Is Gravel Bike Suspension the Future? (Or a Gimmick?)

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Is suspension on gravel bikes a good thing or a bad idea? I set out to discover the answer once and for all
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[@davidcarroll4150]

I just rode the giant revolt x for 4 days and 650km in the Masai Mara in Kenya ….. no way I would have finished or enjoyed that race on a hard fork …. For pro’s looking to win yes of course a hard fork is faster …. But for mere mortals it’s a game changer

[@galenkehler]

Depends on what gravel you have. Where i am the gravel roads have about 3" rocks and potholes, and dual suspension is by far the fastest method. But if you were in an area where smoother gravel roads are available then maybe a rigid bike works better. "Horses for courses"

[@lgarcia67]

I tried gravel with a rigid bike borrowed from a friend and it was horrible. The vibrations for 40 miles were enough to keep me sore for several days. After that, I converted my old MTB into a gravel bike and I ended up with a bike with a front suspension. Yes it is a little heavier; but it is well worth it. Super comfortable and my speed increased substantially. I am not as tired and have much better control of the bike.

[@Durwood71]

I'm curious how you converted your mountain bike into a gravel bike since the geometries between the two are often very different.

[@aarons9198]

I just completed a 1 week gravel ride on a 2019 Aluminum Diverge w, future shock, cane creek eesilk, and 650b x 47 tires. I had zero pain or numbness on the ride. Was great. Also, with the bike weighted w/ bags, I was able to run higher pressure for more speed…the suspension absorbed most of the small bumps and buzz that would have transmitted into my body. It was a great ride, and I was very happy with the durability and comfort of my bike.

[@nellyx1x493]

The elephant in the room that may not be that obvious unless the rider has come from mtb, is service intervals. Most mtb'ers who have ridden for long enough will be familiar with service interval as short as 50hrs of riding, and expensive premature wear if not adhered to. The gravel bike is more likely to see extended usage, and those kind of short intervals could be met every few months for some riders... so the cost and faffage of strip downs and sending off, if not self serviced, needs to be considered too. I have enough to keep on top of on 3 mtb's, so want my gravel bike to be as maintenance free as possible, so suspension if needed would be a Lauf or big tyre... but anyway, my 19lb race 29er hardtail with 90mm Lefty would be faster and more capable then that Revolt offroad, and not much slower anywhere else. That is the future...front suspended Norba 90's style geometry flatbar or drop mtb, the new gravel.

[@user-ti3te1jx3p]

This is why the guys at Bicycle Quarterly advocate their fat tires at lower pressure. It's a way to get some of the benefits and comfort of suspension, whether on or off road, without mechanics. "Fat tires aren't slow" is their motto.

[@DilbertMuc]

Yes, they are slow. I tested many of them and also balloon bikes. With a suspension fork you can have much lower rolling resistance. It's also seen in data charts.

[@neilrobinson7965]

I love gravel riding but i draw the line at gravel bikes with suspension. If you are going to ride on terrain rough enough to need a suspension fork then you’re better off getting a mountain bike

[@WerdnaLiten]

Yeah, that would be my thinking; fire/ forestry type roads are fine on a Gravel bike. Anything more I'd want a proper MTB.....

[@sventice]

Another entertaining and useful video; this has become one of my favorite KZbin channels. Agree that using or not using suspension comes down to the type of terrain that is being ridden. I personally do not like suspension on any kind of bike; I think it makes bikes unnecessarily heavy and sluggish, and virtually all of my riding is on paved roads or non-technical dirt (logging roads and smoother singletrack), so suspension is not something I would ever consider. Many other riders, though, obviously have rougher roads/trails to ride, and for them full-on suspension would make a lot more sense. As you've said, it's nice to have a choice; I hope that bike manufacturers continue to make this choice available.

[@alanhill7965]

I’ve got a Grail SLX red Xplr for the fast smoother gravel and a Topstone Lefty for the rougher stuff , works well for me ,got rid of the road bike a long time ago , great video Dave as always !

[@philtomlinson8220]

Over a long route, something like the Badger Divide, the extra comfort from the suspension would lead to less fatigue, which in turn would probably lead to a faster ride. The FKT's for the Badger in both directions are now set on hardtail mtb's.

[@trentbryan8226]

I would like to see how a redshift suspension stem and seat post would affect the times of the Crux on the same course? A sort of compromise between the two bikes.

