2020 Field Test: How to choose a gravel bike

[@kylerose1320]

How to pick a gravel bike.. Find one avail. (Hardest part)

[@GoatRidesBikes]

If you haven't test ridden it on the trails/roads you intend to ride on...don't buy the bike. I know it's not cheap for manufacturers to do, but we need more road/gravel demo days like we've seen from the MTB industry for decades. DON'T BUY A BIKE THAT'S TOO BIG because your ego can't deal with the fact that you just might not be a LARGE. My Orbea Terra is an XS and it's pretty freaking awesome. Fits me just right.

[@mitchellkasdin1899]

Good video. The other trick up the Gravel bike’s sleeve is the fact that there’s mounting points. I wanted to get a gravel bike as a fourth bike to do road touring or light trail, single track fire road bike packing - or even as a vacation touring bike where I go on an overseas bike tour off road. I think you explained it well. Makes a good one quiver bike for those that want a road bike that does it all. I think that if I had to do it over I wouldn’t have purchased my expensive CF MTB hardtail if gravel bikes were available and I don’t think I would have purchased my CF road bike. The gravel bike you could argue could easily replace 2 or 3 bikes.

[@mitchellkasdin1899]

Good video. The other trick up the Gravel bike’s sleeve is the fact that there’s mounting points. I wanted to get a gravel bike as a fourth bike to do road touring or light trail, single track fire road bike packing - or even as a vacation touring bike where I go on an overseas bike tour off road. I think you explained it well. Makes a good one quiver bike for those that want a road bike that does it all.

[@JonFairhurst]

The other question I would ask is, “How long are your rides?” If they’re four hours or less, a couple of bottle cage mounts might be all you need. If you’re doing multi-day epic rides, it’s another story. Our locals love the Salsa Warbird. I want something like it, but with more mounting points and suitable for an overnight load. I’m targeting next year, so I’ve got time to figure it out and test some bikes.

[@Juan_More_Mile]

Jon Fairhurst been reading a lot about the warbird. But how road friendly is it?

[@tywitt3351]

Checkpoint has all the mounting points and doesn’t give up anything on the road

[@hardmtnbiker]

I agree that every gravel bike is a good commuter, especially 2x drive bikes. One other thing to consider when choosing a frame that has the ability to fit big 700x50c tires. If it come with 700x35c tires it will sit lower so if you’re going to mount 50c tires you need more stand over so don’t go to large with the frame. Most companies are now listing the tires used on the geometry listing. Just be aware of this when you’re test riding demo’s.

[@chrisgravel7157]

Great content and love the fact we have riders from different backgrounds weighing in! Will say though the trail footage suggests you have some talented mountian bikers in the crew and was worried the road perspective would be missing. Keep it up!

[@campyc40]

How to choose? Ride them. I tried 6 bikes before settling on a Niner.

[@Anth230]

Meh. I don't try bikes. I just read reviews. Buy it and ride.

[@Edub-em3rr]

@campyc40 which one did you get? What level? Do you like it?

[@timlagas]

I am a bit surprised that the Stack to Reach ratio isn't mentioned. It is the best way to compare bikes on a spec sheet + the trail. The stack to reach ratio: stack/reach=*number. The higher the number the more upride the riding position is. The Canyon Grail has a STR of about 1.51 (depending on the frame size) The Kona Libre has a STR of about 1.61.

[@chrha6779]

Your approach is just not true (anymore). If You just take S/R for comparison, you're leaving out stem length and, more importantly as it is not changeable, seat tube angle. Also seat post setback must be considered (changeable of course). It's very tempting to narrow down geometries to one or two figures, but it just is not that easy.

[@C.Medina]

Enjoying this gravel episodes. I have my gravel/Allroad bike in December and I narrow the purchase by price affordability, wheel space (40+) and what I will do with it. I finished with the Bianchi Impulso Allroad. Nothing to brag about, just do everything good. I have done road, gravel and single track in the state forest with it. Very happy with this way of riding. If I can give an advice after purchase it's to change tires to preference of brand/model/size. Mine came with 35mm kenda and change it immediately to panaracer gravelking sk 43mm. It's night and day in feel and comfortability.

