Cycling is an incredible sport. It’s a great way to improve your fitness, help you get outside to explore nature, and bring you into social circles you might not have had the opportunity to without a bike. The first bike was made in 1817 and, since then, has consistently grown in popularity. Cycling constantly changes, and we often see new technology and riding styles. One of the biggest surprises came in cycling when the gravel bike was invented. It changed everything. Not only was it great on the road, but it had the ability to hit a trail and perform too. We are often asked about what a gravel bike is, and in this article, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know.
Table of contents
- What is a Gravel Bike?
- What is a Gravel Bike used for?
- Pros and Cons of Gravel Bikes
- What is a good average speed on a gravel bike?
- What is a good weight for a gravel bike?
- What’s the difference between a gravel and a road bike?
- What’s the difference between a gravel and a mountain bike?
- What is a good gravel bike?
- Getting into Gravel Biking
What is a Gravel Bike?
A gravel bike may look very similar to other bikes but don’t be fooled. They have some very unique features other bikes don’t. Essentially a gravel bike can be many different things, and one gravel bike can look completely different from another. Here’s what sets a gravel bike apart.
Frameset
Gravel bikes can come with a frame that resembles a road bike and, in some cases, a rigid mountain bike. It will typically be made with a fairly relaxed geometry with a large trail paired with a short stem that will give it excellent control alongside nimble handling.
When it comes to the forks, you will generally have rigid forks. This is to keep the front as light as possible, but some modern gravel bikes do have light suspension options. The frame and forks on a gravel bike will have a very large tire clearance and typically be riddled with mounts for bikepacking.
Wheels and Tires
The wheels on a gravel bike come in two different sizes. You get 650b, equivalent to a 27.5” MTB tire, and 700c, equivalent to a 29” mountain bike tire. The smaller the wheel, the better able to work around an object. The larger the wheel, the better at rolling over an obstacle.
When it comes to tires, you will generally be on very large tires and rims to suit. To make a bike efficient on the road, gravel, and a trail, you need them to be big. Tires range from 35c to 50c on a gravel bike, offering control and comfort on challenging trails.
Gearing
When it comes to gearing, a gravel bike typically favors lower range over higher range gearing. This means gravel bikes will be excellent for climbing steep hills and riding on loose terrain. Many companies, such as Shimano, have now released dedicated gravel groupsets, such as the GRX, purely for gravel bikes.
Accessories
You will generally see them with drop handlebars that flare out at the side. This will give you the best of both worlds when it comes to aerodynamics and control. It’s also not rare to see suspension seat posts, suspension stems, and dropper posts on gravel bikes.
What is a Gravel Bike used for?
A gravel bike is designed ultimately to be used on gravel or other light off-road terrain. The oversized tires and rigid base gives it great control and excellent power transfer. This makes a gravel bike ideal for speed and control on light off-road terrain. Though very shortly after they were released, cyclists realized they made amazing do it bikes.
Cyclists were using them on the road, gravel, and mountain bike trails. They were the go to choice for bikepacking and long distance cycling as they were able to take you on all different surfaces with a very high level of comfort. Many gravel bikes have replaced an entire fleet or collection of bikes.
Pros and Cons of Gravel Bikes
When it comes to gravel bikes, they have some excellent advantages and disadvantages. Here’s what you can expect from getting a gravel bike.
What is a good average speed on a gravel bike?
Most gravel bikes are made for gravel and multiple terrain riding. They are designed to be excellent do it all bikes and are fairly quick. We are often asked what a good average speed on a gravel bike is. Many factors can affect speed, but here’s our rough estimation for riding on gravel.
| Age | Hilly Terrain | Mixed Terrain | Flat Terrain |
| 15 – 30 | 12mph | 14mph | 16mph |
| 30 – 45 | 11mph | 13mph | 15mph |
| 45 – 60 | 10mph | 12mph | 14mph |
What is a good weight for a gravel bike?