[@philipcarson8438]

I love my redshift stem and eesilk seat post. They make rough gravel tolerable.

[@niklaskristensson2231]

I ride a Pronghorn cx with redshift stem + saddle suspension. I dont go for speed. In my opinion the stem suspension doesnt kick in /work unless U ride downhill in tough terrain and stay in the saddle. But the saddle suspension is the best that ever happened to me. For all gravel riding.😊

[@originalkontrol]

My Revolt does double duty, but far more road. Gravel rides for me go from simple gravel paths to lighly techy singe track. Gravel wheelset is 650B with 47+ tires for suspension. In my case, the addition of an MTB makes best sense. If I were racing, the choice would be a little more complcated! Cool to see the difference between these two very different bikes! Thanks David!

[@SimonCurrey]

GT Carbon Grade with 25mm of travel at the back, Bontrager Carbon bars with gel inserts at the back, Maxxis 120TPI tubeless tyres is fine for our local tow paths. Also we share are paths with walkers.

[@melenriquez8985]

For majoriy of the people, the issue is not really speed. Most are not racing. Comfort, however, is BIG factor in enjoying a ride. If suspension forks help in that, then that is the future for most amateur, recreational or even serious riders, simply because they are not after a faster bike. As to whether it will be adopted in gravel races, that remains to be seen. I suppose that is a case-to-case basis, depending on the terrain, and the rider himself. Though in racing, you need more speed, that can be negated if you are talking of 100-200km gravel races where that repetitive jarring can take a toll on the rider. A short jaunt is not going to make a big impact. But a longer race will. As fatigue sets in, a faster bike will slow down because the rider slows down due to tiredness. If shocks can help lessen this, then raw potential of non suspension of current gravel bikes is nullified. If history is any indication, in the past MTBs had no front suspension. Then it had one. Then there are models that even had back suspension. Gravel bikes with suspension is just new. I am sure, they will be able to tweak this further in 2nd or 3rd generation to make it faster as well as confortable.

[@DaveCM]

I was in a race that had extremely chunky gravel, very steep climbs and descents. A woman on a mtb caught us at a rest stop before a long, nasty climb. We could out climb her but she would quickly catch back up and leave us behind on the very chunky downhill. One part was so rutted out and bad, she was able to ride though it without any problems. We had to pick our way through.

[@galenkehler]

If you want to add a suspension fork to a gravel bike, go get a 27.5" cross country fork. You can run up to a 700x45-47c tire, and you actually get a usable amount of travel (80-100mm) to make the extra weight worthwhile. I got a 12mm thruaxle adapter so you can keep your nice gravel wheels even if you want.

[@pavlokhryshcheniuk7765]

I doubt you can get a flat mount mtb fork

[@galenkehler]

@@pavlokhryshcheniuk7765 you don't need a flat mount fork, you just use a flat mount adapter. Or just swap the caliper, calipers are cheap, only slightly more than the new pads you get with them.

[@galenkehler]

@@pavlokhryshcheniuk7765 forgot to mention that you need an adapter anyway, and the advantage of a post-to-flat adapter is it goes up a rotor size so you can run 180mm rotors 👍

[@pavlokhryshcheniuk7765]

@@galenkehler you can run 180 on flat mount as well

[@galenkehler]

@@pavlokhryshcheniuk7765 if you have a fork that supports it (most dont) or an ugly huge adapter

[@HD46409]

Gravel suspension is much more about comfort and allowing non 20 year olds to do long days in the saddle without blowing the rest of your week. I can rebuild my own suspension forks, but the Lauf fork plus the Ergon seatpost is good enough from the long day comfort perspective.

[@gratefultogod4130]

MTB'er who bought a gravel bike. Santa Cruz Stigmata. Nice bike, unrideable on trails with a rigid fork. I put a gravel shock on it and it changed the ride completely. Can basically ride it over anything. And no, it's not a mtb, just another way to liven up the trail. If you want to wear spandex, and ride a fine gravel trail, keep the rigid fork. Otherwise, put a gravel shock on and go have fun.

[@jimthebikeguy]

Its difficult to attribute any one area of performance to one thing. A bike may be better or worse over rough terrain because of frame flex, wheelbase, tire size, pressure, or the fact it has suspension. I think that the type of bump makes a difference too; a telescopic fork can't possibly react quick enough to a series of small bumps/rocks, but will deal well with big, spaced out hits such as depressions and hollows. I do think a lot of the advantages shown here by the Giant are actually down to the geometry and frame characteristics (the normal revolt is a bit of a limo anyway and has a lovely ride as stock). Good video and great talking point.

