Gravel Bikes & Touring Road Bikes

For the price, you get a lot of equipment, including 2×10 shifting and hydraulic braking components that are mostly form Shimano’s latest Tiagra line. The Pinnacle Arkose D2 is a well-specced bike that’s designed for riders who like to get off the beaten track. Its geometry is on the racier side for a bike of its kind, making it perfect for singletrack blasts. It’s impressively light too, with our extra-large test bike weighing just 9.87kg (21.76lbs). There’s a huge amount of clearance, with room for 45mm tyres if you’re on 700c wheels or a full 2.1in with 650b wheels in place. The versatility of this bike is really something too, it’s easily adaptable for commuting, road training, gravel racing or adventuring with luggage attached.

Seven’s Moto seat stays, curved in three planes, add both comfort and traction. If you’re looking for one race bike to do it all, this is probably the bike. This is on the low end of the trail spectrum, and I find it works exceptionally well. For the sake of comparison, my Steelwool cyclocross giant mountain bike also handles very well on gravel, and it has a steeper head angle , a higher BB , and a slightly less raked fork . I’ll go as big as 38mm on this bike, which brings trail to 59mm. Linking the fork to the bike, the head tube length, and angles will also affect the ride and handling.

Argon 18 has been associated with different events such as the Rio Summer Olympics or the Tour of Utah. The frame features three bottle cage mounts and one top-tube “bento”-style mount to stash your necessities. Our POP Gravel Geometry puts the rider into the best position to handle whatever the trail may demand. With a longer top tube, slacker steering, and a compact cockpit, the GS1 is built to be secure and predictable—whether you’re climbing a rocky trail or ripping down a loose descent. The ARAD Paradigm ups the game with asymmetric 1” chainstays, producing a drivetrain 50-60% stiffer than a typical titanium frame. That added efficiency really pays off the farther you get from home.

The eRonin is designed for long days on the saddle and exploring new terrain. While many gravel bikes offer narrow diameter seat posts that allow a touch of extra flex, a few, like Marin and Kona, come with dropper posts. It is if you find yourself descending steep, rocky roads. Fortunately, tires are available in a variety of widths and traction for both wheel sizes, providing great options for every bike.

gravel bike

Both chainstays drop below the bottom bracket, allowing a bike kitted with 1x to swallow up to a 2.4-inch tire (which effectively adds 1mm to the overall wheel/tire diameter). It integrates with the bike beautifully but leaves very little clearance. By the numbers, the wheelbase and effective top tube are longer. In the saddle, the Basswood definitively has more road manners and was most comfortable on straighter lines. It’s exceptionally stable in the drops, and the levers are easy to reach, so you can take advantage of the wireless shifting. They’ve managed to route all the cables internally to the mechanical brakes and drivetrain.

Most of the constraints discussed above don’t manifest as issues for the average rider, because they tend to be dealt with in similar ways across the board, with the exception of fork geometry. This is where builders who have the ability to either make or source forks with different rakes for each of their sizes will have the edge in terms of handling. However, if we look at ENVE, for example, who produce perhaps the best carbon forks on the market, we’ll see that each fork comes in one rake alone.

There just isn’t space for all of this stuff on narrow drop bars. One solution is to use a handlebar extender to mount additional accessories. For example, this Yizhet Handlebar Extender would work well. Drops offer an aerodynamic advantage- Aerodynamics play a major role in your speed and energy use while cycling.

In essence, they are more capable than road bikes yet more efficient than mountain bikes, transitioning nicely from daily commutes to weekend adventures. From leading budget options to range-topping carbon rigs, below are the top gravel grinders of 2021. For more background information, see our gravel bike comparison table and buying advice below the picks. All that said, there are many benefits to purchasing a true gravel-focused bike. Gravel bikes also feature a wider gear range for the varied terrain you can expect on forest service and backroads.