5 Reasons This Is The Future Of Gravel Bikes

[@awesomesloppyjoe]

5 reasons my xc hardtail is now a gravel bike: 1. Headtube angle is 70° Chainstays 430mm 2. 2.2 inch Continental Speed king tires 3. 90mm Rock shox SID 4. 8.7kg weight with pedals (alloy 29er wheels) 5. Matching legs to keep up on the road

[@glennoc8585]

So did you just add drop bars to make it a gravel bike?

[@awesomesloppyjoe]

@@glennoc8585 i will next year. I ride size S with 395 reach and i am 5ft9 ;)

[@cjohnson3836]

The prominent hard-core gravel racers are switching to drop converted XC hardtails for a reason.

[@DilbertMuc]

I have the same setup. But I've put long barends on the inner side between shifters and grips and put soft bartape around them. The width is 42cm just like on my roadbike. That way I have the exact same configuration like on a gravel bike without a drop bar, but much better handling of trails and immediate access to brakes and shifters!

[@psxinpdx168]

GL w/ #5

[@michaelborg3017]

This bike is my dream gravel bike at the moment. However, they are very expensive even lower tear versions. The grizl is more budget friendly and has the ability to change it from a 1x to a 2x depending on gravel surface type. Great video David as always!! 🥂

[@james-tennis]

Stunning paint job. Reminds me of Neon Genesis Evangelion purple :)

[@SpaceCadet4Jesus]

I agree with everything David said, except for the lavender color.

[@carlobuan1095]

Same here...

[@milan4ever]

I love the color :)

[@trdtrek3717]

You have to be content with being a feminist I guess! To be honest, it’s not my color of choice either!

[@milan4ever]

@@trdtrek3717 I am a woman so yes, I’m a feminist :) My Trek domane is in purple flip color ;)

[@gerardodilig3371]

The direction is definitely a return to the qualities of an xc mtb.

[@mattkavanaugh5623]

BMC is playing catch-up. Cannondale has been doing this with the Slate and the Topstone for about 10 years, including Lefty suspension fork. The premise is spot-on - adopt and adapt from the MTB world what is appropriate for gravel/adventure riding.

[@zdreamin]

@@huskyops678 glad to hear I am looking at a 4 model... vs Tommaso vs Cinelli vs a 1400 carbon one from china..lol. trying stay under 2000 ish.

[@crimson177]

Interesting that they chose not to blast their logo on the side of the down tube, the lads at Trek must be very confused.

[@moritzorama]

😂 „so much space on that down tube wasted!“

[@garrickx2111]

They don’t want anyone knowing what rad bike you have!

[@markbailey2130]

looks like one thats been nicked and re sprayed

[@wallypix1]

I really enjoyed your comments, straightforward and personal, good work. My opinion on gravel bikes is very different now, thanks for helping me overcome a prejudice. Now I realise my problem was regarding gravel bike riders.

[@cosmicheretic8129]

I agree this is the future of gravel bikes for racing. I don't think that applies to most use cases though. I as many others see a gravel bike useful as a road bike but allows you to ride off tarmac. Usually hard pack gravel / double track. Anything more than that and I will always choose my hardtail MTB.

[@mikespadafora9077]

Gravel bike geometry seems to lend it self to more people as it is not as aggressive as in long and low like a race bike. Also gravel bikes tend to make really good road bikes that you can take anywhere even if you’re not doing severe off-road riding.

[@JamesLeow]

Ooh...the URS is really a nice bike...ben riding it for 2 months and gets happier everyday

[@jsasa5668]

Beautiful bike and another awesome video by you. Always look forward to them. Cheers!

[@johnwedlake5543]

I recently sold my road bike and went for an Ibis Hakka MX and some zipp 303s. Genuinely the best bike I have ever had, fast on the road, brilliant on dirt. Can’t think of anything I don’t like about it actually and I have always had something that has bothered me about all previous bikes.

[@rolffuchs2737]

Because of this review i bought my URS one. The color scheme is so great and you can ride it the whole day.

[@karlheinzreichel670]

Totally agree with you, David. Coming from an MTB background, the first things I did to my gravel bike was slap on a 50 tooth cassette, a smaller chainring and a wider handlebar.

[@glennoc8585]

I just swapped out my dura ace disc shifters for grx di2 and they're so much better David. I hope the next dura ace goes for the lever pivot like the grx. I think a gravel bike can do what you'd usually do on a HT MTB. I think Id go for a gravel bike now and get a trail MTB for more hardcore. trails.