[@huntos83]

I definitely see the usage case for a full suspension gravel bike for riders who mostly ride rough offroad and don’t use the bike on roads much. However I think there is a middle ground that gives you a more versatile bike. Personally I would choose the lighter rigid bike, and ride it like you have it setup for general mixed road and reasonable surface off road. However if you know you are heading somewhere much rougher then have another set of shallower wheels with bigger tyres and a suspension stem and seatpost you can swap in. Yes it won’t quite give you the suspension effect of a fork but it will still give you a decent benefit on the rough stuff. With gravel riding being as varied as it is I think it is better for most people to have a versatile setup that can be adjusted to suit the riding when needed.

[@sustainer3510]

The S-Works Crux tested is around twice the price of the Giant. Not sure this invalidates the pros/cons of each option, but it's not really a head to head comparison either.

[@VN9001]

That is valid point for sure, and my thought exactly. In particular, the weight comparison between the two is a bit unfair in that (notwithstanding the suspension ), twice the price will get you a much lighter bike. I understand the limits of this video comparison though and appreciate David's insight on the two bikes. I am not a racer, and am in the "comfort" camp of riding farther with no pain/numbness and maximizing enjoyment. 🙂

[@universe-juice]

GOOD ONE! Enjoyed it. That crux is a stunner 😍

[@davidarthur]

Thanks a ton!

[@rafaelsola1]

Hey David thanks so much for your insight! I unfortunately don't have the luxury of testing multiple bikes but I figured you'd be a great resource. So here's my question, have you ever done a comparison of suspension gravel bikes? I'm in the market for one and I'm specifically thinking or the Giant Revolt X vs the Santa Cruz Stigmata (with suspension). Obviously there are other options but the ability of running wider tires is a consideration for me. Any insight or a comparison that you might have (including other bikes like the YT etc) would be extremely helpful and appreciated! Thanks so much and help up with the great content!

[@jonathanglassman2021]

Nice test but you really need to compare like to like with both bikes within the weight difference of only the suspension fork and seatpost difference which i would presume is far less than the overall measured 2.2kg difference. The Crux was even on Zipp CF wheels! I would also like to see how a similar trim level Diverge compared to both of these and could really be the sweet spot between them.

[@grantvanderwal6043]

I put the Rudy shock on my crux. And it’s amazing. For serious rough corrugated gravel I use 650b

[@MrMars121]

The Cannondale had suspension gravel bikes for a while with the rear pivot system and the front lefty

[@adamcurpier]

Great video as always (a bit late watching it)! It would be interesting to see you do another comparison, but this time, same bikes though ... 1 with the sus. for, 1 without. The difference in weight with these is quite a lot ...

[@GravelHerault]

That Crux is stunning but about twice the price of the Giant. What would be nice to see is the Crux mounted with the same suspension fork and how much of a penalty it would then take. But I suppose it's not technically feasible so we'll never know.

[@fraji1]

Lael Wilcox rides her Crux with a suspension fork. Don’t know which fork it is but I’m sure it’s done right.

[@sinkthepink74]

yeah i was thinking of course the s works is faster duhh its not in the same league the entire giant cost as much as the crux frame

[@robertsonfamilyfarm9126]

The question is you can save seconds on a revolt going down in the ruff but save minutes with the Crux going uphill or smooth gravel but the crux can also be a fast road bike which I believe is incredibly more versatile and valuable with a tire change its 2 fast bike in one ??? Can the revolt ever be a fast road bike

[@philipcarson8438]

It is often a question of fatigue handling the rough, so that there’s not as much left for the climbs.

[@alexandra4334]

Well, the Crux is a racing bike. The Giant would excel in the endurance category or a longer cross country race but at some point a cross country mtb bike will better the Giant and the Giant is then the more lively, underbiked option, but still not a faster choice.

[@underthedrone2735]

Unless your racing, how the person feels after the ride matters. If the Revolt allows the rider to feel less beat up and wore out then would be my choice. The Revolt could also be a good bikepacking or trekking bike IMHO.

