Gravel Bike i.s.o Road Bike?

[David Marshall]

A gravel bike can be what you want it to be.  You can put drop bars on your MTB or put the widest tyres on your road bike and there you have it!

My opinion on the op's question is not if you want to do any serious road riding.  I have a Fuji Sportif which is basically a robust road bike with the option to fit 32mm tyres and go gravel.  I ride it exclusively on the road with 25mm tyres ('cos I have a gravel bike as well) and no I will not replace my road bike with it.  I sometimes struggle to keep up with my mates and would not consider doing a road race on it.  It is great for training and those long days in the saddle and I love the hydraulic discs but don't try for any KOM's.

[Raf]

9 hours ago, saggy said:

I sold my road bike and got a gravel bike.

But then I also bought a nice set of road wheels, Im pretty sure this set up is as fast as my old road bike ..... and way comfier.

I do enjoy going away on weekends and riding gravel though ..... as some one else said no use getting a gravel bike unless you going to go ride gravel!!

1 bike, 2 sets of wheels.... Less hassle 

Yes is 1kg heavier than a pure road bike but you're spoiled for choice across bike brands these days. 

I went with the Giant Revolt and the geometry is similar to an endurance bike. I choose between 28c Tyres s or 42x Tyres depending on the ride

You can play around with crank blade sizes as well. 

[The_Phoenix]

I have a road bike and a gravel bike. Recently my gf took over the road bike and i rode the gravel bike with her on the road (43 mm panaracer ss). She started to get too fast and i put some 26 mm road tires on the gravel bike. Definitely added the speed that I needed to ride until argus, which is her goal. After I will revert to the 43 mm pana's. 

HOWEVER, the gravel bike is unstable at high speeds (75 kph or more) with the road bike tires compared to the road bike. Only real downside I found thus far. 

And a last minute note....flying down the road on a full blown aero road bike will always beat a gravel bike with a road setup. If you want to ride fast on the road. Get a road bike

[Johan1983]

To tell you the Short Long story...I have been road cycling for 24 years. Then i also bought a MTB bike 10 years ago, best decision of my life. Upgraded a couple of times to top of the range one. October 2022 me and my buddy went out cycling one Saturday morning..we got hit by a car..I cracked my Vertebrae and heavy concussion, my buddy broke his hip...we are very lucky to be alive!! So im still recovering, but already thinking about a new bike. But maybe considering buying a Gravel bike, and not ride on the road..i know its difficult

[Johan1983]

9 hours ago, Raf said:

1 bike, 2 sets of wheels.... Less hassle 

Yes is 1kg heavier than a pure road bike but you're spoiled for choice across bike brands these days. 

I went with the Giant Revolt and the geometry is similar to an endurance bike. I choose between 28c Tyres s or 42x Tyres depending on the ride

You can play around with crank blade sizes as well. 

I also looking at a Revolt. Which one did you get?

[MongooseMan]

12 hours ago, mecheng89 said:

If it means anything, this was Bicycling's Bike of the Year, so if you get this one I believe you should be satisfied. 

Yup, looks like it ticks most of the boxes for me.
Need to work out what power meter to stick on it (heard issues with clearance if you go crank-based)

[CraigCCW]

I sold my MTB and Road Bike, got a Giant Revolt Gravel Bke.

Was using my MTB mostly on the road, and the road bike lived on the trainer.

I have no regrets, the Revolt has really surpirsed me at how capable it is off-road.

Only thing I miss is downhill single track on an MTB, that was always alot of fun and one has to be alot more cautious and pick your line on the gravle bike.

Edited January 25, 2023 by CraigCCW

[splat]

25 minutes ago, MongooseMan said:

Yup, looks like it ticks most of the boxes for me.
Need to work out what power meter to stick on it (heard issues with clearance if you go crank-based)

Stages and new version of the 4iiii seem to be OK on the 2022 Checkpoint

 

[Jensie]

20 hours ago, MongooseMan said:

This is my current plan.

Current goal is a Trek Checkpoint SL5, and then some nice carbon road wheels down the line.

That is a cool bike and you wont be looking back. 

[mecheng89]

8 hours ago, MongooseMan said:

Yup, looks like it ticks most of the boxes for me.
Need to work out what power meter to stick on it (heard issues with clearance if you go crank-based)

Stages make pretty skinny electronics, along with 4iiii. I just bought a 4iiii crank for my Giant road bike where it was pretty tight already, and it worked out perfectly. However, if you do consider 4iiii, get the GEN 3. The GEN 1 looks like a fat R5 coin, whereas the Gen 3 looks a lot more like the Stages.

[Frosty]

That’s where so would go with a set of Garmin Rally (conversion kit) pedals… if we’re mixing wheels between gravel and road, may as well do the same with the pedals.

[Frosty]

On 1/24/2023 at 11:35 PM, Raf said:

Yes is 1kg heavier than a pure road bike but you're spoiled for choice across bike brands these days. 

How “heavy” is 1Kg heavier? 7.8kg?

I race my Ritchey Logic, and is 2.2Kg heavier than pure road bikes (9kg). Doesn’t stop me having fun and being (somewhat) competitive at the same time.

[Maniax]

On 1/24/2023 at 1:12 PM, Johan1983 said:

Is it worth Buying a Gravel Bike i.s.o a Road Bike?

yes

[Mountain Bru]

On 1/24/2023 at 1:12 PM, Johan1983 said:

Is it worth Buying a Gravel Bike i.s.o a Road Bike?

Probably need to add more details to get a proper answer. What gravel bike vs what road bike, and are you at the pointy end of races or doing cruisy road rides with your mates with no thought of watts or FTPs or aerodynamics. 

My 2c -  A higher end gravel bike can probably meet most people's needs on the road, especially with 2 sets of wheels. But an entry level gravel bike will probably leave you wanting more on the road, especially if you're used to a lightweight carbon road bike with top end components. 

[Paul Ruinaard]

Lots of threads about this but the thing is its neither fish nor fowl. Its not a road bike or an off road bike. So if you are serious as a roadie it will frustrate you and unless you are on smooth dirt roads off-road an MTB is better. How old are you, how fit and how serious are you.

I still think you need to take a gravel bike out on a rutted dirt road and hit that at speed and see how it feels - it isn't good. then you will start to see that its operating window is not as an MTB nor as a road race bike. Its in-between. FUN maybe and depending on how fit and serious you are its a nice thing to have cause your fitness and strength can overcome the downsides.

Right now i have 2 sets of wheels for my Roubaix - one with a set of 38 mm gravel tires on it that allows me to get on the gravel shoulder on tight roads but i wouldn't ride it seriously down dirt roads. I also have a small ally hardtail 1 x MTB which is much better off road than the Roubaix. And MTBs and ebikes and have done all of it - CX bike, Gravel Bike etc.

Depends what you are looking to do - but its neither fish nor fowl rather something with a broad use case that allows some flexibility - however if you push it too far on either end of the spectrum it starts to show its failings

 

[dasilvarsa]

Get All Three

Road Bike, MTB and Gravel Bike.