[@litchips]

2x is much better for a gravel bike for range, efficiency, and chain line. I got Ultegra (RX RD) with 50-34 in front and 11-40 XT cassette in the back on mine. Best of both worlds.

[@cjohnson3836]

Front mech fucks tire clearance.

[@AndrewWebber66]

That's just an old story. All the range you need can be found in 1* and chainline is just oldskool toot

[@galenkehler]

Adding a front mech is too much of a compromise in tire clearance. Unless you use a massive wide crankset and screw up your q-factor

[@floriancella7242]

Same as you... double chainring in front (48-33) and 11-40 in the back: you go everywhere and it is more convenient for backpacking as well. Max tyre width 42 mm. I ended up after 4 years shortening the stem to be more comfortable. The only question is now: should I swap the handlebar for a wider stance and less drop?

[@odins_dough]

Ditto, just done this on my defy and added 38mm panaracer tires and masonx wheels, so I now can make it a road bike or a gravel bike with a simple wheel swap

[@williamsmith1453]

Great video!! And, wow it's purple, love it.

[@stevek4382]

My sister would love that purple.

[@smefour]

As a MTB rider, you gave a thoughtful explanation of what is a Gravel Bike and what you see it can borrow from MTB's but still be more than capable on the road, for the life of me I could not understand the why of these bikes, but I think after this video I 'get it' a bit better now, cheers

[@key4duty]

A gravel bike is the perfect solution to fill in the gap between a mountainbike and a roadbike. It is faster than a mountainbike on the road and you can continue offroad where you normally had to stop if you were on a roadbike. I see it as the best bike for traveling light and fast on mostly road or gravel/grass.

[@joonlee920]

@@alves81 Yah but try riding your hardtail on tarmac. You'll be smoked by grandmas... : )

[@mikeelton5666]

Yep - sold my fs29er and my tcr - now love my gravel bike with redshift post and stem !

[@vermonthillsumc]

Well done. Very thorough. Thank you.

[@cbenson513]

Other are already doing much of this. Spesh's Diverge has mtn bike inspired geometry, mullet options, short stems, front "suspension" and long carbon seat posts providing some flex.

[@joonlee920]

So does Lauf with their True Grit bikes...

[@abandco.creative]

I’ve just ordered one! I previously owned a Santa Cruze Carbon Chameleon, planned on trail riding but found myself enjoying more gravel and road riding. After multiple hours on the saddle I was battered 😩 Hopefully this bike will be the answer 😊

[@JDRVP]

How are liking you URS?

[@D_isco_D_ancer]

Gorgeous bike

[@kenh.3857]

I have a URS and absolutely Love it!!! I do not do a lot of single track, but are on plenty of washboard roads and the MTT suspension in the rear really helps to dampen those vibrations over a long day. I am not young anymore, 56 and will take any comfort I can take to stay in the saddle for an extended period of time. I will be getting the MTT stem, to come out in Nov 2022, designed by Redshift, to help balance the front end. I have one on my BMC RM01 and it really stops the chatter of rough roads. Much easier to perform long rides. I am partial to BMC bikes, have been riding on them since 2005. They just fit me well. Road, All Road, Gravel, and MTB. They are well engineered and thought out. While not so popular, they do get high accolades for having great TT, road, all road and MTB bikes. They have won all kinds of races across the spectrum. Check them out if you have not before.

[@beastman6262]

How tall are you and what size frame did you go with?

[@kenh.3857]

@@beastman6262 i am 5'9, but have shorter legs, but a longer torso, so I got the medium. I probably could of gotten away with a small, but I put a shorter stem on it, 70mm to make it a bit more lively and to make it fit better because of the greater reach. Now it has about the same set-up as my road bike. Hope that helps.

[@danfresca8033]

This bike is almost perfect, I don’t want the elastomer, but everything else is great. Currently riding a cx bike but has cable disks and they’re crap that extra gear range will be perfect for when you have extra weight/steep hills 🎉

[@LordFata]

Hey David, I've seen detailed pictures of the Trek Checkpoint SL7 2022 pop up on smaller German stores, definitely showing the real deal. Will you make a video on that bike once it's officially announced and/or the NDA falls? Great content as always!

[@TheQuietBeast]

I agree with you David. It seems great. I have currently a Salsa Fargo (along with a full sus and classic CX). But my Fargo seems sometimes overkill, this one would probably be a better compromise.

[@hardmtnbiker]

I think putting the suspension tech features into the frame are best for people that truly intend to primarily ride gravel and rough trails. For those that ride a more mellow mix of gravel to pavement to hard pack dirt, just get a gravel frame with ample tire clearance and should you want to enter a Grinduro or hit some rough XC trails, you can just get the suspension stems and seat post available today and swap them out. Just a thought.