[@jmac74]

Great vídeo, congrats. I believe these are wonderful times we are living. Bikes are becoming great machines, with all shapes and sizes, and capable of meeeting any one´s desires. There are so many options now, and that is great. Whatever works for you, suspensio fork, rigid fork, just pedal and go.

[@richardhaselwood9478]

Well said. All bikes are becoming amazingly versatile, road through to MTB

[@andrewblakesley4202]

No. You pay way too much for a narrow choice of suspension gravel bikes when compared with the options for XC mountain bikes. If your gravel bike rides require suspension then you'd ride them with better comfort and control on an XC bike. You'll also have more spares, repairs and upgrade choices.

[@Jacob99174]

💯

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Want to compare apples to apples, use a Specialized Diverge with the suspension seatpost.

[@KOL630]

I agree with OP. If the trail is so rough that it requires suspension I feel you should just buy an efficient xc mtb instead.

[@charliecook6909]

​@veganpotterthevegan3413 absolutely rubbish 🤣 mountain bike are so much more stable off road , flat bars, wider tires , proper suspension and bigger brake gives you so much more control and confidence

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

@@charliecook6909 But I ride with a combination of bikes on a well known U.S. trail. The current best bike is either a gravel bicycle with 700x45 medium grip tire or a hardtail with 650x2.1 tire, with suspension locked out. There are trails around here where you need full squish and 120mm of travel.

[@chuckfrizzell8668]

Thanks for another great, informative video. I was about to buy a Canyon Grizl alloy 1 by with suspension until I watched this video. I ride a hard tail xc with my friends on our weekly gravel bike group rides. They all ride very nice gravel bikes. Most of the time I can stay up with them unless we’re on fast downhills or on the pavement. Now I am not sure if I’ll buy a gravel bike. Colorado Springs, Colorado. Any opinions or feedback appreciated.

[@shirtlessGraveler305]

I have to say back in 2019 before I had a gravel bike even though I rode gravel since 2013 anyway on hard tail MTBs , I put Maxis ramblers on my giant Carbon XTC advanced hard tail that I still enjoy and ride XC to this day, but with 2.20 size tires. But when I did a gravel race years ago with the Maxxis ramblers on STANS carbon Valor wheels and a mid level Rock Shock front fork , stiff carbon flat bars , I still got beat up on wash board and imbedded rocky South Florida Levees roads any way , yes it was about 40 miles into a race. Point is the frame was not built as a gravel bike , the forks where never designed always absorb wash board sections , and smaller 40 c gravel tires mounted to carbon XC wheels felt like riding on wood at the 40 mile mark. Tires , seems to make the most difference in comfort …………….. the fork even flexed and vibration from the wash board or rough sections did not help ……….I now have for dedicated gravel bike a 2021 Diverge carbon expert …….

[@MrJhamil05]

Great video? Have you tested the ROCKSHOX REVERB AXS XPLR SEATPOST? I am wondering about the suspension. Or have you tested other droppers with suspension

[@mikeburton8426]

I did three rides last week, each about 60 kms on abandoned rail line with smooth sections and some very rough sections with sand and large rocks and washouts. I didn’t have my own gravel bike but I borrowed my friends cross bike. I rode it all and was relatively fast, but it beat the crap out of me. I started to believe a slightly suspended gravel bike would be a good idea. I’ve always thought that was silly and why not just use a mtn bike. I also started to think about my own gravel bike with wide 650 wheels and tires. The real issue for me is that I find my mtn bike to be uncomfortable for longer rides. I like the drop bar hand position options. So setting up a mtn bike with drop bars is also an option and I see some gravel racers like Dylan J are doing that. Kind of at the point now where it’s just fun thinking through and then trying all the options. If you are not racing I still think one bike with different wheels can do it all, but what might that bike look like? Maybe full suspension gravel bike with lockouts?

[@michaelschlechter9272]

I expect to solve for geometry and tires, do this with a full rigid Cannondale Topstone and the one with the lefty should be the v2.0 test.

[@KostyaSanSnowboarding]

Please tell me what size these two bikes, and what is your height and foot size?

[@sarguellesm]

Hi David thanks for the video! Quick question for you. How did you get rid of the creaky bottom bracket on your TCR? I bought mine a year ago in large part thanks to your great review on it. I still love the bike btw

[@davidarthur]

No creaks from my TCR and I'm on my second bottom bracket, currently a Ceramic Speed one. Maybe it's time for a replacement?

