Design Characteristics:
– Gravel bikes made of aluminium, carbon fibre, titanium, or steel
– Rigid front forks, often carbon fibre or chromoly for vibration absorption
– Drop bars like racing and cyclocross bikes
– Frame geometry between road and mountain bikes for stability
– Disc brakes and additional mounting points for gear
Suspension:
– Most gravel bikes use wider tires and controlled flexing for cushioning
– Some models offer mechanical suspension with limited travel
– Examples include Lauf True Grit and Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty
– Front and rear suspension options with around 30mm travel
– Focus on cushioning effects in wheels, fork, and frame
Drivetrain:
– Gravel bikes use drivetrains from Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo
– Integrated brake levers and shifting common, with electronic shifting on high-end models
– Shimano GRX and Campagnolo Ekar offer dedicated gravel components
– SRAM XPLR collection adds gravel-specific features to groupsets
– Both 1x and 2x drivetrain options available, with slightly lower gearing than road bikes
Wheels:
– Gravel bike wheels similar to tubeless road and cyclocross wheels
– 700c wheels interchangeable with road and cyclocross wheelsets
– 650b wheels derived from mountain bike wheels
– Aluminium rims on cheaper wheels, carbon fibre on expensive sets
– Wider rim widths and slightly more robust construction than road bike wheels
Pedals:
– Gravel bikes compatible with clipless pedals using Shimano SPD cleat system
– Commonly used on mountain and cyclocross bikes
Tyres:
– Gravel bikes fit a wide range of tyres from road to mountain bike types
– Designed for wider 700c tyres, often around 40-50mm
– Some bikes fitted with 650b wheels for wider tyres
– Tubeless tyres common for puncture resistance
– Tyre choice crucial for trade-offs in speed, weight, puncture resistance, and traction
A gravel bicycle is a type of bicycle intended for gravel cycling, including gravel racing. They are also sometimes known as "adventure bicycles", particularly ones intended for harsher off-road terrain.
While bicycles have been used for riding on such roads since bicycles were invented, the "modern" gravel bicycle, as a category, evolved in the 2000s, adopting technology from road bicycles, cyclocross bicycles and mountain bikes. They also share many characteristics of touring bicycles, such as relaxed geometry, wide tyres and wide-range gearing.