knew when they started making gravel bikes they would be good. This lightweight aluminum bike is a great mix-up between off-road and on road components. The aluminum frame has a relaxed geometry for control and comfort. The gearing, unlike any on this list, is a 1×10. Although you get fewer gears still offers a great range and is suited for climbing and rolling hills.
You get disc brakes and 700c wheels, but tire size is where this bike does beat all others on this list. On this bike, you have monster 45c tires with a huge amount of ability. These are similar to the size of tires on hardtail mountain bikes. If you want to spend all your time on the dirt, you need the Define.
Pros
- Huge tires for off-road ability
- Great fun to ride
- Very comfortable road or trail
- Easy to control
- Price is incredible
Cons
- Huge tires make it laggy on the road
- Gearing is limited
Are gravel bikes just a fad?
Nobody expected gravel bikes to take off as well as they did. We personally believe that gravel cycling will go a long way. We are unsure how much it will grow on the professional racing circuit, but in a recreational environment, it’s here to stay.
One thing that is special about gravel cycling is the bikes. They filled a gap we never knew we were missing. We finally have a performance do it all bike that can go fast on the road, but you don’t need to worry about breaking it on a tough trail.
Gravel Biking on a Budget
Gravel biking is the best discipline to be doing on a budget. It isn’t about racing and being super fast. It’s about long days out exploring trails, spending time with friends, and being away from busy roads and traffic. Although gravel bikes can hugely range in price, you can still get great performance on the lower end of budgets. Plus, now you have a list of the best gravel bikes under 1000 to refer back to!
The best thing about buying a cheaper gravel bike is you can always upgrade them later to improve performance or comfort. We recommend that if you want to get into gravel cycling, start with a cheap bike like the ones on this list and see if you enjoy it, then swap or upgrade later. We hope you enjoyed our best budget gravel bikes list and found the bike for you.