[@lsantilli]

I think the engineering is going to eventually get to a point where there is adjustable suspension- which will be a game changer for professional gravel racing. Think about how some teams are able to adjust tire pressure on cobbles on the bike - adjustable suspension is coming.

[@lsantilli]

@@veganpotterthevegan , you’re not wrong - but I do think the space for the engineering improvements is legitimately there. You can bet the research and prototyping is in the works.

[@noredcr]

realistically the industry is probably just waiting a few years to ensure you buy a new fork, not much to engineer when they already make highly adjustable forks.@@lsantilli

[@lsantilli]

@@noredcr , adjustable yes, not necessary mid ride, as your riding adjustments, though.

[@SorinVBogdan]

I think these traditional suspension fork designs don't work too well on gravel because on gravel you need small bump sensitivity instead of softening drops or bigger impacts like you would need on a MTB. The only suspension fork capable of this to my knowledge is the Lauf fork. Anywho, to each their own. Nothing against it, if anything I'd definitely grab a suspension fork if they could do what I need them to.

[@marcgtsr]

We need inverted forks for gravel

[@gregmorrison7320]

In all my years of riding suspension forks I still have fond memories of the original chromoly forks that came on my Indian Fire Trails of the 90's, those forks soaked up small bumps better than any suspension fork I've ridden.

[@gregmorrison7320]

@@veganpotterthevegan No, never had rock hard tires, we ride a lot of mud so not massive tires either, managed to ride with those chromoly forks long after many had changed to suspension forks, eventually MTB tracks got rougher to suit so the change was needed for the rougher trails but never did the suspension forks soak up the small bumps like those chromoly forks could.

[@gregmorrison7320]

@@veganpotterthevegan What suspension fork are you running on your gravel bike?

[@gregmorrison7320]

@@veganpotterthevegan I haven't ridden a Rudy so my original comment stands. Not likely to fit one to my gravel bike either, just not necessary for me.

[@universe-juice]

I disagree with some of these comments. I want to see comparisons between bikes (full build as they sell them). Plenty of videos about frame comparisons. I want to see more videos about off the shelf bike for bike. Thanks Dave! This is interesting to me!

[@Sandzsteedt]

Lauf fork or wide tires always over telescoping suspension on gravel bikes. If those are not enough you are most likely better off swapping to a mtb with proper suspension. 30mm of telescoping suspension on gravel bikes is just a faff in uselessness when you consider sag and seal/dust wiper friction.

[@ForestFelvey]

Great video, but, I would trust this comparison more if the tires on the bikes were the same. The test was of the suspensions and weights of the bikes, not tire selection. So, the tires could be the same so they could be ruled out.

[@Bike4Coffee-Cake]

I’d be interested in Crux vs Diverge (same price point, wheels and tyres) - which would you pick for say a 100km or 200km gravel ride?

[@paulfrancisjenkins6483]

Thanks David I have a Crux.. how are you getting on with the suspension seat post you had on your Cruz in California??? Worth it ??

[@kuanhau4323]

It should be choose your route then choose your weapon. If you don’t have the right bike for that ride then choose the route again. Really depends firstly on your mood, then your pocket, then your mood. Whatever you do just enjoy it

[@wakeupFFS2012]

Next year people will realise drop bars are idiotic on a gravel bike and TA-DAHHHH we'll have re-invented the mountain bike. Congrats.

[@edjack1993]

That Crux is just GORGEOUS.

[@parleekingy]

I bought very lightly used Revolt SL with a Lauf fork (during early lockdown)....think i adds about 400gram to the bike, no bob out of the saddle, very stiff and it gets more use than any other bike just takes the buzz out on the dreadful state of the roads as well of off roads. Use two pairs of wheels ....sadly mean i really ought to sell off a few others

[@DarthJabba504]

Excellent comparison. Would be interesting how a redshift front and rear suspension would compare. Seems like the ideal middle ground with almost nothing lost on pavement.

[@robertdoeleman3471]

Indeed. If only the stem is tested I would be very interested. I know you already did this test but with the crux now I would like to see the experience. Contemplating it for my crux.

[@davidarthur]

Watch this space 👍

[@robertdoeleman3471]

@@davidarthur doing it already 👀

[@trentbryan8226]

I agree, put the redshift kit on the Crux and run the test again.