[@samuraioodon]

purple is the new black!

[@pixiedixie3187]

Nukeproof Digger, a beast!

[@chadm4976]

Grimace called, he wants his bike back!

[@cwd1232]

Just found the channel! Subbed

[@WheelersAtLarge]

Looks like a tank to me, all angular and armour plated but if you can't see it when riding it and the ride is as good as you say then it's all good...👍

[@CarlBaravelli]

I'm a bit of a roadie. I have a road bike, gravel bike and xc mtb. For where I live I just can't see any purpose to the gravel bike other than a winter commute. The hard tail xc mtb is just so much more fun for the trails and better suited to the terrain. My road bike is so much better for the roads. I don't really know when my gravel bike is of any benefit. But that is just my experience and where I live (west coast of Norway)

[@dmitryliashko78]

Agree on everything. But the only one and imortant point - the tire width. I dont understand the reason why not to build a bike, wich designed to ride offroad, around 47-50 mm tires? So they need to add suspension because the tires dont provide it. Still a roadie/uci mentality...

[@GerardCantor]

I agree that this is the future of gravel bikes, although I’d want BMC to have some chatter absorption on the front too- something that wouldn’t add much weight but enough to make some of those hard packed trails with ridges a little less jarring to ride. Yes, it sounds like a described FutureShock, but there has to be something more elegant. Not a spring per se, a dampener.

[@vomErsten]

An elastomer band in the stem would do the trick.

[@joonlee920]

Take a look at the Grit SL fork by Lauf - it pretty much does what you just stated...

[@mohamadjamil3164]

There is no reason why someone would paint a bike or anything with this color.

[@alainbellemare2168]

Unless it s borrowed

[@Roger101Watson]

That's a very purple bike! I've already mentioned it but it does look like the new Scott Addict Gravel has gone in a similar direction with a longer top tube and shorter stem.

[@axeln48]

The bike is fantastic, rode one last week and ordered straight away. But who at BMC decides on the colors? They are terrible, yellow or pink for a bike of this price range? Some more classy colors, BMC!

[@nylons1967]

great vid could we have a link for the 90's mtb

[@davidarthur]

Thanks, here’s the 90s video kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoCoZGehisp_mtE

[@jasonwright6823]

I think David hits the nail on the head here. Most people do not have a trail or gravel road right outside the front door of their house/ flat. Urban dwellers first have to get out of their town or city. For that a bike like the Urs works best. Either that or alternatively drive out, which seems entirely self defeating. Has BMC left its fork design shortcomings behind?

[@michaelglatz9833]

Hi David, Thanks for your very professional outlook re. future of grave race bikes. I am very interested what you think about the Liteville „4-one“ gravel bike in direct comparison to your BMC which you introduced to us. Thanks for your feedback. Best Michael

[@schoebelski6602]

thanks for the vid, David. I like to ride in the woods (near Berlin), not super rough gravely terrain, but many narrow paths/easy trails with rather tight curves. ...I am not sure how these new gravel bikes like this BMC with very long wheelbase and slack head angles perform there. Aren't they a bit too sluggish in handling vs. a more cyclocross oriented grave bike with steeper head angle? ...I am not sure, would be interesting. cheers

[@jp93309]

Already here with suspension bits offered by Topstone and Diverge. Let’s not forget Lael Wilcox won Unbound Gravel this year on a dropbar Specialized mountain bike so BMC doesn’t have an exclusive in the race-inspired gravel market. If anything they’re just another option.

[@MrIanD1]

Looks like a Wilier NDR backend.

[@thomasblak5315]

Great video but I am wondering does this style of gravel bike work well for races/rides as such as Unbound or Belgian Waffle Race where a more road type geometry seems preferable? Maybe gravel bikes will be segmented like mountain bikes were thirty years ago, downhill, cross country, all mountain/enduro etc. Certainly points to ponder.

[@ramonoutside]

Love this video and gives me a better understanding of the evolution of gravel bikes. Very random question, what jersey do you have on?

[@davidarthur]

Thanks. It's a Giro jersey, you can check it out here and the other colours it comes in tinyurl.com/9sz37hd2

[@Hunterthepunter126]

Rear suspension is a really clever design. Was there any suspension at front?

[@iancuk]

The front susp looks like on the steer/head tube under the stem.

[@roelhermsen5220]

Hi David, cool looking bike. Thanks for the review! One question, could I do some cyclocross races on it? Is the bottom bracket height to low for cyclocross?

[@santibaiona]

Is there any chance of a more affordable aluminium version coming out in the near future?