As we discussed earlier in the pros and cons, gravel bikes typically weigh a little more than bikes such as road racing bikes. With some costing as little as $300 and others costing as much as $10,000, you can imagine there will be quite a range. A good weight for a budget gravel bike is 11kg. For a mid-range gravel bike, 9.5kg, and a high-end gravel bike, we expect to see a gravel bike as low as 8kg.
What’s the difference between a gravel and a road bike?
Gravel and road bikes share some very close similarities in appearance, but they are very different. Here are the differences you can expect to see when they are up against each other. For these statistics, we were using mid-range bikes.
| Specification | Gravel Bike | Road Bike |
| Weight | 9.5kg | 8.5kg |
| Wheel Sizes | 650b / 700c | 700c |
| Tire size | 35c to 50c | 23c to 28c |
| Geometry | Typically relaxed | Typically racing |
| Aerodynamics | Good | Excellent |
| Off Road Ability | Ok | Awful |
| Road Ability | Good | Excellent |
What’s the difference between a gravel and a mountain bike?
Gravel bikes tend to look very different from mountain bikes but are often seen on the same mountain biking trails. When it comes to the differences, here’s what you can expect. For these statistics, we were using mid-range bikes.
| Specification | Gravel Bike | Mountain Bike |
| Weight | 9.5kg | 10.5kg |
| Wheel Sizes | 650b / 700c | 27.5” / 29” |
| Tire size | 35c to 50c | 2” to 3” |
| Geometry | Typically relaxed | Typically For control |
| Aerodynamics | Good | Ok |
| Off Road Ability | Good | Excellent |
| Road Ability | Good | Awful |
What is a good gravel bike?
A good gravel bike can come in many different shapes and sizes. To best explain it to you, we’ll show you a few different gravel bikes and tell you a little about them.
Marin Nicasio 650b Bike
Frame and Fork: Chromoly Steel
Gearing: MicroShift 1×9
Brakes: Mechanical Disc Brakes
Wheels: 650b
Tires: 47c
Marin is known for making excellent off-road bikes, and it shows with the Nicasio+ gravel bike. With a Chromoly steel frame and fork providing excellent strength and comfort, it’s ideal for bumpy roads. It has smaller 650b wheels with oversized gravel tires giving this bike great off-road ability and agile handling. With a 1X9-speed MircoShift groupset, you can shift around the gears easily and tackle sharps climbs easily, and the disc brakes will slow you down quickly on the other side.
Salsa Warbird GRX
Frame and Fork: Carbon Fiber
Gearing: GRX 810 2X11
Brakes: Hydraulic Disc Brakes
Wheels: 700c
Tires: 42c
The Salsa Warbird is an excellent gravel bike that is going to offer incredible performance on a light dusty trail. It’s a Carbon fiber frame and fork, which is lightweight and stiff ready to go fast. It has a 2X11 Shimano GRX 810 groupset which offers an excellent range of gears with rugged shifting ability. Alongside this groupset, you have Shimano GRX hydraulic disc brakes, which can stop you on a pin. The gravel bike wheels are 700c, and these are equipped with 42c gravel bike tires. This is a serious performance gravel bike.
Niner RLT 2-Star Bike
Frame and Fork: Hydroformed aluminum with a Carbon Fork
Gearing: SRAM Apex 1X11
Brakes: Hydraulic Disc Brakes
Wheels: 700c
Tires: 40c
The Niner RLT 2-Star is a great value for money gravel bike. The frame is made from hydroformed aluminum and paired with a carbon fiber fork. The gearing comes from the off-road specialists SRAM in the form of an APEX 1X11. With hydraulic disc brakes, you will not struggle to slow down on muddy trails. The 700c wheels will make rolling over obstacles easy, and the 40c will be fast rolling with a decent grip.
Getting into Gravel Biking
Graveling biking is an excellent cycling discipline and is becoming increasingly popular yearly. We are often asked about what’s the best way to get into gravel biking. We highly recommend getting yourself a gravel bike and hitting some trails. Try not to overthink speed and skill. Just getting experience is the best way to learn. Using applications like Komoot can help you plan the perfect route. Thanks for taking the time to read our article, if you are interested in other semi off-road bikes you might want to look at a cyclocross bike.
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