[@niklaskristensson2231]

I have a redshift and dont notice it before going downhill in tougher terrain. But pretty satisfied because i ride 85 percent road with my gravel.😊

[@davidjenkins2011]

Been torn between this exact dilemma and both bikes are on the shopping list. Great content Dave, as always. I still don't know what I'm buying lol. Think TopStone with Kingping could be the winner (without the light package)

[@huntos83]

Did you get a bike yet? I got the new Topstone carbon a little while back and it’s an awesome bike. I’ve had several decent level gravel bikes before and the Topstone is definitely my favourite . The smoothness of the kingpin is definitely noticeable and the bike is stable and confidence inspiring off road, meaning you tend to ride faster

[@davidjenkins2011]

@@huntos83 My wife surprised me with a giant revolt pro so no suspension or anything. Really solid BUT I would prefer to have the suspension upfront or the kingpin for sure. The standard gravel bike. For me. Is too stiff unless it’s super manicured gravel. So I’ll look to upgrade that fork to a shock in time.

[@huntos83]

@@davidjenkins2011 yeah I find the same with most gravel bikes I’ve had. Though you can do quite a lot to improve things with bigger tyres and suspension stems and seatposts

[@huntos83]

@@davidjenkins2011 the Revolt is supposed to be a great bike though, and most reviews suggest it’s at the more comfortable end of rigid gravel bikes

[@davidjenkins2011]

@@huntos83 you used anything specific personally you’ve been happy with the result of? I’m totally standard at the minute and thinking the most obvious is tyre, Go a bit wider (got the standard rubber it came with on)

[@erlendsteren9466]

I know two types of suspension, soft big tyres and suspension. I guess that we can manage without suspensionfork if the tyres are big and soft enough. But i use suspended bike, I like it, but its heavier than the light stiff bikes.

[@darrin2382]

I will say it again. I have a hard tail (GT floating stays adding rear suspension) fitted with gravel tyres (or MTB tyres). Quicker on long gravel rides when I need it. I have a proper gravel bike with redshift stem for times when I dont.

[@emilioc700]

What were the avg w and NP numbers? By sector and whole segment.

[@gren509]

Good review (and you are getting better every time!) but 7km is not enough to bring out the benfits of sus'n which is about comfort and fatigue !? If you'd don 3-4 laps on each, I think your view may have changed.

[@Roger101Watson]

Stick some 50mm tyres on the Crux and I reckon you have the winner. 40mm is faster and lighter but 50mm would give you much greater confidence in the rough stuff without the huge weight penalty of suspension. Thinking of my own local trails the Giant has limited advantages but I can imagine there are plenty of areas where it would be the bike you'd grab over your xc bike

[@cjohnson3836]

Pressure has a far greater impact than width. I've yet to see any actually valid data to suggest that variation in width over the 38mm mark make any statistically detectable difference in race times. And tread has more impact on tire performance than width. I'll take a 38mm knobby on loose surface over a 50mm gravel slick. I think where this will ultimately all settle is some sort of minimalist suspension (ala redshift stem, etc.) mostly to prevent fatigue and joint overuse injury on long gravel races, and smaller (38-41mm) tires to maintain weight/efficiency marks.

[@tomvanlaer7507]

I like your videos in general but this one has a few problems in my view. The tires and wheels should be the same and it is not clear if your power output was the same during the 2 rides. Then there's also the price to consider for most people... I could see myself using the crux for road and lighter gravel and the revolt x instead of a mountainbike, at least in the region I live...

[@jimthebikeguy]

I guess as well that this test is best seen through the metric of time. I.e that crux is faster across a 1hour big effort ride. I bet the revolt is quicker for a day ride though.

[@tony5269]

Suspension no Suspension doesn’t matter just ride the Bike 😁😎

[@baron_xd4633]

tbf I didnt buy a gravel bike to go as fast as possible downhill over bumps, I got it for the excitement of carefully thinking about which path to take while driving :)

[@soloist777]

Love the look of the Giant Revolt X!

[@fennec13]

I have a titanium gravel bike. carbon fork, wheels and seatpost - nice cushy tires, tubeless and lower pressures provide all the "compliance" I need. Suspension would jus tbe added and un-needed weight imo.