[@kimrice394]

Love it!

[@outbackwack368]

Thanks! I ride both a Cannondale Topstone Carbon Ultegra and a full suspension Intense mountain bike, and I am MUCH more comfortable riding my Intense on the road from a wrist comfort perspective. A bummer with the Topstone is its limiting 42mm max tire width. I need/want more squish... I tried the Cutthroat but none of the sizes fit me right. As a 1 bike solution for mountain biking, gravel and bikepacking I really don't think you can beat a well designed short-travel mountain bike... just swap tires/wheels if needed, which is the route I'll be taking when this crazy bike market gets back to normal.

[@leemarshall3649]

Like the bike, hate that colour!

[@ebenlaubscher4153]

Love the bike .But bought a modern hardtail instead .For me wider strong tyres and front suspension is not negotiable when riding off road .It is still a robust roadbike and nothing more .Got myself a Santacruz highball instead

[@thmensen]

In my area I'm missing a dropper post: will that be the next feature in te future of gravel bikes?

[@daveg7878]

The 10-52 cassette sounds great but their site calls it out as 10-50. Maybe you got something newer than their site shows. Beautiful bike but it should be for $9500. Eeek.

[@carolinahookers9391]

David what size did you get and how tall are you?

[@carlosrojas8298]

I like the BMC bikes, but the colour is horrible in my opinion.

[@jp93309]

Yeah I like purple but the entire frame of it is meh. Better if they added other colors or fades too.

[@peterjay6580]

Looks like the bike is eating chains from the looks of that chain stay near the chainring. Ouch,

[@rlemacs]

Pink is the future? Give me strange.

[@jp93309]

Agree. Really liked the Unbound Gravel retro 80’s editions of the Diverge that Specialized kitted their sponsored racers with. If they ever announce making them for the rest of us, I’m going to start saving my pennies.

[@umtomtom]

when roadies an mtb’rs get confused. all roadies care about is how efficient and aero their bike is, meaning they get the most out of what effort they put in. mtb’rs care about how comfortable and capable their bike is over any terrain. mtb rides just fine on the road and yes you have to put more effort in but i’m fine with that as i don’t care about strava times and just like going out on my bike and avoiding as many roads as possible as cars and bikes don’t mix. all roadies care about is miles an mtb is smiles. gravel is just for the micropenis few that are so insecure about time and distance than actually enjoying the ride

[@alainbellemare2168]

Now that i have a gravel bike i need to buy a car , cause i live nowhere near a gravel road

[@nigelliam153]

Does it play Smoke on the Water while you ride it?

[@hansdegebruiker1968]

awefull color ;-)

[@GoatRidesBikes]

What bar tape is that? So shimmery.

[@timtuckett723]

How does it compare to the Wi.De?

[@rolfeaalto7387]

Yawn ... 1999 called and wanted its bike back. My modded Moots YBB destroys this at a fraction of the price and with no exploited labor -- just upgrade the components and add drops. It's slightly heavier, but the gorgeous USA-welded titanium frame will outlast me and take all abuse with zero risk of failure, ever. And, you have a wide range of classic lightweight forks/shocks to chose to dial your ride to perfection.

[@mattsolomon2432]

Awesome video! What bar tape that is?

[@DilbertMuc]

This BMC Urs has no front suspension! An old obsolete model... can't be ridden in 2022. :D)))

[@TheHackman44]

The VERY reason i did not buy a BMC unrestricted was due to the very poor reviews in regard the the rear suspension rubber capping needing to be replaced TOO OFTEN....... If you require suspension on a bike, get a bloody mountain bike !!!!!

[@michaljambor7772]

Looks like too little tire clearance to be truly versatile

[@davidarthur]

It takes up to a 45mm which is reasonable

[@joonlee920]

Curious if that elastimer/rubber on the rear affects stiffness; can you feel it when you go out of the saddle?

[@umtomtom]

you might lose 2.342 watts from the flex which means you have to put some actual effort in to show your strava times

[@garypostell5268]

Some manufacturers should make more for larger riders with strong rims !

[@rudyelizondo1935]

What is the weight?

[@jasonwright6823]

What shorts are you wearing David?

[@davidarthur]

Hey Jason, these are the Giro shorts I'm wearing. tinyurl.com/yev9xfb5

[@Rick--A-F]

I don't really get gravel bikes. Not as quick as a rode bike on the road, can't go where mountain bikes go off road. It's all about a compromised ride and paying a fortune for it as they are all the rage.

[@joonlee920]

It's because there are a lot of trails/roads that are in-between tarmac and a technical trail. Also, you can take a gravel bike into both areas without too much penalty. So a gravel bike is sort of an 'everything' bike with limitations, obviously.

