What's the difference between a cyclocross and a gravel bike?

Over the past few years, the gravel category has become one of the brightest lights in the cycling industry, with brands and consumers alike discovering the potential of wider tyres and an exploratory spirit. Gravel cycling can take you away from the beaten path, limit your interactions with distracted drivers, allow you to tackle a wide range of different terrain, and float back and forth between on road and off.
That cross-compatibility is a compelling sales proposition for riders searching for a new bike to add to the fleet. But the appeal of the gravel bike doesn’t lie just in it being a bike to add - its capability across surfaces means that plenty of riders are drawn to one as a single bike for all purposes.
You don’t have to think very far back to remember that there was once another style of bike that was seen in the same way.
Before the gravel category took off, cyclocross bikes filled a similar niche, and when ‘gravel’ began to emerge as a distinct category, many thought that gravel bikes were the same thing under a different name, cunningly devised by the industry as a means to sell more bikes.
But while there are certainly similarities between gravel and cyclocross bikes, it’s reductive to say that they’re the same thing. Let’s take a closer look at the two - where they match up and where they diverge.
See the full review at:
cyclingtips.com/2021/01/whats...
Thanks to brightbrewery.com.au/ for hosting us during our conversation.
Music by Epidemic Sound
Includes paid promotion: Our second Field Test was done in partnership with Ride High Country, the tourism and advocacy group responsible for cycling within Victoria’s North East region. We thank them for their support in being able to produce this series.

[@ZenEndurance]

I for one would like to thank Cycling Tips for inventing a time machine to bring back a dapper WW1 fighter pilot ace to explain to us how gentlemen pick a bike. He may not have his riding crop and leather helmet, but this acrobatic aristocrat can still tell us about the devilish details. HUZZAH!

[@andypaul999]

I could definately see a place in my imaginary garage for these two.

[@bike_lain]

Those CyclingTips flies have seen and touched more high-end bikes than my local bike club

[@VeloVeloVeloTV]

Truth.

[@coldfisao]

Very much appreciated all the tests that you guys did during that week, thanks for the quality content

[@C.Medina]

Love to see and hear any gravel (off-road) subject you guys do. Looking forward for more reviews like the ride in Parma you guys did while ago.

[@seangavin4829]

I have a CX bike with 40mm tires and flared bars, best of both worlds. I love how fast and responsive it is and I use it as my Hardtail!

[@ianbauer4703]

What make and model?

[@lenolenoleno]

How is this the best of both worlds? You now have a CX bike that isn't as racey as a CX bike for CX racing, and not as stable as an average gravel bike optimized around 40-42mm tyres. By that logic putting road slicks on a MTB and narrower bars gives me the "best of both worlds" with promises that it'll roll as fast as a road bike but descend like a MTB. Well no, it does less MTB things now and more road bike things, but certainly not the 'best of both worlds'. Like in the example above, you've just adapted the bike on the spectrum a quarter step on along the continuum in the other direction. Sure if you just have a CX bike, then great! Ride what you brung. It's plenty good enough for us armatures.

[@mrbuddha5263]

People win the DK on things like the Crux, Superx, and other cyclocross bikes that are kitted out to be a gravel bike, so yes, best of both worlds.@@lenolenoleno

[@lenolenoleno]

@@mrbuddha5263 UCI Gravel Worlds was won on a road bike in 2023 that was kitted out to be a gravel bike, so yes, you should ride a road bike on singletrack, best of both worlds. Also they're pros who know how to handle a bike. The majority of drop bar cyclists are roadies with poor to average off-road handling skills. If buying a bike to do long-distance (fatigue inducing) events on rough terrain, the majority of people would be better off on something optimised for stability rather than being super twitchy with additional clearance for bigger tyres. E.g. size small frames no longer have/have less toe overlap on anything bigger than 35mm tyres.

[@sheilastallard]

My husband as a Surly Cross check set up with grx and he loves it!

[@jamesbarber6375]

I'm pretty sure one of those flies was the same one that landed on Mike Pence!

Before the gravel bike hype, I was always on a cross bike. And still today. Focus Mares CX!

[@schmoab]

I’ve been riding a Kona JTS for 15 years, which was great tech at the time for mixed riding. Now I want something more plush and want to go on longer touring rides, so I think it’s time to get a gravel bike. My single speed MTB is actually the best bike for gravel-specific riding for an hour or so at low speed.

[@tombolo22]

Great overview

[@conorverbruggen5133]

"Corporate wants you to find the difference between these two bikes"

[@kamuelalee]

Yes, that's the way this vid felt, for sure.

[@ZOB4]

I love my Revolt Adv. Excellent machine.

[@ulaev]

pls compare TCX vs TCR with 28mm tyres.can TCX do 3things: group road ride, cx race and gravel fondo?