[@zgr5421]

That comparison was rather obvious. I'm considering Revolt and Topstone (without Lefty) and that would be more interesting comparison- similar weight, Kingpin. You have tested Topstone before, how much less comfort you have expirienced on rough roads with Topstone comparing to Revolt? And the final question: is it possible to mount Rudy suspension on Topstone without any modification/changing more parts?

[@DilbertMuc]

On GCN they tested gravelbikes vs. MTBs on the several Paris-Roubaix sections. The MTB was by far the fastest on those nasty cobblestone sections, but overall the regular road bikes were fastest because the major part of the race is on the tarmac road. So... same result as yours. Recommended bike: it depends! 😏

[@dakalla]

Dan Bigham, performance engeneer at ineos said in a podcast that for Roubaix in an ideal world he would like to have some kind of suspension bikes with 40mm tires and accordingly wide rims. We will see this year, maybe they will ride the pinarello grevil with a pirelli pzero 40mm, that has been announced. I think it should be uci legal, or is there a tire width limit for road races?

[@kippen64]

Was thinking that I'd like suspension on my gravel bike but changed my mind because of the maintenance. So am thinking bigger tyres and a dropper post. That's all.

[@evanm.2300]

I wishbu did the same bike with and without suspension as a waayyyy more fair test!

[@StephanieHughesDesign]

Crux. You can use it for CX racing as well.

[@akissparaskevopoulos]

What is the seat posts brand? Thanx

[@michaelmapple8201]

I think that comparing two times straight out is not a completely fair comparison. Power data would give insight on the effort if the two measured times are comparable. Still good and informative video.

[@delend456]

David, you mention the Giant Revolt X as being a bike "built around suspension"; how is it different in the frame/ fork built compared to a "plain" gravel bike? Any thoughts/ experience/ opinion in retrofitting a suspension fork to a gravel bike as an upgrade?

[@philipcarson8438]

At 7:30 David explains that adding a suspension fork to a standard bike makes the head angle more slack and raises the top tube.

[@huntos83]

Basically the head tube is shorter to account for the fact a suspension fork is longer than a rigid fork. Adding suspension to a normal gravel bike will raise the front end, raise the bottom bracket, and effectively slacken the head tube and seat tube angles as the bike is tipped back a bit. Will also shorten the reach and increase the stack. In general these changes in geometry will make the handling slower and less responsive. These things may or may not be a problem, depending on the bike fit you need and the handling characteristics you want.

[@mattkavanaugh5623]

Horses for courses, of course.... pardon the pun. I prefer suspension (my gravel bike is Cannondale Slate with dropper seat post and 30mm of Oliver Lefty fork travel) b/c I want a versatile gravel bike that can handle moderately techy stuff and also ride the pavement reasonably well. The Specialized Crux would be too similar to my road bike (Cannondale EVO); the Slate is like a drop bar hardtail MTB which is the right one for me.

[@sootymilly15]

Love my Canyon Grizl 7 suspension. 😁

[@pss999]

Hi David, can I ask what size your Crux is and what your saddle height it? I seem to be between 54 and 56... the 56 seems to have very long reach, but I have long legs and don't like the long reach. Thanks!

[@davidarthur]

It's a 56cm and my saddle height is 76cm and I'm 181cm tall

[@pss999]

@@davidarthur Thank you!

[@keepingtherubberdown5715]

While a good comparison. I think you need to do these tests with same wheels to make it more equal.

[@glennoc8585]

Thst crux frame is very light I'd hope its not flexy as many lighter frame seem to be.

[@davidarthur]

Can confirm it's not flexy at all

[@scottwatson7844]

I’m hoping they realise a full suspension gravel bike 😁 I love my xc bike off road but I much prefer the riding position on a road/gravel bike.

[@lgarcia67]

An easy fix is to change the handle bar. Put some drops and you are good. Honestly, a gravel bike is nothing but that, a XC bike with drop handle bars.

[@terrycorkum]

Drop bars ar just easier on the hand placement. I guess dampening is just natural progression.