[@themrtimmyboy]

Btw, I loved the gear ratios podcast. I couldn't comment on Stitcher but wanted to give you my appreciation. Love your chemistry. Your laughter is good music!

[@karlstine2065]

Choose what is available.

[@kosta2177]

That’s painful

[@Graptos]

Test Ride: 👍! Demoed the same bike in alu and carbon, night and day, the alu was so much harsher (coming from MTB, not doing a lot of asphalt road riding) for the price difference the carbon was clearly worth the price difference. Would love to hear you compare the ride feel of different build materials, what is the best bang for your riding dollar: Carbon, Steel (so many types), Titanium...

[@chrisgravel7157]

Value of a test ride. Execution is WAY more important than material - for me my Trek Checkpoint ALR aluminum rides as well as my Giant carbon and better than my high end steel bike.

[@SenorBeanGrouse]

Seems like tire clearance as well as largest chainring size should come pretty early in decision making. One can always put a smaller tire on a bike with huge clearance. As I have gone through gravel bikes and found how capable they are, I have always found myself migrating to larger and larger tires. Just my opinion, but I believe people should always err on the side of a bike with the largest possible tire clearance that they can see themselves ever wanting.

[@12mountain]

Great video, although I'd love to see these bikes compared to some of the other more popular gravel bikes. I'm someone who falls into the category that Abby (sp?) talked about of...basically, I want to buy a road bike that has enough tire clearance to run bigger tires so that I can sell my road bike and have this as my do-all bike. I'm mostly still on the road, with maybe 20% of my rides being on gravel and dirt. So I'm looking at light, "racy" bikes like the Cannondale Carbon Topstone or the Giant Revolt Advanced 2. I find the Canyon, Open U.P., and Cervelo interesting as well.

[@eviehawke]

what did you end up getting, if anything?

[@GeekonaBike]

Unless the typical LBS customer has changed a great deal from my time as the bike shop guy (ok this was 45 yr ago). #1 was 'cool factor' #2 color #3 how good do I look on it & the other factors mattered very little in the purchasing decision.

[@shaun1900]

Dont get sucked into the hype and as mike below suggests the "cool factor" Work out if there is anything you currently own that will do nearly as good as a job or if you can repurpose some thing you arlready have? Then look at the condtions you will be riding in and where you want to go on the bike - for anything that isnt pavement, tarmac and lovely well groomed gravel roads, I reckon a hard tail mountain bikes will suit suit 98% of the population 99% of the time and cost considerably less. Take a look at something like a Gary Fisher Marlin circa 1997 - its a Gravel bike and there is a reason we dont ride one like that anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@mahiru20ten]

Wonder how good is a hardtail with dropbar when compared to a gravel bike...

[@shaun1900]

​@@mahiru20ten you are just back with a gravel bike so Im not sure it would achieve much and the reach and geometry would be all messed up

[@mahiru20ten]

Well, seems like indeed gravel bikes are basically hardtails with dropbars. This is made for those roadies who want some out-of pavement action.

[@drewdub8425]

Well said. Been peeking at gravel bikes for a bit but always look at my Karate Monkey rigid that I commute on with Schwalbe Marathons. If you're looking for a workout it gets the job done easy, compliance on rough gravel is comfy compared to my old Caad of course. If I wanted to ride more dirt I'd look into some other tires but I love the hardtails for mixed. Now if you want pure speed I'd look into gravel bikes but like I said for a workout it gets the job done.

[@pahouseholder]

You guys are brilliant. Thanks for this helpful video; I've already shared it with a friend.

[@Juan_More_Mile]

Thank you for this video. I’m a runner that sold his road bike and wants a 50/50 bike. I’m intimidated by going to a bike shop because due to my lack of knowledge I feel like they will push me into the bike/brand that is best for the shop. My budget is $3,000, any ideas?