[@sabamacx]

Gravel bikes are fashionable and sexy touring bikes for those in denial.

[@samuelbaker6542]

100%

[@alicangul2603]

Or people who are too cool for mountain bikes.

[@kamuelalee]

What ever happened to touring bikes? Oh wait...

[@matteofranzo232]

In your opinion is possible to use a cx bike for long gravel ride? Or the geometry will bother you?

[@iMadrid11]

The answer would be subjective depending on your riding experience, level of fitness and body size. Some cyclists would hurt their backs on long rides, riding road bikes with aggressive geometry optimized for road racing. While other cyclists won’t because they are used to it.

[@BeeRich33]

MEC Cote is a CX with mounts for touring. Great bike.

[@TheBenupton]

What was the blue-framed bike that made a cameo appearance?

[@iancreighton1]

Curve Kevin of Steel, they should have a video review up in a few days.

[@BurnDuration]

Yes, most CX bikes are centered abound 33C tire width, but I can still fit a 45C tire on my Ritchey Swiss Cross, and ride it on chill gravel rides. If I had to choose between a gravel or CX bike, I would choose a CX bike, because some gravel bikes have geometry which are too compromised to compete in a CX race. The top tube is higher on a CX bike so you can fit your shoulder through it, whereas gravel bikes might not be able to. Also the head tube angle could be too slack for very steep out of the saddle climbing, and not feel planted.

[@armadillito]

I don't plan to race my CX bike any time soon and tbh wish it would take tyres larger than 35mm or so, but it's really nice to be able to shoulder it when I get out of my depth in the woods.

[@kamuelalee]

I'm in the market possibly for a Ritchey Swiss Cross as I've heard it's a good all around bike for racing and gravel riding and perhaps road riding too. Would you agree with that assessment?

[@lenolenoleno]

SwissCross is a great bike, but this assumption that a 0.5-1.5 degree slacker HA is going to magically make the bike not feel planted just isn't the case. My XC MTB is about 6 degrees slacker than your CX bike and it sees a lot more steep climbing than a CX bike does. Hell my gravel bike is 2 degrees slacker than your SwissCross and climbs 25%+ grades with no front wheel lift.

[@chriswright9096]

You put the same tires on the two bikes to compare them? While that sounds fair, it kind of defeats the object. For example; I don't think I could even put typical gravel tires (40 to 50mm) on the stock rims that came with my cyclocross bike.

[@tecnociclista5342]

The Asleep is ridden at CX World Cups? Have you got any more detail on that? Who is riding it there?

[@WerdnaLiten]

The Aspero; Joris Nieuwenhuis rode it last season, but needed the BB changing. It wasn't really suitable though, which is why the Jumbo-Visma CX riders are still on unbranded Bianchi Zolders.

[@tecnociclista5342]

@@WerdnaLiten ha, right, thanks...sorry, that was auto-correct not knowing the Aspero :)

[@jb-rx2ig]

how to go uphill a lot of and fast on the road with a cx? or wrong bike? better a gravel bike then?

[@edrcozonoking]

My CX bike has won both CX and Gravel races, so not enough of a difference for me.

[@arnopr]

Hmmm.... so if I don't want the narrow tyre clearance and lesser terrain versatility of CX bikes, and want racey responsiveness but track and cross-country racey, not *road* racey, should I look at XC bikes? Modern XC bikes, even with slightly more traditional geo like the Giant XTC SLR 29, look quite close again to MTB hardtails in terms of position, not sure they offer the fast aggressive speed and nipply handling that I'd like. Though that's not based on any actual experience riding. Hmmmm...

[@leonidb3736]

Would be interesting to see some time difference between the bikes. Why would one buy a cx bike not for cx?

[@jamesmiller5318]

I have a CX bike that I use for “gravel” - basically a go (almost) everywhere bike. I prefer it over a “gravel” bike because it feels more like a road bike in terms of geometry and responsiveness. I like a bike to feel twitchy not slow, and it’s been on single track plenty of times. I really like 1x as well for its simplicity and easy to clean. I currently have a Scott Addict CX and I had a TCX before that.

[@arnopr]

"The fact that they don't come with a front chainring" as something that distinguishes CX and gravel because CX doesn't really go uphill much. But what about XC bikes - just one chainring, lots of uphilling, no?

[@michaelgallagher6232]

That lad in the middle needs to spit the words out quicker

[@RAPBIA6]

there's a cuppa flies

[@DebonairOnline]

What’s with the flys crawling all over these guys. Ahh! Great video though. 👍🏻

[@kamuelalee]

Sandflies maybe.

[@jarrodspeed532]

revolt and tcx take the same tire size do some real journalism

[@kamuelalee]

This vid felt manufactured.