[@luisaparicio8546]

2 kg of weight between bikes is a lot! The Giant Revolt X is too heavy, I sugest to put the Rockshox Rudy on the Crux, I have a Crux comp with a RS Rudy and it rides like charm, is excellent on the climbs and a great descender! By the way it weights 8.6 kg

[@huntos83]

It’s actually not that heavy, the majority of non-suspension general purpose gravel bikes are in the same ballpark at 9-10kg. It’s only the really race focused bikes that tend to be noticeably lighter than that. It is the Crux that is the outlier as it’s so light

[@noels8817]

It's like back when when roadies swore nothing more than 23mm wide tires, now we've all been sucked into an era of gravel or all-terrain riding, it is inevitable that what we roadies disliked about mtb's is now what we've become because gravel would not be possible without the mtb disc brakes, big tires, and yes front suspension - but we'll still keep the drop bars .. yt scepter is my gravel steed, amazingly fast on tarmac n very doable on chunky terrain-

[@estebanarayaguzman4012]

So are we going back to hardtails?

[@andyphilpotts4636]

Or further, back to "hybrids", oh the ignominy, I got sucked into that... once.

[@reinholdachleitner2069]

Awesome comparison video,I think the Revolt X is the future of gravel riding and people won't mind the weight.

[@neilrobinson7965]

I will mind the weight!

[@SniperSpec0ps]

​@neilrobinson7965 Me too.

[@reinholdachleitner2069]

I'd rather have extra weight with a lot of comfort.

[@neilrobinson7965]

@@reinholdachleitner2069 then you’d be better off with a mountain bike i would have thought. I ride in a very hilly area so low weight is a big deal for me. I also ride mostly on maintained gravel roads so suspension is extra weight I don’t need.

[@reinholdachleitner2069]

@@neilrobinson7965 I think hard-core aggressive gravel riders will appreciate the suspension.

[@parasharkchari]

Yeesh. This is basically following exactly the direction that I knew gravel bikes would be since the day they were introduced as a category. They're basically just drop-bar hybrids. Oh, sure, you can prattle on about geometry differences, but the only reason those differences even appear to exist is because it's a case of hybridizing starting from the road bike end of the spectrum. Gravel suspension? Little more than dual sport hybrids with drop bars. Amd the thing is that because we know it's being marketed to gravel riders, we can tack on a few hundred dollars more ti the cost and people will pay it. I'm already awaiting the day we have a drop bar fat tire bike category and there'll be 500 videos on KZbin from creators such as yourself (plus another 100 or so just from GCN) all covering the "Is it worth it?" or "what's _really_ the difference?" kind of questions.

[@jimthebikeguy]

I think that a gravel bike with suspension also loses some of the very adaptability which makes them so attractive; all of a sudden it isn't as good at road any more which is half the attraction for a lot of people. Prb too niche.

[@Aragorn.Strider]

But you didn't wear mountainbike gloves, which are way lighter then a suspension and give lots of comfort. I recommend to always wear some bike-gloves

[@davomccranko]

Why no gloves?

[@edwardtownsend6191]

Suspension will make the ride faster as it soaks the bumps. Just take a hardtail and try To keep up with someone on a full suspension. I have first hand experience.

[@sambabulli]

Ride 75 miles of washboard gravel (Salty 100 as an example) - and you'll beg for any suspension, imho.

[@tc4724]

Have you considered repeating the test using the suspension bike first ? Perhaps your legs sore some minor tiredness.

[@lunchbox1341]

I love gravel, but if you need suspension a hardtail mtb will always be better.

[@ilanpi]

Seatpost suspension is useless on off road descents, since you're not sitting on the saddle.

[@ilanpi]

@@veganpotterthevegan That explains the dropper post.

[@P8qzxnxfP85xZ2H3wDRV]

The future of gravel bikes is a XC hardtail with 100 mm of front suspension and a drop bar.

[@drill_fiend1097]

Check out Niner MCR 9 RDO. It has already reached the level of a little dual suspension trail bike.

[@Ghost12561]

That external cable needs to go..

[@rule3036]

Suspension forks, dropper post..... Mmm I would call that a mtb and with that frame an XC mtb with rubbish forks🤷‍♂️

[@cjohnson3836]

And I'd call you ignorant and ignorable. Try racing a XC mtb on open plains in midwest US with a 30mph sustained headwind and 60+mph gusts.

[@juliendufour4513]

we are comparing apples and bananas here

[@diegoeleazar9154]

A suspension is a MUST for gravel riding. It aint fun!

[@justinfo-jepy355]

There is no actually wrong or right about this. Except you are racing with rules. This all boils down to personal preferences. If you want to use 23c roadbike on a downhill why not? Its up to you lol

[@kt293802]

on 9

[@verdi6092]

Its called xc bike