[@ellisdm84]

Juan More Mile all city cosmic stallion

[@shakebake2680]

Trek Checkpoint SL-5 is pretty amazing Carbon bike right at that price point...

[@alanhill7965]

I’m very pleased with my Australian Bossi Grit titanium supremely comfortable fast and eats up kms on rough or smooth roads

[@kevingarywilkes]

Choose? There was only one in my city.

[@poomunj]

Did they ever finish those beers?

[@racerx8410712]

No because they are so disgusted that they had to ride these low end bikes that they wanted to just get the vid done and go back to their $10k plus budget bikes.

[@pault477]

racerx8410712 well aren’t you a special elitist

[@racerx8410712]

@@pault477 I know what I'm talking about. Not sure what that's called but if that's what you mean then sure!

[@pault477]

racerx8410712 nope - not a good interpretation

[@MrRay645]

I think it looked cheesy as hell, just seemed so set up to look “bike life”

[@robertbotta6536]

Awesome. Thank you. I wish I watched this before I bought my gravel bike. QQ: would you say the Cannondale Topstone is more road of trail?

[@jonamcc]

Sure, choosing a gravel bike is hard, but can anyone tell me which Arizona microbrewery to drink at? I'm having the hardest time deciding.

[@gordontarpley]

If you want to ride on trails, I read someplace they make these crazy things called "mountain bikes" that are built for that.

[@seth34567]

Spoken like someone who never mixed their sodas growing up.

[@pedalandypedal]

Keo Robin 😂😂😂

[@gordontarpley]

@@seth34567 actually, spoken like someone who always mixed their sodas growing up.

[@MichaelMachado2]

I'm still waiting for the bike that can do aero road all the way to moderate mtb trails...maybe I'm just dreaming.

[@Mamilian]

That's a tough one! Aero frame elements limit your tire options significantly, and you probably will want a longer trail (which creates air detachment from the front wheel to frame) for any MTB style riding. All that said, you and the wheels are where most of the aero drag/benefit is available, so it's quite possible to build a gravel bike with aero leanings. Go as narrow as you can with the handlebars, and choose specialist wheels for where you're going to ride. Deep sections for the road, light and shallow for the rough stuff.

[@michaelvanthiel2615]

Cannondale topstone carbon? its got the look. i use it for mtbish trials, road cycling and hopefully also bikepacking. But that combination is a tough one.

[@timlagas]

Check out the 3t exploro. First and only aero gravelbike

[@roadrider1100]

How about this for selection criteria? Which of these gravel bikes has the most compliant, smoothest frame? I don't want a bike that is X% stiffer than last years, I want a high-end gravel bike that I can comfortably sit and spin on. Which one should I get?

[@rogerl1203]

you have great and very useful videos. thanks

[@MrTheSkiper]

How is to climb long gravel uphills 6+ km and 6 to 10% with gravel bike. How would you compare climbing hills like this with gravel or with xc hardtail?

[@obtugtxivtub]

The welding on the canyon looks ugly.

[@daniel_alexander_]

Best ones for century mile rides?

[@JohnnyGification]

I remember when these bikes were called cycle cross bikes.

[@alfredstimoli2590]

my understanding the wheelbase is narrower on cycle cross bikes because they need to be more maneuverable?

[@darrenelbrow5144]

A gravel bike is nothing like a cx bike. Cx is more like a road bike with knobbly skinny tyres. A gravel bike is a completely different beast

[@aj010139]

@@darrenelbrow5144 they were also called touring bikes. 700c wheels, had tyre clearance for 30+ and loads of eyelet mounts for racks and bottle cages. Let's not kid ourselves here, gravel bikes are a marketing term used by the bike industry to sell more bikes.

[@snowfalleon7629]

@@aj010139 good point.

[@zumezoom9593]

I like my gravel bike with a flat bar and 1x12 gears... are there any in that configuration that cost under 1000 bucks?