[@Rick--A-F]

@@joonlee920 I think they need to get front suspension so they are better off road. Then I wouldn't mind the just ok road experience.

[@jasonwright6823]

Would a Tailfin work with the rear elastomer unit?

[@axeln48]

No problem, Jason. The Tailfin rack has three movable pivot points - and bare in mind the BMC has only a few mm of "give".

[@oliverburke3743]

What shorts are those David?

[@davidarthur]

Hey Oliver, these are the Giro shorts I'm wearing. tinyurl.com/yev9xfb5

[@BurtTMacklin-fbi]

Where is that gravel vs 90s mountain bike video, please?

[@jungtarcph]

Maybe you can get a bit faster to the points...

[@davidarthur]

there are chapter links at the bottom of the video so you can skip ahead if you want :)

[@jonathansantos8294]

long wheelbase, slack headtube. are you guy's even listening to yourselves? just get a damn mountain bike and run narrower tires than you would.

[@bnzboy]

Not when the proprietary part needs to be replaced/serviced so often...

[@fennec13]

i agree with mountain bike tech and geometry informing gravel bikes. But that soft-tail suspension gimmick isn't any more efective than a decent carbon fiber seat post. imo. and I really disagree that 1X is the only proper solution for gearing - sub compact cranks (48/31 or 46/30) - such as Shimano GRX offers will get you onto the road, gravel, and everything in between. there is little reason to limit one's gear range. unless you are on a mountain bike and only going uphill or down (with gravity). not all gravel riding stays on just gravel.

[@joonlee920]

1x drive trains do not really limit range - they limit the in-between gearing so you have more gaps between gears. That's pretty much it. Unless you ride competitively, I highly doubt you would notice the slightly less range of a 1x.

[@KaineVarley]

But at £8,600..? Hardly accessible to most...

[@davidarthur]

Fortunately like most bikes it's available at lower prices - the URS range starts at £2,850

[@KaineVarley]

@@davidarthur I was looking at a Carbon gravel bike from Ribble... Do you have any opinions? I'm abit concerned about the geometry now, whether it will be long enough. I was over at their showroom in Clitheroe a couple of weeks back and was measured for one. I'm around 5'9" but with short legs. I was expecting a small frame (I'm on the cusp of s/m) but it turns out that the x-small was more comfortable. I'm now concerned that this may be more suited to road setup than gravel. Any advice would be appreciated.

[@davidarthur]

I haven't ridden a Ribble gravel bike yet I'm afraid to tricky to offer any help. Were you able to test ride it for size and fit?

[@julmeissonnier]

For 1/10th of that, I'll convert a 90's cromoly MTB and have just as much fun...

[@KaineVarley]

@@davidarthur Sadly no, they're struggling for stock and make to order. It was their sizing machine that was set up by one of the chaps on the showroom floor. I guess that it's a bit of a risk for me. It was your comment about the increasing wheel base in newer gravel bikes that got me thinking...

[@davidmartin305]

Jack of all, master of none! Terrible on the road and limited off trails available in the UK. If you already have a road bike, but a XC bike. If you have an XC bike, buy a road bike. These bikes were designed for the long wide Gravel fire roads in the USA, not the Gnarly bridleways and Byways of the UK.

[@mmmbass6068]

Some feedback: - intro waaay too long @~3 minutes - I just got through - too much babbling on - nothing revealing about the tech/set-ups highlighted, like the title eluded to (chain-stays on this bike an exception) - too obvious that you are either a) sponsored by BMC or b) desperately looking for sponsorship from BMC Thanks for the video anyway 👍

[@davidarthur]

That's why I use time stamps so you can skip ahead :) Also I talked about the tech setup on this bike in a previous video - this was a wider ranging discussion on the features of this bike that make it work so well. As I thought I made clear in the intro

[@antares8281]

I hope that color isn't part of the future.

[@fredsanguino703]

Like everything with the human being that everything turns competition. Gravel is just that fun away from the competition. So I don't see a gravel bike for competition.

[@janatlmb2770]

That niche was already filled by treking bikes (st called hybrid). So nothing new really. Drop bars okay.

[@victorrodriguez2806]

Yeah?......... No..... I'll just get another Road bike. With rim brakes. Ya'll have fun with that "stuff" though.

[@garypostell5268]

Make it in titanium and we have a awesome machine

[@glennoc8585]

Too heavy though and you still have a carbon fork

[@Ballacks101]

Take your helmet off ;-)

[@milkbunnies]

That’s as about as ugly as a bike can get…