[@visionmagenta]

Im 70% street and 30% mountain wich bike under $1200 doy you recommend me?

[@pauldamian2988]

Step 1... um, er, I don't know where any "gravel" is around me... so, ASPHALT! Step 2? nah....

[@federicodallagrana3098]

What's about 3T Exploro? is it flexible ?

[@holmsas125]

Thanks for video. It made me to consider about my choice - I was thinking about buying Merida Silex 300 (for 70% road riding and 30% gravel), but as I understood from video it’s not the best choise for my purposes due to it’s geometry, which is more MTB than road (I suppose). Is it good choise for my purposes, or it’s better to search for a little bit roadie solution?

[@robdogracing]

Any thoughts of/on the latest salsa stormchaser?

[@kati2426]

Bicycles, beers and ... long, serious faces? Where is the fun talking bikes. The laughs, jokes!

[@drewdub8425]

Lol the beers were definetly warm

[@jaydavee]

What kind of riding will I be doing? I'm going to be riding as an old homeless person without a car.

[@snowfalleon7629]

get some panniers and it could be a good time.

[@jaydavee]

@@snowfalleon7629 I did get some at a steep discount while Performance Bicycle was going out of business in early 2019. They're Nashbar panniers, and I think they are 19 liters each.

[@BastianUllr]

I died when Abby said: "as an actual human being" ahahahahahhah oh my hahahah Call the MIB :V

[@VeloVeloVeloTV]

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are on their way!

[@BastianUllr]

@@VeloVeloVeloTV great reviews guys. Appreciate the work and feedback. I went with the Giant to replace my last bike, it was stolen. Great bang for the buck, and seems a great all rounder that I could think of upgrading if required. Cheers!

[@alsooqrak6893]

Yes

[@moonsadventures]

Zenful and satisfying.

[@rickcochranerealestate]

marin gestalt 1

[@ibramguirguis]

AS actual human being hmmmmm I felt it in your eyes, there is something inside this lady :)

[@javeriaejaz1063]

Gorgeous

[@2000triathlete]

If you can expand your budget, the Pinarello Grevil is the ultimate ride.

[@Edub-em3rr]

Test ride a bike? What is this? 2019?! If the shop has a gravel bike that’s close to your size buy it.

[@markosharknz]

About right lol. I had a choice of two bikes - A size too big with hydro discs or the "correct" size with mechanical discs. Size too big it is!

[@Yuki_Mangetsu]

Эх ребята, почему вся движуха в Европе и Штатах, а у нас полная жопа, кроме КК толком никто не ездит не фига. И вообще не популярен велоспорт.

[@barnyrockford]

Always the same biggups of LBS!! In the real world, LBS advice is completely inconsistent. It 'may' be the best advice you'll ever get.... but it may also be completely biased toward the bikes that they stock? It may also be completely inaccurate, due to the member of staff you get to talk to. Not to mention the nature of subjectivity. I mean look at the range of actual terrain that people might call 'technical'! Most average 'Trail' mountain bikers can't even clear the obstacles on a modern 'XC' course. At the same time, a modern 'Black' graded trail may contain gaps and drops that only someone born after 1980 should ever even consider....! That applies to all forms of cycling. I'm just using MTB as an example. When people talk about the ability of a gravel bike to cope with technical terrain, I think of how an average rider would struggle on a full sus over terrain a pro Cyclo crosser might glide... on a rigid single speed from the 70s. I'm saying all this because surely this is why we actually need KZbin shows like this. Just admit that we need them because the industry is manipulative and shops are totally tied up in the industry.

[@WylieCoyote45]

I would love to know what Abby's thinking about when Dave is talking about trail numbers. A rider who hasn't changed a tyre between annual training camps vs a rider who can write the thesis on workshop tools 🤣🤣🤣

[@VeloVeloVeloTV]

Ice cream. I'm guessing ice cream

[@WylieCoyote45]

@@VeloVeloVeloTV mint choc chip or that expensive vanilla, the one with the pod bits in it 😁